Welcome to Music Enterprise Worldwide’s weekly round-up – the place we be sure 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 cut back their touring prices.
Copyright holders within the US received some excellent news this week when a federal courtroom dominated that scraping copyrighted content material with out permission to coach AI fashions doesn’t depend as “honest use.” Nevertheless, the ruling won’t apply to generative AI, the sort that music firms are suing AI firms over.
Additionally on the planet of AI, MBW reported this week on TikTok father or mother ByteDance‘s ongoing work within the subject of AI music.
Elsewhere, Sony Group Corp reported its calendar This fall 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 staff led by Michael Ryan Southern. In response to a press launch, Warner is looking for to “turbocharge its progress” by way of M&A.
Talking of M&A, Common Music Group introduced at this time (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 regulation, and the information is principally good for copyright holders: The decide within the case has dominated towards the AI firm.
Nevertheless, there may be one large wrinkle: The decide famous within the ruling that it doesn’t essentially apply to generative AI, the form of AI over which music firms are suing AI builders.
The case pitted media and information conglomerate Thomson Reuters, proprietor of the Reuters information service, towards Ross Intelligence, a now-defunct service that provided customers entry to a database of courtroom circumstances compiled by machine studying (AI) expertise…
TikTok’s $300 billion-valued father or mother firm, ByteDance, is likely one of the world’s busiest AI builders. It plans to spend billions of {dollars} on AI chips this 12 months, whereas its tech offers Sam Altman’s OpenAI a run for its cash.
ByteDance’s Duobao AI chatbot is at present the most well-liked AI assistant in China, with 78.6 million month-to-month lively customers as of January.
It could additionally generate music.
In September, ByteDance added an AI music technology operate to the Duobao app, which apparently “helps greater than ten forms of music types and lets you 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 in accordance with MBW’s calculations based mostly on Sony Group Corp’s calendar This fall 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 fall 2023) at US dollar-converted fixed foreign money.
Nevertheless, the calendar This fall determine was boosted by Sony altering the best way it experiences quarterly recorded music streaming gross sales from one digital platform, from a internet foundation to a gross foundation. The exact affect of this alteration was unspoken by Sony…
On Monday (February 10), WMG revealed that it’s strengthening its Company Improvement staff led by Michael Ryan Southern. In response to a press launch, Warner is looking for to “turbocharge its progress” by way of 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 mentioned in an announcement at this time that, with these two appointments, the corporate now has “a robust M&A machine working collectively to search out alternatives for the 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 house to in style 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 cut back their touring prices.Music Enterprise Worldwide
