In today's CMU Daily: Anthropic is relying on tired arguments and scare tactics in its defence of a lawsuit filed by a group music publishers. Or so say various music industry trade organisations which have submitted an amicus brief to the court where the publishers are suing the AI company for copyright infringement

One Liners: Downtown’s deal with Peso Pluma, Nigerian producer Zone signs with Avex USA, FAC reveals Amazon Step Up Fund recipients, Kesha will record Diddy diss, Minelli memoir, SMIA Summit, Kakao and SM Entertainment earnings, plus release and tours news

Also today: Three Taylor Swift concerts due to take place in Vienna have been cancelled in response to a possible security threat; UK creator groups have sent a letter to various tech firms urging them to respect copyright when developing generative AI models

Plus: THUS LOVE are CMU Approved

Anthropic’s “tired arguments” and “scare tactics” should be rejected, say music organisations

AI company Anthropic is employing the same rhetoric as Napster and Grokster back in the early days of digital music, relying on “tired and rejected arguments” that have been used to justify rampant copyright infringement many times before. Those arguments ultimately failed back then and they should fail now. 

That is the message of an amicus brief submitted as part of the ongoing legal battle between a group of music publishers and the AI company. The brief is backed by an assortment of US music industry organisations together representing artists, songwriters and record labels, as well as publishers. They say that Anthropic's claims that licensing the content used to train its AI models would be impractical, and stop important technological advances, simply don't stack up. 

The music publishers accuse Amazon-backed Anthropic of using their lyrics to train AI chatbot Claude without getting permission and therefore infringing the copyright in those lyrics.

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.

👉 Click through to see the current selection.

ONE LINERS

Deals

• Downtown Music Publishing has struck a global music publishing agreement with Double P Records, the label and publishing company founded by George Prajin and artist Peso Pluma.
• Avex USA Publishing has signed Los Angeles-based Nigerian record producer Zone, who has worked with artists including Jason Derulo, Sexxy Red and Ludmilla.
• Concord Music Publishing has signed Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Sammy SoSo to a new global publishing deal covering his catalogue and future works.
• Peermusic UK has signed songwriter Camilla Dunhill to an exclusive global music publishing deal, including her co-write on Sub Focus single ‘Wildfire’.
• Jonas Group Publishing has signed Justin Ebach acquiring his catalogue as part of the deal. 
• Solon Holt has signed with United Talent Agency for representation, with Brian Hill as his agent. 

Appointments

• Andy Daniell has rejoined Defected Records as Director Of Music, effective this month. 
• Universal Music Publishing Group has appointed Alix Kram as Head Of Marketing, a new global role based in New York. 
• Ticketmaster has appointed Jannik Hülshoff as Managing Director for Germany, bolstering its leadership team in the Central Europe region. 
• BMG has promoted Jenn Dobbins to Senior Vice President, Rights & Royalties, based in the company's US Copyright & Royalties hub in Nashville.

Legal

• Kakao founder Kim Beom-su has been indicted for stock manipulation in relation to the company's takeover of K-pop agency SM Entertainment. 
• Nelly has been arrested at Hollywood Casino in St Charles, Missouri, reportedly for suspected drug possession and an outstanding warrant.

Streaming, Digital & Broadcast

• Kakao Corp's music business unit saw a 6% year-on-year increase in revenue to 510.9 billion won (US$371.6 million) for Q2 2024
• Twitch has announced the official launch of its new DJ category today, dubbing the launch "8.08" in reference to both today’s date and the iconic Roland TR-808 drum machine.
• Bauer Media Audio UK has announced plans to expand Hits Radio's FM coverage to London, Norfolk, and the West of England later this year.

Labels, Publishing & Distribution

• Kakao’s subsidiary SM Entertainment has reported a 5.9% year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue to 253.9 billion won ($185.2 million USD) for Q2 2024.

Live

• The Spanish consumer watchdog has turned its sights on ticketing and music festivals, launching a multi-pronged campaign against perceived abuses in the live entertainment sector. 
• Lauryn Hill has confirmed that her European and UK tour will proceed as planned, despite yesterday’s cancellation of the North American leg. 

Other industry news & events

• The UK’s Featured Artists Coalition and Amazon Music have revealed the ten recipients of the 2024 Step Up Fund, offering grants of up to £8000 to emerging independent artists. 
• The Scottish Music Industry Association has announced The SMIA Summit 2024, a free two-day digital conference aimed at shaping the future of Scotland's music industry.
• LL Cool J and Usher have been announced as honourees for the fourth annual Black Music Action Coalition Gala, set to take place on 19 Sep in Los Angeles.

Artist News

• Kesha has revealed plans to re-record her debut single ‘TiK ToK’ with the altered lyric "Wake up in the mornin' like fuck P-Diddy". 
• Liza Minnelli has announced plans to publish her memoir in spring 2026 through Grand Central Publishing. 
• Kanye West has blamed alcohol for his controversial 2022 anti-Semitic social media posts, while his former Chief Of Staff has accused the rapper's dentist of supplying him with nitrous oxide for recreational use. 

Releases & Tours

• Jayda G has released her new single 'Feeling Alive'.
• The Dare has released his new single ‘You're Invited’. His debut album ‘What’s Wrong With New York?’ is out 6 Sep.
• Eli & Fur have released their new single ‘Love Again’, featuring Hugo Cantarra and Richard Judge. Their new album ‘Dreamscapes’ is out 27 Sep.
• Federale have released their new single ‘The Worst Thing I Ever Did Was Ever Loving You’, featuring JENNY DON'T.
• theMIND has released his new album ‘Dancing While Crying in the Middle of Nowhere’.
• Samora Pinderhughes has released his new single ‘BETTER’. The first part of his new album ‘Venus Smiles Not In The House Of Tears’ is out 18 Oct.
• King Pari have released their new single ‘Bag. Full. Of. Cash.’. Their debut album ‘There It Goes’ is out 18 Oct.
• The Deslondes have released their new single ‘Lies I've Told’. Their new album ‘Roll It Out’ is out 6 Sep.
• Machine Girl have released their new single ‘Until I Die’. Their new album ‘MG Ultra’ is out 18 Oct.
• niina has released her debut album 'does this smell off to you?’
• HUMAN INTEREST have released their new EP 'Nuclear War'. Their new album 'Smile While You’re Losing (An Audio Guide To Wellness)’ is set for release 6 Sep.

Taylor Swift’s three Vienna shows cancelled after terror attack arrests

Three Taylor Swift concerts due to take place at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium this week have been cancelled in response to a possible security threat. 

A statement from the promoter of the shows says, “Due to confirmation by government officials of a planned terrorist attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three planned shows for everyone’s safety. All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next ten working days”. 

Two people were arrested yesterday on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack in the Austrian capital. The country’s General Director For Public Security, Franz Ruf, said that the suspects were inspired by the Islamic State group after becoming radicalised via online platforms.

🎧 Approved: THUS LOVE

THUS LOVE are an eclectic band from Brattleboro, Vermont, previously known for their clangorous yet fabulous post-punk pop sound. The newly reimagined quartet - Echo Marshall (vocals/guitar), Lu Racine (drums), Ally Juleen (bass) and Shane Blank (synth/guitar) - have shifted gears and fused elements of post-punk, shoegaze and darkwave, to create a new full-bodied sound.

At the heart of THUS LOVE’s ethos is a commitment to DIY principles, a reflection of their identity as trans-identifying artists who have crafted their journey on their own terms. Living together, they’ve built their own recording studio from scratch and designed their own merch, embodying the spirit of community and friendship which is celebrated in their latest single ‘Birthday Song’.

The new track channels grungy glam rock through a transcendent hook, with Echo Mars’ lyrics celebrating the joy of platonic friendship. The track swoons, shakes and swaggers with a mix of grit and sensuality, capturing the essence of connection and mutual support.

🎧 Listen to ‘Birthday Song’ here

Creator groups call out copyright infringement in AI sector, demand that creator consent is secured

The Creators Rights Alliance, which brings together creator groups from across the creative industries in the UK, has sent letters to a number of technology companies urging them to respect copyright and other creators rights when developing generative AI technologies. Recipients of the letter include Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta and OpenAI. 

“We know that artificial intelligence, including generative Al programmes, can be useful tools”, the letter states. “However, to safeguard human creativity, truthful content and the rights of authors, creators and performers, it is vital that Al models are developed and used in a legal, sustainable and ethical manner”.

UK copyright law, it stresses, “does not allow copying” of existing works for AI training, “without the explicit consent of the creator or their licensee/appointed representatives”.