CMU | the music business explained (Page 3)

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

Nirvana • 2 min read

Nirvana baby lawsuit dismissed

The Nirvana baby lawsuit has been dismissed. Spencer Elden, who as a baby appeared on the cover of ‘Nevermind’, sued the band in 2021 claiming that the artwork constituted illegal sexual imagery. But the judge says he “has a difficult time understanding” that interpretation of the image…

Chris Cooke • 02 Oct 2025

Splendour In The Grass • 2 min read

Aussie festival strip search lawsuit could cost NSW government $150 million

An Australian court yesterday awarded a woman $93,000 in damages after she was illegally strip searched by police at a music festival in 2018. 3000 people are involved in a class action over allegedly unlawful strip searches, which could result in liabilities of $150 million for the NSW government…

Chris Cooke • 01 Oct 2025

Kneecap • 4 min read

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

When Canadian MP Vince Gasparro announced Kneecap were banned from Canada last month he noted the criminal case against Mo Chara. With that case dismissed, it remains unclear if the ban is still in force, not least because it’s not clear in what capacity Gasparro announced the ban in the first place…

Chris Cooke • 01 Oct 2025

Paramore • 2 min read

Paramore’s Hayley Williams says she “doesn’t know” why tracks are available in Israel after joining No Music For Genocide pledge

Last week Paramore joined No Music For Genocide, pledging to remove their music from streaming services in Israel. That seemed to happen, but then the music returned. The band’s Hayley Williams says she doesn’t know why, but she hopes label Atlantic will ensure the music is geo-blocked again…

Chris Cooke • 30 Sep 2025

Spotify • 2 min read

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

Spotify is getting two new CEOs, with co-Presidents Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström being promoted to co-CEO roles as founder Daniel Ek steps aside to become Executive Chairman. Ek says the change in job titles more or less reflects the roles the three men are already performing at the company…

Chris Cooke • 30 Sep 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Westerman

Westerman, the project of Will Westerman, lives somewhere between folk and chamber pop; saint-like but playful in its textures. New single ‘About Leaving’ from upcoming album ‘A Jackal’s Wedding’ leans into all of that with a soft power…

Kaya Robertson • 30 Sep 2025

Spotify • 4 min read

The MLC can submit amended lawsuit in battle over Spotify’s bundling tricks

Earlier this year a judge dismissed with prejudice The MLC’s lawsuit over Spotify’s sneaky bundling tricks. However, the collecting society has other issues with how Spotify is using those tricks to reduce what it pays songwriters, and as a result the judge has said it can file an amended lawsuit…

Chris Cooke • 29 Sep 2025

CMU Selects • 1 min read

CMU Selects - the last week’s standout releases

Our selection of five releases that cut through the noise last week, from Florence + The Machine, Bricknasty and F3Miii, Magdalena Bay, Witch Fever + Geese…

Kaya Robertson • 29 Sep 2025

Labi Siffre • 3 min read

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

Right wing activist Tommy Robinson has been using the famous anti-apartheid anthem ‘(Something Inside) So Strong’ on his social media and at the recent ‘Unite The Kingdom’ political rally, which is ironic, but also copyright infringement, according to the writer of that song, Labi Siffre…

Chris Cooke • 29 Sep 2025

Ticketmaster • 3 min read

Ticketmaster heads off UK regulatory action with ‘voluntary’ transparency commitments after Oasis debacle

Ticketmaster has made a number of commitments to the Competition & Markets Authority following the regulator’s investigation into the sale of tickets for the Oasis reunion shows. It has pledged to better communicate when it uses ‘tier pricing’ and to explain how different ticket types compare…

Chris Cooke • 26 Sep 2025

Kneecap • 3 min read

Kneecap terror charge thrown out as judge says prosecutors “defied logic”

Kneecap’s Mo Chara was back in court earlier today over the terror charge prompted by allegations he displayed a Hezbollah flag at a London gig last year. The judge ruled prosecutors made errors when charging the rapper and on that basis the case against him was “unlawful and null”…

Chris Cooke • 26 Sep 2025