CMU | the music business explained (Page 57)

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

Horizon Future Leaders • 4 min read

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders series - Cally Hamilton Q&A

As part of our new 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. In this Q&A, we caught up with Cally Hamilton, Sync Coordinator at Republic of Sync.…

Horizon Music Jobs • 27 Sep 2024

Proper Group AG • 2 min read

A Swiss court has initiated bankruptcy proceedings against Proper Group AG

The disaster-unicorn formerly known as Utopia Music has been served with bankruptcy proceedings after a specialist blockchain law firm took legal action over a CHF 23,000 debt. Proper Group AG told CMU today that the debt has been settled, and it’s confident it can head off the bankruptcy action…

Sam Taylor • 26 Sep 2024

AI • 3 min read

Musicians face “David and Goliath” battle with AI companies that could see “British Music consigned to history” says MU boss in Labour Party conference speech

It was the Labour Party conference this week and delegates passed a motion on AI that was backed by the Musicians’ Union. It calls on government to ensure that AI policies balance the interests of workers and businesses, which, for the MU, also means balancing the interests of musicians and labels…

Chris Cooke • 26 Sep 2024

Releases & Tours • 1 min read

⏩ Releases & Tours News Thursday 26 Sep

SOPHIE, The Cure, Two Shell, Paleface Swiss, Shakira, Oh Annie Oh, Blackout Problems, Lake Malice + more…

CMU • 26 Sep 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Humdrum

Chicago’s Humdrum, led by Loren Vanderbilt, blends indiepop and shoegaze with influences from IRS-era REM and New Order. Their latest single, ‘Eternal Blue’, captures this fusion with lush, reverb-soaked guitars and a cinematic, 80s movie montage-worthy quality.…

Kaya Robertson • 26 Sep 2024

Mariah Carey • 2 min read

Mariah Carey says ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ song-theft case based on “an unprotectable jumble” of musical elements

Mariah Carey is trying to get a song-theft lawsuit filed against her over ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ dismissed. She argues that the only similarities between her hit and an earlier song of the same title are “commonplace words”, “Christmas tropes” and “unprotectable pitches and chords”…

Chris Cooke • 26 Sep 2024

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

⏩ One Liners - music business news in brief: Dates set for next Leadmill court hearing; Drew Hill elected chair of Official Charts Company, Pet Shop Boys to be honoured at Artist & Manager Awards

Today: Sheltered Music, Duolingo, ADA, The Core Records, The Valory Music Co, The Leadmill, Official Charts Company, Apple Music Classical, Hook, un:hurd music, Ministry Of Sound, Artist & Manager Awards, Nashville Songwriter Awards + more…

CMU • 25 Sep 2024

Diddy • 2 min read

Yet another Diddy sexual assault lawsuit filed - bringing count to eleven

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs - currently in jail after being charged with sex trafficking and racketeering - has been sued for an eleventh time over allegations of sexual assault. In the latest lawsuit, he is accused of violently raping the girlfriend of one of his employees at his label’s studio in 2001…

Chris Cooke • 25 Sep 2024

Releases & Tours • 1 min read

⏩ Releases & Tours News Wednesday 25 Sep

JADE, Primal Scream, DARGZ, Barry Can't Swim, Linkin Park, Maxo Kream, Tyler The Creator, Seething Akira + more…

CMU • 25 Sep 2024

Great Escape Festival • 2 min read

The Great Escape drops Faroe Islands as lead country partner following protests

The announcement last week that the Faroe Islands would be lead country partner at 2025’s Great Escape prompted criticism from the Sussex Dolphin Project because of the islands’ involvement in whaling. In response, TGE has decided to “withdraw the Faroe Islands as our lead country partner”…

Chris Cooke • 25 Sep 2024

Ador • 4 min read

HYBE label Ador reinstates Min Hee-jin as director but not CEO

NewJeans recently demanded that their label, HYBE subsidiary Ador, reappoint Min Hee-jin as CEO by today. Min was pushed out of that role last month after months of feuding with HYBE. Ador says it will reppoint Min as a director but not CEO. That seems unlikely to placate NewJeans, who could now sue…

Chris Cooke • 25 Sep 2024

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 14 min read

⏩ One Liners - music business news in brief: Universal launches China Great Bay division, Beggars signs gaming deal, Fish56Octagon launches label, Kesha launches label, Black Lives In Music to hold ‘Classically Black’ symposium in London

Today: UMG China Greater Bay Area, Beggars Group, Reactionary Music, Fish56Octagon, Another Rhythm Records, LPME Records, Gamma, Prescription Songs, ADA, Range Music Publishing, UMPG, BBR, BMG, DCD2 Records, Kilimanjaro Live, AIF, Black Lives In Music,…

CMU • 24 Sep 2024

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