From WMG’s Netflix deal to BMG’s Anthropic lawsuit… it’s MBW’s weekly round-up

This week, BMG filed a copyright infringement lawsuit towards AI big Anthropic, alleging that the corporate unlawfully copied and used its compositions to coach its giant language fashions.

In the meantime, Warner Music Group and Netflix shaped a inventive partnership to make documentaries primarily based on WMG’s roster of artists and songwriters.

Plus, the IFPI printed its World Music Report 2026, revealing that world recorded music revenues hit $31.7 billion in 2025.

Elsewhere, Common Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge turned the primary music government to take the stage at NVIDIA’s GTC convention – dubbed the “Tremendous Bowl of AI.”

Additionally this week, Tencent Music Leisure revealed that its higher-priced ‘Tremendous VIP’ subscriber base surpassed 20 million by the tip of 2025.

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

1. BMG SUES ANTHROPIC FOR INFRINGEMENT, ALLEGING AI FIRM’S $380B VALUATION WAS BUILT ON ‘STOLEN COPYRIGHTED WORKS’

BMG Rights Administration has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit towards Anthropic, the AI big behind the Claude AI chatbot.

The Bertelsmann-owned music firm alleges that Anthropic unlawfully copied and used its compositions, together with lyrics, to coach its giant language fashions.

The 47-page grievance, filed on Tuesday (March 17) within the Northern District of California, cites 493 allegedly infringed musical compositions, together with What a Great World, Kryptonite, You Can’t All the time Get What You Need, Uptown Funk, Sympathy for the Satan, and extra.

The lawsuit is the newest to be filed towards Anthropic by a serious music writer… (MBW)

2. GLOBAL RECORDED MUSIC REVENUES HIT $31.7B IN 2025, UP 6.4% YOY; USERS OF PAID MUSIC SUBSCRIPTIONS REACH 837M

World recorded music revenues reached USD $31.7 billion in 2025. That’s in accordance with the IFPI, the group that represents the recording trade worldwide.

Figures launched on Wednesday (March 18) in IFPI’s World Music Report 2026 present that world recorded music revenues grew by 6.4% YoY in 2025 – an enchancment on the 4.7% charge of development posted in 2024 — marking the worldwide trade’s eleventh consecutive yr of development.

The report additionally exhibits that world recorded music revenues grew in each area, with double-digit development in 4 areas.

IFPI’s report identifies paid subscription streaming as the important thing driver of development globally… (MBW)

3. SIR LUCIAN GRAINGE JUST BECAME THE FIRST MUSIC EXEC AT NVIDIA’S ‘SUPER BOWL OF AI’. HERE’S WHAT HE SAID.

Common Music Group‘s Chairman & CEO Sir Lucian Grainge has grow to be the primary music trade chief to take the stage at NVIDIA’s GTC convention – described by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang because the “Tremendous Bowl of AI”.

Grainge sat down with NVIDIA’s VP and Basic Supervisor for Media & Leisure, Richard Kerris, for a hearth chat entitled ‘Constructing the Way forward for Music and AI’ on the San Jose convention on Tuesday (March 17).

Listed here are 5 issues MBW discovered from the dialog… (MBW)

4. TENCENT MUSIC NOW HAS 20M+ ‘SUPER VIP’ SUBSCRIBERS. HERE’S WHAT THAT MEANS FOR CHINA’S LARGEST MUSIC STREAMER.

Tencent Music Leisure‘s (TME) ‘Tremendous VIP’ tier has simply hit a serious new milestone.

TME printed its This autumn and full-year 2025 outcomes on Tuesday (March 17), revealing that its SVIP subscribers surpassed 20 million by year-end – up from the 15 million the corporate reported on the finish of Q2, and simply 10 million in Q3 2024.

That development trajectory – doubling in just over a yr – tells us one thing vital in regards to the urge for food for higher-priced music streaming, and provides a real-world blueprint for what higher-priced streaming tiers may ship.

Right here’s what the numbers present… (MBW)

5. WARNER MUSIC GROUP INKS EXCLUSIVE NETFLIX DEAL TO MAKE ARTIST AND SONGWRITER DOCUMENTARIES

Warner Music Group (WMG) has signed what it calls an “unique multi-year first-look deal” with Netflix.

Below the inventive partnership, the businesses say the streamer will develop “documentary sequence and movies exploring the lives, music and legacies of WMG’s legendary and modern artists and songwriters.”

WMG is partnering with Unigram, a movie, theatre, and music manufacturing firm run by Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron, to function the manufacturing arm for WMG’s long-form programming. Ghost based Unigram in 2015 in partnership with Len Blavatnik‘s Entry Industries, which is almost all proprietor of WMG.

As per a press launch, WMG and Unigram will work to develop every challenge in collaboration with the artist or their estates… (MBW)