In today's CMU Daily: Hipgnosis promised it could spark a “Copacabana dance trend” on TikTok - one of many “false promises” the company made when it snapped up rights to revenues from Barry Manilow’s recordings - and now owes Manilow $1.5 million in bonus payments, according to a lawsuit filed by the singer 

One Liners: Usher’s Dave’s Hot Chicken launch, SM Entertainment partners with LG for naevis AI content, JYP threatens legal action against deepfake creators, Amazon to use Anthropic to power Alexa, Oram award winners announced, DJ Awards return + more

Also today: Prompted by Oasis fans annoyed at paying more for reunion show tickets than they originally expected, the UK government has expanded its consultation on the ticketing market to also consider dynamic pricing; and the Republican Party says that, until mid-August, its BMI licence covered Isaac Hayes song  ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’, and therefore claims of copyright infringement from the Hayes estate over Donald Trump’s use of that track are invalid

Ready for September? Skill up with CMU's Copyright + Licensing Masterclass bundles

⚡️ Having a really in-depth understanding of how copyright and licensing work has never been more important.

For a limited time we're offering two CMU Masterclass 'mini-bundles': Copyright, Licensing + Data Fundamentals and Streaming + Sync Licensing: The Deep Dive both of which pull together content from our recently releases CMU Masterclass series.

Each bundle is available this week at a huge 45% discount off the standard bundle price - which already offers a signficant saving against the individual Masterclass pricing. Copyright, Licensing + Data Fundamentals includes three Masterclasses and is just £70.95 - reduced from £129. Streaming + Sync Licensing: The Deep Dive include two masterclasses and is just £54.45 - reduced from £99.

👉 Click through to see what's include and buy using the coupon BACKTOWORK

Hipgnosis “fraudulently induced” Barry Manilow to sell artist royalties with “false promises”

Barry Manilow has sued Hipgnosis in a bid to secure bonus payments he says are due under his 2020 deal with music rights company. 

The lawsuit is also scathing about Hipnosis’s management of his rights, claiming that founder Merck Mercuriadis “misrepresented” his company’s “experience, skill and expertise” to “fraudulently induce” Manilow into signing the deal. 

Hipgnosis promised to market and promote Manilow’s music to expand its reach and secure lucrative sync deals, all in consultation with the musician. 

But, says the lawsuit, “none of the promised marketing or promotion ever materialised. It has never consulted with Manilow or even attempted to so consult. It became clear that Hipgnosis made profoundly false promises. It lacked the skill, experience and expertise to optimise” the hits covered by the deal.

Digital Channel Executive // Demon Music Group (London)

The Music Works // Artistic Director (Gloucester)

Account Director // DIABOLICAL (London)

Project Manager // Full Time Hobby (London)

Bars & Duty Manager // Islington Assembly Hall (London)

Advancing & Touring Assistant // terrible* (London)

Senior PR Manager/Publicist // Infectious PR (Bristol Hybrid)

Paid Media Manager // Playliveartist (London)

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

• Usher has opened the first Dave's Hot Chicken location in Georgia, featuring a drone show that spelled out the name of the musician’s's hit single 'Let It Burn'.
• SM Entertainment and LG U+ have signed an agreement to use LG U+'s generative AI technology for SM's upcoming virtual singer naevis.
• Miris, a company developing a content delivery network for spatial computing streaming technology, has raised $26 million in seed funding in a round led by IAG Capital Partners.

Appointments

• BPI has appointed Gemma Cropper as Senior Events Manager, a newly created role effective immediately. 

Legal

• Missy Elliott will face trial over copyright claims from producer Terry Williams, who alleges he co-wrote four songs for her 1990s R&B group Sista without receiving credit. 
• JYP Entertainment has announced plans to pursue legal action against creators of deepfake videos depicting members of TWICE and other artists on its roster.
• Warner Music has demanded that Ed Sheeran's image and name be removed from the artwork of remixed versions of 'Raise Em Up', a track originally recorded with his cousin Jethro Sheeran in 2010.

Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail

• HMV has reported a 526% increase in sales of Oasis' full catalogue since the announcement of the band's 2025 reunion tour on 27 Aug. 
• TikTok has introduced a new 'Manage Topics' feature for users in the US, giving them greater control over content displayed in their For You feed.
• The makers of the Mammoth app for Mastodon,the decentralised social media service, have launched Sub.club, a platform that allows creators on Mastodon to offer paid subscriptions and content. 
• Amazon has decided to power its upcoming improved version of Alexa primarily with Anthropic's Claude artificial intelligence model, according to Reuters.
• Sonos has shared a public Trello board detailing fixes for its new app “including communications from [Sonos CEO] Patrick Spence directly". 

Live

• Glasgow club The Shed has announced its closure after 26 years of operation.
• Simply Red have announced that Soul II Soul will be special guests for two London dates of their 40th Anniversary 2025 UK & Ireland Arena Tour.

Other Industry News & Events

• Cre8ing Vision has announced the return of its Ultimate Seminar flagship event to Manchester's Band On The Wall on 21 Sep, partnering with Warner Music UK. 
• The Radiophonic Institute and PRS Foundation have announced the winners of this year's Oram Awards, recognising five innovative experimental artists, composers and instrument designers from across the UK. 
• DJ Awards has announced its return after a four-year hiatus, with the 23rd anniversary event set for 2 Oct at Chinois in Ibiza.

Artist News

• Megan Thee Stallion and BTS member RM have announced that they will collaborate on a new song called 'Neva Play', set for release on 6 Sep.

Chaotic scramble for Oasis tickets puts dynamic pricing in the spotlight of upcoming government inquiry

Dynamic pricing in the ticketing sector is very much in the spotlight following the rush to get tickets for the big Oasis reunion over the weekend, which saw lengthy online queues with many fans losing out after they were incorrectly identified as bots, and others facing unexpectedly high prices when they finally reached the checkout. 

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority says it has received more than 450 complaints about how ticket prices for the shows were communicated and the government has said concerns about dynamic pricing will now be included in a planned review of the ticketing sector. 

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said in a statement, “After the incredible news of Oasis’s return, it’s depressing to see vastly inflated prices excluding ordinary fans from having a chance of enjoying their favourite band live”.

Republicans say Isaac Hayes copyright claim invalid and is maliciously timed political stunt designed to “disproportionately harm” Trump’s campaign

The Republican National Committee has responded to a lawsuit filed by the Isaac Hayes estate, insisting that the performance of his song ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’ at the recent Republican National Convention was properly licensed, meaning claims of copyright infringement are invalid. 

It also accuses the estate of deliberately going legal as the campaign for this year’s US presidential election reaches its peak. The estate has been aware that former President Donald Trump has played ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’ at his events since 2020, but, it says, “waited until the home stretch of the presidential election to seek an injunction” to “disproportionately harm the RNC by interfering with its political speech during the crucial last leg of a presidential election”. 

The Hayes estate sued Donald Trump’s election campaign and various entities which have hosted Trump rallies and speeches, including the RNC. A spokesperson for Trump immediately stated that his use of ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’, co-written by Hayes and David Porter, was covered by a licence from collecting society BMI, which represents both musicians The RNC presents the same argument in its formal filing in response to the estate’s lawsuit.

RELEASES & TOURS

Yannis & The Yaw feat Tony Allen have released their new EP ‘Lagos Paris London’.

Charlie Bereal has released his new single ‘Walk With the Father’.

Tycho has released his new album ‘Infinite Health’.

ENMY have released their new single ‘The Cure’.

Tempest has released her debut EP ‘The Ranch’.

Cian Ducrot has released his new single ‘Can’t Even Hate You’.

41 have released their new single ‘Green Haired Girl’, featuring Dee Billz.

Sean Henry has released his new album ‘Head’.

Myquale has released his new single ‘Isaiah 54:17’.

Carlile has released her debut album ‘Human Human’.

Wyatt Flores has released his new single ‘Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight’.

JVKE has released his new single ‘her’.

David Kushner has released his debut album 'The Dichotomy'.

Lil Tecca has released his new single ‘Bad Time’.

Huge Molasses Tank Explodes have released their new single ‘Distant Glows’.

AP Dhillon has released his new EP ‘The Brownprint’.