We are the music makers 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 Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/reservoir-billy-strayhorn-publishing-nil-rights Reservoir's Strayhorn and Feliciano deals put an artist's name and likeness in the catalogue 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/news/2026/10/us-state-digital-replica-laws-musicians-california-new-york-illinois Digital-replica laws for musicians: what California, New York and Illinois actually require 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/2026/09/umg-elevenlabs-deal-elevenmusic-v25 UMG signs ElevenLabs, and ElevenMusic adds downloads and a rights promise a day later https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/umg-elevenlabs-deal-elevenmusic-v25 Universal Music Group signed its first deal with ElevenLabs on 10 Sep 2026, for a fan remix platform that will include "personalized vocal experiences". A day later ElevenMusic shipped v2.5 with downloads and new terms. Those terms show what voice consent could look like on the UMG product, and where it falls short. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers aiai-musicelevenlabsuniversal-music-groupvoice-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/johnny-cash-estate-v-coca-cola-elvis-act Coca-Cola denies its ad copied Johnny Cash's voice in an ELVIS Act case with no AI in it 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/2024/04/tupac-estate-drake-taylor-made-ai-voice-publicity-rights Tupac's estate v. Drake: the AI diss track that tested publicity rights for the dead 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