This week, BMG filed a copyright infringement lawsuit towards AI big Anthropic, alleging that the corporate unlawfully copied and used its compositions to coach its massive language fashions.
In the meantime, Warner Music Group and Netflix shaped a artistic partnership to make documentaries based mostly on WMG’s roster of artists and songwriters.
Plus, the IFPI printed its World Music Report 2026, revealing that international recorded music revenues hit $31.7 billion in 2025.
Elsewhere, Common Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge grew to become the primary music government to take the stage at NVIDIA’s GTC convention – dubbed the “Tremendous Bowl of AI.”
Additionally this week, Tencent Music Leisure revealed that its higher-priced ‘Tremendous VIP’ subscriber base surpassed 20 million by the tip of 2025.
Listed here are among the largest headlines from the previous few days…
1. BMG SUES ANTHROPIC FOR INFRINGEMENT, ALLEGING AI FIRM’S $380B VALUATION WAS BUILT ON ‘STOLEN COPYRIGHTED WORKS’
BMG Rights Administration has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit towards Anthropic, the AI big behind the Claude AI chatbot.
The Bertelsmann-owned music firm alleges that Anthropic unlawfully copied and used its compositions, together with lyrics, to coach its massive language fashions.
The 47-page grievance, filed on Tuesday (March 17) within the Northern District of California, cites 493 allegedly infringed musical compositions, together with What a Fantastic World, Kryptonite, You Can’t At all times Get What You Need, Uptown Funk, Sympathy for the Satan, and extra.
The lawsuit is the newest to be filed towards Anthropic by a serious music writer… (MBW)
2. GLOBAL RECORDED MUSIC REVENUES HIT $31.7B IN 2025, UP 6.4% YOY; USERS OF PAID MUSIC SUBSCRIPTIONS REACH 837M
World recorded music revenues reached USD $31.7 billion in 2025. That’s in keeping with the IFPI, the group that represents the recording business worldwide.
Figures launched on Wednesday (March 18) in IFPI’s World Music Report 2026 present that international recorded music revenues grew by 6.4% YoY in 2025 – an enchancment on the 4.7% charge of progress posted in 2024 — marking the worldwide business’s eleventh consecutive yr of progress.
The report additionally reveals that international recorded music revenues grew in each area, with double-digit progress in 4 areas.
IFPI’s report identifies paid subscription streaming as the important thing driver of progress globally… (MBW)
3. SIR LUCIAN GRAINGE JUST BECAME THE FIRST MUSIC EXEC AT NVIDIA’S ‘SUPER BOWL OF AI’. HERE’S WHAT HE SAID.
Common Music Group‘s Chairman & CEO Sir Lucian Grainge has turn into the primary music business chief to take the stage at NVIDIA’s GTC convention – described by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang because the “Tremendous Bowl of AI”.
Grainge sat down with NVIDIA’s VP and Common Supervisor for Media & Leisure, Richard Kerris, for a fireplace chat entitled ‘Constructing the Way forward for Music and AI’ on the San Jose convention on Tuesday (March 17).
Listed here are 5 issues MBW discovered from the dialog… (MBW)
4. TENCENT MUSIC NOW HAS 20M+ ‘SUPER VIP’ SUBSCRIBERS. HERE’S WHAT THAT MEANS FOR CHINA’S LARGEST MUSIC STREAMER.
Tencent Music Leisure‘s (TME) ‘Tremendous VIP’ tier has simply hit a serious new milestone.
TME printed its This autumn and full-year 2025 outcomes on Tuesday (March 17), revealing that its SVIP subscribers surpassed 20 million by year-end – up from the 15 million the corporate reported on the finish of Q2, and simply 10 million in Q3 2024.
That progress trajectory – doubling in precisely over a yr – tells us one thing vital concerning the urge for food for higher-priced music streaming, and affords a real-world blueprint for what higher-priced streaming tiers may ship.
Right here’s what the numbers present… (MBW)
5. WARNER MUSIC GROUP INKS EXCLUSIVE NETFLIX DEAL TO MAKE ARTIST AND SONGWRITER DOCUMENTARIES
Warner Music Group (WMG) has signed what it calls an “unique multi-year first-look deal” with Netflix.
Below the artistic partnership, the businesses say the streamer will develop “documentary sequence and movies exploring the lives, music and legacies of WMG’s legendary and modern artists and songwriters.”
WMG is partnering with Unigram, a movie, theatre, and music manufacturing firm run by Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron, to function the manufacturing arm for WMG’s long-form programming. Ghost based Unigram in 2015 in partnership with Len Blavatnik‘s Entry Industries, which is almost all proprietor of WMG.
As per a press launch, WMG and Unigram will work to develop every undertaking in collaboration with the artist or their estates… (MBW)
Companion message: MBW’s Weekly Spherical-up is supported by BMI, the international chief in performing rights administration, devoted to supporting songwriters, composers and publishers and championing the worth of music. Discover out extra about BMI right here. Music Enterprise Worldwide
