Streaming fraud is one of the industry’s biggest challenges — but some artists are having their music removed from DSPs for fraud they didn’t commit. TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleason and VP of Artist Support Erica Clayton revealed the pressure they were under from streaming services, which led them to implement these admittedly aggressive policies.
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NATO, MPA Chiefs Talk An Industry ‘Sorting Out’ As CinemaCon Kicks Off
Cinema owners, studios and indie distributors gathering in Las Vegas this week for exhibition’s biggest confab seek visibility into a theatrical landscape gut-punched by Hollywood strikes last year just as a post-Covid recovery was revving up. Production halted for months led to fewer releases on the schedule.
SAG-AFTRA Seeks to Write AI Protections Into California Law
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors, is pushing for legislation that would require detailed consent for the use of “digital replicas.” In a separate bill, the union also wants to prevent studios from putting dead performers in movies without the consent of their heirs. Underscoring the contentiousness around AI, the Motion Picture Association has come out against the digital replicas bill.
Source: SAG-AFTRA Seeks to Write AI Protections Into California Law
Spotify leans further into artificial intelligence with new ‘AI Playlist’ generator
The new AI Playlist tool is rolling out in beta form to Spotify Premium subscribers on Android and iOS devices in the UK and Australia, the company announced in a statement on Sunday (April 7). The tool will enable users to enter a text prompt from which the AI Playlist will generate music suggestions.
IATSE Sees Fears and Promise of Artificial Intelligence: ‘We Want the Spoils’
AI is high on the agenda as IATSE looks to set a new three-year contract with Hollywood’s major studios and streamers before the July 31 expiration of its current deal. Like the other unions that have struck new contracts over the past year — the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America and the American Federation of Musicians — IATSE is seeking “guardrails” on AI use.
Source: IATSE Sees Fears and Promise of Artificial Intelligence: ‘We Want the Spoils’
AI’s quiet creep into music punctuated by ‘SpongeBob’ voices and a secretive artist called Glorb
SpongeBob, the title cheery yellow character, appears outside his pineapple-shaped home, while Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob’s cranky boss, is at the Krusty Krab restaurant he runs. But unlike in the show, the characters in the videos aren’t singing jolly songs about life in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. Instead, they’re rapping about drugs and guns.
Source: AI’s quiet creep into music punctuated by ‘SpongeBob’ voices and a secretive artist called Glorb
UK Govt: “Pronounced Inaccuracies” in Press Reports on IP-Related Matters
A study on emerging public perceptions of intellectual property in UK media has found that there are “pronounced inaccuracies in the reporting on IP related matters in the UK Press.” An initial review published by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office notes that inaccurate reporting may be due to a “lack of understanding.” Further investigation would be required to find out the “cause and extent” and the subsequent impact on IP rights as understood by the public.
Source: UK Govt: “Pronounced Inaccuracies” in Press Reports on IP-Related Matters * TorrentFreak
Music streaming royalties are terrible—these companies may have a fix
Last year was a very good one for music streaming: Audio streams increased 22.3% year over year, according to analytics firm Luminate, accounting for more than two-thirds of global music revenue. It was also the year when the music industry finally started to address the fact that the streaming model doesn’t benefit artists.
Source: Music streaming royalties are terrible—these companies may have a fix
Audible and Amazon MGM Pact to Develop TV Series Based on Audio Giant’s Originals
Audible Inc. has pacted with its sibling Amazon MGM Studios unit to develop TV series based on a slew of podcasts and other original audio-only content. The deal brings together two high-profile content operations under the Amazon umbrella in the hopes of hitting a few home runs by by developing series from podcasts and other Audible-produced originals that have been successful with listeners in the U.S. and elsewhere.
U.S Recorded Music Revenue Grew by 8% in 2023, Per RIAA Annual Report
The U.S. recorded music industry grew its revenue by 8% in 2023, reaching an all-time high of $17.1 billion and marking eight consecutive years of growth. However, there’s no question that the streaming boom of the past decade, which produced years of double-digit growth, is leveling off and the industry is reacting with layoffs and talk of a “transformational moment” in the months and years to come.