The major music companies are reportedly in licensing talks with controversial AI music generators Udio and Suno. That’s according to Bloomberg, which reported on Sunday (June 1), citing people familiar with the discussions, that Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment are seeking license fees from the platforms plus “a small amount” of equity in both Suno and Udio.
Source: Labels in licensing talks with AI music generators Suno and Udio (report)
Spotify and Universal announced a new deal that sources say improves the payment structure for the streamer’s controversial music-audiobooks ‘bundle.’ A Spotify rep said in a separate statement, “Spotify maintains its bundle, but with this direct deal [with UMPG], it has evolved to account for broader rights, including a different economic treatment for music and non-music content.”
Source: Spotify and Universal Unveil Far-Reaching Deal That Improves ‘Bundling’ Payment Structure
The stock photo industry has been gasping for air, struggling to adapt to a market that continues to be extremely challenging. Over the past two decades, licensing prices for rights-managed (RM) images have plummeted by 20–50%, while royalty-free (RF) prices have dropped even more sharply, by 50–80%. The rise of microstock and subscription models has driven licensing fees as low as $0.27 per image.
Source: The Shutterstock-Getty Images Merger: A Bold Move in a Shifting Landscape – Kaptur
California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited SAG-AFTRA headquarters on Monday to sign two bills regulating the use of performances generated by artificial intelligence. The actors’ union lobbied for passage of the legislation, which builds on the protections won during the four-month actors’ strike against the major studios last year.
Source: Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs AI Bills Backed by SAG-AFTRA
The Justice Department’s chief antitrust enforcer issued a warning Thursday to tech companies working in artificial intelligence, cautioning that they could face action from regulators if they don’t find a way to fairly compensate artists, entertainers and other creators.
Source: DOJ antitrust chief warns AI companies that they must fairly compensate artists
Social media platform Reddit has struck a deal with Google to make its content available for training the search engine giant’s artificial intelligence models, three people familiar with the matter said. The contract with Alphabet-owned Google is worth about $60 million per year, according to one of the sources. Bloomberg previously reported Reddit’s content deal without naming the buyer.
Hipgnosis Songs Fund has completed a 20,000-song selloff, but the involved price tag represents a steep discount to the works’ valuation. In an announcement to the market on Monday (December 11), HSF said that “these non-core songs, which are a subset of those identified as the Second Disposal as set out in September, were bundled with the iconic Songs acquired by the Company in 2020 as part of Kobalt Fund One“.
Source: Hipgnosis Completes 20,000-Song Selloff — At a Steep Discount
Experts question why studios aren’t siding more with actors and writers and against AI companies to oppose what could constitute the mass pilfering of their closely guarded intellectual property. “Studios should be protecting their copyrights,” a WGA member tells The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s shortsighted, because it demotes them to another source of content for these AI firms.”
Source: As AI Battle Lines Are Drawn, Studios Align With Big Tech in a Risky Bet
Spotify is planning to make significant changes to its royalty payout model in Q1 2024 – with the intent to move USD $1 billion in royalty payments over the next five years to ‘legitimate’ artists and rightsholders. Spotify has been discussing details of its blueprint for the new royalty model with various music rightsholders in recent weeks.
Source: Streaming’s problems will not be fixed by royalties alone