Creative Industries News

Reservoir Media acquires the catalogue master rights of Fool’s Gold Records NASDAQ-listed independent music company Reservoir Media has inked a multifaceted deal with independent record label Fool’s Gold Records, which will see Reservoir acquire the catalogue master rights of...

Reservoir Media has inked a multifaceted deal with indie label Fool’s Gold Records to acquire the catalogue master rights of the label’s artists, including A-Trak, Danny Brown, Grande Marshall, The Brothers Macklovitch, and Low Pros.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/06/rese...

Audiomack partners with Beatdapp to combat streaming fraud Global music streaming and discovery platform Audiomack has partnered with independent fraud detection company Beatdapp, to address streaming fraud across the Audiomack platform. Through the partnersh...

Music streaming platform Audiomack partners with fraud detection company Beatdapp to address streaming fraud across the Audiomack platform. The two companies intend to “set a new standard for fair play, editorial integrity, and artist protection.”
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/06/audi...

PRS for Music distributed £1.02 billion to rights holders in 2024, up 8.1% year-on-year British music rights society PRS for Music collected £1.15 billion (€1.37bn) in 2024, up by 6.1% compared to the previous year, and distributed a record £1.02 billion (€1.21bn) to rights holders, up 8...

British music rights society #PRS for Music collected £1.15 billion (€1.37bn) in 2024, up by 6.1% compared to the previous year, and distributed a record £1.02 billion (€1.21bn) to rights holders, up 8.1% on 2023.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/06/prs-...

France’s SACEM collected €1.6bn in 2024, with €749m coming from abroad SACEM collected €1.601 billion in 2024, a 7.6% increase compared to 2024, with collections in France up 2% to €852m, while collections from abroad were up 15% to €749m, according to figures unveiled b...

French rights society SACEM collected €1.601bn in 2024, up 7.6% on 2024, with collections in France up 2% to €852m, while collections from abroad were up 15% to €749m.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/05/fran...

Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota will leave the licensing organisation at the end of 2025 Jeremy Sirota, who has served as CEO of independent label's digital licensing company Merlin since 2020, will step down from the position effective December 31, 2025. No replacement has been announced...

Jeremy Sirota, who has served as CEO of independent label’s digital licensing company Merlin since 2020, will step down from the position effective December 31, 2025.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/05/merl...

ICYMI, the European Commission plans to “assess” the proposed $775m acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings by Universal Music Group under the EU Merger Regulation (EUMR), following requests submitted by Austria and the Netherlands.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/04/euro...

Singapore-based Caldecott Music Group has become an official ISNI Registration Agency by the ISNI International Agency. ISNI is the International Standard Name Identifier ensuring creators are uniquely and consistently identified and credited.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/04/cald...

Independent music platform Create Music Group (CMG) has acquired !K7, the Berlin-based music company founded by the late Horst Weidenmüller who passed away in February of this year. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/04/crea...

A bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives have reintroduced in Congress the NO FAKES Act that would protect creators’ voices and likenesses from the unauthorised creation and use of digital replicas.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/04/an-u...

Creative coalition slams ‘fundamentally flawed’ third draft of the European Union’s General-Purpose AI Code of Practice A wide coalition of creative industries' international organisations have joined forces to express their opposition to the third draft of the European Union's General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practic...

A wide coalition of creative industries’ international organisations have joined forces to express their opposition to the third draft of the European Union’s General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practice, which they describe as “fundamentally flawed.”
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/03/crea...

Concord acquires Stem Distribution with CEO Milana Lewis and President Kristin Graziani continuing to lead the platform Independent music company Concord has acquired independent distributor Stem Distribution. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Variety estimates the transaction to be in the $90 million range. Cu...

Independent music company Concord has acquired Stem Distribution. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but estimates put the deal in the $50-90m range. CEO Milana Lewis and President Kristin Graziani will continue to lead the platform.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/03/conc...

US music industry calls for AI rules respecting human authorship and favouring the licensing of content for AI training A group of ten music industry organisations — representing record labels, music publishers, songwriters, performers, industry workers' unions, among others — have urged the US administration to adopt ...

Music industry organisations — representing record labels, music publishers, songwriters, performers, industry workers’ unions... — urged the US administration to adopt AI rules respecting human authorship and favoring licensing of content for AI training.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/03/us-m...

US neighbouring rights society SoundExchange, has distributed over $12bn to performers and owners of sound recordings since the company’s inception in 2003. For full year 2024, SoundExchange has distributed $1.05bn, up 4.9% over 2023.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/02/soun...

Bertelsmann-owned music company BMG has introduced a new brand identity, reflecting “a forward-looking approach aligned with the BMG Next strategy and future direction,” while honouring “the company’s heritage as a champion of music creators.”
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/02/bmg-...

Organisations representing authors and performers in Europe express “concerns” about the 2nd draft of EU's General-Purpose AI Code of Practice. The process "appears to be taking several steps backwards” re. transparency and respect for copyright.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2025/02/euro...

According to the New york times, Musk’s employees from his various businesses “have also been integrally involved in the transition, vetting prospective candidates for senior administration jobs, in interviews at the Trump transition headquarters in West Palm Beach.”
Really?

Why Are Women CEOs Still So Underrepresented In Music’s Top Roles? Just 3 of the around two dozen major-label CEOs are women, and the situation isn’t much better in other sectors of the music business. Why not more?

Excellent question asked by my friends from @billboard.com.web.brid.gy. The music industry has been and still is a boy's club. In all my years covering the music biz I have rarely seen women ascending to top roles. This needs to change.
www.billboard.com/pro/why-wome...

Universal Music Group acquires Downtown Music Holdings via Virgin Music Group - Creative Industries News Virgin Music Group — Universal Music Group's services and distribution division for the independent sector — has entered into "a definitive agreement" to acquire independent music company Downtown Mus...

Virgin Music Group — UMG‘s services and distribution division for the indie sector — has acquired Downtown Music Holdings for $775m in cash. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of 2025.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2024/12/univ...

British songwriter Crispin Hunt elected President of the PRS Members’ Council - Creative Industries News British songwriter and performer Crispin Hunt has been elected as the new President of the PRS Members’ Council, effective from 1st January 2025. He takes over from the inaugural President, Michelle E...

British songwriter and performer Crispin Hunt has been elected as the new President of #PRSforMusic Members’ Council, effective from 1st January 2025. He takes over from the inaugural President, Michelle Escoffery who served in the role since January 2021.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2024/12/brit...

Virgin Music Group names Mark Robinson to the position of Executive Vice President, Global Business and Legal Affairs - Creative Industries News Mark Robinson has been appointed to the position of Executive Vice President, Global Business and Legal Affairs at Virgin Music Group, Universal Music Group's services and distribution division for th...

Mark Robinson has been appointed to the position of Executive Vice President, Global Business and Legal Affairs at #VirginMusicGroup, the services and distribution division for the independent sector owned by #UniversalMusicGroup.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2024/12/virg...

AI could put up to €22 billion in revenue at risk for music and audiovisual creators by 2028, according to CISAC study on Gen AI - Creative Industries News A global study measuring the economic impact of AI in the music and audiovisual sectors — commissioned by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) — has estimated ...

A global study measuring the economic impact of #AI — commissioned by #CISAC — estimated that the market for Gen AI music and AV content will rise from €3bn now to €64bn in 2028. Revenues at risk of loss for creators will reach 24% in music and 21% in AV.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2024/12/ai-c...

So said Bansky. Do you approve?

Gee Davy appointed CEO of the UK's AIM - Creative Industries News The UK's Association of Independent Music (AIM) has appointed Gee Davy as its new Chief Executive at the organisation's 2024 annual general meeting held at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts. Dav...

The UK’s Association of Independent Music (#AIM) has appointed Gee Davy as its new Chief Executive at the organisation’s 2024 annual general meeting.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2024/11/gee-...

PRS for Music sues Live Nation over licensing tariffs applied to VIP tickets - Creative Industries News British music rights society PRS for Music, alongside PPL PRS Limited, the joint venture between PRS and neighbouring rights society PPL, have filed a lawsuit in the Intellectual Property division of ...

British music rights society #PRSforMusic has filed a lawsuit in the UK’s High Court against concert promoter and festival organiser #LiveNation over the terms of licensing tariffs applied to concerts.
creativeindustriesnews.com/2024/11/prs-...

Creative Industries News by Emmanuel Legrand We provide music and creative industries news content that helps stakeholders navigate an increasingly complex eco-system where creative content is at the heart of the digital economy.

First posting on #bluesky. This account is for people interested in #copyright, #creativeIndustries, #digitalmusic, #CollectiveManagementOrganisations, and #creators in the digital environment.
creativeindustriesnews.com