CMU | the music business explained (Page 87)

Universal CEO Lucian Grainge makes 764 times more than his employees - and female staff get 48% less than male counterparts

Major music publishers buy into termination rights lawsuit to take fight to Supreme Court

Spotify wants $300 million in damages from Anna’s Archive, and for court to go after piracy site’s service providers

Cox Communications celebrates as US Supreme Court overturns critical music piracy judgement

Claude’s AI lyrics cause market dilution, say music publishers calling for courts to reject fair use defence

Declare trademark claims bogus says FKA in Twigs vs Twigs

Chance The Rapper wins sunset clause dispute with former manager

American man pleads guilty to multi-million dollar streaming fraud, faces five years in jail

Cautious welcome for UK government’s latest AI copyright stance, as BMG files latest Anthropic lawsuit

DoJ’s Live Nation settlement “proof Trump Administration cannot be trusted to protect American consumers”, says new Senate report on Ticketmaster

StubHub to more clearly state prices and terms for touted tickets, and offer Taylor Swift fans refunds, but only in British Columbia

“Robbing them blind, baby - that’s how we do it”, boast Live Nation execs about “so stupid” ticket-buyers

New generation of British artists propel UK record industry to £1.5 billion high, says BPI

High Court sides with Kneecap, ending the Hezbollah flag criminal case against Mo Chara

Google had every opportunity to train its AI legally, but chose to do it on the cheap instead, say indie musicians in new lawsuit

Live Nation settles DoJ antitrust lawsuit - but state lawsuits may continue

Chance The Rapper and Pat The Manager bust-up heads to court over disputed sunset clause

Warner Music’s Robert Kyncl is betting the company on an AI future. Can he deliver?

Suno is a feral pig rampaging through a well-tended garden, say creator orgs

Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota said “independent music is not raw material for tech companies to exploit without consent” before quitting to join AI music scraper-in-chief Suno

Producer who accused Karol G of beat-theft dismisses his lawsuit, adding “we were wrong”

Anna’s Archive rolls out the red carpet for robots - and asks them to “persuade” their humans to make donations

After a Live Nation lobbyist boasted he got antitrust chief sacked, US Senators ask if company has hired a “bevy of cozy MAGA friends”

European Commission approves Universal’s $775 million Downtown acquisition - but did it ask the right questions?

Spotify is all in on AI, its best engineers haven't written a single line of code since December - and why that should worry the music industry

Adding “hot takes” to unlicensed music is not fair use, judge confirms in rockumentary copyright case

IMPALA report warns European music diversity will erode without intervention on ownership, market access and infrastructure

European Commission must tackle “coercive buy-out practices” when US video streamers commission music, says MEP

Charlie Puth got musician to provide vocals for ‘Furious 7’ track, then Warner cheated him out rights and royalties, says lawsuit

Music publishers file new Anthropic lawsuit, adding in piracy claims and $3 billion mega-damages

Meta dropped songs from Reels library to bully Wixen into accepting lower royalty rates, says lawsuit

Horizon Future Leaders: Four issues shaping the industry

Five key developments over the Christmas break

Music and AI: 2025’s developments that will shape 2026’s disputes

Artists from South East Europe at risk of “cultural erasure” as a result of Spotify’s 1000 stream threshold

As indie community calls again for Universal’s Downtown deal to be blocked, will UMG flog off Curve to get over regulators?

MIT study “marks a new anchor for meaningful actions” to make live music more environmentally sustainable

Indie publishers make demands of collecting societies as they start to negotiate AI deals

Bob Vylan sue RTÉ over claims they instigated “antisemitic chant” during Glastonbury set

After King Gizzard boycotted Spotify, tracks by an AI-clone of the band started streaming

Ador founder wants to develop alternative K-pop management model with new agency

Indie publisher trade body says members should reject AI deals that do not value songs properly

“Creators are collateral damage” in AI race says Jorja Smith’s label, after AI voice clone track goes viral

Kneecap sue MP who “lied to the world” about group’s Canada ban

Johnny Cash estate uses ELVIS Act to sue Coke over tribute act ad soundtrack

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

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: TYSON

Emerging from the fringe R&B scene during the pandemic, TYSON has gradually and artfully carved out her own space in the landscape of modern soul. Balancing the introspection of new motherhood with a shedding of her late 20s uncertainties, her new EP ‘Chaos’ is brimming with clarity and purpose…

Kaya Robertson • 19 Nov 2024

Kanye • 2 min read

“Antisemitic tirades and conspiracies” a daily occurrence when working for Kanye West, claims latest lawsuit from ex-employee

Kanye West is accused of spouting “antisemitic tirades and conspiracies” on a daily basis, and of making an employee wait for a meeting while he had sex in an adjacent room, twice, in the latest lawsuit filed against the rapper by an aggrieved former employee…

Chris Cooke • 18 Nov 2024

Robbie Williams • 3 min read

Robbie Williams hits out at former manager Nigel Martin-Smith saying he had “the brain but not the heart” to manage him

Both Robbie Williams and original Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith appear in a new BBC documentary called ‘Boybands Forever’. Martin-Smith says Williams was “smart” to blame him for his drug taking in the 1990s, prompting Williams to urge his former manager to show some “contrition”…

Chris Cooke • 18 Nov 2024

The Loop • 3 min read

Major breakthrough for drugs safety as The Loop announces year round drug monitoring at key London and Manchester venues

The Loop has secured a licence from the Home Office that will allow it to undertake year-round drug monitoring at venues in London and Manchester, to better “inform our understanding of the UK’s changing drug market”, with learnings communicated to the public and emergency services…

Chris Cooke • 18 Nov 2024

Releases & Tours • 2 min read

⏩ Releases & Tours: Nov 2024 (Week 46)

Each week CMU rounds up standout releases and tour announcements from the last seven days This week: 070 Shake, FKA twigs, Jack White, TYSON + more, while tour announcements include Tommy Richman, Robbie Williams + more…

Kaya Robertson • 18 Nov 2024

CMU Digest • 11 min read

📑 CMU Digest: Spotify damps supremium hype, PRS sues Live Nation, hammer falls on Utopia

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

CMU • 17 Nov 2024

Private Copy Levy • 5 min read

Tech sector wants EU to reform private copy levies, but GESAC says changes would only benefit foreign device manufacturers

With new EU Commissioners being appointed, tech sector trade group DigitalEurope has proposed a radical overhaul of the private copy levy across Europe. The music industry says the proposed changes would only benefit American and South-East Asian device manufacturers and shouldn’t be considered…

Chris Cooke • 15 Nov 2024

PRS For Music • 7 min read

PRS files lawsuit against Live Nation over VIP ticketing saying live giant shows “disregard” for creators rights to proper payment

PRS is suing Live Nation, saying that it is not properly breaking down the way VIP ticketing works, meaning that music creators could be missing out on money due to them from live performances. In an exclusive statement to CMU, PRS said the live giant has shown “disregard” for licensing requirements…

Sam Taylor • 15 Nov 2024

Live Nation • 3 min read

Live Nation says ruling in Ticketmaster customer litigation threatens to block sensible measures for dispute resolution

The Ninth Circuit Appeals Court recently refused to force a dispute between Live Nation and some Ticketmaster customers to arbitration after raising concerns about the live giant’s arbitrator of choice. Live Nation now says that decision sets a dangerous precedent and should be reconsidered…

Chris Cooke • 15 Nov 2024

Horizon Future Leaders • 7 min read

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders - Martha Cleary Q&A

As part of our Horizon Future Leaders series, we’re 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 Martha Cleary, founder of Glow Artists.…

Horizon Music Jobs • 15 Nov 2024

Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

US Copyright Office boss says she’s “kept up” at night by the speed at which AI is developing

The US Copyright Office recently undertook a consultation on copyright and AI. In an update to Senators, the Office revealed that both AI companies and copyright owners think current US copyright law is fit for purpose. They just radically disagree on how those laws should be interpreted…

Chris Cooke • 14 Nov 2024

Utopia Music • 7 min read

As Utopia’s bankruptcy appeal is denied investors threaten legal action, while former staff tell CMU of widespread “manipulation” of financial documents across shuttered subsidiaries

The implosion at the company formerly known as Utopia Music continues. After the Swiss court denied its bankruptcy appeal, investors begin to talk legal action, and former staffers tell CMU that they want top banana John Mitchell to say who was responsible for fake payslips as far back as July 2023…

Sam Taylor • 14 Nov 2024

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