CMU | the music business explained (Page 146)

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

If China blocks TikTok deal app will “go dark” says US Commerce Secretary, but hints deal “coming soon”

Blackstone bails on consortium bidding to buy TikTok US - will a deal still be done by September deadline?

Anthropic’s ‘fair use’ win in AI copyright case could turn into a trillion dollar loss

No copyright exception for AI training in European law, says new report

Full scale anticompetition investigation on the cards after UMG’s Virgin Music fails to allay EU fears over Downtown merger

Suno AI’s faulty guardrails mean its ‘ReMi’ lyric model will spit out entire lyrical works with basic prompting

Did Ticketmaster’s UK boss Andrew Parsons mislead MPs at a select committee hearing?

Trump must “weigh in” on AI copyright debate and pressure “less innovative countries” on copyright rules, says OpenAI

Everyone’s making loads of money but don’t point the finger at us if you’re not, says Spotify’s updated Loud & Clear

Andrew Tate course on ‘pimping’ and exploiting women remains on Spotify as petition passes 25,000 signatures

Universal will spend billions to dominate emerging markets, says Grainge during Q4 earnings call as major sets out its “eat the world” strategies

Liverpool “new heart of music business” says Sound City as major label execs and industry heavyweights head north

Live Nation boss dismissive of streaming platforms’ superfan ambitions as company reports record year

Spotify wants to be “the best in the world at building AI products” and is focused on “accelerated execution”... but still no super-premium launch

Judge throws out MLC’s audiobooks bundle lawsuit, says Spotify can keep cutting songwriter royalties through its “cynical trick”

Universal Music’s new Spotify deal could be a knock-out blow for streaming platform’s audiobook bundling trick

Universal put “corporate greed” before Drake’s safety, says defamation lawsuit filed over Kendrick Lamar diss track

Beware the “wolf under the cape” in Universal’s Downtown land grab, warns Beggars boss as IMPALA calls for regulators to block the deal

EU AI Act can only provide a “temporary fix” to the “darker aspect” of AI’s “profound disruption” to creative industries says open letter

AI generated music will suck €4 billion a year away from music creators by 2028 says CISAC

Village People founder loves Trump using YMCA, but hates people calling it a gay anthem

Executives from BMG, Absolute Label Services, Mahogany Music, Punch Records and more to join award winning female entrepreneurs in Liverpool as first Sound City+ 2025 speakers unveiled

AIF makes desperate call for government to “step up, and step up now” to get festivals through “devastating period”, as MVT launches new Liveline fund

New AI transparency proposal in US Congress will “pave the way” for creator compensation says ASCAP boss

SXSW ditches weapons sponsors to burnish brand - so why won’t it ditch its ties to Saudi Arabia?

SXSW London could disrupt delicately balanced music ecosystem and should reconsider its date

Astroworld • 2 min read

Astroworld planners feared overcrowding at festival's main stage, new legal filings show

Court papers filed as part of the Astroworld lawsuits reveal conversations that took place between people involved in the planning of the festival where ten people died during a crowd surge. Concerns were expressed prior to the event about possible overcrowding in the main stage area…

Chris Cooke • 21 Mar 2024

Spotify • 3 min read

Mood music maker scores fifteen billion streams, and prompts yet another 'fake artists' debate

‘Fake artists’ have become a talking point again after a Swedish newspaper highlighted how one musician is scoring billions of streams by recording tracks targeted at Spotify’s mood music playlists under 656 different names.…

Chris Cooke • 20 Mar 2024

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

⏩ One Liners: Tony Bennett, Radio 1 Big Weekend, Erland Cooper + more

Tony Bennett, Global Music Junction deals; PPL Giving; Tim Burgess to win Northern Music Award; Radio 1 Big Weekend headliners; Allie X tour dates; new music from Erland Cooper, Desire, Bodega, Efterklang, Keeley Forsyth, Angélica Garcia, One Step Closer, Claire Rousay, Parsnip…

Andy Malt • 20 Mar 2024

MIDiA • 6 min read

MIDiA shows $35.1 billion in global recorded music revenues - but what does that number actually mean?

It’s music stats season and tomorrow the IFPI’s £25,000-a-pop Global Music Report is released. MIDiA released its own global recorded music revenues report earlier this week - and with significant differences in headline numbers likely, we take a look at why that is…

Sam Taylor • 20 Mar 2024

Cox Communications • 2 min read

Fourth Circuit court declines to rehear billion dollar Cox copyright case

The dispute between Cox and the major record companies will not be considered for a second time by the Fourth Circuit Appeals court, meaning its previous ruling stands: The ISP is liable for copyright infringement but the billion dollars in damages it was told to pay the labels should be reviewed…

Chris Cooke • 20 Mar 2024

Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify publishes new Loud & Clear, says the focus now is artists “dependent on streaming as part of their livelihood”

Spotify has published loads more stats as part of an update to its Loud & Clear website. Although the stats are interesting, this site is partly about countering criticism of Spotify, and it’s interesting to see what criticism is clearly being dealt with among the facts and figures…

Chris Cooke • 19 Mar 2024

Murmur • 2 min read

Music and visual arts organisations back new climate change charity Murmur

New climate change charity Murmur brings together music and visual arts organisations with the aim of tackling the impact of climate change within the arts and beyond. A £1 million fund will fund climate crisis initiatives led by companies and artists…

Andy Malt • 19 Mar 2024

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

⏩ One Liners: Kobalt, Yungblud, Marc Almond + more

Kobalt refinancing; Human League deal; Low Profile Publishing launches; Midnight Mango hires Sarah Thereze Nelsey; IPO Get Paid Guide; TikTok revenues; Yungblud announces festival; Janelle Monáe in London; new music from Marc Almond, Cat Burns, John Grant, RiTchie, Mui Zyu, Two Shell x FKA Twigs…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 19 Mar 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

Approved: Kee Avil

Experimental musician and producer Kee Avil is set to release her second album ‘Spine’ in May. Its intentionally sparse sound, she says, combines “the energy of folk music with dry, sharp electronics”. Out now is the LP’s first single ‘Felt’…

Andy Malt • 19 Mar 2024

Night & Day • 4 min read

Night & Day ruling makes it “open season” on Manchester’s night-time economy says Music Venue Trust boss

The Night & Day venue will be able to continue to run club nights, following the ruling in its protracted legal battle with Manchester City Council over a noise complaint. However, the wording of the decision has raised concerns that other nearby venues may now face similar complaints…

Chris Cooke • 19 Mar 2024

Voicify • 3 min read

BPI threatens to sue voice cloning site Voicify

After the US record industry raised concerns about UK-based voice cloning service Voicify in a piracy document last year, it has emerged that British trade group BPI is now threatening legal action against the platform, which makes “high quality AI covers in seconds”…

Chris Cooke • 18 Mar 2024