Welcome to Music Enterprise Worldwide’s weekly round-up – the place we be certain that you caught the 5 largest tales to hit our headlines over the previous seven days. MBW’s round-up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximize their earnings and scale back their touring prices.
Copyright holders within the US obtained some excellent news this week when a federal courtroom dominated that scraping copyrighted content material with out permission to coach AI fashions doesn’t rely as “honest use.” Nonetheless, the ruling won’t apply to generative AI, the type that music corporations are suing AI corporations over.
Additionally on the planet of AI, MBW reported this week on TikTok mum or dad ByteDance‘s ongoing work within the area of AI music.
Elsewhere, Sony Group Corp reported its calendar This autumn earnings this week. Sony’s international music rights operation – throughout recorded music and music publishing – generated USD $2.70 billion within the three months to finish of December 2024.
Additionally, some notable information out of Warner Music Group this week, as the corporate steps up its M&A efforts by strengthening its Company Improvement group led by Michael Ryan Southern. Based on a press launch, Warner is searching for to “turbocharge its progress” through M&A.
Talking of M&A, Common Music Group introduced in the present day (February 14) that it has acquired a majority stake in A-Sketch, a Japan-based artist administration enterprise and report label.
For the primary time, a US courtroom has dominated on whether or not utilizing copyrighted materials with out permission to coach AI quantities to “honest use” beneath copyright legislation, and the information is principally good for copyright holders: The choose within the case has dominated in opposition to the AI firm.
Nonetheless, there may be one massive wrinkle: The choose famous within the ruling that it doesn’t essentially apply to generative AI, the type of AI over which music corporations are suing AI builders.
The case pitted media and information conglomerate Thomson Reuters, proprietor of the Reuters information service, in opposition to Ross Intelligence, a now-defunct service that provided customers entry to a database of courtroom circumstances compiled by machine studying (AI) know-how…
TikTok’s $300 billion-valued mum or dad firm, ByteDance, is without doubt one of the world’s busiest AI builders. It plans to spend billions of {dollars} on AI chips this yr, whereas its tech offers Sam Altman’s OpenAI a run for its cash.
ByteDance’s Duobao AI chatbot is at present the preferred AI assistant in China, with 78.6 million month-to-month energetic customers as of January.
It may possibly additionally generate music.
In September, ByteDance added an AI music era operate to the Duobao app, which apparently “helps greater than ten kinds of music kinds and permits you to write lyrics and compose music with one click on”.
Sony’s international music rights operation – throughout recorded music and music publishing – generated USD $2.70 billion within the three months to finish of December 2024.
That’s based on MBW’s calculations primarily based on Sony Group Corp’s calendar This autumn 2024 (fiscal Q3) outcomes, as introduced by the Japanese agency on Thursday (February 13).
The $2.70 billion determine was up 7.1% year-on-year (on the determine Sony reported in calendar This autumn 2023) at US dollar-converted fixed foreign money.
Nonetheless, the calendar This autumn determine was boosted by Sony altering the best way it studies quarterly recorded music streaming gross sales from one digital platform, from a web foundation to a gross foundation. The exact influence of this alteration was unspoken by Sony…
On Monday (February 10), WMG revealed that it’s strengthening its Company Improvement group led by Michael Ryan Southern. Based on a press launch, Warner is searching for to “turbocharge its progress” through M&A.
The transfer sees Alfonso Perez-Soto named EVP, Company Improvement, specializing in Recorded Music, and Michael LoBiondo appointed SVP, Company Improvement, specializing in Publishing.
The pair report back to Michael Ryan Southern (EVP, Chief Company Improvement Officer), who stated in a press release in the present day that, with these two appointments, the corporate now has “a robust M&A machine working collectively to search out alternatives for your complete WMG group”…
Common Music Japan (UMJ), a division of Common Music Group (UMG) has acquired a majority stake in Japanese music firm A-Sketch.
A-Sketch operates as each an artist administration enterprise and report label. It’s dwelling to widespread Japanese artists, together with Saucy Canine, Flumpool, and Ayumu Imazu.
Japan is the world’s second-largest recorded music market, behind the US.
A-Sketch will function as a label division inside Common Music Japan, beneath the continued management of Nobuyuki Soma, Consultant Director and President, A-Sketch, who will report back to Common Music Japan’s President & CEO, Naoshi Fujikura…
MBW’s Weekly Spherical-Up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximise their earnings and scale back their touring prices.Music Enterprise Worldwide
