Digital services and platforms news - CMU | the music business explained (Page 18)

Setlist Podcast: AI developments cause celebration and concern

public

Artificial Intelligence • 5 min read

Setlist Podcast: AI developments cause celebration and concern

The music industry welcomes the final draft of the EU AI Act but sees plans for the UK to develop an AI code of conduct collapse, and allegations that the BBC is going head to head with its commercial rivals by launching new decade and genre specific music radio stations…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 09 Feb 2024

Warner Music’s Kyncl goes big on importance of major labels and data, says he is confident UMG TikTok dispute will be resolved

public

Warner Music • 3 min read

Warner Music’s Kyncl goes big on importance of major labels and data, says he is confident UMG TikTok dispute will be resolved

Speaking to investors on a call about Warner Music’s Q4 earnings, CEO Robert Kyncl said that major music companies are only becoming more important as technology advances. He also said that he is “confident” that Universal and TikTok will resolve their current dispute and agree a new licensing deal…

Sam Taylor • 08 Feb 2024

Spotify CEO slams Apple in earnings calls and hints at more job cuts

public

Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify CEO slams Apple in earnings calls and hints at more job cuts

As Spotify releases its earnings for Q4 2023 - which show the company lost €446 million in 2023 - CEO Daniel Ek criticised Apple’s approach to implementing the EU Digital Markets Act and warned that there may be more job cuts coming.…

Sam Taylor • 06 Feb 2024

Indie labels say Apple's new payment model will take money from their artists to benefit the majors

public

Apple Music • 3 min read

Indie labels say Apple's new payment model will take money from their artists to benefit the majors

The Financial Times has spoken to a number of independent labels that are critical of the changes being made to Apple Music’s payment model so that more money flows to spatial available tracks - they say the changes benefit the majors and will “badly impact” on the revenues received by indies…

Chris Cooke • 05 Feb 2024

Setlist Podcast: Universal and TikTok accuse each other of “bullying” and “greed”

public

TikTok • 4 min read

Setlist Podcast: Universal and TikTok accuse each other of “bullying” and “greed”

The collapse of licensing talks between Universal Music and TikTok, UK Parliament's 'Misogyny In Music' report that calls for new legislation to end the cycle of harassment and abuse in the "boys' club" industry, and more…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 02 Feb 2024

UK government publishes new UK streaming transparency code

public

Economics Of Streaming • 3 min read

UK government publishes new UK streaming transparency code

Part of the UK government’s wider work on the economics of music streaming, a transparency code has been published which sees streaming services and music companies commit to provide more information to artists, songwriters and their managers about digital deals and royalties…

Chris Cooke • 31 Jan 2024

Explicit AI-generated Taylor Swift images prompt renewed calls for new anti-deepfake laws

public

Taylor Swift • 2 min read

Explicit AI-generated Taylor Swift images prompt renewed calls for new anti-deepfake laws

Sexually explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift circulated on X last week, putting the focus back on proposals in US Congress to introduce new laws to stop unapproved deepfakes. X said the Swift images broke its existing rules covering “non-consensual nudity” and were being removed…

Chris Cooke • 29 Jan 2024

Spotify uses EU Digital Market Act blog post to take potshots at Apple, announces superfan clubs

public

Spotify • 5 min read

Spotify uses EU Digital Market Act blog post to take potshots at Apple, announces superfan clubs

Spotify is fighting the good fight! Apple is a meanie! The DMA means we can spam everyone! In its latest blog post, Spotify heralds the DMA as a “huge opportunity” for Spotify. And maybe - just maybe - it offers “good things” for artists and labels too…

Sam Taylor • 25 Jan 2024

American musicians' union begins talks over AI and streaming with the Hollywood studios

public

AFM • 2 min read

American musicians' union begins talks over AI and streaming with the Hollywood studios

Negotiations are underway in Hollywood over the union contracts of musicians who make music for films and TV programmes, with commitments around AI and new payments from streamed shows among the priorities of the American Federation Of Musicians…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jan 2024

Spotify won’t be launching on Vision Pro and lots of people are surprised - but why would it?

public

Apple • 2 min read

Spotify won’t be launching on Vision Pro and lots of people are surprised - but why would it?

Some people are relieved that Spotify won’t be wasting money trying to force a square peg into a round hole with an early Visio Pro app - while other people are outraged that an audio company won’t be launching on a primarily visual platform. There’s no helping some folk.…

Chris Cooke • 22 Jan 2024

Spotify hits out at Apple's "outrageous" new App Store rules

public

Spotify • 2 min read

Spotify hits out at Apple's "outrageous" new App Store rules

Spotify has joined Fortnite maker Epic in criticising Apple over a change to its rules around in-app payments. The change, made to comply with a court order secured by Epic, is meant to help app-makers, but Spotify says it has been implemented in a way that means app-makers are no better off…

Chris Cooke • 19 Jan 2024

MLC planning massive audit of all streaming services - but it’s not as dramatic as it sounds. Yet.

public

MLC • 2 min read

MLC planning massive audit of all streaming services - but it’s not as dramatic as it sounds. Yet.

The MLC in the US has announced it will audit streaming services, including those run by Spotify, Apple, Amazon and YouTube - the collecting society has the right to undertake audits under the compulsory licence it administers…

Sam Taylor • 19 Jan 2024