CMU | the music business explained (Page 174)

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

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

Universal Music • 1 min read

Universal Music to lay off hundreds says Bloomberg: company responds and says it will create “efficiencies”

Universal Music has confirmed it will be “creating efficiencies” in parts of its business to allow “investment in future growth”, following reports by Bloomberg that the major will instigate a round of redundancies that will affect hundreds of employees in the first quarter of 2024…

Chris Cooke • 15 Jan 2024

Council Of Music Makers • 6 min read

Council Of Music Makers memo

CMU summarises the Council of Music Makers memo alongside the full text…

CMU • 15 Jan 2024

CMU Digest • 9 min read

📑 CMU Digest: Grainge and Kyncl sound off on superfan opportunity; year-end stats + more

UMG + WMG bosses' new year memos; year-end stats; ELVIS Act; Viagogo advertorial rap + Bytedance cans Resso India. Plus: cassettes are king, whatever the haters say.…

CMU • 13 Jan 2024

Setlist • 4 min read

Setlist Podcast: Major label bosses put the spotlight on superfans

Universal and Warner bosses' new year memos, Viagogo's "misleading" advertorial, and more…

Andy Malt • 12 Jan 2024

Utopia Music • 4 min read

Utopia Music has a new CEO. Again. In fact, it's now got three CEOs.

Another day, another Utopia CEO. Michael Stebler, leader of Utopia's Christmas Coup, is now Utopia's Group CEO - with most recent CEO Alain Couttolenc moved sideways and downwards. It's like musical snakes and ladders.…

Sam Taylor • 12 Jan 2024

And Finally • 6 min read

And Finally: Will.i.am’s “emotional” car stereo, ‘James Blunt’s ‘museum’, and Lil Nas X’s Bible Studies degree

This week’s funniest, weirdest and most stupid music news stories, including Will.i.am’s plan to turn your car to a “virtual instrumental” and make your journeys more “emotional”, James Blunt’s new ‘museum’, and Lil Nas X’s claim that he’s going back to university for a Bible Studies degree…

Andy Malt • 12 Jan 2024

MMF • 6 min read

The year ahead: Annabella Coldrick, CEO of MMF

MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick looks ahead to 2024 in the latest of our series of interviews with the bosses of the music industry’s trade bodies. She discusses streaming reform, the impact of AI and challenges in the live sector, as well the MMF’s campaigning and professional development work…

CMU • 12 Jan 2024

FKA Twigs • 2 min read

FKA Twigs responds to regulator ruling against her Calvin Klein advert

FKA Twigs has responded to a ruling by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority regarding the Calvin Klein ad she appeared in last year, rejecting the regulator's conclusion that it "presented her as a stereotypical sexual object"…

Chris Cooke • 12 Jan 2024

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 2 min read

⏩ One Liners: Lil Nas X, Marshmello x Venbee, Hipgnosis + more

Warner Chappell signs Kenya Grace; Sony Music Masterworks partners with Roast Productions; Hipgnosis non-executive board member out; Beatport and DistroKid appointments; new music from Lil Nas X, Marshmello x Venbee, Ride, Amanda Palmer, Shabazz Palaces, Logic1000, Tommy Cash x bbno$, and Pecq…

Andy Malt • 12 Jan 2024

Prince • 2 min read

Prince estate dispute goes legal

The music industry executives involved in Prince Legacy, one of the businesses that manages the Prince estate, have filed a lawsuit against some of the late musician’s family members in a dispute over how their company is run…

Chris Cooke • 12 Jan 2024

TikTok • 2 min read

Bytedance to shut down Resso in India following government ban

TikTok owner Bytedance is shutting down music service Resso in India after the country’s government demanded it be removed from app stores. In other countries Resso has already been replaced by TikTok Music, but that hasn’t happening in India where the main TikTok platform is banned…

Chris Cooke • 12 Jan 2024

Music Data • 8 min read

India’s streaming growth explodes to hit over one trillion streams, Gen Z pull back on streaming subscription spend

In 2023 83% of the global streaming catalogue failed to reach the new thousand stream ‘artist-centric’ threshold, while India saw exponential growth in stream volumes. Read CMU’s expert analysis of the numbers.…

Sam Taylor • 11 Jan 2024