Music publishing heavyweight Sony Music Publishing is now threatening action against Spotify over its less-than-welcomed royalty reductions. Spotify has just poked another giant bear following its transition to bundled subscription packages—and the conveniently lower publishing royalty payouts that come with them. According to internal communications leaked to Digital Music News early Friday (May 17th), Sony ..read more

Late yesterday, Digital Music News first reported on the Mechanical Licensing Collective’s lawsuit against Spotify over allegedly underpaid publishing royalties. Now, Spotify is pushing back and seriously questioning the merits of the MLC’s claims. Here’s what they relayed to DMN early this morning. Spotify is now responding to an aggressive lawsuit filed by the Mechanical ..read more

Spotify is seriously pissing off music publishers – and not just with the mechanical-royalties decrease stemming from its newfound emphasis on bundling. But moments after the NMPA issued a cease-and-desist against the streaming platform over lyrics, podcasts, and music videos, Spotify called the move ‘a press stunt with false and misleading claims.’ The National Music ..read more

Make no mistake, music publishers aren’t thrilled about Spotify’s big shift towards bundled offerings. NMPA head David Israelite has condemned in no uncertain terms Spotify’s “perversion of the settlement” behind Phonorecords IV, making clear as well that “all options” are on the table when it comes to pushing back against the “potentially unlawful” change. And ..read more

Another day, another song-rights deal: Sony Music Publishing (SMP) has acquired the “complete” catalog of Kevin Parker, who’s released four studio albums as Tame Impala. SMP today announced the purchase agreement with Sydney-born Parker, who’s worked with the publisher since 2009. While the investing party opted against disclosing the transaction’s precise financials, it did emphasize ..read more

Less than one week removed from its announcement of a $500 million Bank of America credit facility, Downtown Music has launched a royalties and financial-services division. The Curve Royalty Systems owner Downtown reached out with word of its just-minted unit today, after naming Pieter van Rijn CEO in April. According to the New York City-based ..read more

Spotify’s recent bundling of audiobooks with its music offering is changing how it pays songwriters and publishers. With an estimated $150 million in lost revenue, the music publishing industry isn’t thrilled with the upcoming changes. The addition of the audiobook feature to its existing Spotify Premium offering allows the platform to claim a new bundled ..read more

Apollo-backed Concord says it will not be increasing its Hipgnosis bid higher than $1.25 per share, a statement that gives Blackstone the higher offer and a path towards acquisition. Concord will not be upping its offer for Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF), according a statement issued to Digital Music News late Wednesday (May 8th). In an ..read more

In a sudden turn of events, Universal Music Group and TikTok have announced a new licensing agreement, signifying a hopeful step forward in the fraught relationship between the music industry giant and the global social media platform. The development closely follows the passage of the ‘TikTok ban bill’ in the United States. The agreement, announced ..read more

The data is both encouraging or depressing — and the landscape is more complicated than ever. But where does radio stand in 2024, given a quick-evolving streaming landscape and an increasingly digital music space? Six experts tackled the complex question and discussed the medium’s path forward during our latest DMN Pro event. Here are some ..read more