In today's CMU Daily: There’s been an important ruling in the major labels’ music piracy case against Grande Communications. A US appeals court has confirmed the ISP is liable for copyright infringement, rejecting a new argument based on a 2023 Supreme Court ruling involving Twitter. However, the damages bill will be cut back

One Liners: Warner Music acquires leading Dutch independent Cloud 9 Recordings; Barry White’s estate sues over ‘Like That’ by Future and Metro Boomin; Spotify adds free tier in South Korea; AIM names Music Venue Trust Independent Music Champion of the year; Field Day moves to Brockwell Park; + more  

Also today: Australian TV show ‘Four Corners’ will next week air a programme about the impact of Live Nation on the country’s live music industry which, the live giant says, will be “inaccurate and unbalanced”; Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has accused US law enforcement of illegally leaking evidence in relation to his criminal prosecution, which is now set to reach trial next May

Plus: Horizon Future Leaders interview with Breyner Baptista from Blackstar Agency

Appeals court cuts major label payouts in Grande ISP copyright infringement case

The Fifth Circuit Appeals Court in the US has upheld the judgement against internet service provider Grande Communications that was secured by the major record companies, which accused the ISP of facilitating music piracy. 

However, the court also says that the nearly $47 million in damages awarded to the majors should be recalculated, because the number of copyright infringements for which damages are due should be based on albums not tracks. Which will significantly cut the amount of money the labels receive. 

Nevertheless, the appeals judgement is basically a win for the majors, not least because the court rejected an argument increasingly presented by ISPs that are accused of facilitating piracy, which is based on a US Supreme Court ruling from last year in a case involving Twitter. 

That argument has been made to the Supreme Court itself as part of Cox Communications’ appeal of its music piracy legal battle with the major record companies. 

However, that ruling - which considered the responsibilities of social media in relation to terrorist content posted to their platforms - doesn’t impact on legal precedents in copyright law, the Fifth Circuit insists. “To conclude otherwise”, it adds, “would require us to decide that the Supreme Court changed fundamental principles of copyright liability without saying so in a case that was not about copyrights”...

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Touring Coordinator – Europe // Allotment Productions SRL

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Horizon is CMU's weekly newsletter that brings you a hand-picked selection of early-stage career opportunities from across the music industry. Whether you're looking for your first job in music or you're ready to take a step up, Horizon is here to help you find your dream job faster.

👉 Click through to see the current selection.

Horizon is CMU's weekly newsletter that brings you a hand-picked selection of early-stage career opportunities from across the music industry. Whether you're looking for your first job in music or you're ready to take a step up, Horizon is here to help you find your dream job faster.

👉 Click through to see the current selection.

Deals

• Iconoclast has acquired the songs catalogue, sound recordings, and name, image and likeness rights of American actor and musician David Cassidy in a deal valued at over $10 million. 
• Warner Music Group Benelux has acquired Cloud 9 Recordings, a leading Dutch independent record label. Raymond van Vliet will remain as President of Cloud 9 Recordings, which will continue to operate as a separate label. 
• Downtown Music owned FUGA has announced a new partnership with UNIFIED Music Group, a multi-service music company operating across Melbourne, Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, Nashville and Toronto. 
• Reservoir Media has acquired the producer royalties to the catalogue of Grammy-winning American record producer Jack Douglas. The deal includes hits by Aerosmith and Cheap Trick.
• Insomniac Music Group has launched Insomniac Publishingl. The current roster includes 2Night Management, representing artists Matroda, San Pacho, and Bruno Furlan, along with Aryay, Avi Snow, Benni Ola, Jasper, Joris Mur, Mattilo, Nuala, Omer Horovitz, and Rami Jrade. 
• BMG has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal for the entire catalogue of multi-Diamond-selling singer and songwriter Ray Dalton.
• Armada Music Group's catalogue acquisition fund, Beat Music Fund, has completed three new deals in the electronic music sector including a portion of Kevin Saunderson's Inner City catalogue, as well as deals with trance DJ Markus Schulz, and Robbie Rivera's label Juicy Music.
• Big Machine Label Group has launched a synchronisation licensing division called Big SYNQ, with Maria Alonte appointed as Senior VP Of Synchronization.
• Yazz Ahmed has signed to Night Time Stories, with the label set to reissue the British-Bahraini jazz composer and trumpeter's catalogue on vinyl. 
• River House Artists has signed producers and songwriters Mike Lohmeier and Lukas Scott to worldwide publishing deals.
• Sixth Street Growth has made a $130 million equity investment in atVenu, a leading provider of live event software and payments solutions. 

People

• Believe UK has promoted Johnny Pinchard to Head Of A&R. Pinchard, who joined Believe from RCA Records in 2021, will report to Believe UK's Director Of Artist Services Malena Wolfer and Head Of Label And Artist Solutions Panos Polymatidis in his new London-based role. 
• BMG has appointed Melanie McAllister as its new global Chief Human Resources Officer, effective 1 Nov. 
• Canvas Music has announced that former Spotify Managing Director UK & Ireland Tom Connaughton has joined the company as Partner and Senior Advisor. 
• Opry Entertainment Group has promoted Jordan Pettit to Vice President Of Artist Relations and Jenn Tressler to Director Of Artist & Industry Relations.
• Live music promoter Peachtree Entertainment has expanded its team with several key hires including Holly Doscher and Justin Andrews The company has also introduced a new territory system, appointing Chris Drizen, Thomas Trainer and Charlsie Grace to oversee key markets across the United States.
• Position Music has hired Chandler Thurston as the first A&R team member for its new Nashville location. 
• Super Hi-Fi has appointed Bo Matthews as its new Director of Radio Programming Services. 

Legal

• Barry White's estate has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit over the song 'Like That' by Future and Metro Boomin. Notably, the lawsuit does not accuse Future and Metro Boomin of wrongdoing, but  targets Rodney-O & Joe Cooley, creators of the 1986 track 'Everlasting Bass', which was sampled in 'Like That'.
• Nirvana and Marc Jacobs have officially settled their dispute over the band's 'smiley face' design, ending a legal battle that began in 2018. 
• A California psychiatrist, Charles Sophy, has filed a lawsuit against Dr Dre, seeking at least $10 million in damages for alleged harassment. 
• Piers Morgan has apologised for airing allegations against Jay-Z and Beyoncé during an interview on his show ‘Uncensored’. 
• NewJeans member Hanni has confirmed she will testify at an upcoming national audit on bullying in the K-pop industry. 

Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail

• Delphos has launched an AI-powered music generator that allows creators to control machine learning for their own music production.
• TuneCore has reported a 91% increase in streaming in West and East Africa. 
• Beatdapp and Tuned Global have formed a strategic partnership to combat streaming fraud in music apps. 
• Meddling has launched a free listing service that says it can automatically detect artist signings and label departures, while allowing users to report changes in deal status. 
• Beatport has added lossless FLAC audio to its streaming service for DJs. The new feature is available as part of the Beatport Streaming Professional and Beatsource Streaming Pro+ plans.
• Tencent Music Entertainment has revealed it is using advanced AI tools to combat copyright infringement on its platforms amid the rise of AI-generated content. 
• ElevenLabs, a start-up specialising in AI tools for audio applications, has been approached by investors about a new funding round that could value the company at up to $3 billion. 
• X has changed its creator payment policy, shifting from ad revenue-based compensation to engagement-based payouts from Premium users. 
• Collaborative listening platform Stationhead has launched Voice Notes, a new feature allowing artists to record and publish voice memos to their channels on the streaming platform.
• Orange Room Media has announced plans to launch a music streaming service in South Africa next month. The Mabopane-based company, led by CEO Johnny Mashigo, aims to offer a platform with 80% local content, including music, radio stations, and podcasts.
• Spotify has launched its free, ad-supported music and podcast streaming service in South Korea. 
• Apple has introduced new sharing functionality between Apple Music and TikTok in its iOS 18.1 beta 6 update. The feature allows users to share songs from Apple Music directly to TikTok, where they can be posted as photos, videos, or sent via private message. 
• Snap has begun testing two new ad placements on Snapchat: Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places on Snap Map. 
• Fortnite has launched a new parkour map featuring a live DJ set and music debut from Tescao's 'Dragon's Tale'. 
• The Independent has launched as a global curator on Apple Music, starting with four playlists curated by music editor Roisin O'Connor. 

Live

• Music Venue Trust has been named the "Independent Music Champion" at the 2024 Association of Independent Music Independent Music Awards. 
• Glastonbury Festival has announced that tickets for its 2025 event will go on sale in November priced at £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee, up by £18.50 from last year. 
• Field Day festival has announced its relocation to Brockwell Park in south London for 2025, after four years at Victoria Park. 
• Manchester City Council has confirmed it will charge Oasis for additional costs associated with their upcoming hometown concerts in 2025 following a similar policy recently announced by the City of Edinburgh Council.
• Music City San Francisco Epicenter has announced its grand opening on 19 Oct, 2024. The 29,000 sq ft complex at 1355 Bush St, developed by Rudy Colombini, aims to revitalise the city's music scene.
• Yungblud has revealed plans to expand his Bludfest festival into a two-day worldwide event. The musician, hopes to take the festival to Paris, Prague, and Australia in the future. 

Other Industry News & Events

• L E M F R E C K has won the Welsh Music Prize 2024 for his album 'Blood, Sweat & Fears', receiving a £10,000 award at a ceremony held at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. 
• NPR has released a new book titled "How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History", exploring the role of women in popular music over decades. 
• Nordoff and Robbins has announced that Liverpool will host the 2025 Northern Music Awards on 27 March at the Liverpool Olympia.
• DJ Mag has announced it will shift from monthly to quarterly print publication starting January 2024. 
• European Talent Exchange has secured four years of funding from the European Commission's Creative Europe programme and announced a rebranding. ESNS Exchange, a platform focused on internationalising European music for over two decades, will adopt the new name European Talent Exchange from 1 Dec 2024. 

Artist News

• Björk has announced a new book documenting her five-year 'Cornucopia' tour. 'Cornucopia: The Book', set for release on 15 Nov, will feature over 300 images from photographer Santiago Felipe.
• Hat & Beard Press has announced the publication of 'S/he is Still Her/e: The Final Interview', a book featuring transcripts of Genesis P-Orridge's final interviews before their death in 2020.
• Slayer has launched a new digital museum called the Slaytanic Verses. The free online archive, announced on 9 Oct, chronicles the thrash metal band's history from 1981 to the present day. 
• Rita Ora is set to host the MTV Europe Music Awards in Manchester next month. The singer, who previously presented the ceremony at Wembley Arena in 2017, is reportedly in advanced talks with MTV to reprise her role.

Live Nation freaks out about upcoming Aussie TV exposé, issues statement calling investigation “inaccurate and unbalanced” 

Live Nation in Australia has published a lengthy statement ahead of the airing next week of a TV programme about the live giant’s influence over live music within the country. That programme, an edition of current affairs show ‘Four Corners’, will show an “inaccurate and unbalanced” view of the Australian live sector and Live Nation’s role in it, the statement issued to The Music Network claims. 

“To understand the ‘Four Corners agenda’”, it says, “it’s important that you know we provided written responses to all of their questions at 5pm on Wednesday”. Just three hours later a promotional video for the programme, which will air on Monday, was published on YouTube. “The programme was obviously fully formed without any input from Live Nation”, it adds. 

That punchy promo includes a number of short emotive quotes from interviewees. Midnight Oil frontman and former politician Peter Garrett says, “I don’t think Live Nation cares at all about Australian artists and they are basically calling the shots”. Rapper Barkaa adds, “we have to beg for scraps”. And Australian live music veteran Michael Chugg says of Live Nation’s entry into the market, “they fucked it up, basically”. 

Live Nation’s response seeks to pre-empt specific criticism likely to be made in the programme, including that it dominates the market, is responsible for high ticket prices and fails to support new talent within Australia. None of these claims are true, insists Live Nation. 

In terms of market dominance - and how it uses that market dominance - that’s an area of criticism that Live Nation frequently has to respond to, especially back in its home country, the US, where the live giant is currently fighting an antitrust lawsuit filed by the government’s Department Of Justice...

Diddy trial date set for May 2025, investigation “very much ongoing”, could see further charges

The criminal trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs on sex trafficking and racketeering charges will kick off on 5 May next year, it has been confirmed. 

As a schedule for the trial was agreed, prosecutors revealed that they could as yet file more charges against the musician. They also dubbed as “baseless” a motion filed by Combs earlier this week accusing law enforcement of illegally leaking evidence gathered as part of their investigation. 

Combs is accused of using his music and entertainment business to create a criminal enterprise via which he “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfil his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct”. 

Prosecutor Emily Johnson told the court yesterday that investigators seized 96 electronic devices during raids on properties owned by Combs earlier this year. That evidence is still being processed. “Our investigation is very much ongoing”, she said, adding, “there is a possibility that there could be a superseding indictment” which could include additional charges...

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders series - Breyner Baptista Q&A

As part of our new Horizon Future Leaders series, we’re connecting with the music industry’s next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys. 

This week, we caught up with Breyner Baptista, Innovation & Culture Director at Blackstar Agency.

From his beginnings as an A&R scout to his current role as Innovation & Culture Director at Blackstar, Breyner’s journey is marked by a steadfast commitment to fostering talent and driving innovation. 

He shares valuable insights on the significance of building relationships as both an artist and an industry professional, emphasising how these connections have enriched his perspective. Additionally, Breyner highlights impactful initiatives and organisations like Small Green Shoots and Youth Music, which can be pivotal in helping newcomers break into the industry.