Topic: music industry
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OpenWav's New App Is Fixing the Broken Music Industry
Wyclef Jean criticizes the current music industry as broken, citing unsustainable revenue from streaming services that offer minimal payouts to artists. OpenWav, a new platform, aims to empower artists by providing direct-to-fan monetization tools for releases, merchandise, and events, allowing t...
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Tiny Vinyl: The Pocket-Sized Record for the Spotify Era
The vinyl market is experiencing a revival, valued at over $2 billion annually, with Tiny Vinyl emerging as a new 4-inch format aimed at collectors and music enthusiasts. Tiny Vinyl was developed by Neil Kohler and Jesse Mann, leveraging their backgrounds in toy development and the music industry...
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Warner Music Partners with AI Startup Suno in Landmark Deal
Warner Music Group has partnered with AI startup Suno to resolve copyright disputes and establish new standards for artist compensation and control in AI-generated music, including launching licensed AI music models next year. The agreement ensures Warner Music artists retain full control over th...
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When Algorithms Fail Music
Music discovery has shifted from human-led exploration, like record store recommendations, to being dominated by algorithmic systems from platforms like Spotify, which prioritize user engagement over artistic diversity. Algorithms have influenced music creation, leading to shorter songs, simplifi...
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Spotify and Labels Team Up for Artist-Focused AI Music
Spotify has partnered with major music labels like Sony, Universal, Warner, and Merlin to develop AI tools that ensure artists are fairly compensated and retain control over their work. The initiative allows musicians to decide if their music can be used in AI-generated tracks and guarantees they...
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Record Labels Sue Suno AI for Allegedly Stealing Songs from YouTube
Major record labels have escalated their lawsuit against AI startup Suno, accusing it of pirating music from YouTube to train its AI models through unlawful "stream ripping." The lawsuit alleges Suno violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by circumventing YouTube's encryption technology, w...
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Warner Music and Udio Settle AI Copyright Lawsuit, Strike New Deal
Warner Music Group has resolved its copyright dispute with Udio and formed a strategic partnership to launch a licensed AI music platform in 2026, using authorized content to create new income streams for artists while protecting their rights. The upcoming subscription service will enable users t...
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Craft a Country Hit: The Vibe-Writing Method
AI is rapidly transforming music creation, particularly in Nashville, by enabling artists to quickly generate demos and overcome creative blocks, though its use is often discreet. A demonstration showed how AI can craft entire songs from prompts, including composition and synthetic vocals, and th...
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Spotify Partners with Labels on 'Responsible' AI Music Tools
Spotify is collaborating with music industry partners to develop responsible AI music tools through upfront agreements, ensuring alignment and cooperation from the start. The platform emphasizes giving artists and rights holders genuine choice in participating with AI, respecting their decisions ...
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AI-Generated Artist's Record Deal Sparks Copyright Chaos
A multi-million dollar deal for the AI-generated artist Xania Monet highlights a legal gray area, as current copyright law protects only human-authored elements like lyrics, leaving AI-created music and vocals potentially in the public domain. The deal raises questions about its value, as the lac...
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Universal Teams with AI Startup Udio Post-Copyright Settlement
Universal Music Group has partnered with AI startup Udio, settling copyright disputes and creating a licensed AI music platform that will offer new revenue streams for artists. The agreement resolves previous litigation and includes financial compensation for UMG artists, while Udio prepares to l...
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Hollywood's AI Dilemma: An Industry in Crisis
A deep divide exists between Silicon Valley and Hollywood over AI's integration, with the entertainment industry facing a critical juncture as AI threatens business models and intellectual property rights. Tech leaders like OpenAI's Sam Altman promote AI as a creative tool for deeper audience eng...
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Pocket-Size Vinyl Put to the Test: Our Verdict
Tiny Vinyl is a new miniature music format, created through a partnership between a toy expert and a leading vinyl manufacturer, featuring four-inch records that play at 33⅓ RPM and hold about four minutes of audio per side. The format has been adopted by a range of artists from emerging to estab...
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Stereogum's Survival Guide for the Streaming and AI Era
Stereogum, founded in 2002 as a pioneering music blog, has evolved into a major voice in music journalism and recently underwent a significant relaunch to adapt to challenges like AI in media. The site's recent updates include technical improvements, a visual refresh with dark mode, and a shift t...
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Suno CEO: Text Prompts Are 'Active' Music Creation
Suno raised $250 million, reaching a $2.45 billion valuation, but faces legal challenges from record labels over alleged copyright infringement in training its AI model. The platform's AI tools, like Create and Studio, generate music from text prompts but are criticized for lacking emotional dept...
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