The use of copyrighted works to train models is at the heart of a bitter battle between tech companies and content creators. That battle is playing out in technical arguments about what does and doesn’t count as fair use of a copyrighted work. But it is ultimately about carving out a space in which human and machine creativity can continue to coexist.
Marketplace
How SFGATE is making local news pay and filling California’s news gaps
It may help that ‘local’ for SFGATE is California (the world’s fourth largest economy). But with a focus on longer reads and in-depth reporting, it is proof that quality journalism can still thrive on the open web. In April, it was the 37th most popular news site in America, per Press Gazette’s top-50 ranking, with 27 million visits making it the most popular purely local news website in the US.
Source: How SFGATE is making local news pay and filling California’s news gaps
Fanfiction writers battle AI, one scrape at a time
The latest salvo came in early April, when user nyuuzyou scraped 12.6 million fanfics from the online repository Archive of Our Own (AO3) and uploaded the dataset to Hugging Face, a company that hosts open-source AI models and software. Nyuuzyou’s upload was quickly discovered by the Reddit community r/AO3, where hundreds of users posted furious reactionsFanfic writers flooded the comment section of the dataset on Hugging Face, getting into arguments with AI defenders.
UK Publishers Association: 2024 Audiobooks Up 31 Percent
In its newly released Industry Insights 2024 report, the United Kingdom’s Publishers Association has announced that, “Audiobooks and fiction drove publishing growth in 2024. “Audiobook revenue was £268 million (US$361.2 million)—a record high that’s 31 percent above the same figure in 2023.” In fact, digital formats are reported to have been “a key driver of growth with increased revenue across all three sectors—academic, educational, and consumer.”
Source: UK Publishers Association: 2024 Audiobooks Up 31 Percent
Senators urge FTC to investigate Spotify’s higher-priced bundled subscription
Two U.S. senators have requested that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigate Spotify due to allegations that the company bundled its music streaming and audiobook services into a more expensive subscription without obtaining user consent, while also reducing royalty payments to creators in the process.
Source: Senators urge FTC to investigate Spotify’s higher-priced bundled subscription | TechCrunch
New Listeners Boosting Sales for Spotify, Publishers
Audiobook listeners and listening hours on Spotify increased by more than 30% and 35%, respectively, from January 2024 to January 2025 in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, helping to boost audio sales of several major publishers, according to the streaming service. The growth aligns with broader industry trends. The Audio Publishers Association recently reported that audiobook sales grew by 13% in 2024, with 99% of revenues generated by digital audiobooks.
Source: New Listeners Boosting Sales for Spotify, Publishers
How data-driven tools are changing the way artists and labels finance their businesses
Funding deals rarely operate the way they’re initially advertised. Factors like cash timing, recoupment rates, and long-term obligations can significantly affect an artist’s cash flow and ownership rights over time. beatBread’s Deal Comparison Tool models these variables across different performance scenarios, simulating annual cash flows and total costs. It helps users identify hidden risks and avoid getting locked into unfavorable terms.
Source: How data-driven tools are changing the way artists and labels finance their businesses
The Media and Entertainment Deal Machine Is Revving Up
The ranks of media owners and entertainment companies are poised for their biggest makeover in a generation. Media titans such as Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery are cleaving off their cable-television channels, while television-station operators such as Allen Media and Apollo Global Management are exploring selling dozens of stations. Cox and Charter, two of the biggest cable and broadband companies, have agreed to merge.
Source: The Media and Entertainment Deal Machine Is Revving Up
NYC Mayor’s Office Announces Music Recording Studio Census
NYC Mayor’s office will soon conduct a census of music recording studios to quantify their economic impact. Shira Gans says the recording studio network in NYC is rapidly evolving, with many established studios closing and some new ones holding grand openings. To track the changing landscape, the Mayor’s office has created a survey that will be distributed to studio heads and other industry professionals.
Source: NYC Mayor’s Office Announces Music Recording Studio Census
IMPALA: Two-Tier Streaming Market Threatens Independent Music
The music streaming ecosystem stands at a crossroads, warns the Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA). While global streaming revenues have soared to $22 billion, underpinned by 800 million premium subscribers, this report warns that these headline figures obscure a deepening divide between major rights holders and the independent sector. “Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market” highlights this divide and contains a call to action for music professionals.
Source: IMPALA: Two-Tier Streaming Market Threatens Independent Music