In today's CMU Daily: The New Zealand government has announced it is extradicting MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom to the US to face criminal copyright charges relating to his former business. It comes after more than a decade of legal wrangling, though Dotcom still has more routes of appeal 

One Liners: Mahogany Music Fund, HarbourView x Noel Zancancella, Duolingo x Sony Music, Pulse Records x Grace VanderWaal, Secretly Distribution x Oh Boy Records, Deezer x DAZN music-sports tie-up, Keychange’s €1m funding and more

Also today: Spotify has signed up to Apple’s revised App Store terms in Europe, which include changes forced by EU law, allowing it to promote subscription packages within its iOS app. However, there won’t be links to payment pages on Spotify’s website, because it still objects to Apple’s terms on commissions

Plus: Nilüfer Yanya is CMU Approved

MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom to be extradited to US to face copyright charges

MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom will be extradited to the US to face criminal copyright charges in relation to the former file-transfer platform, the New Zealand government has announced. Although that decision could still be subject to appeal. 

Authorities in the US have been trying to extradite NZ resident Dotcom ever since the shutdown of MegaUpload back in 2012 over allegations he facilitated and encouraged rampant copyright infringement via his former business. After more than a decade of legal wrangling, New Zealand’s Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has finally signed the extradition order. 

“I considered all of the information carefully and have decided that Mr Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial”, Goldsmith said in a statement. “As is common practice, I have allowed Mr Dotcom a short period of time to consider and take advice on my decision. I will not, therefore, be commenting further at this stage”.

Ninja Tune // Copyright Assistant (London)

Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events // Promoter (Whitburn Hybrid)

Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events // Junior Promoter (Whitburn Hybrid)

Playliveartist // Paid Media Manager (London)

IDOL // DSP Editorial & Partnerships Manager (London)

Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events // Marketing Manager (Whitburn Hybrid)

Domino // Junior Radio Plugger (London)

Sentric Music // Revenue Optimisation Manager (London/Liverpool)

Horizon is CMU's new weekly newsletter - published each Friday - 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.

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ONE LINERS

Deals

• Mahogany, the global multi-platform music brand known for its YouTube channel Mahogany Sessions, has opened applications for its new Mahogany Music Fund, offering grants of up to £2500 for independent artists
• Private equity firm HarbourView Equity Partners has acquired various producer royalties and music publishing assets from record producer and songwriter Noel Zancanella. 
• Language learning app Duolingo has partnered with Sony Music to add recordings from the major’s roster of artists to its music course.
• PULSE Records, the new label launched by PULSE Music Group and Concord, has signed recording artist Grace VanderWaal. 
• Secretly Distribution has announced a global distribution deal with iconic independent label Oh Boy Records. 

Streaming, Digital & Broadcast

• Deezer and DAZN have announced a multi-year distribution partnership to offer music and sports streaming across multiple markets. 
• Chinese interactive technology company Kunlun Tech has unveiled Melodio and Mureka, two AI-powered music platforms. 
• An AI-generated song has entered the German pop charts for the first time.

Live

• IDLES have announced a special benefit concert for War Child, the charity that supports children affected by conflict on 24 Aug at Bristol’s O2 Academy.
• Berlin club Wilde Renate has announced it will permanently close at the end of 2025 after eighteen years of operation. 
• Eventbrite has announced another round of layoffs amid declining revenues revealed during its Q2 earnings release.

Other industry news & events

• Keychange, the European initiative promoting gender equality in music, has secured EU funding for a new training programme and added BMG as its 700th pledge signatory.
• Brighter Sound has announced the successful applicants for its 'Creative Commissions', which will showcase innovative new works celebrating Manchester's underground music scene. 
• Dave Stewart, co-founder of Eurythmics, has firmed up plans for his semi-autobiographical musical film titled 'Ebony McQueen'. 

Releases & Tours

• Bonobo has released his new single ‘Expander’.
• JD REID has released his new single ‘what if?’. His new EP, ‘sometimes i wonder 002’, is out 12 Sep.
• Hinds have released their new single ‘The Bed, The Room, The Rain And You’. Their new album ‘VIVA HINDS’ is out 6 Sep.
• Kofi Stone has released his new single ‘King David Flow’.
• Del Water Gap has released his new single ‘Purple Teeth, The Bravery’. His new album ‘I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet’ is out tomorrow.
• Pearly Drops have released their new single ‘Lost In The Dark’. 
• The Blessed Madonna and Kylie Minogue have collaborated on new single ‘Edge Of Saturday Night’. The Blessed Madonna’s debut album ‘Godspeed’ is out 11 Oct.
• Hot Moms Club has released her new single ‘Life Of The Party’. Her new EP ‘Happy You’re Here’ is out 13 Sep.
• Humdrum have released their new single ‘See Through You’.
• Timmy Skelly has released his new single ‘Breckenridge Lane’.
• TAME THE ABYSS have shared their new single ‘This Is The Love’. Their new album ‘They Live Again!’ is out 8 Nov.
• Make Friends have released their new single ‘I Lose, You Lose’. Their new EP 'Loaded Fun' is out 13 Sep.
• Tapir! have released their new single ‘Hallelujah Bruv’.

Spotify adds pricing information into its iOS app in Europe  

Spotify will start including information about subscription pricing and promotions within its iOS app in Europe by capitalising on changes to Apple’s App Store rules forced by European law. However, there will be no links to where users can make payments on Spotify’s website because the streaming service continues to object to some elements of Apple’s revised rules. 

“iPhone consumers in the EU will now see pricing information for Spotify in the app and the fact that they can go to our website to purchase items directly”, the streaming service explains. However, “while this is progress, it’s only a small step in the long march towards giving iPhone consumers basic product experiences they expect and deserve in their apps”. 

Spotify has long objected to Apple’s rules regarding in-app payments and the sign-posting of payment options outside of an app. In-app payments must be taken using Apple's commission-charging transactions systems and, previously, alternative payment options, where an app developer can avoid Apple's commissions, couldn’t be highlighted or sign-posted. 

🎧 Approved: Nilüfer Yanya

It doesn’t take long listening to London-based singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya’s music to realise why the likes of Roxy Music, Mitski and The xx find her so compelling. First discovered at 20 years old after uploading her sparse, acoustic demos to Soundcloud, Yanya very quickly made a name for herself with her distinctive soulful, dark-hued guitar pop and indie rock.

Her latest single ‘Mutations’ unfolds in a way reminiscent of Radiohead’s later work, cloaked in a similar muted intensity. Stripped of the angular guitar riffs in her earlier work, this track leans into a more minimalist arrangement. The beat is steady but unhurried, pulsing softly beneath a layer of delicate synths and reverb-soaked chords, with Yanya’s low-key vocals at the forefront.

Yanya explains that the track explores subtle, ongoing changes driven by circumstance. She says, “This is not the phoenix rising from the ashes but the subtle change that happens constantly as millions of tiny decisions and actions shape your being”. 

🎧 Watch the video for ‘Mutations’ here