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Today's music business news

TOP STORY

Council Of Music Makers criticises lack of music-maker representation at government roundtable on AI and the creative industries

The UK government's Department For Culture, Media & Sport is today convening a roundtable to discuss the opportunities and challenges artificial intelligence poses the creative industries, with input from the music, movie, book and photography sectors.

The music industry is particularly well represented, with the UK bosses of all three major record companies invited to take part. However, there are no representatives speaking for artists and songwriters, a decision that has been strongly criticised by the Council Of Music Makers.

Announcing the roundtable, which will be led by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, the DCMS said this morning: "Central to the discussion will be concerns about copyrighted material being used without permission to train AI models like ChatGPT and the risk that content created by AI can potentially infringe creative's intellectual property. The meeting is also expected to cover necessary protections for artists' likenesses and voices".

Universal Music's David Joseph, Sony Music's Jason Iley and Warner Music's Tony Harlow are all attending the session, while the movie, book and photography sectors each get a single representative: Framestore Group, the Publishers' Association and Getty Images respectively. Also participating are the government's Intellectual Property Office, the Alliance For IP, and author Nina Schick - writer of the book ‘Deepfakes: The Coming Infocalypse'.

Individual performers and creators have a single representative at the roundtable, Nicola Soloman, who is CEO of the Society For Authors and also chairs the cross-artform Creators’ Rights Alliance. Given that the copyright industries - and especially the music industry - have been lobbying on AI under the banner of the Human Artistry Campaign, the lack of representation for human creators at this roundtable has proved controversial.

In an open letter earlier today, the Council Of Music Makers welcomes Frazer’s commitment to listen to and consider the concerns of creatives, but adds: “To do this, it is important that the voices of music-makers themselves are a key part of the conversation.

“We are hugely concerned”, the letter goes on, “that the government is forming a roundtable which only gives one single seat to a representative of all creatives across all media (including film, theatre, literature and music), but has three seats for executives from major record companies. This is profoundly unbalanced and tone-deaf”.

>>> Click "read online" below to read the full letter and more.

ONE LINERS

One Liners: Music NDA inquiry, Black Music Coalition, Everything Everything, + more

INDUSTRY 

The Misogyny In Music inquiry being undertaken by the UK Parliament’s Women & Equalities Committee is calling for evidence on the use of non-disclosure agreements in the music industry to silence victims of abuse and discrimination. Providing details of your own experience will not breach any NDA you may have signed. The deadline is 30 Nov. Find out more here.

The Black Music Coalition has launched a new membership scheme, open to all black music industry execs in the UK. “Our membership launch presents a vital next stage for the BMC”, says the organisation’s executive committee. “Membership will create a connected community of music industry employees and professionals. As an organisation we are excited to roll out our activations for next year which, in keeping with all we do, will be geared towards the needs of all our members”. Find out more and sign up here.

DIGITAL

Spotify has partnered with Orange to provide access to the streaming service to the mobile provider’s customers in Democratic Republic Of Congo, Madagascar, Mali and Guinea without additional data costs. “We are excited to partner with Orange Middle East & Africa to offer … our vast music library of over 100 million songs without worrying about data”, says Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Managing Director for Spotify in Sub-Saharan Africa. “We are aware that data costs continue to be a hindrance for people who would like to stream music, that’s why we are actively working at Spotify SSA on partnerships like this one”.

RELEASES

Everything Everything have released new single ‘The Mad Stone’. Their new album ‘Mountainhead’ is out on 1 Mar. “This song sets out the grand narrative of the album, wherein a society is forever building an immense mountain, at the cost of living in the resulting giant hole”, says frontman Jonathan Higgs of the new song.

Yaosobi have released new single ‘Biri-Biri’. The track has been put out to mark the one year anniversary of the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet video games.

Nouvelle Vague will return with new album ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go?’ on 16 Feb. Out now is their new cover of Yahoo’s ‘Only You’. There are also tour dates set for February and March, including two nights at London’s Union Chapel.

O. have released their latest single ‘ATM’. Say the duo: “’ATM’ is us getting angry and frustrated about some of the injustices and crazy bewildering things in the world. It's a tune to celebrate fury, going on a journey releasing your anger then coming to a place of peace. We love seeing people getting their anger out to it live”. Their debut EP ‘Slice’ is out on Friday.

Vlure have released new single ‘Heaven Sent’. They say of the track: ”’Heaven Sent’ is a love song, through the eyes of hedonistic adolescence. Living for the moment, without fear of consequence. Disregarding the obvious downfalls of relationships or love and romanticising each small good part”. The band will headline the 100 Club in London on 4 Dec.

GIGS & TOURS

In Flames and Arch Enemy have announced co-headline UK tour dates in October next year. Tickets go on general sale on Friday.

Following last year's reunion tour, Bellowhead have announced 2024 shows to mark their 20th anniversary. “The reunion tour in 2022 meant such a lot to all of us after such a difficult time, and seemed to bring so much joy to our fans, that we thought we'd probably best do it again”, say the band. The shows will take place in November 2024. Tickets go on general sale this Friday.

MUSIC EDUCATION

Oxford Brookes University to close music department

The music industry has responded to the news that Oxford Brookes University has decided to close its music department, with Deborah Annetts, CEO of the Independent Society of Musicians, stating that “it is profoundly worrying to see opportunities to study music in the UK being further reduced”.

Nitin Sawhney, in his role as Chair of the PRS Foundation, calls it “awful news” that is “a direct result of music being undervalued as an academic subject for too long”. Meanwhile, the Musicians’ Union has confirmed that it is urging Oxford Brookes to reconsider its decision, while also calling “on the government to step in to halt the decline in university music provision”.

The university announced last week that its music department, which was first opened in 1979 when the institution was still known as Oxford Polytechnic, would close. In an open letter, the department’s lecturers then urged the music community to respond.

In that letter, posted to the music department's social media, the lecturers wrote: "It is with great sadness that we have to inform you that Oxford Brookes University has made the decision to close its music programme”. They conceded that music degrees have been under massive pressure everywhere, with student numbers in decline. Meanwhile, at Oxford Brookes specifically, music was hit by the phasing out of combined honours degrees.

Despite all that, they went on, the music team was "cautiously optimistic about the future", not least because the university announced a plan to open two new buildings, in part to enhance its creative industries activities, with a new dedicated performance space included in that plan. Plus the music team was developing a number of new specialist music programmes to attract new students.

"Rather than giving us time to explore this properly", the letter goes on, "the university has decided that was not to be, and one of the ironies of Brookes history will be that the university will finally offer a proper performance space at the same time that it is closing the doors to music students".

The university will wind down its music teaching over the next two years as its current music students complete their courses. The lecturers added that, while it is unlikely that university management will reverse this decision, "we are sure that you share our sadness, anger and exasperation at this move, and you are welcome to express your solidarity in any public forum you consider appropriate".

As well as ISM, PRS Foundation and the MU, organisations like UK Music, Music Mark and MusicHE have also responded to the news.

>>> You can read all of the responses, as well as a statement from the university itself on the CMU website. Click "Read Online" below to see the full story.

LABELS & PUBLISHERS

Music publishers want preliminary injunction in legal battle with AI company Anthropic

The group of music publishers that sued AI company Anthropic for copyright infringement has now asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction ordering the defendant to ensure that its current AI model does not generate outputs that disseminate their lyrics, and that those lyrics are not used in the training of any future models.

"If the court waits until this litigation ends to address what is already clear - that Anthropic is improperly using publishers’ copyrighted works - then the damage will be done”, state court papers filed in Nashville last week. “If unchecked, Anthropic’s wanton copying will also irreversibly harm the licensing market for lyrics, publishers’ relationships with licensees, and their goodwill with the songwriters they represent".

Universal Music Publishing, Concord and ABKCO together sued Anthropic last month claiming that the the firm has exploited, without licence, lyrics that they control when training its AI chatbot Claude. And, as a result, it is liable for copyright infringement.

There remains a dispute over the copyright obligations of AI companies. Copyright owners - like record labels and music publishers - insist that a tech company must get permission before using any copyright protected works to train generative AI models. But many AI companies reckon that such training is covered by copyright exceptions in at least some countries or - under US law - constitutes 'fair use'. Which means no permission is required.

In its recent submission to the US Copyright Office's review on AI, Anthropic stated that "the way Claude was trained qualifies as a quintessentially lawful use of materials". It then argued that, when it trains its AI model, "the copying is merely an intermediate step, extracting unprotectable elements about the entire corpus of works, in order to create new outputs. A diverse array of cases supports the proposition that copying of a copyrighted work as an intermediate step to create a non-infringing output can constitute fair use".

Arguments of that kind will be tested if and when the music publisher case gets to court. But obviously, for now at least, the publishers are being very bullish in their argument that the law is on their side and Anthropic is liable for copyright infringement.

INDUSTRY INITIATIVES

World Intellectual Property Organisation launches new educational platform for creators

The World Intellectual Property Organisation and Music Rights Awareness Foundation last week launched a new platform that aims to educate creators about intellectual property rights, starting with music-makers. It's called CLIP - or Creators Learn Intellectual Property.

"Creators draw on their talent and artistic vision to give us music, art, song and dance”, said WIPO Director General Daren Tang, commenting on the launch. “Supporting them is critical to the richness of every society and country".

"We must do what we can to ensure they are recognised and fairly rewarded, so that they can thrive in their work and contributions to society", he went on. "CLIP will support creators with the knowledge and skills they need to transform their artistic passion into a viable profession".

The Music Rights Awareness Foundation was set up in 2016 by songwriters Max Martin, Niclas Molinder and Björn Ulvaeus.

"I know firsthand how important it is for creators to know and manage their IP rights", said Ulvaeus. "Today, it is an essential foundation for a successful career in the music industry. At the core of CLIP is a steadfast commitment to creators. Helping them understand the complexities of the creative industries will enable them to maximise the value of their creations".

The CLIP website currently includes information on the different music rights, the companies and organisations music-makers work with, and what is required to ensure artists, musicians and songwriters get properly credited and paid.

You can access it all here.

LEGAL

Sean Combs settles sexual assault lawsuit just one day after filing

Sean 'Diddy' Combs has already settled a lawsuit filed last week by his former partner Cassie Ventura who accused him of sexual and physical assault.

Confirming that a settlement had been reached the day after her litigation was initiated, Ventura said in a statement: “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support".

Combs said in a separate statement: “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best".

Ventura's lawsuit set out a series of allegations against Combs, who also signed the singer and actress to his label. Those allegations included rape and other sexual assaults and physical violence, as well as claims in relation to the rapper's use of firearms.

It added that: "Ms Ventura has now fully escaped Mr Combs, but the harm that the assaults and sexual abuse he caused her to experience for nearly a decade will forever haunt her. She has required intensive medical and psychological care to recover from the trauma she lived through".

A legal rep for Combs initially hit back at the lawsuit confirming that his client "vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations". The attorney added that the lawsuit had been filed after Combs knocked back a demand from Ventura for a $30 million pay off under the threat of her writing a book about their relationship, which lasted for more than a decade.

Ventura's lawyer then hit back at those claims, insisting that it was Combs who had proposed an eight figure payment in order to "silence" his client and "prevent the filing of this lawsuit".

Terms of the settlement that was quickly reached on Friday are not known. After that agreement had been confirmed, Ventura's attorney told media: “I am very proud of Ms Ventura for having the strength to go public with her lawsuit. She ought to be commended for doing so".

ARTIST NEWS

Shakira settles Spanish tax dispute

Shakira has reached a settlement with the Spanish government over allegations of tax evasion on the day a trial was set to begin.

“Throughout my career, I have always strived to do what’s right and set a positive example for others”, says the singer in a statement.

“That often means”, she adds, “taking the extra step in business and personal financial decisions to procure the absolute best counsel, including seeking the advice of the world’s preeminent tax authorities PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited and Ernst & Young Global Limited, who have been my advisors during this whole process”.

“Unfortunately”, she goes on, “and despite these efforts, tax authorities in Spain pursued a case against me as they have against many professional athletes and other high-profile individuals, draining those people’s energy, time and tranquility for years at a time”.

“While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favour, I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight”.

“I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love - my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career, including my upcoming world tour and my new album, both of which I am extremely excited about”.

“I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end”, she concludes, “but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career”.

The singer was due to stand trial over allegations that she failed to pay €14.5 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014. In September this year, she received a second charge, accusing her of using an offshore company based in a tax haven in order to avoid paying a further €6.7 million in 2018.

AND FINALLY

Today you need to work 42.2 hours on average earning to buy two Glastonbury tickets. In 1989 it was just 12.4 hours

Glastonbury has sold out - again. Having pushed back the on-sale date by two weeks to tackle issues with pre-registration for tickets, the festival sold out within an hour of bookings opening at 9am on Sunday, shifting nearly £50 million worth of tickets at £355 each - plus, of course, a £5 booking fee - an increase of £20 from tickets for the 2023 event.

As lots of people have pointed out, £355 is quite a lot of money. If two people want to go together, that’s £710 - plus a £10 booking fee. That’s before you get the event and certainly before you spend any money while you’re there. For many people that’s a significant financial commitment. But how has this changed over time?

With apparently as many 2.5 million people applying for 138,000 tickets, criticism that the festival’s prices are too high don’t seem to have dented demand - and with the price of everything going up, a jump of 6% against last year’s ticket price doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable.

The Office For National Statistics maintains a bunch of useful data - “price indexes” - which show how the price of various things changes over time. The most often quoted of these are the Consumer Price Index and Retail Price Index - but there’s also a beer price index and a coffee price index, and even a “Cultural Services” price index.

Glastonbury tickets are not (yet) considered worthy of their own ONS price index - so CMU has made one. Handily enough, Glastonbury keeps quite a detailed archive online, which includes ticket prices over the years.

If we put this data alongside other data - the beer price index and the coffee price index - we can draw some interesting insights into what a pair of Glastonbury tickets actually costs today.

Tickets for the 1989 edition of Glastonbury were just £28 - twelve times less than 2024 tickets. “What about inflation!” cry the economists. What about inflation indeed?

Over the same period, CPI normalised to 1988 (so a baseline of 100 in 1988) has increased to 266.8 in 2023 - so basically things today, on average, cost nearly 2.7 times what they did in 1988. We’ve not made a Freddo price index, but most people in their 30s (which handily enough is probably the average age of a Glastonbury punter) will agree that everything is a lot more expensive than it used to be.

In fact, back in October 1988 a pint of beer was just 90p. In October 2023, that same pint would cost you £3.89 (if you know where the ONS are buying their pints, do let us know), so around 4.3 times more than the 1988 price.

Put that a different way: to buy two tickets for Glastobury’s 1989 edition you’d need to forgo 62 pints of beer between mid-November and mid-June - relatively moderate drinking for your average couple. Fast forward to 2023 and you’d need to give up a more “problematic drinker” 182 pints (and a cheeky half) over the same period - basically a pint a day.

So Glastonbury 2024 tickets - priced in beer - are actually just three times more expensive than Glastonbury 1989 tickets - and will probably save your liver too. A bargain.

ONS don’t give such specific data for the price of coffee - however, we’ve created a coffee price index with 1988 as the baseline year. That index starts at 100 in 1988 and by 2023 was 210.7 - if you make a “beer index” for the same period, starting at 100 in 1988, 2023’s number is 436.4. In the same period, the Glastonbury ticket price index would have increased from 100 to 1395.8.

Perhaps more relevant is what Glastonbury tickets cost compared to average earnings. In 1988, says ONS data, average weekly earnings were £168.70 - or £8736 a year - meaning that someone on average earnings who wanted to buy two tickets for Glastonbury’s 1989 edition would need to work 1.7 days to pay for two tickets - or 12.4 hours of work, if you’re working a standard 37.5 hour week.

Jump forward to today, and buying two Glastonbury tickets on current ONS average weekly earnings of £673 (or £34,996 a year) would require 42.2 hours of work - more than a full week. For someone on the London Living Wage buying two Glastonbury tickets would require a full 54 hours of dedicated slog.

Flip this round another way and if we increase the London Living Wage so that two tickets only takes 12.4 hours of work you’d be making £57.26 an hour - or £111,657 a year.

However, on that sort of money you’d be well placed to splash out on a £4799 Yurt.