From Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters report to BMG’s H1 outcomes… it’s MBW’s weekly round-up

This week, Sony Footage’ animated movie KPop Demon Hunters formally grew to become Netflix‘s most-watched film of all time, accumulating 236 million views since its June 20 launch, surpassing Purple Discover’s earlier report of 230 million views.

In the meantime, BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld spoke completely to MBW to debate the corporate’s H1 2025 outcomes. BMG’s natural income dipped 4.4% YoY to EUR €424 million within the first half of the yr, however the agency stated underlying streaming income climbed by excessive single digits.

Elsewhere, MBW reported that AI music generator Suno filed a daring movement to dismiss a category motion lawsuit from impartial artists. The AI firm is that not one of the thousands and thousands of tracks created on its platform comprise something resembling a “pattern” from current recordings.

Additionally this week, Spotify rolled out in-app direct messaging to make sharing music and content material simpler amongst family and friends, whereas a UK tribunal rejected Blur drummer Dave Rowntree’s class motion lawsuit in opposition to PRS for Music over black field royalty distribution.

Listed here are among the greatest headlines from the previous few days…

1. KPOP DEMON HUNTERS JUST BECAME NETFLIX’S MOST-WATCHED MOVIE OF ALL TIME

Netflix’s animated movie KPop Demon Hunters has formally turn out to be the streaming platform’s hottest film ever, accumulating 236 million views since its June 20 launch and including one other 25.4 million views within the week ending August 24.

Netflix’s earlier report holder, Purple Discover, gathered 230 million views throughout its first 91 days on the platform after being launched in 2021. KPop Demon Hunters has 24 days remaining earlier than surpassing the identical 91-day premiere window.

The movie’s exceptional efficiency reveals no indicators of slowing, with the film exhibiting practically 0% viewers decline for 3 consecutive weeks after two straight intervals of 26 million views every.

The Sony Footage manufacturing is constructing on the unprecedented success of its music, with KPop Demon Hunters changing into the primary soundtrack to assert 4 simultaneous High 10 songs on the Billboard Scorching 100… (MBW)

2. THOMAS COESFELD ON BMG’S H1 2025 RESULTS, WHY MUSIC STREAMING ‘REMAINS UNDERVALUED’, AND A STRATEGY FOCUSED ON THE ‘CORE BUSINESS’ OF MUSIC RIGHTS

BMG reported its H1 2025 outcomes on Wednesday (August 28), with the Bertelsmann-owned firm’s natural income dipping 4.4% YoY to EUR €424 million within the interval, whereas underlying streaming income climbed by excessive single digits.

In the meantime, BMG’s EBITDA margin jumped considerably to 28.7% – impacted by what Bertelsmann referred to as a “strategic scaling again of lower-margin actions.”

For Thomas Coesfeld, BMG’s CEO since 2023, these outcomes characterize progress towards a extra centered, environment friendly operation. Talking completely to MBW, Coesfeld additionally addressed Spotify’s current value will increase, stating that “in comparison with audiovisual, music has traditionally been slower to regulate pricing and stays undervalued relative to the worth it delivers”… (MBW)

3. SUNO ARGUES NONE OF THE MILLIONS OF TRACKS MADE ON ITS PLATFORM ‘CONTAIN ANYTHING LIKE A SAMPLE’

AI music generator Suno is preventing again in opposition to copyright infringement claims from impartial artists with a daring authorized argument that might reshape the AI music debate.

In a movement to dismiss filed in federal court docket on August 18, Suno argued that the indie artist lawsuit “fails as a matter of legislation” and must be dismissed. The corporate claims that music made on Suno doesn’t really “pattern” current recordings – no matter what music was used to coach its AI mannequin.

This represents a doubtlessly game-changing authorized technique: Suno claims that even when its AI realized from copyrighted songs, the outputs it generates are totally new sounds that can’t infringe current recordings beneath US copyright legislation… (MBW)

4. SLIDE INTO SPOTIFY’S DMS: PLATFORM LAUNCHES IN-APP MESSAGING TO BOOST CONTENT SHARING

Spotify has began rolling out a direct message characteristic inside its app, which the platform says is supposed to make sharing music and different content material simpler. The brand new characteristic, introduced on Tuesday (August 26), will probably be obtainable on cell gadgets “in choose markets” to each Free and Premium customers, however solely to these aged 16 and over.

To make use of the brand new DM characteristic, Spotify customers can faucet the share icon whereas listening to content material within the ‘Now Enjoying’ view, which can convey up a listing of individuals the person has interacted with earlier than via Spotify.

Spotify’s DMs help textual content and emojis, however the firm is fast to level out it’s not aiming to exchange different social media platforms. DM chats usually are not absolutely end-to-end encrypted, however Spotify says they’re protected with “encryption in transit and at relaxation….” (MBW)

5. UK TRIBUNAL REJECTS BLUR DRUMMER’S CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST PRS FOR MUSIC OVER ‘BLACK BOX’ ROYALTIES

A UK judicial tribunal has rejected a proposed class motion lawsuit in opposition to efficiency rights group PRS for Music over the way it distributes “black field” royalties – royalties owed on songs whose rightsholders haven’t been correctly recognized.

In a judgment issued on Wednesday (August 27), the Competitors Attraction Tribunal dismissed the proposed class-action lawsuit that had been introduced on behalf of PRS’s 165,000 songwriter members by Blur drummer Dave Rowntree.

The tribunal concluded that as a result of songwriters usually are not “owed” black field royalties, the category doesn’t have a official declare beneath UK legislation. It additionally concluded that Rowntree’s attorneys hadn’t proposed an alternative choice to PRS’s technique of distributing black field royalties, and doubted that the “cost-benefit” ratio of the lawsuit made sense, on condition that PRS is a not-for-profit owned by its writer and songwriter members… (MBW)

Associate message: MBW’s Weekly Spherical-up is supported by BMI, the world chief in performing rights administration, devoted to supporting songwriters, composers and publishers and championing the worth of music. Discover out extra about BMI right here. Music Enterprise Worldwide