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

Appointments

Legal

Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail

Live

Other Industry News & Events

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