Digital - CMU | the music business explained

Merlin gears up for legal rumble with bare knuckle fight championship owner Triller over $2.5 million in unpaid fees

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Triller • 3 min read

Merlin gears up for legal rumble with bare knuckle fight championship owner Triller over $2.5 million in unpaid fees

While Triller let many of its music licences lapse a few years ago, indie label digital rights organisation Merlin is still owed $2.5 million from a 2020 licensing deal. The extra payment was due because of a most favoured nation clause in that deal. Merlin has now sued to get its money…

Chris Cooke • 01 Apr 2025

MLC asks judge to reconsider Spotify ruling, otherwise the “injustice will be manifest”

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Spotify • 2 min read

MLC asks judge to reconsider Spotify ruling, otherwise the “injustice will be manifest”

Last month a US judge dismissed the lawsuit filed by The MLC against Spotify over its decision to reclassify its premium subscription product as a music + audiobooks bundle, reducing what it has to pay to songwriters and publishers. The MLC now wants the judge to reconsider that ruling…

Chris Cooke • 14 Feb 2025

Labels considering pulling catalogues from Napster over late royalty payments

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Napster • 2 min read

Labels considering pulling catalogues from Napster over late royalty payments

The Napster streaming service could lose access to portions of its catalogue as some labels and distributors threaten to pull the plug over late royalty payments. More than half a dozen labels have expressed frustration about the late payments, with some experiencing delays of over a year…

Chris Cooke • 22 Jan 2025

As TikTok gets 75-day reprieve, industry experts urge artists and labels to diversify social strategy

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TikTok • 4 min read

As TikTok gets 75-day reprieve, industry experts urge artists and labels to diversify social strategy

The TikTok ban in the US has been officially paused for 75 days by incoming President Donald Trump. However, the app’s future in the US remains uncertain, meaning artists should use those 75 days to strengthen their presence on other platforms and to also encourage fans to connect by email…

Chris Cooke • 21 Jan 2025

Trump says USA should own TikTok after blink-and-you-miss-it ban kicks in

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TikTok • 4 min read

Trump says USA should own TikTok after blink-and-you-miss-it ban kicks in

The TikTok ban in the US went into force yesterday, taking the app offline. For a short time. It then returned after incoming President Trump vowed to issue an executive order later today pausing the ban and removing any liability from companies that continued working with TikTok in the meantime…

Chris Cooke • 20 Jan 2025

US Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban, app’s American future now in the hands of Donald Trump

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TikTok • 3 min read

US Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban, app’s American future now in the hands of Donald Trump

TikTok is due to be banned in the US on Sunday, after the country’s Supreme Court declined to block the law that instigates the ban. However, Donald Trump seems likely to intervene when he becomes President on Monday. He says, unhelpfully, “you’re going to see what I’m going to do”…

Chris Cooke • 17 Jan 2025

As TikTok prepares for US shutdown, it’s still not clear if anyone will step in to halt the ban

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TikTok • 3 min read

As TikTok prepares for US shutdown, it’s still not clear if anyone will step in to halt the ban

TikTok says it will basically stop operating in the US entirely if a ban due to kick in on Sunday goes ahead. There are still various ways that the law that instigates that ban could be paused at the very last minute, but no one seems to know whether that will actually happen…

Chris Cooke • 16 Jan 2025

TikTok will be fine as soon as consummate dealmaker Trump gets stuck in, says Trump

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TikTok • 4 min read

TikTok will be fine as soon as consummate dealmaker Trump gets stuck in, says Trump

TikTok is due to be banned in the US on 19 Jan. The US Supreme Court could block the ban, though at a hearing last week it seemed judges weren’t likely to go that route. Which means TikTok’s future in the US now rests with “consummate dealmaker” Donald Trump, who still reckons he can solve this one…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jan 2025

TikTok seeks help from Supreme Court and Donald Trump in latest bid to avoid January ban in the US

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TikTok • 3 min read

TikTok seeks help from Supreme Court and Donald Trump in latest bid to avoid January ban in the US

TikTok has turned to both the US Supreme Court and Donald Trump as it seeks to stop a ban that is due to come into effect in the US on 19 Jan. Meanwhile the EU is investigating if TikTok did enough to stop its platform being used to spread disinformation in the recent Romanian elections…

Chris Cooke • 18 Dec 2024

TikTok’s attempt to delay ban is just a rehash of previously rejected arguments says US government

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TikTok • 3 min read

TikTok’s attempt to delay ban is just a rehash of previously rejected arguments says US government

TikTok wants a Washington DC court to delay a 19 Jan deadline for owner ByteDance to sell the app, so it can take its battle against the law that set that deadline to the Supreme Court. The US government says that’s not necessary because the Supreme Court itself can pause the deadline if required…

Chris Cooke • 12 Dec 2024

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GEMA • 2 min read

GEMA publishes AI Charter

A new AI Charter from German collecting society GEMA sets out the music industry’s usual demands of AI companies, but also discusses moral rights and imbalances in negotiating power…

Chris Cooke • 05 Nov 2024

Sony Music shows off “next-generation immersive technologies”, trails upcoming Myles Smith Fortnite event

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Sony Music • 3 min read

Sony Music shows off “next-generation immersive technologies”, trails upcoming Myles Smith Fortnite event

Sony has loads of fancy toys, and that’s making it easier than ever to create content. In particular, the major is keen to talk up how quickly, easily and cheaply it can whack out immersive content for artists who want to dip their toes - or other virtual bodyparts - into the world of Fortnite…

Sam Taylor & Chris Cooke • 22 Oct 2024