[ad_1]
business news CMU Digest
go through Chris Cook | Published on Sunday, April 23, 2023
Big stories in the music world from last week…
Spotify boss Daniel Ek travels to Washington to urge U.S. lawmakers to support Open App Market Act, This will force Google and Apple to relax their app store rules. It’s part of Spotify’s long-running effort to address anticompetitive behavior by Google, and especially Apple. The app store rules that Spotify and other app makers most object to relate to in-app payments. For many apps on iOS devices, app makers must use Apple’s commission-based transaction system and cannot sign up for alternative payment options elsewhere on the Internet. Regulators in multiple jurisdictions have been investigating and in some cases interfering with Apple’s rules. The Open App Marketplace Act, first introduced in 2021, would force Google and Apple to allow app makers to use and sign on to alternative payment options. For Spotify, the need to force change in this area is even more urgent now that current restrictions have negatively impacted its aggressive push into the audiobook business. [READ MORE]
Universal Music is again urging streaming services to help the music industry regulate the creation and distribution of AI-generated music. The latest statement comes as the fake Drake track has gone viral. The major was primarily responding to a track uploaded by a guy named Ghostwriter, who used generative AI to compose a Drake and The Weeknd-style song and vocals. The track, titled “Heart on My Sleeve,” initially went viral on TikTok before appearing on the streaming service. Universal has previously called on companies such as Spotify to ensure music production AI technology is not trained by scraping music stored on its platform. The music industry insists that anyone training AI technology by mining data related to existing songs and recordings must obtain permission from those who control the copyrights on that existing music. Beyond that, the major said this week that streaming services should remove any tracks created by AI technology that mine existing music files without permission, such as “Heart on My Sleeve.” The fake Drake track was subsequently removed from the streaming platform. [READ MORE]
The headquarters of K-pop label SM Entertainment has been raided by South Korean financial regulators. The raid was part of an investigation into allegations that South Korean internet company Kakao manipulated its stock price as part of its recent bid to control SM’s business, sources told Yonhap. For a while, Kakao competed with another K-pop giant, Hybe, as both parties tried to buy enough SM shares to gain a 40% controlling stake. Kakao’s bid was backed by SM’s management team, while Hybe was backed by SM founder Lee Soo-man. Hybe finally gave up on its SM ambitions after Kakao offered a higher price for SM stock. But before that, it appears to have filed a complaint with South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service, prompting the investigation. SM, Kakao and Hybe then announced a truce, and as part of the truce, it was confirmed this week that some of SM’s signed artists will be using Hybe’s direct-to-fan platform Weverse starting later this year. [READ MORE]
Appellate judges in New York said they may list producer Dr. Luke as a public figure. Doing so would have implications for his defamation case against Kesha. She accused Luke of rape, an accusation Luke denies and claims has negatively affected his career. Under New York law, if Luke is considered a public figure, he will have to prove that Keisha actually acted in bad faith when she made the allegations, increasing his burden of proof in court. However, the judge hearing the case decided that Luke was not famous enough to be considered a public figure. Kesha’s lawyers took the decision to a New York appeals court, where one judge noted that if Luke offered a music magazine interview, “they’d show up—in this business, he’s [is] Essentially a household name”. Luke’s lawyer countered that just because a producer is well-known in the music industry doesn’t mean he’s a public figure. Kesha’s team also wants an appeals court to rule that New York New free speech laws introduced by the state should apply in this case, because doing so would also require Luke to prove genuine malice. [READ MORE]
BMG says it has become “the first global music company to abandon the outdated industry distinction between new ‘fronts’ and old catalog recordsBasically, the music label is integrating its management and discography of new releases more closely. “Fans are showing their disapproval every day of the music industry’s antiquated belief that new music is better than old music,” says BMG boss Hartwig Masuch. privilege. Music is music, regardless of age. Great artists and great music have no expiration date and we think it’s time for the music industry to reflect that”. The long-term plan of the music company. It empowers local leaders, shortens reporting lines, and makes us more responsive to our artist and songwriter clients. ” [READ MORE]
[ad_2]
Source link