CMU | the music business explained (Page 6)

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

Piracy • 3 min read

More anti-piracy web-blocks issued in France against Cloudflare and Google DNS resolvers

Earlier this year French broadcaster Canal+ secured a web-blocking order forcing three DNS resolvers to block access to sports piracy websites. On the back of that win it has secured yet more web-blocks, despite the tech companies insisting that forcing web-blocking on DNS resolvers is a bad idea…

Chris Cooke • 28 Nov 2024

Diddy • 2 min read

Diddy’s latest bail attempt denied by judge because of “serious risk of witness tampering” - despite $50 million bond

Diddy’s third attempt to get bail has failed, despite him offering to pay a $50 million bond. The judge said there is a serious risk of witness tampering if Diddy is allowed to await trial on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking under house arrest rather than in jail…

Chris Cooke • 28 Nov 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Cosmic Crooner

Cosmic Crooner evokes a bygone sophistication while sidestepping nostalgia, carving out his own space in the lounge-pop lineage. His latest single channels the golden age of bossa nova, weaving layered percussion, the playful rhythm of the cuica, and influences reminiscent of Jorge Ben Jor…

Kaya Robertson • 28 Nov 2024

Live industry news including ticketing, venues, festivals and more • 4 min read

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

The Association Of Independent Festivals has again called for more government support for the sector now that 72 events have cancelled or ceased operating this year. Meanwhile the Music Venue Trust has announced a new scheme to support grassroots live music backed by Coldplay and Sam Fender…

Chris Cooke • 27 Nov 2024

Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

New AI transparency proposal in US Congress will “pave the way” for creator compensation says ASCAP boss

The music industry has welcomed new proposals in US Congress that will allow copyright owners to subpoena generative AI companies to find out what content has been used when training their models. The transparency proposals have been made by Senator Peter Welch in the TRAIN Act…

Chris Cooke • 27 Nov 2024

BBC • 3 min read

The BBC has revised its plans for four new radio stations, but critics say they should still be blocked

Earlier this year the BBC announced plans to launch four new radio stations, spin-offs of Radio 1, 2, and 3. It then began a public interest test and, based on that, has revised its plans, especially in relation to the Radio 2 spin-off. However, that hasn’t placated critics of the new stations…

Chris Cooke • 27 Nov 2024

Music industry legal news coverage • 4 min read

Signposting youtube-dl streamripper not allowed confirms German appeals court, as US Supreme Court weighs in on majors v Cox

A German appeals court has upheld a ruling secured by the record industry ordering Uberspace to takedown a website about stream-ripping code youtube-dl. Meanwhile the US Supreme Court has invited the Solicitor General to share her views on the big legal battle between the majors and ISP Cox…

Chris Cooke • 26 Nov 2024

Drake • 4 min read

“Offensive and untrue” says Universal Music after Drake accuses major of streaming fraud in Kendrick beef

Drake has accused Universal Music of employing stream manipulation and other dodgy marketing tactics to boost the streams of Kendrick Lamar’s Drake-dissing ‘Not Like Us’. The major insists those claims, made in two legal filings with courts in New York and Texas, are “offensive and untrue”…

Chris Cooke • 26 Nov 2024

Limp Bizkit • 3 min read

Fred Durst’s $200 million lawsuit against Universal “based on a fallacy”, says the major

In October, Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst accused Universal Music of operating a system to “conceal artists’ royalties and keep those profits for itself”. He also wants to terminate his old deals with the major. In a formal response, Universal says Durst’s claims are “based on a fallacy”…

Chris Cooke • 26 Nov 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Ethel

Paris-based songstress Ethel blends intimacy and ethereality in her unique take on alt-pop, crafting ambient, moody soundscapes perfect for late-night introspection. Her latest single, ‘Availability’, adds a funkier edge to her repertoire, while exploring the ache of connection just out of reach…

Kaya Robertson • 26 Nov 2024

Will Page says music copyright generated $45.5 billion in 2023

Music Rights • 3 min read

Music copyright brought in $45.5 billion in 2023, according to Will Page, who has collated industry stats to calculate a figure for the entire sector. Though he says the actual figure is probably higher, because not all the industry reports he relies on capture all the revenue…

Chris Cooke • 25 Nov 2024