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Pressure mounts for Universal Music Group’s $775 million Downtown acquisition as MEP highlights UMG’s “unprecedented control” of music ecosystem

Suno AI’s faulty guardrails mean its ‘ReMi’ lyric model will spit out entire lyrical works with basic prompting

Did Ticketmaster’s UK boss Andrew Parsons mislead MPs at a select committee hearing?

With the US record industry officially in recession can superpremium and superfans really save the major labels from streaming’s slowdown?

Record industry’s modest growth should make other industries jealous says IFPI boss, as labels weigh in on growth opportunities and AI threats

Trump must “weigh in” on AI copyright debate and pressure “less innovative countries” on copyright rules, says OpenAI

Everyone’s making loads of money but don’t point the finger at us if you’re not, says Spotify’s updated Loud & Clear

Andrew Tate course on ‘pimping’ and exploiting women remains on Spotify as petition passes 25,000 signatures

Universal will spend billions to dominate emerging markets, says Grainge during Q4 earnings call as major sets out its “eat the world” strategies

Liverpool “new heart of music business” says Sound City as major label execs and industry heavyweights head north

Live Nation boss dismissive of streaming platforms’ superfan ambitions as company reports record year

Spotify wants to be “the best in the world at building AI products” and is focused on “accelerated execution”... but still no super-premium launch

Judge throws out MLC’s audiobooks bundle lawsuit, says Spotify can keep cutting songwriter royalties through its “cynical trick”

Universal Music’s new Spotify deal could be a knock-out blow for streaming platform’s audiobook bundling trick

Universal put “corporate greed” before Drake’s safety, says defamation lawsuit filed over Kendrick Lamar diss track

Beware the “wolf under the cape” in Universal’s Downtown land grab, warns Beggars boss as IMPALA calls for regulators to block the deal

EU AI Act can only provide a “temporary fix” to the “darker aspect” of AI’s “profound disruption” to creative industries says open letter

AI generated music will suck €4 billion a year away from music creators by 2028 says CISAC

Village People founder loves Trump using YMCA, but hates people calling it a gay anthem

Executives from BMG, Absolute Label Services, Mahogany Music, Punch Records and more to join award winning female entrepreneurs in Liverpool as first Sound City+ 2025 speakers unveiled

AIF makes desperate call for government to “step up, and step up now” to get festivals through “devastating period”, as MVT launches new Liveline fund

New AI transparency proposal in US Congress will “pave the way” for creator compensation says ASCAP boss

SXSW ditches weapons sponsors to burnish brand - so why won’t it ditch its ties to Saudi Arabia?

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

Universal Music • 2 min read

EU competition regulator to investigate Universal’s Downtown deal

The EU’s competition regulator has announced it will investigate Universal Music’s deal to buy Downtown Music which, it says, “threatens to significantly affect competition” in the EU music market. The news has been welcomed by the indie music sector which has urged the regulator to block the deal…

Chris Cooke • 25 Apr 2025

Oasis • 2 min read

Ticket scammers have made more than £2 million from Oasis fans according to Lloyds

Oasis fans have been scammed out of more than £2 million by fraudsters on social media who claim to have tickets for the band’s reunion tour. That’s according to Lloyds Bank which urges music fans to be wary of ticket fraud and social media platforms to take stronger action against the scammers…

Chris Cooke • 25 Apr 2025

Horizon Future Leaders • 8 min read

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders - Nicole Otero

As part of our Horizon Future Leaders series of interviews, we are connecting with the music industry’s next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys. This week, we spoke to Nicole Otero, International Marketing Manager at Secretly Group.…

Horizon Music Jobs • 25 Apr 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 4 min read

Chris Bryant tells MPs he’s “determined” to make AI and copyright compromise work

Copyright and AI was discussed in Parliament again yesterday, with MPs saying that the UK government’s plan to introduce a new AI copyright exception, but with an opt-out for rightsholders, is unworkable. However, optimistic culture minister Chris Bryant said he’s determined to make it work…

Chris Cooke • 24 Apr 2025

Warner Music • 3 min read

Cookie seller sued by Warner over music in TikTok videos

Savvy social media marketing has frequently been credited for cookie seller Crumbl’s rapid growth in recent years. But that marketing involved “blatant” and “repeated” copyright infringement according to a lawsuit from Warner Music, which says Crumbl used its music in TikTok posts without permission…

Chris Cooke • 24 Apr 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: BXKS

BXKS has built her name on precision, both in flow and vision. Her new track ‘Flashing Lights’ floats on a stripped-back, strings-led instrumental. There’s still the bouncy, deft ease to her delivery, but here it's in service of something softer, more considered…

Kaya Robertson • 24 Apr 2025

Kneecap • 4 min read

Sharon Osbourne calls for Kneecap’s US visa to be revoked over pro-Palestine statements during Coachella set

Sharon Osbourne has criticised Kneecap for projecting anti-Israel statements onto screens at the end of their Coachella set. She even calls for the US to revoke the band’s visa, a call that comes amid increased concern that activist artists may be refused entry into the US with Trump as President…

Chris Cooke • 23 Apr 2025

David Gilmour • 2 min read

David Gilmour seeks to takeover domain of unofficial Pink Floyd merch website in trademark lawsuit

David Gilmour is suing a website that sells unofficial Pink Floyd merchandise claiming that it is infringing the trademark he controls in his own name. The merch seller is based in Asia which might make it hard to enforce a US court ruling, which is why Gilmour also wants control of its domain…

Chris Cooke • 23 Apr 2025

Ador • 2 min read

Ador founder says HYBE carries “burden of proof” in dispute over terminated shareholder agreement

The dispute between HYBE and the founder of its Ador label, Min Hee-Jin, was in court last week. Min has since issued a statement criticising HYBE over its conduct in the dispute, insisting it has the burden of proof to show it legally terminated a shareholders agreement and dismissed her as CEO…

Chris Cooke • 22 Apr 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Jodie Harsh

DJ, producer and larger-than-life presence Jodie Harsh has long blurred the lines between club kid, tastemaker and icon. Her new single ‘Kiss It Better’ is a euphoric, club-ready belter primed for the summer season…

Kaya Robertson • 22 Apr 2025