CMU | the music business explained (Page 5)

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: Dirty Nice

Dirty Nice pull you into their eccentric world of glitch-pop and funky, psychedelic indie. With new single ‘Better If We Don’t’, they continue carving out their corner of the pop universe - pairing infectious hooks with visuals that are as surreal as they are strangely relatable…

Kaya Robertson • 15 Apr 2025

Viagogo • 3 min read

Viagogo’s “belligerent disregard” for audiences and “misleading and potentially unlawful practices” are a “blight” on live music that needs urgent legislation, say campaigners

For twelve weeks earlier this year the UK government was accepting submissions about how it should regulate secondary ticketing. During that time ticket resale platform Viagogo continued to “engage in misleading and potentially unlawful practices”, according to FanFair’s submission to ministers…

Chris Cooke • 14 Apr 2025

Collective Licensing • 5 min read

US review of BMI and ASCAP favours interests of organisations that want to “pay less to music creators” says letter

The US Copyright Office recently launched an inquiry into the music industry’s performing rights organisations. A new letter signed by thousands of music creators says that inquiry seems skewed towards certain licensees that just want to pay less for the music they utilise in their businesses…

Chris Cooke • 14 Apr 2025

CMU Selects • 1 min read

CMU Selects - last week’s standout releases

From Lana Del Rey’s soft new single to SHERELLE’s high-energy debut album, here’s what stood out last week among the latest releases.…

Kaya Robertson • 14 Apr 2025

BBC • 3 min read

Boom Radio welcomes OfCom ruling blocking BBC’s plans for golden oldies radio station

Media regulator OfCom has told the BBC that it can’t launch a new Radio 2 spin-off station playing music from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The planned new station was heavily criticised by commercial golden oldies station Boom Radio, which said the planned new BBC service would be unfair competition…

Chris Cooke • 11 Apr 2025

Hybe • 3 min read

South Korean police arrest eight over HYBE artist deepfakes

Police in South Korea have arrested eight people in relation to deepfake videos featuring the likeness of artists represented by K-pop company HYBE. It’s part of HYBE’s ongoing work to combat harmful content targeting or featuring its artists, which includes a particular focus on deepfakes…

Chris Cooke • 11 Apr 2025

Horizon Future Leaders • 4 min read

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders - Camille Lummis

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. This week, we caught up with Camille Lummis, Copyright & Catalogue Manager at Involved Publishing.…

Horizon Music Jobs • 11 Apr 2025

Viagogo • 4 min read

Ad regulator criticises Viagogo over Ed Balls advertorial

Viagogo has been given yet another slap on this wrist - this time over a misleading promotional segment as part of the ‘Political Currency’ podcast from Westminster double act Ed Balls and George Osborne. Unsurprisingly it turns out that “over half the events” on Viagogo are not, in fact, a steal…

Chris Cooke • 10 Apr 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 4 min read

Music industry, movie studios and tech companies welcome reintroduction of digital replica right creating NO FAKES Act in Congress

The music industry has welcomed the reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act in US Congress, which will introduce a new right allowing performers to control their voice and likeness in the context of AI. Some tech and digital companies are supportive too, though others still have some concerns…

Chris Cooke • 10 Apr 2025

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