From Anghami’s 200,000 AI-generated songs to the most recent copyright infringement lawsuit in opposition to a US ISP… it’s MBW’s Weekly Spherical-Up

Welcome to Music Business Worldwide’s weekly round-up – the place we ensure that you caught the 5 largest tales to hit our headlines over the previous seven days. MBW’s round-up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximise their earnings and scale back their touring prices.

This week introduced information of a brand new copyright infringement lawsuit filed in opposition to an ISP within the US by a bunch of music firms together with BMG, Universal Music and Concord Music Group.

The web service supplier is Altice USA, which owns the Optimum broadband and cable model. Altice says it has greater than 5 million clients in 21 US states.

The lawsuit claims that Altice “knowingly contributed to and earned substantial income from, copyright infringement dedicated by hundreds of its subscribers”.

It provides: “The infringement that Altice has abided, profited from, and materially contributed to has injured Plaintiffs, their recording artists and songwriters, and others whose livelihoods rely on the right licensing of music”.

MBW additionally reported this week that Sony Music-owned Extremely Information is suing Patrick Moxey’s 18-year-old unbiased publishing firm.

The lawsuit facilities round Moxey’s continued use of the ‘Extremely’ title for his unbiased publishing firm, Extremely Worldwide Music Publishing, LLC, which was first integrated within the US in August 2004.

Additionally this week, MENA-focused Spotify rival, Anghami claimed that it’s going to quickly change into the primary platform to host over 200,000 songs generated by Synthetic Intelligence.

Anghami has partnered with a generative music platform known as Mubert, which says it permits customers to create “distinctive soundtracks” for numerous makes use of resembling social media, shows or movies utilizing one million samples from over 4,000 musicians.

The partnership between the 2 firms relies round an in-app activation to create so-called “musical soccer cheers”. In line with Mohammed Ogaily, VP Product at Anghami, the service has already “generated over 170,000 songs, based mostly on three units of lyrics, three skills, and 2,000 tracks generated by AI”.

Elsewhere, Litmus Music acquired Keith City’s grasp recordings catalog, whereas Midia Analysis estimated that there have been 616.2 million subscribers to music streaming providers on the finish of H1 2022.

Right here’s what occurred this week…

1) MUSIC COMPANIES HIT INTERNET SERVICE OPERATOR ALTICE USA WITH $1BN COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT LAWSUIT

Web service operator Altice, which owns the Optimum broadband and cable model, has change into the most recent US IP to be hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit alleging a number of incidents of music piracy.

Claimed to be one of many “largest connectivity suppliers within the US”, web supplier Altice USA has greater than 5 million clients in 2021 states.

The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday (December 14) in Texas by various rightsholders, together with BMG, in addition to Common Music, Capitol Information and Harmony Music Group.

They’re suing Optimum’s proprietor over “tens of millions” of alleged infringements of “hundreds” of their songs…

2) A YEAR AGO, PATRICK MOXEY SOLD ULTRA RECORDS TO SONY MUSIC. NOW THE LABEL IS SUING HIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.

In December 2021, Sony Music absolutely acquired Extremely Information from Patrick Moxey. Now, Sony-owned Extremely Information is suing Moxey’s 18-year-old unbiased publishing firm.

The lawsuit, obtained by MBW, was filed within the US by Extremely Information LLC (an entity absolutely owned by Sony Music) final month.

It facilities round Moxey’s continued use of the ‘Extremely’ title for his unbiased publishing firm, Extremely Worldwide Music Publishing, LLC, which was first integrated within the US in August 2004…

3) ANOTHER MUSIC STREAMING SERVICE IS MAKING ITS OWN AI-GENERATED SONGS – AND IT’S ON COURSE TO CREATE OVER 200,000 OF THEM.

How would main music rightsholders react if the businesses behind platforms like Spotify, TikTok or YouTube began creating a whole bunch of hundreds of songs through AI expertise – after which hosted and promoted these tracks on their providers?

It’s a query that’s wanting an increasing number of prefer it would possibly sooner or later require a solution.
Final month, MBW reported that Tencent Music Leisure (TME) – the proprietor of China’s largest music streaming platforms – had created and launched over 1,000 tracks containing vocals created by its personal AI tech that mimics the human voice.

One in every of these tracks, in keeping with TME, has even surpassed 100 million streams.

On Thursday (December 15), we realized that Tencent isn’t the one vital music streaming supplier that’s began creating stacks of songs created by synthetic intelligence.

MENA-focused Spotify rival, Anghami, is now taking the idea to a complete different degree – claiming that it’s going to quickly change into the primary platform to host over 200,000 songs generated by AI…

4) KEITH URBAN SELLS RECORDINGS CATALOG TO $500M-BACKED LITMUS MUSIC

Litmus Music has acquired Keith City’s grasp recordings catalog.

The deal consists of ten multi-platinum, platinum or gold-certified studio albums and a best hits compilation. Among the many catalog’s highlights are 24 No.1 songs and 36 consecutive High 5s.

Launched in August, New York-based Litmus was co-founded by Hank Forsyth and Dan McCarroll in partnership with Carlyle International Credit score, which initially dedicated $500 million in each fairness and debt…

5) MUSIC NOW HAS OVER 616 MILLION PAYING STREAMING SUBSCRIBERS GLOBALLY

There have been 616.2 million subscribers to music streaming providers on the finish of H1 2022, in keeping with new estimates from Midia Analysis.

That was up 17.6% – or by 92.3 million – on the 523.9 million world subscribers that Midia counted on the similar half-year level of 2021.

And though that YoY subs progress margin (+92.3m) slowed in comparison with the identical improve within the prior 12 months (H1 2020 to H1 2021, +109.5m), it maybe didn’t decelerate fairly as a lot as many feared… particularly amid this 12 months’s wider macroeconomic pressures.

One purpose for that, suggests Midia, is China: In This fall 2021, the analysis agency estimates, Tencent Music Leisure (TME) overtook Amazon Music to change into the third-largest DSP globally.

In Q2 2022, says Midia, TME had 82.7 million subscribers, representing a 13.4% world market share…

MBW’s Weekly Round-Up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximise their income and reduce their touring costs.Music Enterprise Worldwide