Universal Music Group, SoundCloud Discuss Music Royalty Deal

Universal Music Group SoundCloud music royalty structure

Photo Credit: Theo Eilersten Universal Music Group is in talks with SoundCloud to overhaul music royalty payments. Here’s the latest. A Bloomberg report details talks among the companies encompassing changes to the standard industry royalty […]

Universal Music Group Plots $1 Billion Queen Catalog Deal: Report

Universal Music Group Plots $1 Billion Queen Catalog Deal: Report

Photo Credit: Carl Lender / CC by 3.0 Universal Music Group (UMG) is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire Queen’s catalog for north of $1 billion.   The potential song-rights sale (as well as its […]

Universal Music Group, Endel Partner On AI ‘Artist-Driven’ Tracks

Universal Music Group earnings

Photo Credit: Tony Webster / CC by 3.0 Even as a growing number of unauthorized artificial intelligence tracks are debuting – while non-infringing AI releases also continue to pour onto streaming services in droves – […]

Universal Music Group Signs Deal With AI Startup Endel

A person with a machine for a brain

Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced a partnership with Endel, a company that uses AI to generate soundscapes meant to facilitate work, meditation, and sleep. UMG will license use Endel’s technology to enable its artists […]

Lucian Grainge’s $150 Million+ Compensation Blowout Approved by Universal Music Shareholders

Lucian Grainge UMG shareholders compensation package

Photo Credit: Alexander Grey Universal Music shareholders have approved Lucian Grainge’s $150 million+ compensation blowout despite recommendations that shareholders vote against UMG’s remuneration policy. After reports surfaced that Universal Music Group shareholders pushed back against […]

Centaurify, Universal Music Partner on Eurovision 2023 NFTs

Centaurify, Universal Music Partner on Eurovision 2023 NFTs

Eurovision 2023 contestant Alessandra performing live. Photo Credit: MandyPettersen Notwithstanding the well-documented non-fungible token (NFT) sales falloff and the adjacent “crypto winter,” Universal Music Group (UMG) is rolling out “exclusive digital collectibles” for Eurovision competitors […]

Universal Music Group Issues Its Sternest Warnings Yet On AI-Generated Content

Universal Music Group AI

Photo Credit: Coolcaesar / CC by 3.0 Universal Music Group issues its sternest warnings yet on AI-generated content in its quarterly earnings call amidst solid earnings in 2023. Universal Music Group’s earnings call on Wednesday was notable […]

Universal Music Rips Down a Viral AI Drake/Weeknd ‘Collaboration’

All that remained of an AI-Generated Drake and The Weeknd collaboration on Monday evening (April 17th).

All that remained of an AI-Generated Drake/The Weeknd ‘collaboration’ on Monday evening (April 17th). A viral AI-generated ‘collaboration’ between Drake and The Weeknd was ripped down by Universal Music Group on Monday evening (April 17th)— […]

After Giving Drake $400 Million, Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge Is Grabbing A Huge Bag For Himself

After Giving Drake $400 Million, Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge Is Grabbing A Huge Bag For Himself

Lucian Grainge is the CEO of Universal Music Group, the biggest music label in the business. And UMG recently announced via press release that he’s signed a new contract. On the downside (for Lucian), the […]

Deezer Confirms Universal Music Streaming-Reform Collaboration

Deezer German expansion

Photo Credit: Deezer About two weeks ago, during his company’s Q4 2022 earnings call, Universal Music Group (UMG) head Lucian Grainge disclosed a streaming-reform partnership with Deezer. Now, the major label and the Access Industries-owned […]

Kanye West Takes Wife Bianca Censori, Daughter North To Universal Studios

kanye west and north universal

Kanye West‘s bringing his wife Bianca Censori around at least one of his children … because they took his daughter North with them to a theme park. Ye and Bianca spent some quality time with […]

Universal Music, Tidal Streaming Collab Reaches New Platforms

Lucian Grainge

Towards January’s end, after its CEO kicked off 2023 by touting the perceived potential of “artist-centric” music platforms, Universal Music Group (UMG) partnered with Tidal “to explore an innovative new economic model” for streaming. Now, […]

Universal Music Group Cuts the Ribbon on EMI North in Leeds

EMI North Universal Music Group

Photo Credit: EMI North Universal Music Group announces the launch of EMI North in Leeds. Universal Music-owned EMI Records has announced the launch of EMI North, a new label in the northern UK city of Leeds, in […]

AMERICAN BORN CHINESE’s Creative Team on Identity and Universal TV Themes

photo of two Asian american kids sitting at a lunch table in american born chinese

It has been 17 years since the release of Gene Luen Yang’s award-winning graphic novel American Born Chinese, a story told in three parts of the Asian American experience. It encompasses where one fits in […]

Universal Pictures Has Scrapped the Madonna Biopic Starring Julia Garner

Madonna biopic

Photo Credit: MTV International / CC by 3.0 The Madonna biopic is no longer in development at Universal Pictures, according to reports.  Variety reports the biopic is “taking an indefinite holiday” after multiple sources spoke […]