Welcome to Music Enterprise Worldwide’s weekly round-up – the place we be certain that 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 maximize their earnings and cut back their touring prices.
This week, MBW reported on Aventhis, the outlaw-country “artist” whose AI-generated tracks have garnered over 1 million month-to-month listeners on Spotify. We additionally discovered that Aventhis’ music was created with a mix of two generative AI music engines: Suno and Riffusion.
Elsewhere, JT Myers and Nat Pastor, the co-CEOs of Virgin Music Group, despatched a letter to VMG employees slamming “juvenile and offensive falsehoods” unfold by opponents of Virgin’s proposed takeover of Downtown Music Holdings.
Additionally this week, Scooter Braun stepped down from his function as CEO of HYBE America. He’ll pursue new ventures whereas taking up an govt advisory function as a director of HYBE’s Board of Administrators and Senior Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of HYBE.
In the meantime, on Tuesday (July 1), Warner Music Groupand personal funding large Bain Capital launched a $1.2 billion three way partnership to amass “legendary” music catalogs throughout each recorded music and music publishing.
On the identical day, WMG introduced a plan to scale back the corporate’s annual prices by round USD $300 million on an annualized run-rate foundation by the top of fiscal yr 2027 – with $170 million saved through “headcount rightsizing”.
Earlier this week, MBW reported on Aventhis, the outlaw-country “artist” whose AI-generated tracks have garnered over 1 million month-to-month listeners on Spotify.
Why did MBW conclude that Aventhis is an AI invention?
As a result of the particular person credited as author and producer on the tracks, David Vieira, seems to have admitted as a lot in feedback on YouTube.
“[The] voice and picture is created with the assistance of AI. The lyrics are written by me,” mentioned the nameless proprietor of Aventhis’ YouTube channel.
Now now we have additional corroboration concerning the supply of Aventhis’ music…
Up to now, JT Myers and Nat Pastor, the co-CEOs of the worldwide providers firm, have publicly avoided discussing opposition to Virgin’s proposed $775 million takeover of Downtown Music Holdings.
That simply modified.
In a brand new letter to VMG employees, obtained by MBW, Myers and Pastor tackle a number of accusations made about Virgin – and its mother or father firm, Common Music Group – from events who need regulators to dam the Downtown acquisition….
Scooter Braun has stepped away from his function as CEO of HYBE America.
In accordance with the official announcement on Tuesday (July 1), the exec will pursue new ventures, whereas taking up an govt advisory function as a director of HYBE’s Board of Administrators and Senior Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of HYBE.
Isaac Lee, described as “a seasoned leisure govt” who has been main HYBE Latin America as Chairman since November of 2023, will grow to be Chairman and CEO of HYBE Americas…
Warner Music Group and personal funding large Bain Capital are launching a $1.2 billion three way partnership to amass “legendary” music catalogs throughout each recorded music and music publishing.
MBW understands that roughly half of the $1.2 billion is made up of debt, half with money, with equal legal responsibility on each side of the JV.
WMG and Bain Capital mentioned on Tuesday (July 1) that they’ll supply and purchase the catalogs collectively, whereas WMG will handle all facets of selling, distribution, and administration.
The funds is perhaps deployed swiftly: Warner and Bain are reportedly mulling the acquisition of the Pink Scorching Chili Peppers’ recorded music catalog for round $350 million…
Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl has introduced what he calls the “remaining steps in our plan to assist future-proof the corporate”.
This seemingly ultimate stage in Warner’s latest restructuring beneath Kyncl is predicted to additional cut back the corporate’s annual prices by round USD $300 million on an annualized run-rate foundation by the top of fiscal yr 2027.
Simply over half of that annual $300 million cost-cutting goal ($170 million) will likely be achieved through headcount reductions at WMG, mentioned the corporate.
An extra $30 million of financial savings will likely be achieved by lowering prices (like admin and actual property bills) instantly associated to the headcount reductions. The remainder of the cost-cutting will goal SG&A bills…
