Activist investment fund Irenic Capital Management reportedly made an unsolicited takeover bid for Reservoir Media, the Nasdaq-listed independent music company. That’s according to a report from Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, which said the bid, submitted in February, values Reservoir at between $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion, including debt, at a per-share price of $10 to $11.
Source: Reservoir receives unsolicited $1.2B bid from activist investor Irenic Capital
The Australian government should ignore claims from artificial intelligence giants that local copyright laws prevent them from investing heavily in data centers, say media and entertainment industry leaders. “Where is the proof that issuing a copyright exemption or law change would bring massive economic benefit to Australians and not just major US tech companies?” said head of the Australian Recording Industry Association, Annabelle Herd.
Source: Industry blasts big tech’s ‘untrue’ copyright investment threats
The number of AI studios blanketing Hollywood, along with the VC dollars to power them, is increasing at an astonishing rate. Hollywood-focused video-generation platform Runway AI revealed a new cash raise of $315 million; Saudi Arabia led a $900 million funding round for Amit Jain’s startup Luma; all-purpose AI giant Anthropic raised $30 billion.
Source: The Fight Over AI in Hollywood Is a Battle Between Money and Activism
Founded by Max Shafer and Henning Nobmann in 2024, the startup deals in prompt-based samples that it says come from an ethically trained model. Per the appropriate website, the royalty-free outputs integrate into DAWs. “Producers stop scrolling through folders and start generating one-shot samples and instruments that fit the track, then drop them straight into their DAW,” BADideas summed up when touting its Just 4 Noise investment.
Source: AI Sample Generator Just 4 Noise Closes $1 Million Round
Sound Royalties says its 2025 performance also included a doubling of its assets under management (AUM) generated through referred business, representing an increase of over 100% year-over-year. During the year, the company added dozens of new payors to its network, including labels, distributors, publishers, PROs, television networks and content platforms.
Source: Sound Royalties says it closed a record $135m in funded contracts in 2025
US performance rights organization ASCAP has reported its revenue and royalty payout numbers for 2025, with both figures hitting all-time highs. Revenue came in at $1.945 billion for calendar 2025, up 6.0% year over year. Of that, New York-based ASCAP distributed $1.759 billion to songwriters, composers, and music publishers, an increase of 3.7% YoY.
Source: ASCAP paid out a record $1.76bn to songwriters and publishers in 2025
Swedish music streaming giant Spotify saw its user numbers peak last quarter, driven by its year-end “Wrapped” campaign, which rounds up stats and listening highlights for users and new features on its free tier. Spotify said the “Wrapped” campaign resulted in more than 300 million engaged users and 630 million shares on social media in 56 languages.
Source: Spotify hits a record 751M monthly users thanks to Wrapped, new free features | TechCrunch
The sides will be negotiating in a Hollywood far different from 2023. Production has slowed significantly industrywide, as many entertainment companies struggle to adjust to the streaming world. Work has dried up for many actors, writers and directors. At the same time, the rise of generative artificial intelligence has become more central.
Spotify saw its global Premium Subscriber base grow to 290 million paying users in Q4 – and achieved its second consecutive full year of operating profit in 2025. Commenting on the company’s results,Daniel Ek, Founder and Executive Chairman, said: “Today, what we’ve really built is a technology platform for audio – and increasingly, for all the ways creators connect with audiences. And this identity will matter even more going forward.
ElevenLabs, the company that offers automated AI-voice generated audiobook production, has consolidated their services under the brand Audiobooks in ElevenCreative. The move signals the well-funded company’s commitment to the sector, or what Madeline Shue, head of growth and publisher partnerships at ElevenLabs, called a “doubling-down on audiobooks.”
Source: ElevenLabs, Valued at $11 Billion, ‘Doubles Down’ on Audiobooks