This week, Suno announced a global licensing deal with BMG, establishing a strategic framework covering BMG’s recorded music and music publishing repertoire.
Meanwhile, after striking deals with Universal Music Group and Merlin, Spotify signed an agreement with Kobalt to power AI-generated, fan-made covers and remixes.
Also this week, Suno announced new download limits for its subscribers, with Pro users restricted to 20 song downloads per month and Premier users to 60. The company said the changes are designed to prevent ‘bad actors from mass-exporting music’.
Elsewhere, Merch Traffic, Live Nation’s merchandise business, sued online sellers it accuses of selling counterfeit merchandise from artists including Nirvana and Bruno Mars.
Plus, Spotify rolled out an AI-persona label to flag AI-generated artists and keep them out of recommendations by default.
1. Suno inks global licensing deal with BMG, ahead of launching new music model
Suno has another feather in its cap.
The AI music-making platform has on Wednesday (August 12) co-announced a new deal with BMG, described in a press release from the music company as a “global alliance that establishes a strategic framework covering BMG’s recorded and music publishing repertoire.”
The release nods at an opt-in element for BMG’s roster, adding: “The agreement ensures that BMG artists and songwriters who choose to participate have their rights protected and are compensated for their music, while also settling prior use of BMG recordings and publishing works.” (MBW)
2. After Universal and Merlin deals, Spotify inks agreement with Kobalt for AI-powered ‘fan-made’ covers and remixes
Spotify has signed a licensing agreement with Kobalt covering its upcoming AI-powered covers and remixes tool.
It’s Spotify’s first deal for the tool with a music publisher outside of Universal Music Group.
The Kobalt agreement, announced on Thursday (August 13), follows the deal Spotify struck with Merlin on August 4. (MBW)
3. Suno limits Pro subscribers to 20 song downloads per month, while promising new models ‘developed in partnership with the music industry’
Suno is capping the number of songs its users can download from its AI music platform.
From September 3, the two categories of paying Suno subscribers will see their allowances dramatically change:
Pro subscribers, who pay USD $8–$10 a month, will be capped at 20 monthly song downloads. Currently, Pro subscribers have no download limit and are granted 2,500 song credits per month. (MBW)
4. Live Nation’s Merch Traffic sues online sellers over counterfeit Nirvana, Bruno Mars merch
Merch Traffic, a subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment, has filed a trademark lawsuit against a group of anonymous online sellers it accuses of selling counterfeit merchandise for artists including Nirvana, Bruno Mars, The Notorious B.I.G. and more.
The complaint was filed on August 5 in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
It names as defendants a set of e-commerce operators identified only on a “Schedule A” attached to the filing, which the company says use seller aliases to hide their identities. (MBW)
5. Spotify to label AI artists with new ‘AI Persona’ badge – and keep their music out of recommendations by default
Spotify is cracking down on profiles of artists whose identities are generated by artificial intelligence.
The streaming platform is introducing a badge that flags artist profiles built around an AI-generated identity as “AI Personas”.
The label is designed to tell listeners that an artist’s identity “may be AI-generated and does not represent a real person”, according to Spotify. (MBW)
Partner message: MBW’s Weekly Round-up is supported by BMI, the global leader in performing rights management, dedicated to supporting songwriters, composers and publishers and championing the value of music. Find out more about BMI here. Music Business Worldwide
