https://wearethemusicmakers.co/latest Music tech and AI in music: the news that matters, what we think about it, and a directory of the tools. en-us Mon, 26 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/merch-commission-explained-100-percent-venues https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/merch-commission-explained-100-percent-venues Some venues take 25% or more of an artist's gross merch sales, sometimes with VAT on top. The Featured Artists Coalition says more than 700 UK venues charging nothing have joined its 100% Venues directory. Most grassroots rooms never charged, though, so the real fight is at bigger and corporate venues, and the best tool an artist has there is a rate agreed in writing before the show. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowstouringmerchartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/music-lawyer-when-you-need-one https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/music-lawyer-when-you-need-one Most independent artists do not need a lawyer for every release, but a few moments justify one every time: signing anything with a term of years, assigning copyright, and disputes you might take to court. This guide covers those triggers, the main ways lawyers charge, the rules that limit how they can charge in the US and India, and how to prepare so you pay for judgement rather than reading time. Laws and rules checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsrecord-dealscopyrightworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/copyright-registration-india-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/copyright-registration-india-music A recorded song is its own copyright in India, separate from the composition and the lyrics, and its author is the producer. This guide covers what the Copyright Office expects when you register a master: one application per track, Rs 2,000 per recording, consent from everyone who played or sang on it, and a 60-year term. Sources read on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers copyrightindiaregistrationartist-rightsworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/eu-ai-act-for-musicians https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/eu-ai-act-for-musicians The EU AI Act does three things a musician should know about: it makes general-purpose AI providers keep a copyright policy and publish a summary of their training content, it requires deepfake audio to be disclosed and AI output to carry machine-readable marks, and it points rightsholders to the EU text-and-data-mining opt-out. This guide sets out what each rule says, when it applies, and what it does not do, from the regulation text and European Commission pages read on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers eu-ai-actai-musicartist-rightscopyrightai-training https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/music-copyright-registration-us https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/music-copyright-registration-us A song and a recording of it are two separate works for US copyright purposes. This guide explains which application covers which, when one application can cover both, the group options for albums and unpublished batches, and what each costs now and under the fee schedule that can take effect from 11 November 2026. Sources: the US Copyright Office and 17 U.S.C., read on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers copyrightcopyright-officeregistrationartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/content-credentials-c2pa-for-audio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/content-credentials-c2pa-for-audio Content Credentials are signed provenance records, built on the open C2PA standard, that can travel inside WAV, MP3, FLAC and M4A files. Here is what a credential actually records, how to check one, which tools read them today, and the limits every artist should understand before relying on one. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers provenanceaimetadataartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/opt-out-of-ai-training https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/opt-out-of-ai-training EU law lets you reserve your music from commercial text and data mining, but only if you say so in a way a machine can read. Here is what the law says, what robots.txt, TDMRep and written notices each do, where they fall short, and the order we would set them up in. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiai-trainingopt-outcopyrightartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/reservoir-billy-strayhorn-publishing-nil-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/reservoir-billy-strayhorn-publishing-nil-rights In one week Reservoir bought Billy Strayhorn's publishing with a share of his name, image and likeness rights, then José Feliciano's recorded catalogue with non-exclusive likeness rights. Neither announcement mentions AI, but a likeness is now worth owning because of what AI can do with it. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrycatalogue-dealsreservoirartist-rightsvoice-rightsestates https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/record-deal-red-flags https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/record-deal-red-flags Three parts of a contract decide most of what an artist gives away: how long it lasts, how the money flows back to the label, and what the other side may do with your recordings and voice in an AI model. Here is what to look for in each, the laws that already limit some of them, and the questions to ask before you sign, as we read the sources on 24 Oct 2026. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers record-dealsartist-rightscopyrightai-musicdistribution https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/ai-music-lawsuits-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/ai-music-lawsuits-explained Labels, publishers and collecting societies have sued Suno, Udio and Anthropic, and independent artists have filed class actions of their own. This page lists 23 major lawsuits, in 21 rows, with their status as of 23 Oct 2026, explains the four legal questions they turn on, and sets out what each outcome would mean for independent musicians. Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers legallawsuitscopyrightai-musicartist-rightssunoudio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/opinion/open-weights-vs-closed-apps-ai-music-model-licences https://wearethemusicmakers.co/opinion/open-weights-vs-closed-apps-ai-music-model-licences Stable Audio 3, Lyria 3, Suno v6, ElevenLabs' music products and Udio all describe themselves as responsible about rights, but their terms differ sharply on who owns the output, whether you can release it, and whether your own creations become training data. We read each vendor's terms. Here is what they actually say. Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsai-musiclicensingopen-weights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/us-copyright-fees-11-november-register-now https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/us-copyright-fees-11-november-register-now The US Copyright Office can bring in its new fee schedule from 11 November 2026. Registering an album of sound recordings doubles from $65 to $130. If you self-release music in the US, you have under three weeks to register your backlog at current prices, and singles-first artists stand to lose the most. Fri, 23 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightcopyright-officeregistration https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/arooj-aftab-two-payment-rule-ai-training https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/arooj-aftab-two-payment-rule-ai-training The Grammy-winning singer says musicians are owed twice, once for training and again for every new track an AI makes from what it learned. That goes further than the union statement she was resharing, and further than CISAC's president, but one collective licence in Sweden already pays at both points. Fri, 23 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsai-musicai-traininglicensingumaw https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/india-ai-voice-cloning-personality-rights-dpiit-licence-stalled https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/india-ai-voice-cloning-personality-rights-dpiit-licence-stalled Bombay High Court orders have shielded Arijit Singh and Asha Bhosle from AI voice clones, but the government committee drafting India's AI-copyright rules has not met since June, and its plan would let AI firms train on recordings without permission. Famous voices have a remedy; everyone else is waiting. Thu, 22 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsindiavoice-cloningcopyrightai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/concord-v-anthropic-fair-use-hearing-lyrics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/concord-v-anthropic-fair-use-hearing-lyrics Music publishers and Anthropic argued cross-motions for summary judgment over Claude and song lyrics on 21 Oct 2026, with no ruling yet. The publishers are testing "market dilution", the theory that AI-written lyrics compete with human songwriters, which one 2025 ruling dismissed and another said could win. Thu, 22 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aicopyrightlawsuitssongwritersartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/chappell-roan-shrine-benefit-labels-health-insurance https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/chappell-roan-shrine-benefit-labels-health-insurance Chappell Roan's two Super Graphic Spectacular shows at LA's Shrine Auditorium on 21 and 22 October raise money for her Midwest Princess Project. Twenty months after she told labels at the Grammys to give developing artists a living wage and health insurance, artists are still the ones writing the cheques. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryartist-rightschappell-roanhealth-insurancelabels https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ai-music-video-controversies-fontaines-rodrigo-downing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ai-music-video-controversies-fontaines-rodrigo-downing Fontaines D.C. say a VFX team used AI on "Marianne" without telling them, their label or management. Olivia Rodrigo's art team posted hand-drawn work to answer AI claims, and K.K. Downing defends an AI recreation of his younger self. Artists now carry the reputational risk of supply-chain choices they often never see. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsai-musicmusic-videoscontracts https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/reservoir-sues-suno-anthropic-licensing-deals-evidence https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/reservoir-sues-suno-anthropic-licensing-deals-evidence Reservoir Media has sued Suno over 1,050 songs and Anthropic over 853, asking for about $338 million in total. Its sharpest argument is that Suno's deals with Warner, BMG and Believe prove a market for training licences exists. That helps rights owners win; whether it pays songwriters is a separate question. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers legalsunoanthropicai-musicartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/daisy-the-great-ai-soundalike-ad https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/daisy-the-great-ai-soundalike-ad Daisy the Great say an app called ADHD Vision has spent months running ads with an AI-made track that keeps the melody of "The Record Player Song" and swaps in new lyrics. The law already covers a copied melody. What indie acts lack is a fast, cheap way to get an ad taken down. Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsai-musiccopyrightadvertising https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/afm-human-made-human-paid-srla-talks https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/afm-human-made-human-paid-srla-talks The American Federation of Musicians wants consent, credit and pay for AI training written into its next contract with Universal, Sony, Warner and Hollywood Records, which covers major-label recordings in the US and Canada. Talks resume on 3 November, while the union's lawsuit over the labels' Suno and Udio deals waits for a ruling. Tue, 20 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsai-musiclaborsession-musicianslabels https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/australia-ai-copyright-outlier-icmp-warning https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/australia-ai-copyright-outlier-icmp-warning The International Confederation of Music Publishers says 62 countries have weighed loosening copyright for AI training and Australia now looks like the only one still considering it. It says Gemini can reproduce lyrics by Kylie Minogue, G-Flip and Nick Cave. A parliamentary committee is due to report by 30 November, so Australian artists have weeks to be heard. Mon, 19 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightai-trainingaustraliapolicy https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/vetter-resnik-worldwide-termination-supreme-court-quorum https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/vetter-resnik-worldwide-termination-supreme-court-quorum With four justices sitting out, the Supreme Court had no quorum and automatically affirmed the Fifth Circuit's ruling that a US copyright termination recaptures a songwriter's worldwide rights. It is a real win for writers in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, but it sets no national precedent and foreign courts still apply their own law. Sat, 17 Oct 2026 16:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrighttermination-rightssongwriterspublishing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/italy-ai-law-human-authorship-producers https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/italy-ai-law-human-authorship-producers Italy's AI law, Law No. 132 of 2025, amended the country's copyright act so that only works of human intellect are protected, including AI-assisted works that are "the result of the author's intellectual work". It also made spreading harmful AI-faked voices a crime. The law doesn't say how much human input is enough, so the evidence a producer keeps becomes the practical safeguard. Sat, 17 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musiccopyrightartist-rightsdeepfakeshuman-authorshipitaly https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/living-wage-for-musicians-act-hr-5664-stuck-in-committee https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/living-wage-for-musicians-act-hr-5664-stuck-in-committee H.R. 5664 would add a fee of half the subscription price, between $4 and $10, to every music streaming subscription and take 10% of streamers' other music revenue, then pay the money straight to human recording artists, capped at a million streams per track a month. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee on 30 September 2025, and Congress.gov shows no action since. Sat, 17 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsstreamingroyaltiespolicy https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/american-music-fairness-act-stalled-am-fm-radio-royalty https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/american-music-fairness-act-stalled-am-fm-radio-royalty The American Music Fairness Act would make AM and FM stations pay performers and labels for the recordings they play, as satellite and internet radio already must. As of 23 Oct 2026 neither the Senate nor the House bill has gone beyond committee referral, despite a Senate hearing in December 2025. A resolution opposing any new radio fee has more than 230 House cosponsors. Fri, 16 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsradioroyaltiessoundexchangeus-congress https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/copyright-office-ai-training-report-still-pre-publication https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/copyright-office-ai-training-report-still-pre-publication The US Copyright Office's report on generative AI training, released as a "pre-publication version" on 9 May 2025, has never been finalised. Its view that some training is fair use and some isn't, and that market dilution is real harm, is the closest thing music has to an official US position. Litigants cite it, the Justice Department attacks it, and the two big 2025 rulings didn't cite it at all. Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ailegalcopyrightfair-usetraining-dataartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/reinier-zonneveld-gaslab-credited-compensated-ai https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/reinier-zonneveld-gaslab-credited-compensated-ai The Dutch techno DJ has raised a $1M pre-seed round for GasLab, an AI music platform that says it trains only on music from consenting artists and labels and pays them according to an attribution record. It is an artist-founded answer to scraped AI, but no split, audit or consent terms have been published yet. Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicgaslabattributionfundingartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ftc-ticketmaster-bots-act-case-survives-dismissal https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ftc-ticketmaster-bots-act-case-survives-dismissal On 28 September 2026 a federal judge in Los Angeles refused to throw out the FTC and seven states' case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster over broker-friendly ticket limits and drip pricing. That isn't a finding that the companies broke the law. It does let the case go ahead on the theory that a ticket platform can be liable under the BOTS Act for reselling tickets brokers got around its limits to buy, and that theory is the part of the ruling artists should care about. Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryticketingbots-actticketmasterartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/brazil-ai-bill-pl-2338-training-opt-out-remuneration-stalled https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/brazil-ai-bill-pl-2338-training-opt-out-remuneration-stalled Brazil's Senate passed PL 2338/2023 in December 2024 with a copyright chapter that lets rightsholders forbid AI training on their work and requires AI developers to pay for what they use. The Chamber of Deputies' special committee has held no meetings in 2026, and the rapporteur now expects a vote only after the October elections. Thu, 15 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsaibrazilcopyrightai-trainingregulation https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ai-native-labels-soundbreak-finesse2tymes-grai-massivemusic https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ai-native-labels-soundbreak-finesse2tymes-grai-massivemusic GRAI signed two deals with Songtradr's MassiveMusic on 15 Oct 2026, one to stream catalogue and one to train a model on an opt-in dataset. SoundBreak was reported to be adding Memphis rapper Finesse2Tymes as an AI co-writer. AI companies are taking on label jobs, and the consent sits with whoever holds the rights, not always the artist. Thu, 15 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryai-musiclicensingartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/heart-on-my-sleeve-ghostwriter-three-years-on https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/heart-on-my-sleeve-ghostwriter-three-years-on In April 2023 an anonymous producer called Ghostwriter put out a song with AI voices made to sound like Drake and the Weeknd, and it was gone from the streaming services within days; on YouTube, Universal's claim reportedly rested on a producer tag rather than on the voices. Since then labels have sued AI companies and then licensed them, and platforms have written voice-clone rules. The idea Ghostwriter pitched, licensed voices with a revenue split, is now the business model. It's just not his. Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiartist-rightsai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/rocketship-predicts-song-audience-before-release https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/rocketship-predicts-song-audience-before-release Rocketship, which scores an unreleased track against a catalogue of past hits to profile its likely audience, has come out of beta with one free song per new user. The FAQ says your upload is never used to train AI; the terms and privacy policy make a narrower promise, and keep derived data indefinitely. Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers music-techai-musicmusic-marketingartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ai-music-licence-anatomy-udio-suno-settlements https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ai-music-licence-anatomy-udio-suno-settlements Universal and Warner settled with Udio, and Warner with Suno, on a shared template: retrain on licensed music, let artists opt in their voice and likeness, and control what leaves the platform. The public terms don't say what any of it costs, how revenue is split, or how money reaches an individual artist. Wed, 14 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiai-musicsunoudiolicensingartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/uk-music-creators-ai-consent-payment-voice-rights-producers https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/uk-music-creators-ai-consent-payment-voice-rights-producers UK Music's This Is Music 2025 report asked music creators what they think about AI. Big majorities want consent, payment, labelling and voice rights. The producers, the group most likely to use AI tools and most positive about them, back consent and payment almost as strongly as everyone else, so using AI and opposing unlicensed training are not in conflict. Sat, 10 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicartist-rightscopyrightpersonality-rightsukuk-musicmusicians-union https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/holly-herndon-holly-plus-governed-voice-consent-tools https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/holly-herndon-holly-plus-governed-voice-consent-tools In July 2021 Holly Herndon released Holly+, a voice instrument trained on her isolated vocals, with a plan for token holders to approve official uses and share the money. A year later she and Mat Dryhurst co-founded Spawning, whose "Have I Been Trained?" opt-out became one of the most widely used opt-out tools in AI. The first idea asked permission up front; the second asked artists to object. Five years on, the first is still the better template. Sat, 10 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiartist-rightsvoiceholly-herndonspawning https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/mexico-ai-voice-cloning-performers-consent-law https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/mexico-ai-voice-cloning-performers-consent-law Mexico changed its Federal Copyright Law and Federal Labor Law in May 2026. A performer's voice and image are now protected against AI clones, a payment for one use no longer counts as consent to others, and work contracts must set the terms and pay for any AI use. This is already law, not a bill, but the exceptions are worded more loosely than the headlines suggest. Fri, 09 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsai-musicvoice-cloningcopyrightmexico https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/us-state-digital-replica-laws-musicians-california-new-york-illinois https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/us-state-digital-replica-laws-musicians-california-new-york-illinois California, New York, Illinois and Tennessee are among the US states with AI-era rules on copies of a performer's voice, and they work in different ways. California and New York kill vague replica clauses in contracts, California also requires estate consent for replicas of dead performers, and Illinois makes it unlawful to knowingly distribute an unauthorised replica. Here is what each statute says, where they differ, and a checklist for your next contract. Fri, 09 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsdigital-replicasvoice-rightscontracts https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/denmark-deepfake-bill-l49-consent-burden-of-proof https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/denmark-deepfake-bill-l49-consent-burden-of-proof Denmark's culture minister tabled bill L 49 on 8 Oct 2026. It would bar sharing realistic digital imitations of a person's voice, face or other features, or of a performer's performance, without consent, from 1 Jan 2027. It is not law yet. The detail that matters most for singers is in the explanatory notes: the person who publishes the imitation has to prove consent. Thu, 08 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsdeepfakesvoice-cloningcopyrightdenmarkpolicy https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/bandcamp-ai-ban-nine-months-boy-george https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/bandcamp-ai-ban-nine-months-boy-george Bandcamp banned music made "wholly or in substantial part" by AI in January. Since then, a project whose bio credited Suno stayed up until a newsroom asked about it, and Boy George's AI-assisted song was pulled with his profile. A human-only store is worth having, but artists need a published standard, notice and an appeal route. Wed, 07 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsbandcampai-musicmoderation https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/italy-agcm-suno-terms-of-service https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/italy-agcm-suno-terms-of-service Italy's competition and consumer authority (AGCM) has opened an unfair-terms investigation into Suno, case CV278. It flags six groups of clauses, including a moral-rights waiver, a vague copyright licence, unilateral price and service changes, and US arbitration. Nothing has been found illegal yet, but these are the clauses most creators never read. Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightssunoterms-of-serviceconsumer-lawitalyai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/sony-260000-deepfake-takedowns-indies https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/sony-260000-deepfake-takedowns-indies Sony Music has now asked platforms to remove more than 260,000 AI tracks imitating its artists, up from 135,000 at the end of March. That is roughly 20,000 requests a month, which is a full-time enforcement operation. An independent artist facing the same impersonation has a report form, a distributor and their own spare time. Mon, 05 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsai-musicdeepfakessony-musicspotify https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/what-copyright-protects-in-a-song-ai-sounds-like-era https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/what-copyright-protects-in-a-song-ai-sounds-like-era Read together, the Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran and Mariah Carey cases draw a clear line in US law: a melody and an original selection and arrangement of elements can be owned, while scales, common chord progressions, rhythms and genre clichés can't. Style isn't copyrightable either. For producers working with reference tracks and AI, that makes the singer's voice a bigger risk than the vibe. Sun, 04 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowscopyrightai-musicartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/suno-speech-beta-voiceover-narration https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/suno-speech-beta-voiceover-narration Suno opened a public beta of Speech on 1 Oct 2026, a model that generates a spoken voice and an original score as one track. It is the company's first speech product since Bark, and it points straight at narration, meditation and voiceover, the steady work that pays many musicians' and voice actors' bills. Suno hasn't said where the voices come from. Thu, 01 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers releasessunoai-musicvoiceartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/no-fakes-act-cruz-delay https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/no-fakes-act-cruz-delay Ted Cruz objected when Marsha Blackburn asked the Senate to pass the NO FAKES Act by unanimous consent on 30 Sep, so the first federal right over your own voice and likeness now waits for a short post-election session. Until then, a cloned singer's options depend on which state they live in. Wed, 30 Sep 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsno-fakes-actvoice-cloningpolicy https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/music-modernization-act-explained-what-it-fixed-and-left-broken https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/music-modernization-act-explained-what-it-fixed-and-left-broken The 2018 Music Modernization Act rebuilt US streaming mechanicals, brought pre-1972 recordings into federal law and wrote producer royalties into the statute. It left AM/FM radio untouched, and unclaimed song money still goes out by market share. Here is what each part does for you, with worked examples and a checklist. Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsmusic-modernization-actroyaltiespublishingexplainer https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/take-down-leaks-stolen-uploads-fake-profiles https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/take-down-leaks-stolen-uploads-fake-profiles A leaked demo, a stranger releasing your song, a fake under your name, a Content ID claim on your own video: each has a different route, and the wrong one wastes time. Here is what the US takedown law requires, how Spotify, Apple and YouTube actually take reports, and where the system leans against independent artists. Sun, 27 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightstreamingvoice-cloning https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/africa-streaming-growth-outpaces-royalty-collection https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/africa-streaming-growth-outpaces-royalty-collection Sub-Saharan Africa's recorded music revenues grew 15.2% in 2025 to $120 million, and digital income grew faster still. But South Africa takes 78.1% of that, collecting societies across the continent took in only €90 million in 2024, and nobody publishes fraud rates for African markets. For African artists the growth is real; the plumbing that turns plays into payments is not keeping up. Sat, 26 Sep 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryroyaltiesstreamingstreaming-fraudafricanigeriasouth-africaifpicisacartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/soundcloud-ai-terms-read-the-clause-before-you-upload https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/soundcloud-ai-terms-read-the-clause-before-you-upload In February 2024 SoundCloud added a line to its terms letting uploads "inform, train, develop" AI. When artists noticed in May 2025, it replaced the line with a narrower promise: no training of generative models that "aim to replicate or synthesize" your voice, music or likeness without opt-in. The fix is real, but it is narrower than it sounds. Here is how to read clauses like it. Sat, 26 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightssoundcloudai-trainingcontracts https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/professional-sound-alliance-sound-designers-ai-scraping https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/professional-sound-alliance-sound-designers-ai-scraping The Professional Sound Alliance launched on 24 Sep 2026 to fight "Data Piracy" and "Sync Piracy" of sound effects. Two of its founding libraries already sell AI training data, so this is a campaign for licensed AI on their terms. The open question is whether the recordists behind those libraries share in it. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsai-trainingsound-designlicensing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spain-official-charts-ai-eligibility-rules-promusicae-agedi https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spain-official-charts-ai-eligibility-rules-promusicae-agedi Promusicae and AGEDI, which compile Spain's official charts, have adopted IFPI's principles for recordings made with generative AI. A track can chart only if it is substantially human made, made with an authorised AI service and labelled for listeners. None of those terms is defined, and the Spanish announcement mentions no way to appeal. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicartist-rightsindustrychartsspainpromusicaeagediifpi https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/moral-rights-india-section-57-eu-us-vara https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/moral-rights-india-section-57-eu-us-vara Moral rights are your right to be credited and to object to distortion of your work, and in India they stay with you even after you sell the copyright. Section 57 covers authors and Section 38B covers performers. Germany and the UK have similar rules. The US limits them to a narrow class of visual art, which leaves music out. Here is what that means for AI remixes, deepfakes and uncredited samples. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightindiaai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/india-radio-royalties-section-31d-iprs-ppl-india https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/india-radio-royalties-section-31d-iprs-ppl-india Indian radio stations do not need your permission to play a published song. Section 31D of the Copyright Act lets them broadcast it under a statutory licence, as long as they give notice and pay royalties at a rate fixed by law. IPRS collects for the song and PPL India for the recording. Here is what IPRS charges a radio channel, who actually sets the rate, and how to register so the money can reach you. Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsroyaltiesindiaradiocopyright https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/360-deals-vs-distribution-vs-label-services https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/360-deals-vs-distribution-vs-label-services A distributor licenses your music for a fee and takes nothing else. A label-services company licenses your masters for a few years and keeps a larger cut. A traditional label usually owns the masters and pays you a royalty, and a 360 deal adds a share of touring, merch and other income on top. Here is what each one takes, in one table, and when each makes sense for an independent artist. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryrecord-dealsartist-rightsroyalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/work-for-hire-music-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/work-for-hire-music-explained Under US law a "work made for hire" makes the hiring party the legal author, which also switches off the right to take your work back after 35 years. A clause saying "work for hire" doesn't make it true, though. Here is when it actually applies to music, and what to check before you sign. Mon, 21 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightcontracts https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/recoupment-explained-why-a-hit-can-leave-you-unrecouped https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/recoupment-explained-why-a-hit-can-leave-you-unrecouped A record advance is paid back out of your royalty share, not your bank account, so at a 20% royalty a $50,000 advance needs about $250,000 of revenue before you see another cent. Here is the arithmetic, what cross-collateralization and recoupable costs do to it, and what to negotiate before you sign. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryroyaltiesrecord-dealsartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/afm-sag-aftra-fund-session-musicians-royalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/afm-sag-aftra-fund-session-musicians-royalties US law sets aside 5% of SoundExchange digital radio royalties for backing musicians and singers, and the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund pays it out whether or not you are in a union. Here is who qualifies, how the money is split, and how to check the unclaimed list. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsroyaltiessession-musicianssoundexchange https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/eu-bestseller-clause-dsm-directive-articles-18-22-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/eu-bestseller-clause-dsm-directive-articles-18-22-explained Articles 18 to 22 of the EU's 2019 copyright directive give songwriters and performers a right to proportionate pay, a yearly report on what their work earned, a claim for more when a deal turns out lopsided, and a way to take back rights that sit unused. The rules are real, but each country wrote its own version, and most of it only works if you ask. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrighteucontracts https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/copyright-claims-board-small-claims-musicians https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/copyright-claims-board-small-claims-musicians The US Copyright Claims Board lets you pursue an infringement claim of up to $30,000 online, without a lawyer, for a $100 filing fee. It only works if your song is registered (or at least applied for), the other side is in the US, and they choose not to opt out. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightlegal https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/can-you-copyright-ai-song-us-copyright-office-rules https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/can-you-copyright-ai-song-us-copyright-office-rules In the US, a prompt on its own does not make you the author of what an AI generates. Lyrics, melodies, performances, edits and creative arrangement you made yourself can still be registered, as long as you claim your part and disclose the AI part on the form. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiai-musiccopyrightregistrationartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/doj-fair-use-nyt-music-lawyers https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/doj-fair-use-nyt-music-lawyers The US Justice Department has told the court in the New York Times' case against OpenAI that training AI models on copyrighted text is fair use, and it goes out of its way to reject the "market dilution" theory the music industry leans on. It leaves outputs, data sourcing and identity open, and that is where artists' claims are strongest. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightslegalcopyrightfair-useai-musictraining-data https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/jason-isbell-suno-class-action-publicity-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/jason-isbell-suno-class-action-publicity-rights Jason Isbell, David Lowery, Guy Forsyth and Eduardo Calle have sued Suno under state publicity laws and Illinois' biometric privacy law, not copyright. They say Suno's model knows musicians by name and voice. If the theory holds, it gives artists who don't own their masters a claim of their own, though as drafted it favours the famous. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightssunoright-of-publicityai-musiclawsuits https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/eu-ai-act-training-summaries-what-musicians-can-do https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/eu-ai-act-training-summaries-what-musicians-can-do From 2 August 2026 the Commission's AI Office can fine general-purpose AI providers that skip their copyright policy or their public summary of training content. The rules give musicians a reference point and a complaint route, but not a list of their songs or a payment. Here is what you can check, what you can reserve, and where the gaps are. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightseu-ai-actcopyrightai-trainingai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/kenya-mcsk-barred-collecting-royalties-kecobo-kamp https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/kenya-mcsk-barred-collecting-royalties-kecobo-kamp Kenya's High Court has barred the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) from collecting royalties while it appeals the regulator's refusal to license it, weeks after another society, KAMP, had its licence suspended, and days before the regulator dissolved KAMP's board. Collection now runs through one licensed society, and some of the money is frozen. A draft copyright bill would change how a suspension like this works. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsindustryroyaltiescollective-managementkenyamcskkecobo https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/who-gets-to-chart-ifpi-luminate-billboard-ai https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/who-gets-to-chart-ifpi-luminate-billboard-ai IFPI's principles keep AI-made recordings off official charts unless they are substantially human made and built on licensed tools. Luminate, which supplies Billboard's chart data, will tag fully AI tracks rather than block them, and Billboard has promised to identify AI songs without publishing an eligibility rule. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aichartsifpiluminatebillboardartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/aria-beatport-draw-the-ai-line https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/aria-beatport-draw-the-ai-line Australia's ARIA Charts now exclude wholly AI-generated recordings, and Beatport withholds fully or majority AI tracks at upload. Both rules sound similar. The difference that matters to artists is who decides, and what happens when they get it wrong. Tue, 25 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsariabeatportai-detection https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/brazil-ecad-letter-big-tech-ai-licensing-bill-stalled https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/brazil-ecad-letter-big-tech-ai-licensing-bill-stalled ECAD, Brazil's central collecting office, and the music societies that run it joined broadcasters and publishers in a letter to OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, Amazon and others. It says AI use of their members' work needs authorisation and payment under the 1998 copyright law, and invites talks to avoid litigation. Brazil's AI bill, which would write that into statute, has stalled in the Chamber of Deputies until after the elections. Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicartist-rightscopyrightcollecting-societiesbrazilecadopenaipl-2338 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/reading-royalty-statement-line-by-line https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/reading-royalty-statement-line-by-line One stream can show up on three statements, from your distributor, your PRO and the MLC, because it earns money for the recording and twice over for the song. Here is how to read each statement line by line, using a clearly labelled mock statement, and how to spot the errors that cost independent artists money. Mon, 24 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsroyaltiesdistributionpublishingmlcartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/do-not-train-registries-opt-outs-musicians https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/do-not-train-registries-opt-outs-musicians EU law lets you reserve your music from commercial AI training, and German courts have now said what a valid reservation looks like. Opt-outs are worth setting up, but treat them as evidence for later rather than a lock. Here is a realistic setup, from robots.txt to your collecting society, and where it stops working. Sat, 22 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiartist-rightscopyrightai-trainingopt-out https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/royalty-map-pros-mlc-soundexchange-distributor https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/royalty-map-pros-mlc-soundexchange-distributor One stream on Spotify or one play on digital radio can owe money to four different bodies, and none of them pays you unless you have registered with it. Here is which organisation collects which royalty, plus a registration checklist for artists in India, the UK and the US. Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryroyaltiesartist-rightssongwriterscollecting-societies https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/gdpr-access-request-artists-dpdp-act-india https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/gdpr-access-request-artists-dpdp-act-india Article 15 of the GDPR lets you ask any platform what personal data it holds about you, why, and who it went to. Here is a template request, what Spotify, SoundCloud and two distributors say they will give you, and why India's own access right is not in force until mid-2027. Thu, 20 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsprivacygdprdpdp-actaispotifysoundclouddistribution https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/register-song-copyright-india-step-by-step https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/register-song-copyright-india-step-by-step In India your song is protected the moment you make it, so registration is optional. What it gives you is evidence a court will accept. One song can be three separate works (the music, the lyrics and the recording), each needing its own application, fee and consent letters from your co-writers. Sat, 15 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsartist-rightscopyrightindiaregistration https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/us-artist-visa-costs-2026-o1-p1-fees https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/us-artist-visa-costs-2026-o1-p1-fees A four-piece band now pays about $5,400 in US government fees before it plays a note, and most of that is premium processing that waits of nearly a year make hard to avoid. We add up the O and P visa bill from USCIS and State Department sources, and look at who it shuts out. Thu, 13 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryartist-rightstouringvisasimmigration https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/imogen-heap-ai-mogen-artist-owned-voice-model https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/imogen-heap-ai-mogen-artist-owned-voice-model Imogen Heap has trained a private model of her own singing voice, licenses her style to the AI platform Jen on her terms, and is reported to take 70% of each StyleFilter sale. It is the opposite of being scraped. It also shows how much of the model still depends on other people's tools. Wed, 12 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiartist-rightsai-voiceimogen-heapjen https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/grimes-ai-voice-50-50-split-three-years-on https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/grimes-ai-voice-50-50-split-three-years-on In 2023 Grimes let anyone release songs with an AI copy of her voice in exchange for half the master royalties. About three years on, the GrimesAI profile lists 168 releases, the Elf.Tech site has gone quiet and Grimes now says humans still have to tell the story. Here is what worked, what didn't, and what other artists can borrow. Tue, 11 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiai-musicgrimesvoice-cloninglicensingartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/velvet-sundown-one-year-ai-labelling-test-case https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/velvet-sundown-one-year-ai-labelling-test-case A year after an AI-generated "band" reached more than a million Spotify listeners, its audience has collapsed and Spotify has written rules for synthetic identities. The real cost has landed elsewhere, on a small human band with a similar name that had to pay for a trademark to fight an AI lookalike. Mon, 10 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiai-musicspotifyartist-rightsstreaming https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/tiktok-royalties-soundon-viral-sound-earn-little https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/tiktok-royalties-soundon-viral-sound-earn-little TikTok pays labels and distributors a share of a pool based on views, never a fixed rate per view, and the money passes through at least one middleman before it reaches you. Here is how the chain works, what SoundOn's current plans really keep, and the steps to make sure a trend is credited to you. Sat, 08 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowstiktoksoundonroyaltiesdistributionartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/audio-watermarks-content-credentials-synthid-c2pa https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/audio-watermarks-content-credentials-synthid-c2pa Google stamps every Lyria 3 track in Gemini with an inaudible SynthID watermark, and the C2PA standard lets tools attach a signed history to WAV, MP3 and FLAC files. Both can point to AI. Neither can prove a human made a song, but an artist can use them to build evidence of their own process. Fri, 07 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiai-musicprovenancewatermarkingartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/france-darcos-bill-sacem-ai-training-burden-of-proof https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/france-darcos-bill-sacem-ai-training-burden-of-proof France's Senate has passed a one-article bill that would presume an AI provider used a protected work whenever there is a plausible sign that it did, leaving the provider to prove otherwise. SACEM, which has opted its repertoire out of AI mining since October 2023, wants it passed. It has been stuck in the National Assembly since June, and the reason it matters is that an opt-out is hard to enforce if you can't prove your music was used. Thu, 06 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicartist-rightscopyrightlegalfrancesacem https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/saregama-ai-music-videos-old-catalogue https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/saregama-ai-music-videos-old-catalogue Saregama owns the songs and recordings for much of Hindi cinema's 1960s and 1970s music, but not the film clips that went with them. It now uses generative AI to make new videos for those songs, and to rework some for younger listeners, while it still argues against unlicensed AI. The label hasn't said whether the original singers' or composers' estates get any say. Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicartist-rightsindustrycataloguemusic-videosaregamaopenaiindia https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/soundexchange-explained-digital-radio-royalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/soundexchange-explained-digital-radio-royalties SoundExchange collects US royalties when recordings play on non-interactive digital services such as SiriusXM, Pandora and iHeartRadio. Registration is free and open to artists outside the US, but unclaimed money expires after three years, and self-releasing artists who register only as performers leave the larger share behind. Tue, 04 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrysoundexchangeroyaltiesartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/mlc-unclaimed-mechanicals-market-share-2027 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/mlc-unclaimed-mechanicals-market-share-2027 The Mechanical Licensing Collective plans to start paying out unmatched and unclaimed US streaming mechanicals by market share in 2027, beginning with January 2021 usage. Money that nobody has claimed by then goes to whoever already earns the most. Here is how to register, match and claim before it does. Mon, 03 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsmlcsongwritersroyaltiesmechanicals https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/gema-suno-munich-ruling-memorisation https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/gema-suno-munich-ruling-memorisation A Munich court has largely ruled for GEMA against Suno over six songs, finding they were memorised inside Suno's v3.5 and v4 models and that this is copying. It also applied US fair use to Suno's US training and rejected it. The ruling isn't final, and its limits matter as much as the headline. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers legalsunogemaai-musicartist-rightscopyright https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/hybe-supertone-liquidation-ai-voice https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/hybe-supertone-liquidation-ai-voice HYBE's AI voice company Supertone is being dissolved after HYBE put nearly KRW 49 billion (about $35 million) into it. Three tools have moved to a new company and the rest shut on 31 August. Nothing public says what happens to the voice models built from artists. Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiartist-rightsai-voicehybek-pop https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/murphy-campbell-ai-voice-clone-uk-personality-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/murphy-campbell-ai-voice-clone-uk-personality-rights AI covers built from North Carolina folk singer Murphy Campbell's YouTube performances appeared on streaming services under her name, then her own videos of public-domain songs were hit with copyright claims. The Musicians' Union now uses her case to argue for UK personality rights. Her story suggests a right on paper is only the first of three things artists need. Mon, 20 Jul 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsai-musicdeepfakespersonality-rightsukmusicians-unionspotifyyoutube https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/china-ai-labelling-rules-netease-cloud-music-testing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/china-ai-labelling-rules-netease-cloud-music-testing China has required AI-generated audio to carry a label and embedded metadata since 1 Sep 2025, and platforms must detect AI content and let uploaders declare it. In April 2026 NetEase Cloud Music told a Chinese newspaper its AI labels were still in a small-scale test and relied mostly on creators declaring AI themselves. We think that leaves honest creators carrying the cost. Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicai-labellingmetadataartist-rightsstreamingchinanetease-cloud-musictencent-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/jasrac-ai-songs-human-parts-article-30-4 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/jasrac-ai-songs-human-parts-article-30-4 Japan's biggest music rights society will only manage the human-made parts of a song, and songwriters must say which parts AI made when they register. It is also asking for Article 30-4, which lets AI firms train on works without permission, to give creators a choice. That puts Japan's songwriters further from a say over training than their counterparts in the EU or the UK. Sat, 13 Jun 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsaijapanjasraccopyrightai-training https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/xania-monet-label-jv-trademark-lawsuit https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/xania-monet-label-jv-trademark-lawsuit A trademark suit filed in Connecticut on 10 June names Hallwood Media, Xania Monet creator Telisha Jones and a company called TJM Inc. It comes months after Monet's manager launched an AI-and-human label venture with Create Music Group. Both raise the same question about an AI act. If copyright barely reaches the voice, the name is the main thing anyone can own. Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiartist-rightsxania-monetsunohallwoodtrademark https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/kogon-v-google-lyria-youtube-licence https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/kogon-v-google-lyria-youtube-licence In Kogon v. Google, independent musicians allege Lyria 3 was trained on their music. Google's motion to dismiss says the YouTube terms they accepted already license the conduct alleged. Whatever the judge decides, it will help settle whether uploading a song also hands over AI-training rights. Mon, 08 Jun 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsgoogleyoutubeai-training https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/stim-ai-rights-category-opt-in-work-by-work https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/stim-ai-rights-category-opt-in-work-by-work STIM's members have voted to create a separate AI rights category, in force from 1 Jun 2026. No work goes into an AI licence unless its creator switches it on, work by work; everything else stays monitored but excluded. It is the most consent-heavy model we have seen a collecting society adopt, and its weak spot is scale, not principle. Sun, 31 May 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicartist-rightslicensingcollective-managementstimsweden https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/brazil-mexico-spotify-royalties-2025-loud-and-clear https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/brazil-mexico-spotify-royalties-2025-loud-and-clear Spotify says Brazilian artists generated about R$2bn on the service in 2025 and Mexican artists about MX$8.2bn. Both numbers are real growth, but they measure money paid to rights holders, not to artists, and Mexico's headline "more than half from abroad" is close to Spotify's own global average. Mon, 11 May 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryspotifyroyaltiesartist-rightsstreamingbrazilmexicolatin-america https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/johnny-cash-estate-v-coca-cola-elvis-act https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/johnny-cash-estate-v-coca-cola-elvis-act Coca-Cola has answered the Johnny Cash estate's lawsuit over a college-football ad sung by a Cash tribute performer, admitting the ad uses "a male singing voice" but denying it infringes. The most prominent case yet under Tennessee's AI-era voice law, as far as we know, turns on a human soundalike, which is exactly why session singers and tribute acts should follow it. Fri, 08 May 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightselvis-actvoice-rightssoundalikes https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/04/indonesia-lmkn-royalty-distribution-2026-live-streams https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/04/indonesia-lmkn-royalty-distribution-2026-live-streams Indonesia's national royalty body, LMKN, has issued 2026 distribution rules that pay first on reported usage data and give a capped fallback allocation to members whose songs never show up in the logs. The same body says music in TikTok and YouTube live streams can owe royalties. For songwriters, getting your songs into the data now decides more of what you're paid. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryartist-rightsroyaltieslive-streamingcollective-managementindonesialmknasean https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/04/protect-name-face-youtube-likeness-spotify-profile-protection-isni https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/04/protect-name-face-youtube-likeness-spotify-profile-protection-isni YouTube now offers likeness detection to talent agencies, managers and the celebrities they represent, as well as eligible creators. Spotify is beta-testing a way to review releases that use your name. Neither one travels across platforms, so here is how to set up both, and where an ISNI fits. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsyoutubespotifydeepfakesisniguides https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/timbaland-tata-taktumi-pacific-music-group-hybrid-ai-artist https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/timbaland-tata-taktumi-pacific-music-group-hybrid-ai-artist Ne-Yo's Pacific Music Group is now the global label and Asia manager for TaTa Taktumi, the AI act from Timbaland's Stage Zero, which has been recast as a "hybrid artist" with a private performer of Filipino heritage behind it. Nobody has said who gets paid, who is credited, or what that performer owns. Thu, 26 Mar 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aitimbalandvirtual-artistsartist-rightsrecord-deals https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/uk-ai-copyright-opt-out-dropped-australia https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/uk-ai-copyright-opt-out-dropped-australia On 18 March 2026 the UK government said a copyright exception letting AI firms train on work unless creators opt out is no longer its preferred option. Musicians won this one through public pressure and votes in Parliament, but the government hasn't ruled the idea out, and seven months later an opt-out model is on the table in Australia. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightai-traininguk https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/07/lehrman-v-lovo-ai-voice-clones-new-york-publicity-law https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/07/lehrman-v-lovo-ai-voice-clones-new-york-publicity-law A federal judge in Manhattan has let two voice actors pursue New York publicity, consumer-protection and contract claims against Lovo, the AI voice company they say cloned them, while dismissing most of their trademark and copyright claims. This was a ruling on a motion to dismiss, not a win at trial. Its reasoning still matters to singers: in this court's view, copyright in a recording doesn't protect the voice on it, but New York's civil rights law does. Thu, 10 Jul 2025 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsaivoice-cloningright-of-publicitylawsuits https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/06/ed-sheeran-thinking-out-loud-chord-progressions-building-blocks https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/06/ed-sheeran-thinking-out-loud-chord-progressions-building-blocks On 16 June 2025 the US Supreme Court declined to hear Structured Asset Sales' appeal, leaving the 2nd Circuit's ruling in place: a common four-chord progression plus a syncopated harmonic rhythm is too unoriginal to protect, and for a 1909 Act song only the deposited sheet music counts. That standard matters for every 'it sounds like my song' claim, including the ones now aimed at AI outputs. Mon, 16 Jun 2025 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/05/taylor-swift-masters-buyback-lessons-for-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/05/taylor-swift-masters-buyback-lessons-for-artists Taylor Swift has bought back the master recordings of her first six albums from Shamrock Capital, for a price Billboard's sources put at around $360 million. Most artists can't buy their way out of a bad deal, so the useful lessons are in the contract clauses that made the six-year fight necessary. Fri, 30 May 2025 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsindustrymastersre-recordingcontracts https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/04/randy-travis-ai-voice-consent-where-that-came-from https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/04/randy-travis-ai-voice-consent-where-that-came-from A model trained on Randy Travis's own vocal stems turned another singer's demo into "Where That Came From", his first new song in over a decade. Eleven months later Travis backed the NO FAKES Act against voice theft. The line between the two is consent and control, and the Travis case shows it has to cover the human singer underneath as well as the star on the label. Wed, 09 Apr 2025 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiartist-rightsvoice-cloningno-fakes-act https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/03/carey-lipa-plagiarism-suits-fail-sanctions https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/03/carey-lipa-plagiarism-suits-fail-sanctions In March 2025 two federal judges threw out song-theft suits against Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' and Dua Lipa's 'Levitating', both because the shared material wasn't protectable. Carey's judge went further and sanctioned the plaintiffs' side; in December the bill came to about $92,300 for Carey alone. For songwriters thinking of suing, the lesson is to filter out the building blocks before anyone files. Thu, 27 Mar 2025 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightlegal https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/03/celine-dion-ai-fakes-sevdaliza-dahlia-licensed-voice https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/03/celine-dion-ai-fakes-sevdaliza-dahlia-licensed-voice Céline Dion's team has warned fans that "unsanctioned" AI recordings using her voice and name are circulating on streaming services. In 2023 Sevdaliza went the other way, opening an AI model of her voice, Dahlia, to anyone on the Myvox platform for half the royalties. Both are legitimate choices, and each depends on consent being written down somewhere a platform can act on it. Tue, 11 Mar 2025 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiartist-rightsvoice-cloning https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/03/silent-album-is-this-what-we-want-artist-activism https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/03/silent-album-is-this-what-we-want-artist-activism Is This What We Want?, out on 25 February 2025, is 12 recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, credited to more than 1,000 musicians, whose track titles spell out a message to the UK government. It landed on the day the government's AI copyright consultation closed. As a piece of artist activism it is unusually well designed, and the design is worth copying. Sat, 01 Mar 2025 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightai-traininguk https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/02/beatles-now-and-then-grammy-separation-not-generation https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/02/beatles-now-and-then-grammy-separation-not-generation "Now and Then" won Best Rock Performance at the 2025 Grammys. The machine learning behind it separated John Lennon's real vocal from a late-1970s home demo; it did not generate a voice. That distinction is what kept the record inside the Recording Academy's human-authorship rules, and it is the line the industry should be arguing about instead of "AI or not". Mon, 03 Feb 2025 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aistem-separationartist-rightsgrammys https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2024/05/fka-twigs-ai-twin-senate-testimony-artist-control https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2024/05/fka-twigs-ai-twin-senate-testimony-artist-control At a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on the draft NO FAKES Act on 30 April 2024, FKA twigs said she had spent a year building an AI version of herself that speaks in her voice, and argued the line between a useful tool and a theft is whether the artist controls it. Her label's CEO, sitting beside her, argued the new right should be transferable. That tension is the real story. Wed, 01 May 2024 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiartist-rightsvoice-cloningno-fakes-actpolicy https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2024/04/tupac-estate-drake-taylor-made-ai-voice-publicity-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2024/04/tupac-estate-drake-taylor-made-ai-voice-publicity-rights Tupac Shakur's estate sent Drake a cease-and-desist over the AI-voiced "Taylor Made Freestyle" and he pulled the track from Instagram and X within days. He folded without a court testing the estate's claim, and under California law as it stood then, a song was exactly the kind of work the dead's publicity right exempted. California's AB 1836 has since closed much of that gap. Fri, 26 Apr 2024 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsvoice-rightsaipublicity-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2023/11/bad-bunny-nostalgia-flowgpt-ai-voice-takedowns https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2023/11/bad-bunny-nostalgia-flowgpt-ai-voice-takedowns A Chilean producer recorded a track with AI voices made to sound like Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee, and it went viral on TikTok. Bad Bunny told fans who liked it to leave his WhatsApp channel, and the creator says Apple Music and Spotify then pulled versions of it. Nobody has said which rule was applied, which is the real story: without a law covering voice, takedown decisions are left to platforms. Wed, 08 Nov 2023 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsaivoice-cloningplatforms https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2022/03/katy-perry-dark-horse-verdict-overturned-ostinato-not-original https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2022/03/katy-perry-dark-horse-verdict-overturned-ostinato-not-original The Ninth Circuit has upheld the decision to throw out a jury's $2.8 million copyright verdict against Katy Perry, holding that the eight-note figure 'Dark Horse' shares with Flame's 'Joyful Noise' is built entirely from commonplace musical elements. The opinion is the clearest plain-English account yet of how courts separate a song's building blocks from what a songwriter can own. Thu, 10 Mar 2022 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightkaty-perry