Complete Music Update: the music business explained

📑 CMU Digest: Co-op Live has been having a pretty bad week...

Co-op Live’s opening week woes continue

To the moon! Concord reaches for the high notes as it ups its SONG bid to $1.25

“Value, value, value!” is the mantra at Spotify as Ek downplays the negatives

The state of Hipgnosis

Manchester’s new Co-op Live arena cancels launch shows as power issues delay opening

📑 CMU Digest: Elephants on parade as Hipgnosis circus rolls back into town

Believe board backs buyout bid - but company will remain listed on Paris exchange

Hipgnosis debacle might be over as Concord offers to acquire entire share capital of SONG - but there’s a catch…

Save £70 on our Economics Of Streaming Masterclass Series

MLC lawsuit is “wild overreach” says Pandora, accusing US mechanicals society of “legal frolics”

Live Nation could be facing antitrust lawsuit from US government as soon as next month

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 • 3 min read

⏩ One Liners: Britney Spears, Prince, Drake + more

Warner Chappell x ReverbNation; NEC x AXS; Britney Spears, Prince, Drake, TikTok legal news; Oak View London arena; Radio 2 listeners choose favourite Abba track; Janet Jackson, Craig David tour news; new music from The Chainsmokers, Emilíana Torrini…

Andy Malt • 29 Apr 2024

• 12 min read

📑 CMU Digest: Co-op Live has been having a pretty bad week...

Gedagedigedagedago! It's not often that you see a major live venue do a reverse Rickroll, but Co-op Live pulled it off.…

CMU • 29 Apr 2024

Setlist • 6 min read

Setlist Podcast: Hipgnosis v Hipgnosis - the saga continues…

The big Hipgnosis bidding war, the Co-op Live arena's struggles to open, and more…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 26 Apr 2024

Co-op Live • 3 min read

Co-op Live’s opening week woes continue

Manchester’s new Co-op Live venue won’t open this weekend after all. A Black Keys show set to take place on Saturday has now been pushed back, as have two Peter Kay performances, which had already been rescheduled. Amid all the chaos, it was also announced that GM Gary Roden has resigned…

Chris Cooke • 26 Apr 2024

Pathways Into Music • 2 min read

Understanding the pathways into music

This weekend more than 50 music educators will come together in Derby to discuss how to best support future music talent at an event organised by CMU’s Pathways Into Music Foundation. Dr Sini Timonen is part of the team delivering the programme and here she outlines its objectives…

CMU • 26 Apr 2024

TikTok • 2 min read

ByteDance would rather close TikTok in the US than sell the app, sources say

The clock is ticking for ByteDance to sell TikTok or face the app being banned in the US following the passing of a sell-or-be-banned law earlier this week. However, sources now say ByteDance would rather see TikTok close in the US than have to split up or sell on its all important algorithm…

Chris Cooke • 26 Apr 2024

Spotify • 2 min read

Spotify says Apple “defying” European law as its updated app is knocked back

Spotify is still trying to update its iOS app in the EU to take advantage of the recent regulator ruling in relation to Apple’s App Store rules. But Apple won’t approve the updates until Spotify agrees to new terms, including a new commission fee. That “defies” European law, says Spotify…

Chris Cooke • 26 Apr 2024

And Finally • 6 min read

And Finally! Cotton Eye Joe is the world’s most popular song - this is not the future I asked for

Rednex this week proclaimed themselves to be record breakers, having racked up more than three billion listens of their song ‘Cotton Eye Joe’ in under a month. Sure, people were actually listening to a few seconds of a cover version in various viral videos, but maybe this is what success is in 2024…

Andy Malt • 26 Apr 2024

Spotify • 2 min read

Indie publishers hit out at Spotify’s bundling trick to lower songwriter payments

It recently emerged that Spotify was reclassifying its main premium subscription product as a bundle, because of the audiobooks, which means it can pay a lower song royalty rate under the compulsory licence in the US. A group of independent music publishers has now criticised that move…

Chris Cooke • 26 Apr 2024

One Liners • 2 min read

⏩ One Liners: Astroworld, Will.i.am, MPG Awards + more

Will.i.am, Jeremy Lutito deals; Astroworld litigation; Sony launches new dance label; IMPF board appointments; MPG Award winners; new music from Twenty One Pilots, Tems, Berwyn, Salute x Rina Sawayama, Nilüfer Yanya, Bright Light Bright Light, Louis Cole, Sen Morimoto…

Andy Malt • 26 Apr 2024

One Liners • 4 min read

⏩ One Liners: Mabel, TikTok, Radio 2 In The Park + more

Luminate, Jack Savoretti, Elijah Noll, Liana Flores deals; University Of Kent, Como No, Symphonic Distribution appointments; TikTok ban; TuneCore Publishing expansion; Radio 2 In The Park; new music from Mabel, Overmono, Bat For Lashes, Porter Robinson, Los Bitchos, Orbury Common…

Andy Malt • 25 Apr 2024

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