The latest record label news

BMI confirms deal to sell to New Mountain Capital

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BMI • 2 min read

BMI confirms deal to sell to New Mountain Capital

Private equity outfit New Mountain Capital has agreed a deal to buy US collecting society BMI - terms of the deal are not known but $100 million will be distributed to songwriters and publishers allied to the organisation…

Chris Cooke • 22 Nov 2023

Stability AI's VP Of Audio resigns over its position that training AI with copyright works is 'fair use'

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Stability AI • 3 min read

Stability AI's VP Of Audio resigns over its position that training AI with copyright works is 'fair use'

The VP Of Audio at Stability AI, Ed Newton-Rex, has resigned in protest at the company’s position that training generative AI models with existing content is fair use under US copyright law - meaning it does not need to get the permission of copyright owners…

Chris Cooke • 16 Nov 2023

Distrokid boss critical of Spotify plan to fine distributors over tracks with heavy stream manipulation

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Spotify • 2 min read

Distrokid boss critical of Spotify plan to fine distributors over tracks with heavy stream manipulation

Spotify will start issuing fines to labels and distributors that deliver tracks that are subject to heavy stream manipulation - a move that has been criticised by at least one DIY distributor…

Chris Cooke • 16 Nov 2023

Edith Piaf to narrate her own life story through AI

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Edith Piaf • 2 min read

Edith Piaf to narrate her own life story through AI

Warner Music and the Edith Piaf estate have announced plans for an animated biopic that will use AI to allow the late singer to narrate her own life story…

Andy Malt • 15 Nov 2023

Universal’s plans to cut carbon emissions certified by Science Based Targets initiative

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Universal Music • 1 min read

Universal’s plans to cut carbon emissions certified by Science Based Targets initiative

Universal Music has had its plans to reduce carbon emissions over the next decade certified by the Science Based Targets initiative. The major says that this is a first for a standalone music company…

Andy Malt • 14 Nov 2023

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Canva • 1 min read

Canva launches music library product

Canva yesterday announced that users of the graphic design platform can now easily insert music into their content from a large catalogue of tracks - it follows deals earlier this year with Warner and Merlin…

Chris Cooke • 10 Nov 2023

LA Reid sued by former Arista A&R over allegations of sexual assault

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LA Reid • 2 min read

LA Reid sued by former Arista A&R over allegations of sexual assault

Record industry veteran LA Reid has been sued by a former colleague at Arista Records who claims he sexually assaulted and harassed her when she was working in A&R at the label in the early 2000s…

Chris Cooke • 09 Nov 2023

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Sony Music • 2 min read

Sony Music has a new logo, Deezer and SiriusXM have a brandwank

Sony Music, Deezer and SiriusXM have all unveiled new logos. Sony’s delves into its brand heritage, Deezer’s aims to “recharge people's emotional connection to the brand”, and SiriusXM’s “gives a nod to the service’s consumer value proposition”…

Andy Malt & Sam Taylor • 09 Nov 2023

Hipgnosis Songs Fund headhunts the former Chair of the Round Hill Music Royalty Fund to head up its board

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Hipgnosis • 2 min read

Hipgnosis Songs Fund headhunts the former Chair of the Round Hill Music Royalty Fund to head up its board

The Hipgnosis Songs Fund has appointed former head of the Round Hill Music Royalty Fund, Robert Naylor, as its new Chair. This comes after investors declined to reappoint Andrew Sutch to that role following the recent continuation vote…

Chris Cooke • 08 Nov 2023

Campaign launches to support introduction of US radio royalties

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musicFIRST Coalition • 2 min read

Campaign launches to support introduction of US radio royalties

The musicFIRST Coalition has launched a new Dionne Warwick-fronted campaign to garner support for the American Music Fairness Act, which would introduce a royalty for the use of sound recordings by AM and FM radio stations in the US for the first time…

Andy Malt • 08 Nov 2023

Universal Music open "concept store" in Tokyo

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Universal Music • 1 min read

Universal Music open "concept store" in Tokyo

Universal Music last week opened a "concept retail store dedicated to supporting music super-fans" in Tokyo - complete with a Japanese spin-off of the Rolling Stones’ London shop RS No.9…

Chris Cooke • 23 Oct 2023

Megan Thee Stallion has "no label right now" and that's how she wants it

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Megan Thee Stallion • 2 min read

Megan Thee Stallion has "no label right now" and that's how she wants it

Megan Thee Stallion says she will self-release her next record because “I don’t want to sign to a new label right now”. She has had multiple legal run-ins with her former label 1501 Entertainment…

Chris Cooke • 16 Oct 2023

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