CMU | the music business explained (Page 16)

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

Horizon Future Leaders • 5 min read

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders - Tabeah Berler

This week we caught up with Tabeah Berler, artist manager and founder of Pon’t Danic Music, where she looks after three artists and two writer/producers, all while building a new publishing company in Manchester.…

Horizon Music Jobs • 15 Aug 2025

Kobalt • 3 min read

Kobalt strikes US direct licensing deal with Spotify

Kobalt has signed a direct deal with Spotify in the US. It means Kobalt will be paid mechanical royalties on bespoke terms rather than at rates set by the US compulsory licence. Universal and Warner have also done direct deals since Spotify started applying the compulsory licence’s bundling discount…

Chris Cooke • 14 Aug 2025

Music industry legal news coverage • 2 min read

South Korea’s top court says viral hit ‘Baby Shark’ didn’t infringe copyright

A legal battle over the copyright in ‘Baby Shark’ is over. Although the annoying viral hit is based on a US folk song, an American musician said Pinkfong, the company behind the hit, had used his adaptation of it, which should be protected by copyright. But South Korea’s Supreme Court says it isn’t…

Chris Cooke • 14 Aug 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: The Belair Lip Bombs

Australia’s The Belair Lip Bombs make self-coined “yearn-core”, a type of toe-tapping indie rock that sparks goosebumps. It’s jangly, euphoric and somehow breezy without ever feeling lightweight.…

Kaya Robertson • 14 Aug 2025

Drake • 3 min read

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

Drake’s defamation battle with Universal Music over its role in releasing Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ is in the discovery phase. Drake wants access to Lucian Grainge’s emails, but the major has so far refused. The rapper’s lawyers now want the court to force Universal to open up Grainge’s inbox…

Chris Cooke • 13 Aug 2025

Anthropic • 2 min read

Music publishers want to amend Anthropic lawsuit because of pirated lyrics

Music publishers locked in a legal battle with AI company Anthropic want to amend their lawsuit, because of a recent ruling in another copyright case involving Anthropic. Following that ruling, it’s important the publishers stress that the AI business used pirated lyrics when training its model…

Chris Cooke • 13 Aug 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Winter

Winter has carved out her own lush, shoegazey corner of the indie scene; beautifully understated, fuzzy and wistful. New single ‘Hide-A-Lullaby’ drifts slow and gauzy through the subconscious with feather-light vocals, smouldering guitar and a quiet flirtation with heartbreak…

Kaya Robertson • 12 Aug 2025

Øyafestivalen • 3 min read

Boss of KKR-owned festival discusses boycotts, says there are “different approaches” to support Palestine

The CEO of Superstruct-owned festival Øyafestivalen has spoken about how pro-Palestine campaigners called for a boycott of the event this year, because Superstruct is now owned by KKR, which has investments in Israel. Kneecap still played the festival though and used it to criticise KKR on stage…

Chris Cooke • 12 Aug 2025

Sony Music • 2 min read

Shoe shop TikTok spat escalates as Sony sues DSW over unlicensed music

DSW Shoe Warehouse has been sued a second time, this time by Sony Music, for putting pop songs in its social posts without securing the necessary licences. The shoe seller pre-empted the lawsuit last month insisting that its marketeers were misled by social platforms regarding using music in videos…

Chris Cooke • 12 Aug 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

Australian music industry says proposed AI copyright exception would be “a dangerous step backwards”

Last week the Australian government’s Productivity Commission invited feedback on the proposal that a new exception be added to the country’s copyright law to benefit AI companies. The music industry has hit back at that proposal, with indie label group AIR calling it “a dangerous step backwards”…

Chris Cooke • 11 Aug 2025