FN Meka, introduced in 2021 as a “virtual” rapper whose lyrics and beats were constructed with “proprietary AI technology,” had a promising rise. But just days after he signed on with Capitol Records — the label that carried The Beatles, Nat King Cole and The Beach Boys — and released his debut track “Florida Water,” the record company dropped him.
August, 2022
Paramount Uses Copyright Claims Board to Protect “Big Mick” Burger
Paramount has filed a copyright infringement claim against a company that opened a “McDowell’s”, inspired by the Coming to America movie. The pop-up restaurant, which sold the famous “Big Mick,” misled the public and sold burgers of questionable quality, Paramount notes. The case is being handled by the recently launched Copyright Claims Board.
BMG revenues increased 25% to €371m in first half of 2022
BMG saw its half-year revenues grow 25% YoY to €371 million in the six months to end of June. The company says that this first half organic growth of 25% was the highest in BMG’s 14-year history. BMG reports that 60% of its revenues in the first half of 2022 were from publishing, with 40% from recordings.
Source: BMG revenues increased 25% to €371m in first half of 2022
Half of APAC listeners use social media for music discovery: Study
At least one in two music listeners in the Asia Pacific region discover new music through social media platforms like TikTok. Music listeners in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, for example, are nearly twice as likely than US listeners to use short video clip sites and apps like TikTok to discover new music, according to Luminate’s study.
Frenemies: Global approaches to rebalance the Big Tech v journalism relationship
More than a year after Australia adopted a pioneering new media bargaining code and the EU Copyright Directive went into effect, the idea of getting Big Tech to pay for the news they use is gaining greater support around the world, with lawmakers in Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Sweden, the U.S., and the U.K. exploring interventions that they hope will support an industry facing an extinction event yet recognized as essential to democratic governance.
Source: Frenemies: Global approaches to rebalance the Big Tech v journalism relationship
Music startup Soundstripe attracts $9m in funding shortly after launching mobile app
The latest funding round was announced just a day after Soundstripe, which helps creators dodge copyright claims with royalty-free music, unveiled its first mobile app for creators to access royalty-free music on the go. The Series B fundraising announced today comes two years after the startup raised $2 million from Craft Ventures, a company led by David Sacks, founding COO of PayPal and co-founder/former CEO of Yammer.
Source: Music startup Soundstripe attracts $9m in fresh funding shortly after launching mobile app
Sony Music Sues Triller, Alleging Copyright Infringement and Breach of Contract
Sony Music Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Triller, seeking millions of dollars in damages after the video-sharing app allegedly stopped paying licensing fees in March 2022. According to the suit, filed Monday in New York federal court, Triller continued to allow Sony Music songs to be shared on the app even after the music company terminated their deal.
Source: Sony Music Sues Triller, Alleging Copyright Infringement and Breach of Contract
Here’s What You Need to Know About the NFT Creator Royalty Debate
While it has become commonplace to pay both a platform fee and creator fee when collecting an NFT, some collectors would rather not shell out an extra five percent on top of their already sizable transactions. Creator royalties mean that the individual who created a piece of art is rewarded in conjunction with collectors, but — since some NFT price tags reach well over $1 million — we’re talking more than $50,000 in fees alone paid by the collector.
Source: Here’s What You Need to Know About the NFT Creator Royalty Debate
NFL’s First Head Of Music On Halftime Show Planning & Why They Don’t Pay Performers
The most valuable currency that exists in our culture at this point is a captive audience — people’s attention. It’s the hardest thing to capture, no matter who you are. So, the real value that our platforms offer is the promotional value of being up on that stage. In the case of the Super Bowl halftime show, we’re talking hundreds of millions of viewers, in addition to the marketing campaign, the assets that we build and the music that we license.
Source: NFL’s First Head Of Music On Halftime Show Planning & Why They Don’t Pay Performers
“It’s a Gold Mine”: Inside The Washington Post’s Big Hollywood Deal
Despite its Hollywood cred, The Washington Post hasn’t exactly had a strong presence at the intellectual property gold rush, even as other major media outlets have methodically mined their content and turned it into weaponry for the streaming wars. But that’s all changing now that the Post has become bedfellows with two Hollywood heavyweights: Imagine Entertainment and Creative Artists Agency.
Source: “It’s a Gold Mine”: Inside The Washington Post’s Big Hollywood Deal