In today's CMU Daily: In March the EU fined Apple €1.8 billion after concluding that rules the tech giant enforced against music apps were unlawful. Those rules meant consumers signing up to Spotify via its iOS app paid 30% more because of an Apple commission. A new lawsuit says Apple should now refund those commissions.

One Liners: Dolly Parton, Prescription Songs, Crux Global, The Circuit Group, Michael Smith, Young Thug, Meta, Spotify, TuneCore, MOTH Club, Northern Ballet, Music Mudder, MMF, WOMEX 24, BRITs + more 

Also today: American union SAG-AFTRA has welcomed new protections for performers in the context of AI that were signed into law in California yesterday - there are also new laws about using AI when creating political content during election campaigns which have annoyed X boss Elon Musk; Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was denied bail for a second time yesterday following his arrest in New York earlier this week on sex-trafficking and racketeering charges

Plus: MJ Nebreda is CMU Approved

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EU consumer group sues Apple for €62 million over ‘Apple tax’ price hike on competing music subscriptions

Apple is being sued in Belgium, Italy, Spain and Portugal by a consumer rights organisation which says that people paid over the odds when they signed up to music services other than Apple Music on iOS. 

Euroconsumers, which is coordinating the lawsuits as a class action, says that Apple’s App Store payment rules meant subscribers to Spotify and other services paid higher subscription fees because of Apple’s App Store commission, and are demanding that the tech giant refunds those commissions - to the tune of €62 million.

The lawsuit follows the European Commission’s ruling earlier this year that Apple violated competition law by stopping music services from directing consumers to other places online where they could subscribe without paying the so-called ‘Apple tax’. 

“Apple used its dominant position to charge extra fees on music streaming services” and “blocked these services from informing users about cheaper subscription options”, resulting in consumers having to pay “up to 30% more”, Euroconsumers says in a statement. “This behaviour is not only unfair and anti-competitive but also illegal”. 

Touring Coordinator – Europe // Allotment Productions SRL

UK Publicist // Cosa Nostra PR

Sales & Logistics Assistant // Snapper Music Ltd

The Music Works // Artistic Director

Account Director // DIABOLICAL

Bars & Duty Manager // Islington Assembly Hall

Senior PR Manager/Publicist // Infectious PR

Paid Media Manager // Playliveartist

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ONE LINERS

Deals

• In the latest artist-food tie-up, Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George have partnered with meal solutions company Home Chef to create a limited-edition range of meal kits inspired by their new cookbook, 'Good Lookin Cookin'. 
• Prescription Songs has re-signed songwriter, producer and artist Shae Jacobs. 
• Sony Music Entertainment has formed a strategic partnership with Ghanaian-owned music company Crux Global to support artists based in Ghana.
• The Circuit Group has expanded into the UK market, forming a joint venture with CTRLFRK to launch Circuit Management. 
• Adam Wheeler has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement with HoriGlobal Entertainment. 
• Spirit Music Nashville and The Futuristics have signed Brock Westover to a worldwide publishing deal.

Appointments

• A.S.S. Concerts & Promotion has appointed a dual leadership team to run its Düsseldorf office. Sabrina Sapone, who joined the company in August 2023 as a local promoter, will be joined by Nils Max.

Legal

• The National Independent Talent Organization has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging widespread violations of the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act by ticket resellers. 
• Michael Smith - the man accused of perpetrating a $10 million streaming fraud - has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy charges in a US District Court in Manhattan. 
• The US Federal Trade Commission has released a report criticising major social media and video streaming platforms for inadequate data privacy practices. 
• Lil Reese has been accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend at The Pinkhouse nightclub in Houston, with police issuing a warrant for his arrest. 
• A witness in the ongoing Young Thug YSL RICO trial may face life-threatening health risks if forced to testify, says his lawyer. 

Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail

• Meta, Spotify and other industry stakeholders have criticised recent European Union decisions regarding artificial intelligence in an open letter. The signatories argue that Europe is becoming less competitive in AI development due to fragmented and unpredictable regulatory decision-making. 
• TuneCore has announced that tracks within its TuneCore Accelerator programme experienced nearly 10 billion new streams in the first half of 2024. 
• AMPOLLO, a new music collaboration platform, has launched, offering tools for artists, songwriters and producers to practice, record, collaborate, network and generate revenue. 

Live

• MOTH Club in London has called for support to oppose a new planning application for flats opposite the venue, which it says could "pose a serious threat to the future of our venue". 
• Music Venue Trust has announced the full programme for its tenth annual Venues Day event, taking place at Woolwich Works, London on 8 Oct. 
• The Musicians' Union has criticised Northern Ballet's decision to use recorded music for most of its performances, starting with tonight’s performance of 'Romeo And Juliet' at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The change follows funding cuts from Arts Council England. 
• We Group has acquired a 10% stake in Eventwise, an event budgeting platform. Launched in September, Eventwise has provided financial management services for clients including We Out Here, Outlook Festival, Brighton & Hove Pride, Gottwood and Houghton. 

Other Industry News & Events

• Booking agency Wasserman Music and music therapy charity Nordoff And Robbins have raised over £75,000 through the Music Mudder 2024 event. 
• Making Music has announced the winners of its 2024 Awards, celebrating leisure-time music groups and individuals across the UK. 
• US collecting society The MLC  has introduced a free online micro-course and expanded its Student Ambassador Program for college students. 
• Sony Music Publishing has won Publisher Of The Year at the 2024 SESAC Music Awards in the US for the third consecutive year. 
• The Music Managers Forum has elected four new board members at its 2024 Annual General Meeting. Marit Berning, Paul Smernicki, Shaurav D'Silva and Tania Lee have joined the board, while Sandy Dworniak has been re-elected. 
• Headline Publishing Group has announced the release of a new book celebrating Manchester's iconic Haçienda nightclub, set for publication on 10 Oct. 
• Manchester Music City has announced the full line-up for the WOMEX 24 Festival, taking place from 23-26 October across five venues in Manchester. 
• A Greener Future has announced the seventeenth edition of its Green Events And Innovations Conference for 25 Feb 2025 in London. 
• The Isle Of Wight Festival has launched an exhibition called ‘Experience 25’ at London's O2, celebrating the event's history. 
• The BRIT Awards 2025 has announced its return in a Saturday primetime evening slot on 1 Mar 2025; Damian Christian, Managing Director and President Of Promotions at Atlantic Records, will serve his third and final year as Chair of the BRITs Committee.

Artist News

• Swedish House Mafia have released the stems for their recent single 'Finally' and invited fans to create remixes. 
• Bright Eyes have cancelled their upcoming record release shows after frontman Conor Oberst lost his voice. 
• Asake and WizKid made a surprise appearance at a London pop-up event on Tuesday to celebrate Asake's latest album 'Lungu Boy'. 
• Dan Smith of Bastille and Emma Nagouse from BBC Radio 4's 'You're Dead to Me' have launched a new podcast called 'Muses: An Ampersand Podcast'. 
• Lars Frederiksen, guitarist and co-vocalist of punk band Rancid, has announced he will be selling nearly 30 of his guitars on Reverb.

New AI protections come into effect in California - and no, they don’t make memes illegal

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law five pieces of legislation relating to AI and deepfakes yesterday, including two that will give performers - and the estates of deceased performers - more control over the use of likeness and voice in digital replicas. 

The other three relate to political content generated during election campaigns, and include new obligations for social media platforms, prompting X owner and Newsom hater Elon Musk to declare that parody is now illegal in California. Hitting out at the state’s Democrat governor, Musk wrote, “They are ACTUALLY trying to make posting memes illegal - vote them out”. 

Union SAG-AFTRA has been actively campaigning for the new protections for performers. “No technology should be introduced into society without extreme caution and careful consideration of its long-term impact on humanity and the natural world”, said the union’s President Fran Drescher yesterday. “We are so grateful to Governor Newsom for recognising that performers matter and their contributions have value”. 

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs denied bail with prosecutors and judge citing witness tampering concerns and flight risk

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was denied bail for a second time yesterday following his arrest in New York earlier this week on sex-trafficking and racketeering charges, with concerns about the musician intimidating witnesses convincing the judge to keep Combs behind bars pending trial.

Prosecutors had also raised concerns about Combs being a “serious flight risk”, which his lawyers sought to allay. They proposed a $50 million bond, the surrender of his passport, home detention and a weekly drug test. 

However, the judge overseeing the case, Andrew Carter, said, “My bigger concern deals with the danger of obstruction of justice and the danger of witness tampering - that is a real concern that I have here”. 

The prosecution presented various arguments as to why that concern was valid, insisting that Combs has a long history of intimidating his alleged accusers, including threatening to leak sexually explicit videos in which they appear. 

Prosecutor Emily Johnson also stated that Combs’ defence team was “minimising and horrifically understating” the musician’s propensity for violence.

🎧 Approved: MJ Nebreda

Venezuelan-born, Miami-based artist and producer MJ Nebreda has an eclectic approach to electronic music. Her breakout single ‘Adicto A Mi’, complete with 90s house music piano chords and chopped vocals, highlighted her love of New York house music, while subsequent release ‘Perreo Contra La Depresion’ is a Gen Z Lantinx anthem dedicated to the Perreo sound currently exploding within a new generation of queer artists who have deconstructed genres such as reggaeton and dembow. 

Her latest release, ‘Soy Sentimental’, pulses with fast-paced, cyclical rhythms and Latin club influences. Crafted through a unique collaboration via WhatsApp with Colombian producer and frequent collaborator CRRDR, Nebreda describes the track as “a song about not wanting to hide that you’re into someone. It is an expression of my inner romantic that doesn’t want to feel confined to gender norms when it comes to how to woo or act with someone you like”. 

🎧 Listen to ‘Soy Sentimental’ here

RELEASES & TOURS

• The Beaches have released their new single ‘Jocelyn’.
• Jamie xx has reunited with his The xx bandmates Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft on new single ‘Waited All Night’. His new album ‘In Waves’ is out tomorrow.
• JOY (Anonymous) has collaborated with Sammy Virji on new single ‘JOY (By My Side)’.
• Peter Perrett has released his new single ‘Disinfectant’. His new album ‘The Cleansing’ is out 1 Nov.
• Swollen Teeth have released their new single ‘Family’.
• Metronomy has collaborated with Porij on new single 'Petit Boy'.
• Dawes have released their new single ‘Surprise!’. Their new album 'Oh Brother' is out 11 Oct.
• Salami Rose Joe Louis has released her new EP ‘Salami Live At 2131 North Kacey Street’.
• Split Dogs have released their new single 'Monster Truck'. Their new album ‘Here To Destroy’ is out 25 Feb.
• Belaganas have released their new single ‘Can He Fight’. Their new EP ‘Rock Bottom’ is out 11 Oct.
• Nieve Ella has released her new single ‘Ganni Top (She Gets What She Needs)’. Her new EP ‘Watch It Ache And Bleed’ is out 17 Oct.
• The Dare has announced his UK/EU tour dates, including a show at The Arch in Brighton on 23 Nov.
• Iron Maiden have announced their 2025 'Run For Your Lives' world tour. Shows include Manchester’s Co-op Live on 22 Jun and London Stadium on 28 Jun. Tickets go on sale next week.
• ZAYN has announced his first solo tour, ‘STAIRWAY TO THE SKY’. Shows include London’s Eventim Apollo on 26 Nov. Tickets go on general sale this Saturday.