Photo Credit: Cottonbro Studios

When it comes to Shamrock Capital’s acquisition of Taylor Swift’s recorded catalog, let’s be honest: it didn’t even seem like a good idea at the time. But is there more frothy fallout ahead when it comes to music IP?

Dialing back to late 2020, the collective industry head-scratching elevated when Shamrock Capital swooped in to buy Taylor Swift’s first six album masters for $300 million plus. The seller was none other than Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, who dropped the sullied asset after just 16 months of migraine-inducing ownership.

Of course, it’s always fun to buy the most sizzling catalog on the block. But to say there were red flags around this IP acquisition would be a drastic understatement.

For starters, Swift herself was already steam-rolling forward with her now vast catalog of Taylor’s Version remakes, complete with a fight-the-industry-oppressor narrative to fuel the Swiftie mob. Beyond the juicy targets of Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta, Big Machine staffers were also getting harassed — and woe to any music company or investment house caught in those crosshairs.

Hence Scooter’s EJECT button — or at least part of the explanation for it. Enter Shamrock, which quickly found itself battling duplicate recorded music versions and a hostile artist. That’s tricky enough to manage, but given the edge-case nature of this calamity, building longer-term revenue projections seemed downright devilish. It was all unfortunately unprecedented, particularly for an IP asset of that size.

Then again, investment firms will tolerate almost any level of pain for the right return. This one – involving IP from one of the biggest musicians in history – apparently wasn’t worth it.

The bad math and endless headaches might explain the quick reversion sale – which may have also carried a boulder-off-shoulder post-signing high. Braun got out after 16 months — and now, Shamrock is bowing out after four-and-a-half years. None of that screams long-term portfolio jewel, but hey – now Taylor’s the proud owner of her own original recordings.

That’s great news for Taylor, but is Shamrock’s dump-off the latest episode in a protracted frothy fallout?

Hipgnosis was its own slow-motion train wreck, with execs accusing Massarsky n’ Merc of juicing up the valuations of catalogs into the stratosphere. But what about the rest of the multi-billion dollar music IP ecosystem?

That’s a tricky one, particularly in the daily rollercoaster of America’s economy du jour. Indeed, complementing the stomach-turning stock market is an ‘everything bubble’ terrain replete with endless possible ‘pops’ – including potential crashes in crypto, real estate, bonds, and maybe even music IP.

That has industry players feeling a bit nervous, according to our latest off-the-record convos. There’s still a significant amount of money ready to be deployed on catalogs, and specialized plays involving smaller catalogs and distinct rights tranches continue to emerge.

But is there a bigger correction ahead for music IP?

One problem recently outlined to DMN: even catalogs from storied artists like Bob Dylan (whose total publishing and recording catalog sold for as much as $600 million) only have so many recognizable hits—and sync-able tracks.

Indeed, b-sides blow up and get placed all the time (see Connie Francis’ ‘Pretty Little Baby’ and the Pointer Sisters ‘Hot Together’ for the latest exhibits). But how many people care about the hundreds of lesser-known tracks from legendary artists like Dylan?

In that context, perhaps the Taylor sale speaks volumes – particularly after such a short carriage period by Shamrock.

Not to harsh anyone’s mellow, though perhaps a measured cool-down is the best outcome in this terrain. Indeed, a soft landing might be the luckiest outcome we can get.

Meanwhile, music IP and other hot-button music and money concepts are on tap for next week’s Music Investor Conference, or MIC, in New York, where dealmakers will rub elbows and prognosticate on what’s next. That will be complemented by A2IM’s Indie Week confab in Times Square – with IP sure to receive healthy discussion time at both.

See ya there.

A live performance from Dirty Heads, which has sold “publishing and artist royalties” to Round Hill Music. Photo Credit: Constantino14

Back in “acquisition mode,” Round Hill Music has scooped up “a range of different rights and income streams,” among them interests in Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and Icona Pop’s “I Love It.”

Round Hill reached out with word of the plays today. Beginning on the compositional side, the UK-based IP investor now owns the publishing catalogs of Terry Shaddick, Linus Eklöw, and Carmine Appice.

Shaddick co-wrote Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” (1981), which Doja Cat interpolated in “Kiss Me More.” Besides having a credit on the latter, Shaddick is billed as a songwriter on Benson Boone’s even more recent “Mystical Magical,” which also incorporated “Physical.”

Next, Swedish DJ Linus Eklöw, better known as Style of Eye, has sold his “full catalog of songs” to Round Hill. That pile of IP extends to Icona Pop’s “I Love It” as well as much-streamed dance efforts like Galantis’ “Runaway (U & I)” and “No Money,” the buyer indicated. (Eklöw was at one time a member of Galantis.)

Lastly, in terms of complete-catalog pick-ups, King Kobra and Vanilla Fudge vet Carmine Appice has drummed on a variety of commercially prominent releases.

And his work with Rod Stewart (on 1977’s Foot Loose & Fancy Free, ‘78’s Blondes Have More Fun, ‘80’s Foolish Behaviour, and ‘81’s Tonight I’m Yours) includes writing contributions to “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” as well as “Young Turks,” to name a couple.

Reggae rock group Dirty Heads, for its part, has cashed in on “publishing and artist royalties.” All told, the group behind “Vacation” has released eight studio albums since arriving on the scene decades back.

Finally, Scotland-born Al Stewart, most widely recognized for 1976’s “Year of the Cat,” has sold “a selection of…master rights” to Round Hill, which is managing five private funds at present.

While Round Hill didn’t come right out and disclose the transactions’ price-tag particulars, it did note that the deals boosted its portfolio’s cumulative value back past the $1 billion mark.

And in a statement, CEO Josh Gruss touted the involved IP’s perceived “potential for further monetization.”

“From timeless pop hits to reggae rock, yacht rock and electronic music, these catalogs contain songs with proven commercial success,” Gruss said in part.

“Spanning different genres and eras, these songs have huge potential for further monetization across streaming, film, advertising and much more. … Tracks like ‘Physical’ go to the very heart of Round Hill’s strategy – finding and celebrating songs which can continue to resonate with new generations long after their original release,” he proceeded.

Downtown Music Publishing Africa managing director Thando Makhunga. Photo Credit: Seventwo Creative Agency

Another high-profile expansion in Africa – this time from Downtown, which has rebranded its Sheer Publishing Africa subsidiary as Downtown Music Publishing Africa (DMP Africa).

Downtown reached out with word of South Africa-based Sheer’s new identity and broader operational scope. On the former front, the name change is said to be indicative of “a deeper alignment with the global vision of Downtown,” which bought 29-year-old Sheer in 2020.

“Our new name reflects our ability to plug directly into Downtown’s global expertise,” added DMP Africa MD Thando Makhunga, “while staying rooted in the nuances of the African music landscape. We’re expanding our scope and partnering with major global companies to deliver tailored, transparent, and future-forward services.”

Among DMP Africa’s existing partners are Warner Chappell, Concord, and Saregama, besides a number of indie publishers operating throughout Africa, the company relayed.

Per higher-ups, the transition from Sheer to Downtown Music Publishing Africa (which will retain its “same dedicated local team”) is also “more than a visual refresh.”

Here, DMP Africa is teeing up “an expanded suite of services,” among them neighboring rights admin and the implementation of Downtown’s Curve royalty accounting system.

Furthermore, the newly named division will “be moving away from outdated contracts to build agreements designed around each creator’s unique goals,” Downtown confirmed. Though time will tell exactly what this transition entails, CEO Pieter van Rijn drove home plans to double down on “long-term, equitable partnerships.”

“This marks an important new chapter in our presence across Africa, a region rich in creativity, culture, and talent,” van Rijn specified. “DMP Africa reflects our belief in the region’s creative power and our responsibility to support its continued expansion.

“By partnering local expertise with global access and investing in long-term, equitable partnerships, we will ensure that talent from across the African diaspora is rewarded on a global scale,” the Downtown head concluded.

Moving forward, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on the commercial byproducts of those partnerships – especially given the growth behind several African music markets and the often-discussed sales potential of promoting domestic releases globally.

Of course, Downtown isn’t alone in looking to capitalize on this growth by bolstering its reach in Africa. Earlier in 2025, Warner Music Group opted to scoop up the remainder of Africori (in which it already had majority ownership), and Universal Music Group in 2024 took a controlling interest in Lagos’ Mavin Global.

Photo Credit: Lilly Raye Music / Warner Chappell Music

Warner Chappell Music extends its strategic partnership with management company and publisher Lilly Raye Music.

Warner Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has extended its strategic joint venture partnership with Lilly Raye Music, the management company and publisher run by founder Edward Matthew and A&R Manager Justin Martinez.

Established in 2020 and expanded in 2023, the partnership is focused on supporting collaborations between creatives across Asia, Europe, and the US. Lilly Raye Music has continued to gain industry recognition for its growing influence. It was nominated for Publisher of the Year at the MMF Awards Sweden 2024.

The partnership is stepping up activity in Germany and the Netherlands with a sharp focus on the dance and electronic scenes. Further, it’s building its A&R firepower in the UK to support the careers of talent in that market.

Recent successes include: Grammy recognition for their work on Summer Walker’s CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP and Janelle Monáe’s The Age of Pleasure; elevating local talent in Sweden, helping deliver 10 No. 1 singles in the market over the last three years; and artist collaborations, including Doechii, GloRilla, and FLO. Achieving major global sync placements and growing their presence in Asia by 40% are also among the partnership’s successes.

The Lilly Raye management team also continues to make waves behind the scenes, contributing to breakout successes for artists like Ayra Starr, Cian Ducrot, RAYE, and Renee Rapp.

“We’re delighted to renew our deal with Warner Chappell, which has expanded so much in scope over the past few years,” said Edward Matthew and Justin Martinez. “Connecting creative talent across three continents is as exhilarating and inspirational as ever, and Warner Chappell’s combination of global firepower, local knowledge, and cultural curiosity makes it an essential partner for us.”

“I’m so pleased that we’re renewing our collaboration with Edward, Justin, and the whole Lilly Raye crew,” added Lars Karlsson, Managing Director, Warner Chappell Music Nordics. “They bring a passion and an energy to their work that is unrivalled, and they have an uncanny ability to spot talent and partner compatible creatives together.”

Guy Moot, Co-Chair and CEO of Warner Chappell Music, concludes, “We’re built a really solid relationship with Edward and Justin over the past few years. I trust their A&R instincts and their strategic nous. They have an infectious enthusiasm for forging cultural connections between writers and producers from different parts of the world. The amazing results speak for themselves, so I’m excited that we’re extending our partnership.”

A small sampling of 7digital-powered platforms (Photo: 7digital/Songtradr)

When it’s not Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube playing your music, chances are it’s powered by someone else — and often, that someone is 7digital. While the biggest platforms dominate headlines, a vast ecosystem of music services is thriving behind the scenes, many of them built on 7digital’s infrastructure.

The following comes from Samantha Sawyer, the General Manager of Licensing and Technology Solutions at 7digital parent Songtradr, a company DMN is thrilled to be partnering with.

As the industry shifts its focus from scale to superfans, 7digital’s multi-product, cross-category, and global expertise positions it to help fuel the next phase of higher-value, higher-engagement music experiences.

With streaming growth plateauing and casual listening on autopilot, the push toward deeper fan relationships is gaining urgency. So what does Superfan 2.0 actually look like, and how can platforms get there faster?

Suddenly, the music industry is rethinking the one-size-fits-all streaming model, shifting its focus to deeper, more meaningful engagement with devoted fans. The momentum is real: Universal Music Group is already channeling hundreds of millions into superfan-first platforms and experiences. But despite the headlines, this movement is still in its early days.

So where will the next wave of superfan growth come from? It’s likely to emerge through bold experimentation, and 7digital is well-positioned to help lead the charge. As the engine behind a diverse array of music experiences across categories and markets, 7digital has the flexibility, global reach, and product depth to support the emerging needs of a superfan-driven economy.

If you’re unfamiliar with 7digital, there’s a reason for that.

The company has been powering a wide range of music platforms and experiences for years, but remains a behind-the-scenes player, and that’s by design. Now operating under parent company Songtradr, 7digital continues to expand its B2B footprint.

We’ve spent over two decades helping businesses navigate the complexities associated  with music technology infrastructure and music licensing, ensuring they can deliver incredible music experiences while staying fully compliant. Throughout these implementations, grabbing the spotlight has never been our focus.

Instead, 7digital’s role has always been clear: to provide the critical, often invisible infrastructure that powers music platforms at scale, helping them innovate, grow, and connect more deeply with their audiences.

As the engine behind many of today’s music experiences, 7digital provides fully licensed commercial music while navigating the complexities of rights management and ensuring proper compensation for rightsholders. It’s a notoriously tangled space, one that demands a backend partner with deep technical and legal expertise.

Once integrated, 7digital’s infrastructure supports a wide range of front-end experiences: from streaming and downloads to gaming integrations, background music, user-generated content, and more. It’s also built to flex — enabling platforms designed for niche communities, power users, and high-ARPU audiences alike.

The list of quietly-powered clients includes platforms like Canva and Connyct, fitness apps such as ApexRides, and wellness platforms including Grandpad, MedRhythms, and Resparke. Other platforms, like Triller and Pinterest, previously tapped 7digital’s backend to get their music offerings going.

Beyond that, 7digital also powers background music services for global retail and hospitality brands such as Moodmedia, Nightlife, Audalize, Qsic, and services offering in-flight entertainment to global airlines.

At the heart of these relationships is a robust network of content licensing partnerships that spans major labels, independent music rights holders (including Merlin members), and music publishing licensors.

With a catalog of around 150 million tracks, 7digital ingests an impressive 750,000 tracks per week, with three new independent suppliers joining monthly. This expansive catalog is a key asset in attracting clients who need access to comprehensive independent collections or those focused on specific genre niches.

As the industry continues its shift towards superfan-driven models, 7digital’s catalog depth could play a pivotal role in supporting the experimentation and innovation required to build this new landscape. Universal Music Group, for example, is already pouring significant resources into artist web pages designed to foster direct fan engagement and monetization. Meanwhile, Warner Music Group is experimenting with a Weverse-style fan platform, with Ed Sheeran at the helm.

7digital has already begun to support some fan-focused initiatives with its client Stationhead, a service which allows for collective licensing and engagement around album launches and artist-hosted, artist-led livestreams, with 7digital serving chart eligible download sales of the featured artist recordings.

And what about social media platforms?

As the industry evolves, many are now viewing platforms like TikTok through a different lens; not as opportunities to engage superfans, but as lower-ARPU challenges, fraught with licensing hurdles. This shift has led to a noticeable trend: a growing demand for compliant music solutions in user-generated content (UGC) platforms and emerging digital spaces.

The risks are real. The number of companies facing lawsuits for unlicensed social media content is on the rise, with major brands like Chili’s, Crumbl, Johnson & Johnson, and even the University of Southern California (USC) embroiled in legal battles over alleged licensing violations. Navigating this complex landscape requires expertise, and for the unprepared, the consequences can be severe, and they’re only escalating.

As platforms continue to integrate music into their offerings, the complexities of licensing and rights management have escalated significantly. This is where 7digital’s expertise in legal compliance and infrastructure shines.

Many companies underestimate the intricacies of music licensing and the legal risks associated with using music without proper clearance. 7digital’s solutions provide platforms with a way to navigate those challenges by offering fully licensed music catalogs and handling the often-overlooked reporting obligations that ensure compliance with copyright laws.

While these solutions are essential for the general music ecosystem, they’re especially critical for platforms that aren’t necessarily focused on superfan engagement. For platforms experimenting with niche audiences and higher-ARPU opportunities, 7digital’s flexible infrastructure and expertise in music licensing create a foundation for rapid experimentation and innovation.

That said, Superfan 2.0 presents its own set of complexities. While 7digital doesn’t hold the rights to every artist drawing a cult following, its capabilities can still support platforms built around superfans, particularly those already focused on fan-first models.

Take Bandcamp, for instance. Now part of the broader Songtradr ecosystem, it stands as a compelling example of where 7digital’s licensing and technology could amplify an already superfan-centric approach.

As the industry shifts and grows, the need for seamless, compliant solutions will only intensify. The way companies integrate music is evolving rapidly, and the demand for scalable, compliant solutions to power the next generation of music-driven platforms and superfan engagement has never been greater.

In the evolving landscape of music engagement, 7digital is quietly leading the charge; supporting the infrastructure that enables more meaningful, innovative, and legally sound music experiences.

Adaptive Music’s Tony Alexander chats with soul artist MAJOR at Music Biz in Atlanta last week (Photo: Music Biz)

Music Biz switched cities and kept most of the music business crowd. Now, Atlanta is the chosen city for 2026 as well — leaving a potentially juicy opportunity in Nashville.

Despite excessive hand-wringing over Music Biz’s switch to Atlanta from Nashville, the music business crowd showed up in droves last week. Attendance appeared slightly down from last year’s Nashville shindig, it should be noted, though the conference announced its intention to remain in Atlanta in 2026.

We’re still unclear on the machinations surrounding Music Biz’s shift from Nashville after several years in Music City, though organizers said they’ve always planned to shift cities periodically. Apparently, COVID complicated plans to jump around, though now the original game plan is being implemented.

That’s the official line and Music Biz is sticking to it, though some chatter suggests a political motivation for the shift — though that’s one hot potato we’ll politely pass along. Either way, the crowds showed up, and the event was chock-full of core music industry companies and execs.

Music Biz’s city-switch is vaguely reminiscent of the Grammys of yore, when ‘Music’s Biggest Night’ ping-ponged between New York and Los Angeles before largely being anchored in Tinseltown.

For Music Biz, it looks like a ‘build it in a new city and they will come’ dynamic is at work: for those bumping elbows at Music Biz at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly, crowds were solid and dealmaking brisk — all ingredients for a solid music industry fest that is poised to hop around.

So how does this shift the deck on the music industry conference scene?

Music Biz continues to emerge as a marquee music industry event in the US, particularly given SXSW’s waning reputation for actual business, dealmaking, and even showcase quality. Meanwhile, Nashville already has a smattering of good industry events — most notably CRS. But given the city’s density of music celebs, songwriters, and industry folk — not to mention its party getaway appeal — will somebody make a run at building a mega industry conference in Tennessee?

Separately, Nashville’s sudden importance to the music industry’s critical lobbying agenda can’t be overstated, particularly given the huge shakeup that just went down at the US Copyright Office. Suddenly, the music industry is waffling in Washington against the tech bros — can Nashville and its more red-leaning artists potentially turn things around on the AI and copyright protection fronts?

Shifting back to Atlanta, Music Biz kicked off just as Live Nation signed a major lease in the city’s $5 billion Centennial Yards mega-project. Specifically, the concert giant inked a long-term lease for a 5,300 seat venue in the downtown stadium and entertainment megaplex, a move designed to draw a string of superstar artists to the Centennial zone.

Perhaps Atlanta opts to sweeten the deal further and rope Music Biz into a longer-term relationship? It’s always nice to have an entire industry of movers and shakers strategizing in your town, particularly given the music industry’s tendency to bump local economies.

And with that, here’s just a quick canvas of the companies on deck at Music Biz this year:

Apple Music, Spotify, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, DiMA, ASCAP, A2IM, RIAA, SONA, The Orchard, OpenPlay, Empire Publishing, Rhymesayers Entertainment, Concord Music, CD Baby, Downtown Music Publishing, Columbia College Chicago, DDEX, The MLC, AllTrack, Sound Credit, Encore Music Tech Solutions, MusicWatch, Luminate, New West Records, Music Canada, Criminal Records, Elektra Music Group, The Vinyl Alliance, Stem Disintermedia, Lark42, Sureel AI, University of North Texas, Drexel University, Music Business Toolbox, 24/7 Artists…

… and the list goes on and on.

See y’all next year — in Atlanta, that is.

Concord has officially acquired Broadway Licensing Global (BLG). Photo Credit: Erik Mclean

Concord has officially acquired self-described “global leader in theatrical licensing and distribution” Broadway Licensing Global (BLG).

The acquisition-minded Concord reached out with word of its latest purchase, the assets from which will become part of the seven-year-old Concord Theatricals unit. Most notably, this division will house BLG imprint Broadway Licensing, which licenses A Night with Janis Joplin and The Cher Show, to name a couple.

Likewise set to operate under the Concord Theatricals banner are Broadway Licensing Global subsidiaries Dramatists Play Service, Playscripts, and Stage Rights (A Cappella and Country Is: The Music of Main Street in Concert), the buyer indicated.

“At this time,” Concord elaborated on LinkedIn, “the customer experience remains unchanged. Customers should continue to work with their respective licensing houses.”

Though Nashville-based Concord (which recently touted the many 2025 Tony Award nominees in its catalog) didn’t dive into price-tag particulars, it did emphasize that the transaction excludes BLG’s Stageworks and Broadway On Demand.

The former imprint houses an “internal content development division” as well, while five-year-old Broadway On Demand, as its name suggests, brings the stage to the screen.

Concord (advised in the transaction by Reed Smith, Davis Wright Tremaine, and KPMG alike, with Barron International Group acting as the “exclusive financial advisor”) also took the opportunity to reiterate its theatrical presence.

Concord Theatricals is said to be “the only firm providing truly comprehensive services to creators and producers of plays and musicals,” referring to licensing, publishing, cast recording, and more.

Meanwhile, the involved parties opted to rattle off some of the many authors and rightsholders behind Broadway Licensing Global, advised here by Goldman and Proskauer Rose. Keeping the enthusiasm going in statements, execs drove home the deal’s perceived significance for Concord and the wider theater space.

(Side note on the executive front: Broadway Licensing founder and CEO Sean Cercone stepped away in March 2024, promptly launched a new company called Dramallama, and is apparently working on a play entitled “Sold Out.” “It’s about ambition, ego, power, and what happens when the spotlight turns off,” Cercone wrote on LinkedIn just this morning.)

“Concord’s mission is to champion authors by promoting and protecting their work and empowering theatre makers to help their shows reach audiences worldwide,” added Concord chief theatricals executive Sean Patrick Flahaven.

“Bringing together these catalogs combines 150 titles and 400 authors that are already shared between the companies, as well as creating new relationships,” the close to seven-year Concord exec proceeded in part.

Photo Credit: ThoroughlyReviewed / CC by 2.0

Snapchat owner Snap Inc. has finalized a broad number of licensing agreements with major music publishers, according to details tipped to Digital Music News.

The yellow ghost isn’t ghosting music publishers — according to signed agreement details shared with Digital Music News.

Per paperwork that somehow found its way to DMN’s place of business, Snapchat owner Snap Inc. is signing deals with a bevy of music publishers under deal terms structured by the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA). And for those who enjoy counting Benjamins, this is a juicy pot of revenue of nearly $15 million over two years.

Even better for the biz: apparently, this is the latest in a string of licensing agreements involving Snap, a decision that removes the need for those pesky, multi-year lawsuits. That hasn’t been the case with X, née Twitter, which has refused to pay for music licensing and remains locked in a legal battle with major music publishers led by Bob Valentine’s Concord Music Publishing and the NMPA.

Incidentally, Snap’s more cooperative stance could be paving the way for some high-profile artist collaborations ahead. In that light, which massive artist is planning a major event with Snapchat as soon as this week? — Stay tuned.

NMPA chief David Israelite confirmed to Digital Music News that this isn’t the first deal between music publishers and Snap Inc. — far from it.

Instead, this is simply the latest re-up of a longstanding licensing agreement, meaning the terms were ironed out years ago and inked multiple times.

Shifting to the dollar amounts involved, the blanket agreement covers a two-year span and a guaranteed pot of $14,660,010. The opt-in agreement window lapsed in March after a 90-day window, and participating publishers will claim their share of the purse based on a pro-rata, market share calculation.

For Snap and its collection of properties, this deal looks all-encompassing.

Beyond the core Snapchat app, the licensing agreement also covers Bitmoji and Zenly and associated players, pages, apps, websites, tools like Lens Studio, and Messaging products — though it looks like the Snapchat kitchen sink isn’t included.

Ted Suh, Head of Music Partnerships at Snap, appears to have been quarterbacking the deal for the social media platform. Snap declined to comment on the licensing agreement.

According to the contract terms, any NMPA member publisher can jump into the agreement. In terms of who isn’t part of this opt-in deal, the language strongly suggests that the biggies have already structured separate contracts, including Sony Music Publishing, EMI Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, and BMG Rights Management.

For everyone else, the deal flexes the NMPA’s muscle and its representation of a broad swath of the global music publishing industry. And what about those who aren’t members of the NMPA? According to more information spilled to DMN, non-NMPA publishers will have to strike their own agreements, though we’ve also learned that Snap flat-out isn’t doing deals with them.

The NMPA opt-in itself is global in scope, with Argentina the only exception.

And in case you think we’re making up the whole ‘sign here or we’re going to court’ vibe, it’s actually spelled out in the contract.

Indeed, the agreement acknowledges that while “the parties disagree as to whether or not, under the copyright laws, Snap is required to obtain a license for Snap’s users’ use and/or exploitation of musical compositions and/or lyrics,” the participating music publishers agree “not to sue Snap or its users for the use of musical compositions or lyrics… in order to enter into the License Agreement.”

In other words, ‘we came to an understanding’ — music industry style.

Photo Credit: Jessi Vaughn Stevenson (WCM), Jared Mullins, Morgan Wallen, and Phil May (WCM) by David Lehr

Warner Chappell Music Nashville and Morgan Wallen’s publishing company, Wilder Music, have signed a global publishing deal with Jared Mullins.

Known for his dynamic songwriting, singer-songwriter Jared Mullins has co-written several No. 1 hits, including “Thank God” by Kane Brown featuring Katelyn Brown, and Jake Owen’s “Homemade.” Both tracks topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart, while the latter also headed the Country Aircheck/Mediabase charts. Mullins’ growing list of collaborators include Wallen, Little Big Town, and Mitchell Tenpenny, among others.

“I’ve been lucky enough to know Morgan for over a decade,” shared Jared Mullins. “As an artist, he’s obviously one of the greatest of all time, but he’s also one of the best writers in the world. I’m extremely grateful and incredibly humbled that he believes in me enough to make me the first signing of Wilder Music.”

“Warner Chappell is known for championing great songs and for signing and re-signing some of the best writer ever to put words and melodies together. Working with Jessi and getting to know the rest of the WCM crew has been amazing. I’m so thankful for this opportunity and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for me,” Mullins continued.

“I’ve seen firsthand the amount of talent Jared has as a writer. He brings passion, authenticity, and fresh ideas in every write he’s in. It’s undeniable,” says Wallen. “I’m humbled to be launching this new venture with Warner Chappell, and even more excited that Jared is the first signing at Wilder Music.”

“It is incredibly exciting to be working with Jared. His talent is vast and varied, and to be partnering with Morgan is the cherry on top,” adds Jessi Vaughn Stevenson, VP, A&R and Digital, WCM Nashville.

Growing up between Westminster, Maryland, and Romney, West Virginia, Jared Mullins spent the majority of his childhood along the East Coast. In 2013, he moved to Nashville, eager to make his mark on the country music scene. He quickly began making a name for himself on Music Row by building connections, developing his brand, and focusing on crafting exceptional music.

Throughout his career, Mullins has contributed to various recordings for a range of country music artists such as Cole Swindell, Justin Moore, Granger Smith, Runaway June, and Parmalee, among many others. In 2022, he co-wrote LOCASH’s single, “Beach Boys,” featuring The Beach Boys’ co-founder Mike Love and longtime bandmate Bruce Johnston.

Diplo (real name Thomas Pentz), who’s inked a worldwide admin deal with Warner Chappell Music. Photo Credit: Maria Jose Govea

Warner Chappell Music (WCM) has officially signed “visionary creative” Diplo to a global admin deal.  

Warner Music’s publishing unit and 46-year-old Diplo formally announced that high-profile pact this morning. In the appropriate release, Warner Chappell took the opportunity to emphasize the Major Lazer member’s commercially prominent catalog, with a particular focus on collaborations involving Morgan Wallen, Justin Bieber, and others.

(Most recently, Diplo wrote and produced Blackpink member Jennie’s “Like Jennie.” Fellow Blackpink member Rosé signed a worldwide deal with Warner Chappell in November 2024.)

Meanwhile, the Mad Decent and Higher Ground owner Diplo in a statement touted WCM’s “immensely skilled, forward thinking staff.”

“The Warner Chappell team is uniquely set up to address my many endeavors and projects whether it be producing for other artists, releasing my own music, or collaborating on records,” the three-time Grammy winner said.

“They have an immensely skilled, forward thinking staff that I feel can help complement how I approach making and placing music,” the LSD member concluded. “In addition, I am excited to bring it full circle with [WCM COO] Carianne Marshall who played such an integral role in my early success.”

And in remarks of his own, Warner Chappell SVP of A&R for North America David Goldsen praised the HonkyTonk curator “as one of the most accomplished artists.”

“Diplo has already cemented himself as one of the most accomplished artists and music pioneers on the planet,” the close to two-decade Warner Chappell exec communicated.

“His bold approach to art, culture, and songs is what we want to align with at Warner Chappell. There’s lots to continue to look forward to, and we’re thrilled to work together with him alongside his management team, Andrew McInnes and Renee Brodeur,” Goldsen finished.

Now with a Spotify direct deal in place, Warner Chappell has scored several other signings in and around the EDM space on the year. That includes agreements with Mau P (inked specifically via Warner Chappell Benelux) and Empire of the Sun’s Luke Steele, to name a couple.

And fresh off a Sphere residency, EDM vet Anyma closed out March by signing a publishing pact of his own, this time with Kobalt.

Chartmetric trending artist du jour, De La Soul

Digital Music News is now expanding its longtime partnership with Chartmetric, the industry’s most respected music intelligence and data platform.

Jumping in, DMN readers will soon have access to a constantly-updating track popularity ranking, complete with fast-emerging breakouts. Complementing the ranking will be Chartmetric’s latest data trend analyses, which will include a broad range of genres, artists, and broader worldwide music developments.

Everything will be available to Digital Music News readers in a neat dropdown widget, which will complement DMN’s existing industry coverage.

The dynamic chart ranking will lean heavily on Spotify Monthly Listeners and Chartmetric’s own scoring methodologies to monitor breakout tracks and artists, 24/7. For those seeking a real time ranking that better reflects trending realities online and off, there isn’t a better barometer of what’s bubbling.

For those that want to dive deeper, Chartmetric’s data-focused breakdowns will offer unparalleled examinations of music trends worldwide.

That includes featured articles from Chartmetric’s ‘How Music Charts,’ a dedicated editorial column focused on music charts, data, and analytics – with extremely time-sensitive and relevant articles.

And that’s in addition to DMN’s non-stop, hard-hitting industry coverage and DMN Pro analyses.

“Chartmetric and Digital Music News have been partnering for years with a mission to broaden music industry intelligence,” said Chartmetric President & COO Andreas Katsambas. “Now, we’re taking things a step further.”

Meanwhile, Chartmetric is recharting the possibilities in A&R with a recently-released ‘Talent Search Tool’ to power better predictive intelligence.

As profiled on DMN, Chartmetric’s Talent Search Tool sifts through data from over 10 million artists, identifying key signals that suggest an artist’s potential for long-term success. Each artist receives a daily score from 1 to 10 across various metrics, making it easier to spot emerging talent worthy of deeper investigation.

Just recently, Chartmetric joined forces with DMN to broaden awareness of its data-powered predictive tool.

Photo Credit: Patrick Moxey, Founder and CEO, Payday Music Publishing

Ultra International Music Publishing announces its name change to Payday Music Publishing following a court judgement in a case brought by Sony Music.

Leading independent publisher of hip-hop, pop, electronic dance music, jazz, and reggae, Ultra International Music Publishing, has announced it will be changing its name to Payday Music Publishing. The move follows a recent court decision in a legal case brought by Sony Music disputing ownership of the Ultra brand following Sony’s acquisition of the company’s recording division in 2021.

The newly branded Payday Publishing will continue to represent over 70,000 copyrights, including shares in numerous No. 1 Billboard hits. It publishes and co-publishes songs by Post Malone, Ed Sheeran, Future, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Katy Perry, Kanye West, Chris Brown, Drake, Martin Garrix, Kygo, Steve Aoki, Playboi Carti, and many more. Thirteen of its songwriters were also nominated across seven categories — including Album of the Year, R&B Album of the Year, and Rap Album of the Year — at the recent Grammy Awards.

The Payday Music Publishing name is a natural progression from Payday Records, Patrick Moxey’s groundbreaking hip-hop label, which launched in 1992 and is best known for releasing music by Jay-Z, Jeru the Damaja, Antslive, and many others.

“Throughout the entire legal process surrounding the ongoing usage of the Ultra brand, we have asserted our belief that for our entirely separate and unconnected publishing division, the rights should remain with us. However, the judge in the case thought otherwise, even though no damages or legal costs were awarded against us, and we will move forward with a new name,” said Patrick Moxey, Founder and CEO of Ultra International Music Publishing (UIMP) and now Payday Music Publishing.

“But it’s important to emphasize that this is all it is — a new name. Nothing apart from the name changes, we will continue to represent our amazing songwriters and producers and we will continue serving as the custodians and protectors of the more than 70,000 copyrights we are privileged to represent. We have seen tremendous growth in recent years and will remain market leaders in independent global music publishing and we are proud to be working under our new Payday Publishing banner.”

The company is celebrating multiple entries into Spotify’s Billion Streams Club in the last few months, including Tory Lanez’s “The Color Violet,” “Wait For U” by Drake, Future, and TEMS, and “Runaway” by AURORA. Alongside numerous hits in the Urban, Rhythmic & Dance Radio charts, songwriters represented by the company have contributed to several recent US No. 1 albums, including those by Future, Playboi Carti, Lil Baby, and more.

In addition, Payday has announced a new series of international writing camps in 2025 following the success of 2024 collaborations with Atlantic Records in Ibiza, Virgin Records in Germany, and Warner Music in Paris.

These new camps also follow its successful South Korean writing camp, which took place in Seoul in February in association with Hybe Publishing, JYP, Watner Records, and SM Entertainment. Songwriters represented by Payday Publishing who attended this camp, including Neil Ormandy, Jenson Vaughn, Lizzy Land, and Kwon Close. They were joined by a number of acclaimed South Korean songwriters, including 1Zone, Slow Rabbit, Jinsol, Frants, Kass, CA$HCOW, Alex Karlsson, Gyubin artists, Tim Tan, Alawn, Wutan, no2zcat, MADDOX, Steven Castle, and Scon.

This spring will also see the return of Payday Publishing’s annual sync writing camp. With a focus on trailers, this week-long event is held in May in Palm Springs, and brings together the company’s top songwriters with major production company partners. Previous sync placements include the recent We Live In Time trailer, MAX Promo, Disney 100, Grey’s Anatomy, and works for Netflix, Hulu, ABC, and many others.

TikTok USA, circa 2025 (Photo: TCY)

Months after ‘the ban,’ there’s no telling what happens to TikTok next in the US.

After inching oh-so-close to a deal to secure TikTok in the US, China apparently pressed hard pause on the arrangement following Trump’s tariff slap. So what does that mean for the music industry?

If you love uncertainty, this one’s for you. Trump is now extending the ban by another 75 days, though a hard clock is now ticking on a deal that was apparently 99% done. Congressional pushback on the ‘phase 2 extension’ is already happening, and Apple is seeking White House assurance that the app can remain on its App Store.

This slow-motion cookie crumble could go in any direction. Among the possibilities within the next 30 days: TikTok shutting down for good or continuing business-as-usual — or, potentially, some insane variation in the middle.

Last we checked, TikTok is available on both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, though this situation is volatile. And certainly not a recipe for crafting stellar, long-term artist marketing campaigns — or advertising campaigns, for that matter.

Most music folks are smartly spreading their marketing efforts across the gamut of social media giants, with IG Reels and Shorts getting a nice stability bump. That said, as long as TikTok is ticking, it has the power to blow stuff up — including entire artist careers and dusty catalog tracks.

While the over-under on TikTok’s survival has gone haywire, some executive ship-jumping is worth noting — particularly TikTok Music ex-honcho Ole Obermann, who recently packed his bags for Apple Music. And he’s not the only one potentially pondering the writing on the wall.

Meanwhile, other platforms continue to seize the moment. On that note: what major social media platform just inked a broad-reaching deal with major music publishers? (Hint: the first letter isn’t ‘X’…)

On a broader note, few in the music business seem to be rooting for TikTok’s survival.

It’s not that TikTok isn’t making some effort to play nice with the music business. Just last week, for example, TikTok was among the supporting sponsors at the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) golf classic and fire relief efforts in Los Angeles. But for the most part, the vibe within the music industry isn’t warmly supportive, to say the least.

TikTok famously refused to reasonably compensate rights owners until absolutely forced, with the aforementioned Obermann battling it out with Universal Music Group for weeks before a deal was hammered out. Indies are also understandably cool on this low-paying platform, though TikTok’s marketing muscle is certainly potent — especially if the viral fairy gods tap your shoulder.

Then again, that’s the aspiration for rivals like Reels and Shorts, among others. And we get the sense that witnessing a heavy door slamming on TikTok’s derriere would be oh-so-satisfying for many industry folks.

Guess everyone’s replaceable — and let’s face it, life will go on in the music industry, with or without TikTok USA playing a role in it.

More as this develops.

Got a juicy tip? Hit me up at paul@digitalmusicnews.com or Signal (@digitalmusicnews.07).

Photo Credit: IMPF President Annette Barrett

IMPF launches the fifth edition of its Global Market View for Independent Music Publishing at the organization’s annual event in Athens.

IMPF’s Global Market View is the only report that looks exclusively at the independent music publishing industry and its international impact and position. It provides in-depth, authoritative insight into the value of the independent music publishing business and the sector’s influence on the global modern music ecosystem.

The latest report, based on the last full year of data available, finds that the global independent music publishing business continued to grow in 2023, with a total value of €2.57 billion ($2.8 billion), up 5.7% year-on-year. That’s also up 105.6% since 2018.

Photo Credit: IMPF

The sector’s global market share clocked in at 26.3%, slightly down from 26.7% in 2022. That’s still enough to maintain its status as the biggest combined music publishing entity in the world — ahead of the largest major company.

This edition of the Global Market View puts a spotlight on independent music publishers’ contribution to the creative ecosystem as important partners, key agents of cultural diversity, and custodians of songs.

Photo Credit: IMPF

Unsurprisingly, digital was a prime driver of growth, with a strong increase in digital revenue in all regions, except for Africa. Certain markets have digital revenues now exceeding 50% of the total, such as Mexico (+69.8%), Sweden (+64.7%), Australasia (+61.4%), and Canada (+53.2%).

For the first time in Canada and the US, digital revenue overtook broadcast income, which has traditionally been the dominant income stream. Digital now accounts for 43.6% of the market, an increase of 12.6%. The US market is by far the largest single market for indie publishers, while Europe as a whole is the largest region by far in terms of collections from CMOs. But in terms of growth, Latin America is the fastest growing, with a 26.2% growth rate, driven by Brazil and Mexico.

Meanwhile, the world’s two largest markets — India and China — are both showing promising signs. India is the world’s 24th largest market in revenues, which is no small feat, given that the country did not appear among the Top 50 markets only a few years ago. In 2023, China held the 26th position, while both countries have the potential to become Top 10 markets within a decade if they continue to grow at the same rate.

Photo Credit: IMPF

“I’m pleased to present the fifth edition of IMPF’s Global Market View, which reveals continued growth in the value of independent music publishing worldwide, and that our combined market share remains greater than that of the largest major corporate organization,” says IMPF President Annette Barrett.

“This demonstrates the enduring influence and important of independent music publishers, their songwriters and their repertoire around the world, and the value they deliver on both a local and international level. IMPF is proud to support this vibrant, diverse, and powerful community, advocating for our members, helping them to foster new opportunities and tackle emerging challenges head on.”

Overall, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic, but the report also raises some of the biggest issues facing independent music publishers around the world. Among those, generative AI will have a considerable impact on the music business.

“Publishers are constantly seeking new revenue streams for composers and songwriters, but AI-generated music presents an unprecedented challenge,” remarks Elisa Amouyal, CEO & Owner of Talit MuZIc Publishing, and Chair of the IMPF AI Working Group. “Calling this competition unfair is an understatement — AI songs are created at virtually no cost, bypassing the studio time, rehearsals, and human creativity that define the recording process. As AI-generated content floods the market, we need clear transparency and guardrails. While AI can enhance royalty management and offer creative tools, we must ensure it empowers rather than replaces songwriters and composers.”

IMPF remains active in all cross-industry discussion on these key issues and makes sure the voice of the independent music publishing community is heard.

SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown. Photo Credit: SOCAN

SOCAN has reported north of $390 million (CA$559.4 million) in revenue for 2024, when its collections growth rate slowed a bit from 2023.

The Canadian PRO disclosed this and other performance particulars in its annual report today. According to the breakdown, the above-mentioned collections represent both a record high and a 6.9% year-over-year (YoY) increase, down from about 8% in 2023.

With roughly 6,000 new members to its credit on the year, SOCAN attributed the revenue improvement to “strong” boosts for general licensing (up 10.1% YoY), concerts (up 17.7% YoY to $27 million/CA$38 million), digital (up 10.8% YoY to $146 million/CA$209 million), and international (up 15% YoY to $96 million/CA$138 million).

On the distribution front, SOCAN is said to have paid members $358 million/CA$512 million last year, up 17.5% YoY as compared to 22% for 2023.

“A significant portion of this increase also came from improved data resolution activities,” elaborated the non-profit, which has scheduled its annual meeting for May 21st.

(Already receiving a limited beta test, a program “to deliver monthly concert distributions” for certain events will become available to all members in 2026, SOCAN communicated as well.)

Those numbers seem positive enough, but SOCAN described its showing as “bittersweet” to DMN. Less than one-tenth of Canada’s online music consumption involves works written or composed by Canadians, the entity spelled out here.

Running with the point in a statement, SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown urged consumers to get music in on the “Buy Canadian” action.

“Canadians are increasingly choosing local products and services,” Brown said, “driving the success of Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs. It’s important to show the same support for our songwriters and composers — not just today, but always.

“Canadian music fans, businesses and government, alongside the international music companies choosing to grow their business in Canada all play a role in showcasing music as part of Canada’s cultural identity,” finished the longtime SOCAN higher-up.

Though SOCAN’s core financials span a handful of pages, the year-end report itself runs nearly 50 pages overall and covers quite a bit of additional ground.

Among other things, SOCAN reiterated its position on AI and provided an update on its years-running technology-strategy pivot. Expected to wrap sometime later this year, said pivot centers on a tie-up with Ireland-based Spanish Point Technologies.

Meanwhile, having apparently kept a tally of “strategic connections,” SOCAN indicated that it’d “facilitated more than 600 introductions between members and key industry players” last year.

Fallout Boy’s Pete Wentz and father Pete Wentz, Sr., at the NMPA SONGS Foundation Golf Tournament on Monday at Riviera Country Club (Photo: NMPA)

One could be forgiven for predicting that the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) might nix their annual golf outing in Los Angeles this year. Instead, the NMPA SONGS Foundation Golf Tournament went ahead as planned this week — just minutes from the fire lines in Pacific Palisades.

Ironically, Mother Nature offered a smattering of light rain and cloudy skies on Monday—cool and damp climes for the NMPA’s annual SONGS Foundation Golf Tournament at the swanky Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. That type of weather was sorely needed a few months ago as fires ripped through the area, though Riviera was thankfully spared.

Things have been quiet around these parts ever since: according to one Riviera caddy, member traffic has been sharply down at the club since the Palisades fires for a variety of reasons. For music publishers, songwriters, composers, and others attending the National Music Publishers’ Association’s annual golf outing, it was difficult to imagine just how close the fires burned — though the mood was upbeat and donation dollars were flowing.

All in all, the event rustled a cool $350,000 for fire relief efforts through MusiCares, according to NMPA Senior Vice President of External Affairs Charlotte Sellmyer. Not bad for a single-day event, and the songwriting and publishing communities will benefit.

Another interesting twist: LA firefighters were the featured stars this time around, though plenty of superstar songwriters, performers, producers, and publishing execs were also milling around.

Among the who’s who of attendees: Fallout Boy’s Pete Wentz (and his father); Cam Avery of Tame Impala; Mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blowfish; Walker Hayes; Dan Omelio (aka Robopop); Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs; songwriter Ross Golan; Mark Wystrach and Cameron Duddy of country group Midland; Cooper Alan; producer, composer, and writer Alex Hitchens; Mark Cazorla of The Record Company; and Mozella.

On the executive side, the ranks included Jody Klein (Abkco), Larry Mestel (Primary Wave), Jeff Pachman (Domino), Peter Brodsky (Sony Music Publishing), Frank Liwall (Royalty Network), Jenny Kim (Morgan Stanley), Thomas Winkler (Amazon Music), Jon Cohen (Amazon Music), and Bob Valentine (Concord).

NMPA brass were also hanging out, including CEO David Israelite, EVP and General Counsel Danielle Aguirre, and the aforementioned Charlotte Sellmyer.

Beyond that, the sponsor list was deep, with seemingly every hole sponsored by a music publishing heavyweight, streaming platform, PRO, or industry law firm (in this case, LaPolt Law, P.C.).

Spotify was non-existent at the event, which makes sense given the DSP’s deep beef with music publishers and songwriters. But Amazon Music was thoroughly involved, and even TikTok was a sponsoring partner.

The festivities also included a performance by songwriter Wrabel, who offered a stunning rendition of “All That Really Matters” by Teddy Swims — a song Wrabel co-wrote. All in all, it was a pretty damn good shindig — scroll down for more pics!

Members of the Los Angeles Fire Department (Photo: NMPA)

Pete Wentz (left) and NMPA chief David Israelite (right) diplomatically discuss whose drive was actually longer (Photo: NMPA)

Concord Music CEO Bob Valentine (Photo: NMPA)

NMPA Senior VP of External Affairs Charlotte Sellmyer kicks off the shotgun round (Photo: NMPA)

DMN’s Paul Resnikoff hits ‘publish’ on another bomb (Photo: NMPA)

Wrabel performs a stunning set for assembled guests (Photo: NMPA)

Jenny Kim (Morgan Stanley), David Israelite (NMPA), and Wentz father and son at Riviera’s first tee (Photo: NMPA)

Songwriter extraordinaire Mozella tees off (Photo: NMPA)

Riviera’s plush greens (Photo: NMPA)

Streaming music platform (DSP) market share breakdown as December 2024, US (Source: DMN Pro, Digital Music News)

YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Pandora Premium, and other streaming platforms struggled to gain subscribers in 2024, as Spotify and Apple Music notched their collective leads higher.

The streaming music market isn’t a one- or two-horse race — in the United States or globally. However, two fast-galloping horses, Spotify and Apple Music, are pushing their collective market share higher in the US as rival platforms struggle to gain ground. According to our latest market share statistics through December 2024, Spotify and Apple Music now account for more than two-thirds of total paying music streaming subscribers in the music industry’s largest market.

Here’s the full breakdown, including a year-over-year market share analysis.

Report Table of Contents

I. The Latest US-Based DSP Market Share Breakdowns (as of December 2024)

II. Year-Over-Year Comparisons: Spotify and Apple Music Pull Ahead – As Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Others Lose Ground

III. Challenging Stagnation: Where’s the Innovation Breakthrough to Jumpstart Subscribers?

IV. Our Methodology: Description, Limitations, and Future Enhancements

V. Appendix: Streaming Music Pricing & Audio Fidelity Breakdown for Top DSPs, March 2025

Please note: the following report is exclusively for DMN Pro subscribers — please do not redistribute. Thank you!

Photo Credit: Katie Welle, Sounwave, MTech, Gary Biddy, Jordan Burg, Lauren Munroe / Sony Music Publishing

Sony Music Publishing announces the signing of acclaimed producer MTech, in partnership with producer Sounwave, to a global publishing deal, covering his catalog and future songs.

MTech, whose real name is Matthew Bernard, has quickly established himself as a dynamic creative force, working alongside some of the biggest names in music today across various genres. Most recently, he contributed to six tracks on Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, GNX, which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s 200 Albums Chart. His credits on GNX include hit songs “Luther” featuring SZA, as well as “Squabble Up.”

“Navigating to this point in my journey hasn’t been easy,” said MTech. “Life can tear you down, but I’m evidence that faith and love will get you through. I’m really just glad to be here and grateful to Sounwave for the opportunity.”

“When someone as talented as Matt has the incredible work ethic that he does, you get the kind of results that you’re seeing,” added Sounwave. “I knew from day one Matt was a superstar and will be one of the biggest producers in the world.”

Sony Music Publishing Manager, Creative A&R Lauren Munroe said, “MTech’s exceptional talent is truly inspiring to be around, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with him. We’re honored to welcome MTech to the Sony Music Publishing family alongside the visionary Sounwave and excited for the incredible music ahead.”

MTech’s notable credits also include a placement on Kenrick Lamar’s Euphoria, as well as contributions across Kali Uchis’ Orquideas, and placements on Blxst’s I’ll Always Come Find You.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, MTech first launched his career at 17 as a producer for independent artists. He later moved to Atlanta, where he earned continued success, securing his first major TV placement on Fox’s “Star,” and working as a rehearsal pianist and arranger on “The Four: Battle for Stardom.” He returned to LA in 2022 and was introduced to celebrated producer Sounwave a year later by his manager, Gary Biddy. That meeting led to major opportunities and further solidified MTech’s status as an in-demand hitmaker.

Jordan Burg, Founder, Minerva Group, said, “We knew Sony would be an incredible partner for MTech, and we are beyond faithful that Lauren will help us execute the creative vision we have for him.”

MTech’s manager, Gary Biddy, concluded, “For me, this is a full-circle dream come true. To see Sounwave — who believed in me early on — now team up with MTech, who I believed in since high school, is one of the best things that’s ever happened.”

Photo Credit: Anyma by Nicko Guihal

Kobalt announces its partnership with acclaimed EDM artist and visionary live performer Anyma, fresh off his residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Leading independent music publisher Kobalt announces a new partnership with Anyma, acclaimed electronic music artist and live performer whose immersive experiences are captivating worldwide audiences.

This collaboration coincides with a landmark moment in Anyma’s career: his recent sold-out, eight-night residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Due to overwhelming demand, the residency was extended to 12 dates in total, giving even more fans the opportunity to witness his groundbreaking performances. Selling more than 200,000 tickets, Anyma made history as the first electronic artist to grace the Sphere’s stage, joining the ranks of legendary acts like U2, Phish, The Eagles, and Dead & Company.

“Anyma’s artistry transcends traditional electronic music,” says Rani Hancock, Kobalt’s Executive Vice President, Head of US Creative. “He crafts sonic and visual journeys that resonate deeply with his audience. At Kobalt, we champion artists who redefine creative boundaries, and Anyma’s innovative spirit perfectly aligns with that vision. We are incredibly proud to welcome him to the Kobalt family.”

“Partnering with Kobalt Music Publishing marks an exciting new chapter with Anyma,” said Anyma manager Evan Baker. “The global Kobalt team [is] an ideal partner for the world [Anyma] has built and his unique vision towards a full audio-visual immersive experience.”

Anyma has carved a unique space in the electronic music landscape, earning widespread acclaim for his innovative approach to both music and performance. His immersive live shows have redefined the concert experience, blurring the lines between music, art, and technology.

Rising to prominence as one half of the acclaimed DJ duo Tale Of Us, Anyma’s powerful blend of techno and progressive house resonated with a global audience. Now, as a solo artist, he continues to push creative boundaries, solidifying his position as a leading force in electronic music.

Across 13 global offices, Kobalt Music serves over a million songs, representing some of the biggest songwriters in the world, including Roddy Ricch, Max Martin, Karol G, Andrew Watt, Stevie Nicks, Phoebe Bridgers, The Lumineers Gunna, Justin Quiles, The Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, and many more. Kobalt represents around 35% of the top 100 songs and albums in the US and the UK.

Brandon Silverstein, who’s signed on as CEO of the newly minted Avex Music Group. Photo Credit: Hidefumi Hase

Less than one year after investing in S10 Entertainment, Japanese entertainment conglomerate Avex has acquired the company’s publishing division.

Avex (TYO: 7860) disclosed the newer play in a formal release this morning. Last May, the Tokyo-headquartered business finalized (via Avex USA – more here in a moment) a “strategic investment” in S10 Entertainment.

At the time, Avex described S10 Entertainment, founded by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Brandon Silverstein, as the “management division” of the overarching S10. The separate S10 Publishing, on the other hand, set sail in 2020 as a JV involving Avex and Silverstein.

Returning to today’s news, then, Avex says it’s acquired the entirety of S10 Music Publishing’s catalog and secured “an additional stake” in S10 Management to boot.

The latter interest means Avex possesses “the largest share in S10 Management alongside Silverstein and Roc Nation,” per the text.

Next, the arrangement has brought with it the official launch of Avex Music Group (AMG), a newly formed entity led by Silverstein and housing S10 Publishing as well as the above-mentioned Avex USA’s assets.

Besides serving as CEO, Silverstein is a partner and equity stakeholder in LA-headquartered AMG, where he’s set to join the board, the companies explained. (At least in the stateside release, Avex didn’t elaborate on the professional status of Avex USA CEO Naoki Osada.)

Avex USA employees are coming aboard AMG, the parties clarified for good measure, with “S10’s existing team and operations” remaining “unchanged.”

“Since forming our strategic partnership with Brandon Silverstein in 2020,” Avex CEO Katsumi Kuroiwa added in part, “we have strengthened our presence in the U.S. market, and now, we are taking that vision to the next level.

“By deepening our commitment and entrusting Brandon to lead our U.S. operations, we are not only expanding our footprint but also positioning Avex as a potent force in the international music landscape,” he continued.

With all that said, the maneuvers don’t extend to (and won’t take Silverstein away from) every component of the main S10.

The distinct S10 Management will “maintain a separate staff and will continue to be led by Silverstein as CEO,” per the text.

Additionally, “Silverstein will continue to own and lead S10 Records, which will remain a completely independent record label,” the companies stressed.

DMN reached out to Roc Nation for further information about its current S10 stake and relationship with Avex, but didn’t immediately receive a response.

A National Music Publishers’ Association graphic comparing Spotify head Daniel Ek’s 2024 stock sales with the streaming platform’s songwriter royalties in the U.S. during the year. Photo Credit: NMPA

Who said the Spotify bundling criticism was letting up? The NMPA is calling out CEO Daniel Ek for allegedly selling more company stock in 2024 than his platform paid all U.S. songwriters in royalties for the year.

National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) head David Israelite just recently emphasized the stat, “one of the craziest” he’s seen, in a LinkedIn post. By now, many are aware of Spotify’s audiobook-bundling embrace, which, we’ve explored at length, is fueling significant royalty effects in the music world.

And to put it mildly, the situation isn’t sitting right with songwriters and publishers; the majors’ respective publishing arms haven’t hesitated to opt for direct deals. It’s unclear whether smaller players can go the same route, and questions also remain about how the fiasco will affect Spotify’s plans for new features.

Closer to the present, the NMPA and others certainly aren’t through with their royalty-related criticism of Spotify.

“This is one of the craziest stats I have ever seen in the music industry,” David Israelite wrote. “In 2024, it’s reported Daniel Ek cashed out $376m in stock. In that same period, it’s estimated ALL songwriters in the US received $320m from Spotify.

“The system is broken. Songwriters and publishers need the freedom to negotiate rates in a free market,” the NMPA CEO concluded.

We covered Ek’s Spotify stock sales (as well as those of different execs and insiders) when they were recorded last year. Meanwhile, the 42-year-old has continued cashing in on SPOT during 2025.

All told, since February 2024, Ek has sold just shy of $560 million in company stock, regulatory filings show. That sizable sum includes almost $127 million worth of trades reported during February and March 2025 alone.

Returning to the NMPA-stressed stats, the latest round of public pushback attests to the multifaceted opposition Spotify is still staring down here.

First, this refers to the above-highlighted licensing hurdles. Last month, the NMPA not-so-subtly underscored that Spotify would have to secure additional licenses for its anticipated remix and mashup offerings; the latter are expected to be part of a more expensive “Super-Premium” tier.

The NMPA is simultaneously cracking down on alleged infringement in Spotify-hosted podcasts.

Lastly, regarding the ongoing bundling fallout, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) promptly challenged Spotify’s underlying subscription reclassifications in court. Though the development’s received minimal industry coverage, earlier in March, a federal judge revived components of the previously dismissed suit.

Now, the MLC has until April 1st to seek leave to submit a retooled action. The amended complaint, the judge said in more words, must focus on claims that Spotify didn’t properly pay royalties on its audiobook plan and attached an inflated price to the standalone audiobook tier, thereby enjoying bolstered savings under the relevant royalty-calculation model.

A live performance from Word Collections client Greta Van Fleet. Photo Credit: Troy Larson

Word Collections has launched a royalty service, Songwriter Collections, designed to reduce fraud and speed up payments on the digital side.

Five-year-old Word Collections just recently announced Songwriter Collections, which it says has direct pacts in place with Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and a variety of different DSPs.

Overall, the arrangement enables member songwriters and publishers to receive “100% of their earned royalties from global digital streaming,” per Word Collections.

That’s due in part to the above-mentioned fraud-reduction benefits. But Word Collections further emphasized data-quality improvements and the elimination of “intermediary deductions” when describing Songwriter Collections’ advantages.

Also on the “intermediary” front, the service is said to handle licensing, admin, collections, auditing, and payments internally; among other things, the streamlined approach purportedly delivers “royalties up to a year faster.”

Following those points to their logical conclusion, Songwriter Collections is said to track and secure the appropriate royalties for each “streamed recording” at hand. Besides originals, that includes covers, remixes, rereleases, and more, Black Squirrel Partners-backed Word Collections indicated.

As described by the same source, Songwriter Collections is therefore well-positioned to chip away at today’s huge pile of unmatched “black box” royalties.

If their rightful owners aren’t identified, these royalties are seemingly destined to reach rightsholders based on market share – a situation that, for obvious reasons, would benefit leading publishers.

But according to Jeff Price-founded Word Collections, its newly established service can recover stateside “royalties dating back to 2002.” Internationally, the advertised recovery capabilities extend to usages “between one and a half to two years” old, per the appropriate company.

Without diving too much deeper into Songwriter Collections’ specifics, the service doesn’t charge an upfront fee and deals in six-month terms that can be terminated with 30 days’ notice at any time after the initial term’s conclusion, per higher-ups.

Additionally, songwriters and publishers can tap Songwriter Collections to handle digital royalties for particular songs and/or certain markets, execs noted. And the service is said to accommodate third-party publishing admin agreements to boot, simply forwarding collected digital royalties accordingly.

Having scored a deal with Richard Marx this past summer, the overarching Word Collections currently counts as clients Metallica, Eminem publisher Eight Mile Style, and Greta Van Fleet, to name a few.

Photo Credit: Stem

Several trade publications are reporting that Concord is in talks with Stem for an acquisition—though those reports are wildly different. Here’s what we know so far.

Trade publications including Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and Music Business Worldwide are all reporting that Concord is in advanced talks with Stem. The content of those talks is currently unknown, with each of these publications reporting wildly different details. THR says financial terms for the deal are as of yet unknown, while MBW reports that a $50 million deal is on the table. Sources speaking to THR call that figure “wildly inaccurate.”

Stem is a Los Angeles-based digital distributor that gives indie artists ownership of their works while retaining a distribution fee. Meanwhile, Nashville-based Concord controls a vast music catalog and publishing business, as well as classical music publisher Boosey & Hawkes. Concord also controls the catalog of Round Hill Music after a $450+ million acquisition in 2023. Billboard reports that Concord’s annual revenue is split roughly 50/50 between its publishing and recorded music divisions.

Stem raised $40 million in three fundraising rounds between 2017 and 2022. Since then, it has been looking for a strategic investor to provide more funding for artist advances. “Competition for artists seeking distribution deals has picked up enough that Stem ‘lost numerous deal historically as it wasn’t able to be competitive with advances,” Billboard reports a Stem pitch deck from 2024 states.

In 2023, Stem secured a $250 million credit facility from Victory Park Capital. But the terms of that credit line was ‘restrictive’ a source told Billboard. It required each artists’ project to recoup its own advance. “Music is a hit-driven business and you need to have capital that understands that and is willing to allow you take the risk across multiple projects, knowing that the overall portfolio will perform,” that source told Billboard.

Because of that, Stem is seeking equity investors rather than taking on more debt. Concord would make a good fit here as it has raised more than $3 billion from asset-backed securities led by Apollo Global Management. THR says the bidding for Stem has been highly competitive, with interest buyers including Sony Music, Warner Music Group, and Concord—which is currently distributed by Universal Music Group.

“No one’s doing the sort of deals anymore where the rights owner owns your master,” one insider source told THR. “Distribution is king in the race to be the fourth major.”

Last year Warner Music Group appeared to be interested in acquiring Believe, the French company that owns distributor TuneCore. However, WMG backed off from that potential acquisition and CEO Robert Kyncl said during a recent Morgan Stanley conference that WMG was interested in building its own distributor.

A live performance from Ultra Records-signed Icona Pop, whose ‘Stockholm At Night’ allegedly infringes on Ultra Publishing’s interest in the underlying composition. Photo Credit: Kim Metso

The Ultra International Music Publishing v. Sony Music legal battle is getting even uglier, as Ultra has doubled down on its copyright infringement claims in an amended complaint.

Ultra Music Publishing – or at least the company currently known as such – just recently submitted the amended action. As we reported last year, this particular showdown dates back to November 2024.

Because the suit represents one component of a wider clash, though, a bit of background information will prove useful here. It’s been about 13 years since Sony Music purchased a 50% stake in Patrick Moxey-founded Ultra Records; the major closed a deal for the remaining interest in 2022.

Long story short – we’ve already covered the fiasco in greater detail – Moxey operated the separate Ultra Publishing under a name-licensing arrangement of sorts during the 10-year window.

But when SME became the sole owner of Ultra Records, it moved (ultimately with a lawsuit) to nix said arrangement and compel Ultra Publishing to find another name. Multiple years later, the trademark-centered showdown finally went to trial; the jury sided with Sony Music in December.

Despite opting against awarding the major damages, this verdict nevertheless set the stage for a court-ordered name change; Ultra Publishing has about six months to adopt a new name.

Technically distinct from this confrontation is the above-mentioned November 2024 copyright suit levied by Ultra Publishing, which is suing Sony Music and subsidiaries including AWAL.

As we reported at the time, a years-long audit uncovered many instances of infringement on Sony Music’s part, according to the Ultra plaintiffs. While it perhaps goes without saying, the described attempts to resolve the dispute sans litigation didn’t pan out.

Sony Music returned fire with a February 2025 dismissal motion, criticizing the “vague” complaint as an alleged “ill-conceived effort…to retaliate” for the name disagreement. Additionally, when it comes to allegedly due payments stemming from the royalties audit, SME relayed that it’d settled with Ultra Publishing “in principle years ago [2019, that is] for a small fraction of the amount claimed.”

Plus, the major called out the plaintiffs’ alleged failure to provide a variety of important specifics concerning the purported infringement.

Six pages longer than the original complaint, Ultra Publishing’s amended suit doesn’t break a ton of new ground.

The entity is still demanding compensation for the alleged unauthorized use (across streaming, downloads, physical, and sync) of over 100 compositions. And Sony Music is still facing accusations of improperly engaging in direct negotiations with Ultra Publishing-signed songwriters.

(Those songwriters “did not have the ability to grant licenses,” and consequently, any resulting agreements “are a nullity and invalid,” per Ultra Publishing’s amended action.)

That said, a few fresh components jump out. First, Ultra Publishing is pushing back against the major’s alleged mischaracterization of the suit as “revenge” amid the broader conflict.

“Most recently,” some of the relevant text reads, “Sony Music has misrepresented this lawsuit as a hasty ‘revenge’ tactic that purportedly was filed by Plaintiffs in response to a trademark dispute between the parties. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a copyright lawsuit that does not involve trademarks or any sort of ‘revenge.’”

Next, bearing in mind the alleged deficiencies Sony Music called out, the amended suit features a comparatively detailed breakdown of the allegedly infringed works.

Besides the already-present titles, artists, registration numbers, and labels, the bolstered action includes the alleged infringement’s initial dates, the involved digital platforms (chief among them Spotify), and more.

Lastly, the filing parties went ahead and expanded on their position that the suit is “just the first of numerous copyright-infringement actions” they intend to launch against Sony Music.

Per the amended complaint, as other alleged infringement is uncovered, Ultra Publishing will spearhead these actions either through further amendments or “additional lawsuits” yet.

Photo credits: Graphic Design by Emily, snsnep

As UMG mega-studs like Lucian Grainge and Michael Nash continue to plot the strategy behind ‘Streaming 2.0,’ a bevy of questions are swirling. What will this bold and daring future of music streaming look like — particularly as it relates to revamped superfan and ‘super-premium’ tiers?

Universal Music Group’s most recent quarterly earnings call etched out—at least preliminarily—the broader vision behind ‘Streaming 2.0’  as it relates to upcoming streaming tiers and superfan maximization. Major streaming music platforms are part of the plan, but what will this bold future entail?

As it relates to maximizing per-subscriber revenue, CEO+Chairman Lucian Grainge outlined a shift from the currently limited plans at major streaming music platforms to something more sophisticated — and profitable. Think multiple tiers for different levels of music fans—with superfans dishing out more for extra goodies—and you’ve got the general idea.

Welcome to the bright future of music streaming, which includes, among many other things, more subscription tiers stuffed with goodies.

But this isn’t just Spotify cooking up a super-premium tier anymore. Now, all the streaming platforms will be playing ball, and every major platform is in discussions with UMG and other major rights owners.

All of which raises the question: What will people pay for – and what will they pass over?

According to the intercepted chatter, 2.0’s paint on upgraded tiers is far from dry for obvious reasons. Well-crafted strategy documents are lovely, though the grizzled industry vets among us warn that trial-and-error may be required to learn what sticks.

This brings us to the latest error: UMG and other major labels had been leading the charge on raising prices only to get spooked by the subscriber ‘plateau’—but does this mean that music fans can still be coaxed into paying more than $11.99 a month if the goodies package is enticing enough?

If you’re one of the legions of laid-off execs blindsided by plateau anxiety, you might be skeptical. However, this might be the strategic pivot the industry needs. Still, maximizing per-monthly charges with smartly-crafted super-tiers is a tricky game, especially since music fans can always say no.

And let’s be honest: so far, the industry’s response to super-premium proposals has been a bit ‘meh‘.

For years, Spotify has been teasing a super-premium package. But almost immediately after Daniel Ek offered the company’s latest version, several skeptics wondered if the billionaire CEO was losing his edge. For starters, Ek seems to have overlooked that premium audio—a major part of Spotify’s splashy upcoming upgrade—is already a serious differentiator at Apple Music. Perhaps most importantly, it’s baked into Apple’s lower-cost plan and integrated hardware.

Beyond that, Ek’s lightbulb moment regarding pre-sale concert tickets sounded equally problematic after Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino offered few promises to Spotify and other streaming platforms—that is, outside of accepting the biggest bids for exclusive access.

So, Spotify can offer you a pre-sale offer if Citi doesn’t offer a higher bid for the privilege?

Will Anybody Pay $6 Extra for Spotify’s ‘Music Pro’? A Hard Look at Spotify’s Attempt to Break the Streaming Plateau

And what about the endless stream of goodies already enjoyed by streaming subscribers – at no extra cost?

Case in point: Spotify is already doling out pre-sale exclusives to loyal artist followers. But now you’ll need to pay for that?

And that’s just one example of the endless freebie perks streaming music fans enjoy. Indeed, streaming music platforms have been bending over backward for years to give subscribers more stuff – without tying those improvements to increased prices or premium tiers. That includes lyrical overlays, better algorithmic recommendations, curated radio shows, integrated concert listings, merchandise offerings, exclusive artist showcases, podcasts, audiobooks, and high-fidelity audio.

All of which begs the question: How much more does this industry have left to give?

According to Universal Music Group, the flowing tiers of ‘Streaming 2.0’ will lure people to pay more. Grainge & Co. say they’ve done their research, and a significant portion of current subscribers are willing to pay more—i.e., if they build it, they will upgrade.

And maybe we’re truly living in ‘Streaming 1.0’. But how easily does 1.0 go to 2.0 – and will streaming music platforms work in lock-step to get the industry there?

For inspiration, you have to look across the other pond to China. That’s where the success of Tencent Music Entertainment’s ‘Super VIP’ tier is whetting the appetite for higher-priced tiers that revolve around higher-value offerings. Now, the billion-dollar question is whether that sort of traction will take root in the US and worldwide.

More as this develops.

Denver’s Señor Bear, one of hundreds of venues tracked by Audoo’s recent song-tracking pilot.

Theoretically, performing rights organizations (PROs) track and tally every song played in public and streaming platforms – then dole out the royalties accordingly. Now, London-based Audoo has hard evidence showing that billions of song plays can be counted with near-100% accuracy.

While mega-PROs like ASCAP and BMI do a laudable job of tracking, matching, and distributing royalties on billions of tracks played in the United States, a nagging question is whether these vast systems can be improved. This is more than just an academic musing: the answer to this surprisingly complex question has the potential to reshape the public performance sphere for decades to come.

Enter Audoo CEO Ryan Edwards, who is driven by a mission to count every song played worldwide in public places for years — and is marching towards that goal with backers like Bjorn Ulvaeus and Sir Elton John. Theoretically, the tech exists to count everything with total accuracy, though the details are devilish. Accordingly, Edwards and his team have spent millions developing the ‘Audio Meter’ and deployed it into thousands of venues and public places worldwide to capture the music in action.

That effort is now hitting the United States. Just recently, Audoo concluded a far-reaching first entry to the US in Denver involving hundreds of public places – with nearly 100% of songs played in those establishments tracked. That included restaurants, gyms, bars, and retail establishments across the city.

“The feedback from the license holders was very supportive,” Edwards told DMN. “Many of them have wondered for years how their fees are distributed and were very passionate about the way music sets the tone of their businesses.”

The results of the Audoo pilot, shared with Digital Music News and part of an ongoing partnership, began in late June of 2024 and concluded in February of this year.

Among the most refreshing takeaways is that virtually every song can be successfully detected, logged, and tallied with all key metadata information (including ISRC & ISWC) using the installed Audio Meters, which makes sense. Imagine an industrial-scale, private version of Shazam in every venue, and you’ve captured Audoo’s business approach.

“Music has always been consumed in so many different ways, from business owners creating a ‘mixtape’ CD or playlist, playing the radio, and empowering employees to adjust the music based on the tone they need,” Edwards said. “To us, it’s about what’s been played and then reporting that accurately. Just get the music playing, and we’ll work with the PRO/CMO to do the rest.”

But what’s actually getting played? Here’s where things start to get really interesting. The current thinking is that music played in public spaces roughly mirrors popular playlists on media like terrestrial radio and streaming platforms. But Audoo’s data shows a surprisingly slim overlap with massive DSPs (i.e., Digital Service Providers or streaming platforms) and social media platforms.

Here’s just a quick look at the overlap – or complete lack thereof.

The following breakdown was pulled from a sample week in February (2025) using the top 40 songs tracked throughout the city. It was then compared to the top 40 songs played on other platforms for the same period.

What’s the overlap percentage? Take a look.

• • Audoo x Apple Music – 0% crossover
  • Audoo x Billboard – 2.5% crossover
  • Audoo x Shazam – 5% crossover
  • Audoo x Spotify – 5 % crossover
  • Audoo x TikTok – 0% crossover

“The results mirror what we have seen and reports in other markets around the world,” Edwards shared. “The more US cities we launch into, the more diverse [data] we expect to see. This can make a difference in thousands of creators making a living, or sadly, not.”

Also surprising: most of the music played in Denver hails from the United States (more than 50%) and the UK (nearly 15%). Other countries were marginal single-digit contributors, including Australia, France, Germany, and Sweden. Those percentages are likely different in other cities, though Audoo also highlighted some interesting exceptions.

Denver bar and restaurant Señor Bear, for example, plays a blend of Latin-inspired music from Argentina, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Spain. The curated playlist also includes 24% American music sourced from local artists.

That’s a far cry from the top 10 list of most-played artists throughout the city, which includes Tame Impala, Jungle, Hozier, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Bunny, Zach Bryan, and Neil Frances. Sounds like tried-and-true stuff, though many of the most–played songs aren’t topping the charts on radio or Spotify.

The data also offers a range of other insights, including detailed breakdowns by venue type (restaurant or gym, for example) and the most frequently played songs. Audoo even tracks the level of commonality between different venue types, while identifying unique establishments (for example, a physical therapy clinic that is also a local music champion).

“Business owners know first hand the value of playing music, and of those we have started working with in the US, the feedback has been very positive,” Edwards shared. “Nobody challenges paying for a music license, despite the complexities of multiple PROs in the US. But knowing the hard-earned money is being paid to the artists they play is key.”

“Our technology is there to help PROs: no more manual surveys, proxy data sets, or outdated analogies. The past cannot be changed, but now is the time for accurate reporting for fair and transparent distributions.”

But what does this have to do with Congressional inquiries into PROs currently happening in Washington?

Just recently, the US Copyright Office launched a significant inquiry into PROs in response to Congressional concerns. Among the many questions being examined is how PROs gather performance information and how this impacts rights owners.

For Edwards, it’s a complex question with a surprisingly simple answer: just count everything!

James Arthur, one of the artists whose works are part of Raven Music’s initial catalog. Photo Credit: Harald Krichel

Aquarian and Raven Capital are officially partnering to get in on the song-rights action with a newly launched “music-only” JV called Raven Music Partners.

Reps for the involved parties reached out with word of Raven Music Partners, which is said to have offices in New York, LA, and South Florida. Founded by former Guggenheim VP Rudy Sahay, Aquarian says it has close to $22 billion in AUM across its “strategic portfolio of insurance and asset management solutions.”

Now, this portfolio is expanding into the music world, with eight-year-old Aquarian serving as the catalog joint venture’s “anchor investor.” The Open Road Films parent Raven, for its part, isn’t a stranger to the music space, having established Endurance Music Group in Nashville a decade ago.

At the intersection of those points, Raven Music Partners’ investment strategy is “seeded” with some 15,000 music assets spanning a variety of genres. That includes works recorded by Morgan Wallen, Meghan Trainor, and James Arthur, to name a few.

And moving forward, Endurance will continue tapping “into the close-knit music community for new opportunities to partner with songwriters, artists, music managers, indie publishers, indie labels, and other industry participants,” Aquarian and Raven relayed of their all-encompassing gameplan.

While Raven Music Partners (and the companies behind it) didn’t come right out and disclose its funding in the formal release, reps confirmed a $250 million music IP tranche to DMN.

“Aquarian recognized a compelling opportunity in a crowded music royalties’ sector,” added Aquarian founder Rudy Sahay, “attracted by the predictable cash flow and the uncorrelated nature of music rights to broader macroeconomic trends.

“Aquarian is particularly drawn to Raven Music Partners for its disciplined investment approach, differentiated sourcing capabilities, and extensive relationship base within Nashville and the broader music ecosystem,” the 54 Madison Partners co-founder concluded.

Lastly, regarding the catalog purchaser’s organizational specifics, Raven Capital co-founder Jeremy Tucker is serving as the newer entity’s managing member. In remarks of his own, Tucker touted Raven Music Partners as “the buyer of choice for many songwriters and artists.”

Though it probably goes without saying – and as Sahay noted – Raven Music Partners certainly has some competition here. Indie-focused Duetti announced $200 million in fresh debt funding (and expanded its investment strategy beyond recordings) earlier this week, for instance, and Deadmau5 inked a reportedly $55 million IP pact with Create Music Group.

Meanwhile, if the figures disclosed by anonymous sources prove accurate and the deals actually come to fruition, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ recordings and Notorious B.I.G.’s entire catalog could soon sell at a combined valuation of around $650 million.

LyricFind has filed a $1 billion+ lawsuit against Musixmatch over alleged anticompetitive practices. Photo Credit: Musixmatch

Another ugly dispute is unfolding in the lyrics-provider world, where LyricFind is suing Musixmatch for allegedly masterminding an anticompetitive scheme – boxing it out from Spotify in the process.

Canada’s LyricFind submitted the firmly worded action to a California federal court, naming Italy’s Musixmatch as well as its TPG parent as defendants. Spanning a staggering 69 pages, the suit accuses Musixmatch of several Sherman Act violations and of taking various steps “to monopolize the lyric rights licensing market.”

While the lengthy complaint covers more than a few angles, the relevant showdown looks to have kicked off in earnest around March 2024. At that point, LyricFind “was very far along in negotiations with” Spotify to replace Musixmatch on-platform, according to the legal text.

“Spotify had undertaken and largely finalized the technological integration needed to switch from Musixmatch to LyricFind, including a successful internal test using LyricFind lyrics,” the filing party elaborated of the seemingly advanced talks.

Unsurprisingly, the situation didn’t sit right with the “desperate” Musixmatch and TPG, which allegedly responded by looking to “extinguish the competitive threat posed by LyricFind once and for all.”

And this alleged anticompetitive effort arrived in the form of Musixmatch’s “first-of-its-kind” exclusive licensing deal with Warner Chappell, which, having previously licensed both the lyrics providers, allegedly received “a significant premium” under the agreement.

“Musixmatch paid WCM an amount that far exceeds any legitimate commercial goal to become the exclusive provider” at hand, vented LyricFind, which, owing to fractional-licensing implications, faced a massive setback in losing access to Warner Chappell’s catalog.

As LyricFind tells the story, adjacent obstacles quickly followed. “TPG and Musixmatch conspired to force DSPs to remove lyrics supplied by anyone but Musixmatch and quickly caused WCM to terminate its contractual relationship with LyricFind,” the plaintiff spelled out.

Plus, notwithstanding some direct talks between Warner Chappell and Spotify, Musixmatch allegedly maneuvered to block the license (and direct licenses with different DSPs), instead attempting to “force Spotify and other DSPs to sublicense lyric rights and data from Musixmatch.”

In the end, April 2024 saw Spotify cite the Warner Chappell setback when halting “its potential transition to LyricFind” – and then reupping with Musixmatch despite “having already negotiated a significantly better price and service with LyricFind,” per the suit.

Meanwhile, the Warner Chappell fallout also caused iHeartMedia to part ways with LyricFind and to subsequently begin coughing up “over five times” more to Musixmatch for lyrics, according to the complaint.

All told, “[w]ith only Musixmatch left to service the market, prices will rise; choices will be limited; there will be fewer songs with lyrics, translations, sync, and premium data available; and the competitive impetus for innovation” will fall by the wayside, LyricFind claimed.

Hence the many antitrust and monopolization claims against Musixmatch – and the $1 billion in damages that LyricFind is seeking.

“Given LyricFind’s enterprise value before the Exclusive,” the plaintiff wrote, “and the fact that its viability as a business is now at risk, LyricFind estimates that it will have suffered damages exceeding $1 billion after automatic trebling.”

DMN reached out to LyricFind and Musixmatch for comment; the former directed us to an open letter from CEO Darryl Ballantyne, the latter pushed back against the suit’s “meritless accusations.”

“It’s our policy not to discuss legal matters publicly,” Musixmatch told Digital Music News. “We believe these are meritless accusations and choose to concentrate on what matters most: our customers & partners.

“For over 15 years,” the company continued, “Musixmatch has served its customers with the world’s highest-quality lyrics, rights, and data platform. They value our market-leading offerings and innovative new products that embody our obsessive focus on customers and being the best music lyric, rights, and data partner for the industry.”

Photo Credit: Downtown Music Holdings

European music trade association IMPALA is flashing warning signs about the proposed UMG acquisition of Downtown Music through its Virgin Music Group subsidiary.

UMG announced back in December 2024 that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Downtown music Holdings LLC for cash consideration of $775 million—subject to regulatory approval. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2025, but not everyone was happy with the news. Impala warns that further consolidation of the market expands UMG’s market power while hurting indie artists.

“A thriving music market needs effective competition and plenty of routes to market for labels and artists,” says Helen Smith, Impala’s Executive Chair. “UMG is planning the exact opposite because they want to control access to the market. The two other music majors, Sony and Warner, are also buying up music businesses in key markets. With far fewer options, many labels and artists are going to be shut out.”

European independent labels are calling on competition authorities in all key jurisdictions to stop UMG’s strategy of buyouts and acquisitions. “All markets need big companies, but the music market is experience a level of concentration that would not be tolerated in any other market,” adds Dario Draštata, Chair of Impala, President of Regional Association RUNDA. “Independent labels and artists should not depend on their competitors for access. We also look to regulators to see through the ‘indie washing’ and take action.”

Impala has more than 6,000 members across 33 territories in Europe and the UK, including prominent independent labels in all key countries. It is calling on regulators to block the planned acquisition. The association points out that the EU has already acted to limit UMG’s market power. Now it is sending regulators in key jurisdictions detailed analyses of the potential damage caused by the acquisition.

The analysis includes almost total control of access routes to the market and far fewer options for labels and artists to distribute their music and access other essential services. Impala has asked regulators to carry out detailed investigations into the potential harm to competition from serial acquisitions like these. Downtown owns FUGA, a full-service B2B music distributor and CD Baby, a digital distribution service favored by independent artists.

“We are explaining the role of independents and their artists and why access-to-market routes must not be owned by their biggest competitors,” adds Francesca Trainini, Impala President & Vice President of Italian association PMI comments. “Regulators need to look at relevant market share and control share data in all affected areas of the business, including distribution, publishing, royalty accounting, and digital services.”

Impala says UMG’s claims that the businesses it is buying are still independent is ‘misleading.’ “This is misleading and unfair competition, and amounts to ‘passing off,’” Helen Smith continues. Passing off is the practice of making misleading claims to customers, which is against basic competition principles in most parts of the world.

Photo Credit: Sony Music Publishing / TIPS Music Ltd.

Sony Music Publishing has renewed its exclusive global deal with India’s TIPS Music. The deal is expanded to include YouTube worldwide, excluding India, as a key platform for international publishing exploitation.

The expanded multi-year agreement grants Sony Music Publishing extended rights to Tips Music’s catalog, which features over 32,000 tracks across 24 languages. The vast collection represents some of India’s most beloved film soundtracks and popular music. Tips Music plans to invest heavily and release 12-15 Bollywood/regional film albums per year. The company also has a slate of independent music releases under the Tips Originals brand.

The strategic renewal reinforces both companies’ commitment to amplifying the global presence of Indian music, particularly as Bollywood soundtracks continue to gain momentum in international markets. The deal encompasses administration, synchronization, and expanded promotion of Tips Music’s repertoire across global digital platforms.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with Tips,” says Guy Henderson, President International at Sony Music Publishing. “Tips’ exceptional growth has been a constant factor over many years. Sony Music Publishing looks forward to an exciting future with Tips with their continued growth and success around the world.”

“Building on the success of our initial partnership with Sony Music Publishing, this renewal marks an evolution in our global publishing business,” Kumar Taurani, Managing Director of Tips Music Ltd. adds. “In just over a year of collaboration, we’ve seen remarkable growth in our international music usage, with our songs finding new listeners across continents. Adding YouTube as a platform opens significant new avenues for our artists and catalogs to reach audiences worldwide.”

“Our strengthened partnership and renewed collaboration with Tips Music marks a new era of growth and global impact,” says Dinraj Shetty, Managing Director, Sony Music Publishing India. “By combining their iconic catalog with our publishing expertise, we are committed to bringing the soul of Indian music to audiences worldwide.”

“Sony Music Publishing has the best teams and world-class reporting systems, allowing Tips to monitor publishing revenues,” continues Hari Nair, CEO of Tips Music Ltd. “The enhanced agreement with SMP enables us to leverage their unparalleled international network of partners and societies globally. The addition of YouTube should drive significant growth in our international publishing revenues.”

Photo Credit: Ultra Records

A federal judge rules that Patrick Moxey’s Ultra Music Publishing must change its name within six months for breaching Sony Music’s ‘Ultra’ trademark.

Ultra Music Publishing, owned by Patrick Moxey, who founded Ultra Records in 1995, is going to have to change its name. A jury found the company breached the “Ultra” trademark owned by Sony Music since Moxey signed away his rights to the name — he sold his remaining stake in Ultra Records to Sony Music in 2021.

Sony brought the lawsuit against Ultra Music Publishing in 2022 with the assertion that Moxey, who founded the publishing company in 2004, no longer had rights to the trademark since selling them his stake in the Ultra label. Lawyers for Sony (and Ultra Records) argued the label had licensed the Ultra trademark to Moxey’s publishing company, but since the license was terminated in 2022, the publishing company was continuing to use the trademark in bad faith.

Ultimately, the jury agreed, determining the Ultra trademark was distinctive. Therefore, Ultra Music Publishing’s continued use of the name and trademark was misleading, and “likely to dilute [Ultra Records’] ‘Ultra’ trademark.”

The jury also found that Moxey’s publishing company’s use of the trademark, while in breach of license, was unlikely to cause confusion among the publisher’s customers. As a result, Ultra Records suffered no damages from Ultra Music Publishing’s breach of the license. The jury awarded no damages or legal costs to Sony.

While the trademark case is over, Moxey’s legal battle with Sony Music is not. In November, Moxey’s Ultra International Music Publishing and Ultra Music Publishing Europe sued Sony Music Entertainment and its subsidiaries (which include Ultra Records).

The lawsuit stems from allegations of copyright infringement, asserting Sony and its subsidiaries were using Ultra Publishing’s compositions without a license. Sony has asked a judge to toss the lawsuit, calling the whole thing an act of retaliation over the trademark suit.

Photo Credit: Sony Music Publishing / Soneium

Sony Music Publishing taps its Soneium blockchain to create NFTs for J-pop group Sandal Telephone.

NFTs aren’t quite the source of hype in 2025 that they hoped to be in 2021. But pushing content for superfans definitely is, and Sony Music Publishing Japan is counting on that for its latest blockchain-based project. Tapping its parent company’s Soneium blockchain, Sony Music Publishing is creating exclusive NFTs for J-pop girl group Sandal Telephone.

“NFTs filled with memories of the members’ activities will be distributed at events, and fans will be able to receive NFTs with the purchase of merchandise,” says Soneium on Twitter. “The NFT will be distributed using Fan Marketing Platform, a NFT issuance platform provided by Sony Group Global.”

Sandal Telephone’s website explains a bit more in Japanese: fans who spent the equivalent of $33.46 on the band’s merch will receive items from their digital collection. This extends into a partnership with retailer Entaba Akihara, enabling fans who own three or more NFTs from the project to get “exclusive videos” as a reward.

Sandal Telephone initially formed in July 2017 as the idol group, Shuuengo Buppan, before the founding members withdrew just five months later. The group returned in 2018 with a new lineup, which continued into 2019. On April 21, 2019, the group changed its name to Sandal Telephone, and resumed its activities with yet another new lineup. This lineup has been active ever since, but the group announced it would disband on April 30 this year.

Despite the majority of web3 startups working to scrub any mention of NFTs after projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club left a bad taste in consumers’ mouths—we definitely don’t hear about blockchain-based collectibles like we used to. But in Japan, at least, projects like Sony Music Publishing’s are still gaining some traction among the most devoted superfans.

Whether the pivot to focus heavily on superfans will continue to drive exclusive content like NFT projects, at least in Japan, remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: big companies like Sony are still interested in investing in such technologies if it means securing more money from devoted superfans.

Photo Credit: Arden Records (Andrew Kwan, Jordan Smith, sagun)

Lo-fi specialists Arden Records have announced an expansion into publishing to buoy its artists in the oft-anonymous, AI-prone genre.

Arden Records, whose name translates to “Great Forest,” first launched in 2021 in partnership with Platoon. Founded by Nepalese artist sagun — a pioneering figure in the lo-fi music scene — and veteran music executives Jordan Smith (S+ MGMT), and Andrew Kwan (Romantic Music Group), Arden Records and Arden Publishing focuses entirely on lo-fi talent.

These include sagun, clay house, DAVI JUNO, French WiFi, Maono, mellodaze, NueBoo, pecna, Sleep Culture, The Tea Shop, Trankilo, URCHN, and wrongnumber.

Lo-fi music has seen a steady rise in popularity in recent years, and with it, producers and songwriters from the genre have become a sought-after commodity in their own right. The fingerprint of lo-fi artists continues to permeate across the music industry. To that end, Arden’s own sagun produced and co-wrote UMI’s hit 2024 single, “wherever u r,” featuring V from BTS.

Lo-fi remixes and ambient song versions have breathed new life into existing music in a way that mainstream audiences are increasingly embracing. That’s also true of the broader dance genre, though lo-fi is facing serious pressure from AI-generated platforms.

Through the launch of their publishing division, Arden will lift up their producers and songwriters as artists themselves, and create more opportunities for them as lo-fi music continues to ascend within the larger cultural conversation.

“In our eyes, Arden Records was built on necessity,” says co-founder Jordan Smith. “The way certain labels in the space were treating and ‘supporting’ artists and producers was never cultivating community or a space that made them feel valued.”

“After three years of seeing how powerful a unified roster of artists can be, we are only now launching our publishing arm to explore a new creative workflow for our Arden Records’ family,” Smith continues. “There are so many companies that offer admin deals for royalty collection, so of course that is part of what we are going to do to make sure our roster gets their royalties, but our main goal is far beyond that. We only hope to educate other teams on how powerful alternate versions of songs can be and how talented our producers are and become a go-to for any production needs.”

Back to the AI front, let’s see how this label, now publisher, and broader genre fare. “Our mission as a label has always been to showcase the diverse and undeniable talents of our artists, elevating them beyond the boundaries of the lo-fi genre,” adds co-founder Andrew Kwan.

“In an industry increasingly saturated with AI-generated music — especially within the lo-fl genre — we remain steadfast in championing our artists, ensuring their authentic musicianship receives the recognition it deserves.”

Photo Credit: T-Pain by Glenn Francis (PacificProDigital) / CC by 4.0

T-Pain cuts a deal to sell his entire publishing catalog and select masters to asset management company HarbourView Equity Partners.

HarbourView Equity Partners, the alternative asset management company focused on investment opportunities in sports, media, and entertainment, made the announcement today (February 20).

T-Pain is a six-time Grammy Award-winning artist, producer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and global cultural icon with an impact across hip-hop, pop, and R&B. Throughout his career, he has sold over 50 million singles, accumulated billions of streams, racked up iconic No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and captivated the world with his charismatic live performances.

“We are excited to welcome T-Pain, a true trailblazer in the music industry, to the HarbourView family,” said the company’s founder and CEO Sherrese Clarke. “His visionary artistry and innovative spirit have left an indelible mark on modern music, and we can’t wait to collaborate and amplify his incredible legacy even further.”

“I’m excited for this next chapter and to partner with HarbourView Equity as they help preserve the legacy of my music,” said T-Pain. “This catalog represents years of hard work, creativity, and unforgettable moments, and I’m grateful to see it continue to reach new heights. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.”

Since 2004, the Tallahassee native’s influence has transcended generations in music and pop culture. This year marks 20 years of T-Pain, the household name behind such hits as “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’),” “Bartender (feat. Akon),” “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper) (feat. Mike Jones),” Flo Rida’s “Low,” and many more.

Throughout his career, T-Pain has teamed up with Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, E-40, Ne-Yo, Pitbull, Sean Paul, 6LACK, Denzel Curry, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Wiz Khalifa, Lily Allen, Kehlani, and Jacob Latimore. He has garnered numerous awards and accolades, including six Grammy Awards: Best Rap Song for “Good Life” with Kanye West in 2008; for his participation in Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” (2009) and “Tha Carter IV” (2012); for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It” (2010); for his participation in Chance The Rapper’s “Coloring Book” (2017); and as a songwriter on Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” (2018).

Most recently, the highly in-demand collaborator has been featured on projects like GloRilla’s “I LUV HER,” Meghan Trainor’s “Been Like This,” and “Love You More” with EARTHGANG and Spillage Village.

T-Pain is also known as a Twitch streaming phenomenon, and is head of Nappy Boy Entertainment, Nappy Boy Automotive, Nappy Boy Gaming, and Nappy Boy Dranks. He is a Global Gaming League Board Member and Executive Director of Strategy, podcast host, director and editor, author, actor, and more.

HarbourView has amassed roughly $1.45 billion in regulatory assets under management, including 60-plus music catalogs to date, and investments in media production companies MACRO and Mucho Mas Media. Their diverse portfolio of music catalog assets includes James Fauntleroy, George Benson, Noel Zancanella, Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo, Nelly, Jeremih, Wiz Khalifa, Kane Brown, Full Force, and more.

A breakdown of streaming music platform pricing, packages, and audio fidelity options for early 2025 (Click to enlarge; for full footnote annotations see full report; source: DMN Pro).

Can Spotify’s latest ‘super-premium’ tier break the streaming music plateau? In this report, we pick apart the rumored offerings within ‘Music Pro’ – and examine the serious challenges that each presents from both an execution and consumer adoption standpoint.

Spotify has been teasing a possible ‘super-premium’ tier for years, though nothing substantive has surfaced. Now, the latest intel indicates that Spotify is planning to release a superfan tier called ‘Music Pro’ that will include the following:

• • • Lossless, high-quality audio streaming.
    • AI-powered remixing tools allowing users to mix songs from different artists.
    • Exclusive concert ticket access, including early access or better seating options for shows.

Music Pro is expected to surface later this year with a price tag of $5.99 above existing Premium subscription rates (at least in the US). Sounds exciting, but given serious competition and overlapping features from platforms like Apple Music, will people pay for the added benefits?

Here’s a breakdown of Music Pro’s purported features themselves, and the challenges Spotify faces in building them.

Will licensing hurdles delay Spotify remixes? The question is front and center amid renewed rumblings of a superfan-geared tier – and the platform’s bundling dispute with the National Music Publishers’ Association and others. Photo Credit: NMPA

Will an intensifying showdown between music publishers and Spotify derail the forthcoming Super-Premium plan – or at least key components of the higher-priced tier?

The question is front of mind on the heels of Spotify’s latest teaser for a superfan-geared offering, which reports have referred to as Supremium, Deluxe, and Music Pro alike over the years.

Whatever one wants to call it, the long-in-the-works subscription option has taken on a new importance in 2025. Against the backdrop of streaming-growth slowdowns in established markets, it makes more sense than ever (in theory) to squeeze additional revenue out of diehard fans.

But not everyone is on board with Spotify’s expansion ambitions. Owing to its all-encompassing embrace of bundling, the platform is reaping massive royalty savings – and eliciting pushback from impacted songwriters and publishers.

Though the pushback is taking multiple forms (including legal battles, decisions to ink direct deals, and long-term resistance), the National Music Publishers’ Association is aggressively zeroing in on alleged infringement.

Most recently, the ongoing effort saw the NMPA slap Spotify with thousands of takedown notices targeting the alleged unauthorized use of protected works in podcasts. Additional notices are on the way, per the NMPA, which doesn’t appear to lack takedown options here.

To be sure, searching the service’s podcast episodes for generic terms turns up all manner of protected media, like music-equipped TV shows, stand-up specials, and mixtapes.

(The platform is still grappling with a hard-to-miss adult-video problem as well; likely aided by the conspicuous AI transcripts at hand, Spotify pulled one uploader’s dozen NSFW “episodes” during this piece’s writing. Previously, Spotify told DMN that it was hosting “330,000 video podcast shows” as of Q4 2024, up from approximately 250,000 in late June of the same year.)

Far from coming out of left field, those takedown notices (or the motivation behind them) can be traced to a clear-cut May 2024 warning from the NMPA. In the same letter, the organization rather clearly told Spotify to put the brakes on any plans for a “remix” feature.

“We also understand that Spotify wishes to offer a ‘remix’ feature allowing Spotify subscribers to ‘speed up, mash up, and otherwise edit’ their favorite songs to create derivative works,” the NMPA wrote nine months ago. “Spotify is on notice that release of any such feature without the proper licenses in place from our members may constitute additional direct infringement.”

Now, the straightforward position is especially significant given that Spotify is reportedly eyeing a 2025 rollout for Super-Premium – complete with remix capabilities and AI-powered multi-artist track mashups.

Bearing in mind the continued bundling controversy, the NMPA just recently reiterated to DMN in more words that the feature will require direct licenses.

And while two of the majors’ publishing arms have already moved in this direction (with Sony Music presumably poised to follow), smaller publishing players, lacking the same negotiating firepower but possessing something of an advantage here, probably aren’t in a hurry to concede on the remixing front without material financial incentives.

For several reasons, the catalogs in question (and the wider indie sector) are certainly important when it comes to Spotify’s remixing plans. In the bigger licensing picture, artists and managers have already told DMN of contract updates – explicitly including expanded remix and mashup permissions – at various DIY distributors.

Time will, of course, tell how the multifaceted episode unfolds. But the remix-licensing hurdle is worth keeping front of mind; anonymous Spotify sources have emphasized plans to gradually add features to Super-Premium as opposed to spearheading a comprehensive launch.

Nkoda, Universal Music, and others have launched a rental and licensing platform called Kordl. Photo Credit: Samuel Sianipar

Is it time to streamline music rentals? Nkoda believes so, as it’s launched a one-stop platform, Kordl, alongside Universal Music Publishing and others.  

London-headquartered Nkoda, which bills itself as “the world’s leading digital library of sheet music,” formally announced that platform today. Besides Universal Music, Concord-owned Boosey & Hawkes and Wise Music Group are on board as well.

Keeping the important point in mind, the involved parties didn’t hesitate to spell out that Kordl “is being designed to replace legacy platforms” and establish “a single, streamlined gateway to some of the world’s most prestigious rental catalogues.”

The precise timetable remains to be seen; among different things, Boosey & Hawkes’ website directs prospective customers to Zinfonia for rental orders. And Wise Music’s licensing processes appear multifaceted, with the company also directing customers to Zinfonia for rentals.

(Wise, Boosey, and Universal alike had a hand in the creation of Zinfonia, in which founder Peter Grimshaw, a now-former Nkoda exec, secured “full ownership” two years back, the relevant site shows.)

But Kordl, the new platform’s own site drives home, “unifies every aspect of rental and rights management – from ordering, fulfilment, returns, and rights approvals, to direct customer communication – into a single, streamlined” offering.

Said B2B platform can be customized based on each publisher’s needs and will “soon” support recorded music licensing, with sync on the table in the long term, Kordl told DMN. More immediately, Nkoda co-founder and CEO Lorenzo Brewer emphasized his ambitious vision for Kordl.

“Having worked closely with Boosey & Hawkes, Wise Music Group and Universal Music Publishing for a number of years,” Brewer said in part, “we are in a unique position to combine our knowledge of their rental catalogues, and our understanding of their different internal business processes, with our deep technical and industry expertise.

“The result will be a software platform that is streamlined, intuitive, robust and future-proofed. We hope to extend access to the Kordl platform to all our other publishing partners,” he concluded.

In addition to the inherent financial perks associated with streamlining rentals for Universal Music, it’s worth reiterating that the major operates (via Deutsche Grammophon) Stage+.

The classical streaming service, which has a well-entrenched competitor in Apple Music Classical, features live performances “from the world’s greatest concert halls and opera houses,” per its website.

And perhaps not coincidentally, Wise Music last month offloaded the entirety of its education division. Nkoda, on the other hand, now operates an “AI-powered music education tool” called ARIA-i, the company noted today.

A look at the latest music industry scuttlebutt on Spotify’s post-bundling renegotiations with major content owners – and how the calculus keeps shifting for publishers, labels, songwriters, and artists.

If you want to force Spotify back to the negotiating table, you need some serious leverage — which Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment enjoy thanks to their colossal and culturally-relevant catalogs. In the case of UMG, there’s also a willingness to exercise the nuclear option (most recently displayed with TikTok), which certainly helps to move negotiations forward.

But now that UMG and WMG have tucked away direct publishing negotiations, who’s next? Here’s a look at the scuttlebutt on Spotify’s pending direct publishing renegotiations and whether anyone beyond the ‘big three’ has the clout to force Spotify to give them better terms.

Table of Contents

I. Spotify Dials It to 99+% on Subscription Bundling – Then Finally Faces the Blowback

II. A Quick Recap of UMG and WMG’s Spotify Bundling Renegotiations

III. So, Who’s Next? Scuttlebutt Points to Sony Music, Though Others May Be in the Wings

IV. Spotify Suffers a Setback In Its Bundling Gambit – Or Is This Just Part of the Chess Match?

V. Spotify’s Special Deals Shift the Industry Calculus: Suddenly, Major Labels Have Serious Advantages on Both the Recording and Publishing Sides

VI. What Does This Mean for the Antitrust Picture?

Please note that this report is for DMN Pro subscribers only. Please do not redistribute — thank you.

Photo Credit: Tori Amos by Kavita Kaul / Downtown Music Publishing

Downtown Music Publishing announces a slew of expansions and renewals, including a renewed partnership with singer-songwriter Tori Amos.

Under the renewed agreement, which was first penned in 2018, Downtown Music Publishing will continue representing Amos’ full body of work. Tori Amos has built one of the most dedicated fan bases in popular music since her 1992 debut album, Little Earthquakes.

A classically trained pianist known for her poetic lyricism, Amos emerged in the early ‘90s as a defining voice of alternative music, celebrated for hits like “Crucify,” “Cornflake Girl,” and “A Sorta Fairytale.” She has continued to captivate audiences ever since.

“For more than three decades, Tori has pushed creative boundaries and built a legacy of artistry and integrity,” said John Witherspoon, Tori Amos’ Artist Manager. “Downtown has been a dedicated partner in honoring and amplifying that legacy, ensuring her music continues to reach and inspire listeners around the world. We’re thrilled to continue this relationship and look forward to what’s ahead.”

Downtown Music Publishing has also extended agreements with a roster of influential musicians and songwriters, including the catalogs of George Gershwin, and DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, co-writers of the classic folk opera, “Porgy and Bess.” These renewals preserve the legacy of timeless works such as Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris,” as well as other standards from the great American songbook, including “Summertime.”

The company also announced a renewed deal with Remi Kabaka, the pioneering Afro-rock drummer known for his collaborations with Paul Simon, Hugh Masekela, Gorillaz, and his deep influence on the Afro-jazz music scenes.

Downtown Music Publishing also extended its agreement with Tim Kellett, who first made his mark with The Durutti Column and Simply Red before co-writing the UK No. 1 hit, “You’re Not Alone” with Olive. Other extended agreements include legendary bassist and songwriter Les Claypool, the creative force behind Primus and widely regarded as one of the most inventive bassists of all time; Geoff Wilkinson, founder of band Us3 and renowned London-based producer behind the classic, “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia);” and US-based critically acclaimed songwriter Brett Dennen.

“The breadth of talent represented in these renewals speaks to the diversity and lasting impact of our roster,” said Emily Stephenson, President of Downtown Music Publishing. “We’re incredibly proud to continue representing these visionary artists and songwriters and look forward to creating new opportunities to share their music.”

These renewals underscore Downtown’s dedication to supporting boundary-pushing creators across a broad spectrum of genres.

The NMPA is officially taking aim at alleged infringement in podcasts available via Spotify. Photo Credit: NMPA

After pledging an “all-encompassing” response to Spotify’s bundling craze, the NMPA has fired off north of 2,500 “detections of infringement” concerning on-platform podcasts.

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) reached out with a formal announcement about the move today. Probably not coincidentally, the publisher representative disclosed the maneuver on the same day that Spotify posted strong Q4 2024 earnings (and hit a record stock price to boot).

But as mentioned, the NMPA’s pledge – and the underlying dispute – isn’t new. After Spotify unilaterally classified the vast majority of its U.S. subscriptions as bundles (and began reaping massive compositional royalty savings as a result), May 2024 saw the NMPA criticize various practices, extending but not confined to podcasts, in a cease-and-desist letter.

“It has come to our attention that Spotify displays lyrics and reproduces and distributes music videos and podcasts using musical works without the consent of or compensation to the respective publishers and administrators (our members) who control the copyrights in the musical compositions,” the NMPA spelled out.

Nearly nine months later – and following the January 2025 dismissal of an MLC lawsuit challenging Spotify’s bundling reclassifications – push has evidently come to shove for the NMPA.

According to the entity, the “ongoing takedown initiative,” levied on behalf of 19 member publishers (including the majors’ publishing arms), is targeting an initial 2,500 or so instances of alleged infringement in podcasts. And the “demands will continue” from here, per the NMPA.

In a statement, NMPA president and CEO David Israelite emphasized that the “takedown action comes as no surprise” in light of the above-described letter and other warnings. Israelite also called on podcast hosts to “stand up for their fellow creators and demand that Spotify do better.”

And unsurprisingly, the NMPA head concluded by drawing attention to Spotify’s bundling extravaganza, royalty savings from which have now topped $100 million.

“Spotify will stop at nothing to undervalue songwriters on behalf of its bottom line,” Israelite finished. “Look no further than its recent bundling scheme and its ill-conceived appeal of songwriters’ rate increase in CRB III. We will not stop until the platform fixes its podcast problem, and all other areas where songwriters are not earning what they deserve.”

On the opposite side of the ugly confrontation, Spotify downplayed the NMPA’s takedown efforts as “a weak reaction” to the aforesaid MLC suit’s dismissal.

“This is a weak reaction to the judge dismissing the MLC’s lawsuit,” a Spotify spokesperson told DMN. “Last summer, the NMPA claimed that there were unlicensed works in podcasts on Spotify. The fact that the NMPA waited months, despite multiple written requests by Spotify for details, which they never bothered to answer, to report these episodes only further emphasizes that this is a press stunt.

“Platforms like Spotify, which are home to millions of pieces of UGC content, regularly receive takedown requests, and, as always, we will act promptly and, where appropriate, remove the episodes in question,” the rep proceeded.

While time will tell exactly how far the battle goes during the rest of 2025, the NMPA doesn’t seem to lack additional infringement-notice options on the podcast side.

We’ve highlighted some of those options (which, on the recording front, are evidently not too big a worry to the major labels) in related coverage.

Just scratching the surface, generic podcast-category searches on Spotify turn up music-heavy TikTok video compilations, more than a few mixtapes, song-equipped television episodes made available (seemingly without rightsholder authorization) by third parties, concert renditions of ultra-popular tracks, and a whole lot else.

Cutting Edge Group founder and CEO Philip Moross. Photo Credit: Alexandra Cameron

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Cutting Edge Group have officially launched a joint venture centering on the former’s extensive catalog of film and TV music.

The companies reached out today with word of their partnership, which arrives more than two years after reports first indicated that Warner Bros. Discovery was looking to offload its music library.

In the end – and despite multiple related updates provided by purportedly in-the-know anonymous sources – that straight selloff failed to materialize. Evidently, though, WBD didn’t completely abandon the push to more effectively monetize its song-rights holdings.

Overall, those holdings (including a variety of popular theme songs as well as music from Game of Thrones, a number of comic-book films, Shawshank Redemption, and a whole lot else) are said to encompass north of 400,000 compositions and song cues.

As described by the appropriate parties, Cutting Edge is set to “co-own WBD’s vast catalog of film and TV music” under the newly minted union.

Nevertheless, Warner Bros. Discovery, which had reportedly been pushing for far-reaching licensing controls over the IP when exploring a sale in years past, “will retain creative and operational control of the music rights,” the entities clarified.

But Cutting Edge will “jointly manage” the works at hand, a portion of which will continue being administered by Universal Music Publishing Group, others of which will remain under the Sony Music Publishing admin banner.

And unsurprisingly, Cutting Edge and Warner Bros. Discovery intend to zero in “on maximizing the distribution and revenue potential” of the IP in question.

Though the businesses opted against publicly disclosing the arrangement’s financial specifics, they did note that Germany’s DWS Group “is co-investing and sponsoring the transaction alongside” Cutting Edge.

In a statement, Cutting Edge founder and CEO Philip Moross, whose company is said to possess stakes in north of 1,000 films and over 45,000 tracks, described the deal as “an incredibly exciting prospect.”

“This truly is an iconic assembly of catalogs created over almost a century by one of Hollywood’s original studios and to have the opportunity to invest in and manage this JV alongside WBD is an incredibly exciting prospect for us,” Moross said.

“This special partnership with Warner Bros. is the culmination of many years work on the part of our team at Cutting Edge and is a strong endorsement of our early conviction and specialist expertise in this area of the market,” he concluded.

Amazon Music has raised prices for Unlimited in the U.S., but a non-audiobook ‘Standard’ option is available with smaller monthly costs. Photo Credit: Amazon Music

Another round of streaming price increases has arrived in the U.S. – this time from Amazon Music Unlimited. Like with Spotify’s bundling extravaganza, the move could have major royalty implications for songwriters and publishers.

The Amazon-owned streaming platform emailed customers about the pricing pivot and, wasting no time, updated its subscription options accordingly. Moving forward, Prime members will pay $10.99 monthly for Unlimited Individual (a $1 increase), against $11.99 monthly for non-Prime members. (Annually, Unlimited Individual’s price is rising from $99 to $109 for Prime members.)

Additionally, Amazon Music Unlimited Family’s price is jumping $3 to $19.99 per month and $30 annually to $199. Already in place for new subscribers, as mentioned, the increase will reach existing subscribers on their first billing date after March 5th, the company said.

It’ll be worth closely monitoring the move’s subscription consequences; DMN Pro actively tracks leading on-demand platforms’ subscribership in the U.S., where, at least for now, Apple Music is holding steady at $10.99 monthly for Individual.

Also important are the effects of Amazon Music’s broader subscription recalibration, referring specifically to the impact on songwriters and publishers.

As most are aware – especially following a clear-cut ruling yesterday – Spotify began aggressively embracing bundles (currently consisting of audiobooks and music, though that could change soon) in 2024 and is reaping substantial compositional royalty savings as a result.

That’s because “bundled” revenue is treated a lot differently than revenue from music-only plans under the Phonorecords IV determination; besides exploring the involved subject at length, DMN Pro has found that over 99% of Spotify’s U.S. subs are classified as bundles.

Consequently, Amazon Music raised eyebrows in November 2024 when it added a monthly audiobook to Unlimited at no additional cost – around the same time, albeit in 2023, that Spotify took its audiobook bundles to the next level.

And in December 2024, Amazon Music unveiled a sweeping “artist-centric” tie-up with Universal Music Group.

Now, the platform has eliminated all doubt by apparently separating the audiobook-equipped Unlimited plans from their “Amazon Music Standard” counterparts.

Notably, the email pertaining to the Amazon Music price increases doesn’t come right out and tell Prime-enrolled Unlimited subscribers that they can still pay $9.99 per month provided that they’re willing to part with audiobook access. Nor does the platform’s updated FAQ section appear to do so.

But the Amazon Music subscription-settings page rather clearly distinguishes between Unlimited and Standard, the latter of which looks to have the same pre-increase pricing for Family as well.

Especially with the mentioned Universal Music deal in place – UMPG recently opted for a direct agreement with Spotify as well – logic suggests that the Unlimited-Standard distinction will soon factor into Amazon Music’s stateside mechanicals. We’ll of course be keeping tabs on that one (as an aside, Spotify didn’t flip the ‘bundling switch’ immediately after creating its music+audiobook packages, recent court documents reveal).

As noted above, some 99% of Spotify’s own U.S. subscribers use plans classified as bundles – compared to about 20% for Amazon Music, according to DMN Pro data.

Photo Credit: Ri Ya

Here’s a music industry newsflash: everybody hates Spotify’s cut-rate ‘bundled’ royalty payments — except for Spotify. Six-year-olds enjoy cauliflower more, but now that Spotify just whipped the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) in court, is there anything music publishers can do about it?

This is not just a topic of spirited industry conjecture, but a matter that could potentially reshape the music industry in 2025. But where do music publishers and songwriters go next?

For starters, NMPA chief David Israelite, music publishers, and The MLC may appeal this decision, even if that means losing again. This wasn’t a close case, but it’s the principle of it. However, according to sources eyeing this chess match, the court system is only one battleground, with legislation another vital arena for publishers.

After all, the legislative branch (not to mention the President) approved the landmark Music Modernization Act and created the MLC and its many rules — which included vast indemnifications and protections against licensing litigation for Spotify and other DSPs. You’re welcome Spotify, though rules can be changed and updated, especially when enough special interests want to make it happen.

There’s also the matter of David Israelite, who is almost certainly not walking away from this fight. Speaking of legislation: Israelite was just recently lobbying for across-the-board direct publishing deals last year. For now, however, Spotify gets to send out its discounted mechanical royalty checks after ramping up its US-based bundled subscriptions past 99%, as first tracked by DMN Pro.

But what happens when music publishers are finally sick of cashing those checks?

Previously, all indications were that major label bosses wouldn’t be intervening in publishing-specific disputes, at least in a meaningful way. But those assumptions were incorrect. Enter Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), which corralled its bigger brother parent to force Spotify to pay more and modify its cut-rate payouts.

Now, the hundreds-million-dollar question is what happens next — and more importantly, who rattles the cage demanding a direct licensing relationship.

Under US Copyright Law, any direct deal supersedes a statutory one. So who’s next to demand a direct deal to shutter the bundling loophole?

We don’t have the specific deal terms of the UMPG direct deal. But it’s certainly not worse than what Spotify was paying before. Big deals with UMG tend to set templates for smaller deals, which means that Spotify might end up paying more money to more music publishers than they did pre-bundling via direct deals and demands.

Net-net on a royalty-revenue basis, it’s hard to predict whether Spotify actually wins or loses here. But back at Spotify HQ, life is good: the stock is soaring, and Spotify’s brass are filthy rich. So who cares if a few publishers get stepped on?

This is reminiscent of TikTok’s scorched-earth licensing approach, though Spotify’s hearts-and-minds problem could spell trouble down the line. Already, we’re seeing more fallout, with songwriters boycotting Spotify’s songwriter-themed Grammy party (which itself got canceled).

(As a quick aside, there’s a reason why few in the music industry are advocating for TikTok as it struggles to remain in the US.)

It’s also important to note that Apple Music could easily ‘pull a Spotify’ and flip their subscriptions into bundles overnight. But they aren’t doing that according to DMN Pro’s research on bundling. But will major label and publisher bosses reward Cupertino for ‘doing the right thing’ and paying more to rights owners — even if they technically don’t have to? Others are also playing far more cooperatively than Spotify, and deserve to be rewarded with more exclusives, access, and other perks that come with friendlier partnerships.

Perhaps Spotify foolishly wants to have it both ways. But it’s hard to be the villain and the savior at the same time.

Spotify wants you to believe that they saved the music industry, and they’re pumping billions in found money into the industry ecosystem (we’d know, being on the receiving end of their PR machine). That assessment isn’t entirely incorrect, though for a company trying to shake its image of screwing artists and songwriters, bundling loopholes wasn’t the smartest idea.

Even today, prominent artists like Björk are landing zingers at Spotify over their measly royalties and artist-unfriendly practices. And she’s not wrong, either. Fresh data shows that Apple Music is the better industry partner, with better payouts to rights owners and creators. Whether it’s fair or not, Spotify remains the villain to many, and the shift to bundling isn’t helping.

More as this develops.

Got a tip? Confidentially email me at paul@digitalmusicnews.com; drop a text to (310) 804-0560; or send a Signal to digitalmusicnews.07. 

Photo Credit: Johnny McDaid by Bradley Quinn for Concord

Concord announces the acquisition of songwriter, musician, and producer Johnny McDaid’s song catalog.

Concord has announced the acquisition of a portion of former Snow Patrol member, songwriter, musician, and producer Johnny McDaid’s song catalog. In addition to playing piano, guitar, and providing backing vocals for Snow Patrol, McDaid has written for artists like Ed Sheeran, P!nk, Lewis Capaldi, Keith Urban, Shawn Mendes, Zara Larsson, Alicia Keys, Jungkook, Rag n’ Bone Man, Kelly Clarkson, Sam Smith, Faith Hill, and Tim McGraw.

Hits from the acquisition include “Photograph,” “Shivers,” and “Bad Habits” from Ed Sheeran, as well as BTS’ “Permission to Dance.” Concord will also represent McDaid’s future works as part of this worldwide publishing deal.

A native of Derry, Northern Ireland, McDaid moved to London in his late teens and learned to write songs busking to crowds of passersby. “The craft of songwriting started when I was in the streets of London and I would play covers,” said McDaid. “I’d throw in my own songs and get a very quick reaction. I could feel whether or not people connected with what I was writing. It was an honest schooling.”

McDaid spent the next decade leading his band Vega4. When the band split, Snow Patrol’s Polar Patrol Publishing made McDaid their first signing. McDaid eventually began touring with the band and officially joined in 2011.

The multi-hyphenate songwriter has established himself as a writing partner for a wide range of artists. His catalog includes co-writes with pop stars like Robbie Williams and BTS, as well as bands like Thirty Seconds to Mars, Biffy Clyro, and Kodaline. He also has writing credits for David Guetta and singer-songwriters like Birdy, Maisie Peters, and superstar Ed Sheeran.

“Johnny is a true artist. His songwriting, whether with his band or for other artists, is both personal and universal,” said Jim Selby, Chief Publishing Officer at Concord. “His catalog to this point has reached incredible heights, culturally resonating around the world. We’re thrilled to represent some of his iconic works and honored to partner with Johnny for the future.”

The agreement was negotiated on behalf of Concord by Reed Smith, LLP. McDaid was represented by Michael Poster and Claire Hoffman of Michelman & Robinson, LLP, along with his business manager, Kevin McCullough, and his lawyer, Willie Ryan.

Since early 2024, Spotify has been ramming nearly every subscriber into a cut-rate ‘bundled’ package involving music and audiobooks — and boasting about the huge royalty savings while fighting publishers tooth-and-nail. Now, there’s serious pushback coming from Universal Music Group itself — and a brand-new, direct licensing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) to deal with the bundling funny business.

Earlier this month, DMN Pro revealed that Spotify had successfully migrated more than 99 percent of its subscribers into bundled packages in the all-important US market, part of a dramatic shift that started in March 2024. Now, the pushback is expanding beyond the music publishing sector, forcing Spotify to potentially reconsider those royalty downgrades.

According to fresh deal terms confirmed to Digital Music News over the weekend, Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) have finalized a multi-year agreement encompassing recorded music and music publishing with important direct-licensing components.

It’s a first-of-its-kind deal on the publishing side and a signal of a potentially colossal royalty correction ahead.

Spotify re-ups with UMG every few years, but this time, it’s different — very, very different.

A significant aspect of the refreshed agreement is a direct licensing arrangement between Spotify and Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) in the United States and other regions. This direct deal is the first of its kind since the Music Modernization Act of 2018, and signals a potentially profound shift in the dynamics between streaming platforms and music publishers — and their label group parents.

As of this weekend, it’s unclear exactly how Spotify’s deal with UMPG changes the publishing payout structure, particularly for bundled royalties. However, at least two sources noted that UMPG is getting substantially better payouts than the statutory mechanical royalties being metered out to other publishers, particularly regarding bundled plans. That involves a substantial rollback or modification of bundling-based discounts, though it’s unclear whether Spotify is doing away with them entirely.

Beyond the UMPG deal, Spotify is understood to be keeping its payments for other music publishers the same.

But that could change very rapidly as mega-label groups like Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and even Merlin start making demands—potentially with the threat of content removals on the recording side. You can almost feel the rumblings coming ahead, particularly given that UMG tends to set the tone for ‘downstream’ deals involving smaller major labels and IP owners.

But why would a direct publishing deal be needed if the Music Modernization Act outlined terms for all music streaming platforms (DSPs) and music publishers?

One reason is that the MMA pact is simply breaking down, with music publishers effectively despising Spotify for exploiting statutory loopholes to pay them less. That includes UMPG, one of the largest music publishers in the world, which has become increasingly vocal about its mistreatment by Spotify. After a year of fruitless pushback, perhaps it was time for a sit-down with UMG’s bosses.

Leading up to this point, major music publishers—represented by the NMPA and its battling CEO David Israelite—spent a good chunk of 2024 pushing back against Spotify’s bundling shenanigans, which involved significantly lowered royalty payments to publishers and songwriters. The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) even sued Spotify over the bundling shifts, though Spotify has been litigating back.

At one point, David Israelite even started pushing for a direct licensing structure between music publishers and streaming platforms to complement current statutory rates. Israelite certainly has the pull on Capitol Hill, though it’s unclear where those direct-licensing efforts stand now.

Either way, Spotify’s message to publishers has been extremely unfriendly. Given the predefined statutory rates and agreements, publishers have little recourse outside protracted legal battles and protests that rarely make it outside of industry circles.

Total US-based Spotify subscribers, November 2024, broken down by tier (Source: DMN Pro).

All of which necessitated a change in the game plan for 2025, with a different sort of blowback now coming from Universal Music Group. But there are also other aspects to this deal.

In the agreement announcement, Universal Music Group said its Spotify agreement supports its “Streaming 2.0” vision, which seeks to reshape the economics of music streaming and ensure fairer compensation for artists and songwriters. That vision includes new product developments and offerings, including new subscription tiers, bundled content offerings, and enhanced audio and visual experiences.

And, of course, there’s the reset on bundles combining music and non-music content.

Notably, the deal also continues UMG’s focus on ‘artist-centric principles,’ which, according to UMG, ensures that artists are rewarded based on their contribution to listener engagement and that their royalties are protected from fraudulent activity.

That includes previously established rules like a 1,000-stream-per-annum threshold for triggering payments and weeding out the ‘noise’ of background sounds and AI-generated recordings.

(As a humorous aside, one indie label manager called this ‘Streaming 2X’ given that UMG is using its muscle to get a bigger cut from Spotify. Indeed, UMG has been shifting the tables to drive more revenues into their coffers and away from indie labels, producers of background tracks, and AI factories, among other camps.)

Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, expressed his enthusiasm for the deal, stating that it aligns perfectly with UMG’s ‘Streaming 2.0’ vision. “When we first presented our vision for the next stage in the evolution of music subscription several months ago—Streaming 2.0—this is precisely the kind of partnership development we envisioned,” Grainge relayed.

“This agreement furthers and broadens the collaboration with Spotify for both our labels and music publisher, advancing artist-centric principles to drive greater monetization for artists and songwriters, as well as enhancing product offerings for consumers.”

Got a tip? Confidentially email news@digitalmusicnews.com, text +1 (310) 804-0560, or Signal to digitalmusicnews.07.

Photo Credit: Spotify

Maybe it’s just an accounting slip — or maybe it’s a serious dip. But according to preliminary Spotify royalty stats shared with Digital Music News by multiple US-based publishers, we may have a problem here.

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.

By law, Spotify remits mechanical licensing royalties and processes them through the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). However, the same organization manages broader publishing calculations involving both mechanical and performance licenses, which are interrelated in the streaming realm. For currently unclear reasons, performance royalties jumped dramatically in January for these same publishers, shifting the ratio between the two licenses.

This issue appears to be isolated to Spotify and not happening at other DSPs — but we’ll keep you posted if similar issues surface on other platforms.

It’s also important to stress that it remains unclear what exactly is causing the drop and shifts — and this might be attributable to an error or methodology change. At press time, DMN had connected with Spotify via email on the matter, but the streaming platform has yet to issue a statement (update: Spotify has now issued a statement on the drops, see below).

Diving further into the weeds: the payment drops are specifically tied to plays in October 2024, with January 2025 being the payout month.

One publisher told DMN that the drops weren’t tied to a specific artist, genre, or region but were ‘across the board.’ Furthermore, none knew of any special adjustments or changes in their royalty calculations, and none tied the declines to usage drops. Q4 is often a time of streaming increases for many publishers, depending on their catalogs.

As for the massive shift towards performance licenses, nobody had any answers.

The declines applied to specific streams and aggregate amounts, with both declining a ‘very large and substantial amount’ compared to previous, late-2024 payments.

Update (January 24th): Spotify has now shared a statement on the matter, acknowledging the drop but attributing it to an increase in September and other possible factors, while noting that these figures haven’t been fully finalized.

“Monthly mechanical payments are estimates and subject to fluctuations based on payments and accruals to PROs, among other things. While we saw an increase in September, the October payouts returned to the level of previous months. The final payments are subject to accounting with the Annual Report Of Usage.”

The development closely follows some eyebrow-raising stats—published exclusively on DMN Pro—showing Spotify’s extreme shift towards bundled subscription options in 2024.

Amazingly, music-only, non-bundled subscriptions now account for fewer than 1% of all US-based subscriptions. That’s trivia for most, but not for publishers and songwriters, who receive substantially lowered mechanical royalties on bundled plans.

Back to the present decline: sorry if we’ve ruined the weekends of any accounting teams — but hopefully this one gets sorted out.

More as this develops.

Photo Credit: Minh Luu

The IFPI has launched the first official music charts for Southeast Asia covering six countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The launch of the chart for both the Philippines and Vietnam marks the first time ever in these countries that official, industry-backed charts are available. In the inaugural weekly chart in the Philippines, Pinoy R&B star Dionela took the top spot with his viral hit “Marilag.” The track was released in November 2024 and is one of three by the artist in the current Top 10.

In Vietnam another domestic artist took the top spot, Dương Domic with his track “Mất Kết Nối.” Eight of the top ten tracks this week in the country were by Vietnamese artists, showcasing the popularity of local content in this fast-growing music market.

The existing charts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand will be rebranded as the official charts respectively. All six charts will present the top 20 tracks in each market every week, showcasing the most popular music from local and international artists. For the first time, music fans will be able to follow their favorite artists and keep up to date with the biggest tracks across the region in a central hub.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of IFPI’s official Southeast Asia charts, which aims to elevate the region’s artists and connect them with a global audience,” says Shridhar Subramaniam, President, Asia and Middle East at Sony Music Entertainment and Chairman of the IFPI Asia Regional Executive Board.

“This unified platform will provide a launchpad for artists, giving them a stage to showcase their talent and celebrate their successes. Meanwhile, fans will gain a curated destination to explore the vast and exciting musical landscape of Southeast Asia.”

Supported by the recorded music industry, the charts combine streams from global platforms Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, and YouTube as well as regional services such as Langit Musik. The charts are managed by IFPI with the close collaboration of national industry bodies ASIRI (Indonesia), RIM (Malaysia), RIAS (Singapore), and TECA (Thailand). The charts are built on data prepared by BMAT, in accordance with IFPI’s global charts principles and methodologies.

Photo Credit: Tatchara Longprasert, General Manager of SMP Thailand

Sony Music Publishing (SMP) launches a flagship office in Thailand, appointing Tatchara Longprasert as General Manager.

Sony Music Publishing’s strategic expansion into Thailand is based on a dedication to develop and promote Thai songwriters both locally and around the world. With a new flagship office in Bangkok, SMP has appointed Tatchara Longprasert as General Manager of SMP Thailand, effective immediately. Longprasert reports to Carol Ng, President, Asia, Sony Music Publishing.

SMP Thailand (SMP TH) will work closely with the stakeholders in the Thai music industry, including music labels and collection societies, to advance international networks and partnerships, and develop creative opportunities for the company’s composers and songwriters. SMP TH is the first international publisher to have a dedicated local team providing full publishing services in Thailand.

“Thailand has a rich tapestry of sounds and stories. With the fast-paced growth of Thai repertoire, more and more artists are looking for a dedicated music publishing company, with high value global networks and expertise, to look after the publishing side of their work. We look forward to welcoming many talented and creative songwriters to SMP Thailand and enabling their work to be heard globally,” said Carol Ng, President, Asia, Sony Music Publishing.

“I am thrilled that we have opened our publishing business in Thailand. With an exciting domestic market and in a rapidly changing world where music travels across the globe in an instant, there are tremendous opportunities for all. With Tat and his new team working alongside the SMP global network, I am confident we will advance the global achievements of our Thai writers,” said Guy Henderson, President, International, Sony Music Publishing.

As General Manager of SMP TH, Tatchara Longprasert will focus on expanding the company’s creative and commercial opportunities in the Thai market. Longprasert brings over a decade of music industry and business expertise. Before joining SMP, Longprasert served as A&R Director at Sonray Music. Prior to Sonray, he held roles at Warner Music Thailand and BEC World PLC (Thai Television Channel 3) and began his career at SM Entertainment on the International Business Team.

“I am very excited to be a part of this new journey in Thailand, which will allow us to support local talent whilst expanding their global network. We’re dedicated to advancing the integrity of music publishing, ensuring fair and transparent practices, and providing the best support to songwriters and composers in Thailand. This is a significant step, and we are proud to contribute to the ongoing growth of the Thai creative community,” said Longprasert.

A live performance from Janet Jackson, one of the many artists who have recorded works featured in the catalog of Lastrada Entertainment. Photo Credit: J Vettorino

Reservoir Media has officially acquired the publishing catalog of Lastrada Entertainment – including interests in works recorded by Jim Croce and many others.

New York City-based Reservoir and 38-year-old Lastrada reached out with word of their deal today. While the same parties opted against identifying the financial specifics at hand, they did indicate that the transaction encompasses north of 5,600 compositions.

Among those compositions are commercially prominent efforts like Croce’s “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and “Time in a Bottle,” Captain & Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together,” and Zapp’s “More Bounce to the Ounce,” according to the announcement.

(More than a few different releases, recorded by Tina Turner, Latto, and an array of other talent, are featured in Lastrada’s online catalog database. But several of the relevant stakes seemingly only involve masters and look to be excluded from the IP-sale agreement as a result.)

Meanwhile, thanks to a variety of samples – 2Pac incorporated Ronnie Hudson’s “West Coast Poplock” into “California Love,” to name one example – the purchase also includes interests in works recorded by Ne-Yo, Yo Gotti, Dave East, Kanye West, Usher, Drake, Gucci Mane, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and Rick Ross.

(Despite its varied IP investments and holdings, Reservoir has zeroed in particularly on hip-hop in recent years. 2024 saw the business ink publishing deals with Snoop Dogg as well as Death Row, on top of investing in the work of 2Pac collaborator Big D Evans, for example.)

In a statement, Reservoir chief operating officer Rell Lafargue said his company would work to preserve “the legacy the Moelis family has built,” with an underlying goal of ensuring Lastrada’s continued success.

And in remarks of his own, Stephen Moelis (who’d served as president of music publishing, with his brother Larry working as VP of operations) described the sale as “the natural next step” for Lastrada.

“The Moelis family takes pride in the catalog of hits we were part of,” Stephen relayed, “and in the personal relationships we forged with our incredibly talented songwriters.

“Passing the creative torch to Reservoir is the natural next step to continue the work we started with our father 40 years ago, and we wish to thank Golnar Khosrowshahi, Rell Lafargue, and the entire Reservoir team as they become stewards of some of the great songs of all time,” he concluded.

With Reservoir’s Lastrada buyout (besides Warner Music’s DWA and Extravaganza catalog purchases), it’s safe to say that the IP-acquisition space is heating up.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen precisely how many massive deals the sub-sector will deliver this year. Among other things, 2024 delivered what appeared (and appears) to be the single-largest IP investment thus far, Sony Music’s reportedly $600 million purchase of 50% of Michael Jackson’s catalog.

However, billions are already earmarked for song rights; a steady stream of IP sales is all but guaranteed for 2025, and additional gargantuan rights selloffs might come to fruition as well.

Photo Credit: Deezer

Deezer is now  spreading its ‘artist-centric payment system (ACPS)’ for publishing rights in France through a partnership with SACEM.

Deezer says it’s the world’s first digital service provider (DSP) to update its remuneration model for publishing since streaming was introduced. “At Deezer, we continuously innovate for the benefit of the music ecosystem, and we are thrilled to partner with SACEM to introduce the world’s first update to the remuneration model for publishing in the streaming era,” adds Alexis Lanternier, CEO of Deezer.

“Our model ensures that a higher share of what subscribers pay goes to the artists they love, while also counteracting fraudulent streaming behavior. Through this partnership, we are pleased to offer these key benefits to songwriters, composers, and publishers represented by SACEM.”

Following the launch of the ACPS model for recorded music in 2023, the model will now be applied to publishing rights. Both organizations are confident that this evolution will inspire other players in the music industry to follow suit, creating a more sustainable and equitable ecosystem for creators.

Under the new model, songs by artists with at least 1,000 streams from 500 different subscribers each month are remunerated twice the amount per stream compared to artists who do not reach the goal. This double boost is also applied to songs that are actively searched for or found in non-algorithmic playlists. Deezer says the caps are designed to reward real, working artists who cultivate their fanbase while minimizing fraudulent behavior.

The ACPS developed in France with Deezer moves in the direction of [more equitable distribution of revenue] by rewarding true music, excluding noise, and better accounting for diversity of aesthatics and genres listened to on the platform,” adds SACEM CEO Cécile Rap-Veber. “We appreciate Deezer’s commitment to creators and publishers in the field of streaming as well as AI, notably through their adherence to the Ed Newton Rex initiative and our mutual efforts. We’re thrilled to announce our collaboration today.”

Wise Music Group has sold its education division to Achieve Partners. Photo Credit: Soundtrap

It turns out private equities’ music industry interest also extends to the learning side, as Achieve Partners has officially purchased Wise Music Group’s digital education division.

New York City-based Achieve Partners formally revealed that buyout today. At the top level, the private equity says it’s striving “to close America’s skills gap and secure the future of work.”

And within this broad operational framework, Achieve is also working “to build a comprehensive education software platform for performing and visual arts.” Enter the agreement with Wise Music, which is specifically parting with its MusicFirst, Charanga, Rising Software, Focus on Sound, and O-Generator assets.

As noted, each of those units specializes in music learning in one form or another. Just for a bit of additional context, though, MusicFirst creates various educational resources for use in the classroom. And Charanga’s similar music-lessons platform is said to be used by north of 70,000 teachers.

Meanwhile, Rising touts itself as today’s “most powerful ear training & music theory software,” with Focus on Sound specializing in “multimedia learning materials” as O-Generator zeroes in on composition, per the appropriate websites.

Of course, time will reveal Achieve Partners’ long-term plans for the holdings amid the above-described push to develop a comprehensive educational offering. Closer to the present, however, the private equity intends to keep on “accelerating the development of all five brands.”

That refers to “expanding their reach in ways that advance the role of technology in education while also prioritizing the unique needs of the music education community,” per the purchaser.

As for Wise Music, execs painted the selloff as a long-expected move designed to simplify operations and allow for a focus solely on publishing.

“This milestone represents the culmination of years of strategic transformation for Wise Music Group,” weighed in CEO Tomas Wise. “By entrusting our education businesses to Achieve Partners, we are confident that these brands will flourish under their stewardship.

“At the same time, we can now fully dedicate ourselves to our core mission of music publishing, reinforcing our position as a leading independent in the industry,” concluded the longtime Wise Music head, whose company is said to own or control over 500,000 copyrights.

Achieve isn’t alone in pursuing results in the music education space, with Conduction and Moombix having pulled down related raises during the final few months of 2024. Also during 2024, Billie Eilish partnered with Helsinki-headquartered Yousician, and Sony Music made more than 60 tracks available in Duolingo music lessons.

Robert Plant performing live. Photo Credit: Raph_PH

Two companies tied to Robert Plant have disclosed making a cool £7 million (currently $8.8 million) in total royalty-dividend payments to the former Led Zeppelin frontman.

Those payments, pertaining specifically to the fiscal year ended March 31st, 2024, came to light in Companies House filings. Per the publicly available documents, West Brom-born Plant incorporated the older of the entities, Trolcharm Limited, back in 1981.

Besides following Led Zeppelin’s 1980 breakup, that was shortly before the release of Plant’s debut solo album, Pictures at Eleven. Meanwhile, the veteran vocalist incorporated a second company, Sons of Einion Limited, in 1997.

According once again to public filings, Einion deals particularly in “sound recording and music publishing activities,” with Trolcharm focused on the more general “performing arts.” Both are majority-owned by Plant and count as directors the 76-year-old as well as members of his family.

Plus, both Einion and Trolcharm made the initially mentioned multimillion-dollar payments to Plant for the 12-month period, their annual reports show.

That sum refers to “dividends” of £3 million/$3.75 million to the Rock Hall of Famer from Trolcharm and $5 million/£4 million from Einion, with both reports also confirming the absence of similar payments for the 2023 window.

In other words, it’s unclear precisely which period the dividends stemmed from. Keeping the focus on what we do know, however, the figure at hand is sizable and provides valuable context to recent years’ Led Zeppelin headlines.

(As highlighted, Plant’s body of work doesn’t solely include Zeppelin classics, but further encompasses commercially prominent solo releases such as 1988’s Now and Zen.)

Most immediately, this refers to the long-awaited Becoming Led Zeppelin documentary, which, following years of editing and fine-tuning, is slated to hit theaters in February. Capitalizing on still-strong fan support while simultaneously reaching new followers makes sense on multiple levels.

The total is significant as well when it comes to the Zeppelin catalog stake sold by Helen Grant, the daughter of famed manager Peter Grant. The elder Grant reportedly owned 20% of Zeppelin’s IP and split the asset between his two children upon passing in 1995.

When we covered those early sale rumblings in July 2023, reports across the pond suggested that the transaction would feature masters and publishing alike. Per an update from Led Zeppelin News, though, the rights selloff didn’t encompass publishing and, despite a lack of core industry coverage, wrapped sometime last summer.

The buyer wasn’t publicly revealed, according to the same outlet, nor was a concrete price attached to the 10% interest. But LedZeppNews had previously pointed to a $10.6 million/£8.5 million offer for the IP in question.

Photo Credit: Downtown Music Holdings

Virgin Music Group, a division of Universal Music Group, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Downtown Music Holdings for $775 million. The deal, expected to close in the second half of 2025, will bring together two leading services and technology providers for independent labels, publishers, and music IP owners, while dramatically expanding UMG’s involvement in the indie space.

The acquisition, officially disclosed this (Monday) morning, will enable Virgin Music Group to expand its global footprint and enhance its offerings for independent artists and labels. The combined company will offer a far broader suite of services, including distribution, marketing, rights management, and royalty collection.

The deal follows months of rumblings of a possible sale, with Downtown reportedly consulting with private equity firms in July.

Suddenly, Universal Music Group is a much bigger player in the burgeoning indie space. Once finalized, UMG will enjoy an expanded footprint across numerous tiers of independent distribution (for both artists and labels), not to mention an array of indie-focused monetization and rights management competencies.

Downtown, founded in 2007, has grown into a diversified music services company with divisions spanning artist and label services, distribution, royalty and financial services, and music publishing. Thanks to a string of aggressive acquisitions and expansions over the years, Downtown’s portfolio now includes CD Baby, Soundrop, Curve, FUGA, Songtrust, Found.ee, Sheer Publishing Africa, and homegrown neighboring rights, studio, and artist and label services divisions.

Downtown currently manages more than 50 million music assets from virtually every country worldwide. It serves over 5,000 business clients and 4 million creators across 145 countries, according to stats shared by the company with Digital Music News.

“Justin Kalifowitz, Andrew Bergman, and Pieter Van Rijn have built Downtown Music into one of the most diversified and respected operations in the world,” said JT Myers, Co-CEO of Virgin Music Group.  “This combination enables us to expand on the Downtown legacy and offer the independent music community a dynamic and innovative global infrastructure both in terms of service offering and territorial footprint, and we look forward to working with the Downtown team to serve independent entrepreneurs, artists, and creators with an even broader portfolio of services.”

Justin Kalifowitz, Founder of Downtown Music Holdings, also expressed enthusiasm about the deal, stating, “This is a tremendous recognition of the importance and vitality of independent music, and the value that our company brings to its clients every day.”

Indeed, the deal is happening alongside a growth spurt within the independent music sector that is cramping the market share of major label artist releases. That has prompted a number of strategic changes from the major labels, with acquisitions another weapon to exert more influence in the space.

That said, Downtown Music isn’t focused on music IP ownership — at least not anymore.

Back in 2021, Downtown offloaded a catalog of roughly 145,000 songs to Concord in a deal valued north of $300 million. The decision followed Downtown’s Q4 2020 “strategic review of its business interests,” which involved shifting away from IP ownership in favor of services and other core competencies.

After the deal, Downtown used the proceeds to expand Downtown Music Services, part of a broader effort to focus “exclusively on the fast-growing music services sector to support the extraordinary growth of the independent music economy.”

It may be premature to consider the post-acquisition changes that will happen in 2025. But it’s plausible that Virgin will leave many Downtown sub-divisions intact, in particular CD Baby and FUGA. Both are well-known and established within their distribution niches, with strong brand identities among artists and labels.

Nat Pastor, Co-CEO of Virgin Music Group, emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting independent artists and labels, stating, “This is an investment into the global independent music ecosystem and a commitment to nurture current and future creators and entrepreneurs with world-class support.”

The two companies will continue to operate independently until the deal closes, pending regulatory approvals. Goldman Sachs and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom advised Downtown Music on the transaction, while Kirkland & Ellis and Freshfields advised Virgin Music Group.

The NMPA is wishing all (or at least most) ‘unbundled joy’ this holiday season. (Photo Credit: Digital Music News)

Amid a high-stakes showdown over Spotify’s unilateral bundling reclassifications, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) is wishing you “unbundled joy” this holiday season.

The NMPA communicated as much in a clever holiday card that all but certainly failed to reach Spotify’s mailbox. As for DMN and the other recipients, the card’s first side (pictured above) features a photo of an apparently chilly NMPA staff wearing hats, scarves, and jackets – which is “the only acceptable way to bundle this holiday season.”

And the reverse side shows the same individuals posing sans winter gear (which is piled up before them), “wishing you unbundled joy in 2025” and beyond. As many will promptly recognize, that’s a not-so-subtle reference to Spotify’s mentioned U.S. bundling reclassifications, which went into effect closer to the top of 2024.

Made possible by the addition of audiobook access to existing music subscriptions, that outwardly minor maneuver is having a decidedly significant impact on stateside mechanicals.

We’ve covered the royalty-related fallout – referring to massive savings on Spotify’s end at the expense of songwriters and publishers – throughout 2024.

Long story short, the Phonorecords IV determination treats bundled subscription revenue far differently than it does unbundled revenue. Consequently, Spotify went ahead and reclassified existing standalone subs as bundles after embracing audiobooks, with allegedly difficult-to-locate music-only tiers finding few takers at present.

Specifically, around 99% of U.S. subscriber accounts are now classified as bundles, per DMN Pro’s Bundling Barometer. As laid out in that handy resource, Spotify’s bundling share is materially larger than the shares of competitors like Apple Music (27%) and Amazon Music (20%).

To put it mildly, the NMPA, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), and others aren’t thrilled with the situation and remain adamant that Spotify’s purportedly multi-product packages don’t constitute bundles at all.

Unsurprisingly, Spotify maintains that the offerings absolutely do constitute bundles under the language of Phono IV, and related litigation is ongoing. However, that MLC v. Spotify suit has plodded along since its May filing; earlier in December, both sides jointly asked the court to extend discovery into June 2025.

Stated differently, in the absence of an injunction, Spotify’s bundles (and royalty savings) are here to stay – at least for now, as the marathon courtroom confrontation unfolds.

Regarding potential bright spots on the publisher and songwriter side, NMPA head David Israelite confirmed to DMN that Spotify’s ad-supported tiers technically aren’t being classified as bundles. The exec also reiterated his organization’s opposition to the bundling classifications behind Spotify’s paid plans.

Heading into the new year, it’ll be worth following not just the MLC v. Spotify suit, but the possible bundling moves of other streaming platforms.

Though such moves appear unlikely because of the compositional-side fallout that would invariably follow, legally speaking, there’s seemingly nothing stopping Apple Music from making the jump.

Amazon Music, for its part, added monthly audiobook listening in November, and Spotify is plowing full steam ahead with more non-music offerings yet. The latest such push involves user-uploaded videos, and the platform yesterday set out to hire a trust and safety policy manager tasked with “maintaining policies and procedures related to government takedown requests.”

Photo Credit: Lainey Wilson for Sony Music Publishing

Sony Music Publishing Nashville announces the renewal of its global publishing administration agreement with Lainey Wilson.

Sony Music Publishing Nashville has announced the renewal of its global publishing administration agreement with country superstar Lainey Wilson. The deal extends the company’s longstanding partnership with the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter, which first began in 2017.

“Lainey Wilson is one of the most inspiring songwriters the world has ever known,” said Sony Music Publishing Nashville Vice President, Creative, Anna Weisband. “She is continuing to redefine the country music genre with every song she writes. I am so proud to be on her team and to continue this journey with her — I can’t wait to see what she does next!”

One of the most prolific artists and songwriters in country music today, Lainey Wilson has numerous accolades under her belt. The CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year winner has achieved seven #1 hits, including “Watermelon Moonshine,” and the 2x platinum hit, “Heart Like A Truck,” as well as award-winning collaborations with Cole Swindell, Jelly Roll, and HARDY.

After winning her first-ever Best Country Album Grammy this year for Bell Bottom Country, Wilson released her latest album, WHIRLWIND, earlier this year. That clenched her second consecutive Best Country Album nomination at the 2025 Grammy Awards on February 2. Wilson also became a triple threat as a singer, songwriter, and actress, with her recent acting debut in Paramount’s hit series, Yellowstone.

“I couldn’t be happier to continue my partnership with Sony Music Publishing,” said Lainey Wilson. “I’ll always be a songwriter first and I appreciate having such a supportive team that agrees it all starts with the songs.”

Among her many accolades, Wilson has earned nine ACM awards, nine CMA awards, and was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry this year. She was also named Female Country Artist of the Year at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards and took home Country Song of the Year with “Heart Like A Truck” at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Photo Credit: Alejandro Gonzalez for Sony Music Publishing (Studio A)

Sony Music Publishing has announced the opening of its new office space and creative hub for songwriters in Los Angeles. The location is located just minutes away from the newly revitalized Vinyl District in Hollywood.

The new SMP office space is in a beautifully re-imagined century-old building, customized from the ground up to elevate the creative experience. The design reflects Sony Music Publishing’s enduring legacy while embracing a modern vision as the premier service company for the world’s most impactful songwriters and composers. The design was achieved in close collaboration with renowned studio architects WSDG and the innovative design collective RIOS.

The new creative and songwriting hub boasts five dedicated writer studios, six listening rooms, as well as a state-of-the-art recording studio with two independent recording booths and an artist lounge. Each creative suite maximizes acoustic performance and is equipped with cutting-edge systems and production gear. The creative suites are alongside collaborative office and social areas to promote engagement between creators and staff.

“Our focus has been on creating environments that nurture the talent, vision, and goals of our songwriters and people,” says Sony Music Publishing Chairman & CEO Jon Platt. “Our aim was to build a space that supports songwriters every step of the way, welcomes creators, and supports their needs. I am exceptionally proud of what we have built as a team.”

The landmark expansion is part of Sony Music Publishing’s ongoing efforts to extend support for its songwriters worldwide. Recent developments and enhancements have also been accomplishes across multiple territories, including the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Nashville, Spain, Colombia, Sweden, South Africa, India, and more.

Earlier this year, SMP moved its Nashville headquarters to Music Row’s 17th + Grand office space. SMP leased 24,000 square feet of the building located at 1005 17th Avenue S in Nashville.

A live performance from Flavour, one of the songwriters allegedly contacted by Sony Music amid a legal battle with Ultra International Music Publishing. Said battle now includes an ongoing trial as well as a separate infringement action from Ultra Publishing. Photo Credit: Ameyaw Debrah

Sony Music Entertainment (SME) is “willfully committing blatant, ongoing, and massive piracy” – at least according to Ultra International Music Publishing, which has fired off a copyright complaint against the major label.

Ultra Publishing only recently submitted the straightforward suit to a New York federal court, filing specifically via the mentioned Ultra International Music Publishing as well as Ultra Music Publishing Europe. On the opposite side of the action, Sony Music proper, Ultra Records, AWAL, and a number of other subsidiaries are defendants.

Spanning a relatively short 15 pages, Ultra Publishing’s to-the-point complaint represents the newest development in a years-long dispute between the parties. Just to recap, SME bought 50% of Ultra Records (excluding the publishing unit) back in 2012.

From then until early 2022, when Sony Music scooped up the remaining stake, founder Patrick Moxey (in keeping with the terms of the appropriate agreement, which allegedly left name-licensing decisions up to Ultra Records) continued to operate the distinct Ultra International Music Publishing under its original name.

Following Ultra Records’ complete sale, the name overlap didn’t sit right with parent company SME, which moved to terminate the name-licensing arrangement and, in the absence of the desired outcome, subsequently sued to remove “Ultra” from the still-separate publisher. Several years and twists later, a jury trial in this courtroom confrontation officially kicked off earlier today.

Now, besides the trial, the ugly legal battle features another dispute yet – filed by Ultra International Music Publishing as opposed to Sony Music’s Ultra Records.

Ultra Publishing, the more recent suit claims, has for years “been engaged in an audit of Sony Music Entertainment and its affiliates to uncover” allegedly unpaid royalties for the use of its (the publisher’s) compositions.

In the end, said audit allegedly revealed concrete evidence of missing compensation, prompting the plaintiffs to cease licensing the works to the defendants, according to the action.

Nevertheless, Sony Music and others have allegedly opted to “engage in knowing, willful, and utterly inexcusable copyright infringement” on streaming platforms, via sync activities, and through physical releases, to name some areas.

ChaudhryLaw-repped Ultra Publishing says it’s “repeatedly demanded in writing” that Sony Music put a stop to the purported piracy – including via an early 2023 letter and then “numerous” follow-ups.

However, SME and its defendant divisions “flatly and unequivocally refuse to do so,” the legal text relays, and the showdown has apparently reached a boiling point.

On top of the alleged infringement itself – which the plaintiffs say extends to multiple works recorded by commercially prominent acts – Ultra Publishing is accusing SME of interfering with songwriter contracts.

“Because the Sony Defendants recognize that they have no licenses for the Ultra Compositions,” the relevant section reads in part, “they wrongfully engaged in direct negotiations with certain songwriters who are published by the Ultra Plaintiffs in an attempt to obtain licenses directly from those songwriters for compositions they wrote.”

Among these songwriters are Flavour, Allie Crystal, Purple Disco Machine, and Rudimental, per the suit, which spells out for good measure that the Ultra Publishing plaintiffs have allegedly suffered damages as a result of the described songwriter negotiations.

(l to r) Reservoir global creative director Donna Caseine, Lebohang Morake, Reservoir CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi, and manager Sibo Mhlungu. Photo Credit: Reservoir

Reservoir Media (NASDAQ: RSVR) has finalized another film-score catalog deal – this time with The Lion King composer Lebohang Morake, known professionally as Lebo M.

New York City-based Reservoir reached out today with word of its latest IP play, one month and change after CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi and Hans Zimmer appeared together at the Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference.

Reservoir has long had a stake in scores created by Zimmer, with whom Morake collaborated on the music for 1992’s The Power of One. On the heels of that tie-up, Johannesburg-born Morake “wrote and performed the opening of the legendary song ‘Circle of Life’” for 1994’s The Lion King, according to the purchasing party.

Since then, 60-year-old Morake has contributed to music featured in multiple other Lion King projects – including but not limited to the namesake musical and the forthcoming Mufasa: The Lion King, which is scheduled to hit theaters on the 20th.

Among the Grammy winner Morake’s other film-score credits are Tears of the Sun (2003), The Legend of Tarzan (2016), and The Woman King (2022), to name a few.

While Reservoir opted against publicly disclosing the transaction’s precise scope (acknowledging only “the acquisition of rights to the catalog” at hand) or price tag, Khosrowshahi in a statement touted Morake’s career accomplishments.

“Lebo’s music has moved generations of film lovers,” the Reservoir founder and head relayed, “with his contributions to ‘The Lion King,’ in particular, shaping some of film’s most beloved music.

“We are so proud to bring in rights to his influential catalog, reinforcing Reservoir’s interest in successful and culturally defining film scores, and we look forward to working with Lebo in the next phase of his career,” concluded Khosrowshahi, whose company also owns veteran composer Henry Jackman’s song rights.

And in remarks of his own, the Till Dawn Entertainment owner Morake relayed: “I’m proud to join forces with Reservoir, a company that recognizes the power of music to unite and inspire. This partnership will enable me to continue pushing the boundaries of creativity and sharing my music with new generations.”

Today’s agreement marks the latest in a line of 2024 IP purchases from Reservoir, shares in which have climbed about 18% following late-September activist investor comments. All told, the k.d. lang-partnered business says it possesses north of 150,000 compositions and 36,000 recordings – with plans in place to keep on increasing both figures.

Photo Credit: Warner Chappell Music

Warner Chappell Music has announced it has signed a global administration deal with K-pop superstar ROSÉ. ROSÉ is the lead vocalist of BLACKPINK—one of the most celebrated K-pop acts in history.

Her recent collaboration with leading WCM hitmaker Bruno Mars on the single “APT.” has spent four weeks at the #1 spot on both the Billboard Global 200 and Global (Excluding US) chart. The song also debuted at #1 on both charts, making ROSÉ the first female K-pop solo artist to do so simultaneously. The song also rose to the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking another milestone for ROSÉ as the first female K-pop act to reach that position.

ROSÉ released her newest single, “Number One Girl” on Friday, November 22 and her long-awaited solo debut album rose is slated for release on December 6.

“I am beyond excited to join the team at Warner Chappell,” shares ROSÉ about the news. “There is so much more to come that I can’t wait to share—it’s going to be an amazing journey.”

“ROSÉ has earned this moment, and it’s a huge honor to officially welcome her to our Warner Chappell family,” adds Ryan Press, President, North America, WCM. “As she breaks record after record, she’s singlehandedly redefining the K-pop genre while also paving the way for a new era of cross-cultural expression. We’ve already hit the ground running with our partners at Atlantic to support ROSÉ’s bold vision and explore new creative opportunities for her songs. Above all, we can’t wait to see where her music takes us next.”

ROSÉ was born in Auckland, New Zealand and raised in Melbourne, Australia. The budding pop singer moved to South Korea at the age of 15 to pursue her music career. In 2016, she rose to global fame as the lead singer of the K-pop quartet BLACKPINK. They quickly became a leading force in the music industry, setting new records as the first K-pop girl group to win a VMA and then appear on the cover of Billboard magazine.

BLACKPINK also have the distinction as the first Korean act to headline Coachella and became recognized by the RIAA with their gold-certified “Ddu-du Ddu-Du.” The group also joined the Spotify Billions Club playlist with their hit, “How You Like That.”

Matt Alderman, who’s sold a portion of his song rights to (and inked a publishing deal with) Anthem Entertainment. Photo Credit: Anthem

Let the music IP sales continue: Anthem Entertainment has purchased “a catalog of songs” from country songwriter and producer Matt Alderman.

Toronto-headquartered Anthem reached out with word of its latest play, having taken a stake in Puerto Rican rapper Darell’s body of work earlier this month. On top of the core IP purchase – the financial and ownership specifics of which haven’t been publicly revealed – the newer of the pacts has also seen Anthem sign Nashville-based Alderman to a publishing deal.

Though the concise announcement message at hand doesn’t dive into the precise scope of the mentioned “catalog of songs,” it does emphasize that the agreement encompasses interests in Dylan Scott’s “Nobody” and “Can’t Have Mine (Find You a Girl),” both of which credit Alderman as a producer and songwriter.

Part of the investment as well is Mitchell Tenpenny’s “Truth About You” (which Alderman wrote). Meanwhile, Alderman has also penned and/or produced works recorded by Jake Owen, Nate Smith, Meghan Patrick, and a number of others. (Apple Music has compiled many of these releases in a handy “The Songwriters” playlist dedicated to Alderman’s professional efforts.)

Addressing his company’s deal with Matt Alderman, Anthem Publishing VP of creative Noah Dewey touted the songwriter’s career feats.

“I’ve been a fan of Matt Alderman’s for years and I’m thrilled to finally get the opportunity to work with him,” communicated the former BMG exec Dewey. “He’s an accomplished songwriter with immense natural musical talent, accompanied by a drive to win. Matt will be an amazing addition to our roster here at Anthem.”

And in comments of his own, Alderman thanked Dewey for helping make the partnership come to fruition.

“I’m really excited to start this new journey with Anthem,” indicated Alderman, “and I want to thank Noah Dewey for making it happen. I’m looking forward to seeing where this collaboration takes us and to creating some great music with the team.”

All told, the past month or so has delivered several high-profile catalog deals (as well as developments that will seemingly set the stage for further IP investments in the new year).

Compiled in DMN Pro’s Music IP Acquisition Tracker, those purchases include but aren’t limited to Reservoir Media’s “partial catalog” agreement with k.d. lang, a HarbourView-George Benson transaction, Sony Music’s multifaceted partnership with Amr Diab, and Concord’s $217.3 million Daddy Yankee IP play.

Amazon Music Unlimited is now offering subscribers one audiobook per month. Will the service follow in Spotify’s footsteps to leverage bundling into royalty savings? Photo Credit: Amazon Music

Is Amazon Music joining Spotify in reaping massive royalty savings by capitalizing on bundles? Potentially, as the Amazon-owned streaming platform has integrated Audible and added one audiobook per month to its core subscription plans.

Amazon Music detailed the Audible integration and the audiobook perk via a brief announcement today. Now, Unlimited subscribers in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. can enjoy “one audiobook a month” from Audible’s over million-work library at no added cost. (That includes Individual customers and “primary account holders” on Family.)

Especially given Spotify’s audiobook embrace as well as exclusive Apple Music advantages like access to Apple Music Classical, the news is presumably a welcome surprise for Amazon Music subscribers. But when it comes to the music industry (and particularly the publishing side), the seemingly minor move is fueling renewed concerns of yet another bundling bonanza.

That’s because Spotify’s mentioned addition of audiobooks to existing plans, not just a straightforward effort to enhance consumer value, also saw the service reclassify said plans (and their subscriptions) as bundles. DMN Pro has already explored the controversial maneuver’s far-reaching effects, financial and otherwise, at length.

In short, owing to the dramatically different way that bundled and non-bundled revenue is treated under Phonorecords IV in the U.S., Spotify is benefiting from sizable royalty savings after unilaterally opting to deem the vast majority of its paid accounts bundles.

As things stand, a music-only “Basic” option is now available for slightly less than the Spotify tier containing both unlimited music and 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening. However, evidence suggests that few subscribers have downgraded to Basic, which isn’t displayed on Spotify’s main subscription-selection page in the States.

Unsurprisingly, publishers and songwriters aren’t thrilled about missing out on hundreds of millions in payments that they would have otherwise received, and the MLC is challenging Spotify’s bundling pivot in court. The streaming giant, which is leaning into video expansions to boot, remains adamant that the steps and the resulting bundles are entirely lawful under Phono IV.

While that increasingly ugly legal battle unfolds, who’s to say Spotify rivals won’t also get in on the bundling action at the expense of songwriters and publishers?

Based on Phono IV’s language and the inclusion of Apple Music Classical in Apple Music subscriptions, there appears to be nothing stopping the service (at least legally; rightsholder relationships and the specter of Phono V negotiations are a different story) from following in Spotify’s bundling footsteps.

To date, Apple Music hasn’t done so, however, and it’s unclear whether Amazon Music intends to embark on a bundling journey of its own. But with the inclusion of audiobooks in Unlimited – unlike Spotify Premium’s audiobook access, capped, as highlighted, at 15 hours of listening, Unlimited’s access covers one book of any length – all the required pieces look to be in place for Amazon Music.

Per Billboard, National Music Publishers’ Association head David Israelite said he’s “optimistic about” Amazon Music’s fresh bundling initiative and the compensation byproducts thereof – though the parties have yet to hammer out “a final agreement,” according to the report as opposed to Israelite himself.

Photo Credit: Ubisoft (Far Cry 6)

Ubisoft Entertainment has announced it has re-inked its long-standing global publishing administration partnership with BMG. Ubisoft is the game developer behind the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance, and Tom Clancy game series.

Earlier this year, Ubisoft made history when composer Stephanie Economou won the first-ever Grammy Award in the new category Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games & Other Interactive Media for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok.

Throughout their partnership, BMG and Ubisoft have teamed together on a number of successful creative collaborations with BMG songwriters contributing to musical works including Einar Selvik (Assassin’s Creed Valhalla), Mothica (Rocksmith), Profi Baloa (Far Cry 6), and Domino Saints and Ayo & Teyo (Just Dance).

“Ubisoft Music is super happy to continue this journey with BMG, whose shown tremendous support over the last few years for partnerships with our major brands and unique creative collaborations,” says Alkis Argyriadis, Ubisoft’s Head of Music.

“BMG takes great pride in representing Ubisoft, one of the world’s most successful and innovative game developers, as our long-time partner,” adds Maite Bursic, BMG’s VP, Music Publishing Creative. “Their versatility as a creative leader, expanding influence in music, alongside a growing presence in film and television, closely aligns with our strategic focus and shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in entertainment.”

Ubisoft was founded in 1986 and has evolved into a leading game developer and publisher. With a 38-year legacy of creating blockbuster franchises and groundbreaking new IPs, Ubisoft offers one of the industry’s most diverse portfolios. The company’s global network of studios and offices across 30 countries has been instrumental in driving their role at the forefront of the gaming industry’s explosive growth.

Ubisoft’s slate of recent releases include Skull and Bones, Star Wars Outlaws, and Just Dance 2025 Edition. Other highly anticipated releases include NFL Primetime Fantasy, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and upcoming Netflix animated series Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch.

Photo Credit: Sal Priadi / Sony Music Publishing Indonesia

Sony Music Publishing Indonesia signs an exclusive global deal with Indonesian singer, songwriter, and actor Sal Priadi.

Sony Music Publishing Indonesia (SMPI) has announced the signing of an exclusive global publishing agreement with acclaimed Indonesian singer, songwriter, and actor Sal Priadi. The deal sees Priadi’s entire back catalog under the SMPI umbrella.

Sal Priadi’s most recent album, Markers And Such Pens Flashdisks, released in April 2024, has already surpassed 176 million Spotify streams, with the album’s track, “Gala bunga matahari” recently debuting on Spotify’s Viral 50 Global chart at #16, and Spotify’s Top 50 Indonesia chart at #1. Following the success of the album, Sal held a five-city tour from August to September 2024.

“I joined Sony Music Publishing Indonesia because I trust the people behind the company have the capability and spirit to introduce my creative works on a global level,” said Sal Priadi. “I believe SMPI will support me in exploring all the potential that exists within me.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Sal Priadi to the SMP family. His music transcends cultural boundaries, touching the hearts of listeners through relatable narratives and soulful melodies,” said Carol Ng, President, Asia, Sony Music Publishing.

“We are very glad to be Sal Priadi’s very first publishing company,” adds Anti Ariandini, General Manager, Sony Music Publishing Indonesia. “His unique talent, captivating storytelling, and undeniable charisma have resonated with audiences worldwide and we are committed to supporting his artistic vision and expanding his reach to new heights.”

Known for his captivating musical storytelling and distinctive vocal style, Sal has cultivated a dedicated fanbase across Indonesia and beyond. He has enjoyed multiple hit collaborations, including “Jangan Bertengkar Lagi Ya? OK? OK!” which was produced by renowned top independent artist Pamungkas, as well as “Amin Paling Serius” with Nadin Amizah, and boasts over 146 million streams on Spotify.

Sal first earned widespread success in 2018 with his single, “Ikat Aku di Tulang Belikatmu.” Since then, he has achieved numerous accolades, including three consecutive nominations for Best Male Pop Artist at the AMI Awards; a Billboard Indonesia Music Awards nomination for Best Collaboration / Song of the Year in 2020; and many more.

Photo Credit: Jerry Jeff Walker / Primary Wave Music

Primary Wave Music announces a partnership with the estate of legendary country and folk singer-songwriter, Jerry Jeff Walker.

Leading independent publisher Primary Wave Music has announced a new partnership with the estate of legendary country and folk singer-songwriter, Jerry Jeff Walker. Terms of the deal include partnering with the estate on Walker’s music publishing catalog, as well as his recording copyrights and artist royalties.

The new relationship will also provide access to the estate to Primary Wave’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and synch opportunities, as well as film and television projects.

Included in the deal are some of Jerry Jeff’s biggest hits across his 50-plus decades in music, such as “Mr. Bojangles,” “Sangria Wine,” “Railroad Lady,” “Trashy Women,” and more. Perhaps his best known song, “Mr. Bojangles,” was released in 1968 and went on to become an American pop standard. It garnered Walker a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance (Male), and would go on to be covered by a number of heavy hitting artists, including Bob Dylan, Harry Belafonte, Nina Simone, and Sammy Davis, Jr.

The deal also includes an agreement for Jerry Jeff Walker’s recorded masters, in partnership with his label Tried & True Music, to be released and distributed through the legendary Sun Records. For future releases, Sun Records will provide overall catalog marketing strategy, including streaming, social media marketing, and physical releases.

“When JJ passed, Jimmy Buffett was first at my door asking what he could do,” said Susan Walker, Jerry Jeff’s wife and longtime manager. “‘Help me find the perfect home for JJ’s catalog and label,’ I asked. And he did. May both their words and songs be remembered and cherished forever. Bubbles up!”

“A friend of mine had one final wish before he passed away — a big party with his favorite artist, Jerry Jeff Walker, performing live,” shared Samantha Rhulen, SVP of Business and Legal Affairs. “He got his wish. I will always remember that night and what Jerry Jeff’s music did for him and all of our friends. Primary Wave is honored to partner with the Walker family and will ensure that Jerry Jeff is remembered for the impact his music has made on so many people.”

In the early 1970s, Jerry Jeff Walker became one of the arbiters of the internationally famous Austin musical community alongside Willie Nelson. His songs are “the way he makes the world make sense, how he passed on stories of the people he met, the way he felt on a given morning.” He has celebrated the music of peers like Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, and served as a fountainhead and inspiration to younger musicians like Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, Jack Ingram, and Garth Brooks.

Photo Credit: 45RPM

Leading UK music supervision company 45RPM launches a music publishing arm with the support of Universal Music Publishing Group.

45RPM, a leading UK-based music supervision company, has announced the launch of a music publishing arm with the support of Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG).

Since its debut in 2022, 45RPM has quickly established itself as a trailblazing music supervision collective. Founded by industry experts Iain Cooke, Sarah Bridge, Catherine Grieves, and Nick Angel, 45RPM added to its heavyweight team Ayla Owen, former Head of Music at BBH London and ex-European VP of Sync at Warner Chappell Music, who took on the role of 45RPM Managing Director in January this year.

At the core of 45RPM’s ethos is the provision of a comprehensive, full-service experience for clients, offering unparalleled creative guidance in soundtrack development, composer partnerships, rights negotiation, budget management, and on-camera music supervision. By venturing into music publishing, 45RPM will spotlight exceptionally talented composers and songwriters positioned for success in the world of film, TV, advertising, and gaming.

Home to award-winning composers and songwriters, Universal Music Publishing Group offers a global platform unrivaled in the music industry. This collaboration provides a unique opportunity for composers and songwriters to benefit from dual expertise, blending the creative prowess of top music supervisors at 45RPM with the prestigious and comprehensive resources of Universal Music Publishing.

“We are thrilled to embark on this innovative partnership with Universal Music Publishing Group,” said Ayla Owen, Managing Director of 45RPM. “Through this collaboration, composers and songwriters can access the best of both worlds: the specialized attention and industry insight of our seasoned music supervisors, combined with the expansive reach and legacy of Universal Music Publishing. Together, we aim to elevate the music creation process and amplify the voices of exceptional talents worldwide.”

“What we also very much hope to do in our partnership with UMPG is bring composers more into the world of creating songs and likewise help facilitate songwriters into composing music for film and TV,” added Nick Angel, Founder and Director of 45RPM. “We’re perfectly placed to be a bridge for both, and would be delighted if we could in any way be a catalyst for both.”

Natasha Baldwin, Executive Vice President, UMPG Classics & Screen, said, “At UMPG, we are uniquely positioned to champion both composers and songwriters on a global scale with our specialist skills in screen and classical music, alongside our extensive reach across all mainstream genres. We are therefore delighted to enter into this collaboration with 45RPM, a company clearly blazing a trail in the music supervision world and to amplify their offering to composers and songwriters in the audiovisual space.”

Tom Foster, Senior Vice President, Film and TV, Europe, UMPG, concluded, “45RPM have an incredible track record in music supervision and we are delighted to be part of the journey as they build their publishing roster. I’m particularly excited about the opportunities this collaboration brings for UMPG songwriters and composers in terms of original songs and score for TV and film productions.”

A live performance from Daddy Yankee, who’s sold his catalog to Concord. Photo Credit: Chrishonduras

Earlier this week, DMN first reported on Concord’s over $217 million buyout of “a highly successful” Latin artist’s catalog. Now, the company has officially confirmed a deal with Daddy Yankee.

Concord reached out to Digital Music News today with a formal release about its Daddy Yankee IP agreement. Our earlier coverage stemmed from a KBRA breakdown of the business’s financials and holdings – including a recent $217.3 million play for the “catalog of assets by a highly successful Latin Music artist and songwriter.”

Notwithstanding the latter specification, KBRA didn’t come right out and identify the artist’s name. However, the rating agency did describe the appropriate act as one defendant in “a copyright infringement claim against several artists in the Latin Music genre.”

While what’s likely the claim in question is sweeping to say the least – we’ve broken down that reggaeton-theft action at length – we noted that the commercially prominent Daddy Yankee is one of the suit’s many defendants.

Shifting back to the present, Concord has eliminated all doubt by acknowledging the purchase of a stake in Daddy Yankee’s publishing catalog and masters, on top of “certain name, image, and likeness rights” to boot.

Though Concord opted not to disclose the exact ownership specifics, the Nashville-headquartered company specified that the pact “encompasses Daddy Yankee’s work from 2002 through 2019.” During the period, the Puerto Rican artist released five studio albums (beginning with 2002’s El Cangri.com) as well as a number of much-streamed non-album singles.

“Since he burst onto the scene,” added Concord CEO Bob Valentine, “Daddy Yankee has been at the forefront of not only reggaeton, but pop music generally.

“We were incredibly excited by this opportunity to work alongside Daddy Yankee to continue building on his remarkable legacy and significance. His real and lasting cultural impact is clear, and Concord is thrilled to be a part of his story,” the longtime exec concluded.

Looking ahead to the future, Concord intends to manage Daddy Yankee’s catalog out of its Miami office – with plans in place to keep on acquiring “important content in the Latin music space” moving forward.

Besides achieving ongoing growth across a number of quick-developing markets – Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina among them – Latin music is generating more recorded revenue than ever in the U.S., according to RIAA data.

Randy Newman, who’s inked a song rights deal with Litmus Music. Photo Credit: Pamela Springsteen

Another day, another high-profile song rights deal – this time involving Randy Newman, who’s sold an interest in his catalog to Carlyle Global Credit-backed Litmus Music.

Litmus formally revealed its latest investment today, about six weeks after reportedly scooping up Opus Music Group. Running with the newer deal, the purchasing party says it’s specifically secured 80-year-old “Randy Newman’s share of his recorded music and publishing.”

Like with most recent catalog purchases, the buyer, at least in its official announcement, opted against identifying the precise financials at hand. (Other massive catalog deals are apparently closing without so much as a public disclosure.)

But Litmus did indicate that the agreement extends to the Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee’s well-known work on animated films including Toy Story as well as its sequels (Newman is the sole producer and songwriter on “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Cars, Monsters, Inc., and more.

Also as described by Litmus, the play includes a variety of Newman hits from decades past, among them 1983’s “I Love L.A.,” the 90s’ “Feels Like Home,” 1967’s “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” and Monk theme “It’s a Jungle Out There,” to name just a few.

All told, besides a variety of soundtrack albums (including for 1998’s Pleasantville and the more recent Marriage Story), Newman has released about a dozen full-length solo studio projects, including an eponymous 1968 debut and 2017’s Dark Matter.

Though Newman didn’t provide a statement about the sale for Litmus’ release, co-founder and CCO Dan McCarroll emphasized that he and his team “couldn’t be more proud and excited to acquire Randy’s catalog of beautiful, witty, and sharply observational songs.”

And in remarks of his own, Litmus co-founder and CEO Hank Forsyth touted the professional accomplishments and career of the 23-time Grammy nominee and seven-time winner.

“Randy’s music has touched so many generations,” communicated Forsyth. “His songs continue to transcend time and illuminate films. Dan and I and the entire Litmus team are so grateful Randy has trusted us as his partner to care for these songs and recordings. It is an honor and responsibility we don’t take lightly.”

For Litmus, the Newman partnership follows several seemingly sizable deals – including, besides the initially mentioned Opus play, IP pacts with Katy Perry, Benny Blanco, and, in its first investment after arriving on the scene in 2022, Keith Urban. (Details about these and hundreds of others are compiled in DMN Pro’s Music IP Acquisition Tracker.)

Meanwhile, notwithstanding the end of the company that kicked off the catalog-purchase craze, the likes of Reservoir Media, Sony Music (it turns out Pink Floyd was serious about selling after all), Jonas Group Publishing, Primary Wave, and HarbourView Equity Partners are still racking up song-rights investments as well.

(l to r) Reservoir Media founder and head Golnar Khosrowshahi, k.d. lang, and president and COO Rell Lafargue. Photo Credit: Reservoir

Reservoir Media (NASDAQ: RSVR) has inked a publishing deal with k.d. lang, including a stake in the singer-songwriter’s existing body of work and futures.

Reservoir and Edmonton-born k.d. lang (real name Kathryn Dawn Lang) unveiled their agreement today, about one week removed from the former’s acquisition of producer Jack Douglas’s own catalog.

In keeping with the longstanding sub-sector-wide practice of not disclosing IP purchases’ specifics, Reservoir opted against shedding light on the precise terms at hand. However, the New York City-based business did note that the k.d. lang deal extends to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee’s “future works and partial catalog.”

Just at the top level, that overarching catalog encompasses 12 solo studio albums – 1988’s Shadowland through 2008’s Watershed – as well as several collaborative projects, multiple works as part of The Reclines, and a variety of singles. Among the latter are k.d. lang-penned efforts including 1992’s “Constant Craving,” which currently has 50.23 million Spotify streams and a substantial number of plays across other platforms.

Addressing the Reservoir partnership, the eight-time Juno winner k.d. lang pointed to a strong relationship with the company’s founder and CEO, Golnar Khosrowshahi.

“It is an absolute thrill to partner with Reservoir!” the 62-year-old Ingénue creator relayed. “Golnar is a force of nature and understands me as an artist. I am deeply inspired and have utmost confidence in this creative partnership.”

And in remarks of her own, Khosrowshahi noted that she’s “particularly proud to be working with k.d.” as a fellow Canadian and emphasized a goal of helping the professional’s body of work find new fans.

“It never gets old when a legendary artist like k.d. lang decides to call Reservoir her home,” Khosrowshahi relayed in part. “Her incomparable voice and music are a gift to the world. We look forward to helping her share those gifts with new audiences and supporting her as she steps into the next chapter of her career.”

In September, Reservoir scored publishing pacts with Snoop Dogg and his Death Row Records label – though the same month also saw the business face a call to launch “a full strategic review” over its allegedly “substantially undervalued” shares. That demand came from Irenic Capital Management, and Reservoir in a follow-up said it “values shareholder input” and remains “focused on executing our strategy to drive value.”

At the time of writing, Reservoir stock was hovering around $9 per share – up slightly from yesterday’s close, nearly 10% across the past five trading days, and over 50% from mid-October of 2023.

Photo Credit: Katie Welle, Julian Bunetta, Damon Bunetta by David OD

Sony Music Publishing announces the signing of multi-genre songwriter and producer Julian Bunetta to a global publishing agreement.

Sony Music Publishing has announced the signing of multi-genre songwriter and producer, Julian Bunetta, to a global publishing agreement. Julian Bunetta has been a driving force behind some of the biggest contemporary hits across pop, country, and more, with an expansive body of work exceeding 30 billion streams. Bunetta has achieved acclaim as a key collaborator with top talent, including Sabrina Carpenter, Teddy Swims, Thomas Rhett, One Direction, Niall Horan, Rudimental, and many others.

His creative impact has continued to reach new heights this year, thanks to his co-writing and co-producing work on chart-toppers like Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” a Top 40 #1 hit that also went #1 on Billboard’s Global 200 and Global Ecxl. US charts. Other recent hits include Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” which secured similar #1 spots on the charts, as well as several airplay rankings, including Pop, Adult Pop, and Adult R&B. Bunetta’s winning streak has continued with Sabrina Carpenter’s latest single, “Taste,” which just completed an entire month at #1 on the UK Official Singles chart.

“I’m excited to be working with the Sony team,” said Julian Bunetta. “I’ve known Katie [Welle] and Jon [Platt] nearly my whole career, and they’ve always been incredibly supportive of my songwriting.”

“Julian and I have crossed paths many times since the beginning of his career, and it has been incredible to see all that he has accomplished,” added Jon Platt, Chairman & CEO of Sony Music Publishing. “His continued success speaks volumes about his talent and integrity, and we are honored to be on this journey with him.”

“Julian is an exceptional talent who continues to up his game,” said Sony Music Publishing’s SVP of Creative, Katie Welle. “His authenticity shines through in everything he works on, and he brings the best out of everyone. We are excited to join forces with Julian and his team, and we look forward to further extending his success together.”

Throughout his career, Julian Bunetta has created unforgettable hits, including One Direction’s “Story of My Life,” and “Drag Me Down,” Niall Horan’s “Slow Hands,” Rudimental’s “These Days,” and Thomas Rhett’s “Look What God Gave Her.” He also contributed across Rhett’s 2017 Grammy-nominated album, Life Changes. His accolades include a 2019 Ivor Novello Award, 12 BMI top-performing song awards, over 15 RIAA multi-platinum and platinum certifications, five US Radio #1’s, and seven Billboard Hot 100 Top 10s, among many others.

Photo Credit: Paco de Lucía by Manuel Nieto

BMG inks a worldwide administration agreement for the catalog of flamenco guitar legend Paco de Lucía.

BMG has announced a global agreement to represent the catalog of legendary flamenco guitarist and composer Paco de Lucía. The deal with de Lucía’s publishing company, Río de la Miel Ediciones, includes hits like “Entre Dos Aguas,” “Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho,” and “Solo Quiero Caminar,” representing a major step in preserving and promoting the legacy of one of flamenco’s most influential artists.

“Paco’s music is timeless, and this agreement with BMG ensures that his legacy will continue to flourish and reach new generations of music lovers around the world,” said representatives of Paco de Lucía’s estate.

“We are honored to administer the publishing catalog of Paco de Lucía, a true legend whose music continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide,” said Javier Doria, BMG Managing Director Spain. “This partnership reflects BMG’s commitment to preserving and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of flamenco music.”

A four-time Latin Grammy winner, Paco de Lucía has left an indelible mark on flamenco guitar, transcending the boundaries of the genre. Throughout his illustrious career, de Lucía has collaborated with renowned musicians, like guitarist Carlos Santana, pianist Chick Corea, and guitarist Al Di Meola. In the 1970s, he formed an important musical alliance with singer Camarón de la Isla, which played a pivotal role in the emergence of the New Flamenco movement.

The deal follows the release of Pepito y Paquito, an album featuring 21 previously unreleased tracks by the young Pepe and Paco de Lucía. These recordings, released via BMG in collaboration with the Paco de Lucía Foundation, date back to 1959 and 1960, and provide a unique insight into the early musical endeavors of the legendary Spanish flamenco guitarist and his brother at the ages of 13 and 11, respectively.

In 2023, BMG released Paco de Lucía: The Montreux Years, a collection of Paco de Lucía’s best live performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival between 1984 and 2012.

Photo Credit: Reservoir Media

Reservoir Media stock (NASDAQ: RSVR) is “substantially undervalued” – at least according to Irenic Capital Management, which owns about 8.1% of shares and is now demanding “a full strategic review.”

New York City-headquartered Irenic Capital just recently expressed that clear-cut position in a regulatory filing. According to the document, the signatory entity possesses just shy of 5.3 million Reservoir shares, 83,513 of which were purchased in either August or September.

For additional background, Irenic per its website “invests in public companies and works collaboratively with firm leadership.” The overarching aim of said collaborations “is to produce improvements in operating and financial performance that create long-term value for the company and its owners,” the same source indicates.

And as described by Reuters, Irenic isn’t a stranger to rattling the cage or to demanding strategic reviews in particular. To be sure, one such push reportedly came earlier in September, when the hedge fund formally called on Kinaxis, an Ottawa-based developer of supply-chain-management software, to kick off a review of its own.

Bringing the focus back to Reservoir Media, Irenic is of the belief that the Golnar Khosrowshahi-led business’s shares “are substantially undervalued,” the filing spells out.

Moreover, Irenic has encouraged Reservoir “to undertake a full strategic review of all alternatives to maximize shareholder value and to form a special committee of the Board to oversee such review process.”

DMN reached out to Reservoir for comment and received a brief response: “The Reservoir Media Board of Directors values shareholder input and we remain focused on executing our strategy to drive value, in line with our fiduciary duty to all shareholders.”

While that statement doesn’t provide concrete answers about how the situation will unfold, it’ll be worth monitoring the episode – and especially the stock-purchase moves of Irenic – in the coming weeks and months. (Among other things, Reservoir reappointed several board members at its annual stockholder meeting last month.)

Closer to the present, we don’t lack insight into the strategy and financials of Snoop Dogg-partnered Reservoir, which in April unveiled an up to $100 million offering to pay down debt and scoop up more music IP. Without rehashing the details at length here, we previously covered the company’s Q2 2024 revenue growth, which was fueled by publishing gains and arrived despite a dip on the recorded side.

Wrapping with a recap of RSVR’s recent performance, the stock’s value grew 3.6% during today’s trading to finish at $8.11 per share. That’s up 14.4% from 2024’s beginning and nearly 36% from late September of 2023, but less than half a percent from the top of April of 2024.

Photo Credit: Julia Michaels by Raul Romo

Jonas Group Publishing and Jonas Catalog Holdings have acquired the publishing rights and recordings of singer-songwriter Julia Michaels.

Jonas Group Publishing has announced the acquisition of publishing copyrights and recordings of singer-songwriter Julia Michaels. Michaels’ body of work includes the hits “If the World Was Ending” with JP Saxe, Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me,” Maren Morris’ “Circles Around This Town,” and Dua Lipa’s “Pretty Please.” She has also penned hits for Lady Gaga, Shawn Mendes, Maroon 5, Diplo, Britney Spears, Nick Jonas, Justin Bieber, Keith Urban, and many more.

“Julia Michaels is a known master of songwriting and is revered across multiple genres of music,” said Jonas Group Publishing president Leslie T. DiPiero. “Julia, along with her manager Beka Tischker and their amazing team, have a choice on who they trust to represent her works. We here at Jonas Group Publishing are truly honored that they have chosen us. Listening to her catalog of songs makes us feel like kids in a candy store!”

“Music is all about passion, and I’m so happy this music lives with Lesie, Kevin [Jonas Sr.], and their passionate team that values songwriters and creators,” added Michaels. “I look forward to working with them and growing the reach of these songs.”

“My family and I have been big fans of Julia Michaes for years,” says Kevin Jonas Sr., Founder and Chairman, Jonas Group Entertainment. “Her music has been a part of our journey, and we’ve been fortunate enough to experience the magic of her songs firsthand. We’re excited to work with her and her team to continue sharing these incredible songs with the world and to build on the success they’ve already seen.”

“This catalog is truly special for Jonas Catalog Holdings and Jonas Group Publishing,” Jonas continues. “It’s not just about the hits she’s created; it’s about the heart and soul in each track. We could not have acquired this catalog without the support and expertise of our financial partner, Corrum Capital Management, who we thank and look forward to many more acquisitions together. We must also thank our trusted partners, Access Media Advisory and Teresa Miles Walsh, as well as Moghan Music, for providing valuable assistance throughout the purchase of the catalog.”

Photo Credit: Edgar Barrera & Jorge Mejia (Sony Music Publishing)

Sony Music Publishing Latin announces the renewal of its global publishing deal with Edgar Barrera.

Sony Music Publishing Latin has announced the renewal of its global publishing deal with songwriter, producer, recording engineer, and musician Edgar Barrera. The agreement extends the company’s longstanding partnership with Barrera, which began in 2014.

The news coincides with Barrera’s latest achievement as the leading nominee for the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards for the second year in a row, with a total of nine nominations in categories including Songwriter of the Year and Producer of the Year.

“I am very grateful and excited to extend my relationship with Sony Music Publishing, to start a new chapter on a journey that started 10 years ago. Jorge [Mejia] and Jon [Platt] have always supported all of my crazy ideas and given me a safe space to continue growing as a writer and music executive,” says Barrera.

Edgar Barrera has penned songs for top artists including Camila Cabello, Becky G, Ariana Grande, Shakira, Karol G, Peso Pluma, Selena Gomez, Marc Anthony, and countless others. With 21 Latin Grammy awards under his belt, some of his biggest hits include “un x100to” by Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny, “La Bachata” by Manuel Turizo, “Hawái” by Maluma, “Mi Ex Tenia Razon” by Karol G, and “Bam Bam” by Camila Cabello and Ed Sheeran.

“Edgar is one of the most hardworking, versatile, talented, and smart songwriters I’ve had the pleasure to work with, period,” shares Sony Music Publishing President and CEO, Latin America and US Latin, Jorge Mejia. “Most importantly, over the years, I’ve learned that for Edgar, it’s not about the accolades or the records or barriers that he breaks time and again — it is about the music. With that mindset, I know Edgar is possibly just getting started. We are beyond honored to be part of his team and can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Barrera has continued to earn critical acclaim and prestigious accolades, having been nominated for Songwriter of the Year at the 2024 Grammys, making history as the only Spanish-language artist to appear in a general category at this year’s awards. His work also achieved Grammy wins in categories, including Best Música Urbana Album with Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito.

Last year, Barrera also broke records by becoming the most nominated artist at the 2023 Latin Grammys and took home three awards, including Songwriter of the Year and Producer of the Year. Additionally, he spent a record-setting 32 weeks as Billboard’s No. 1 Latin producer, was named BMI’s 2023 Regional Mexican Songwriter of the Year, and was a recipient of BMI’s Latin Impact Award.

Edgar Barrera was represented in the deal by his long-time counsel, Brian Alvarez.

Snoop Dogg and his Death Row Records label have inked publishing deals with Reservoir Media. Photo Credit: Dah Dah

Reservoir Media has officially inked publishing pacts with Snoop Dogg and his Death Row Records label.

New York City-based Reservoir reached out today with word of the tie-ups, which represent the latest in a line of hip-hop deals and investments for the company. As described by the involved parties, the union extends to Snoop Dogg’s domestic publishing (existing works as well as futures) and the entire Death Row catalog.

February of 2025 will mark the third anniversary of Snoop Dogg’s Death Row purchase – minus certain underlying song rights, it’s worth reiterating. Building on the included body of work, however, the 16-time Grammy nominee has since taken to releasing fresh projects like 2022’s BODR and more recent collaborations with Tha Dogg Pound.

Addressing the Reservoir union with a brief statement, the longtime Dr. Dre collaborator Snoop Dogg communicated: “I’m so honored to have them as a partner and excited for all the great things to come with the catalogue as well as new music.”

And in remarks of her own, Reservoir founder and head Golnar Khosrowshahi touted the varied career accomplishments of 52-year-old Snoop Dogg.

“Being in business with Snoop is an exciting opportunity to support his legendary catalog, leveraging his massive stardom to further embed his music across mainstream media,” indicated Khosrowshahi, whose company generates about 68% of its revenue from publishing and another 28% from recordings.

“This deal also marks a unique moment to help further the legacy of an important and valuable brand like Death Row. Snoop has come full circle with Death Row, showcasing his ongoing dedication to upholding its rich history – something Reservoir has proven as a core value and area of expertise across our business,” the exec concluded.

Earlier this month, Reservoir scored a catalog-acquisition agreement with the estate of Billy Strange, including interests in Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation,” “Memories,” and more. Meanwhile, after posting a calendar Q2 revenue increase to close out July, the publishing home of Joe Walsh in August delivered an investor presentation at its annual shareholder meeting.

Per that resource, The Isley Brothers’ “It’s Your Thing” topped Reservoir’s list of top-10 works by net publisher share during calendar 2023, followed by the same group’s “Shout,” Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade,” John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and then Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” respectively.

And on the recording side, in keeping with the company’s previously mentioned hip-hop presence, first-ranked “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio, Naughty by Nature’s “Hip Hop Hooray,” and J. Cole’s “Middle Child” found spots on Reservoir’s list of top-10 tracks by net label share.

Photo Credit: Range Music

Range Music Publishing inks an exclusive global admin deal with Universal Music Publishing Group.

Range Music Publishing, a division of Range Media Partners, has inked an exclusive global administration deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), expanding on Range’s existing relationships with Universal Music group’s Capitol Music Group and Virgin Music Group. Range Media Partners is one of the most disruptive new representation businesses in entertainment, with a foothold in music, film, television, production, comedy, and sports, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville.

The deal with UMPG comes on the heels of publishing client Sean Cook scoring his tenth straight week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Range Music Publishing launched in 2023 with the goal of building a curated, full-service, boutique music publishing company to take advantage of synergies within the Range ecosystem.

In the past six months, they’ve celebrated five top-charting songs across multiple radio formats and genres, including #1 hits in country, top 40, rhythmic, hot AC, and dance radio, and the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 #1 of 2024. Beyond Cook’s work on “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Paul Russell’s “Lil Boo Thang,” Range has also found success with Geoff Warburton (Tyler Hubbard’s “Back Then Right Now,” Luke Bryan’s “But I Got a Beer in My Hand”) and Tyler Dopps (“Young & Foolish” by Loud Luxury featuring Charlieonnafriday).

Range Publishing’s roster includes Cook, Warburton, Luke Grimes, Dylan Gossett, Grant Averill, Tyler Dopps, Two Fresh, Luke Niccoli, Simon Oscroft, and Rudey, the latter six of whom will be included in this new deal. Range Music represents a wide range of talent including Jack Harlow, Shaboozey, Tanya Tucker, Cordae, Pentatonix, Saweetie, Midland, Murda Beatz, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Lauv, Alec Benjamin, Dylan Gossett, MAX, Bazzi, Sean Douglas, Paul Russell, Wondagurl, Russell Dickerson, and more.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with our friends at UMPG as we build Range Music Publishing and grow our global footprint,” says Range’s Casey Robison, previously co-president and partner of Big Deal Music Group and Executive Vice President, A&R at Hipgnosis Songs Group. “UMPG’s impressive team will help us maximize creative opportunities while providing first class administration for our growing roster of artists and songwriters. We couldn’t be more proud to call UMPG our partners.”

Range Media Partners co-founder and Managing Partner Matt Graham continues, “On behalf of our partnership we are thrilled to be formalizing our longstanding relationship with UMPG. The collaboration ensures greater creative support and administration for our writers, producers, and artists. Together, we are committed to connecting the dots across our myriad of talent as well as the varying facets of our film, TV, sports, and gaming relationships.”

Jennifer Knoepfle, UMPG EVP and Co-Head of A&R, concluded, “In the short time Range has focused on publishing, they have already made a strong impact in the marketplace. Casey, Sam, Matt, and team have a great ethos and vision and we are happy to be their admin partner on current and future endeavors.”

Photo Credit: The MLC

At August’s end, Spotify moved to dismiss the “nonsensical” unpaid-royalties lawsuit filed against it by the Mechanical Licensing Collective. Now, the MLC is urging the court to reject that motion and allow the case to proceed.

The MLC just recently took aim at Spotify’s dismissal push, with roughly four months having passed since the initial complaint’s submission. As many know, said complaint centers on the streaming giant’s controversial bundling reclassifications in the U.S.

Stated concisely, while the current presence of an audiobook and music “bundle,” a standalone music tier, and an audiobook-only option might not seem like too big a deal to listeners, the subscription framework is having a massive impact on Spotify’s domestic mechanical royalty payments.

Once again in the interest of brevity, that’s because bundled subscription revenue is treated far differently than standalone subscription revenue under the Phonorecords IV determination (which runs through 2027) for on-demand streaming.

DMN Pro has performed multiple deep-dives into the involved calculations and also maintains a one-stop database of leading platforms’ per-stream mechanical rates in the U.S.

Long story short, nearly all the existing Spotify Individual subscriptions were simply reclassified in royalty statements as bundles. Per the MLC, the audio (and video) service looks to be saving somewhere in the ballpark of $150 million in domestic compositional royalties per year.

(In the MLC’s own words, that amounts to a “devastating financial impact on the music creators who are the lifeblood of Spotify’s multibillion-dollar business.”)

Predictably, the reality isn’t sitting right with publishers or, as demonstrated by the ongoing legal battle, the MLC. As laid out by the Copyright Office-designated organization, for reasons including audiobooks’ “token” value to subscribers, the packages at hand don’t constitute bundles under Section 115.

And among other things, that means Spotify allegedly owes millions in unpaid mechanicals. On the opposite side of the dispute, though, the Daniel Ek-led company believes audiobooks have more than token value, represent a distinct product tier, and are therefore eligible for bundling classification.

Taking its stance a step further in last month’s dismissal motion, Spotify drove home the view that the timing of audiobooks’ integration (November of 2023, well before the official bundling reclassifications in March of 2024), the accessibility of the audiobook-only tier (which the MLC says is difficult to locate and not distinct from the music package), and more are all irrelevant to the central bundling-eligibility debate.

Returning to the MLC’s opposition to Spotify’s dismissal motion, the over 30-page legal text doesn’t break much new ground in terms of the core unpaid-royalties arguments described above.

However, the document does make clear the MLC’s belief that these arguments are valid and that dismissal would be inappropriate at this stage in any event.

“Spotify may ultimately try to persuade the Court to ignore its inconsistent reporting of the same Premium offering,” the filing indicates, “but a motion to dismiss is not the appropriate vehicle for it to do so.

“The only question at this preliminary stage,” reads another relevant section, “under this well-established Second Circuit law, is whether the Complaint states a claim for relief that is plausible, liberally construing and accepting all of its factual allegations as true, and drawing all reasonable inferences in the MLC’s favor. The Complaint plainly satisfies this test.”

It perhaps goes without saying, but it’ll be interesting to see whether the high-stakes lawsuit survives dismissal here. Closer to the present, we aren’t without other examples of the seemingly far-from-optimal professional relationship between Spotify and the MLC.

Accepting as fact Spotify’s representations and details from a recent streaming-fraud indictment, the company promptly identified and put a stop to an alleged fake-stream scheme – at least on its own service. The MLC, not Spotify competitors, seems to have only pinpointed the same alleged operation years down the line, after it had racked up millions in royalty payments from bot-powered plays on different platforms.

Photo Credit: Mina

Downtown Music Publishing has announced a global music publishing deal with PDU, the record label and publishing company from iconic Italian singer Mina.

Under this new agreement, Downtown Music Publishing will provide global publishing administration and sync services for Mina’s catalog. With more than 150 million records sold worldwide, Mina’s impact on culture has been both profound and far-reaching.

Her songs have been the soundtrack to Italian life for generations and she remains the only artist to have released a number one hit in the Italian charts for seven consecutive decades. Despite not appearing in concerts or making public appearances for more than 30 years, Mina’s music continues to captivate audiences.

The new deal will see Downtown Music Publishing represent Mina’s extensive body of work via her imprint and publishing company, PDU. Her catalog comprises over 80 LPs and 1,395 songs, performed in multiple languages and dialects including Italian, English, Spanish, Neapolitan, French, German, Portuguese, Latin, Japanese, and Turkish. PDU’s catalog includes more than 400 songs from 1980 onwards, with Downtown Music Publishing also representing Mina’s forthcoming album set to be released in November 2024.

“Mina is an extraordinary musician and performer who can master different genres of music,” says Massimiliano Pani, President of PDU Music & Production. “The PDU catalog is a source of true classics that have been top hits in Italy but are yet to be as known globally. We are glad that Downtown Music Publishing has decided to take on this challenge and we look forward to working together on this innovative project for the international publishing market.”

Dubbed ‘The Greatest Singer in the World’ by Louis Armstrong, Mina’s music has also been covered and sampled by some of the most revered singers in history including Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Elvis Costello, and Róisin Murphy to name just a few.

“It’s an honor to work with such an iconic, pioneering artist and to be trusted with Mina’s influential body of work,” adds Downtown Music Publishing President, Emily Stephenson. “We are delighted to bring our global expertise to her legendary catalog, to make sure that her music continues to inspire and captivate listeners around the world for generations to come.”

“Mina has long been a celebrated, iconic artist who’s impact on music and culture across the world will last for generations to come,” adds Laura Bedikian, Senior A&R Manager, Downtown Music Publishing. “We are proud to represent such extraordinary work and to be able to bring legendary European catalog to Downtown Music Publishing.”

Photo Credit: Igor Omilaev

A little over a month out from the one-year anniversary of its start, the copyright suit levied by major music publishers against Anthropic is heating up amid the AI giant’s renewed push for dismissal.

That push, music publisher plaintiffs including Concord and UMPG emphasized in their latest filing, actually marks the second attempt by Anthropic to dismiss the high-stakes case. As many know by now, the courtroom confrontation centers on alleged infringement stemming from the training process behind Anthropic’s Claude product.

The filing companies have pointed to the alleged presence of lyrics in the chatbot’s outputs – and claimed, among other things, that the alleged “massive copyright infringement” helps Anthropic to generate revenue and attract users.

Multiple twists and one time-consuming venue change later, Anthropic last month (again) fired back against the publishers’ push for a preliminary injunction blocking the continued use of lyrics in outputs and in future training.

And now, the music publishers themselves are taking the opportunity to refute Anthropic’s latest dismissal arguments as well as the appropriate motion.

Predictably, given the ultra-important case’s plodding nature, this 33-page refutation doesn’t break too much new ground. Instead, the publishers drove home that Anthropic’s dismissal motion is untimely in part because it arrived before a formal answer to the suit.

Running with the latter idea, the plaintiffs indicated that Anthropic had “deliberately contravened the Federal Rules” by ignoring purported warnings about the timing of its answer (or the lack thereof).

In short, the Amazon-backed AI mainstay is working “to gain a litigation advantage by prioritizing resolution” of the dismissal motion without first answering the complaint.

“When Anthropic answers the Complaint,” the publishers spelled out, “it will have to admit facts that it so far refuses to acknowledge directly, including that Anthropic copied Publishers’ lyrics when training Claude and made no effort to remove those lyrics from its training dataset despite its ability to do so.”

And from there, the publishers took aim at Anthropic’s specific dismissal arguments, which are looking to toss each claim save that involving direct infringement.

“Publishers are not required to name and date every instance of direct infringement to state a claim for secondary infringement,” the plaintiffs reiterated in part. “Publishers plausibly allege that Anthropic’s AI models respond to queries from users seeking copyrighted lyrics—including queries from Publishers’ investigators—by delivering those lyrics as requested.

“That allegation, without naming specific infringing users, is sufficient to set forth a valid claim for secondary copyright liability,” they proceeded.

Furthermore, dismissal would be “especially unwarranted” because the plaintiffs have yet to “discover from Anthropic what other third parties have requested from the Claude chatbot or APIs,” per the precedent-heavy legal text.

‘Only the songwriters suffer in this messed up, inequitable streaming licensing scheme,’ says Jody Dunitz, a former exec at Sony Music Publishing. Here’s her case for nixing the mechanical, sunsetting the MLC, and shifting the action to ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and other PROs.

This year has featured lots of handwringing about Spotify’s bundling antics and their impact on mechanical royalties.  That revenue is taking a big hit.

But don’t cry for the major publishers who oversee 70% of the revenue-earning songs in the United States.  Their paychecks are secured by the label bosses whose streaming revenue hasn’t lessened one bit.

Only the songwriters suffer in this messed up, inequitable streaming licensing scheme.

Given the labels’ dominance of the negotiating hierarchy, song rights revenue can never top 20% of the finite streaming revenue pot.   Subscriber rate hikes mean the pot gets bigger (which Spotify and the labels love), but the song share of the pot doesn’t change.

Against that reality, direct licensing of mechanicals won’t fix anything.  That’s simply a head fake fantasy promoted by the head of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), David Israelite.  It runs contrary to all principles of copyright law. Further, the idea that hundreds of publishers would negotiate thousands of songs separately with each streaming service is ridiculous and would crash the whole streaming business. The NMPA knows it, and the labels know it.

But there are actual practical fixes to this problem.

One is to “update” the US Copyright Act to eliminate the fiction that streaming triggers any mechanical royalty at all.

The simplified solution is to codify the position that the only “right” attached to musical compositions in streaming services is the “public performance” right.  (For the history of mechanical licensing in streaming, sink your teeth into this.)

In such a case, ASCAP and BMI (and the other minor PROs) would negotiate the full song royalty on behalf of all publishers and writers, collect 100% of all monies due, and distribute them through their very efficient payment systems. Combining the rights would take them outside the scope of Section 115’s compulsory license applicable to mechanical (reproduction) rights, eliminate the mess that would engulf direct licensing of mechanicals, and achieve Israelite’s purported goal of “market-based” negotiations.

There’s another huge benefit to songwriters if this reform were to prevail.  The songwriters’ share of performance income flows directly to them.  If all streaming revenue connected to songs were deemed “performance” income, the writers’ share would follow and flow directly to them. The publishers, of course, would hate this idea.

They like the fiction of “mechanical income” because it allows them to collect 100% of royalties so designated and use them to recoup writer advances and other costs. They also love the idea that with direct licensing, they could negotiate advances and non-recoupable fees from Spotify – just like the labels. And the best part is they wouldn’t have to share those monies with the writers, just like the labels keep their collected advances and fees from artists.

Publishers love Israelite’s calls for such action.  Songwriters should hate it.

The other option is to force all content stakeholders—labels, publishers, and songwriters—to arbitrate their respective share of the streaming revenue pot in a single hearing.

The most pernicious aspect of the US scheme for licensing streaming rights is that rates are set separately, in disconnected arenas, for each discrete element of streamed music. The labels negotiate the recordings’ rates directly with the streaming services. A government tribunal (under Section 115) sets rates for streaming mechanicals after long, costly hearings punctuated with obtuse testimonies by competing economists. Lastly, rates for performance income are set by yet another negotiation between the PROs with the services. This is nuts.

The content stakeholders know very well that each of them contributes an indispensable part of streamed music. They understand that these disjointed negotiations can never lead to an equitable split of the whole pot.

So why not adopt the standard app store model?

In the app store model, the platform takes a percentage off the top for its costs and profit margin and the content owners split the rest. Let the labels, publishers, and songwriters negotiate their respective shares among themselves. Employ (through clear legislation) the services of an “arbiter” panel to conduct hearings and allocate the content shares.  The federal copyright tribunal empowered under the current Section 115 has a history of accepting negotiated “settlements” to finalize rate procedures. There is precedent for such negotiations.

The only rub in the arbiter plan is that the songwriters, the most beleaguered community in this brawl, have no authentic industry-wide advocate to conduct negotiations for them.

NMPA is not a trusted agent for songwriters. The only viable industry representatives for songwriters are ASCAP and BMI.

Both are explicitly chartered to serve and protect songwriters (as well as publishers). They are well-funded and experienced negotiators. They should declare their allegiance to songwriters and forsake the publishers for this purpose (who can use their true agent, NMPA). In this mess, they should rise to the occasion and confront the label/publisher cabal obstructing royalty parity.

Both roads lead to a prominent role of the PROs. It is time to fix this debacle.

A federal judge has granted an appeal request from Kobalt as it faces a push from Spotify to foot a massive damages bill. Photo Credit: Wesley Tingey

With Spotify having scored a victory in a marathon royalties battle against Eminem publisher Eight Mile Style, the presiding judge has temporarily denied the streaming giant’s motion for a massive damages payment from Kobalt.  

Judge Aleta A. Trauger signed the corresponding order today, following a filing in which Kobalt urged the court to reconsider its underlying judgement or, alternatively, pause the damages bill pending appeal. DMN obtained exclusive copies of both legal documents, which have arrived over half a decade after Eight Mile levied the initial complaint.

For some quick background – the convoluted courtroom confrontation is decidedly unsuited for inverted-pyramid writing – that original infringement action named Spotify as the sole defendant, and the Harry Fox Agency was added as a second defendant in a 2020 amended complaint.

Then, Spotify in 2020 targeted Kobalt as a third-party defendant; DMN covered this development and all manner of others in detail. Stated concisely, though, the platform expressed the belief that the underlying allegations lacked merit while also claiming that if anyone should be on the hook for the allegedly due royalties and damages, it was Kobalt.

Fast forward past more than a few twists to mid-August of 2024, when the presiding judge, despite acknowledging that “Spotify’s handling of composer copyrights appears to have been seriously flawed,” partially signed off on the streaming service’s motion for summary judgement (and partially granted Kobalt’s own motion).

Keeping the focus on brass-tacks takeaways in the interest of relative brevity, regarding the terms of Spotify’s 2016 blanket license agreement with Kobalt, the court granted the platform’s summary judgement push for indemnification.

Zeroing in on the definition of “administrator,” the language of the agreement, and a whole lot of related subjects, the judge validated the indemnification clause notwithstanding Kobalt’s opposition.

The latter company, the actual contract spelled out in part, would hold Spotify “‘harmless from any and all third party claims, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses.’” On cue, Spotify filed a (sealed) motion to obtain compensation for a presumably huge legal-fees bill.

“In Spotify’s Motion for Award of Damages (Doc. No. 708),” the court wrote of the sealed motion, “it seeks substantial attorney’s fees, for which it has not submitted itemized attorney time entries, and suggests that the court may find it necessary to rely on a special master if the court seeks such documentation for review.”

Predictably, that expensive-sounding proposal didn’t sit right with Kobalt, which promptly urged the court to reconsider the underlying ruling or, alternatively, certify an interlocutory appeal.

As the third-party defendant sees it, the damages question hinges on the adopted definition of “administer,” and specifically whether the indemnification provision extended to works, like the Eminem compositions, for which Kobalt lacked the stateside authority to issue mechanical licenses.

(In the end, following the expiration of a prior deal, that authority ultimately rested with Bridgeport Music, a distinct publisher “closely associated” with Eight Mile Style, per the court’s order on the summary judgement motions.)

“Does the 2016 BMLA [blanket mechanical licensing agreement] require Kobalt to indemnify Spotify for Kobalt’s failure to license a composition over which it lacked U.S. mechanical licensing authority,” Judge Trauger summed up of the central question at play, “but over which it exercised other rights associated with administration, such as non-U.S. mechanical licensing, worldwide synch licensing (subject to publisher approval), and acceptance of license requests?”

Furthermore, it’d “be in the interests of justice and efficiency to allow the question of liability on those claims” – meaning those on which Spotify prevailed over Kobalt – “to be appealed alongside the other issues in this case,” Judge Trauger wrote.

Consequently, setting the stage for this appeal, the court also ordered judgement to be officially entered on all claims save those in favor of Spotify against Kobalt.

Photo Credit: Gus Stewart for Getty Images (Redferns Collection) / Primary Wave

Primary Wave Music inks a partnership with the estate of The Cars’ Ric Ocasek, which includes his publishing catalog from his time with the band.

The Estate of Ric Ocasek and Primary Wave Music have announced their new partnership, with terms of the deal seeing the publishing giant partner with Ocasek’s estate on the artist’s publishing catalog. This includes all songs from his time with The Cars as a cultural innovator and driving force of the band, in addition to his music released as a solo artist.

In this new partnership, Primary Wave will now share in name, image, and likeness rights with the state, and will provide access to the company’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and sync opportunities, as well as TV and film projects.

“It is an absolute honor to partner with the Estate of Ric Ocasek,” said Adam Lowenberg, Primary Wave’s Chief Marketing Officer. “His words, music, and overall vision left such an indelible mark on the historical music landscape. I cannot imagine my own youth without the songs of Ric Ocasek. We are so eager to begin creating new opportunities to introduce Ric’s world to a whole new audience.”

Over the course of his five-plus decade career, Ocasek sold over 20 million records with The Cars and had over ten Top 40 hits. The band was nominated for six Grammys, including Best New Artist in 1979, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Ocasek was the primary vocalist and songwriter for the band, writing some of their biggest hits, including the critically acclaimed singles, “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Let the Good Times Roll,” and “Let’s Go.” Each of those songs are included in the multi-million-dollar deal, as well as their hit, “Drive,” which was the band’s highest charting single.

Other gems from the catalog included in the partnership are the hits “You Might Think” and “Just What I Needed,” the former of which was the first single off the band’s fifth album, and which shot to the Top 10 on the Billboard 100. The accompanying music video was a huge hit, and one of the first music videos to use computer graphics.

Released in 1978, “Just What I Needed” was the first single off The Cars’ debut album and was the most successful single from the release. The track has become praised by fans and critics alike, with Rolling Stone including it on their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list. The song influenced Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo to select Ocasek to be the producer for the band’s debut. His reputation as a producer developed, and he found himself working with other bands like Bad Religion and No Doubt.

Total US paid on-demand music subscriptions, mid-year 2014 through mid-year 2024 (source: RIAA data shared with Digital Music News)

For 2024’s opening half, the RIAA reported that U.S. on-demand streaming subscriptions had grown by a modest 2.7% year over year (YoY) as subscription revenue increased by 5.1%. Amid discussions about the slowdown, what does historical data tell us?

Beginning with total paid accounts, the figures disclosed in RIAA half- and full-year reports during the past decade underscore the breakneck growth at hand. Simultaneously, based on the seldom-compiled numbers, the case can be made that growth has been tapering for some time.

Report Table of Contents

I. Introduction: A Recap of the U.S. Recorded Music Market’s Streaming Deceleration

II. U.S. Subscription Streaming’s Significant Growth — and More Recent Slowdown — Between 2014 and 2024

Graph: U.S. On-Demand Streaming Subscriptions, 2014-2024

Graph: U.S. On-Demand Streaming Subscription Accounts Growth, 2014-2024

III. The Domestic Streaming Market and a Growing Focus on Revenue: How Much Are Fans Willing to Pay for Music?

Graph: U.S. On-Demand Streaming Subscription Revenue, 2014-2024

Graph: U.S. On-Demand Streaming’s Subscription Revenue Growth, 2014-2024

IV. The Freemium Wildcard — Will Ad-Supported Listening Drive the Next Phase of Streaming Growth?

Graph: U.S. On-Demand Ad-Supported Streaming Revenue At Mid-Year, 2014-2024

Graph: U.S. On-Demand Streaming’s Ad-Supported Revenue Growth, 2014-2024

The following report is for DMN Pro subscribers only. Please do not redistribute without prior permission — thank you!

US-Based Mechanical Per-Stream Payouts Ranked: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, More

New! A ranking of per-stream mechanical licensing royalty payments by DSP platform, including the ‘big four’ streamers Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music.

Important Notes on Data Sources and Methodology.

[1] Subscriber data based on April, 2024 mechanical licensing statements from the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), as shared with Digital Music News by a major music publishing conglomerate. These figures involved DMN Pro multipliers on various base subscription accounts to estimate the actual number of active subscribers. These multipliers are: 1x for Individual Plans; 2x for Duo Plans (Spotify is currently the only DSP offering a two-person plan);  3x for Family Plans, and 0.5x for Student plans. Note that the MLC applies a 1.75x multiplier to all group plans, and a 0.5x multiplier for Student plans.

[2] Total figures for April, 2024, as calculated by the MLC.

[3] Per-stream calculations involve a simple calculation: the Total Payable Mechanical Royalty Pool for each platform for the month divided by the total tracked streams (‘plays’) on the same platform for that month.

[4] YouTube Music figures are for February, 2024, but will be updated shortly to match other April, 2024 figures.

Photo Credit: Reservoir Media

Reservoir Media has announced the acquisition of the publishing rights to the catalog of late singer-songwriter Billy Strange. The deal includes hit songs such as Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation,” “Memories,” and “Clean Up Your Own Back Yard.”

Billy Strange began his career in music as a session guitarist in the 1950s before making a name for himself as a songwriter and arranger. He frequently collaborated on hits for Elvis Presley, including the theme song from the 1969 American western film ‘Charro!’ in which Presley stars.

The song “A Little Less Conversation” originally appeared in the 1968 film ‘Live a Little, Love a Little,’ which also starred Presley and for which Strange also composed the musical soundtrack. In 2001, the song was used in the heist film, ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ inspiring a remix by Dutch musician Junkie XL. “A Little Less Conversation — JXL Radio Edit Remix” was officially released in 2002, becoming a worldwide hit that topped the singles charts in nine countries—including spending four consecutive weeks at #1 in the U.K.

As a composer, Strange also worked on the musical soundtrack for the 1969 Elvis film, ‘The Trouble with Girls.’ That film featured the hit song, “Clean Up Your Own Backyard.” Strange also co-wrote “Limbo Rock,” recorded by The Champs and Chubby Checker, which reached #2 on the Hot 100. In addition to the work as a songwriter, Strange played guitar with several major acts including the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole.

Strange can also be heard playing for several television theme songs from the 50s and 60s including ‘The Munsters’ (1964), ‘Batman’ (1966), and ‘Have Gun — Will Travel’ (1957). Strange also arranged and conducted several Nancy Sinatra albums, including arranging her single “These Boots Are Made for Walkin,” which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and UK Singles chart. Strange was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame as a member of The Wrecking Crew in 2007.

“Billy Strange’s influence is woven into the fabric of American pop culture. ‘A Little Less Conversation’ is one of the most recognizable songs and has influenced popular music since Elvis first sang it in 1968. We are honored to have Strange’s music in our catalog and amplify the mark he left on the world,” adds Reservoir President & COO Rell Lafargue about the acquisition.

Warner Music Group consolidated quarterly streaming revenues (source: WMG 10-Q disclosures)

For Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, calendar Q2 2024 was a tale of two earnings reports — and streaming forecasts. While UMG acknowledged a subscription-growth slowdown, the Robert Kyncl-led WMG emphasized “strong” improvements. But are things as rosy as they seem for today’s third-largest major label?

DMN Pro crunched the numbers to answer that question, which is particularly pressing given the industry-wide implications of a growth slowdown at UMG.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction: The Stark Contrast Between the Calendar Q2 Earnings Reports of Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group

II. Warner Music Group’s Streaming Performance by the Numbers: Reported Revenue from Q4 2021 Through Q2 2024

Graph: Warner Music Group Consolidated Recorded and Publishing Streaming Revenue by Quarter

III. Warner Music Group’s Recorded and Publishing Streaming Showing At a Glance: Are Things Truly Looking Up?

Graph: WMG Recorded Music Subscription Revenue

Graph: WMG Publishing Streaming Revenue, Subscription and Ad-Supported

IV. The Bottom Line: WMG’s Streaming Growth Strength and Where the Space Is Heading

Please do not redistribute this report without permission. Thank you for subscribing to DMN Pro!

Photo Credit: Chuck Mangione by Shellie Crandall

Primary Wave acquires the publishing rights of legendary composer and horn player Chuck Mangione, including his writer’s share and neighboring rights.

Leading independent publisher Primary Wave has announced a partnership with iconic composer, flugelhorn, and trumpet player Chuck Mangione. This new partnership sees the publisher gain Mangione’s music publishing and other music rights, including his writer’s share, artist royalties, and neighboring rights.

The deal encompasses Mangione’s entire repertoire across his incomparable career. Terms of the deal will also give Mangione access to the company’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and synch opportunities, as well as film and television projects.

During his five-plus decades in music, Chuck released over 30 albums. Included in the deal are the jazz sensation’s biggest hits, such as “Feels So Good,” “Bellavia,” “Land of Make Believe,” “Give It All You Got, But Slowly,” “Children of Sanchez,” “Once Upon A Love Time,” “Chase The Clouds Away,” and more.

Mangione was nominated for an astounding 14 Grammy Awards, winning two for Best Instrumental Composition in 1976 for “Bellavia,” and then again for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1979 for “Children of Sanchez.” That year, his biggest hit, “Feels So Good,” was also nominated for Record of the Year. The single was the title track from his 1977 jazz release and soared to the Top 5 on the US charts.

“I am really thrilled to join the roster of iconic artists who are represented by Primary Wave,” said Mangione. “It makes me ‘Feel So Good’ to join the company of such great artists and musicians.”

“We could not be happier to welcome Chuck Mangione to the Primary Wave family,” added Lexi Todd, Primary Wave’s Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs. “To this day, Chuck’s music feels like a breath of fresh air, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to breathe new life into these timeless tunes. Chuck’s awards and accolades speak for themselves — he is a true master of his craft, and an incredible addition to our roster of legends.”

In addition to his music, Chuck Mangione made appearances in several television shows, including as an animated version of himself on “King of the Hill.” He appeared on several episodes, and his initial appearance even featured a score recorded specifically for the occasion.

James Fauntleroy, who’s sold a publishing catalog interest to HarbourView. Photo Credit: Gizelle Hernandez

HarbourView Equity Partners has taken a stake in the publishing catalog of Mariah Carey and SZA songwriter James Fauntleroy.

Newark-headquartered HarbourView reached out with word of the deal for the music IP of Inglewood-born James Fauntleroy. Said IP refers to “select publishing assets” here, though neither the catalog investor nor the selling party opted to shed light on the exact involved rights.

However, 40-year-old Fauntleroy has penned works recorded by Bruno Mars (“That’s What I Like” and the more recent “Die With a Smile”), Kelly Clarkson (“Einstein”), Rihanna (“Te Amo”), Snoop Dogg (“California Roll”), Cardi B (“Please Me”), Drake (“Finesse”), Justin Timberlake (a number of tracks across The 20/20 Experience and its follow-up), and Beyoncé (“Blow” and “No Angel”), to name just some.

Similarly, HarbourView didn’t publicly reveal the financial terms behind the transaction, but did take the opportunity to note that its overall catalog encompasses north of 29,000 songs between the compositional and recordings sides. Additionally, CEO Sherrese Clarke Soares in a statement touted the career accomplishments of the four-time Grammy winner Fauntleroy.

“James Fauntleroy has made an incredible impact with his contributions across several genres, including Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B,” relayed the HarbourView head. “With a keen ear for creating global hits, he has solidified his position as one of the best singer/songwriters and producers of this generation. We are excited to welcome him to the HarbourView family.”

Meanwhile, the Kingship executive producer Fauntleroy expressed the belief that the sale is opening up new career doors.

“My catalog sale to HarbourView is the culmination of years of work and dedication invested into the creative community and the craft of songwriting,” communicated the 1500 Sound Academy co-founder. “This partnership has already opened up more doors for growth and opportunity for me, and I’m incredibly excited and thankful to enter into this next chapter together.”

All told, HarbourView has since its 2021 debut scored IP deals involving the work of Luis Fonsi, Brad Paisley, Lady A, Blackbear, Christine McVie, and more recently Noel Zancanella. The company, which secured “close to $500 million” in KKR royalties-backed debt financing in March, announced the pact with Zancanella last week.

Despite the other plays (attributable to the likes of Iconoclast and Primary Wave) that have wrapped in the music IP sub-sector as of late, headlines haven’t been entirely positive. In a move that will hardly inspire confidence among prospective catalog sellers, Hipgnosis, having bought Barry Manilow’s work back in 2020, is reportedly suing the singer-songwriter across the pond over a bonus-payments disagreement.

Producer Jon Landau (pictured) has finalized a song-rights deal with Primary Wave. Photo Credit: Primary Wave

Primary Wave has officially invested in the IP of veteran manager and Bruce Springsteen producer Jon Landau.

New York City-based Primary Wave and 77-year-old Landau (not to be confused with the Avatar producer of the same name) reached out with word of the purchase. Extending specifically to “producer royalties and neighboring rights royalties,” the deal includes Landau’s work with Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen.

Regarding the latter professional (who’s already coming up on the third anniversary of his catalog sale to Sony Music), Landau has production credits on several Springsteen albums, chief among them 1975’s Born to Run and 1984’s Born in the U.S.A.

Additionally, the all-encompassing agreement extends to Landau’s production work with MC5 (1970’s Back in the USA), Livingston Taylor (an eponymous 1970 debut and the 1971 follow-up Liv), the aforementioned Browne (1976’s The Pretender), and more.

The involved parties opted against publicly disclosing the financials behind the transaction, which was “facilitated” by David Simone and Winston Simone of DSW Entertainment. (DSW’s clients include E Street Band mainstay Little Steven, himself a producer on Born in the U.S.A. and other Springsteen efforts.)

However, Landau in a statement made clear a goal of maintaining a working relationship with Primary Wave.

“I thank all at Primary Wave for recognizing my contributions over the last fifty years and look forward to having an ongoing and productive relationship with them,” said the former Rock Hall of Fame Nominating Committee chair.

And in remarks of his own, Primary Wave global sync president Marty Silverstone touted Landau’s influence and career accomplishments.

“We’re honored to be partnering with Jon Landau and all of the legendary music he helped shape. He’s an influential figure in music, and we’re proud to welcome him to the Primary Wave family,” communicated the Primary Wave exec of nearly 15 years.

Notwithstanding the transaction-volume slowdown hitting the wider IP-acquisition space, Primary Wave has closed a number of investments on the year.

During the past month and change alone, those plays have included a “multi-million-dollar” partnership with Toto founding member Steve Porcaro as well as an investment in the writer and producer shares of “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” producer-songwriter Keith Forsey.

Furthermore, as compiled by DMN Pro’s Music IP Acquisition Tracker, among the other catalog investments wrapped during August’s opening half are Reach Music Publishing’s deal with Wyatt Durrette and HarbourView Equity Partners’ pact with Noel Zancanella.

But the sub-sector hasn’t been without not-so-positive headlines this month, as Hipgnosis, we reported yesterday, is suing Barry Manilow over a contractual dispute. Concrete details about the High Court action are difficult to come by at present.

Nevertheless, it goes without saying that the litigation, set in motion more than four years after Manilow sold his work, may make others think twice about exploring deals with Hipgnosis.

A live performance from Half Pint, who’s sold a portion of his IP to Iconoclast. Photo Credit: Peter Verwimp

Iconoclast is officially acquiring select IP from “culturally significant reggae artists,” beginning with the work of Half Pint.

The purchasing party just recently reached out with word of the deal, which came to fruition under a partnership with Ujama Designs. Founded by Robert Oyugi, the latter company operates in publishing, recording, live, and other areas across genres including but not limited to reggae.

Now, Ujama Designs, the Ujama News subsidiary of which produces Boulder’s Soul Rebel Festival, says it’s poised to leverage that experience by helping connect Iconoclast with the aforementioned “culturally significant” works.

First up is the IP – referring specifically to publishing and NIL rights – of the “legendary” Half Pint (real name Lindon Andrew Roberts). Among the Kingston-born singer’s works are “Greetings,” “Crazy Girl,” “Mr. Landlord,” “Substitute Lover,” and “Winsome,” to name a few.

While Iconoclast opted against disclosing the agreement’s price tag in its release and when contacted by DMN, founder Olivier Chastan drove home his broader plans to help reggae find new fans on the world stage.

“Working with Robert allows me to reconnect with my long history and passion for Reggae music that started 20 years ago when I worked at VP Records and acquired Greensleeves Publishing,” communicated Chastan, whose company this past March bought Tony Bennett’s catalog and NIL rights.

“Thanks to our partnership with Robert Oyugi and my personal experience,” proceeded the Iconic Artists Group founder, “we hope to further expand into the genre and help Reggae artists in and outside of Jamaica reach a wider audience. I could not ask for a better start than working with Half Pint!”

62-year-old Half Pint, who had been set to perform at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in June until the reggae event was shelved “due to extreme financial challenges,” didn’t provide a statement. But Oyugi touted the tie-up between Iconoclast and his own company as “a perfect match for success.”

Iconoclast’s Half Pint IP purchase marks the second catalog deal to this point in August (the other being Reach Music Publishing’s play for a portion of Wyatt Durrette’s work). Overall, however, against the backdrop of an uncertain economy, the end of the Hipgnosis saga, and other factors, IP transactions have been comparatively rare in recent months.

As monitored by DMN Pro’s Music IP Acquisition Tracker, only eight catalog sales have wrapped across May’s start and today. Last year, May alone came close to matching that number (including a deal involving Iconoclast and Major Lazer founder Dave Taylor), and the overall stretch brought north of 30 agreements.

Notwithstanding the material volume slowdown, interest and massive piles of cash seemingly remain available for especially high-profile IP, including the works of Michael Jackson, Queen, and Calvin Harris.

Photo Credit: Wyatt Durrette by Brooke Stevens Photography

Reach Music acquires the publishing and songwriting rights of Wyatt Durrette, including hits from Zac Brown Band and Luke Combs.

Reach Music Publishing has acquired select publishing and songwriting assets from Wyatt Durrette, including the songwriter’s interest in songs co-written with Zac Brown and Luke Combs.

According to Michael Closter, President, Founder, and Owner of Reach Music, the acquisition includes interests in 29 of Durrette’s compositions, as well as global administration rights for its shares of those rights. The copyrights include Durrette’s interest in songs he co-wrote with Zac Brown, including “Chicken Fried,” “Toes,” and “Whatever It Is,” by Zac Brown Band.

Besides Zac Brown, Durrette has written with Luke Combs, including the hit single “Beautiful Crazy,” which has been certified 10x Platinum (Diamond) by the RIAA. This song is also included in the Reach acquisition.

Richard Blackstone of Blackstone Entertainment, Wyatt’s longtime publisher, will remain his publisher and co-administer together with Reach Music for the select songs that are part of the deal.

“This is a thrilling moment to have concluded an acquisition agreement with Wyatt Durrette, an A-level award winning songwriter,” said Closter. “Reach Music has been the publishing administrator for Zac Brown for 12 years, and we’ve always been familiar with Wyatt Durrette and his incredible works with Zac Brown Band, starting with ‘Chicken Fried,’ as well as his more recent works with Luke Combs. This marks Reach’s largest acqusition in the country space, and we couldn’t be more excited than to have done this deal with Wyatt.”

Reach’s agreement with Wyatt Durrette comes shortly after other acquisitions by the company of classic catalogs in other genres, including recent copyright acquisitions for Judas Priest, as well as Public Enemy’s Chuck D.

Wyatt Durrette was represented in the transaction by Adam Ritholz and John Brill of Ritholz Levy Fields LLP. Reach Music was represented in the transaction by Jeff Sacharow of The Sacharow Firm, P.C.

Photo Credit: Downtown Music Publishing

Downtown Music Publishing (DMP) has announced a global music publishing agreement with Peso Pluma’s Double P Records. Here’s the latest.

Double P Records was founded by Peso Pluma and George Prajin in April 2023, with this partnership seeing DMP providing full administration and sync placement across Double P Records’ current and future releases. It also encompasses administration for Peso Plum’a own publishing interests, including his latest double album, ÉXODO.

The record label is the home to some of Música Mexicana’s biggest songwriters including Peso Pluma, Jasiel Núñez, Estevan Plazola, and Jesús Roberto Laija García (Tito Double P). Peso Pluma boasts 52 million monthly Spotify listeners, making history as the first Mexican artist to top the ‘Daily Top Artists Mexico’ chart. He is widely known as a leading figure in championing the resurgence of Corridos, a genre that blends traditional Mexican Corridos with modern influences including trap, hip-hop, and reggaeton.

Peso Pluma’s album ÉXODO was the biggest debut by any Mexican artist on Spotify. It received over 29 million streams within the first 24 hours of release, making it the highest first-day streamed album on Apple Music, too. His previous album GÉNESIS also broke streaming records and earned him a Grammy nomination and win for Best Música Mexicana Album in 2024.

“We are looking forward to joining forces with Downtown and continuing to grow our partnership. I am confident t hat together we are going to do great things,” adds George Prajin, CEO, Prajin Parlay Inc. and Co-Founder Double P Records.

“Peso Pluma’s exceptional rise to fame is of great importance to the representation of Música Mexicana artists globally,” adds Jedd Katrancha, Chief Commercial Officer of Downtown Music Publishing. “We’re honored to provide Double P Records with the services and opportunities DMP has to offer across its groundbreaking catalog.”

The announcement follows a period of significant growth and success for Downtown Latin music and Música Mexicana with over 30 Latin Grammy nominations for clients across the group in 2023. Those nominations include Best Tejano Album from FUGA client Freddie Records’ artist, Jay Perez and Best Engineered Album from CD Baby client, Antonio Adolfo.

Photo Credit: Rohan Reddy

After gaining a 60% majority stake in 2020, Believe acquires the remaining 40% of independent Turkish label Doğan Music Company for about $42 million.

One of the world’s leading digital music companies, Believe, has announced it will be acquiring full ownership of Doğan Music Company (DMC), Turkey’s largest independent label, for 38.3 million euros ($42 million). Believe first acquired a 60% majority stake in DMC in 2020, and has now reached an agreement with Doğan Group to acquire the remaining 40%.

With a mission to develop independent artists and labels in the digital space by providing them the necessary solutions to grow their audiences at each stage of development, Believe’s team of worldwide experts leverage the group’s technology platform to advise artists and labels alike, as well as distribute and promote their music. Believe boasts 2,020 employees in over 50 countries, aiming to support independent artists and labels with its unique digital expertise, as well as respect, fairness, and transparency.

DMC has added value to the Turkish economy for 65 years, since Doğan Şikretler Grubu Holding A.Ş. entered the scene in 1959, when Honorary Chairperson Aydın Doğan registered with the Mecidiyeköy Tax Office, and then founded his first automotive company in 1961. Today, the Doğan Group and its companies play a significant and pioneering role with their vision in the fields of electricity generation, industry and trade, automotive trade and marketing, finance and investment, internet and entertainment, and real estate.

Believe’s full acquisition of DMC follows closely on the heels of the group’s acquisition of a 25% stake in Romanian dance label Global Records, pointing to a broader strategic move into global content distribution. The 16-year-old Romanian company already has offices “and activity” in Germany and the United States, and boasts around six billion streams in 2023 across its roster. Believe first partnered with Global back in 2016.

Believe’s other international endeavors include Sentric, South Indian film soundtrack label Think Music, Filipino group Viva Music and Artists, and France’s Jo&Co. The global expansion runs in tandem with Believe’s recent dance-focused launches of b.electronic and All Night Long.

Too Lost-distributed artist Ollie Joseph (Photo: Ollie Joseph)

The music industry isn’t running out of music distributors anytime soon, though Too Lost is differentiating with some interesting innovations —including a deep list of partnerships that include BMG, Easy Song, beatBread, and Delta.

Music distribution is a seriously competitive sub-industry, though a relatively fresh face, Too Lost, is making waves by rethinking the traditional distribution model.

Already, the company is getting good marks from the musician community for solving issues like streaming fraud and enabling artist financing. However, the company is also pushing an expansive partnership strategy designed to offer artists and labels more than just a path to digital service providers (DSPs).

The result: Too Lost is suddenly pushing distribution far beyond the traditional task of shuttling music from A-to-B. With an array of non-traditional partners, the company aims to provide broader opportunities for its artists, with the end game of reaching new and diverse audiences. Just recently, Too Lost partnered with Digital Music News to further expand their growing footprint.

Several notable artists are already on board with Too Lost’s refreshed concept, including Chief Keef, ILoveMakonnen, YG, Xavier Wulf, Lil Mabu, Josiah and the Bonnevilles, Ali Gatie, Lucifer, Joseph Tilly, and Pink Sweats. Also in the Too Lost mix are up-and-coming artists like Ollie Joseph (pictured), who recently crossed 600,000 followers on Spotify.

At this stage of the game, artists can quickly move their music onto Spotify or Apple Music with more than a dozen high-quality distribution platforms.

Against that competitive landscape, Too Lost decided to expand the role of traditional distribution. Too Lost excels in DSP distribution (they are a Spotify Preferred Provider, for example), though they also offer competencies in critical areas like cover licensing, financing, and publishing administration.

Too Lost told Digital Music News they decided against building those competencies from scratch for several reasons. For starters, the ‘wheel has already been invented’ in many critical music industry core competencies, so why not simply partner with the best to rapidly expand the possibilities for its artists?

In the case of cover licensing, that meant brokering a deal with Easy Song. In artist financing, a beatBread deal was inked to enable flexible financing options, enabling Too Lost artists to fund their projects without traditional record deals. For publishing administration, a BMG partnership was brokered. And the list goes on.

“Our partnerships with industry leaders like BMG and beatBread are a testament to Too Lost’s commitment to providing artists with comprehensive tools and resources,” said Damien Ritter, Director of Marketing at Too Lost. “By leveraging these collaborations, we empower artists to focus on their creativity while we handle the complexities of rights management, financing, and content protection.”

Here’s a quick rundown of some of Too Lost’s top partnerships.

Too Lost told us that this is a rapidly-growing list, though these are currently some of their most impactful and essential partnerships.

Easy Song: Simplifies the complex world of song licensing, making it easier for artists to cover songs legally.

Pex: Provides robust content identification and monetization tools.

Cosynd: Offers enhanced IP protections, ensuring artists’ intellectual property is well-guarded.

BMG: Assists with publishing administration and royalty management, freeing artists from the intricacies of managing their publishing rights.

Beatbread: Facilitates flexible financing options, enabling artists to fund their projects without the need for traditional record deals.

Manifest (formerly Nerve): Ensures direct payouts to artists, streamlining the financial aspects of music distribution.

Beyond its core partner alliances, Too Lost is also focusing on non-traditional distribution endpoints.

For most artists, uploading an album to Spotify is akin to pouring water into the Pacific Ocean. Current estimates peg the number of songs uploaded to DSPs at more than 120,000 a day, and AI only worsens the situation.

So, how do you get noticed in such an intimidatingly vast sea of ‘content’? Too Lost says they hear this problem repeatedly, though not every platform is so crowded. Accordingly, the company has partnered with companies like Delta and Peloton to help artists break through.

Delta doesn’t offer an on-demand platform with millions of songs, though they do promote selected songs to captive fliers. The noise floor is suddenly overcome if an artist is chosen for one of the airline’s in-flight entertainment systems.

The same is true for Peloton, whose high-energy workout playlists can make fans out of fitness enthusiasts if the vibe is right. Too Lost also brokered a partnership with Sonu Stream, co-founded by Tokimonsta, which aims to better compensate artists for their streams. These non-traditional partnerships aim to expand the reach of Too Lost’s artists, ensuring that their music can be discovered in unexpected places.

After a relatively short period in the industry, Too Lost has received positive marks from musicians.

Among the biggest fans is Ari Herstand, a respected musician and industry expert who recently proclaimed that “Too Lost is one of the best-kept secrets in the music distribution world.”

“Their commitment to artist autonomy and unmatched administrative support sets them apart from the competition,” Ari gushed.

Too Lost’s top artists are also tapping into the platform’s network of partnerships, with tracks getting financed and popping up on non-traditional playlists. “At Too Lost, we are incredibly proud of the innovative solutions and partnerships we’ve developed to support our artists,” says Ritter. “Our mission is to empower musicians by providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed in today’s dynamic music industry.”

“At Too Lost, we firmly believe that you can make a serious creative dent and find your fans — but you need the right partners to do it.”

Photo Credit: Christine Schwan

Downtown Neighbouring Rights sign an international deal with Lady Blackbird who joins a roster including Jon Batiste, Justin Bieber, One Republic, and the estates of Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, and Meat Loaf.

Downtown Neighbouring Rights (DNR) has announced a global deal with American Psychedelic Soul singer-songwriter Lady Blackbird. As part of the deal, DNR will represent Lady Blackbird’s catalog, including the singles “Woman,” “Feel It Coming,” and her collaboration with Moby, “Dark Days.”

Lady Blackbird’s 2021 album, Black Acid Soul, produced by Chris Seefried, peaked at No. 6 on the UK Album chart and entered the Official Jazz chart at No. 1, with “Five Feet Tall” accumulating over 4 million streams on Spotify. Her haunting version of Nina Simone’s “Blackbird” has become a civil rights rallying cry in the aftermath of George Floyd.

Winning International Jazz Act of the Year at the 2022 Jazz FM Awards, Lady Blackbird is a sought-after collaborator, featuring on releases with Moby, Trevor Horn, Nitin Sawhney, and Billy Porter, as well as supporting Gregory Porter on his UK tour in 2022.

“I am so excited to be partnering with Downtown in regards to my neighboring rights collections,” said Lady Blackbird. “With my new album, Slang Spirituals, coming out in September, this is going to be such an exciting year. Adding Downtown to my team feels like a perfect fit.”

Downtown Neighbouring Rights will also represent her upcoming second studio album, Slang Spirituals, which is once again produced by her longtime collaborator, Chris Seefried. The first single from the album, “Reborn,” debuted in June.

The news follows a successful start to the year for DNR, who has welcomed a raft of global signings since the beginning of 2024. The company announced international neighboring rights agreements with acclaimed singer-songwriter ANOHNI, representing the singer’s Academy Award-nominated song, “Manta Ray,” and Mercury Prize-winning album, I Am a Bird Now — as well as global agreements with publisher and label Position Music and TH3RD BRAIN Records, home to Brazilian producer Zerb. Zerb’s single “Mwaki” hit No. 1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 Global and No. 2 on Global Shazam charts.

“It has been an exceptional year so far for Downtown Neighbouring Rights as we continue to represent and collect for groundbreaking global artists,” concludes Diane van Beekum-de Mooij, Director of Downtown Neighbouring Rights. “Lady Blackbird is one such example, a highly talented artist, singer, and songwriter; we are proud to represent her lauded catalog and look forward to providing her and her team with our expertise and offering.”

Downtown is the world’s leading music services company, with over 2 million clients from 145 countries representing a catalog of over 38 million music assets in a wide variety of genres and languages. Downtown’s technology and service offerings support creators and businesses in all facets of the music industry, including creation, distribution, publishing, marketing, royalty collection, financing, accounting, and payment services.

A live performance from Toto, including founding member Steve Porcaro (second from right), who’s inked a multimillion-dollar deal with Primary Wave. Photo Credit: Maltesen

Primary Wave has finalized a far-reaching partnership, extending to publishing and more, with Toto founding member Steve Porcaro.

New York City-based Primary Wave, which wrapped a reportedly $30 million catalog deal with the estate of Jeff Porcaro about three years ago, just recently disclosed the agreement with Steve Porcaro.

And as described by the company, the “multi-million-dollar deal” encompasses the latter Porcaro’s “music publishing catalog, artist royalties, and neighboring rights.” Beginning with Toto, the pact therefore includes royalty interests in hits like “Hold the Line,” “Africa,” and “Rosanna.”

Additionally, the tie-up features “all songs” composed by Porcaro for film and television; among other projects, the 66-year-old worked on FX’s Justified. More noteworthy yet are stakes in “a select number of compositions purchased jointly with the Estate of Michael Jackson.”

Porcaro co-wrote Jackson’s “Human Nature” (1983), which has racked up nearly 200 million Spotify streams, and performed on several other Thriller tracks.

Elaborating on the complex ownership details at hand, the New York Times specified that the Jackson estate (which is closing a major catalog transaction with Sony Music despite family objections) has “fully acquired” with Primary Wave unreleased Jackson recordings entitled “Chicago 1945” and “Dream Away.”

Porcaro himself will retain a 15 percent piece of his body of work excepting those Jackson vault tracks and “Human Nature,” per the Times, which estimated that the overall deal is worth somewhere in “the low eight figures.”

Addressing the union with Porcaro, who’s in the process of completing a follow-up to 2016’s Someday/Somehow, Primary Wave partner David Weitzman touted the career accomplishments of the Hartford-born musician.

“We are thrilled to welcome Steve Porcaro to the Primary Wave family,” communicated the close to five-year Primary Wave higher-up Weitzman. “His career arc from being a first call touring & session musician, to co-founding Toto, to writing songs with Michael Jackson in his home studio is a story for the ages.”

For Primary Wave, the announcement marks the latest in a line of 2024 agreements and investments. June and July have delivered partnerships between the company and Spin Doctors, Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt, and Billy Idol producer Keith Forsey.

Meanwhile, the business, reportedly facing hurdles concerning the release of the finished (and long-anticipated) Prince documentary, closed out last month by revealing Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? The Gerry Goffin Story. Contrasting the reportedly nine-hour film account of Prince’s life, The Gerry Goffin Story will reportedly run about 90 minutes.

Spotify has officially disclosed the bundling savings stemming from its much-publicized bundling reclassifications in the U.S. Photo Credit: Mackenzie Marco

It pays to bundle – and that’s according to Spotify itself, which has disclosed the approximate royalty savings it’s enjoying after reclassifying nearly all its U.S. accounts as bundles.

The streaming platform pinpointed the figure in a new regulatory filing, after reporting close to $290 million in Q2 operating income (and experiencing a massive stock-price surge) yesterday. On the bundling front, Spotify abruptly declared its existing packages multi-product offerings in March, citing the availability of both music and audiobooks.

To put it mildly, the move isn’t sitting right with music publishers and the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), which is suing for unpaid royalties in connection with the bundling pivot. As charted in detail by DMN Pro, the streaming service is paying a whole lot less in U.S. mechanicals owing to the way revenue is treated and royalties are calculated under the Phonorecords IV determination.

Now, with the underlying plan reclassifications in full swing, Spotify has identified $49.89 million (€46 million) as the amount, excluding any interest or penalties, that it would be compelled to cough up for March through June if the MLC won the case.

In other words, the total, in line with DMN Pro calculations based on vetted royalty statements, represents the rough amount Spotify has saved from the bundling switch during the relevant four-month stretch.

Though savings vary each month due to the many moving parts at hand, the sum’s average suggests that initial ballpark estimates of nixed U.S. mechanicals were pretty accurate. And the number also provides additional meaningful context to the publishing space’s dispute with Spotify, which is most certainly fighting back against the MLC’s suit.

Despite Spotify’s aggressive defense of its position, a settlement isn’t out of the question; heated industry legal battles have, of course, been resolved in the past. Furthermore, firmly worded threats of retaliation from the label side won’t change the fact that often diverging compositional and recording interests fall under the same corporate umbrella at the majors.

In a contrast to Universal Music’s withdrawal from TikTok amid their since-resolved licensing showdown, there’s simply no chance that the majors will pull their catalogs from Spotify in response to the unprecedented bundling strategy. The reasons behind the reality are numerous, and Universal Music’s over 23% stock price dip (which arrived after the company acknowledged slowing streaming growth) is worth keeping in mind.

So is the overarching power dynamic at play. Spotify can evidently afford to piss off music publishers in a big way and not have to worry about repercussions – or at least repercussions that materially harm its bottom line or otherwise disrupt its expansion ambitions.

Mechanical licensing royalty payments from major streaming music platforms, US, April 2024 (Source: DMN Pro data)

In March, Spotify officially flipped the switch on its controversial bundling strategy. One reporting month later, the streaming giant is showing few signs of letting up.

Four months have passed since Spotify officially reclassified the vast majority of its U.S. subscriptions as bundles — thereby unlocking massive royalty savings. But just how big of an impact is the sweeping change having on stateside mechanicals?

In this DMN Pro Weekly Report, we revisit this pressing question — and find that Spotify isn’t letting up on its bundling pivot. Here’s what the latest data shows.

Report Table of Contents

I. Introduction: A Recap of Spotify’s Bundling Embrace and Related Pushback

II. Post-Bundling Spotify’s U.S. Mechanicals At a Glance – How Much Is the Platform Paying Now That 98% of Accounts Are Bundled?

Graph 1: Spotify U.S. Accounts (Not Subscribers) by Plan, March v. April 2024

Graph 2: Spotify U.S. Mechanical Royalties Payable by Plan, Pre-Bundling February, Post-Bundling March and April 2024

III. How Do Spotify’s U.S. Mechanicals Stack Up Against Those of Apple Music and Amazon Music?

Graph 3: Total April 2024 U.S. Mechanicals Payable by Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, Tidal, and SoundCloud — Paid Plans Only

IV. The Bottom Line: What Spotify’s Aggressive Bundling Means for the Industry Amid Continued Streaming Growth

Please do not redistribute this report without permission — thank you.

Photo Credit: Salaam Remi & Guy Moot / Warner Music Group

Warner Chappell Music partners with legendary producer Salaam Remi’s Analog Metaverse, boutique rights management company and music publisher.

Warner Chappell Music (WCM) announced a new partnership with Analog Metaverse, a boutique rights management company and music publisher founded by legendary record producer and music executive, Salaam Remi. As part of the deal, WCM will jointly administer the majority of the company’s expansive music catalog, including Remi’s own works, as well as that of artists like Dennis Brown, Don Blackman, Bobby “Digital” Dixon, and Terri Walker.

Spanning decades and genres, the Analog Metaverse catalog features over 2,000 songs, including classics and contemporary hits like, “Girl On Fire” by Alicia Keys, “Money In My Pocket” by Dennis Brown, “All I Want Is You” by Miguel and J. Cole, “Fu-Gee-La” by the Fugees, and “Here Comes the Hotstepper” by Ini Kamoze. The catalog also includes the Ivor Novello Award-winning song, “Stronger Than Me” by Amy Winehouse, and Remi’s eight other co-writes with Winehouse, the most co-writes of all her collaborators. Remi and his team, composed of Kwame Kandekore (Head of Legal and Business Affairs) and Josephine Westphal (Vice President of Royalties and Administration), have carefully curated this catalog over the last two years, and continue to add to it.

“Having the benefit of being a songwriter and publisher myself, I fully understand the importance of having partners who not only appreciate the wonderful creations of the icons from the last few generations, but also can help us carry them into the future,” shares Remi. “My Analog Metaverse team — Kwame, Josephine, and I — recognize how valuable partners like Guy Moot [WCM Co-Chair and CEO] and the entire Warner Chappell team are in shepherding these classics to new audiences.”

WCM CEO and Co-Chair Guy Moot concluded: “I’ve personally known Salaam for more than three decades, and it’s such an honor to be entrusted to shepherd not only his own life’s work, but that of legends like Dennis Brown. Carianne [Marshall, WCM Co-Chair and CEO] and I are very intentional about the catalogs we work with and really think about how we can grow and tend to them, both today and for the years to come. There’s a lot of synergy between our approach and Analog Metaverse’s mission, and it’s great to be joining forces to help writers and their estates realize their full potential.”

Photo Credit: 300 Entertainment

300 Publishing joins forces with Warner Chappell Music in a dynamic publishing venture that includes joint signings with emerging and established songwriters alike.

300 Publishing, the publishing division of Warner Music Group (WMG) label 300 Entertainment, is joining forces with Warner Chappell Music, WMG’s global publishing arm, to jointly sign both emerging and established songwriters. The new venture includes signings with hit makers like Sean Momberger, who co-produced Kendrick Lamar’s smash hit “Not Like Us” and Jack Harlow’s “Lovin’ On Me.”

The venture will be spearheaded by 300 Publishing VP Jenn Essiembre, who shares, “It all starts with a song. At 300 Publishing, we’re fiercely committed to songwriter development and building careers from the ground up. I’m honored that Kevin [Liles] has entrusted me to spearhead this business, and am looking forward to working with the team at Warner Chappell to supercharge our offering.”

“Jenn has been instrumental in developing 300 Publishing and is the only person I’d want steering this ship — she’s a force in the industry and has already made a huge impact with top-tier signings and No. 1 hits,” added 3EE Chairman and CEO Kevin Liles.

“Keeping it in the WMG family and partnering with the world-class WCM led by Guy [Moot] and Carianne [Marshall] was an obvious choice for us. They’re the best in the business and together we’ll expand our ability to deliver for our writers and producers. Rayna [Bass, 300 Entertainment Co-President], Selim [Bouab, 300 Entertainment Co-President], and I are committed to establishing a first class eco-system to be of service to the creative community. Our value proposition is that we are #biggerfamilybusiness.”

“We’ve been impressed with 300 and the work Kevin and team are doing to support artists and champion their music in bold new ways,” said WCM co-chair and CEO Guy Moot and co-chair and COO Carianne Marshall. “We share a similar mindset at Warner Chappell and believe in doing things differently and carving our own path, so joining together with such an impactful team marks the beginning of a strong partnership. We look forward to all the great songwriters and artists we’ll sign and develop together.”

In the last year, 300 Publishing signees have co-written or co-produced music for Drake, Jack Harlow, Metro Boomin, Doja Cat, Morgan Wallen, Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, Gunna, Babyface, Nicki Minaj, TG, Tyga, Quavo, Flo Milli, Offset, Don Toliver, Hunxho, and more.

Photo Credit: BMG

Amid a foray into country music, Cirque du Soleil has unveiled a far-reaching strategic partnership with BMG.

The Bertelsmann-owned music company and Montreal-headquartered Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group formally revealed that tie-up today. As described by the involved parties, BMG is now set to manage Cirque du Soleil’s catalog and provide support for “a range of music-oriented collaborative initiatives.”

All told, this refers specifically to BMG’s serving as the label home for future Cirque du Soleil albums, administering the company’s publishing catalog, and “jointly creating new songs and releases.”

Meanwhile, Cirque du Soleil has established an in-house music division called Studio as part of the union; the business indicated in general terms that the unit will “serve the company’s existing fanbase and attract new fans to the brand,” which has racked up north of 250 million U.S. streams to date.

Running with the point, the first release under the BMG-Cirque du Soleil pact is the already-available soundtrack for the latter’s country-focused Songblazers. As we reported in March and earlier in July, that theatrical production was created with Universal Music Nashville.

For background, the overarching Universal Music Group finalized a sweeping “alliance” with Thomas Coesfeld-led BMG, focusing initially on physical distribution, in October of 2023.

But with Universal Music Nashville having developed a Cirque du Soleil show and then handed off label and publishing duties to BMG, the cozy relationship could well drive further collaborations moving forward.

Closer to the present, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group chief customer experience officer Anne Belliveau in a statement touted BMG’s “fresh vision” for the industry.

“The power of music has long been a force uniting cultures and peoples in Cirque du Soleil productions around the world,” said the Cirque exec of about seven months. “As music plays an integral part in our productions, we’re proud to finally dive into the music industry and explore this new avenue.

“Over the last few years, BMG has brought a fresh vision to the music business, and we look forward to partnering with BMG on a variety of music-related opportunities,” concluded Belliveau.

And in separate comments, Marian Wolf, BMG’s SVP of publishing for North America, praised Cirque as “one of the most innovative and creative entertainment companies in the world.”

“We are thrilled to be the new publishing and recorded music home for Cirque du Soleil and to collaborate on upcoming new releases,” proceeded the longtime BMG higher-up.

“This will provide unparalleled opportunities for BMG’s diverse roster of artists, songwriters, and catalogs. Together we aim to celebrate and elevate global culture by showcasing diverse music releases and transforming the way global audiences discover new music,” finished Wolf, whose company reported nearly $1 billion in 2023 revenue.