This week, Sony Pictures’ animated movie KPop Demon Hunters formally grew to become Netflix‘s most-watched film of all time, accumulating 236 million views since its June 20 launch, surpassing Red Notice’s earlier record of 230 million views.
Meanwhile, BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld spoke completely to MBW to talk about the corporate’s H1 2025 outcomes. BMG’s natural income dipped 4.4% YoY to EUR €424 million within the first half of the yr, however the agency mentioned underlying streaming income climbed by excessive single digits.
Elsewhere, MBW reported that AI music generator Suno filed a daring movement to dismiss a category motion lawsuit from unbiased artists. The AI firm is that not one of the tens of millions of tracks created on its platform comprise something resembling a “pattern” from present recordings.
Also this week, Spotify rolled out in-app direct messaging to make sharing music and content material simpler amongst family and friends, whereas a UK tribunal rejected Blur drummer Dave Rowntree’s class motion lawsuit towards PRS for Music over black field royalty distribution.
Here are a few of the greatest headlines from the previous few days…
1. KPOP DEMON HUNTERS JUST BECAME NETFLIX’S MOST-WATCHED MOVIE OF ALL TIME
Netflix’s animated movie KPop Demon Hunters has formally grow to be the streaming platform’s hottest film ever, accumulating 236 million views since its June 20 launch and including one other 25.4 million views within the week ending August 24.
Netflix’s earlier record holder, Red Notice, gathered 230 million views throughout its first 91 days on the platform after being launched in 2021. KPop Demon Hunters has 24 days remaining earlier than surpassing the identical 91-day premiere window.
The movie’s outstanding efficiency reveals no indicators of slowing, with the film exhibiting almost 0% viewers decline for 3 consecutive weeks after two straight intervals of 26 million views every.
The Sony Pictures manufacturing is constructing on the unprecedented success of its music, with KPop Demon Hunters turning into the primary soundtrack to declare 4 simultaneous Top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100… (MBW)
2. THOMAS COESFELD ON BMG’S H1 2025 RESULTS, WHY MUSIC STREAMING ‘REMAINS UNDERVALUED’, AND A STRATEGY FOCUSED ON THE ‘CORE BUSINESS’ OF MUSIC RIGHTS
BMG reported its H1 2025 outcomes on Wednesday (August 28), with the Bertelsmann-owned firm’s natural income dipping 4.4% YoY to EUR €424 million within the interval, whereas underlying streaming income climbed by excessive single digits.
Meanwhile, BMG’s EBITDA margin jumped considerably to 28.7% – impacted by what Bertelsmann referred to as a “strategic scaling again of lower-margin actions.”
For Thomas Coesfeld, BMG’s CEO since 2023, these outcomes signify progress towards a extra targeted, environment friendly operation. Speaking completely to MBW, Coesfeld additionally addressed Spotify’s current value will increase, stating that “in contrast to audiovisual, music has traditionally been slower to modify pricing and stays undervalued relative to the worth it delivers”… (MBW)
3. SUNO ARGUES NONE OF THE MILLIONS OF TRACKS MADE ON ITS PLATFORM ‘CONTAIN ANYTHING LIKE A SAMPLE’
AI music generator Suno is combating again towards copyright infringement claims from unbiased artists with a daring authorized argument that might reshape the AI music debate.
In a movement to dismiss filed in federal court docket on August 18, Suno argued that the indie artist lawsuit “fails as a matter of legislation” and must be dismissed. The firm claims that music made on Suno doesn’t truly “pattern” present recordings – no matter what music was used to prepare its AI mannequin.
This represents a probably game-changing authorized technique: Suno claims that even when its AI discovered from copyrighted songs, the outputs it generates are solely new sounds that can’t infringe present recordings beneath US copyright legislation… (MBW)
4. SLIDE INTO SPOTIFY’S DMS: PLATFORM LAUNCHES IN-APP MESSAGING TO BOOST CONTENT SHARING
Spotify has began rolling out a direct message characteristic inside its app, which the platform says is supposed to make sharing music and different content material simpler. The new characteristic, introduced on Tuesday (August 26), will probably be out there on cellular units “in choose markets” to each Free and Premium customers, however solely to these aged 16 and over.
To use the brand new DM characteristic, Spotify customers can faucet the share icon whereas listening to content material within the ‘Now Playing’ view, which can carry up a listing of individuals the consumer has interacted with earlier than by Spotify.
Spotify’s DMs assist textual content and emojis, however the firm is fast to level out it’s not aiming to change different social media platforms. DM chats will not be totally end-to-end encrypted, however Spotify says they’re protected with “encryption in transit and at relaxation….” (MBW)
5. UK TRIBUNAL REJECTS BLUR DRUMMER’S CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST PRS FOR MUSIC OVER ‘BLACK BOX’ ROYALTIES
A UK judicial tribunal has rejected a proposed class motion lawsuit towards efficiency rights group PRS for Music over the way it distributes “black field” royalties – royalties owed on songs whose rightsholders haven’t been correctly recognized.
In a judgment issued on Wednesday (August 27), the Competition Appeal Tribunal dismissed the proposed class-action lawsuit that had been introduced on behalf of PRS’s 165,000 songwriter members by Blur drummer Dave Rowntree.
The tribunal concluded that as a result of songwriters will not be “owed” black field royalties, the category doesn’t have a reputable declare beneath UK legislation. It additionally concluded that Rowntree’s legal professionals hadn’t proposed an alternate to PRS’s methodology of distributing black field royalties, and doubted that the “cost-benefit” ratio of the lawsuit made sense, on condition that PRS is a not-for-profit owned by its writer and songwriter members… (MBW)
Partner message: MBW’s Weekly Round-up is supported by BMI, the world chief in performing rights administration, devoted to supporting songwriters, composers and publishers and championing the worth of music. Find out extra about BMI right here. Music Business Worldwide