CMU | the music business explained (Page 44)

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

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Brooke Combe

Brooke Combe’s vocals, with their old-soul depth, feel as though they pre-date her. Drawing on classic 70s grooves with a touch of Northern soul, it’s no wonder she won the Play Next Rising Award. Her latest single, ‘This Town’, is a defiant rejection of goldfish-bowl living in her hometown…

Kaya Robertson • 14 Jan 2025

TikTok • 4 min read

TikTok will be fine as soon as consummate dealmaker Trump gets stuck in, says Trump

TikTok is due to be banned in the US on 19 Jan. The US Supreme Court could block the ban, though at a hearing last week it seemed judges weren’t likely to go that route. Which means TikTok’s future in the US now rests with “consummate dealmaker” Donald Trump, who still reckons he can solve this one…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jan 2025

• 6 min read

Ten key developments over the Christmas break

CMU Daily returns after its Christmas break later today. In the meantime, here are ten music business developments since the last CMU Daily in December, including year-end stats, a ticketing consultation, music industry v Anthropic updates, alleged fraud at PPL and Universal’s new Amazon deal…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jan 2025

Ed Sheeran • 1 min read

Ed Sheeran launches foundation supporting music education

Ed Sheeran last week visited talent development projects in Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh and Belfast to formally launch a new foundation that will support music education. The foundation aims to ensure more young people have access to instruments, performance opportunities and industry pathways…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jan 2025

ERA • 3 min read

UK recorded music revenues reach all-time high in 2024 - providing no one adjusts for inflation

UK trade groups ERA and BPI have both published year-end stats. ERA reveals that recorded music retail revenues in 2024 were £2.39 billion, an all-time high, providing you don’t adjust for inflation. Streaming generates 84% of the revenue, although vinyl sales also continue to grow…

Chris Cooke • 10 Jan 2025

Secondary Ticketing • 3 min read

Government opens consultation on “potentially game-changing” new rules for ticket touting

The UK government has launched its previously promised consultation on the ticketing business. It will consider new regulations for ticket touting, including a price cap on tickets resold on platforms like Viagogo. The impact of dynamic pricing on primary ticketing sites will also be reviewed…

Chris Cooke • 10 Jan 2025

Universal Music • 4 min read

Downtown deal “another step in UMG’s relentless path to dominance” says WIN, as criticism builds over Universal’s latest acquisition

Criticism continues to build of Universal Music’s deal to buy Downtown Music. The World Independent Network has today published a lengthy statement including comments from labels and trade organisations based all over the world…

Chris Cooke • 19 Dec 2024

Diddy • 2 min read

Jay-Z says “sham” rape allegations against him should be withdrawn, as Diddy accepts he’ll have to await trial in prison

Jay-Z has again hit out at the attorney leading on a lawsuit that accuses the rapper of rape, saying an interview by his accuser shows the litigation “has no factual basis”. Meanwhile Diddy, co-defendant on that lawsuit, has given up trying to get bail as he awaits trial on criminal charges…

Chris Cooke • 18 Dec 2024

TikTok • 3 min read

TikTok seeks help from Supreme Court and Donald Trump in latest bid to avoid January ban in the US

TikTok has turned to both the US Supreme Court and Donald Trump as it seeks to stop a ban that is due to come into effect in the US on 19 Jan. Meanwhile the EU is investigating if TikTok did enough to stop its platform being used to spread disinformation in the recent Romanian elections…

Chris Cooke • 18 Dec 2024

Artificial Intelligence • 4 min read

UK government proposes copyright exception to help make UK attractive to AI companies as part of new consultation

The UK government has formally proposed introducing a new copyright exception for AI companies that use existing content to train their models, but with an opt-out for copyright owners. The music industry will oppose that proposal via a consultation that the government has just opened…

Chris Cooke • 17 Dec 2024

Downtown Music • 2 min read

Beware the “wolf under the cape” in Universal’s Downtown land grab, warns Beggars boss as IMPALA calls for regulators to block the deal

The independent music sector has called on competition regulators to investigate and block Universal’s Downtown Music deal, which is a “huge market share” grab according to IMPALA’s Helen Smith and part of the major’s bid for “utter dominance and control” according to Beggars boss Martin Mills…

Chris Cooke • 17 Dec 2024

The Leadmill • 2 min read

Leadmill venue operator threatens to demolish toilets and gut venue if evicted, claiming Electric Group can’t afford refurbishment costs

The current operator of The Leadmill in Sheffield says he will gut the venue, including demolishing its toilets, if forced to leave by landlord Electric Group, which wants to run the venue itself. Electric Group’s legal bid to evict current operator Phil Mills is back in court in Leeds this week…

Chris Cooke • 17 Dec 2024