CMU | the music business explained (Page 136)

Universal CEO Lucian Grainge makes 764 times more than his employees - and female staff get 48% less than male counterparts

Major music publishers buy into termination rights lawsuit to take fight to Supreme Court

Spotify wants $300 million in damages from Anna’s Archive, and for court to go after piracy site’s service providers

Cox Communications celebrates as US Supreme Court overturns critical music piracy judgement

Claude’s AI lyrics cause market dilution, say music publishers calling for courts to reject fair use defence

Declare trademark claims bogus says FKA in Twigs vs Twigs

Chance The Rapper wins sunset clause dispute with former manager

American man pleads guilty to multi-million dollar streaming fraud, faces five years in jail

Cautious welcome for UK government’s latest AI copyright stance, as BMG files latest Anthropic lawsuit

DoJ’s Live Nation settlement “proof Trump Administration cannot be trusted to protect American consumers”, says new Senate report on Ticketmaster

StubHub to more clearly state prices and terms for touted tickets, and offer Taylor Swift fans refunds, but only in British Columbia

“Robbing them blind, baby - that’s how we do it”, boast Live Nation execs about “so stupid” ticket-buyers

New generation of British artists propel UK record industry to £1.5 billion high, says BPI

High Court sides with Kneecap, ending the Hezbollah flag criminal case against Mo Chara

Google had every opportunity to train its AI legally, but chose to do it on the cheap instead, say indie musicians in new lawsuit

Live Nation settles DoJ antitrust lawsuit - but state lawsuits may continue

Chance The Rapper and Pat The Manager bust-up heads to court over disputed sunset clause

Warner Music’s Robert Kyncl is betting the company on an AI future. Can he deliver?

Suno is a feral pig rampaging through a well-tended garden, say creator orgs

Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota said “independent music is not raw material for tech companies to exploit without consent” before quitting to join AI music scraper-in-chief Suno

Producer who accused Karol G of beat-theft dismisses his lawsuit, adding “we were wrong”

Anna’s Archive rolls out the red carpet for robots - and asks them to “persuade” their humans to make donations

After a Live Nation lobbyist boasted he got antitrust chief sacked, US Senators ask if company has hired a “bevy of cozy MAGA friends”

European Commission approves Universal’s $775 million Downtown acquisition - but did it ask the right questions?

Spotify is all in on AI, its best engineers haven't written a single line of code since December - and why that should worry the music industry

Adding “hot takes” to unlicensed music is not fair use, judge confirms in rockumentary copyright case

IMPALA report warns European music diversity will erode without intervention on ownership, market access and infrastructure

European Commission must tackle “coercive buy-out practices” when US video streamers commission music, says MEP

Charlie Puth got musician to provide vocals for ‘Furious 7’ track, then Warner cheated him out rights and royalties, says lawsuit

Music publishers file new Anthropic lawsuit, adding in piracy claims and $3 billion mega-damages

Meta dropped songs from Reels library to bully Wixen into accepting lower royalty rates, says lawsuit

Horizon Future Leaders: Four issues shaping the industry

Five key developments over the Christmas break

Music and AI: 2025’s developments that will shape 2026’s disputes

Artists from South East Europe at risk of “cultural erasure” as a result of Spotify’s 1000 stream threshold

As indie community calls again for Universal’s Downtown deal to be blocked, will UMG flog off Curve to get over regulators?

MIT study “marks a new anchor for meaningful actions” to make live music more environmentally sustainable

Indie publishers make demands of collecting societies as they start to negotiate AI deals

Bob Vylan sue RTÉ over claims they instigated “antisemitic chant” during Glastonbury set

After King Gizzard boycotted Spotify, tracks by an AI-clone of the band started streaming

Ador founder wants to develop alternative K-pop management model with new agency

Indie publisher trade body says members should reject AI deals that do not value songs properly

“Creators are collateral damage” in AI race says Jorja Smith’s label, after AI voice clone track goes viral

Kneecap sue MP who “lied to the world” about group’s Canada ban

Johnny Cash estate uses ELVIS Act to sue Coke over tribute act ad soundtrack

Suno picks up Songkick as part of AI licensing deal with Warner Music

Live Nation and AEG provide a “disgusting service”, says Olivia Dean, after for-profit touting of tickets

Fugee Pras Michel jailed for fourteen years after illegal lobbying

Ticket touting platforms start frantic lobbying campaign claiming new anti-tout laws will increase ticket fraud

StubHub share price craters as UK prepares to announce ticket touting ban

Regulators must consider UMG’s AI deals in Downtown case, says IAO President

North American songwriter groups join call for transparency and creator consent as music companies start signing AI deals

Starmer must “honour his pledge” to cap prices in “extortionate and pernicious” secondary ticketing market

Downtown accused of planning “calculated destruction” of a short-lived YouTube music client in bombastic new lawsuit

No “self-service buffet” for AI companies says GEMA CEO as OpenAI loses landmark lyrics lawsuit

Manchester Evening News pays damages after incorrectly labelling Bob Vylan’s “sun salutation” as a Nazi salute

Slipknot.com owner hires domain name specialist to fight back against band’s cybersquatting claims

“Misleading rhetoric and “deceitful buzzwords” not good enough, says Council Of Music Makers in call for creator consent, control and compensation in AI deals

Axing of controversial EBacc is a “step in the right direction” for music education says Ed Sheeran

Former Guns N Roses manager sues band over autobiography blocker clause

Judgement in Getty’s UK lawsuit against Stability “underscores growing gap” between copyright and tech, says leading lawyer

Spotify’s streaming fraud initiatives are “nothing more than window dressing” says rapper RBX as he files class action lawsuit

Streaming services don’t want French language quotas in Québec

Universal has settled its lawsuit with Udio, and signed AI deals with Udio and Stability

Spotify questions MLC’s “motivations” in pursuing audiobook bundling dispute lawsuit

Lizzo is being sued over an uncleared sample - on a track she never released

Viagogo is unfair, opaque and violates EU law, consumer group tells regulator

Bobby Vylan says he has no regrets about “death to the IDF” chant at Glastonbury

Ticketmaster says FTC allegations it colluded with touts “nonsensical”, but it is changing some of its rules and shutting down TradeDesk

New Udio lawsuit hones in on the “significant and unequal harm” inflicted on independent musicians by music AI

Majors tell US Supreme Court to ignore ISP’s doom and gloom predictions and uphold billion dollar piracy ruling

Drake vows to appeal after judge throws out defamation lawsuit against Universal

High profile songwriters express concern about PRS transparency, accuracy and admin costs

Anthropic’s own guardrails revive full copyright lawsuit from litigious music publishers

Suno tells court to reject stream-ripping “gambit” by major labels in AI legal battle

As indie labels ramp up campaign for EU to block the UMG x Downtown merger, a French music lawyer says concerns around data are “fantasy or paranoia”

As FT says major labels are close to “landmark” AI licensing deals, is a new battle royale going to kick off within the music industry?

No one seems to know if Kneecap are still banned from Canada - or whether they were ever actually banned at all

Don’t say gruesome twosome: Ek steps sideways at Spotify to make way for not one but two new CEOs

‘Something Inside’ songwriter goes legal over Tommy Robinson’s use of his anti-apartheid anthem

Donald Trump signs executive order “saving TikTok”

Tabloid claims that Dua Lipa sacked agent over Glasto Kneecap letter are “categorically false” and “deliberately inflammatory”

Major labels add piracy claims to Suno lawsuit after $1.5 billion Anthropic settlement

Live Nation colludes with ticket touts, says US government as it launches legal action

Cornwall Council will hold meeting about ‘safety risks’ of Bob Vylan’s August Boardmasters performance - even through there weren’t any

Spotify finally adds lossless audio to premium

Anthropic will pay authors $1.5 billion to settle AI copyright case

Universal’s Downtown deal must be blocked by regulators before “cultural diversity is weakened irreversibly” says Dutch indie label group president

As EU hits pause on UMG Downtown investigation after “parties fail to provide important info”, Downtown boss whines about “misinformation”

More upheaval at Warner Music as UK label chiefs will report directly to US execs

Yet another senior exec out at Warner Music as UK boss Tony Harlow quits

Billion dollar piracy win for majors “defies common law and common sense” says Cox

Court dismisses Dave Rowntree’s black box lawsuit against PRS

Supertramp songwriter must continue to share publishing royalties with bandmates, US appeals court concludes

FTC sues ticket touting business that claims it is endorsed by Ticketmaster

Drake’s claims are “farcical” says Lucian Grainge as defamation battle rumbles on

Drake wants to trawl through Papa Grainge’s emails in ‘Not Like Us’ libel battle

Sony sues Napster over $9.2 million in unpaid royalties

Spotify age-checks could result in accounts being deleted, but only if you’re twelve

Increasing number of artists join Spotify boycott over CEO’s AI weapon investments

And Finally • 5 min read

And Finally! BTS’s Jin trades military life for gruelling “hug event”

It only seems like yesterday that Jin became the first member of BTS to begin mandatory military service, but he’s back. He was immediately thrown back into the pop star life, hugging 1000 fans who won his embrace as a prize in a raffle. This and more of this week’s funniest music news stories await…

Andy Malt • 14 Jun 2024

Drake • 2 min read

Drake sued over t-shirts referencing his track ‘Members Only’

Drake has been sued for trademark infringement by American clothing company Members Only. The musician has been selling t-shirts that feature the words Members Only on them. They are referencing a Drake track of that name, but the fashion firm says that consumers might think it is somehow involved…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jun 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

Approved: Zaho de Sagazan

Zaho de Sagazan recently performed a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Modern Love’ at the Cannes Film Festival. With the studio version of that song now out, she’s also announced a live show in London this October…

Andy Malt • 13 Jun 2024

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 3 min read

⏩ One Liners: Meta, Leigh-Anne, LIVE Awards + more

Meta x Merlin; UTA, Songtradr appointments; Resorts World Arena name change; Edinburgh approves new AEG arena; PRS Foundation Beyond Borders; LIVE Awards, UK Music Video Awards; new releases from Leigh-Anne, Joan As Police Woman, Hamish Hawk, Emmeline, Faux Real, Shhe…

Andy Malt • 13 Jun 2024

Spotify • 3 min read

Music publishers now fighting Spotify audiobook bundling trick on multiple fronts

The music publishers have written to the US Federal Trade Commission accusing Spotify of unlawful conduct over the way it bundled audiobooks into its main subscription product. It means the music industry is now fighting that big bundle, which reduces royalties to songwriters, on multiple fronts…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jun 2024

Tonic Futures • 1 min read

Tonic Futures to support young music professionals’ mental health

Tonic Music has announced a new programme to support the mental health of young professionals in the music industry. This comes off the back of research showing high levels of poor mental wellbeing among 18-25 year olds working in music…

Andy Malt • 13 Jun 2024

Merchbar • 1 min read

Australian merch companies say they are owed $250,000 by Merchbar

receiving payments from merch platform Mechbar late last year and are now owed more than $250,000. But a Merchbar spokesperson says those claims are “simply not accurate”…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jun 2024

Spotify • 9 min read

Spotify needs to find a path to consistent profitability. Are high res audio and AI playlists really the answer?

With its deadline to repay $1.3 billion in debt getting closer, Spotify needs to do anything it can to increase top line revenues and hit a consistent streak of profitability. It’s time to talk SUPREMIUM again!…

Sam Taylor • 12 Jun 2024

Ministry Of Sound Recordings • 2 min read

Ministry of Sound label sued over Ride It remix

Ministry Of Sound Recordings has been sued over Regard’s remix of ‘Ride It’. The label that released the original says the remix substantially sampled its track without permission. Ministry ultimately re-recorded the sampled elements, but initially released it with the uncleared sample, it’s alleged…

Chris Cooke • 12 Jun 2024

Hard Life • 3 min read

Easy Life return as Hard Life following easyGroup legal battle

Easy Life found themselves in a legal battle with easyGroup last year. The result was that the band were forced to change their name. Now, somewhat inevitably, they’re back as Hard Life with new single ‘Tears’. And the reviews are in - easyGroup says it’s "disparaging and defamatory”…

Andy Malt • 12 Jun 2024

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 3 min read

⏩ One Liners: Glastonbury, Music.AI, Enter Shikari + more

Music.AI deal; DawBell, Universal, BMG, Frontiers appointments; Peterborough’s Glastonbury big screen; NTIA manifesto; MMF report; Enter Shikari, Ski Mask The Slump God live dates; new released from Ahnoni And the Johnson, Hinds, Johnny Foreigner, Knife Bride…

Andy Malt • 12 Jun 2024

Wu-Tang Clan • 2 min read

Martin Shkreli ordered to hand over copies of Wu-Tang album

Convicted fraudster Martin Shkreli has been ordered to hand over copies of the single-copy Wu-Tang album he was forced to give up to the US government in 2021. Its current owner claimed that he had boasted online about having multiple copies and played portions of it in livestreams…

Andy Malt • 12 Jun 2024

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