Universal Music Group news

Universal Music is going to war with TikTok, accusing the social media giant of bullying and intimidation

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Universal Music • 4 min read

Universal Music is going to war with TikTok, accusing the social media giant of bullying and intimidation

After using its power and influence to force through changes to how streaming platforms pay for music, Universal Music - the biggest music company in the world - has set its sights on TikTok, which it accuses of “bullying and intimidation” in licensing negotiations.…

Sam Taylor • 31 Jan 2024

Setlist Podcast: The new certification for “respectful” AI companies

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AI • 4 min read

Setlist Podcast: The new certification for “respectful” AI companies

Former Stability AI exec launches certification for AI companies that license copyrighted content before using it to train their models, redundancies at Pitchfork, and more…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 19 Jan 2024

Universal Music to lay off hundreds says Bloomberg: company responds and says it will create “efficiencies”

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Universal Music • 1 min read

Universal Music to lay off hundreds says Bloomberg: company responds and says it will create “efficiencies”

Universal Music has confirmed it will be “creating efficiencies” in parts of its business to allow “investment in future growth”, following reports by Bloomberg that the major will instigate a round of redundancies that will affect hundreds of employees in the first quarter of 2024…

Chris Cooke • 15 Jan 2024

Setlist Podcast: Major label bosses put the spotlight on superfans

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Setlist • 4 min read

Setlist Podcast: Major label bosses put the spotlight on superfans

Universal and Warner bosses' new year memos, Viagogo's "misleading" advertorial, and more…

Andy Malt • 12 Jan 2024

Universal “most successful company in the history of the music industry” hoots Grainge in 2024 memo

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Lucian Grainge • 4 min read

Universal “most successful company in the history of the music industry” hoots Grainge in 2024 memo

Universal Music CEO Lucian Grainge has sent out his start-of-the-year memo, formally welcoming the changes that have been made to the streaming model which he first demanded a year ago, and confirming that super-serving superfans will be a priority in 2024…

Sam Taylor • 10 Jan 2024

Lucian Grainge's 2024 memo to Universal Music Group staff

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Lucian Grainge • 10 min read

Lucian Grainge's 2024 memo to Universal Music Group staff

Universal Music boss Lucian Grainge has published his traditional new year message to the company’s staff. In it, he highlights successes in 2023 and looks ahead at what’s to come in 2024. Read the whole message in full here…

CMU • 10 Jan 2024

Universal Music renews its licensing deal with Tencent

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Universal Music • 2 min read

Universal Music renews its licensing deal with Tencent

UMG renews deal with Tencent for QQ, Kugou, Kuwo and WeSing, and will include Dolby Atmos music and other HD audio formats.…

Chris Cooke • 05 Jan 2024

Generative AI being used to create fake pre-release ‘pirate’ tracks, says UMG content protection boss

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AI • 2 min read

Generative AI being used to create fake pre-release ‘pirate’ tracks, says UMG content protection boss

Universal Music’s VP Of Global Content Protection has made a submission to WIPO on the impact of generative AI on music copyright, noting that - among other things - people involved in pre-release leaks are being scammed by people using AI to generate vocal clones…

Chris Cooke • 18 Dec 2023

Universal Music integrates with Beat Galaxy music hub on Roblox

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Universal Music • 1 min read

Universal Music integrates with Beat Galaxy music hub on Roblox

Universal Music has announced a partnership with virtual world experts Supersocial to build a music hub on Roblox - Yungblud is the first Universal-signed artist set to participate…

Chris Cooke • 15 Dec 2023

David Dollimore launches new dance label in partnership with Geffen

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David Dollimore • 1 min read

David Dollimore launches new dance label in partnership with Geffen

Former RCA President David Dollimore has returned to his dance music roots with the launch of new record label Disorder Records, in partnership with Universal’s Geffen…

Andy Malt • 07 Dec 2023

Universal Music announced partnership with "king of Mandopop"

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Universal Music • 1 min read

Universal Music announced partnership with "king of Mandopop"

Universal Music Greater China has announced a partnership with Mandopop artist Jay Chou and his record label JVR Music…

Chris Cooke • 06 Dec 2023

Cloudflare says ruling in Universal dispute is an "important push-back"

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Cloudflare • 1 min read

Cloudflare says ruling in Universal dispute is an "important push-back"

Internet services company Cloudflare says a recent ruling in the German courts was an “important push back against misguided attempts to address online copyright infringement through the DNS system"…

Chris Cooke • 06 Dec 2023