Complete Music Update: the music business explained

Viagogo boss does the UK media rounds, insists touting price cap won't work

Universal relaxes TikTok boycott - but only if your name is Taylor Swift

Apple and Travis Scott companies remain as defendants in Astroworld litigation

Gee Davy to take over as head of indie label trade body AIM as Silvia Montello exits

“Fundamental reform of music streaming” must come soon, say MPs

GEMA says German song right income is booming, but digital growth is lacking

Live Nation boss to sit for deposition in Astroworld litigation

Warner Music Group pulls out of Believe takeover race

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

Spotify planning another price rise in five markets

200+ artists sign letter urging tech companies to stop using AI to "devalue the rights of human artists"

Pharrell Williams accused of “committing fraud in securing trademarks” by Neptunes partner

Excessive spending, poor systems, missing documents and misleading statements: Shot Tower Capital’s blistering assessment of Hipgnosis Song Management couldn’t be much worse

French indie label body UPFI calls on French government to intervene in potential Warner Music Group takeover of Believe

Travis Scott seeks to be removed from Astroworld lawsuits, as lawyers query if performers should have crowd management training

Utopia! Whotopia? The Swiss music company has a Proper strategy…

As BMG’s 2023 numbers show continued growth, could a merger with Warner Music or Believe be on the cards?

Sean Combs properties raided in federal sex trafficking investigation

French regulator AMF knocks back Believe consortium’s accelerated bid, giving Warner Music a chance to make a formal offer

Mood music maker scores fifteen billion streams, and prompts yet another 'fake artists' debate

Night & Day ruling makes it “open season” on Manchester’s night-time economy says Music Venue Trust boss

BPI threatens to sue voice cloning site Voicify

📑 CMU Digest: Be sold or be banned says US Congress to TikTok

Think you understand the music industry’s revenue stats? Think again…

Labour commits to UK ticket touting price cap, as Ed Sheeran's team welcomes guilty verdict in ticket tout court case

Selling TikTok would be last resort for ByteDance, sources say as House votes through sell-or-be-banned law

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

€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

Sound City’s Becky Ayres: “The music business’ talent pipeline is blocked by an image problem”

CMU Exclusive: Apple Music’s “spatial audio bonus” will favour major labels at the expense of small labels and creators

Artificial Intelligence and the music industry in 2023

One Liners • 4 min read

⏩ One Liners: Taylor Swift, TikTok, Chaka Khan’s Meltdown + more

Warner Chappell, Josh Hoge deals; Hipgnosis, Secretly Distribution appointments; Anthropic CEO on fair use; Universal’s ongoing TikTok battle; Chaka Khan’s Meltdown line-up expands; Ludivco Einaudi, Public Service Broadcasting shows; new music from Jamie xx, TEMS, Pillow Queens, Group Listening…

Andy Malt • 16 Apr 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

Approved: Thursday

Post-hardcore heroes Thursday are back with their first new music in over a decade. Reviving the classic Thursday sound, it scratches an itch that may well have been lying dormant in you for some time (if you’re anything like us). More good news, UK live shows are on the cards this summer…

Jason Wolfe • 16 Apr 2024

Viagogo • 4 min read

Viagogo boss does the UK media rounds, insists touting price cap won't work

The boss of Viagogo spoke to UK media last week insisting that the Labour Party’s plan to introduce a price cap on ticket touting won’t work. It won’t work for Viagogo, of course, but Cris Miller argues it will also result in an increase in ticket fraud, a claim anti-touting campaign FanFair denies…

Chris Cooke • 15 Apr 2024

One Liners • 3 min read

⏩ One Liners: IFPI, StubHub, Mark Goodier + more

Cutting Edge Group funding; Liz Cass deal; IFPI, CAA, Attachment appointments; Spotify high quality audio; Mark Goodier joins BBC Radio 2; Greatest Hits Radio new weekend line-up…

Andy Malt • 15 Apr 2024

Twitch • 2 min read

Twitch “close” to securing major label licensing deals

Twitch CEO Dan Clancy has said that after years of negotiations, the live streaming platform is now “pretty close” to securing licensing deals with the major record labels for the use of their music…

Andy Malt • 15 Apr 2024

Universal Music • 2 min read

Universal seeks dismissal from another Diddy lawsuit

A lawsuit filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act accusing Diddy of sexual assault named Universal Music as a defendant. In a new filing, the major disputes that it had the necessary connection to Diddy to be liable, and also argues that the lawsuit doesn’t even qualify under the ASA…

Chris Cooke • 15 Apr 2024

AI • 2 min read

SAG-AFTRA says “clear and conspicuous consent” required for vocal clones as part of “groundbreaking” new agreement with labels

The major labels have made a number of commitments around AI to artist and musician members of US performer union SAG-AFTRA via a new code of fair practice. They are, says artist manager, Irving Azoff, “a great first step to make sure artists have creative control and get paid”…

Chris Cooke • 15 Apr 2024

• 8 min read

📑 CMU Digest: Rapino must give Astroworld evidence, Blur's Rowntree sues PRS + more

Go to Margate and drown your sorrows in The Libertines' new en-suite. Possibly quite literally.…

CMU • 14 Apr 2024

Setlist • 4 min read

Setlist Podcast: MPs want to see action on musicians’ income

UK politicians on the need for changes to how musicians get paid, Blur drummer Dave Rowntree's lawsuit against PRS, and more…

Andy Malt • 12 Apr 2024

Taylor Swift • 2 min read

Universal relaxes TikTok boycott - but only if your name is Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has a new album to promote and would presumably like her fans to help by posting TikTok videos aplenty. But she works with Universal Music, which is boycotting TikTok. Worry not, however, because Universal’s big boycott no longer applies to Swift…

Chris Cooke • 12 Apr 2024

One Liners • 3 min read

⏩ One Liners: Dua Lipa, Drake, Lisa + more

Lisa, Maeta deals; Drake removed from Astroworld litigation; Warner Music South Asia launches; PRS Foundation’s Early Career Promotion Fund; new music from Dua Lipa, Perrie, Zayn, Mimi Web, Kasabian, Nick Cave, Kerry King, Bugzy Malone, Dagny, Charlotte De Witte, Darkthrone, Joe & The Shitboys, UTO…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 12 Apr 2024

And Finally • 6 min read

And Finally! The bath that Jim Morrison died in is now inside The Libertines’ Margate hotel (but they won’t say where)

The Libertines have acquired the bath in which Doors frontman Jim Morrison died for their Margate hotel. Apparently they didn’t want to see it falling into the hands of someone who might do something “maudlin” with it. Find out more and check out this week’s funniest music news stories…

Andy Malt • 12 Apr 2024

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