Deals & Contracts

Catalog acquisitions, label deals, and the contract terms that define artist and label relationships.

Deals & ContractsSep 11, 2026

The Majors Are Building AI Music Products, Not Just Suing Them

UMG signed a licensing deal with ElevenLabs one day after Suno launched label-backed models. Here is what the pivot means for your revenue.

By The Label Report Desk

Music executive in suit shaking hands with a humanoid robot against a studio background.

Deals & ContractsSep 5, 2026

BMG-Concord Just Became the Fourth Major You Have to Watch

The BMG-Concord merger closed with 4 million works and Bertelsmann money behind it. Here is what that changes for artists, managers, and labels.

By The Label Report Desk

Music executives shaking hands in a corporate office, symbolizing a major record label merger deal.

Deals & ContractsAug 26, 2026

The Majors Just Bought Into an AI Company They Used to Fight

Universal, Sony, and Warner all took equity in Stability AI's $76M round. What it means for artists, and what it leaves blank.

By The Label Report Desk

Record executives in suits shaking hands with a robot or AI figure in a corporate boardroom setting.

Deals & ContractsAug 21, 2026

UMG Flips the Script on AI: Now It Licenses Patents Instead of Suing

Universal's Music IP Holdings JV is licensing 24-plus AI patents to Udio and GRAI, turning the major from courtroom foe into royalty collector.

By The Label Report Desk

Music executive shaking hands with a robot, symbolizing record label embracing AI licensing deal.

Deals & ContractsAug 20, 2026

KKR Bets on India's Live Music Boom as Global Capital Races to Own the Infrastructure

KKR takes a stake in BookMyShow, Midia tips India as the third-largest subscriber market by 2033, and Virgin just signed Sur Music.

By The Label Report Desk

Private equity executives in suits reviewing concert venue blueprints against a vibrant, crowded Indian live music festival backdrop.

Deals & ContractsAug 19, 2026

The Beatles Bet on Universal While Universal Bets on Itself

Apple Corps just handed UMG a sweeping Beatles merch deal the same week the major spent $160M buying back its own beaten-down stock.

By The Label Report Desk

Four Beatles walking across a zebra crossing on Abbey Road in iconic single-file formation.

Deals & ContractsAug 12, 2026

Suno's BMG Deal Just Wrote the Opt-In Playbook. Your Artists Now Hold the Veto.

BMG becomes the second major rightsholder to license Suno, with a mandatory artist opt-in clause that could set the template for every AI deal that follows.

By The Label Report Desk

Music artist reviewing a contract document beside a glowing AI music interface with a veto stamp overlay.

Deals & ContractsAug 9, 2026

The LA Jazz Festival Vanished on Opening Day. If You Booked It, Read the Fine Print.

A multi-week fest with John Legend and Janelle Monae collapsed with zero warning, and the artist and fan fallout should scare every promoter.

By The Label Report Desk

Jazz musicians performing on an outdoor festival stage with a crowd gathered beneath string lights at dusk.

Deals & ContractsAug 5, 2026

Spotify to the Majors: We Don't Need All of You to Launch AI Remixing

Spotify signed Merlin and said out loud it can roll out its AI covers tool without every major. Here is why that shifts the power.

By The Label Report Desk

Deals & ContractsJul 28, 2026

Miley Cyrus Just Left Sony for Warner's Atlantic. That's a Roster Coup You Should Read Closely.

After 13 years under Sony, Miley Cyrus signs with Atlantic ahead of her 10th album. Here's what the switch means for label prestige and pop's power balance.

By The Label Report Desk

Miley Cyrus performing on stage under dramatic concert lighting, microphone in hand.

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