Headlines

How Forbes CEO Sherry Phillips is responding to Google challenge

Visits to Forbes.com were down 59% year on year and 4% month on month in October to 75.4 million visits, according to Similarweb. Phillips attributed the traffic decline to the rollout of Google’s AI Overviews in 2024, providing lengthy answers at the top of many types of search results (especially for evergreen content) meaning users may not feel the need to click through to the original source. “We’re losing that attribution of, you know, who’s the richest person in the world, according to Forbes, it’s Elon Musk.

Source: Interview: How Forbes CEO Sherry Phillips is responding to Google challenge

AI has helped break news ecosystem, but could also fix it – says agency boss

For the last decade, Leidig has been building NewsX, a Community Interest Company. “In the agency world, if you do the editorial work and someone uses it, you get paid. It’s that simple. Social media platforms broke that when they started monetising what they don’t produce.” NewsX is designed to reconnect that chain by documenting editorial labour, validating it, tracking and charging for usage.

Source: AI has helped break news ecosystem, but could also fix it – says agency boss

WMG CEO vows to ‘legislate, litigate, license’ in the era of AI music creation

In a blog post published late Wednesday (November 19), Kyncl outlined WMG’s approach to generative AI partnerships, emphasizing that the major label will only work with companies that commit to licensed models, properly value music economically, and give artists control over the use of their name, image, likeness, and voice. The timing of Kyncl’s message is particularly significant.

Source: Suno will be reading Robert Kyncl’s new blog post very closely, as WMG CEO vows to ‘legislate, litigate, license’ in the era of AI music creation

Record Financial Pushes Real-Time Royalties on Avalanche to Modernize Music Payments 

For most artists, getting paid is still stuck in the dial-up era. A song might blow up overnight, but the royalty check might not land for months. Money bounces through labels, publishers, distributors, and collecting societies, creating a maze of delays and obscure accounting. Record Financial wants to flip that model. Its platform pulls in royalty data as it’s generated, normalizes it, and distributes payouts instantly via stablecoins like USDC using Avalanche.

Source: Record Financial Pushes Real-Time Royalties on Avalanche to Modernize Music Payments – Decrypt

Spotify rolls out expanded song credits, previews new ‘SongDNA’ for Premium users

Thus far, Spotify’s song credits included topline performers, songwriters and producers. The new credits expand that to include “all of the contributors who make each song possible,” including background vocalists, musicians, and engineers. “The more fans understand the careful craft that underpins the music they love, the deeper their fandom grows and the more invested they become in the people who create it,” Spotify said in a blog post.

Source: Spotify rolls out expanded song credits, previews new ‘SongDNA’ and ‘About the song’ features for Premium users

UMG, Sony and Warner strike licensing deals with new AI music platform KLAY

According to a press release issued on Thursday (November 20), these agreements “establish terms on which KLAY will help further evolve music experiences for fans, leveraging the potential of AI, while fully respecting the rights of artists, songwriters, and rightsholders”. The company states that it is developing an AI music platform that “reimagines listening with immersive, interactive tools,” powered by KLAY’s Large Music Model, which, according to the announcement, is “trained entirely on licensed music.”

Source: UMG, Sony and Warner strike licensing deals with new AI music platform KLAY

EU eases AI, privacy rules as critics warn of caving to Big Tech

The EU on Wednesday unveiled new proposals to simplify AI and privacy regulations, drawing fire from the tech sector for not going far enough and consumer groups for bowing to Big Tech. The EU Commission’s “Digital Omnibus”, which faces debate and votes from European countries, proposed to delay stricter rules on use of AI in “high-risk” areas until late 2027, ease rules around cookies and enable more use of data.

Source: EU eases AI, privacy rules as critics warn of caving to Big Tech

WMG strikes deal with Stability AI to ‘build the next generation of responsible AI tools

Warner Music Group and Stability AI have entered into a new partnership, which the companies say will “advance the use of responsible AI in music creation”. The partnership, according to today’s (November 19) announcement, combines “WMG’s long-standing advocacy for principled innovation with Stability AI’s expertise and leadership in commercially-safe generative audio”.

Source: WMG strikes deal with Stability AI to ‘build the next generation of responsible AI tools for music creation’

WMG settles Udio lawsuit, strikes licensing deal for AI music platform coming in 2026

Warner Music Group and AI music platform Udio have struck what they call “a landmark agreement” that resolves the companies’ copyright infringement litigation. The companies have also entered into a licensing deal for a “next-generation” AI–powered music creation, listening, and discovery platform. The news arrived just an hour after WMG announced a new partnership with Stability AI on Wednesday, which the companies say will “advance the use of responsible AI in music creation”.

Source: WMG settles Udio lawsuit, strikes licensing deal for ‘next-generation’ AI music platform coming in 2026

The Circuit Group launches $500m+ music investment fund backed by Create Music Group

The Circuit Group, which owns management firms Ayita and Seven20, has announced the launch of a new nine-figure investment fund focused on the acquisition of music assets and other cultural IP. Dubbed Circuit Capital, the new fund is backed by $500 million from Los Angeles-based Create Music Group (CMG), which was valued last year at $1 billion following a $165 million investment round.

Source: The Circuit Group launches $500m+ music investment fund backed by Create Music Group

Get the latest RightsTech news and analysis delivered directly in your inbox every week
We respect your privacy.