The Writers Guild of America came out swinging on Thursday against a merger between Warner Bros. and any other studio, saying such consolidation would be a “disaster” for writers. “Merger after merger in the media industry has harmed workers, diminished competition and free speech, and wasted hundreds of billions of dollars better invested in organic growth,” the WGA East and West said in a statement Thursday.
Source: WGA Says Warner Bros. Merger Would Be a ‘Disaster’ for Writers
London-based AI creative studio Wonder Studios has raised $12 million in seed funding to scale production amid a push to bring AI-generated content into the entertainment industry. The round was led by Atomico, alongside existing investors LocalGlobe and Blackbird, and builds on Wonder’s pre-seed investment, which included executives from ElevenLabs, Google DeepMind, and OpenAI.
YouTube has paid more than $8 billion to the music industry in the 12 months between July 2024 and July 2025, the company announced on Thursday. “Today’s $8 billion payout is a testament to the fact that the twin engine of ads and subscriptions is firing on all cylinders,” said YouTube’s Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen in a statement.
Source: YouTube paid out $8B to the music industry in 12 months | TechCrunch
Th
e Cox v. Sony Music amicus briefs flurry isn’t letting up
ahead of the high-stakes Cox v. Sony Music Supreme Court arguments, and former members of Congress, SoundExchange, and many others are weighing in. And the way they see things, adopting Cox’s “unduly narrow standard for contributory infringement would violate a half century of case law and sound policy that is critical to maintaining the economic viability and artistic integrity of the artist and music community.”
Source: Ex-Lawmakers & Many Others Submit Cox v. Sony Amicus Briefs
The three major North American PROs say that they will now accept registrations of “partially” AI-generated musical works These works can now be registered directly with the individual societies. All three PROs’ registration policies define a partially AI-generated musical work as one that “combines elements of AI-generated musical content with elements of human authorship”.
Source: ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN will now accept registrations of ‘partially’ AI-generated musical works
YouTube revealed on Tuesday that its likeness-detection technology has officially rolled out to eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program, following a pilot phase. The technology allows creators to request the removal of AI-generated content that uses their likeness. YouTube’s detection technology identifies and manages AI-generated content featuring the likeness of creators, such as their face and voice.
Source: YouTube’s likeness-detection technology has officially launched | TechCrunch
While the use of various digital technologies has drained away many readers, the survey found that 60% of U.S. consumers would like to read more books, and a similar percentage reported that they devote their full attention to reading when they open a book. In both instances, book reading was the only media activity that garnered such a favorable response from the majority of consumers.
Source: New Report Urges Publishers to Capitalize on Hidden Strengths
According to the document, the technology would work by first separating tracks into their component parts – vocals and instrumentals – then “adding the vocal component” of “at least one music track to at least a select segment of the base music track.” In other words, Spotify’s algorithm could automatically layer the singing from one song over the backing track of a completely different song, though users would still control the creative choices.
Source: Spotify holds a patent for tech that can generate song mashups
The complaints, each spanning roughly 100 pages, were filed by plaintiffs including indie R&B band Attack the Sound, father-son songwriting duo Stan and James Burjek, and members of Chicago group Directrix. They also accused the AI firms of flooding the market with substitute tracks that decrease licensing opportunities. The lawsuits join earlier legal actions from major record labels and country musician Tony Justice targeting Suno and Udio.
The new Los Angeles-based label will focus on pop and dance music but differs from most record companies in that it will pay royalty points — as high as double digits — to songwriters who contribute songs to projects. “Bring us your songs that you might have sent to another label where you wouldn’t be given points. We want to be in business with you” said Milk & Honey’s president/founder Lucas Keller in a statement. The royalty will come out of Milk & Honey’s revenue share.
Source: Milk & Honey Launches Label With Songwriter-Friendly Royalty Model: ‘Bring Us Your Songs’