Music Admin takes on NYC, Protect Working Musicians Act Returns With A2IM Support, NO FAKES Act Revised

How The Music Business Works - Issue #63

May 28, 2026

Welcome back to How the Music Business Works.

This June, Music Admin is heading to New York City for a busy week of music business events, publishing conversations, and independent music community gatherings.

The week starts on June 8 with the Industry Mixer @ Slate, hosted ahead of NYC’s music week. We’re thrilled to be hosting the event together with Bob Chiappardi and Concrete Marketing, bringing together music professionals for an evening of conversation, networking, food, and drinks.

On June 9, we’ll be sponsoring the Music Investors Conference for the third consecutive year. The conference brings together music and investment professionals for conversations around rights, catalog value, funding, and the business behind music assets.

We’ll also be attending the AIMP Global Music Publishing Summit 2026 from June 8 to 9, as well as the A2IM Indie Week 2026 from June 8 to 11. Both events are key stops for publishing, rights, label, distribution, and independent music conversations throughout the week.

If you’ll be in New York for any of these events, come say hi! We’d love to connect!

Now, onto this week’s music business news.

Protect Working Musicians Act returns with A2IM support

Rep. Deborah Ross reintroduced the Protect Working Musicians Act on May 21, with support from A2IM, the Artist Rights Alliance, and a coalition of music organizations. The bill would allow independent musicians and labels to collectively negotiate with AI companies and large digital streaming platforms. First introduced in 2023, the legislation has been updated for the AI age and is aimed at addressing the power imbalance between working musicians and major technology companies. Supporters say the bill would give independent artists and labels a market-based path to seek fair compensation when their music is used by streaming services or AI companies. A2IM CEO Ian Harrison said independent musicians still face an uneven playing field when negotiating with powerful technology and streaming companies, while ARA also backed the proposal.

Sony and Universal seek to expand Suno damages claim past $9 billion

Sony Music and Universal Music are seeking to expand the list of recordings they allege Suno copied without licence when training its generative AI model. The proposed list would grow from 560 tracks to 61,026, raising potential statutory damages from $84 million to more than $9.1 billion if the labels win. Sony also wants to add more than 30,000 recordings to its Udio claim. The labels say the larger lists became possible after discovery, because the AI companies had not been transparent about the music used for training. Suno and Udio argue the additions come too late and could delay proceedings. The legal dispute still centres on whether AI training qualifies as fair use under US copyright law, a question now moving through multiple creative industry cases.

Revised NO FAKES Act returns with music industry support

A revised version of the NO FAKES Act has been introduced in Washington, with music industry groups backing the latest draft while Spotify says there is still work to do. The bill would create a US-wide digital replica right covering unauthorized AI-generated uses of a person’s voice or likeness. Senators Chris Coons and Marsha Blackburn said the updated version strengthens protections while addressing free speech concerns. The new draft includes more flexible enforcement rules for different platform types, a counter-notice process for disputed removals, and exemptions for libraries, archives, and research institutions. Spotify said it appreciated the improvements, while DiMA said the changes provide more certainty for music streaming services, though outstanding issues remain as the bill moves through the legislative process in Congress and further stakeholder review.

Warner Music and Crumbl reach settlement in TikTok copyright lawsuit

Warner Music Group and Crumbl have reached an agreement in principle to settle a copyright infringement lawsuit over the cookie chain’s TikTok and Instagram posts. The case dates back to April 2025, when WMG alleged Crumbl used at least 159 Warner-controlled recordings and compositions in promotional videos without authorization. The works included music connected to Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars, Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, and Beyoncé. WMG sought up to $150,000 in statutory damages per infringed work, creating potential exposure of up to $23.85 million. Financial terms have not been disclosed. The settlement follows a wider wave of major-label lawsuits against brands accused of using music without permission in social media marketing, including cases involving DSW, PacSun, Quince, Marriott, USC, and Bang Energy.

SGAE distributes $406 million to members after record collections

SGAE distributed €360 million, or $406 million, to members in 2025, up 3.1% from €349 million in 2024. The Spanish collection society said 97,415 authors and composers received income, a 16.5% year-on-year increase, while total collections reached a record €393.4 million. Radio, TV broadcasting, and cable remained the largest revenue source at €110.8 million. Public performances reached €80.1 million, while live performances rose 13.3% to a record €72.7 million. Digital revenue also reached a record €64.1 million, with music streaming generating €41 million, up 22.3%. SGAE added 8,118 new members, including a large share in their twenties, and said 2025 revenue was 52% above its 2021 level. International revenue also reached a third consecutive all-time high, totaling €40.2 million, with the United States and Mexico among the main markets.

Moving past the business side, we’re diving into the stories, culture, and great reads of our brand-new section:

Random Ramblings:

• ​Charli XCX is keeping some unreleased music off streaming for now.
• Ozzy Osbourne’s AI avatar is apparently “not gonna be f***ing lame.”
• Check out this Idiot’s Guide to Music AI Companies.
• Meet the young Wikipedians writing the front page of music history.
• ​New music releases to keep an eye on this week.