From Common Music and YouTube’s AI partnership to BMI’s fairness sale… it’s MBW’s Weekly Spherical-up – Music Enterprise Worldwide | The Global Today

Welcome to Music Enterprise Worldwide’s weekly round-up – the place we ensure you caught the 5 largest tales to hit our headlines over the previous seven days. MBW’s round-up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximise their earnings and cut back their touring prices.

Some extra of ’em wealthy males north of Richmond are headed for the music business.

That’s what the enterprise has been whispering in MBW’s ear this week, anyway – with sturdy rumors that NYC-based personal fairness agency, New Mountain Capital, is in superior talks to probably purchase the (now for-profit) BMI (Broadcast Music Rights Inc).

New Mountain Capital at present has over $40 billion in property underneath administration, together with an funding in Citrin Cooperman, residence to the crew beforehand generally known as Massarsky Consulting – a number one valuer of music rights.

Elsewhere this week, YouTube and Common Music Group collectively introduced that they’re working collectively to construct AI instruments for the music business that don’t screw over artists and rightsholders.

Plus, two established entrepreneurs/buyers within the fashionable music biz – SONGS founder Matt Pincus, plus Kobalt founder Willard Ahdritz – each joined a $65 million funding spherical into reside music biz disruptor, DICE.

All of this and extra pinged across the pages of MBW this week. Listed here are our 5 largest tales of the previous 5 days…

1) YOUTUBE AND UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP PARTNER TO DEVELOP AI MUSIC TOOLS – COMPLETE WITH ‘PROTECTIONS’ FOR ARTISTS AND RIGHTSHOLDERS

Are you frightened in regards to the form of generative AI instruments that Alphabet/Google/YouTube would possibly have the ability to produce within the years forward?

Do you worry a future the place a bazillion tracks from ‘pretend Drakes’, constructed on Google know-how, are uploaded to streaming providers every day – with none compensation going to the musicians/music rightsholders whose work ‘impressed’ this AI output?

If that’s the case, Monday (August 21) introduced some information which may simply ship you a extra restful night time’s sleep: YouTube and Common Music Group have shaped an alliance that they are saying will collectively develop AI instruments that supply “secure, accountable and worthwhile” alternatives to music rightsholders.

Different music business gamers are being invited to become involved.

2) SONGWRITERS ARE WORRIED ABOUT BMI’S PRIVATE EQUITY SALE – AND IF IT WILL HURT THEIR ROYALTIES. WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

The on-again, off-again sale of US-headquartered performing rights group BMI seems to be on once more, and this time round, songwriters are asking pointed questions on what BMI’s sale may imply for his or her royalties.

BMI, one of many two principal music rights assortment organizations within the US, has put itself up on the market for the second time in lower than a 12 months, and simply 10 months after it introduced it was switching from working as a non-profit to being a for-profit enterprise.

MBW has heard rumors from senior music biz figures that BMI has explored talks with a lot of potential backers/suitors, with the newest identify on the lips of the enterprise being New Mountain Capital, an NYC-headquartered personal fairness agency with combination property underneath administration of over USD $40 billion.

One senior music publishing supply advised MBW that New Mountain Capital had just lately begun a due diligence course of on BMI. (MBW has contacted spokespeople for each NMC and BMI for remark.)

Sources recommend that New Mountain and BMI have agreed a transaction in precept for the previous firm to accumulate the latter for roughly USD $1.7 billion. Different sources recommend, nonetheless, it’s not but a executed deal.

3) DICE RAISES $65M FROM INVESTORS INCLUDING MATT PINCUS, WILLARD AHDRITZ AND MORE

UK-born cell ticketing platform DICE has raised $65 million in a brand new funding spherical led by MUSIC, the funding firm co-founded by Matt Pincus and LionTree.

Pincus, MUSIC’s CEO, will even be a part of the DICE Board of Administrators.

Different buyers on this new funding spherical embody Structural Capital and Ahdritz Holding LLC, the funding automobile for Willard Ahdritz, founder and chairman of Kobalt Music; with comply with on investments from Exor Ventures and Mirabaud Life-style Fund.

4) ASHLEY GORLEY’S TAPE ROOM MUSIC TO SELL OVER 350 SONGS TO RED LIGHT VENTURES AND FIREBIRD MUSIC UNDER NEW PARTNERSHIP

Nashville-based Tape Room Music will promote “over 350 exploited songs” from its catalog to Pink Gentle Ventures and Firebird Music as a part of a brand new strategic partnership.

Tape Room Music, a publishing and artist improvement firm, was established by songwriter Ashley Gorley.

The songs embody Sam Hunt’s Physique Like A Backroad, Luke Bryan’s Dawn, Sunburn, Sundown, Do I Make Ya Wanna by Billy Currington, Lee Brice’s One Of Them Ladies, Pondering ‘Bout You by Dustin Lynch and MacKenzie Porter, and extra.

5) ANGHAMI WELCOMES $5M INVESTMENT FROM SRMG VENTURES

In November final 12 months, rumors started rumoring that MENA-based streaming service Anghami may probably be acquired by Spotify.

That concept by no means grew to become a actuality. In the meantime, in the identical month, Anghami decreased its world headcount by 22% as a result of “affect of difficult macroeconomic situations”.

This week introduced one other chapter in Anghami’s ongoing story – with a robust new investor approaching board on the firm.

SRMG Ventures has made its third funding with a USD $5 million funding in Anghami.

MBW’s Weekly Round-Up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximise their income and reduce their touring costs.

 Music Enterprise Worldwide