CMU | the music business explained (Page 58)

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

Bytedance • 3 min read

TikTok Music to close

TikTok Music will close down at the end of November. The standalone music service launched last year as an evolution of Resso, the earlier music platform operated by TikTok owner Bytedance. TikTok says it now wants to focus on its Add To Music App feature…

Chris Cooke & Sam Taylor • 24 Sep 2024

Quavo • 2 min read

Quavo sued for song-theft over ‘Bubblegum’

The latest song-theft lawsuit filed with the US courts targets former Migos member Quavo. A rapper called L.Mont says that Quavo’s 2018 track ‘Bubblegum’ rips off a record of the same title that he released three years earlier. L.Mont gave Quavo a CD of his music in 2016…

Chris Cooke • 24 Sep 2024

Releases & Tours • 1 min read

⏩ Releases & Tours News Tuesday 24 Sep

DJ Koze, UNKLE, DJ Krush, Scar, Sundara Karma, Jack Savoretti, Massive Attack, IDLES, Nile Rodgers, High.…

CMU • 24 Sep 2024

Lyte • 2 min read

Two festivals sue over unpaid ticket revenue following collapse of Lyte

US ticketing platform Lyte went offline earlier this month following the departure of founder and CEO Ant Taylor. It’s not clear how many promoters have been impacted, but two festival organisers have already sued in a bid to secure the hundreds of thousands they say they are owed…

Chris Cooke • 24 Sep 2024

Universal Music • 2 min read

Dickon Stainer appointed to run Universal Music in the UK

Following the announcement yesterday that long-time CEO of Universal Music UK, David Joseph, is leaving the company to go and study religion, the major has already appointed a new UK chief. Dickon Stainer, another long-term UMG exec who has previously led on the classical side, has got the job…

Chris Cooke • 24 Sep 2024

Elliot Grainge • 4 min read

Out with the old, in with the new: Atlantic Music Group annoints its new top team

Atlantic Music Group’s great big game of snakes and ladders continues, with seventeen promotions announced as Elliot Grainge preps to take over on 1 Oct. The new promotions are big, bold, brave, thoughtful, meaningful and dynamic. If only someone had thought to add demure. Next time, perhaps.…

Sam Taylor • 23 Sep 2024

CMU Digest • 6 min read

📑 CMU Digest: Atlantic lay-offs and new AI rights for creators

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

CMU • 23 Sep 2024

Michael Jackson • 2 min read

Former Michael Jackson associate wants $213 million to stop allegations of abuse being made public

With a new biopic coming out next year, the Michael Jackson estate has begun legal action after a former associate of the pop star reportedly demanded a payment of $213 million to stop him going public with new abuse allegations. The man signed an NDA with the estate in 2020…

Chris Cooke • 23 Sep 2024

Releases & Tours • 1 min read

⏩ Releases & Tours News Monday 23 Sep

St Vincent, Bon Iver, GloRilla, Rahim Redcar, Chris Lake, Disclosure, Bad Bunny, Military Genius, Yseult + more…

CMU • 23 Sep 2024

Spotify • 2 min read

The MLC and Spotify’s legal back-and-forth rumbles on as MLC says Spotify is “relying on new purported facts”

The back and forth in the big bundling dispute between Spotify and US collecting society The MLC continues. Last month Spotify urged the court to dismiss The MLC’s lawsuit. In a new legal filing, The MLC argues that the legal standard for dismissal at this stage has not been met…

Chris Cooke • 23 Sep 2024

Universal Music • 2 min read

Lucian Grainge or God? Universal’s UK big cheese David Joseph is off to study religion

When you’ve worked for Lucian Grainge for most of your life, there’s only one obvious choice for your next job: go work for God. David Joseph, the CEO of Universal Music UK, has handed in his keys to the executive dining room and is off to study religion and theology.…

Chris Cooke • 23 Sep 2024

Live Nation • 3 min read

Live Nation says antitrust lawsuit is already “complicated enough” without the DoJ adding “legal theories”

Live Nation has made another filing with the New York court where it has been sued by the US government over allegations of anticompetitive conduct. It wants two elements of the lawsuit dismissed, saying “this case will be complicated enough” without having to deal with claims that are defective…

Chris Cooke • 23 Sep 2024

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