Universal Music Group news

Sean Combs properties raided in federal sex trafficking investigation

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Diddy • 3 min read

Sean Combs properties raided in federal sex trafficking investigation

US Homeland Security yesterday raided two properties owned by Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, reportedly as part of an investigation in relation to allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault. The most recent civil lawsuit against Combs, filed by a former collaborator, has also been updated…

Chris Cooke • 26 Mar 2024

Setlist Podcast: UK music revenues are back to their CD peak (sort of)

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Setlist • 5 min read

Setlist Podcast: UK music revenues are back to their CD peak (sort of)

Music retail revenues are now higher than their 2001 peak (just don't adjust for inflation), and the brewing legal battle between Kanye West and the Donna Summer estate…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 01 Mar 2024

Universal Music sends another memo to songwriters about its big TikTok bust-up

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Universal Music • 3 min read

Universal Music sends another memo to songwriters about its big TikTok bust-up

As the deadline passed for TikTok to remove Universal published songs from its platform, the major has sent another memo to its artists and songwriters. It admits some of them may be finding that the disruption caused by its TikTok bust-up is proving difficult, but insists it will all be worth it…

Chris Cooke • 01 Mar 2024

€111 million in TikTok revenue is nothing when you’re Lucian Grainge - but, he says, “my phone is always open” if Shou Zi Chew wants to be friends again

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Universal Music • 8 min read

€111 million in TikTok revenue is nothing when you’re Lucian Grainge - but, he says, “my phone is always open” if Shou Zi Chew wants to be friends again

The Lucian-Shou bromance is over, and Lucian would like Shou to know that he really doesn’t care and they were never really friends anyway. So much so that he spent an hour telling everyone just how much he doesn’t care. Really. Doesn’t care. Not at all.…

Sam Taylor • 29 Feb 2024

Universal Music made €11.1 billion in 2023; CEO hits out at TikTok on earnings call

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Universal Music • 3 min read

Universal Music made €11.1 billion in 2023; CEO hits out at TikTok on earnings call

Universal's "former deal" with TikTok made €111 million in 2023 says Lucian Grainge but "his phone is open 24 hours a day. We hope that we will be able to find solutions".…

Sam Taylor • 28 Feb 2024

TikTok is stripping out Universal published songs from its catalogue - with recordings owned by Sony and Warner music likely to be affected

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TikTok • 5 min read

TikTok is stripping out Universal published songs from its catalogue - with recordings owned by Sony and Warner music likely to be affected

As Universal’s big fall out with TikTok continues, the video sharing platform has begun removing songs controlled by Universal Music Publishing. This has resulted in songs partly controlled by other companies - including the other majors - being removed from the service…

Chris Cooke • 27 Feb 2024

Diddy producer alleges UMG boss Lucian Grainge “knew or should have known” about spiked drinks in new sexual assault lawsuit

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Diddy • 3 min read

Diddy producer alleges UMG boss Lucian Grainge “knew or should have known” about spiked drinks in new sexual assault lawsuit

In the latest sexual assault lawsuit filed against Diddy, producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones Jr claims that he was subject to and witnessed assault and harassment while working on the musician and mogul’s last album. He also says that Universal and its boss Lucian Grainge are complicit…

Chris Cooke • 27 Feb 2024

Setlist Podcast: The music business in 2024

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Setlist • 3 min read

Setlist Podcast: The music business in 2024

In a special edition of the show, we preview our latest series of music business masterclasses…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 26 Feb 2024

Jimmy Iovine and Universal-backed NTWRK buys Complex to capitalise on the superfan opportunity

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NTWRK • 2 min read

Jimmy Iovine and Universal-backed NTWRK buys Complex to capitalise on the superfan opportunity

Buzzfeed has sold youth culture media company Complex to NTWRK, which plans to build a digital hub that can capitalise on the superfan opportunity. Universal Music is a backer of NTWRK, and its Interscope Geffen A&M and Capital labels will be the first to utilise the combined NTWRK/Complex platform…

Chris Cooke • 22 Feb 2024

Universal splurges almost quarter of a billion dollars to buy KKR out of Chord Music

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Chord Music Partners • 2 min read

Universal splurges almost quarter of a billion dollars to buy KKR out of Chord Music

Universal Music has acquired a 25.8% interest in Chord Music, replacing KKR as private equity firm Dundee Partners’ partner in the company. Since launching in 2021, Chord has built a catalogue including songs by The Weeknd, Ryan Tedder, David Guetta, Lorde, Kid Cudi, Ellie Goulding, and John Legend…

Andy Malt • 21 Feb 2024

Setlist Podcast: AI developments cause celebration and concern

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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

Michelle Jubelirer stands down as Capitol CEO as Universal Music restructure goes into effect

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Universal Music • 2 min read

Michelle Jubelirer stands down as Capitol CEO as Universal Music restructure goes into effect

As Universal Music restructures its US recordings business, the boss of one of its big divisions there has resigned. Michelle Jubelirer was CEO of the Capitol Music Group, most of which will now be subsumed by the major’s Interscope Geffen A&M division…

Chris Cooke • 07 Feb 2024