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Suno admits it trained on major-owned music, accuses labels of misusing copyright

NO FAKES Act will make likeness and voice rights non-assignable, cap licensing duration

Subscribers didn’t ask for audiobooks says MLC as it hits back at Spotify

TikTok’s plans to allay data security concerns were simply insufficient, US government insists in new court submission

📑 CMU Digest: Spotify hits back at MLC lawsuit + Q2 financial updates

Lucian Grainge is back on the win-win, but which DSP is off his christmas card list? It’s not hard to guess.

Major label trade group criticises Canada’s 5% streaming levy

It’s “common sense” that audiobooks have “more than token value” says Spotify in MLC lawsuit response letter

Spotify’s Q2: Cost cutting is paying off, Ek teases Supremium launch, hints at secret features beyond hi-res audio

📑 CMU Digest: Live Nation antitrust push back + sheet music wars in court

Live Nation fights back in antitrust battle with US government

Kanye West and Snoop Dogg sued over uncleared samples and beats

Margate’s Live Nation-owned Dreamland ordered to cancel drum & bass events after drug-related death

CMU launches new CMU Masterclass series

Are hedge funds betting against Blackstone’s Hipgnosis deal?

Udio responds to record label lawsuit insisting its AI model ‘listens’ rather than ‘copies’

US music publishers ramp up the rhetoric against Spotify's royalty reducing bundling trick

Supreme Court ruling could boost damages payments in US lawsuits over historical copyright infringement

SXSW London could disrupt delicately balanced music ecosystem and should reconsider its date

TikTok sues the US government over sell-or-be-banned law

Lucian’s lunch money under threat as shareholder pressure mounts over “excessive” pay packet

Could Co-op Group terminate Manchester arena naming rights deal? Fury mounts as safety incident forces yet more Co-op Live show cancellations

An unexpected late night is not a “cognizable injury”, says Madonna in response to lawsuit over her slack timekeeping

Believe x WMG takeover dance warms up as financial regulator is called in

TikTok insists it isn't forcing Americans to phone politicians as ban proposal gets fast-tracked in Congress

CNM statement shows that Spotify’s rage about new French streaming levy misrepresents key facts

France has stood firm against Spotify’s bullying - and Spotify is having a tantrum

WMG is toying with an offer for Believe that would wipe out Warner’s cash reserves - but is it serious, would Believe shareholders sell and can WMG afford to bet the farm?

Mean Millennials scrap streaming subscriptions, mail order music is booming - and Apple Music might be making £500 million or more in the UK

Manchester City Council has spent nearly £90,000 fighting Night & Day legal battle

Hipgnosis Songs Fund takes a haircut - and might have bigger problems to come

Dodgy distributor 3tone linked to company being investigated by Serious Fraud Office

Artificial Intelligence and the music industry in 2023

Roc-A-Fella • 2 min read

Damon Dash’s Roc-A-Fella stake to be auctioned off by US authorities, but buyers may be bidding against Jay-Z

33% of Roc-A-Fella Records will be up for auction later this month. The US Marshals Service is selling off Damon Dash’s stake in order to pay debts stemming from past legal action. However, the company will still be controlled by Jay-Z and Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke, who may also bid to acquire the stake…

Chris Cooke • 02 Aug 2024

Artificial Intelligence • 2 min read

Suno and Udio’s training admission is a “major concession” says RIAA

Suno and Udio yesterday filed responses to the lawsuits filed against them by the major record companies, presenting a fair use defence and accusing the majors of anticompetitive conduct. The RIAA has responded, saying the responses contain a “major concession”, but mainly continue to mislead…

Chris Cooke • 02 Aug 2024

Warner Music • 2 min read

Warner Music overhauls recordings division: Max Lousada out, Elliot Grainge promoted

Warner Music is the latest major record company to announce a significant restructure of the business. It involves a flattening of its corporate hierarchy and more execs reporting directly into CEO Robert Kyncl. The major’s current CEO of Recorded Music, Max Lousada, is stepping down…

Chris Cooke • 02 Aug 2024

One Liners • 9 min read

One Liners: deals, appointments, legal & industry news round-up including Britney biopic, Journey spat, Juice WRLD, Apple vs Bytedance plus latest releases

Universal Pictures planning Britney biopic, new B-unique label, SM Entertainment unveil British boy band, Believe financials, legal dispute between Journey members, Garbage cancel rest of tour, latest releases + more…

CMU • 02 Aug 2024

One Liners • 6 min read

⏩ One Liners: deals, appoints, legal round up and industry news including Hybe revamp, Rimas scouting deal, Internet Archive lawsuit plus releases & tours

Wise Music signs Dobrawa Czocher, Secretly Canadian signs Brandon, Rimas teams up with Wild Company in Chile, Sony Music Publishing ups Rob Stratton, majors agree to private mediation in Internet Archive lawsuit, Live Nation’s lawyer problem, Megaupload’s Kim Dotcom still fighting extradition + more…

CMU • 01 Aug 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Miso Extra

Enter the Misoverse with Miso Extra’s blend of dynamic synths and sharp beats. ‘Slow Down’, her new single with DJ Boring, embodies end-of-night euphoria…

Kaya Robertson • 01 Aug 2024

Suno • 3 min read

Suno admits it trained on major-owned music, accuses labels of misusing copyright

Suno has admitted it used music owned by the major record companies to train its music AI in its response to the lawsuit filed by the majors, but insists that doing so is fair use under American copyright law. It then claims that the majors are just trying to shut down new competition…

Chris Cooke • 01 Aug 2024

StubHub • 3 min read

StubHub sued over “bait and switch” drip pricing system

Secondary ticketing platform StubHub has been sued in the US over its drip pricing and the way it explains its fees. The Attorney General for the District Of Columbia has filed a lawsuit which he says aims to end StubHub’s exploitative pricing scheme…

Chris Cooke • 01 Aug 2024

AI • 5 min read

Don’t say ‘deepfake’: US Copyright Office says “urgent need” for ‘digital replica’ rights

There is an urgent need for a new digital replica right in US law to combat unauthorised deepfakes, according to the US Copyright Office in a new report. The new right it describes is similar to that proposed in the NO FAKES Act which was introduced in the US Senate yesterday…

Chris Cooke • 01 Aug 2024

The 1975 • 3 min read

The 1975 sued over Matty Healy’s controversial comments at Malaysian festival

The promoter of the Malaysian festival where The 1975 caused controversy last year has sued the band. Matty Healy broke strict rules when he criticised Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws mid-set, causing the rest of the festival to be canceled. The promoter says the band had promised to obey the rules…

Chris Cooke • 31 Jul 2024

One Liners • 8 min read

⏩ One Liners: deals, appointments, digital, legal and industry news round up including Believe deal with fabric, Romy x White Claw, Wasserman’s private equity hire, Bytedance ban for US lawmakers plus releases & tours

R&B legend Monica re-signs to WME; Deezer & Live Nation earnings; Spotify’s 180 on lyrics; AmplifyWorld’s $500k artist grants fund; Restore The Music funding for music in schools; Transparency Code now effective plus new music from BADBADNOTGOOD, The Blessed Madonna, FLOHIO, Sub Focus + more…

CMU • 31 Jul 2024