Distribution - CMU | the music business explained

Universal Music claims Believe has built its business on “industrial-scale copyright infringement” and wants $500 million

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Believe • 3 min read

Universal Music claims Believe has built its business on “industrial-scale copyright infringement” and wants $500 million

Universal Music has filed a bombastic $500 million lawsuit against Believe accusing it of facilitating rampant copyright infringement by allowing fraudsters to illegally deliver tracks owned by the major to the streaming services, claiming royalties when those uploads are streamed…

Chris Cooke • 05 Nov 2024

DistroKid’s face-off with employee union over plans to fire support team and move jobs overseas

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DistroKid • 2 min read

DistroKid’s face-off with employee union over plans to fire support team and move jobs overseas

DistroKid “preached of doing right by their artists and their employees” in the past, but are now laying off 50% of their unionised employees in the US to move their jobs overseas. This is according to the DistroKid union, which says 37 employees have now been put on “administrative leave”…

Chris Cooke • 29 Oct 2024

New generative AI remuneration right for creators proposed

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AI • 3 min read

New generative AI remuneration right for creators proposed

IP expert Daniel Gervais has proposed reforming copyright law to add a new remuneration right for creators whose work is used to train generative AI models. He says it would strange for copyright law to not evolve in the context of the most “consequential technological change in history”…

Chris Cooke • 16 Sep 2024

French regulator AMF knocks back Believe consortium’s accelerated bid, giving Warner Music a chance to make a formal offer

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Believe • 5 min read

French regulator AMF knocks back Believe consortium’s accelerated bid, giving Warner Music a chance to make a formal offer

WMG has access to Believe’s data and fourteen days to make a binding offer for the business. What does that mean and what does it look like? Can Warner find the cash? Even if it can, the deal would bring Warner, Believe and Deezer under common ownership - and will that pass regulatory oversight?…

Sam Taylor • 25 Mar 2024

Spanish distributor SonoSuite reached out to DSPs on behalf of dodgy distributor 3tone - but now claims “3tone is not a client”

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3tone • 4 min read

Spanish distributor SonoSuite reached out to DSPs on behalf of dodgy distributor 3tone - but now claims “3tone is not a client”

After one back end distributor refused to take on 3tone’s business last week, another, SonoSuite started reaching out to DSPs on 3tone’s behalf - only to claim that 3tone were not a client when challenged by CMU…

Sam Taylor • 08 Feb 2024

UDS says it shipped 3,360,067 units last month, as stability seems to return to the UK physical music supply chain

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Utopia Distribution Services • 2 min read

UDS says it shipped 3,360,067 units last month, as stability seems to return to the UK physical music supply chain

Physical distributor UDS says that November was its busiest month since it acquired the assets of Cinram Novum last year. It shipped 3,360,067 units, a 26% increase on October…

Chris Cooke • 14 Dec 2023