Music Business
Generative AI and Music: Key Debates
This Friday, CMU’s Chris Cooke will join a panel discussion at Un-Convention on music and AI. Generative AI models that output music pose lots of questions for the music industry, which can make such
Supreme Court Can't Overturn Termination Rights Ruling
An attempt by the major music publishers and BMG to persuade the US Supreme Court to overturn a landmark songwriter-friendly termination rights ruling has failed, because of BMG’s involvement. Basical
Alex Hehir of Wixen Music UK
This week we caught up with Alex Hehir, Managing Director of Wixen Music UK, one of the most respected independent music publishers, known for its artist-first ethos.
Musicians Uncompensated in AI Licensing Deals, Union Claims
US performer union AFM has launched a new campaign around AI calling on labels to ensure musician consent is secured before including their recordings in any AI deals. It’s not clear how labels plan t
In the press: AFEM’s AI work in focus
Independent press is spotlighting AFEM’s work on AI in music, with recent coverage of the AFEM AI Principles and the Berlin AI Think Tank. The articles track the industry’s move towards workable syste
Spotify Co-CEOs Discuss AI Remixing Tool
Alex Norström tells Billboard the tool has "broad-based support" beyond its previously announced industry partners.
Spotify Co-CEOs Talk AI Remixing Tool: ‘We’re the Right Company to Do This’
Alex Norström tells Billboard the tool has "broad-based support" beyond its previously announced industry partners.
Latin America is catching North America as Spotify’s second-biggest subscriber market – and over 1 in 10 people there now pay for it.
Spotify's Q3 2026 shareholder deck shows that Latin America accounted for 24% of the company's 306 million Premium subscribers at the end of September. Source
Phoebe Bridgers and Sombr producer, Tony Berg, launches new JV label with Warner Records
The new label, Crime & Punishment Records, has signed singer-songwriter Elle Bramhall as its first artist. Source
Liz Morentin launches communications agency Greenvalley Media & Marketing
Morentin most recently served as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Communications and Brand Strategy at Virgin Music Group, Universal Music Group's global independent music division. Source
Billboard’s Music Industry Events Calendar
A complete rundown of the most important events across the music business.
Claude’s lyrics are diluting real lyrics, say music publishers in latest Anthropic proceedings
The big debate over whether or not AI training is fair use under US copyright law was taking place in court again yesterday, this time in the context of music, specifically lyrics, with the copyright legal battle between AI company Anthropic and the Universal, Concord and ABKCO music publishers
INTERVIEW: CSC Music founder on introducing a Psychologist across artist roster
CSC Music has credits for Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift We love to see industry folk, taking an approach that’s outwardly, human.. The Copenhagen and LA-based publisher, manager and producer collective — founded by Simon Dilling, with credits spanning Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and Omar Apollo —
Liz Morentin Launches New Communications Agency
Greenvalley Media & Marketing will serve entertainment, media and technology companies and their leaders.
Chad Hugo accuses Pharrell Williams of trying to ‘erase’ him from The Neptunes, as he fights bid to throw out lawsuit
Hugo's lawyers accuse Williams of an "effort to rewrite history and turn The Neptunes' success into the work of only one person." Source
Suno admits it has not deleted all the recordings used to train its AI, in answer to UMG and Sony’s ‘laundering’ lawsuit
The 44-page answer was filed on Tuesday (October 20) in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and reviewed by MBW. Source
Defected founder Simon Dunmore acquires majority stake in House Culture: ‘I was premature in my retirement’
Simon Dunmore, the founder of UK house music label Defected Records, has acquired a majority shareholding in House Culture, a media brand that started life as an Instagram page. House Culture now plans to grow into a “global platform dedicated to documenting, celebrating and furthering the culture”
EMPIRE founder Ghazi launches B2B music infrastructure company Supply Chain globally, with Beatport-owned Ampsuite as launch partner
Supply Chain has also hired Craig May as SVP, Marketing, and Kristy May as SVP, Business Affairs. Source
Universal Music Group becomes first major music company to license TYGER, which uses AI to adapt songs to gameplay in real time
Select recordings and songs from UMG's recorded music and publishing catalogs will become available on TYGER's paid, on-demand subscription service. Source
Supreme Court Ruling Unaffected by BMG Conflict of Interest
An attempt by the major music publishers and BMG to persuade the US Supreme Court to overturn a landmark songwriter-friendly termination rights ruling has failed, because of BMG’s involvement. Basical