In today's CMU Daily: MPs in the All-Party Parliamentary Group On Music have called on the government to put forward “a pro-creative industries AI bill” to clarify the copyright obligations of AI companies and introduce a new personality right for artists

One Liners: Seeker x Mark Morrison, TikTok x CTS Eventim deals; Island, Concord, Virgin Music appointments; Astroworld trial update; MMF Accelerator programme; Jess Glynne BRIT Billion Award; Cradle Of Filth, Cavalera tour dates; new music from Kendrick Lamar, Jon Hopkins, La Luz, Hamish Hawk

Also today: Vinyl scores best week since 1994; FKA Twigs tells US Congress AI “leaves me very vulnerable”; Deezer announces Q1 figures

Plus: Three Wide Days showcasing artists Approved

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MPs call on UK government to create “a pro-creative industries AI bill”

A cross-party group of MPs has called on the UK government to create “a pro-creative industries AI bill”, setting out the copyright and transparency obligations of AI companies, and introducing “a specific personality right to protect creators and artists from misappropriation and false endorsement”.

The call comes in a new report on music and AI published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group On Music, which is chaired by Kevin Brennan MP. Launching the report, he says, “The UK must grasp the transformative potential of AI in shaping the future of music if it is to retain its role as a powerhouse in exporting music and nurturing world-class talent. We must also confront the danger that unfettered developments in AI could pose to the UK’s musicians and music businesses”.

Lawmakers ignore the necessity to introduce new policies around AI and music “at our peril”, he adds. “Our central insight must always be that AI can be a great servant but would be a terrible master. By leveraging the collective strength of policymakers, industry leaders and innovators we can ensure that AI serves as a catalyst for creativity, and progress in the music ecosystem, rather than an inhibitor of growth and a destroyer of creators’ livelihoods”.

The new report, titled ‘AI And The Music Industry – Master Or Servant’, includes the results of a survey commissioned by cross-sector lobbying group UK Music, which insists that music consumers agree with the music industry when it comes to the responsibilities of companies developing generative AI models.

Of the 2000+ people surveyed, 80% agreed that “the law should stop an artist’s music being used to train an AI application without their knowledge or permission”. Even more people - 83% - believe that an artist's “creative personality” should be “protected in law against being copied using AI”. And the same number want AI-generated music to be clearly labelled as such.

The music industry is adamant that current copyright law obliges AI companies to get permission from copyright owners before making use of existing music when training an AI model. However, not all AI companies agree, reckoning that AI training is covered by copyright exceptions in at least some countries. That would mean they could use existing music to train AI models without getting permission from or paying any money to the relevant copyright owners.

In their report, MPs say that the government should remove any loopholes, stressing that AI companies must secure “express permission before using copyrighted material”. And, not only that, but complying with UK copyright law should be “a condition of market access”, meaning any AI model being used in the UK would have to be trained subject to UK law, even if it was actually trained in a country where a copyright exception might apply.

The report also talks about publicity and personality rights, which are increasingly seen as being vital for artists seeking to protect their voice and likeness. The UK, unlike the US and most of Europe, doesn't currently provide a personality right. “The government should introduce a specific personality right to protect creators and artists from misappropriation and false endorsement”, the report states. “Such a right should protect their voice, image, name, and likeness”.

The recommendations in the report - which also call for AI companies to be transparent about training data and to clearly label AI-generated works - pretty much line up with demands already made by the music industry, including UK Music, which helped produce the document.

Last year the government convened a working group involving representatives of both the creative industries and the tech sector with the somewhat ambitious aim of agreeing a voluntary code of practice on the copyright obligations of AI companies. That process failed and we now await more detail on what the government's next steps will be. Needless to say, AI companies are lobbying as hard as the copyright owners in seeking a legal framework that suits their agenda.

UK Music Interim CEO Tom Kiehl says, “We welcome this report, which sets out clear recommendations for government on how to stop music fans being ripped off and how to protect music creators from the theft of their work. The threat to the music industry from generative AI is now very real and the government must move to legislate to support our world-leading music industry”.

Within the music industry, there is more or less consensus regarding the obligations of AI companies, though organisations representing artists and songwriters also believe that record labels and music publishers that own or control music copyrights should have similar obligations to music creators. Which is to say, labels and publishers should be getting artist and songwriter consent before licensing their catalogues to AI companies.

The Council Of Music Makers, which unites the UK Music member organisations that represent artists, musicians, songwriters, studio producers and their managers, stressed this again in its response to the new report.

“We are grateful to the APPG for this report, which provides a helpful framework for government”, it wrote. “AI offers opportunities for the music industry, but only if music-makers’ rights are protected. The government should ensure that both tech companies and rights-holders get consent from music-makers before using their work in AI and then fairly compensate them”.

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👉 Click through to see the current selection.

ONE LINERS

Kendrick Lamar, Jess Glynne, Cradle Of Filth + more

DEALS

Seeker Music has announced a new partnership with Mark Morrison in a deal that includes the company acquiring some of the singer’s rights. “Mark is exactly the kind of innovative artist that Seeker loves to create with”, says CEO Evan Bogart. “He’s a legend who continues to inspire countless music creators, genres and culture, successfully collaborating with other artists, visual media and brands for the past 30 years”.

TikTok has partnered with CTS Eventim to offer more concert tickets on the video-sharing platform, initially in Germany but with other territories set to be added. “Artists gain incredible reach through the TikTok platform, so we’re delighted this new partnership will allow them to translate that reach into an effective new marketing channel”, says CTS Eventim COO Alexander Ruoff.

APPOINTMENTS

Universal Music’s Island Records in the US has promoted Jenny Gorotiza to VP Marketing. “Jenny is part of the foundation of the Island Records team at a pivotal time for our label”, says Head Of Marketing And Business Development, Jay Schumer. “We couldn’t be more excited to acknowledge her passion and tenacity in driving A-level campaigns for our artists”.

Concord Label Group has promoted Joe Dent to EVP Operations and Jill Weindorf to EVP Marketing. “Having Jill in this role will certainly allow Concord to remain competitive in an increasingly complicated and global market”, says CEO Tom Becci. “Joe has an incredible understanding of how to look at a classically messy system, identify areas for improvement, and make real and lasting corrections”.

Nick Ghelakis and Nicole Thomas have been named Co-Country Managers of Virgin Music Group South Africa. “Nicole and Nick both bring with them decades of experience in the South African music market, characterised by a fierce devotion to local artists and a real vision to spread the country’s incredible music far beyond its own borders”, says JT Myers, Co-CEO of Virgin Music Group. “Their leadership ensures continuity as we continue to grow this hugely important music market both within the country and around the world”.

LEGAL

Apple is trying to get the first Astroworld trial, due to begin next week, postponed after failing to get itself removed as a defendant in the case. The tech giant is named as a defendant because it livestreamed the Travis Scott performance during which ten people died as a result of a fatal crowd surge. It filed two motions to be dismissed from the proceedings, but both failed. It says the trial should now be stayed while it appeals the judge's ruling on those motions. Representatives for the Astroworld victims say the latest move by Apple is a “bad faith, desperate attempt” to “derail” the proceedings.

ARTIST MANAGEMENT

The eighteen managers taking part in this year’s Music Managers Forum Accelerator programme have been announced. “The goal of Accelerator is to provide these incredible people with a support network, and to help them forge the bedrock of a successful and sustainable business”, says MMF Professional Development Director Paul Bonham. “I am absolutely over the moon with 2024’s intake and can’t wait to get started on another rich and rewarding year”.

ARTIST NEWS

Jess Glynne has bagged a BRIT Billion Award for passing a billion streams in the UK. “I am so grateful to be presented with this award and so overwhelmed by the continued love and support”, she says. “To have over a billion streams in the UK feels very surreal and I can only say thank you to everyone who listens to my music and brings my stories and my voice into their world”.

GIGS & FESTIVALS

Cradle Of Filth have announced UK and Ireland tour dates in October and November this year, including a show at the Kentish Town Forum in London on 31 Oct. Tickets go on general sale tomorrow.

Cavalera - aka Max and Iggor Cavalera - have announced UK and Ireland tour dates in June, tickets for which are on sale now. The former Sepultura members are also continuing on their Taylor Swift-style plan to re-record their former band’s early releases. Having already tackled 1986’s ‘Morbid Visions’ and ‘Bestial Devastation’, they’ve announced that a new version of 1987’s ‘Schizophrenia’ will arrive on 21 Jun.

RELEASES

Kendrick Lamar continues to effortlessly dominate in his ongoing feud with Drake on latest diss track ‘Euphoria’. It remains to be seen what woefully out of his depth response Drake comes back with this time.

Jon Hopkins has announced that he will release new album ‘Ritual’ on 30 Aug. Out now is new track ‘Ritual (Evocation)’. The album will be premiered with three spatial audio playbacks at the ICA in London on 12 May.

La Luz have released new single ‘I’ll Go With You’. Their new album ‘News Of The Universe’ is out on 24 May.

Hamish Hawk will release his third album ‘A Firmer Hand’ on 16 Aug. Out now is new single ‘Big Cat Tattoos’.

Approved: Wide Days 2024 showcases - Wednesday

The Wide Days convention is up and running in Edinburgh, with CMU’s Sam Taylor taking to the stage to talk all things AI. Once the business chat is done, there will be showcases in the evenings featuring a whole host of interesting acts. We’ll be picking some of our favourites each day, so keep an eye on CMU Daily and the website. Here are tonight's picks….

Grayling

Grayling is preparing for the release of her latest EP later this month. From her beginnings as a busker at Loch Lomond, Grayling has become a respected figure on the Scottish music scene.

La Belle Angele, 21:00-21:20

The Joshua Hotel

The Joshua Hotel play smart, summery guitar pop that masks lyrics with a darker edge. Currently preparing to release their debut album this summer, the band are definitely one you can expect to hear a lot more from in the near future.

La Belle Angele, 21:40-22:00

Leif Coffield

Leif Coffield’s latest project sees him posthumously collaborating with his great uncle Des Coffield on until recently undiscovered music that he wrote in the 1970s.

La Belle Angele, 22:20-22:4

Taylor Swift and Record Store Day push UK vinyl sales reach highest level since 1994

The double hit of Record Store Day and the release of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ album has helped to push UK vinyl sales to their highest level for 30 years. Over 300,000 LPs and singles were sold last week.

Just under a quarter (24.7%) of all the vinyl albums sold over those seven days were copies of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’. Swift’s ‘Midnights’ and ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ also completed the top three. Record Store Day exclusives accounted for 37.2%, while artists including Arctic Monkeys, Harry Styles and Abba also made strong showings.

“Even considering the extra push from Record Store Day and Taylor Swift, the idea that vinyl can rack up a week’s worth of pre-digital era sales shows physical music can stand tall alongside streaming”, Utopia Music Deputy CEO Drew Hill tells CMU. “By continuing to breathe new life into record retailers up and down the country, music fans’ long abiding love affair with the format is placing it back at the heart of release campaigns from world-leading superstars”.

Kim Bailey, CEO of entertainment retail trade group ERA,adds: “Indie record shops were first to realise that the growth of streaming would paradoxically provide an opportunity for the most physical of physical formats, and vinyl has sat at the heart of Record Store Day’s celebration of indie record shop culture since 2008”.

“Taylor Swift has long been a supporter of indie record stores and served as Record Store Day’s global ambassador in 2022”, she goes on. “Her support has undoubtedly helped drive even more younger fans to indie record shops, helping sustain the stores which are one of the most vibrant elements of the music ecosystem”.

Here are the top ten biggest selling albums in the UK last week (sales figures in brackets):

1. Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department (66,388)

2. Taylor Swift - Midnights (61,948)

3. Taylor Swift - 1989 (Taylor's Version) (61,791)

4. Arctic Monkeys - The Car (37,866)

5. Harry Styles - Harry's House (36,041)

6. Abba - Voyage (29,891)

7. Liam Gallagher - C'mon You Know (29,558)

8. The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (27,371)

9. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (24,478)

10. Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Taylor's Version)

FKA Twigs and Warner boss tell Senators about the urgent need for a US-wide law to regulate deepfakes

Urgency was a common theme as US Senators yesterday discussed proposed new laws that would allow people to control the use of their voice and likeness in the context of AI, vocal clones and deepfakes.

Representatives from the entertainment industry provided their perspectives, with Warner Music boss Robert Kyncl telling Senators that “the truth is, everyone is vulnerable” as generative AI technologies rapidly evolve. Giving an artist viewpoint, FKA Twigs admitted that the potential use of AI tools to replicate her voice or likeness “leaves me very vulnerable”.

“The fact that somebody could take my voice, change lyrics, change messaging... it really leaves me very vulnerable”, she explained. “If legislation isn't put in place to protect artists, not only will we let down artists who really care about what we do - that have spent a long time developing themselves - but it would also mean that fans wouldn't be able to trust people that they've spent so many years investing in”.

Although copyright law can help to an extent if artists want to stop the unofficial use of their voice or likeness, that is only the case where they own the copyright in audio and video in which they appear. Therefore, probably more relevant in this domain are publicity or personality rights. However, in the US, these rights sit at a state level, and therefore work differently around the country.

A new US-wide publicity right has been proposed in the Senate via a draft law called the No Fakes Act. With entertainment industry reps stressing the urgent need to get legal clarity regarding the rights of artists to protect their voice and likeness, one of the Senators sponsoring the proposals, Chris Coons, said yesterday that the legislation could be formally introduced into Congress as soon as next month.

As the proposals are formally considered in Congress, there will be First Amendment free speech concerns to address. And the entertainment industry itself will be raising some of those concerns, given there are people and companies in the music and movie industries that will be looking to utilise the new AI tools that are being regulated.

According to Law360, Ben Sheffner from the Motion Picture Association was among those to raise that issue yesterday. “Legislating in this area necessarily involves doing something that the First Amendment sharply limits: Regulating the content of speech”, he said. “It will take very careful drafting to accomplish the bill's goals without inadvertently chilling or even prohibiting legitimate, constitutionally protected uses of technology to enhance storytelling”.

However, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland from performer union SAG-AFTRA noted that preventing the unapproved use of a person’s voice or likeness is actually defending the First Amendment rights of that person.

“I am concerned that we are only looking at one side of the First Amendment consideration here”, he said. “The other side is the right that each of us has to our own freedom of speech, to be able to communicate our ideas, to associate ourselves with ideas that we want to so and not be associated with ideas we disagree with. That is being really trampled on by this unfettered ability of people without a federal right”.

FKA Twigs also highlighted the fundamental difference between a studio casting an actor to play her in a movie versus using AI so that it looks like she herself is in the film.

“If you're able to use an artist’s voice and likeness without consent about their life story”, she said, “you're giving the impression that it’s the equivalent of an autobiography, rather a biography … and that's a confusion”.

If a filmmaker wants to add extra drama to a biopic, but it’s an actor playing the role of the film’s subject, then, she added, “we know to take it with a pinch of salt”. Whereas if AI is used to make it look like the subject of the film is playing the role, then the divide between fact and fiction is blurred, and “that's what makes me really nervous, uncomfortable and vulnerable”.

Setlist Podcast: Hipgnosis v Hipgnosis - the saga continues...

In this week's Setlist Podcast: Chris Cooke and Andy Malt discuss the bidding war compounding the latest in a long line of dramas at Hipgnosis, the faltering start for Manchester’s new Co-op Live arena and more.
🎧 Click here to listen - or search for 'Setlist Podcast'

Deezer sees some growth in first quarter of 2024

It’s a tough life being Deezer. Forever the little brother of the streaming world, sitting on the sidelines watching your big, dumb, angry Swedish brother calling people names and picking fights with anyone who even looks in his direction.

But then you remind yourself that you’re French, and the French love you. Sure, maybe not as much as they love your brother - but maybe that’s fear, not love. While he might be bigger, you’re bigger where it matters - ARPU. And overall, your numbers might be dropping in some areas, but they’re growing fast in others.

Which is to say Deezer has announced its Q1 numbers.

They’re largely unremarkable: growth in some areas, drop offs in others. Deezer splits its users into two cohorts - direct subscribers and people who subscribe via partners. Deezer's direct ARPU, or average revenue per user, is slightly higher than Spotify’s - €5.1 vs €4.35. Partnerships - although landing at a lower ARPU - are booming, with 40.3% growth year-on-year. Direct subscribers in France are up a notch, a result of a focus on free to paid conversion initiatives.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world is slightly down, but this is apparently inline with expectations, based on having a more targeted approach to RoW territories. Following a focussed expansion in Brazil and Mexico the company is now launching similar expansion in Chile. Projected forward on Q1 revenues this puts the company on track to bring in around €5530 million revenue in 2024.