This week, Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us was dismissed by a US federal court.
Meanwhile, HYBE launched its US-based services arm with a global focus, and it’s working with independent artists and labels.
Elsewhere, Universal Music Group quietly launched a creator marketing app called House of Carmen that pays influencers to post content on TikTok and Instagram.
Also this week, Spotify and BMG struck a new direct multi-year US publishing licensing deal, while Isabel Garvey announced her exit as Chief Operating Officer of Warner Music UK.
Here are some of the biggest headlines from the past few days…
1. DRAKE LAWSUIT AGAINST UMG OVER KENDRICK LAMAR’S ‘NOT LIKE US’ DISMISSED BY US COURT
A US federal court has dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, ruling that Kendrick Lamar’s diss track Not Like Us constitutes protected opinion rather than actionable defamation.
Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York granted UMG’s motion to dismiss all claims on Thursday (October 9), finding that accusations made about Drake in the song’s lyrics cannot reasonably be interpreted as statements of fact, given the context of the artists’ heated rap battle.
A spokesperson for Universal Music Group told MBW: “From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day. “We’re pleased with the court’s dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career.”… (MBW)
2. HYBE TAKES WRAPS OFF US-BASED SERVICES ARM WITH A GLOBAL FOCUS… AND IT’S WORKING WITH INDEPENDENT ARTISTS AND LABELS
HLS will provide what it calls “enhanced support” for artists and labels across distribution, manufacturing, and marketing & promotion (M&P) services worldwide.
To lead HLS, Los Angeles-based Ryan Hyeong Woo Noh has been promoted to Chief Business Officer (CBO) of HYBE AMERICA, having previously served as Chief Strategy Officer of HYBE’s US division.
According to HYBE, since joining in 2022, Noh has played a pivotal role as CSO and President of HYBE LABEL SERVICE, and was tasked with establishing what the company calls “its first global organization dedicated to distribution and marketing partnerships”.
A HYBE spokesperson confirmed that HLS is working on those partnerships with both HYBE artists, as well as independent artists and labels... (MBW)
3. UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP HAS QUIETLY LAUNCHED A CREATOR MARKETING APP THAT PAYS INFLUENCERS TO POST CONTENT ON TIKTOK AND INSTAGRAM. MEET ‘HOUSE OF CARMEN’
Creator marketing is big business. According to recent data published by Influencer Marketing Hub, the influencer marketing sector was estimated to be worth $32.55 billion in 2025, compared to $24 billion in 2024.
MBW has discovered that Universal Music Group has quietly launched an app that taps into this lucrative corner of the social media space, building its own network of social media influencers in the process.
The new platform, called House of Carmen, appears to have been developed by Universal’s team in the UK… (MBW)
4. BMG AND SPOTIFY INK NEW US DIRECT PUBLISHING LICENSING DEAL
Spotify and BMG have entered into a direct, multiyear US publishing licensing deal.
The companies said on Wednesday (October 8) that the deal is “designed to deliver greater value to songwriters and their teams”. The agreement marks
Spotify’s latest direct deal with a prominent music publisher operating in the US, and moves its agreement with BMG beyond the traditional CRB model in the market.
Spotify also signed a direct licensing deal with Kobalt covering the US last month and has inked direct publishing agreements with all three majors… (MBW)
5. ISABEL GARVEY TO EXIT AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF WARNER MUSIC UK
In a note sent to Warner Music UK staff on Wednesday morning (October 8), and obtained by MBW, Garvey confirmed that she has decided “to step down from [the] role and leave the company at the end of December”.
Added Garvey: “I’m excited by the prospect of taking on new challenges and believe that this is the right decision for me and for the company”. Garvey joined WMUK as COO in 2023 and was previously MD of London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios.
Garvey’s decision to stand down from her current role at the end of the year follows the news that Warner‘s flagship Atlantic and Warner Records UK labels will be working more closely with their US counterparts, with UK label heads now reporting to US leadership… (MBW)
Partner message: MBW’s Weekly Round-up is supported by BMI, the global leader in performing rights management, dedicated to supporting songwriters, composers and publishers and championing the value of music. Find out more about BMI here. snippet]Music Business Worldwide
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