WMG and Bain Capital said on Tuesday (July 1) that they will source and acquire the catalogs together, while WMG will manage all aspects of marketing, distribution, and administration. The funds might be deployed swiftly: Warner and Bain are reportedly mulling the acquisition of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ recorded music catalog for around $350 million.
Source: Warner Music Group and Bain launch $1.2 billion fund to buy rights; each party owns 50% of venture
Bloomberg now reports, citing a person familiar with the discussions, that the buyers cited by Trump are a group of investors who were previously in talks with ByteDance, including Oracle, Blackstone and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Those talks broke down after Beijing withheld approval in the wake of Trump’s decision to impose sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods.
On Thursday, the tech giant officially launched Offerwall, a new tool that allows publishers to generate revenue beyond the more traffic-dependent options, like ads. Offerwall lets publishers give their sites’ readers a variety of ways to access their content, including through options like micropayments, taking surveys, watching ads, and more.
Source: As AI kills search traffic, Google launches Offerwall to boost publisher revenue | TechCrunch
Suno announced the acquisition a day after its rival Udio released a visual editing workstation for AI-generated music. Suno’s acquisition of WavTool integrates the latter’s browser-based DAW technology into Suno’s existing AI music generation platform. In a press release Suno described WavTool as “the first browser-based DAW to combine professional-grade music production features” like VST plugin compatibility, sample-accurate editing, and live recording.
Source: AI music platform Suno acquires WavTool, moving into DAW market
California legislative leaders have accepted Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to more than double the film and TV credit, in a win for the industry. The state Senate and Assembly leadership have accepted Newsom’s proposed funding level, which more than doubles the program from $330 million. A vote is scheduled on Friday on a trailer bill to make it official, according to multiple sources.
Source: California Legislative Leaders Agree on $750 Million in Funding for Film and TV Credit
The UK government has announced an over $500 million investment, including in the music space, under its Creative Industries Sector Plan. That £380 million (currently $512.9 million) package was disclosed today as part of the decade-long Creative Industries Sector Plan. The latter was released alongside a broader Industrial Strategy designed to “make the UK the best place to do business.”
Source: UK Gov Unveils $500M Creative Industries Sector Plan Investment
Funding deals rarely operate the way they’re initially advertised. Factors like cash timing, recoupment rates, and long-term obligations can significantly affect an artist’s cash flow and ownership rights over time. beatBread’s Deal Comparison Tool models these variables across different performance scenarios, simulating annual cash flows and total costs. It helps users identify hidden risks and avoid getting locked into unfavorable terms.
Source: How data-driven tools are changing the way artists and labels finance their businesses
NMPA General Counsel Danielle Aguirre said Spotify’s bundling practice has already resulted in $230 million in lost revenue during its first year. Aguirre added that “these losses will continue if we can’t reverse or correct Spotify’s actions. In fact, if we don’t stop them, we are projected to lose over $3.1 billion through the next CRB period,” which will be Phonorecords V, which determines mechanical royalty rates for 2028 through 2032.
Source: NMPA says Spotify ‘bundling’ move could cost music publishers $3.1bn through 2032
The ranks of media owners and entertainment companies are poised for their biggest makeover in a generation. Media titans such as Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery are cleaving off their cable-television channels, while television-station operators such as Allen Media and Apollo Global Management are exploring selling dozens of stations. Cox and Charter, two of the biggest cable and broadband companies, have agreed to merge.
Source: The Media and Entertainment Deal Machine Is Revving Up
Academic publishers are rushing to sign licensing deals with artificial intelligence companies, carving out a new revenue stream as US research funding cuts dim their outlook. Taylor & Francis signed a $10 million deal with Microsoft Corp. last year. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is looking to “monetize academic content through AI deals,” it said in its latest set of results, and John Wiley & Sons Inc. announced partnerships with Amazon Web Services and Perplexity earlier this year.
Source: Academic Publishers Sign AI Deals as Trump Cuts Research Funding