Category: Uncategorized

Merlin, the global digital rights agency for the world’s independent label sector, has struck a deal with TREBEL, a free, licensed, music streaming app. The service, which offers on-demand and offline play at no cost to its users, sponsored by brand advertisers, recently filed for an IPO in the United States. Source: Merlin strikes strategic partnership with free Read More …

The US Copyright Office has published a list of new exemptions to the DMCA’s anti-circumvention rules. Several new freedoms were granted this round, including broader right to repair permissions. The right to jailbreak also expanded to include streaming TV devices such as Roku and Apple TV boxes, despite Hollywood fears that this will boost piracy. Read More …

Well, it’s official. After 17 years of being called Facebook, the social networking parent company behind Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus has a new name. Facebook’s corporate entity is now Meta. Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg announced the change at the company’s AR/VR-focused Connect event, sharing that the new title captured more of the company’s core Read More …

Universal Music Group reported double-digit revenue growth in Q3 2021, enjoying major boosts in publishing, streaming, and physical sales. Predictably, and in keeping with UMG’s Q1 and Q2 2021 income breakdowns – as well as those of Warner Music, Sony Music, and the broader music industry – “subscription and streaming” accounted for the lion’s share of revenue, at €1.13 billion Read More …

The valuation explosion we’ve seen in music rights is happening in another segment too, it seems: DIY distribution. In August, US-based DIY distribution platform DistroKid accepted an investment from Insight Partners, valuing it at $1.3 billion. Now, a rival to DistroKid, Steve Stoute’s UnitedMasters – has locked in its own princely valuation. Source: UnitedMasters valued at $550m, after raising Read More …