Predictably, the nuances of TikTok's deal (or lack thereof) with Universal Music aren't publicly available and will likely remain confidential. But that doesn't mean we lack insight into the deal TikTok sought to secure with the major label. Here's a much closer look at the standoff and its bones of contention. On January 30th, Universal Music Group (UMG) announced the imminent end of its TikTok licensing deal. As described in an open letter, a lowball offer from the short-form app on a new agreement, ... Read More...

After years of investing in lossless and spatial audio, Apple Music and Amazon Music have cemented premium audio as a key part of their offerings. But the market leader, Spotify, is still plotting its entry into high-definition and spatial audio, raising questions about the streaming landscape’s trajectory in 2024 and beyond. Nearly three years have passed since Apple Music and Amazon Music announced (on the same day) far-reaching premium audio expansions, extending both to spatial audio and lossless f... Read More...

During 2021 and 2022, capital rushed into non-fungible token (NFT), cryptocurrency/blockchain, metaverse, and wider music Web3 startups in the music industry. But how are these businesses faring amid dramatic funding and market changes? Following the hype surrounding music Web3 startups and their vast capital raises, how are these companies doing? With a quick-moving media cycle often skipping to the next story, a number of underperforming Web3 companies have been flying under the radar. But that do... Read More...

The rapid development of MENA’s collective music space, far from being a secret, has driven more than a few industry conversations and investments in recent years. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the region’s recorded music sphere grew 23.8% year over year (YoY) during 2022, with 95.5% of revenue attributable to streaming. MENA — short for Middle East/North Africa — is an acronym getting a lot more play in music industry discussions these days. But what... Read More...

For a company that has never made an annual profit and accumulated losses of over $4 billion over the years, we dive into the details to decode whether Spotify’s latest moves — layoffs, podcast cuts, trimmed operational costs and raised subscription prices — can finally lead to an ecosystem in which the streaming market leader can be profitable. In our latest DMN Pro Weekly research report, we take a closer look at the prospects of Spotify becoming profitable in 2024 and beyond. Report Table of Conten... Read More...

Despite the beginnings of a potentially serious correction in music IP valuations, music industry funding in 2023 added up to more than twice the amount poured into music in 2022. It’s raining investments and funding for all things music — whether it’s music AI, live show ticketing platforms, catalog financing, or creator collaboration tools. But what’s really driving the gains, and how long will this party last? In 2023, music tech startups and companies collectively fattened their coffers with almost... Read More...

In our latest DMN Pro Weekly Report, guest author Jeff Price offers an exhaustive breakdown of Spotify’s updated payout structure for sound recording royalties — and what if means for everyone in the music industry food chain. The most remarkable takeaway from this report? For Spotify, the percentage of total revenue allocated to sound recording royalties doesn’t decrease when its new model rolls out in 2024’s Q1. So Spotify’s bottom line won't benefit from the revamp. But rising, developing, and in... Read More...

In our latest DMN Pro Weekly Report, we delve into the complex web of companies known as 'Hipgnosis,' while previewing a legal battle between Hipgnosis entities (past and present) that promises to be ugly. Can the once high-flying Hipgnosis Songs Fund survive this latest attack without serious long-term damage? On November 23rd, Hipgnosis Songs Fund confirmed that it had been served with a lawsuit from the liquidators of the long-shuttered Hipgnosis Music. Regardless of the legal battle’s event... Read More...

In our latest DMN Pro Weekly Report, we pick apart the tangled string of recent events surrounding generative AI voice cloning. Are we on a journey towards ‘generating’ an entirely new music ecosystem? And if so, what are the mechanics governing artist copyright and compensation in this new environment? Despite the AI technology’s scary first steps into the music industry and multiple copyright infringement lawsuits filed against AI companies, are we also witnessing a general theme of acceptance slowly... Read More...

In our latest DMN Pro weekly analytical report, we take a closer look at investor sentiment surrounding Warner Music Group and the company's retreaded vision under CEO Robert Kyncl. WMG is the perennial number three after Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, but what's in store for 2024? During his first 11 months as CEO of Warner Music Group (WMG), Robert Kyncl made a series of moves that he says will ultimately help the smallest of the Big Three labels to thrive. Despite these assuranc... Read More...

Late last month, following several far-from-ideal developments for Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF), investors voted overwhelmingly against the Merck Mercuriadis-founded operation’s continuation. In this in-depth report, we look at what led to the fund’s current predicament and what may come next. In our latest DMN Pro weekly analytical report, we take a closer look at the slow-motion train wreck in music IP: Hipgnosis Songs Fund. This includes a detailed look at the events leading up to the cu... Read More...

In our latest DMN Pro Weekly deep-dive, we track the dizzying developments surrounding the music industry's potential shifts in streaming platform compensation and catalog the proposed changes across both user- and artist-centric compensation methods. Critical players in this report include Deezer, Universal Music Group, Spotify, Believe, AIM, A2IM, SACEM, Wagram Music, and Stem Disintermedia. Report Table of Contents 1. Artist Centric Royalties: A Bigger Cut? Universal Music Group and Deezer partner... Read More...