CMU | the music business explained (Page 6)

Suno picks up Songkick as part of AI licensing deal with Warner Music

Live Nation and AEG provide a “disgusting service”, says Olivia Dean, after for-profit touting of tickets

Fugee Pras Michel jailed for fourteen years after illegal lobbying

Ticket touting platforms start frantic lobbying campaign claiming new anti-tout laws will increase ticket fraud

StubHub share price craters as UK prepares to announce ticket touting ban

Regulators must consider UMG’s AI deals in Downtown case, says IAO President

North American songwriter groups join call for transparency and creator consent as music companies start signing AI deals

Starmer must “honour his pledge” to cap prices in “extortionate and pernicious” secondary ticketing market

Downtown accused of planning “calculated destruction” of a short-lived YouTube music client in bombastic new lawsuit

No “self-service buffet” for AI companies says GEMA CEO as OpenAI loses landmark lyrics lawsuit

Manchester Evening News pays damages after incorrectly labelling Bob Vylan’s “sun salutation” as a Nazi salute

Slipknot.com owner hires domain name specialist to fight back against band’s cybersquatting claims

“Misleading rhetoric and “deceitful buzzwords” not good enough, says Council Of Music Makers in call for creator consent, control and compensation in AI deals

Axing of controversial EBacc is a “step in the right direction” for music education says Ed Sheeran

Former Guns N Roses manager sues band over autobiography blocker clause

Judgement in Getty’s UK lawsuit against Stability “underscores growing gap” between copyright and tech, says leading lawyer

Spotify’s streaming fraud initiatives are “nothing more than window dressing” says rapper RBX as he files class action lawsuit

Streaming services don’t want French language quotas in Québec

Universal has settled its lawsuit with Udio, and signed AI deals with Udio and Stability

Spotify questions MLC’s “motivations” in pursuing audiobook bundling dispute lawsuit

Lizzo is being sued over an uncleared sample - on a track she never released

Viagogo is unfair, opaque and violates EU law, consumer group tells regulator

Bobby Vylan says he has no regrets about “death to the IDF” chant at Glastonbury

Ticketmaster says FTC allegations it colluded with touts “nonsensical”, but it is changing some of its rules and shutting down TradeDesk

New Udio lawsuit hones in on the “significant and unequal harm” inflicted on independent musicians by music AI

Majors tell US Supreme Court to ignore ISP’s doom and gloom predictions and uphold billion dollar piracy ruling

Drake vows to appeal after judge throws out defamation lawsuit against Universal

High profile songwriters express concern about PRS transparency, accuracy and admin costs

Anthropic’s own guardrails revive full copyright lawsuit from litigious music publishers

Suno tells court to reject stream-ripping “gambit” by major labels in AI legal battle

As indie labels ramp up campaign for EU to block the UMG x Downtown merger, a French music lawyer says concerns around data are “fantasy or paranoia”

As FT says major labels are close to “landmark” AI licensing deals, is a new battle royale going to kick off within the music industry?

No one seems to know if Kneecap are still banned from Canada - or whether they were ever actually banned at all

Don’t say gruesome twosome: Ek steps sideways at Spotify to make way for not one but two new CEOs

‘Something Inside’ songwriter goes legal over Tommy Robinson’s use of his anti-apartheid anthem

Donald Trump signs executive order “saving TikTok”

Tabloid claims that Dua Lipa sacked agent over Glasto Kneecap letter are “categorically false” and “deliberately inflammatory”

Major labels add piracy claims to Suno lawsuit after $1.5 billion Anthropic settlement

Live Nation colludes with ticket touts, says US government as it launches legal action

Cornwall Council will hold meeting about ‘safety risks’ of Bob Vylan’s August Boardmasters performance - even through there weren’t any

Spotify finally adds lossless audio to premium

Anthropic will pay authors $1.5 billion to settle AI copyright case

Universal’s Downtown deal must be blocked by regulators before “cultural diversity is weakened irreversibly” says Dutch indie label group president

As EU hits pause on UMG Downtown investigation after “parties fail to provide important info”, Downtown boss whines about “misinformation”

More upheaval at Warner Music as UK label chiefs will report directly to US execs

Yet another senior exec out at Warner Music as UK boss Tony Harlow quits

Billion dollar piracy win for majors “defies common law and common sense” says Cox

Court dismisses Dave Rowntree’s black box lawsuit against PRS

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

Universal Music • 3 min read

Universal has settled its lawsuit with Udio, and signed AI deals with Udio and Stability

Universal has announced big AI deals with Udio and Stability. The Udio agreement brings to an end the major’s legal battle with the AI start-up which was accused of copyright infringement. As the majors start to do deals like these, the debate around music creator consent in AI will get more heated…

Chris Cooke • 30 Oct 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: The Orielles

Manchester-based trio The Orielles hover between pop-rock instinct and art-school experimentation: organs hum, guitars shimmer, rhythms loop until they almost dissolve. New single ‘Three Halves’ is built from droning organs, cello and guitar; dense one moment, airy the next…

Kaya Robertson • 30 Oct 2025

Utopia Music • 10 min read

The last days of Utopia: Mitchell Asset Management set to take control of remnants of Swiss music tech giant

Aussie money man John Mitchell once said the future of the music business was kids buying P Diddy skins in Fortnite. He is now front runner to take control of the remains of Utopia Music - once claimed to be worth €2.5 billion - in a deal likely to enrage investors and former staff of the company…

Sam Taylor • 29 Oct 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 4 min read

After Anthropic’s $1.5 billion settlement, big tech takes aim at statutory damages in copyright disputes, seeks Trump’s support

Last month Donald Trump asked for more submissions on AI regulation. One lobby group has used its submission to not only argue that AI training is ‘fair use’, but to also criticise statutory damages in US copyright law which it says are unfairly forcing AI companies into billion dollar settlements…

Chris Cooke • 29 Oct 2025

Music Education • 1 min read

Programme and first speakers announced for Music Industry + Music Education Conference

The Music Industry + Music Education Conference from the Pathways Into Music Foundation returns to Manchester next month. The event’s programme has been announced, as well as initial speakers including Music Mark’s Bridget Whyte, AIM’s Nina Radojewski and creative strategist Kate McBain…

CMU • 29 Oct 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 2 min read

North American collecting societies open door to “partially AI-generated” musical works

ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN have announced they will allow new AI-assisted songs and compositions to be logged in their respective databases, though entirely AI-generated works cannot be registered. It comes amid increased debate over how industry and digital platforms should deal with AI-generated music…

Chris Cooke • 29 Oct 2025

NewJeans • 3 min read

With NewJeans v HYBE legal ruling due, Ador’s founder Min launches new agency

A judge is due to rule this week on the legal battle between HYBE’s Ador and NewJeans - it is trying to enforce its contract with the group, who quit the agency after CEO Min Hee-jin was pushed out. With that ruling incoming, Min has now launched another K-pop agency called Ooak…

Chris Cooke • 28 Oct 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Trophy Wife

Brooklyn-based indie rock trio Trophy Wife cut through the noise but never harshly, riding atop the fuzz like a thread of warmth through static. Wrapped in heavy riffs and fuzzed-out melodies, new single ‘So Hard’ is a negotiation with desire itself…

Kaya Robertson • 28 Oct 2025

UK Music • 1 min read

UK Music launches ‘five Ps’ guide to boost diversity in the music industry

UK Music’s Diversity Taskforce has identified various actions that it says it’s crucial for the music industry to undertake in order to boost diversity and inclusion across the sector. Those actions are organised into ‘five Ps’ in a new guide: people, policy, partnerships, purchase and progress…

Chris Cooke • 28 Oct 2025

Op-Eds • 6 min read

Op-ed: My future as an amateur football club coach

Universal Music’s Downtown deal was a big talking point at the SoAlive Music Conference in Sofia earlier this month. Nuno Saraiva, Founder of the SCL-Lusitanian Label Group in Portugal, reflects on the discussions, and explains why the Downtown acquisition is such a big deal for the indie community…

CMU Contributors • 27 Oct 2025

CMU Selects • 1 min read

CMU Selects - the last week’s standout releases

Our selection of five releases that cut through the noise last week, from Lily Allen, Sleaford Mods, Gwendoline Christie, Big Special, Rose Gray, Sampha + Dove Ellis…

Kaya Robertson • 27 Oct 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

Australian government blocks potential AI copyright exception

Australia’s Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has said that the country will not introduce a new copyright exception for the benefit of AI companies. It’s news that has been welcomed by the music and wider copyright industries, which want similar commitments from other governments around the world…

Chris Cooke • 27 Oct 2025