CMU | the music business explained (Page 45)

Proper Music saved as Drew Hill and Artone conclude strategic acquisition deal to buy the assets of Proper Music Group

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: Rose Gray

Walthamstow-based artist, songwriter and DJ Rose Gray is staking a claim at the crossroads of dance culture and pop maximalism. Her new single ‘Angel Of Satisfaction’ is a combination of pounding house and art-pop, capturing the allure of late nights that are equal parts haunting and hedonistic.…

Kaya Robertson • 20 Aug 2024

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 11 min read

⏩ One Liners: deals, singings, appointments and legal round-up including Warner Chappell, Play It Again Music, PPL, UTA, BMG, Prescription Songs, Audio Chateau Records, ProgRock Essentials, Sony Music, TEG and more, plus releases and tours

Today: Warner Chappell x Faith Hopkins, PPL x The Last Dinner Party, UTA x The Calling, BMG x Lanie Gardner, Prescription Songs x Hayley May; new boss at Sony Germany, Australia’s TEG ups Tim McGregor to global role; Elvis estate scam, Kanye copyright settlement, TikTok pixel lawsuit update + more…

CMU • 20 Aug 2024

Isaac Hayes • 4 min read

Isaac Hayes estate sues Donald Trump for copyright infringement

Donald Trump’s use of the Isaac Hayes song ‘Hold On, I’m Comin’ at rallies has resulted in a lawsuit from the musician’s estate, saying the Trump campaign has infringed its copyright. The campaign says it’s covered by a BMI licence, putting the spotlight back on the complexities of music licensing…

Chris Cooke • 20 Aug 2024

Stream Manipulation • 2 min read

German record industry secures injunction against another stream manipulation site

The German record industry has secured another injunction against a stream manipulation service. Trade group BVMI has got injunctions against six such companies since 2020. The latest to be targeted with court action is Pimpyourfollower.de…

Chris Cooke • 19 Aug 2024

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 8 min read

⏩ One Liners: deals, legal, streaming & digital news including Secretsundaze, Altice, Adidas Kanye lawsuit, Apple Music sued by photographer, NetEast Music outage, APRA AMCOS AI report plus releases, tours + more

Secretsundaze 9FINITY, Track 88 Creative, Altice settles lawsuit with BMG and others, judge dismisses Adidas lawsuit, Nicki Minaj settles with blogger, YouTube Music growing fast says Kantar data, NetEase Music goes down for two hours, APRA AMCOS report shows AUD $519 million impact from AI + more…

CMU • 19 Aug 2024

Anthropic • 4 min read

Anthropic’s latest legal filing tells court to focus on whether using lyrics is “transformative fair use”

Anthropic has asked the court to dismiss all but the core direct copyright infringement claim in the lawsuit filed against it by a group of music publishers. It argues that claims of contributory and vicarious infringement, and in relation to copyright management information, are “implausible”…

Chris Cooke • 19 Aug 2024

CMU Digest • 7 min read

📑 CMU Digest: Cox takes major label dispute to Supreme Court + court dismisses Eminem publisher's Spotify lawsuit

CMU Digest is our weekly round-up of the most interesting music business news stories from the last seven days.…

CMU • 19 Aug 2024

Cox Communications • 3 min read

Revoke billion dollar damages award otherwise Grandma will be thrown off the internet, says Cox in Supreme Court copyright battle

Internet access for millions of American consumers and businesses is in jeopardy unless the US Supreme Court overturns the billion dollar copyright judgement that the major labels secured against ISP Cox Communications, says the company in a colourful and highly dramatic US Supreme Court filing…

Chris Cooke • 16 Aug 2024

Eminem • 4 min read

Eight Mile Style’s rights had “fallen into confusion” says judge in damning dismissal of Eminem publisher’s lawsuit

In 2019, Eminem’s publisher sued Spotify for failing to properly license the rapper’s songs. A court has now dismissed the lawsuit, saying that although Spotify’s management of song royalties was “seriously flawed”, the publisher should have done more to rectify the issues before going legal…

Chris Cooke • 16 Aug 2024

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 7 min read

⏩ One Liners: deals, legal, streaming including Primary Wave, Roc Nation, Red Bull Records, MIDiA, plus releases and tours news

Primary Wave acquires Jon Landau rights, Roc Nation label merges with Equity Distribution, Red Bull Records signs Morgan, publishing revenue stats from MIDiA, IRS revokes tax-emption for Kanye West's Sunday Service, Mushroomhead vocalist Hatrix sues for unpaid royalties, plus releases, tours + more…

CMU • 16 Aug 2024