πŸ—“οΈ 2025-08-04 – Weekly Music News & Trends: Copyright Shake-ups, Executive Moves, and Tour Triumphs

This past week brought a landmark court ruling that could reshape songwriter rights globally, while major labels continued to shuffle their executive teams. Beyoncé’s latest tour smashed records, and music legends were honored in unique ways. Here’s a look at the key stories you might have missed.

  • :balance_scale: Landmark Ruling Could Expand Songwriter Rights Globally
    A US court has ruled that when creators use their β€œtermination right” to reclaim copyrights, the termination applies worldwide, not just within the United States. This decision challenges a long-standing industry practice and could allow artists and songwriters to regain full global control of their work after 35 years. Creator advocacy groups are strongly supporting the ruling, arguing it fulfills the original intent to protect artists from unfavorable deals made early in their careers.
    :date: Published: August 1, 2025
    :link: Controversial ruling on US termination right fulfills the intention of Congress, say creators

  • :office_building: Warner Music Group Announces Key Executive Promotions
    Warner Music Group revealed several high-level appointments, signaling strategic shifts within its leadership. Marsha St. Hubert has been promoted to Co-President of 300 Entertainment at Atlantic Music Group. Additionally, Rayna Bass and Selim Bouab were named Co-Presidents of Hip-Hop, R&B, and Global Music at Atlantic Records.
    :date: Published: August 4, 2025
    :link: RAYNA BASS & SELIM BOUAB APPOINTED CO-PRESIDENTS OF HIP-HOP, R&B, AND GLOBAL MUSIC AT ATLANTIC RECORDS - Warner Music Group

  • :rose: San Francisco Honors Jerry Garcia with Street Name
    In celebration of what would have been his 83rd birthday, the city of San Francisco officially renamed a street in the Excelsior neighborhood as β€œJerry Garcia Street.” The tribute to the Grateful Dead icon coincided with the band’s 60th-anniversary festivities. This move honors the deep, historic connection between the legendary band and the city where it all began.
    :date: Published: August 4, 2025
    :link: https://shows.acast.com/daily-music-headlines/episodes/daily-music-headlines-august-4-2025

  • :cowboy_hat_face: Beyoncé’s β€˜Cowboy Carter Tour’ Makes History
    BeyoncΓ© has once again rewritten the record books, with her β€˜Cowboy Carter Tour’ grossing an incredible $407.6 million. This achievement makes it the highest-grossing country tour of all time. She also becomes the first U.S. artist and the first woman to have two separate tours surpass the $400 million mark, cementing her legendary status.
    :date: Published: July 29, 2025
    :link: Daily Music Headlines July 29, 2025 - Daily Music Headlines | Acast

  • :microphone: TikTok and iHeartMedia Launch β€˜Next Up’ Singing Contest
    TikTok has partnered with iHeartMedia to launch β€œNext Up: LIVE Music,” a new singing competition for U.S.-based artists. To enter, musicians must be over 18, have at least 50,000 TikTok followers, and submit an original song. The contest aims to discover new talent on the platform, with the finale set to take place in Burbank this September.
    :date: Published: July 29, 2025
    :link: Daily Music Headlines July 29, 2025 - Daily Music Headlines | Acast


:hammer_and_wrench: Tools & Tips

  • Groover:
    This artist-to-curator platform just got a major co-sign through a new partnership with Yamaha. For a small fee, independent artists can submit their tracks directly to a network of blogs, playlisters, and industry pros for guaranteed feedback and potential coverage. It’s a solid tool for cutting through the noise and getting your music heard by people who can make a difference.
    :link: Groover | Music Promotion with Results

  • AI-Textured Sample Packs:
    Producers looking for a unique edge are moving beyond standard kits and embracing AI-textured sample packs. These packs, found on platforms like Gumroad or specialized indie sites, offer generative loops and unique sounds that are often unrepeatable. It’s a great way to find inspiration and add textures to your tracks that no one else has.
    :link: https://ufo-network.com/2025/08/04/edm-trends-august-2025/


:bulb: Fun Fact

Talk about a productive day. According to Dolly Parton herself, she wrote two of her most iconic and beloved songs, β€œJolene” and β€œI Will Always Love You,” on the very same day back in 1972. While β€œJolene” became her most-covered track, β€œI Will Always Love You” found a massive second life with Whitney Houston’s legendary 1992 cover.


:ear: We’d love to hear from you!

Have you participated in any music events or utilized new music tools recently? Share your experiences or insights with usβ€”we’re featuring selected community voices in next week’s edition.

In practice, on a stadium vocal chain I used a C6 with a 250 Hz band ducking 2 dB (slow release) to keep PA rumble off the lead. meanwhile. Beyoncé’s latest tour smashed records. With a landmark court ruling reshaping songwriter rights globally, bake writer splits into iXML/BWF now and lock your deliverables.

Exec reshuffles feel like musical chairs every August β€” anything concrete for A&R or just titles moving around? The ruling sounds massive; does it actually change mechanical splits/recoup terms or mostly bolster enforcement across territories? And with Bey’s tour, did we see less dynamic pricing blowback compared to last year?

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Got a link to the ruling? I’m trying to see if it changes mechanical splits for co-writes across borders. Also, Bey’s tour numbers are insane β€” anyone catch the show?

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On the cross-border split question: adding a simple reversion/termination clause to our split sheets and listing admin by territory saved us when a co-writer changed publishers. I also set calendar reminders for termination windows (2, 5, and 10 years) so notice deadlines don’t slip.

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Would love the docket link too. For cross‑border co-writes, we add a one-liner to split sheets: β€œon US termination, each writer self-admins their own share by territory, with existing non‑US admin left intact.” That saved us when a UK co-writer terminated last year - US royalties flipped to our admin overnight while PRS/MCPS stayed steady and there were no DSP takedowns.

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