Headlines

UMG strikes global licensing deal with B2B music streaming tech provider Tuned Global

The expanded agreement builds on a long-standing relationship between the two companies and, according to Tuned Global Managing Director Con Raso, marks “a significant milestone” for Tuned Global and the companies it works with. “Music licensing is an essential part of integrating music into various platforms, and this partnership provides an integrated solution for our clients, giving them direct access to UMG’s extensive repertoire,” said Raso.

Source: Universal strikes global licensing deal with B2B music streaming tech provider Tuned Global

Audius strikes global licensing deal with Kobalt

San Francisco-based blockchain-powered music platform Audius, which says it has 6 million monthly users, has signed a global licensing deal with music publisher Kobalt. The deal gives Kobalt-signed songwriters access to Audius’ decentralized marketplace, providing them with a potential new revenue stream, the companies said in a statement on Tuesday. Audius’ blockchain-powered marketplace offers music fans a way to engage with their favorite artists and support them via US dollar payments and its own crypto token, $AUDIO.

Source: Audius strikes global licensing deal with Kobalt

Taylor Swift Cites ‘Fears Around AI’ and Deepfakes In Kamala Harris Endorsement

When Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president on Tuesday the singer said she was spurred to action by her fears about artificial intelligence — namely, an incident last month in which Donald Trump posted AI-generated images that falsely claimed the superstar’s support. “It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” Swift wrote. “It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter.”

Source: Taylor Swift Cites ‘Fears Around AI’ and Deepfakes In Kamala Harris Endorsement

Audiomack teams up with Mogul to bring royalty tracking to its creators

Music streaming service Audiomack has partnered with royalty tracking platform Mogul to enable half a million active creators to manage their Audiomack royalties alongside other revenue streams. The collaboration is designed to help independent artists track and collect the royalties they’re owed more accurately, according to a joint release,

Source: Audiomack teams up with Mogul to bring royalty tracking to its creators

Local artists dominate EU charts, but Europe falling behind on music exports: IFPI

Europe’s music listeners have become huge fans of domestic artists, with local acts dominating their respective countries’ Top 10 lists. However, the continent is falling behind other parts of the world, both in terms of exporting music and in terms of recorded music revenue growth. So says the inaugural Music in the EU report, released Tuesday (September 10) by global recorded music industry group IFPI.

Source: Local artists absolutely dominate EU charts, but Europe falling behind on music exports: IFPI

AI Explained: Inside the World of Datasets 

Artificial intelligence datasets form the bedrock of modern systems. As tech giants and researchers push the boundaries of machine capabilities, the data they use quietly shapes the future of technology — for better or worse. The more relevant, high-quality information an AI system processes, the better it performs. This reality has sparked intense competition for data, with companies racing to amass ever-larger collections of text, images and other information.

Source: AI Explained: Inside the World of Datasets | PYMNTS.com

Music publishers slam Anthropic’s motion to dismiss AI training lawsuit

Lawyers for UMPG, Concord and ABKCO called Anthropic’s motion to dismiss a “delaying” tactic. Anthropic last month filed a motion with the US District Court for the Northern District of California to have a large part of the copyright infringement case against it dismissed, which, if granted, would eliminate three of the four charges brought against it.

Source: Universal, Concord and ABKCO slam Anthropic’s motion to dismiss, say AI company is trying to ‘stall’ copyright case

Nvidia Draws Antitrust Scrutiny as Enforcers Signal Early Interest in AI

U.S. antitrust enforcers are intervening early to examine whether a handful of big tech companies such as Nvidia are using their leverage to establish dominance over the burgeoning artificial-intelligence market. The Justice Department’s antitrust division has already contacted Nvidia, whose AI chip market share is estimated at over 80%, to ask questions about the terms of its contracts and partnerships, according to people familiar with the matter.

Source: Nvidia Draws Antitrust Scrutiny as Enforcers Signal Early Interest in AI

Amazon is allowing Audible narrators to clone themselves with AI

Amazon will begin inviting a small group of Audible narrators to train AI-generated voice clones of themselves this week, with the aim of speeding up audiobook production for the platform. The US-only beta test was announced on Audible’s creator marketplace and will be extended to rights holders like authors, agents, and publishers “later this year,” according to Amazon.

Source: Amazon is allowing Audible narrators to clone themselves with AI

US v. Google redux: all the news from the ad tech trial

Google and the Department of Justice are facing off again, this time in a trial about whether Google has a monopoly in advertising technology markets. The trial kicks off on September 9th in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. The DOJ argues that Google has unfairly locked up the market for ad tech tools that publishers and advertisers rely on to monetize their websites and market their goods.

Source: US v. Google redux: all the news from the ad tech trial

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