Universal Music Group news

Drake says judge in defamation case didn’t properly consider whether “reasonable people” might believe slur in Kendrick’s diss track

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Universal Music • 3 min read

Drake says judge in defamation case didn’t properly consider whether “reasonable people” might believe slur in Kendrick’s diss track

Drake still wants Universal Music held liable for defamation over its release of Kendrick Lamar’s “certified pedophile” lyric in diss track ‘Not Like Us’. With defamation cases, context is everything, but Drake now argues the judge who dismissed his defamation lawsuit considered the wrong context…

Chris Cooke • 20 Apr 2026

Bill Ackman wants to buy Universal Music and put “psychopath” Epstein associate Michael Ovitz in charge

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Universal Music • 7 min read

Bill Ackman wants to buy Universal Music and put “psychopath” Epstein associate Michael Ovitz in charge

Controversial hedge fund manager Bill Ackman wants to buy Universal Music. His plan: load UMG with debt, sell its Spotify stake, and put a man named in the Epstein files in as chair. Lucian Grainge could make tens of millions from the deal, but Universal’s superstar artists might have other ideas…

Sam Taylor • 07 Apr 2026

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

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Universal Music • 6 min read

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

Universal Music published its annual report earlier this week. Buried in the 295 page document are a number of startling revelations about the “most successful music company in the world” - the most shocking being that women working for Universal make just half what their male counterparts are paid…

Sam Taylor • 01 Apr 2026

Judges keep overriding artist safeguards say Salt N Pepa in latest termination rights filing

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Salt N Pepa • 3 min read

Judges keep overriding artist safeguards say Salt N Pepa in latest termination rights filing

Salt N Pepa have filed an appeal in their termination rights dispute with Universal. Not only was the judge wrong to dismiss their lawsuit seeking to reclaim ownership of 1980s recordings, but - they say - her decision continues a trend of judges overriding artist safeguards put in place by Congress…

Chris Cooke • 01 Apr 2026

Universal responds to “nonsensical” defamation appeal filed by the “astoundingly hypocritical” Drake

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Drake • 3 min read

Universal responds to “nonsensical” defamation appeal filed by the “astoundingly hypocritical” Drake

Universal has responded to Drake’s attempt to appeal the dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against the major over its role in releasing Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’, which included the infamous “certified pedophile” lyric. Drake’s appeal, it says, is “nonsensical” and “astoundingly hypocritical”…

Chris Cooke • 30 Mar 2026

Lucian is the hostess with the mostess and AI is the superfan future we never knew we wanted

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Universal Music • 17 min read

Lucian is the hostess with the mostess and AI is the superfan future we never knew we wanted

Universal Music’s latest dog and pony show was everything you could dream of: Lucian channeling Ethel Merman, the return of the superfan and turntable.fm risen from the dead. AI is the future, revenue is up nearly 9% and Lucian has never been more energised. So why is the share price in the bin?…

Sam Taylor • 06 Mar 2026

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

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Universal Music • 20 min read

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

Universal’s “eat the world” deal to gobble up Downtown has been given the nod by European regulators - so long as it flogs off the Downtown-owned Curve royalty platform. But as the industry responds to today’s announcement, were Europe’s regulators even looking at the right things?…

Sam Taylor • 13 Feb 2026

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

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Universal Music • 2 min read

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

When British film-maker Robert Carruthers was sued for including uncleared music in documentaries he made about The Rolling Stones and Nirvana he employed the ‘fair use’ defence. But a US judge has ruled that adding a few ‘hot takes’ alongside the music doesn’t mean you can avoid getting licences…

Chris Cooke • 05 Feb 2026

Dismissal of Drake’s ‘Not Like Us’ defamation claim sets “dangerous” precedent, says Drake

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Drake • 2 min read

Dismissal of Drake’s ‘Not Like Us’ defamation claim sets “dangerous” precedent, says Drake

Drake has filed an appeal in his defamation legal battle with Universal Music over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’. A judge dismissed Drake’s lawsuit last year concluding lyrics in a rap diss track do not constitute ‘statements of fact’. Drake’s lawyers argue that that has set a “dangerous” precedent…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jan 2026

Universal’s Downtown deal likely to be approved by EU regulator, according to sources

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Universal Music • 2 min read

Universal’s Downtown deal likely to be approved by EU regulator, according to sources

Universal’s Downtown deal likely to be approved by EU regulator, according to sources…

Chris Cooke • 21 Jan 2026

Five key developments over the Christmas break

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Music industry legal news coverage • 6 min read

Five key developments over the Christmas break

With the Christmas break now well and truly over and forgotten, here are five key developments in the music business since the last CMU Daily of 2025, including X suing the music publishers, a judge dismissing Salt N Pepa’s UMG lawsuit, Lucian Grainge’s memo, and TikTok and Spotify developments…

Chris Cooke • 12 Jan 2026

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

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Universal Music • 3 min read

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

Universal Music has proposed a remedy to allay the European Commission’s concerns over its bid to buy Downtown Music. That may involve the major proposing to sell off Downtown’s Curve business. But the indie sector remains adamant that no remedies will work and the EC should block the deal outright…

Chris Cooke • 15 Dec 2025