Finance

Round Hill, with $1.1bn music portfolio, strikes flurry of catalog acquisitions

The combined value of the transactions is believed to be upwards of $25 million. Round Hill said on Thursday (May 29) that these transactions bring its total catalog value under management back to over USD $1 billion ($1.1bn), following the $468.8 million sale of its London Stock Exchange-listed fund to Concord in 2023. Round Hill continues to manage five private funds following the sale of the UK-listed fund.

Source: Round Hill, with $1.1bn music portfolio, strikes flurry of catalog acquisitions

The Times and Amazon Announce an A.I. Licensing Deal

The New York Times Company has agreed to license its editorial content to Amazon for use in the tech giant’s artificial intelligence platforms, the company said on Thursday. Amazon’s use of editorial content from The Times could extend to the Alexa software found on its smart speakers. Material from The Times will also be used to train Amazon’s proprietary A.I. models, the company said.

Source: New York Times and Amazon Announce AI Licensing Deal

Netflix’s Reed Hastings Joins Board of AI Company Anthropic, a Rival to OpenAI

Netflix chairman Reed Hastings joined the board of directors of Anthropic, an AI company whose backers include Amazon. “Anthropic is very optimistic about the AI benefits for humanity, but is also very aware of the economic, social and safety challenges,” Hastings said in a statement. “I’m joining Anthropic’s board because I believe in their approach to AI development, and to help humanity progress.”

Source: Netflix’s Reed Hastings Joins Board of AI Company Anthropic, a Rival to OpenAI

NYC Council Set to Vote on Living Wage for Musicians Act

The United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) group is the driving force behind the campaign for the act. It has organized events and petitions urging the NYC council to pass this resolution, highlighting the urgent need for fair compensation in the streaming era. The act has also received support from other labor and music advocacy organizations, which reflects their broad concern over the economic precarity introduced with the advent of AI.

Source: NYC Council Set to Vote on Living Wage for Musicians Act

YouTube’s Content ID payouts to rightsholders have passed $12bn

According to YouTube’s latest ‘Copyright Transparency Report’ the company had paid out $12bn of ad revenue to rightsholders as of December 2024 from content claimed and monetised through Content ID. That is up from more than $9bn at the end of 2023, suggesting Content ID payouts of $3bn last year. Bear in mind this isn’t all for music rightsholders: Content ID is also used by film studios, games companies and other media and entertainment rightsholders.

Source: YouTube’s Content ID payouts to rightsholders have passed $12bn

Intercept Music Announces $50 Million Catalog Partnership

Intercept Music says it’s secured $50 million to invest in U.S. and Latin song rights under a ‘private partnership.’ “This is more than just a funding deal—it’s a commitment to restructuring music rights management,” Intercept CEO Tod Turner elaborated. “This partnership is a significant endorsement of our platform and strategy allowing us to combine capital with cutting-edge technology to unlock more value for artists, songwriters, and catalog owners.”

Source: Intercept Music Announces $50 Million Catalog Partnership

Unions and MPA Urge Trump to Back Hollywood Tax Deductions

A coalition of entertainment unions, joined by the Motion Picture Association, urged President Trump on Monday to support tax deductions that benefit the entertainment industry. The unions organized a joint letter to Trump, which was also signed by two of Trump’s three “special ambassadors” to the industry, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone.

Source: Unions and MPA Urge Trump to Back Hollywood Tax Deductions

Could Trump’s Movie Tariff Add Momentum for Federal Filming Incentive?

President Trump’s initial proposal to impose a 100% tariff on foreign-produced films was met with bafflement and horror in Hollywood. But for lawmakers who represent film industry workers, it looked like an opportunity. “I would like to refocus the conversation around a national film tax credit,” said Rep. Laura Friedman, a Democrat from Burbank. “We know this works.”

Source: Could Trump’s Movie Tariff Add Momentum for Federal Filming Incentive?

Hollywood Studios Strategize on How to Handle Trump Tariffs at Special Meeting

The executives argued on the call that many films are still shot in the U.S, including in such production hotspots as Georgia, New Jersey, and New York that offer generous production incentives, according to three people with knowledge of the discussion. They hope that they can convince the president that the problem of runaway production mostly impacts the state of California, which does not offer the same level of subsidies as other states.

Source: Hollywood Studios Strategize on How to Handle Trump Tariff Threats at MPA Special Meeting

How Trump’s Tariffs Could Derail the Cannes Film Festival

Despite all the glamour that makes Cannes such a singular experience, there’s palpable anxiety as the festival gets ready to kick off its 78th edition. Many executives fear that Trump’s tariffs will jeopardize their businesses. There’s widespread confusion about how the tariffs on foreign-made films would be administered. If they do go into effect, they threaten to unravel a network of foreign subsidies that studios and indies rely on to finance their movies.

Source: How Trump’s Tariffs Could Derail the Cannes Film Festival

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