Italian music trade body FIMI (Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana) is running its first Sync Mission to Los Angeles from October 5-7, bringing sync managers from Italian record companies into meetings with U.S. music supervisors and executives in film, television, advertising and gaming. The initiative, supported by the Italian Trade Agency, is part of the 20th edition of Hit Week, the festival promoting Italian music internationally.

The three-day program includes sessions at EastWest Studios covering television, film, advertising and trailer music, a visit to the Production Music Conference and Disney Studios in Burbank, and meetings with gaming companies Electronic Arts and Riot Games. According to the announcement, the delegation will also appear on a Production Music Conference panel on the Italian sync market, described as the first time a foreign delegation has been featured there.

The mission concludes with a networking event at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles and a performance by singer-songwriter La Niña, which organizers say is sold out. Hit Week continues afterward with events in Miami from October 9-10, including a further La Niña performance and university lectures, according to FIMI.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Rossella Lo Faro, fimi.it.

Billboard U.K. has published its 2026 40 Under 40 list, spotlighting executives under the age of 40 who the publication says are shaping the direction of the country’s music business.

The list spans roles across labels, publishing, management, live music and other sectors of the U.K. industry, recognizing figures Billboard identifies as influential among their peer group.

Read the full story at Billboard.

Live Nation is funding Creator Nation, a new venture aimed at consolidating creator-management companies, with the first acquisitions expected in the coming months.

Beyond talent-management firms, Creator Nation plans to acquire and expand what Live Nation calls “adjacent businesses,” signaling a broader push into the creator economy alongside its core concert promotion operations.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

A federal appeals court has sided against AI legal research company ROSS Intelligence in its fair use defense over training data, ruling in favor of Thomson Reuters on September 29. The decision from the US Court of Appeals marks one of the first circuit-level rulings on whether using copyrighted material to train AI systems qualifies as fair use.

The ruling is being watched closely by the music industry, where major labels are pursuing copyright infringement claims against AI music generator Suno over its training practices. Legal observers say the outcome could inform how courts evaluate similar fair use arguments raised by AI companies facing litigation from rights holders in the music business.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

Beatport has secured a new financing package led by Square Nine Capital. The deal refinances the dance music platform’s existing credit facility and brings in additional capital.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The move gives Beatport fresh financial backing as it continues to operate its electronic music marketplace and streaming services.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

The Recording Academy will keep its Asian Pop category for the 2027 Grammy Awards, even after Stray Kids opted not to submit music for consideration, following a similar decision by BTS. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said the organization remains confident the category serves the broader music community.

The category, introduced to recognize pop releases rooted in Asian markets, has drawn scrutiny over how top-selling K-pop acts have chosen to sit out the process rather than compete within it. The Academy’s decision to continue the award signals it is not reconsidering the category’s structure despite the high-profile absences.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

Sony Music has submitted removal requests for more than 260,000 AI-generated tracks that impersonate artists including Harry Styles, Adele, and Michael Jackson, according to the Financial Times. The label described the ongoing effort to police deepfake recordings across streaming and social platforms as an increasingly difficult task.

The disclosure underscores the scale of the problem major labels now face as AI voice-cloning tools make it easier to produce convincing fake vocal performances. Sony’s comments suggest current enforcement mechanisms are struggling to keep pace with the volume of unauthorized content being uploaded.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.