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HYBE label Ador reinstates Min Hee-jin as director but not CEO

Out with the old, in with the new: Atlantic Music Group annoints its new top team

Lucian Grainge or God? Universal’s UK big cheese David Joseph is off to study religion

After executive cull, Elliot Grainge will reveal new Atlantic leadership team next week

EU consumer group sues Apple for €62 million over ‘Apple tax’ price hike on competing music subscriptions

The music industry is entering the era of “Streaming 2.0” and could be on course for 2 billion paying subscribers says Universal Music boss Lucian Grainge

US internet providers slam “extortionate pressure” of copyright lawsuits as they urge the Supreme Court to scrap Cox judgement

📑 CMU Digest: Live Nation boss says concerts are affordable + The White Stripes sue Trump

NTIA urges “thorough review” of Martyn's Law as it’s introduced into Parliament

Live Nation boss insists concerts are “incredibly affordable”, especially when compared to sport

📑 CMU Digest: Dynamic ticket pricing in the spotlight plus $10 million streaming scam exposed

The 1975 respond to Malaysian festival promoter’s lawsuit

New York District Attorney brings criminal charges against man accused of sophisticated streaming fraud that raked in more than $10 million

Oasis brings dynamic ticketing practices under fire from UK’s competition and advertising regulators, plus EU

Billy Joel sued by musician who says he helped create ‘You May Be Right’

Chaotic scramble for Oasis tickets puts dynamic pricing in the spotlight of upcoming government inquiry

Hipgnosis “fraudulently induced” Barry Manilow to sell his artist royalties with “false promises”

Michael Rapino knew about Travis Scott’s “dangerous concert antics” says court filing as Live Nation desperately tries to avoid CEO’s deposition in Astroworld case

Crisis for Scottish music industry as government pauses critical funding schemes

Op-ed: Cyanite CEO Markus Schwarzer on why keywords still matter for music data

Using lyrics without permission has not caused any “irreparable harm” to music publishers says Anthropic in injunction dispute

📑 CMU Digest: Donald Trump's music problem + more states join DOJ v Live Nation

Rachel Chinouriri cancels US support shows, putting the spotlight back on the ‘cost of touring crisis’

Isaac Hayes estate sues Donald Trump for copyright infringement

📑 CMU Digest: Cox takes major label dispute to Supreme Court + court dismisses Eminem publisher's Spotify lawsuit

MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom to be extradited to US to face copyright charges

Cornwall Council launches Boardmasters investigation

Live Nation’s anticompetitive conduct goes far beyond consent decree violations, the US government argues

📑 CMU Digest: Music industry lambasts Anthropic's defence + Spotify lays into Apple (again)

Apple's latest proposal “blatantly disregards” fundamentals of EU’s DMA, says Spotify

Anthropic’s “tired arguments” and “scare tactics” should be rejected, say music organisations

Majors hit back at Cox’s latest attempt to overturn billion dollar copyright ruling

TikTok forced to ditch “addictive” Lite rewards scheme in the EU

US TikTok ban addresses “grave national-security threats” and is a “triumph for human rights” say new court filings

📑 CMU Digest: Suno and Udio file fair use defence + The 1975 sued by Malaysian festival

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

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 11 min read

⏩ One Liners - music business news in brief: Dates set for next Leadmill court hearing; Drew Hill elected chair of Official Charts Company, Pet Shop Boys to be honoured at Artist & Manager Awards

Today: Sheltered Music, Duolingo, ADA, The Core Records, The Valory Music Co, The Leadmill, Official Charts Company, Apple Music Classical, Hook, un:hurd music, Ministry Of Sound, Artist & Manager Awards, Nashville Songwriter Awards + more…

CMU • 25 Sep 2024

Diddy • 2 min read

Yet another Diddy sexual assault lawsuit filed - bringing count to eleven

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs - currently in jail after being charged with sex trafficking and racketeering - has been sued for an eleventh time over allegations of sexual assault. In the latest lawsuit, he is accused of violently raping the girlfriend of one of his employees at his label’s studio in 2001…

Chris Cooke • 25 Sep 2024

Releases & Tours • 1 min read

⏩ Releases & Tours News Wednesday 25 Sep

JADE, Primal Scream, DARGZ, Barry Can't Swim, Linkin Park, Maxo Kream, Tyler The Creator, Seething Akira + more…

CMU • 25 Sep 2024

Great Escape Festival • 2 min read

The Great Escape drops Faroe Islands as lead country partner following protests

The announcement last week that the Faroe Islands would be lead country partner at 2025’s Great Escape prompted criticism from the Sussex Dolphin Project because of the islands’ involvement in whaling. In response, TGE has decided to “withdraw the Faroe Islands as our lead country partner”…

Chris Cooke • 25 Sep 2024

Ador • 4 min read

HYBE label Ador reinstates Min Hee-jin as director but not CEO

NewJeans recently demanded that their label, HYBE subsidiary Ador, reappoint Min Hee-jin as CEO by today. Min was pushed out of that role last month after months of feuding with HYBE. Ador says it will reppoint Min as a director but not CEO. That seems unlikely to placate NewJeans, who could now sue…

Chris Cooke • 25 Sep 2024

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 14 min read

⏩ One Liners - music business news in brief: Universal launches China Great Bay division, Beggars signs gaming deal, Fish56Octagon launches label, Kesha launches label, Black Lives In Music to hold ‘Classically Black’ symposium in London

Today: UMG China Greater Bay Area, Beggars Group, Reactionary Music, Fish56Octagon, Another Rhythm Records, LPME Records, Gamma, Prescription Songs, ADA, Range Music Publishing, UMPG, BBR, BMG, DCD2 Records, Kilimanjaro Live, AIF, Black Lives In Music,…

CMU • 24 Sep 2024

Bytedance • 3 min read

TikTok Music to close

TikTok Music will close down at the end of November. The standalone music service launched last year as an evolution of Resso, the earlier music platform operated by TikTok owner Bytedance. TikTok says it now wants to focus on its Add To Music App feature…

Chris Cooke & Sam Taylor • 24 Sep 2024

Quavo • 2 min read

Quavo sued for song-theft over ‘Bubblegum’

The latest song-theft lawsuit filed with the US courts targets former Migos member Quavo. A rapper called L.Mont says that Quavo’s 2018 track ‘Bubblegum’ rips off a record of the same title that he released three years earlier. L.Mont gave Quavo a CD of his music in 2016…

Chris Cooke • 24 Sep 2024

Releases & Tours • 1 min read

⏩ Releases & Tours News Tuesday 24 Sep

DJ Koze, UNKLE, DJ Krush, Scar, Sundara Karma, Jack Savoretti, Massive Attack, IDLES, Nile Rodgers, High.…

CMU • 24 Sep 2024

Lyte • 2 min read

Two festivals sue over unpaid ticket revenue following collapse of Lyte

US ticketing platform Lyte went offline earlier this month following the departure of founder and CEO Ant Taylor. It’s not clear how many promoters have been impacted, but two festival organisers have already sued in a bid to secure the hundreds of thousands they say they are owed…

Chris Cooke • 24 Sep 2024

Universal Music • 2 min read

Dickon Stainer appointed to run Universal Music in the UK

Following the announcement yesterday that long-time CEO of Universal Music UK, David Joseph, is leaving the company to go and study religion, the major has already appointed a new UK chief. Dickon Stainer, another long-term UMG exec who has previously led on the classical side, has got the job…

Chris Cooke • 24 Sep 2024

Elliot Grainge • 4 min read

Out with the old, in with the new: Atlantic Music Group annoints its new top team

Atlantic Music Group’s great big game of snakes and ladders continues, with seventeen promotions announced as Elliot Grainge preps to take over on 1 Oct. The new promotions are big, bold, brave, thoughtful, meaningful and dynamic. If only someone had thought to add demure. Next time, perhaps.…

Sam Taylor • 23 Sep 2024