Udio strikes another licensing deal – this time with Merlin AI-music firm Udio has signed its third significant licensing deal. Its agreement with indie licensing agency Merlin.

Udio strikes another licensing deal – this time with Merlin

AI-music firm Udio has signed its third significant licensing deal. Its agreement with indie licensing agency Merlin.

We're not anti-tech, we're anti-theft. If the future of “innovation” depends on stealing creators’ work without asking or paying, that’s not progress - it's stealing, and we shouldn’t accept it. #StealingIsntInnovation www.stealingisntinnovation.com/

WIN Elects New Board, Appoints New Chair and Vice Chairs in 20th Anniversary Year - WIN Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), the international network that brings together the global More

@winformusic.org has elected new board and chairs, added a new observer seat for Latin America, and welcomed 3 new members. The organiztion also turns 20 this year!

Vi er til topmødet ‘Kvinder i Musikken’ hos DR, som vi sammen med en lang række organisationer har arbejdet på siden sidste års udgave.

Vi ser frem til en dag med hele branchen, hvor vi samles om at skubbe på udviklingen for lige muligheder på tværs af køn.

#manifestgalan Stay tuned!

UMG’s bid for Downtown deepens a two-tier streaming system.

UMG pushed for new streaming models — ones that sideline new music, diversity and niche genres.

"UMG uses its power to reshape the market. Everyone else gets pushed to the margins." Noemí Planas (WIN)

We urge the European Commission to block this deal.

The future of the global #independentmusic community rests on the merits of their music and the power of choice. But that's under threat from growing anti-competitive consolidation. The UMG/Downtown deal must be stopped to ensure every part of the music ecosystem has the best chance to flourish.

CRANEAmúsica is just around the corner! From September 5-7, Asunción will host three days of conference organized by AMI Paraguay and Planea Música.
⏵ craneamusica.com/#programa
WIN associations and their members can access a special offer by contacting their national association.

Henry Thomas, a long-time contributor to the WIN Performance Rights Group, shares his views on current challenges and the future of performance rights in our recently released 2024-25 Annual Report!
Henry’s piece ⏵ winformusic.org/from-dissona...
WIN Annual Report ⏵ winformusic.org/win-annual-r...

Register by September 7 to participate in the exclusive WINHUB CEE + NA online event connecting professionals from Central Eastern Europe and North America.

🗓️ Event: October 7
⌛ Application deadline: September 7
🎫 Free and exclusive for members of WIN associations

WIN Annual Report Celebrates a Strong and United Independent Music Community - WIN Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), the international network that brings together 37 independent More

We’ve just published our Annual Report! Take a look for an overview of the projects, events, resources, and trips that set the pace for WIN’s year. And it was a busy one... proving that the independent community is stronger than ever in defending what makes music truly diverse and competitive.

We are excited to welcome Artist Growth as the latest company to join the WIN Supporters program! A leading project and event management software, Artist Growth is purpose-built for the unique demands of artists, labels, and entertainment professionals.

🇳🇿 Kia ora, Going Global! The countdown is on for the 2025 edition of the landmark music summit presented by our NZ association IMNZ in Auckland, 28-29 August. WIN associations and their members enjoy a special offer. Contact your local association.
⏵ Full program: indies.co.nz/going-global/

WIN negotiates special rates for our associations + their members to attend leading industry events. Contact your association for more info!
🇮🇳 All About Music ▸ August 20-22
🇳🇿 Going Global ▸ August 28-29
🇵🇾 CraneaMúsica ▸ September 5-7
🇬🇧 AIM Connected ▸ September 9
🇦🇹 Waves Festival ▸ October 2-4

Congratulations to ABC Music 🏆 for winning Best Independent Label, David Bridie for receiving the Outstanding Achievement Award sponsored by Merlin & all the winners and nominees of this year’s AIR Awards! Hats off to AIR for hosting a fantastic ceremony and a sold-out Indie-Con Australia 2025.

JOINT STATEMENT BY A BROAD COALITION OF RIGHTSHOLDERS ACTIVE ACROSS THE EU’S CULTURAL AND CREATIVE SECTORS REGARDING THE AI ACT IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES ADOPTED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION - IMPALA Representing a broad coalition of European and global authors, performers, publishers, producers and other rightsholder organisations, we wish to formally express our dissatisfaction with the publishe...

A broad coalition of rightsholders calls on the @ec.europa.eu to revisit the #AIAct implementation package and enforce article 53 dealing with transparency of training data in a meaningful way.

Entrevista a Noemí Planas, CEO de Worldwide Independent Network: "Necesitamos reglas de mercado que permitan que todas las empresas tengan un campo de juego justo" Si has estado siguiendo las últimas novedades dentro de la industria musical, seguramente estarás al tanto de la anunciada compra que Universal Music

Noemí Planas: "Necesitamos reglas de mercado que permitan que todas las empresas tengan un campo de juego justo"

Charlamos con Noemí, CEO de @winformusic.org, con motivo de la operación de compra de Downtown orquestada por Universal Music.

✍️ www.dodmagazine.es/entrevista-n...

We are pleased that the European Commission is responding with a full and much-needed investigation into this acquisition and call on other regulators to follow suit. This deal must be stopped to ensure every part of the global music industry has a fair chance to grow and succeed.

European Commission to open detailed investigation into UMG/Downtown acquisition - WIN In recent weeks, the global independent community has come together to express More

WIN welcomes the 🇪🇺 European Commission’s decision to open a detailed investigation (phase two) into the proposed merger between Universal Music Group (UMG) and Downtown Music Holdings.

Report: EC to launch full probe into UMG Downtown acquisition An official announcement has yet to be made, but it seems Universal Music Group may be facing a full-scale investigation.

Report: EC to launch full probe into UMG Downtown acquisition

An official announcement has yet to be made, but it seems Universal Music Group may be facing a full-scale investigation.

Save the date!

Save the date! The 10th edition of WINCON will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Oct. 15-16 during the SoAlive Music Conference. Organized in cooperation w/ ANMIP, WINCON 2025 is supported by Merlin & Prophon and cofunded by the EU through IMPALA. Full program soon!
⏵ winformusic.org/wincon-to-ce...

Curious about what’s happening WIN? Our latest quarterly newsletter is out, offering insights on our work on industry issues & coverage of our participation in A2IM IndieWeek, trips to Latin America, and updates on our projects & resources.
Not subscribed yet ⏵ mailchi.mp/9af6859e7c93...

Independents Around the World Call for End to Anti-Competitive Consolidation in Music Industry - WIN A coalition of leading European and international independent music companies and trade More

Today I stand with +200 CEOs of independent music companies & associations in calling for further scrutiny into Universal’s acquisition of Downtown. It's time to act to protect choice for fans and support a thriving music ecosystem that delivers benefits for the economy, culture and innovation.

Campaign against UMG / Downtown deal continues with EC letter The latest salvo in the campaign to block Universal Music Group’s acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings comes in the form of another open letter – this time to European Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera. It is signed by more than 200 CEOs and founders of independent music companies. “Across Europe, UMG already controls over 40% of the recorded music market – near double the second biggest player,” claims the letter, citing market-share stats from research firm Omdia.

Campaign against UMG / Downtown deal continues with EC letter

The latest salvo in the campaign to block Universal Music Group’s acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings comes in the form of another open letter – this time to European Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera. It is signed by…

Tack till @aurorelalucq.bsky.social för att hon tog upp detta på EU-nivå, och till @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu för att hon inlett utredningen vid @ec.europa.eu . Vi hoppas att @jessikaroswall.ec.europa.eu också kommer att höja sin röst.

Här är vad som står på spel:
⚠️ UMG tar över infrastruktur byggd för indiereleaser
⚠️ Större inflytande över streamingplattformar som Spotify och Apple
⚠️ Tillgång till känsliga uppgifter från konkurrerande oberoende skivbolag
⚠️ Ett allt mer krympande ekosystem för oberoende kreatörer

Om detta går vidare skulle UMG ta kontroll över tjänster som otaliga artister och skivbolag förlitar sig på för att distribuera musik, hantera royalties och behålla den kreativa kontrollen inom sitt bolag. Det handlar inte bara om konkurrens – det handlar om den oberoende musikens överlevnad.

En av de viktigaste händelserna just nu är att Universal Music Group försöker förvärva Downtown Music – företaget bakom viktiga plattformar som FUGA, CD Baby, Curve och Songtrust. För SOM och deras 340 medlemsbolag som arbetar inom den oberoende svenska musikscenen är detta djupt oroande.

Campaign against UMG/Downtown deal continues with EC letter The latest salvo in the campaign to block Universal Music Group’s acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings comes in the form of an open letter

Campaign against UMG/Downtown deal continues with EC letter

The latest salvo in the campaign to block Universal Music Group’s acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings comes in the form of an open letter