Headlines

Anna’s Archive Quietly ‘Releases’ Millions of Spotify Tracks, Despite Legal Pushback

Despite being sued by Spotify and several record labels, Anna’s Archive has silently begun releasing the actual music files from its massive Spotify scrape. The shadow library’s backend torrent index now lists dozens of new torrents containing approximately 2.8 million tracks totaling roughly 6 terabytes of audio data. This marks a significant escalation in the already historic standoff with the music industry.

Source: Anna’s Archive Quietly ‘Releases’ Millions of Spotify Tracks, Despite Legal Pushback * TorrentFreak

Spotify eyes AI ‘derivatives’ as new revenue stream for artists

Spotify says it wants to enable listeners to interact with their favorite artists’ music through AI – and that the technology to do so is already built. The barrier? Licensing. The comments land amid an intensifying industry debate over how AI-powered derivatives of existing music should be licensed and monetized – and where fans should be allowed to create them.

Source: Spotify eyes AI ‘derivatives’ as new revenue stream for artists – says its tech to let fans make remixes and covers is ready

SoundExchange expands global neighboring rights coverage 

Performance rights collection organization SoundExchange has added 17 new agreements with collective management organizations worldwide in recent months. The expansion includes new partnerships in Kenya, Barbados, Panama, Paraguay, and several European territories, bringing SoundExchange’s total portfolio to over 90 agreements with international CMOs

Source: SoundExchange expands global neighboring rights coverage via 17 new agreements with CMOs in markets including Barbados, Denmark, Kenya, Portugal, and more

Spotify hits a record 751M monthly users thanks to Wrapped, new free features 

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

Why Trust for Visual Content Cannot Be Solved by Centralized Commercial Solutions 

Blockchain and centralized platforms promise to address trust in visual content through commercial gatekeeping. These approaches share a fatal flaw that has nothing to do with their technical elegance: they gate trust behind commercial access. And in doing so, they create systems that, by their very design, cannot serve the function that trust infrastructure requires.

Source: Why Trust for Visual Content Cannot Be Solved by Centralized Commercial Solutions – Kaptur

Amazon MGM’s ‘Melania’ Documentary Under Fire for Stolen Music

On Monday, director Paul Thomas Anderson and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood released a statement calling for Melania Trump’s documentary, Melania, to remove a piece of music from the pair’s 2017 film, Phantom Thread. The music’s unauthorized use in the film is just the latest misstep for the Amazon MGM project, which has been unable to recoup much of its exorbitant budget.

Source: Amazon MGM’s ‘Melania’ Documentary Under Fire for Stolen Music

Hollywood Braces for New Round of Labor Talks

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.

Source: Hollywood Braces for New Round of Labor Talks

Spotify hits 290m paid subscribers in Q4, as streaming giant posts $2.5bn annual operating profit for 2025

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.

Source: Spotify hits 290m paid subscribers in Q4, as streaming giant posts $2.5bn annual operating profit for 2025

ElevenLabs, Valued at $11 Billion, ‘Doubles Down’ on Audiobooks

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

Connect Music Raises $80M, Eyes AI and Catalog Expansions

Memphis-based Connect Music has raised $80 million and disclosed plans to aggressively pursue catalog acquisitions and AI expansions. “This investment represents transformational growth capital for Connect Music and the artist partners we serve,” said the former Memphis Symphony Orchestra COO Monger.

Source: Connect Music Raises $80M, Eyes AI and Catalog Expansions

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