In today's CMU Daily: Streaming services continue in their campaign against the proposed 5% streaming levy in Canada, funds from which would support independent music and commercial radio news. Already fighting the levy in the courts, they have now launched a public-facing campaign urging consumers to write to their MPs

One Liners: The Circuit Group, Audiomack, Music Producers Guild, QMusic, CMT, Spotify, The KOKO Foundation, Merlin, TikTok, Serenade, Sonos, ABBA Voyage, TRNSMT Festival, Sweaty Ceilings, Green Man Festival, Independent Music Awards, Reservoir Media, PPL, Brain Records + more

Also today: The YouTube v SESAC licensing spat that resulted in music videos from SESAC-allied artists being blocked is already over and the videos are returning; Sean Combs is still in jail following his arrest on sex-trafficking charges last month - after being denied bail twice, Diddy is now asking the Second Circuit Appeals Court to release him under house arrest pending a trial

Plus: Tanerélle is CMU Approved

DiMA rails against Canada’s streaming levy, launches letter writing campaign

DiMA, the trade body that represents streaming services, has launched a campaign against the new streaming levy in Canada, urging Canadian consumers to write to their MPs opposing the measure.

“The streaming tax needs to be scrapped because Canadians are already feeling the pinch from rising inflation and economic pressures”, says DiMA CEO Graham Davies, launching the campaign. “The addition of a streaming tax is an unnecessary burden”.

The levy, which stems from Canada’s Online Streaming Act, was formally proposed earlier this year by the Canadian broadcasting regulator CRTC, which was tasked with implementing the act. The assumption is that, as happened when a similar levy was introduced in France, the services will pass the cost onto consumers, though at 5% - compared to the French levy of 1.2% - it will be more noticeable. 

A template letter created by DiMA for consumers to send to their MPs reads, “It’s time to scrap this tax and focus on measures that genuinely support Canadian creators without placing additional financial strain on consumers. I urge you to take immediate action to repeal the streaming tax and advocate for a more balanced approach that benefits both consumers and creators”.

Touring Coordinator – Europe // Allotment Productions SRL

UK Publicist // Cosa Nostra PR

Senior PR Manager/Publicist // Infectious PR

Paid Media Manager // Playliveartist

👉 See all current jobs at https://completemusicupdate.com/jobs

Horizon is CMU's weekly newsletter 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.

Deals

• Sony Music Publishing has signed singer-songwriter Myles Smith to an exclusive global publishing agreement. 
• The Circuit Group has announced an exclusive distribution partnership with LabelWorx, the world's largest independent digital distributor for indie electronic music labels. 
• Maren Morris has signed with William Morris Endeavor for global representation. 
• Day After Day Productions and Emancipated Icon Entertainment Group have signed Lil' Kim and Teddy Riley for worldwide touring representation. 
• Carry1st, Africa's leading consumer payments provider, has partnered with music streaming platform Audiomack to enhance access to music streaming in Africa. 

Appointments

• Warner Music has appointed Alen Torosyan as General Manager of its Emerging Markets division. Simultaneously, Jonathan Jules has joined the company as Vice President, Creative for the same division. 
• Sony Music Publishing has appointed Caroline Elleray as Vice President, Creative, Songwriter Services, effective immediately. 
• Universal Music has appointed Narcís Rebollo as CEO and President of its newly standalone Global Talent Services division.
• The Music Producers Guild has announced three new board directors: Anu Pillai, Natalie Bibby and Emma Townsend.
• QMusic has appointed Maggie Collins and Jake Challenor to its management committee. 
• CMT's Senior Vice President Of Music Strategy And Talent, Leslie Fram, has departed the company as part of broader staff cuts at Paramount Global.
• Spotify Global Head Of Music Jeremy Erlich has announced his departure from the company to pursue his own entrepreneurial venture.
• The KOKO Foundation, the registered charity of London's iconic KOKO venue, has appointed actor Benedict Cumberbatch as its new global ambassador for environmental advocacy. 

Legal

• Lauryn Hill has been sued by her Fugees bandmate Pras Michel over alleged fraud related to the group's 2023 tour and the cancellation of their 2024 tour. 
• A poll carried out by New Zealand political pollsters Talbot Mills has found that 46% of respondents think that MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom should be extradited to the US, while 23% oppose extradition and 31% are unsure. 

Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail

• Merlin has announced that TikTok has ended licensing renewal talks for music from the 30,000 or so indie labels repped by the digital rights agency, potentially leading to the removal of tracks from Merlin members from TikTok after 31 Oct.
• Vinyl Group has acquired the assets of digital collectible specialist Serenade with Max Shand, founder and CEO of Serenade, joining Vinyl Group as a full-time employee.
• Sonos has given another update on its plan to address customer backlash following its May 2024 app overhaul, which resulted in widespread criticism due to missing features and reduced functionality.

Live

• ABBA Voyage grossed more than £100 million in 2023 after attracting over one million visitors, according to documents filed with Companies House by Aniara, the company behind the virtual concert residency. 
• DF Concerts' TRNSMT Festival has become the first dedicated music festival to be awarded platinum status by Attitude is Everything.
• Sweaty Ceilings, a new book documenting London's independent music venues, has been announced. Spearheaded by artist Sophie Mo and music manager Tash Cutts, the book aims to capture the stories of those involved in the capital's grassroots music scene. 
• Green Man Festival has sold out its 2025 edition in a record 60 minutes, becoming the first UK festival to completely sell out eleven months in advance and without a line-up announcement. 
• Domingæ, the artist behind experimental psych project Föllakzoid, has launched a new club night in Berlin in response to an alleged transphobic assault. The event, called ABOV, will debut at Kwia on 16 Oct. 

Other Industry News & Events

• AIM has announced the final nominees for its 2024 Independent Music Awards, set to take place on 17 Oct at London's Roundhouse. 
• Reservoir Media has faced a call for a strategic review from activist investor Irenic Capital Management LP, which owns approximately 8% of the music rights company. 
• UK record industry collecting society PPL has distributed £16.5 million in its Q3 2024 payment to performers and recording rightsholders, marking a 30% increase from the previous year and the largest payout since 2020. 
• Brain Records' pivotal role in shaping UK hardcore and jungle music will be showcased in a new exhibition. ‘Trackers And Breakbeats: Celebrating Brain Records' Underground Revolution’ will run from 11 Oct to 2 Nov 2024 at The Stephen Lawrence Gallery, University Of Greenwich.

YouTube and SESAC kiss and make up as renewed deal sees blocked videos return

As music licensing bust ups go, the YouTube v SESAC dispute isn’t going to go down in history. Music videos featuring SESAC-represented artists started to be blocked on YouTube in the US over the weekend after licensing negotiations with the American collecting society stalled. But now they’ve unstalled and the videos are back. 

The YouTube support team announced on X yesterday evening, “if you’re in the United States we’re happy to share that YouTube has reached a deal with SESAC. Content that was previously blocked will be restored across YouTube services over the next day or two. We appreciate all your patience”. 

When Universal had its big bust up with TikTok earlier this year, its recordings were off the platform for three months, with songs that the major publishes and directly licenses in the digital domain being affected for two months. When it comes to YouTube, Warner Music had a nine month stand off with the Google-owned platform back in 2008 and 2009.

Diddy takes another shot at securing bail as he appoints “legal dream team”

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is having another go at securing bail following his arrest last month on charges of sex-trafficking and racketeering. Papers filed yesterday with the district court in New York where he was twice denied bail last month confirm that Combs will now take the matter to the Second Circuit Appeals Court. 

The latest court submission comes as Combs puts together what one source close to the musician has dubbed his “dream legal defence team”. It also follows the filing of yet another civil lawsuit accusing Combs of sexual abuse and the release of a new TMZ programme on the criminal case, in which the musician’s current lawyer says his client is unlikely to accept a plea deal because he wants to show that “a black man can win in federal court”. 

Twelve lawsuits have now been filed accusing Combs of sexual assault and harassment. Meanwhile federal prosecutors accuse the musician of “creating a criminal enterprise” in which he “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfil his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct”. Prosecutors successfully argued that Combs should not be granted bail because he was a flight risk and could seek to intimidate witnesses.

🎧 Approved: Tanerélle

Atlanta multi-hyphenate Tanerélle exudes warmth in her sound, asserting herself as the outlier R&B needs.

Her new single, ‘I Wish’, is a sultry, atmospheric track featuring heavy bass, neo-soul elements and electro-R&B breakdowns. Produced by Louie Lastic, it weaves a dreamy synth line over a pulsing drum groove, with Tanerélle’s rich, velvety vocals sauntering on top.

A flirty yet bold invitation at its core, ‘I Wish’ captivates - proving that Tanerélle is a force to be reckoned with in the evolving soundscape of modern R&B.

🎧 Listen to ‘I Wish’ here

Releases & Tours

• Sampha has released a new deluxe version of his album ‘LAHAI’, with three new singles ‘Dancing Circles 2.0’, ‘Re Entry’ and ‘Sensory Nectar’.
• A Place To Bury Strangers have released their new single ‘Fear Of Transformation’.
• Circa Waves have released their new single ‘We Made It’. Their new album ‘Death & Love Pt.1’ is out 31 Jan.
• YOASOBI have released their new single ‘Monotone’.
• Heavy Moss have released their new single ‘Star’. Their new album ‘Dead Slow’ is out 22 Nov.
• Florist have released their new single ‘This Was A Gift’.
• Ariana Grande has released her new album ‘eternal sunshine (slightly deluxe and also live)’.
• Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne have collaborated on new single ‘Can You Die From A Broken Heart’.
• Niko B has announced his first UK headline tour, including a show at London’s Scala on 10 Dec. Tickets go on general sale this Friday.
• SOFTCULT have announced a UK headline tour, including a show at The Underworld in London on 12 Nov. Tickets are available here.
• Jamie xx has announced a global headline tour. Tickets go on general sale this Friday.