Music Business Worldwide

Sound designers and SFX libraries launch Professional Sound Alliance to fight AI scraping: ‘Now sound will have protection of our own’

Mandy Dalugdug — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:00:54 +0000

The Alliance says it was formed in response to two forms of unauthorized use, which it calls Data Piracy and Sync Piracy.

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LANDR expands AI fraud detection built with machine learning lab Mila – and says artificial streams flagged by Spotify for music it distributes fell 95% between Q1 2025 and Q2 2026

Murray Stassen — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:44:52 +0000

Distribution and music creation platform expands streaming fraud detection system

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Over 50% of a major streaming service’s tracks come from DistroKid – and other revelations from UMG’s lawsuit

Tim Ingham — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:22:02 +0000

UMG's lawsuit accuses the DIY distributor of "deceptive trade practices and blatant copyright infringement", and of flooding streaming services with AI-generated "slop.

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Spotify has set out how it works inside Muse, Meta’s personal AI agent

Mandy Dalugdug — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:31:15 +0000

Listeners who connect the two services can ask Muse to play audio, save songs, and build playlists on Spotify through a conversation with the agent.

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Spotify adds share cards, setlist playlists, and a new in-app destination to its Reserved ticketing feature

Mandy Dalugdug — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:30:11 +0000

Ticket holders will get pre- and post-show setlist playlists and a single in-app destination for their Reserved content.

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Sam Smith and Normani must face a jury over Dancing with a Stranger as judge refuses to end copyright case

Mandy Dalugdug — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:29:41 +0000

The decision points the case toward a jury trial, four and a half years after it was filed by Sound and Color, LLC.

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Partisan acquires Firebird’s interest in indie pubco OTM Music, merges it with its Left Music publishing arm

Mandy Dalugdug — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:55:40 +0000

As part of the merger, OTM will incorporate the team and roster of Left Music, the publishing company Partisan set up with Craig Michie in 2022.

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Erik Wahlberg appointed CEO of Epidemic Group, as Sara Börsvik takes on joint COO and CFO role

Murray Stassen — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:19:50 +0000

Epidemic Group, the parent company of Epidemic Sound, has named Erik Wahlberg as its Chief Executive Officer. Wahlberg is the founder and CEO of Blenda Labs, a Stockholm video production technology company that Epidemic Group bought in July 2026. He takes over from Sara Börsvik, who moves from interim CEO into the joint role of … Continued

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‘As an industry, we’ve confused followers with community.’

Tim Ingham — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 18:13:35 +0000

Monotone founder Ian Montone – manager of Jack White, Vampire Weekend, LCD Soundsystem, and more – on the flattening of culture, the catalog gold rush, the impact of AI, and what humankind is actually searching for...

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Operation LUMEN targets 317 music piracy sites reaching 5.4 million visitors across Latin America

Murray Stassen — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 16:55:04 +0000

IFPI says the operation brings together authorities from Peru, Paraguay, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador

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