In today's CMU Daily: Chinese classical platform Kuke Music entered into an eight year deal with Naxos in 2018, giving it access to a large catalogue of classical recordings. However, Naxos says Kuke stopped making payments under that deal at the end of 2021 and, with nearly $2 million owing, it has now filed a lawsuit

One Liners: Professor Green’s cringeworthy dad-rap for car finance bucketshop Carmoola; every single executive at Warner and Universal has surely been promoted by now; MMF announces new chair and vice chair; The Ivors Academy announces a raft of promotions; Diddy’s mum speaks up for him; SCAPR stats; EMPIRE definitely not for sale; Peter André’s “bizarre” Tory party appearance; Oasis clothes pegs coming to a store near you

Also today:Members of 2 Live Crew are in a legal battle with Lil Joe Records over whether or not they can get the rights in their early albums back via the US termination right, and that battle is now in court; Ticketmaster pauses ticket transfers on Taylor Swift shows following reports of a disappearing ticket problem

Plus: Konyikeh is CMU Approved

Naxos sues Chinese classical music platform Kuke

Classical music company Naxos has sued Kuke Music, which operates a classical subscription service and licensing business in China, over allegations it has breached a digital distribution agreement, missed numerous payments and now owes nearly $2 million. 

The legal dispute is presumably problematic for the Beijing-based New York-listed Kuke, which has struggled to comply with New York Stock Exchange rules of late due to its slumping share price. Although it also has education and event divisions, its subscription service and licensing business seems very dependent on its partnership with Naxos. 

The ‘about’ section in its own corporate press releases says, “by collaborating with its strategic global business partner Naxos, the largest independent classical music content provider in the world, the foundation of Kuke’s extensive classical music content library is its unparalleled access to more than 900 top-tier labels and record companies”. 

That said, despite the legal bust up, back in May, Kuke announced it was in talks to buy a majority stake in the companies that control Naxos, adding that “a director of Kuke is the controlling shareholder” of parent company Naxos One. It’s not clear how the litigation relates to those talks, given the lawsuit makes it clear that issues over missing payments have been rumbling on since the end of 2021. 

In a lawsuit filed with the courts in Tennessee, Naxos explains that it entered into an eight year digital distribution agreement with Kuke in 2018, which gave the Chinese company “access to certain Naxos digital music services and content”, and allowed it make available and distribute within China recordings released and distributed by the Naxos group. Kuke would then share revenue generated by its activities in China with Naxos. 

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Deals

• Professor Green has unveiled a collaboration with Carmoola, a consumer car finance company that hawks car loans for “dream cars” at a mere 15.7% APR, a strong contender for ‘most contrived brand collaboration of 2024’.
• Warner Music has agreed to a new multiyear licensing deal with Meta, which, for the first time, includes WhatsApp. 
• Claudia Brant has launched Cha Cha Cha Publishing, a new venture aimed at developing emerging songwriters and producers in partnership with Warner Chappell Music. 
• Sony Music Publishing has signed songwriter and producer Julian Bunetta to a global publishing agreement.
• Taylor Austin Dye has signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and LEX Music Group. 
• Pioneering dubstep label Tempa Records has made its back catalogue available on Bandcamp for the first time, offering releases dating back to 2000. 
• Universal Music Publishing Nashville has signed Matraca Berg to an exclusive, global publishing agreement. 
• Cargo Records, 375 Media and Muzlive have launched a number of ‘KiT albums’ in Germany, which are described as a “smart-compatible physical music format”.

People

• The UK’s Music Managers Forum has appointed Niamh Byrne and Jill Hollywood as its new Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively. 
• UK songwriter organisation The Ivors Academy has announced several key promotions to strengthen its leadership team, including Laura Moreno, Grace Croucher, Maria McMillan, Jévis Lawson and Charlie Withers.
• Warner Music has announced two new leadership appointments in its recorded music division. Eric Wong has been named President of East West Records and Head Of Global A&R, Recorded Music, while Jessica Keeley-Carter has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer, Recorded Music. 
• MNRK Music Group has promoted executive Chris Moncada to Chief Operating Officer. 
• Sony Music GSA has undergone a major restructuring under new CEO Christoph Behm. As part of the changes, Sandra Caase has been promoted to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer.
• Mary Catherine Kinney has been appointed Executive Vice President Of Artist & Label Strategy at Universal Music’s Republic Corps.
• Universal Music’s Verve Label Group has promoted Jamie Krents to CEO and Dawn Olejar to Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.
• Sweet Relief Musicians Fund has appointed Aric Steinberg as Executive Director. 
• Live Nation festival exec Jeff Shuman is leaving the company after three years.

Legal

• Sean 'Diddy' Combs' mother, Janice Smalls Combs, has issued a statement defending her son against allegations of sex trafficking and sexual abuse; meanwhile, Tony Buzbee, an attorney representing many of the people who plan to sue Combs over allegations of sexual assault, has reported that a hotline for  victims has received over 12,000 calls in 24 hours.
• Tupac Shakur's family has hired New York attorney Alex Spiro to investigate a potential link between the rapper's 1996 death and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. 
• Min Hee-jin, former CEO of K-pop label Ador, has formally filed for reinstatement and will face a court hearing on 11 Oct. 
• RBD has settled a lawsuit with their former manager Guillermo Rosas. The Mexican pop group has agreed to pay Rosas $4.7 million, less than half of the $10,072,811 he claimed he was entitled to from their Soy Rebelde Tour. 
• BookMyShow has announced it is considering cancelling tickets for Coldplay shows in India that were bought on secondary ticketing platforms, and has filed a formal ‘First Information Report’ with authorities in Mumbai, naming 30 alleged ticket resellers. 
• Kanye West has been sued by former security guard Jonathan Monroe, who claims he was fired after requesting payment for his work. 
• The US Second Circuit Appeals Court has denied a bid to halt the auction of Judy Garland's iconic blue and white dress from 'The Wizard Of Oz'. 

Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail

• RoEx has published research findings on audio quality issues in mixed and mastered tracks, based on analysis of over 200,000 tracks across 30 genres, revealing that 92% of mastered tracks exceed Apple Music's recommended loudness levels, while 79% surpass Spotify's guidelines. 
• YouTube has announced that YouTube Shorts will be extended to a maximum length of three minutes, from 15 Oct.
• Coldplay has kicked off promotional activity for their new album 'Moon Music', including campaigns on TikTok and Roblox. 
• Shaquille O'Neal - under his DJ Diesel moniker - made his debut in Fortnite on Friday, with two unlockable outfits, including a DJ Diesel outfit - which reacts to eliminations - and a Super Shaq outfit with seven colour options, as well as matching in-game cosmetics. 
• Meta has unveiled Meta Movie Gen, a new generative AI model for creating image, video and audio content. The company's research paper indicates the audio generation model was trained on approximately one million hours of audio, though specific details about the training material were not disclosed.
• Spotify has highlighted the growing importance of video for podcasters in its annual Fan Study. Maya Prohovnik, VP Of Podcast Product at Spotify, notes that including video helps podcasters find audiences faster. 

Live

• James Blake has criticised the live music industry's data practices, saying artists are struggling to promote shows due to lack of access to fan contact information.
• The Eagles have extended their residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas until February 2025, adding four new dates. 
• Pollstar has reported that the top 100 global tours have generated a record-setting $5.68 billion gross across 44.9 million tickets sold between November 2023 and August 2024, representing increases of 14.1% and 2.6% respectively compared to the same period last year. 
• MJ Lenderman has postponed several US tour dates due to damage caused by Hurricane Helene. The musician's 'Manning Fireworks' tour was set to begin in Georgia on 3 Oct, but dates in Atlanta and Nashville have been delayed due to the hurricane's impact on the southeastern US. 
• Irving Azoff-founded venue outfit Oak View Group has partnered with Abu Dhabi-based venue manager and event promoter Ethara to co-manage two landmark UAE venues. The collaboration will oversee the House Of Sustainability in Dubai and Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, expanding OVG's presence in the Middle East.

Other Industry News & Events

• SCAPR, the global organisation for performer collecting societies,has reported an 8.5% year-on-year increase in collections to €955 million in 2023, up from €880 million in 2022 and €800 million in 2021.
• Peermusic has seen significant growth in Asia and Latin America, with these regions now accounting for 25% of the company's net publisher's share, says Mary Megan Peer, CEO of Peermusic in an interview with Music Ally’s Eamonn Forde. 
• EMPIRE founder and CEO Ghazi Shami has made it clear that the company is not for sale. Speaking during a panel at the Trapital Summit on 3 Oct in Hollywood, Shami told Trapital founder Dan Runcie, "I haven't gotten any phone calls. Because everybody knows I'm not for sale. Period. I am dead serious.”
• The New York Times has published photos of Republican Congressman Mike Lawler wearing blackface at a Halloween party in 2006. The images show Lawler, then 20 years old, dressed as Michael Jackson. 
• Spring Tank Studios, a new non-profit music space, is set to open in Sheffield. Located on Randall Street, opposite Bramall Lane football stadium, the facility will offer access to music production equipment, CDJs, rehearsal rooms and recording rooms. 
• John Boyega has been cast as Otis Redding in an upcoming biopic 'Otis & Zelma'. 

Artist News

• You have to give some credit to Peter André: he puts in the hours. After a recent “bizarre” appearance at the Tory party conference, he’s embarking on a gruelling UK tour that will see him deliver 56 shows in 41 towns and cities across the UK in just 54 days, singing his way through the Frankie Valli songbook.
• David Gilmour has spoken out about the state of the music industry and his feud with bandmate Roger Water, saying that "the rich and the powerful have siphoned off the majority of music industry money", and that he would “absolutely not” reunite on stage with Waters, adding "I tend to steer clear of people who actively support genocidal and autocratic dictators like Putin and Maduro". 
• Dolly Parton has donated over $1 million to support victims of Hurricane Helene in Tennessee, with her businesses  including Dollywood working to match the contribution with an additional $1 million donation. 
• Donald Glover has cancelled the remainder of his Childish Gambino 2024 tour dates in North America and the UK/Europe due to an unspecified medical condition requiring surgery. 
• Oasis has announced plans for an extensive merchandise line to accompany their upcoming tour, which could apparently - according to The Sun -  include “clothes pegs and christmas wreaths, deodorants and moisturisers”. 
• Zach Bryan has said that he won’t submit his music for consideration in any category for the 2025 Grammy Awards, including rock and country. 
• Laurent Garnier has been enlisted to create a special edition of the 'fabric Presents' mix compilation series, celebrating the iconic London club's 25th anniversary. 
• John Digweed has shared a health update after being hospitalised for ten days, forcing him to cancel shows in Guadalajara, Mexico Cityand Dallas. 
• Bruce Springsteen has announced his intention to vote for Kamala Harris in the upcoming US presidential election. In a social media video, Springsteen described the election as "one of the most consequential elections in our nation's history”.
• Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes have announced they are taking a hiatus after completing their upcoming UK and European tour. 
• HYBE and BTS have partnered with South Korea’s National Museum Cultural Foundation to release a new merchandise series blending traditional Korean culture with K-pop influences. 
• Perrie Edwards has criticised TikTok's impact on the music industry, saying it is "effing up everyone's attention spans" and "killing the music industry".

2 Live Crew termination rights dispute gets to court, puts work for hire argument to the test

A termination rights case involving 2 Live Crew has reached a court in Miami where jurors will now decide whether members of the hip hop group were ‘artists for hire’ when they recorded their first five albums in the 1980s and 1990s with Luke Records, the label owned by group member Luther Campbell. 

Whether or not recordings released under old record deals are ‘works for hire’ dictates if the artists who recorded those tracks can reclaim the copyrights in them after 35 years under the US termination right. The hip hop group are keen to exercise that right, but American copyright law is very explicit that the termination right applies to “any work other than a work made for hire”. 

Members of 2 Live Crew “each expressly agreed” in a 1991 agreement “that the 2 Live Crew copyrights were works made for hire”, says a pre-trial filing by Lil Joe Records, which acquired the rights in the group’s recordings in 1996. “Their acknowledgment is accurate”, it adds, because they were employees of Luke Records and “the 2 Live Crew copyrights were prepared within the scope of their employment”.

Ticketmaster pauses ticket transfers on Taylor Swift shows following disappearing tickets problem

Live Nation’s Ticketmaster has announced that it’s pausing ticket transfers for upcoming Taylor Swift shows in North America following the recent flurry of reports of fans seeing their tickets disappear from their accounts on the ticketing platform. 

The ticketing company hasn’t explicitly stated that the move is in response to the disappearing tickets problem, although it has also been pushing out a statement about its efforts to keep tickets secure. “Scammers are looking for new cheats across every industry and tickets will always be a target because they are valuable”, it declares in that statement. As a result, it adds, “Ticketmaster is constantly investing in new security enhancements to safeguard fans”. 

Fans will still be able to transfer their tickets to other people, but not until three days before each concert. Swift has shows in Miami later this month, beginning on 18 Oct, with subsequent dates in New Orleans, Indianapolis, Toronto and Vancouver. 

Various US media outlets have reported on concert-goers seeing their digital tickets for concerts, including Taylor Swift shows, disappear from their Ticketmaster accounts. Hackers are using the ticketing company’s ticket transfer tools to move the tickets to another account - without the original buyer’s approval - most likely with the aim of then selling the tickets on the secondary market.

🎧 Approved: Konyikeh

Konyikeh first gained widespread attention at the 2022 BRIT Awards, where her bluesy voice stood out during a performance alongside Dave. 

Her latest single, ‘Lie To Me’, showcases that same vocal power - rich, textured and brimming with raw emotion. Infused with Cuban rhythms, the track creates a vibrant backdrop for its somber themes of betrayal and heartbreak. 

Reflecting on the creation of ‘Lie To Me’, Konyikeh shares, "I was listening to a lot of old Latin music and admired the storytelling in those songs, which inspired me”. 

“The song is about a woman dreaming of killing her cheating husband”, she adds. “At the time, I had also been watching a lot of music videos, and the storyline of Skepta and J Balvin’s ‘Nirvana’ intrigued me. I wanted to flip it to reflect a woman’s perspective”. 

“Musically”, she goes on, “the production is heavily inspired by Cuban music. I worked with producers Mack Jamieson and Alex Wildwood, and they really understood my vision of conveying the liveliness and joy in such music while juxtaposing it with a sad tale”. 

At just 24, Konyikeh is already crafting music that feels profound, offering a glimpse of the powerful and enduring artist she seems destined to become.

🎧 Watch the video for ‘Lie To Me’ here