CMU | the music business explained (Page 4)

Budweiser boasts of “$0 spent on music rights” in “iconic songs” campaign, wins ad-land’s biggest prize

EU regulators formally launch investigation into Universal Music’s Downtown deal

Did Sony’s Rob Stringer just hand regulators the case to tank Universal’s Downtown dreams?

Ticketmaster offered touts meetings with Live Nation’s top lawyer

Don’t gaslight MPs warns Caroline Dinenage as she says ministers have got into a “terrible pickle” over AI

As another festival falls, AIF proposes new tax relief scheme

Major labels face setback as Trump’s pet DOJ legal beagle sides with Cox in piracy battle

We are just another victim in the shameful lineage of Apple intimidation and bullying, cries Musi

SoundCloud’s amended AI clause still “fundamentally terrible for artists” says Ed Newton-Rex

Guardrails aren’t proof of infringement says Anthropic as judge spanks AI company for “hallucinated” filin

Drake’s Super Bowl gripes in amended lawsuit show defamation action is really an attack on Kendrick Lamar’s success, says Universal

“I just don't understand how that can be fair use”, says judge in Meta AI trial

Pressure mounts for Universal Music Group’s $775 million Downtown acquisition as MEP highlights UMG’s “unprecedented control” of music ecosystem

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?

With the US record industry officially in recession can superpremium and superfans really save the major labels from streaming’s slowdown?

Record industry’s modest growth should make other industries jealous says IFPI boss, as labels weigh in on growth opportunities and AI threats

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

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Ain’t

Pulling from post-punk, shoegaze and 90s indie, South London’s Ain’t map out a sound that’s tense, slightly off-centre, but always measured. On new single ‘Jude’, guitars blur into texture, vocals drift in and out of focus, and atmosphere quietly takes the lead over melody…

Kaya Robertson • 10 Jun 2025

Brockwell Live • 3 min read

Campaigners say second round of legal action should stop “misuse of planning powers” that allowed Brockwell Park festivals to go ahead

While the 2025 edition of Brockwell Live is over, the legal battle over the use of London’s Brockwell Park as a festival venue continues. Local campaigners have launched a second judicial review which they say should stop the “misuse of planning powers” that allowed the 2025 festivals to proceed…

Chris Cooke • 09 Jun 2025

Hipgnosis • 4 min read

Hipgnosis acquisition further expands Sony’s publishing dominance, though Cooking Vinyl stays indie with Exceleration Music deal

Two more acquisitions in the music rights business. Sony has bought one of the Hipgnosis catalogues that wasn’t included when the rest of Hipgnosis revamped as the Recognition Music Group in March. Meanwhile Cooking Vinyl has been bought, but will stay indie, being acquired by Exceleration Music…

Chris Cooke • 09 Jun 2025

CMU Selects • 1 min read

CMU Selects - the last week’s standout releases

From Addison Rae’s high-gloss reinvention to sharp returns from Wunderhorse, Nilüfer Yanya and more. Here’s what stood out this week.…

Kaya Robertson • 09 Jun 2025

Massive Attack • 3 min read

Yet more Barclays backlash as Massive Attack demands all traces of controversial bank stripped from Co-op Live show

After its sponsorship of music festivals proved too controversial last year, Barclays recently announced deals with two venues instead, including Manchester’s Co-op Live. But that angered Massive Attack, who played the arena last night. So much so, the bank’s branding had to be removed for their gig…

Chris Cooke • 06 Jun 2025

Musixmatch • 3 min read

LyricFind lawsuit is meritless nonsense from bitter jilted rival with messy paperwork, says Musixmatch

Earlier this year LyricFind filed a lawsuit in California claiming an exclusivity deal negotiated between its competitor Musixmatch and Warner Chappell was anticompetitive. Musixmatch says that’s simply not the case - and, anyway, the Californian courts don’t have jurisdiction in this dispute…

Chris Cooke • 06 Jun 2025

Horizon Future Leaders • 5 min read

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders - George Porter

As part of our Horizon Future Leaders series of interviews, we are connecting with the music industry’s next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys.…

Horizon Music Jobs • 06 Jun 2025

Radio royalties • 3 min read

If Congress forces AM radio into every car, it should also force AM radio to pay artists, says open letter to US lawmakers

Proposals are moving through US Congress that would force car manufacturers to ensure that every vehicle still has an AM radio in it. The automotive sector has now joined with the music industry to argue: if that is going to happen, US radio should be forced to pay royalties to artists and labels…

Chris Cooke • 05 Jun 2025

Kneecap • 2 min read

BBC says it won’t ban Kneecap from its Glastonbury coverage

Glastonbury has confirmed that Kneecap will play this year’s festival on the West Holts stage, which is livestreamed by the BBC. Despite all the controversies surrounding the group, the BBC says it doesn’t ban artists who are playing the festival, but will apply “editorial guidelines” to their set…

Chris Cooke • 05 Jun 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: SCALER

Brutalist and bruising, SCALER’s sound feels traditionally Bristolian with its immense low-end pressure tempered by subdued spatial stretches that drift and sprawl. New single ‘Salt’, featuring Akiko Haruna, pushes that even further; every bit as focused and feral as you’d hope…

Kaya Robertson • 05 Jun 2025

Music In The Air • 4 min read

Super-premium streaming expected in the next year, says Goldman Sachs, after global music revenues “fell short of expectations”

Goldman Sachs has published its annual ‘Music In The Air’ report, admitting that music sector revenue growth last year was below expectations. Super-premium could be what helps boost future growth in streaming revenues, but getting those services off the ground is “complex”, the bankers concede…

Chris Cooke • 04 Jun 2025

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