In today's CMU Daily: TikTok Universal drama escalates as Noah Kahan slams collapse of negotiations; RIAA welcomes latest US Notorious Markets report but highlights failure to include "invasive and unlawful voice clones and deepfakes"

One Liners: Blue Raincoat signs Ian Broudie; TuneCore offers free studio time; Warner Music and Sony Music Publishing appointments; FC Barcelona joins FEAT; You Me At Six and Deap Vally to split; new music from Bicep, Fears, Ellen Arkbro & Johan Graden, and Efé

Also today: Night & Day lawyer says Manchester City Council has made "declaration of war" on city's night time industry; Women In CTRL's latest Seat At The Table report shows "concerted efforts lead to powerful change" says founder Nadia Khan

Plus: CMU sits down with Sarah Williams CEO of independent music publishing licensing body IMPEL in our continuing series of interviews looking at challenges and opportunities in the music business in 2024

TikTok accuses Universal of “greed” and “false narrative”, begins removing tracks

TikTok has begun removing tracks delivered to it by Universal Music, following the collapse of licensing negotiations. Universal-signed Noah Kahan has already told his fans that this is impacting on him as a primarily TikTok-focussed artist, while the dispute will have even wider implications if TikTok also begins removing songs controlled by Universal’s publishing division. Because if it does, this will affect tracks recorded by non-Universal acts where Universal Music Publishing controls the song.

"My songs aren't going to be on [here] any more", Kahan observed in a video post on TikTok. "I won't be able to promote my music on TikTok anymore, but luckily I'm not a TikTok artist, right?" he added sarcastically. Currently promoting an upcoming new version of his album 'Stick Season' and accompanying new single 'Forever', he told fans, "You are going to have to pre-save 'Forever' now if you want to listen to it".

After Universal announced yesterday that its existing TikTok deal was expiring and negotiations around a new deal had stalled, the social media firm issued its own statement. It was a lot shorter than that put out by the music company, but it was similarly outspoken.

"It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters", it declared. "Despite Universal's false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent".

Universal’s ‘narrative’ is that it is standing up for its artists and songwriters by refusing to be “bullied” into accepting "a fraction of the rate” paid by TikTok’s rivals. It also stressed that TikTok has failed to deal with its concerns around AI and online safety.

While Universal is ultimately driven by the need to secure deals that are in the best interest of its shareholders, many artists and songwriters also feel that platforms like TikTok have repeatedly underpaid for music, and would therefore support Universal’s fight for a better deal.

Nevertheless, TikTok is also keen to stress that it still has deals with the rest of the music industry, which likewise wants a good rate, and is also concerned about AI and online safety. "TikTok has been able to reach 'artist-first' agreements with every other label and publisher", its statement continued. "Clearly, Universal's self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans".

TikTok's now expired licence from Universal covers songs as well as recordings, or at least those songs published by Universal Music Publishing which are directly licensed by the major (some repertoire is licensed by the collecting societies).

It's initially recordings that will disappear from TikTok's General Music Library. Audio in existing videos that contain those tracks will be muted.

If the stand off between TikTok and Universal Music continues, the social media firm will need to start dealing with the songs too. That will mean removing recordings from other labels that include songs that are published and licensed by Universal Music Publishing, even where the major only controls a minority stake in the copyright.

That could have a big impact on both TikTok and other labels. It also poses some data challenges, in that digital platforms often don't know what specific songs are contained in the recordings delivered to them by record labels and music distributors.

SJM Concerts // PR Coordinator (Manchester)

ICE // Netsuite (ERP), Functionality/System Tester (London)

AEG Presents // Marketing Manager (London)

AEG Presents // Touring Manager (London)

ATG // Senior Regional Programmer - Music & Comedy (London)

Ninja Tune // Product Manager (London/Hybrid)

ONE LINERS

Bicep, You Me At Six, Ian Broudie + more

DEALS

Blue Raincoat Music has signed a publishing deal with Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie covering the “vast majority” of his catalogue. “It is such a thrill to be back working with Ian”, says CEO Jeremy Lascelles. “We enjoyed huge success together back in the 90s with that great succession of hit songs of his. Ian was and remains one of the finest tunesmiths of his generation”.

TuneCore has partnered with Amazon Music to offer independent artists in the UK free recording time at Metropolis Studios’ Studio X. Throughout the year, one act per month will be given two full days in the studio at no cost. “By offering free studio time to emerging artists, we can make a real difference in their recording journey, and help advance their career trajectory”, says TuneCore UK boss Sarah Wilson. “TuneCore are a vital part of the local music community and committed to helping those at a grassroots level”.

APPOINTMENTS

Warner Music UK has hired Natasha Billing as SVP Commercial & Data Insight. The move sees her return to the company, which she previously left in 2010. “I’m delighted to be rejoining Warner Music at an exciting time for the industry and the company”, she says. “I look forward to energising existing and new partner relationships and working with my team and the wider UK company to drive an innovative approach to data strategy and commercial success”.

Sony Music Publishing UK has announced a new hire and two promotions in its A&R department. ZaZa Kazadi joins as Senior A&R Manager, while Adrienne Bookbinder has been promoted to Senior A&R Manager UK & Europe and Nasra Artan becomes Senior European A&R Manager. “Nasra, Adrienne and ZaZa embrace what A&R is in 2024 and we are all looking forward to seeing their achievements in their respective roles”, says co-MD David Ventura.

LIVE BUSINESS

FC Barcelona has become the first sports club to join pan-European anti-ticket touting campaign group FEAT. “We’re delighted to bring FC Barcelona, our first non-music member, on board to continue our fight against unethical ticket resale”, says FEAT’s founding director Neo Sala. “This strengthens our voice, building a united front on the issue across entertainment and live events. In this way, FC Barcelona becoming FEAT’s first sports member, Barcelona will now become FEAT’s official home city, and will host its Annual General Meeting there every year”.

ARTIST NEWS

You Me At Six have announced that they will mark their 20th anniversary next year by splitting up. After the customary farewell tour, of course. “We’re in a fortunate position where our fans still want to see us live and come celebrate the life of this band”, says frontman Josh Franceschi. “So that is what we will do for 2024 and 2025”.

Deap Vally have also announced that they are splitting up, with farewell tour dates in the UK set for the beginning of June. Out today is a re-recorded version of their debut album ‘Sistrionix’, including the single ‘Ain’t Fair (Deap Vally’s Version)’.

RELEASES

Bicep have released ‘Chroma 001 Helium’ - the first track on their new album Chroma. There will also be a series of Chroma AV/DJ performances this summer.

Fears - aka Constance Keane of M(h)aol - has released new single ‘4th Of the 1st’ and announced that she will release new album ‘Affinity’ on 22 Mar.

Ellen Arkbro and Johan Graden have released ‘Postcard Greetings’, an offcut from their album ‘I Get Along With You Very Well’.

Efé is back with new single ‘Truth☆Truth’.

Seat At The Table report on diversity in industry organisations showcases "a powerful signal of the progress and change

Women now make up 52% of board members at the music industry organisations that are part of UK Music, which is an increase from 32% in 2020. This is confirmed in the latest 'Seat At The Table' report produced by Women In CTRL, which has been tracking and championing diversity within the UK music sector’s trade bodies for a number of years.

“Surpassing the 50% representation milestone in the boardroom is a powerful signal of the progress and change resulting from the music industry's recent commitments to inclusivity and diversity", says Women In CTRL Founder Nadia Khan. "It demonstrates that concerted efforts lead to tangible change, and I'm proud of the progress we've collectively achieved".

The report tracks the boards and senior leadership teams at industry organisations AIM, BPI, FAC, Ivors Academy, MMF, MPA, MPG and MU, as well as collecting societies PPL and PRS. Given these organisations represent the interests of people working across the music industry, it’s important they involve a diverse mix of people at board level, so that a wide range of experiences are considered and voices heard when decisions are made.

All the UK Music organisations have been working in recent years to boost diversity at the top. Things like the ‘Seat At The Table’ report put a real focus on those efforts.

👉 Download the full Seat At The Table report from Women In CTRL

Currently, the AIM board has the most women, at 71%. And more than half of the UK Music bodies have boards made up of 50% or more women or non-binary people. Meanwhile, 45% of the organisations have a female CEO, up from 20% in 2021 and 2020. The boards are then headed up by a Chair, 27% of which are women, up from 9% in 2021 and 0% in 2020.

The report also reviews how many women from a global majority background are involved in running the trade bodies, that being defined as "individuals falling under the following categories: black, Asian, mixed/dual heritage or other ethnic groups". 16% of board members - and 18% of Chairs - across the organisations are women from a global majority background. In terms of board membership, that is an increase from 3% in 2020 and 7% in 2021.

Many of the women involved in running the trade organisations - both as board members and in senior executive positions - are interviewed in the report about their experiences, the trends they have seen in recent years, and the challenges that remain.

APPROVED: AMAHLA

Raised in a Caribbean household in Hackney, singer-songwriter Amahla's soulful resonance and velvet vocals lend a gentle touch to weighty themes, marrying melody with meaningful exploration.

Amahla’s latest project 'Enough: The Collection' is a poignant exploration of protest songs for our time. Fueled by a response to racial discrimination, notably inspired by the Derek Chauvin verdict and the Black Lives Matter movement, the lead single 'Enough' epitomises Amahla's adeptness at intertwining impactful narratives with something beautiful. The accompanying music video seamlessly integrates historical footage of black activism, reinforcing the timeless relevance of her message.

Already honoured with the 2019 PRS Lynsey De Paul Prize and endorsed by Nile Rodgers, who advocated for her Ivor Novello Rising Star award nomination, Amahla's trajectory as a standout figure in contemporary British soul is one to watch.

🎧 Listen to ‘Enough’ on YouTube

👉 Explore 'Enough: The Collection'

RIAA welcomes US government's latest piracy reports, but urges a "close look" at voice cloning sites

The Recording Industry Association Of America has welcomed the latest 'Notorious Markets Report' on piracy platforms published by the US government, but also called for “invasive and unlawful voice clones and deepfakes” to become part of the annual piracy list.

The trade group’s SVP International Policy George York said the report - produced by the office of US Trade Representative Katherine Tai - does a good job of documenting websites and internet companies that "undermine the US comparative advantage to the detriment of American workers and creators, causing significant financial losses and eroding the creative sector's massive contributions to the US economy - good jobs, wages, and growth".

However, he also called for “a close look in the future at emerging piracy challenges presented by AI, including the widespread illegal use of copyrighted sound recordings and artist names, images, and likenesses to generate invasive and unlawful voice clones and deepfakes".

👉 Get the Notorious Markets report PDF here

The RIAA did raise its concerns around AI and voice cloning when making its submission to the USTR last October. It highlighted the recent "eruption of unauthorised AI vocal clone services that infringe not only the rights of the artists whose voices are being cloned but also the rights of those that own the sound recordings in each underlying musical track".

With the 'Notorious Markets Report' being focused on piracy sites based outside the US, the RIAA specifically honed in on UK-based Voicify. "This site", it said, "markets itself as the 'number one platform for making high quality AI covers in seconds!' - and includes AI vocal models of sound recording artists”.

While AI-powered voice cloning is not yet on radar of the USTR's piracy monitors, an assortment of other kinds of digital platforms are. That includes torrent websites, unlicensed streaming services, cyberlockers which are used to store copyright infringing content and hosting services that routinely and unapologetically ignore copyright takedown notices.

And the stream-ripping sites that are still at the top of the music industry's piracy gripe list, for now at least, depending on the extent to which the voice cloning fad gains momentum.

Among the sites listed in the report which allow people to grab permanent downloads of temporary streams is ssyoutube, which, the USTR says, "is reportedly the most popular YouTube ripping site globally, with over 343 million visitors just in April 2023. Among other things, stream ripping sites enable users to easily download music video and tracks from YouTube and similar sites".

Setlist Podcast: Apple Music’s “spatial audio bonus” favours major labels

Each week CMU's Andy Malt and Chris Cooke take a look back at the last seven days in the music business with a recap of key stories and news.

On this week's show we discuss how Apple Music's "spatial audio bonus" will benefit major labels to the detriment of independent labels and creators, plus the report finding that on average two grassroots music venues per week closed down in the UK in 2023 – and more.

🎧 Click here to listen - or find Setlist wherever you get your podcasts.

Night & Day noise battle is a “declaration of war” on Manchester’s night time industry

Manchester City Council has made a “declaration of war” on the city’s night time industry with its ongoing legal battle against the Night & Day Café, a lawyer representing the venue in court said this week. The council’s legal rep countered that venue owner Jennifer Smithson has “stamped her feet in the playground” in an effort to get her own way by fighting the case.

The comments were made at the end of the latest three day hearing over a noise abatement notice served against Night & Day in November 2021, which the venue is appealing.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Council lawyer Leo Charalambides said that the venue is “attempting to invite the court to go against centuries of legal tradition and two supreme court judgements” and if the judge was to “join this shangri-la” then the council will “be taking this case further”.

Night & Day’s rep Sarah Clover said that this “threat … to persecute Night and Day all the way up to the Supreme Court” was “a declaration of war by this council, not just on Night & Day, but on the whole of their night time economy at such a desperate time for this industry”.

The notice filed against the Night & Day is based on a single noise complaint from a flat that is now unoccupied. The venue argues that the flat was built - and planning permission approved - without sound proofing, despite the knowledge that the venue could cause issues once occupants moved in. However, they note, the complaint that led to the notice was the only one that had ever been filed since the property was built in 2000.

Clover argued that the ”unjustified” noise complaint should be “quashed” by the judge. For it to stand, she said, “the court must find there is a nuisance now or there is a likely nuisance”. As the flat is currently unoccupied and there have been no other noise complaints, it cannot do either, she said.

On the council side, Charalambides said, “the fact that Jennifer Smithson stamped her feet in the playground and said ‘we were here first and we are going to do what we have always done’ made no difference” to the case.

“There's a special importance that should be attached [to the right to] enjoy … one’s home”, he said. “I am not sure there’s a special importance that should be attached to being able to hear ‘Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This’ while you try to go to sleep”.

District Judge Margaret McCormack said that the court would reconvene to hear her judgement later this month.