CMU | the music business explained (Page 28)

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

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 - Josh Daniel

This week, we caught up with Josh Daniel, Head of Interval Records and Chief Commercial Officer at Generator, the national talent development organisation based in Newcastle.…

Kaya Robertson • 25 Jul 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

Getting AI companies to agree to licensing deals with copyright owners is “not doable” and “China’s not doing it”, rambles Trump

Donald Trump yesterday launched his much anticipated ‘AI Action Plan’. It doesn’t say anything about the copyright obligations of AI companies. But during a rambling speech launching the plan, the President said that having AI companies get licences from copyright owners is just “not doable”…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jul 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧Approved: MCBAISE

MCBAISE is the sun-drenched alias of Cannes-born artist mcbess, blending yacht rock, woozy funk and surreal visuals. New single Cold Cuts (with Muthi) is a groove-soaked trip through playful nostalgia, with flickering guitars and velvet synths in tow…

Kaya Robertson • 24 Jul 2025

Apple • 3 min read

UK regulator sets roadmap for reviewing app store payment rules

Last year the UK’s competition regulator closed an investigation into the Apple App Store rules that Spotify hates, but only so it could figure out how to use new powers it had been granted by Parliament. Now it’s done that, it’s proposed a roadmap for reviewing the hated rules, starting this autumn…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jul 2025

Warner Music • 2 min read

Warner appoints new ADA boss

Warner Music’s distribution division ADA has a new boss, Alejandro Duque, who will do the job as well as being President of the major’s Latin America business. The change in ADA leadership comes as Warner looks to cut its costs by $300 million a year…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jul 2025

Ozzy Osbourne • 3 min read

Music industry pays tribute to Ozzy Osbourne

Artists, musicians and music companies have paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne following the announcement of his death yesterday. Among them Sony Music, which released Osbourne’s solo records, and Warner Music, which handled the US releases of all the early Black Sabbath albums…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jul 2025

Universal Music • 3 min read

“There comes a point when big is too big” says IMPALA boss as EU launches full UMG competition investigation

The European Commission yesterday announced it was launching a more in-depth ‘phase two’ investigation into Universal Music’s deal to buy Downtown Music. The indie sector has welcomed that development, with trade group IMPALA again calling for EU regulators to block the transaction…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jul 2025

Creator Remuneration Working Group • 5 min read

Songwriters to get per diems as part of creator remuneration package, though creator orgs say “much more still needs to be done”

UK minister Chris Bryant has announced a set of principles on creator remuneration agreed with record labels, plus two new initiatives including per diems for songwriters. However, music creator groups say “much more still needs to be done” to address issues around how streaming money is shared…

Chris Cooke • 22 Jul 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 2 min read

US Senators propose new law to ban AI companies "from stealing and training on copyright works"

Last week US Senator Josh Hawley said that AI companies were engaged in “the largest IP theft in American history”. Now he’s teamed up with fellow senator Richard Blumenthal to propose new laws on AI, copyright and data which would “bar AI companies from training on copyright works”…

Chris Cooke • 22 Jul 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: TROPICS

British producer and multi-instrumentalist Chris Ward (aka TROPICS), originally from Southampton and now based in LA, refines gentle psychedelia, melted keys and slow-pour vocals into something beautifully understated. Recently released single, ‘Ionian Mirage’, is a gentle, sun-soaked escape…

Kaya Robertson • 22 Jul 2025

TikTok • 2 min read

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

Will TikTok US be under new ownership before the current 17 Sep deadline to avoid a ban? Donald Trump recently seemed to think that it would be, but current owner ByteDance seems less certain. And now one of the backers of the consortium meant to be buying TikTok US has bailed on the deal…

Chris Cooke • 21 Jul 2025