Rights

Spotify slams ‘ridiculous and unfounded’ Duetti report

The company suggested that “Spotify’s payouts are holding down industry rates” by presenting a table comparing the effecting per-stream rates of Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube and Spotify, with the latter at the bottom. “These claims are ridiculous and unfounded,” a Spotify spokesperson responded. “No streaming service pays per stream because that approach would incentivize streaming services to minimize streams. It would mean low engagement, fewer artist connections, and lower overall payouts.”

Source: Spotify slams ‘ridiculous and unfounded’ Duetti report

Spotify Mechanical Royalties Just Dropped 30-40%, Publishers Say

Spotify’s mechanical publishing royalties took a sudden-and-sizable dip this month for many US-based publishers and songwriters, according to preliminary stats shared with Digital Music News over the past few days. That includes multiple reports of 30-40% drops compared to previous months — all specifically tied to US-based mechanical publishing royalties.

Source: Spotify Mechanical Royalties Just Dropped 30-40%, Publishers Say

Authors Seek Meta’s Torrent Client Logs and Seeding Data in AI Piracy Probe

Meta is among a long list of companies being sued for allegedly using pirated material to train its AI models. Meta has never denied using copyrighted works but stressed that it would rely on a fair use defense. However, with rightsholders in one case asking for torrent client data and ‘seeding lists’ for millions of books allegedly shared in public, the case now takes a geeky turn.

Source: Authors Seek Meta’s Torrent Client Logs and Seeding Data in AI Piracy Probe * TorrentFreak

Germany’s GEMA Sues U.S.-Based Generative AI Company Over Copyright Infringement

In June, the three major labels sued the generative AI music companies Udio and Suno for training their software on copyrighted music without a license. Now, GEMA, the German PRO, is also taking legal action against Suno, in a case filed today (Jan. 21) in the Munich Regional Court. In an announcement, GEMA said that it documented that the Suno system outputs content that “largely corresponds to world-famous works whose authors GEMA represents.

Source: Germany’s GEMA Sues U.S.-Based Generative AI Company Over Copyright Infringement

IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley talks AI, fraud and lobbying: ‘We have a compelling story to tell’

At Music Ally Connect in London today, Oakley sat down for a keynote interview, stating with her first-six-months impressions of the industry. “Man, it’s complicated. You would not design an industry from scratch like this! So getting your head around it is very, very complicated, ” said Oakley. “It’s also deeply misunderstood. And I think that is a big part of our challenge, for all of us who care about the music industry and the ecosystem.”

Source: IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley talks AI, fraud and lobbying: ‘We have a compelling story to tell’

UMG set to list on US exchange; Pershing Square to sell $500m in stock 

Universal Music Group (UMG) announced Wednesday (January 15) that Pershing Square Holdings, led by billionaire investor Bill Ackman, has requested a secondary listing of the music company on a US stock exchange. Under a previously disclosed agreement, UMG will facilitate an underwritten offering for Pershing Square to sell a portion of its shares by September 15, 2025.

Source: Universal Music Group set to list on US exchange; Pershing Square to sell $500m in UMG stock to make it happen

AI Rights for Authors: ‘Created by Humans’ Launches

And along with the opening of the platform itself, the company is now unveiling the proprietary framework they’ve developed, AI Rights, which is at the core of the service, currently offering rights for AI model training and reference via RAG models. Adler says the team has plans to add more rights soon to the framework. “We’ve raised more funding,” he says. “The product is great shape. It’s really pretty polished and looking really good.

Source: AI Rights for Authors: ‘Created by Humans’ Launches

Possible SESAC Sale Has $3 Billion Price Tag, Reports Suggest

Blackstone’s rumored SESAC sale has an over $3 billion price tag and multiple prospective purchasers, according to new reports.  Blackstone reportedly began entertaining private equity offers for SESAC after Hellman & Friedman took a majority stake in Global Music Rights (GMR) late last year. SESAC Music Group’s portfolio includes Audiam and the Harry Fox Agency, to name only a couple.

Source: Possible SESAC Sale Has $3 Billion Price Tag, Reports Suggest

Blackstone Seeks $3 Billion in Sale of Bob Dylan, Adele Song Rights

Blackstone Inc. has hired financial advisers to explore the sale of song rights, including music from Bob Dylan, Adele and Ariana Grande, that it expects to fetch $3 billion or more, people with knowledge of the matter said. A handful of financial firms, including Apollo Global Management Inc., Warburg Pincus LLC and Temasek Holdings Pte, Singapore’s state-owned investment firm, have expressed interest in the assets.

Source: Blackstone Seeks $3 Billion in Sale of Bob Dylan, Adele Song Rights

Deezer partners with Sacem to adopt artist-centric payment model for publishing rights 

Music streaming platform Deezer has partnered with rights management organization Sacem to implement an artist-centric payment system (ACPS) for publishing rights across Deezer’s platform in France. Deezer and Sacem describe the deal as “the world’s first update” to the remuneration model for publishing since the advent of streaming services.

Source: Deezer partners with Sacem to adopt artist-centric payment model for publishing rights in France

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