News

AI music

Mureka V9.5 leads V9 in a vocal-song preference test. Their instrumental scores are nearly identical. Here is what artists can infer from the results.

AI music

ElevenLabs offers $100,000 in ad prizes. Artists need to weigh the promotional license and conflicting entry instructions before making a submission.

Creator tools

Mirelo documents short access windows for API sound effects and fixes for Resolve stems. Keep usable audio files with your music video project.

Artist rights

US Copyright Office guidance allows protection for human contributions in mixed works. Prompts alone do not establish ownership of everything an AI service generates.

Artist rights

A September 2026 Senate attempt to pass NO FAKES was blocked. Tennessee’s ELVIS Act is already law. Here is why voice consent remains a separate release decision.

Artist rights

The artists’ case includes copyright and endorsement claims. Court orders in 2026 concern evidence, not a final ruling that every generated image infringes.

Artist rights

Music publishers expanded their claims against Anthropic in 2026. The cases concern how works entered Claude and what it outputs, not a blanket ban on lyric tools.

Music business

Bandcamp waives its revenue share on designated Fridays, but payment fees and applicable publishing deductions remain. See a $10 sale example and 2026 dates.

Music business

BMG and Concord completed their merger in September 2026. Understand the ownership split, cash payment, Apollo investment, and contract questions for artists.

Artist guides

Understand why an audio cover license does not automatically clear a lyric video. Prepare a specific permissions request for the composition, recording, and visuals.

Music business

Curve became a standalone company after a 2026 sale to Merlin and Jamen Capital. The EU remedy shows why royalty software ownership matters to artists.

Artist rights

The studios allege copying of protected characters. Midjourney disputes the claims, and its commercial terms do not promise clearance of third-party rights.

Music business

DistroKid cancellation can remove releases without Leave a Legacy. Compare the per-release cost, account access, and distributor-switching limits.

Artist rights

A Munich court ruled largely for GEMA over six musical works in July 2026. The decision concerns older Suno models and does not clear every user release.

Artist rights

Getty lost a UK secondary copyright claim and won limited trademark findings. Its 2026 filing describes an appeal, not a blanket clearance for AI cover art.

Artist guides

Plan the master, permissions, credits, upload checks, and release time before your music video goes live. A practical checklist for independent artists.

Artist guides

Plan the audio route, vertical edit, artwork, credits, and release checks for an original-song Reel. Export recommendations are separate from platform limits.

Artist rights

Koda alleges unauthorized use of Danish songs in Suno. Its evidence campaign is not a court judgment, and its claim is separate from GEMA’s German ruling.

Artist guides

Improve lyric video text, line breaks, contrast, timing, and motion. Use phone playback to catch problems that a large editor preview can hide.

Artist guides

Choose a lyric video, visualizer, or filmed music video based on the song, available assets, platform, and review work each format needs.

Music business

A selected guide to 2026 music deals, from Downtown and BMG-Concord to Reason, Curve, DistroKid, and Sureel. Clear deal status, disclosed prices, and artist impact.

Artist guides

Prepare accurate music video credits, keep recording identifiers separate, and agree on payment, approvals, revisions, and source-file delivery.

Artist guides

Build a focused music video from an approved song and album art. Plan the crop, lyrics, motion, export checks, and collaborator handoff before spending.

Music business

Spotify requires 1,000 annual streams plus a listener threshold for recording royalties. Learn when payments start, what stays unpaid, and how to read reports.

Music business

Artificial streams can mean withheld royalties, fees, and removals. Read the current Spotify and distributor rules, including the limits of an appeal.

Artist guides

Check Spotify’s Canvas length, ratio, file rules, and artist access. Learn why a Canvas loop and a full-length video need separate delivery decisions.

Music business

Discovery Mode has no upfront bill, but Spotify takes 30% of covered recording royalties. Compare the real cost, current contexts, and campaign reporting.

Artist rights

Universal and Sony filed a new Suno complaint in September 2026. Warner settled its case. Here is what those different steps mean for artists.

Artist rights

Universal and Warner announced licensed Udio plans. A musicians’ union lawsuit shows why catalog permission and compensation for performers remain separate questions.

Music business

Universal closed its Downtown purchase in February 2026. See which services moved, why Curve was sold separately, and what artists need to watch.

Music business

Warner announced a Sureel acquisition agreement in June 2026. Its technology can track AI use, but public terms leave important limits for artists.

Artist guides

Choose YouTube export settings, check the audio, allow for HD processing, and review the uploaded music video before release.

Artist guides

Plan a music Short around its length, audio source, and claim status. YouTube’s September 2026 update appears alongside conflicting older help text.

Music business

Who is buying DistroKid, what the deal costs, and the risks for artist fees, support, and control. The sale price is undisclosed.

Music tools

Google added VST3 and AU export for some Flow Music instruments and effects. The launch supports macOS and excludes generative audio plugins.

Platform rules

LANDR accepts some AI music, but plan limits and store restrictions apply. Here is what those rules mean for your release schedule.

Music business

LANDR acquired Reason Studios from Verdane. Here is what the deal means for software costs, subscriptions, and the tools musicians use.

AI music

Google's Lyria 3.5 supports longer music and more control. Its API remains single-turn, which changes how creators handle revisions.

AI music

MiniMax Music 3 offers downloadable model weights for music generation. Hardware needs and a custom license shape who can use it.

Platform rules

Spotify labels some synthetic artist identities. The badge can affect music discovery. It does not label every song made with AI.

Music tools

Creators need prompts, lyrics, model details, and version history as well as audio. Suno's download guides do not document a full catalog export.

Music tools

Suno documents a three-model limit and at least six source songs. Users report that adding songs later means rebuilding the model.

Platform rules

Suno lists 20 monthly downloads for Pro and 60 for Premier. A reported reset delay shows why generation credits and downloads need separate checks.

Platform rules

A public report describes rejected wordless vocals. Suno's moderation rules explain some blocks, but an error message does not settle ownership.

Music tools

Suno v6 promises edits that preserve the rest of a song. User reports show why creators still need to check the full result and keep the original.

Music tools

Some Suno users repair vocals outside the app. Stem extraction can add credits and editing time before a track is ready to release.

Music tools

Suno documents tempo drift and a Manual BPM workflow. A creator's report shows why a source track and a tempo prompt still need a full-song check.

Music tools

Suno users report mixed results with duets and singer identity. The useful test is who sings each line, not whether a prompt contains two names.

AI music

Udio's help pages still disable audio, video, and stem downloads during its transition. The label agreements are licenses, not acquisitions.