Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group and Warner Music Group have all become investors in Stability AI, joining a $76 million Series B funding round for the generative AI company. The round also includes gaming company Electronic Arts and investment firms such as AMD Ventures.

The move gives all three major music companies direct financial stakes in an AI firm at a time when labels have been negotiating licensing terms and litigating against AI developers over the use of copyrighted material. Taking equity positions signals a shift toward collaboration alongside continued legal and commercial scrutiny of generative AI tools in music.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

Music Business Worldwide founder Tim Ingham has published the latest installment of his “Tim’s Take” opinion column, this time scrutinizing Amazon’s role in the music streaming business. The piece, titled “The Amazon Pain Forest,” continues Ingham’s regular practice of offering pointed commentary on major players shaping the recorded-music economy.

Specific details of Ingham’s argument were not disclosed in the available summary, but the column arrives amid ongoing industry debate over how big tech platforms compensate and prioritize music relative to other content categories.

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Warner Chappell Music has promoted Gabz Landman to Executive Vice President, A&R. Landman remains based at the publisher’s Los Angeles headquarters.

Landman will continue reporting to Ryan Press, President of North America at Warner Chappell Music.

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Footwear retailer DSW has reached a settlement in principle with Sony Music over its use of the label’s music in social media advertising, according to a court filing. The agreement has not yet been formally executed, and financial terms were not disclosed.

The case adds to a growing list of disputes between major labels and brands over unlicensed use of copyrighted recordings in marketing campaigns on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. With formal terms still pending, further details of the resolution are expected once the settlement is finalized.

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Sony Music has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Kroger, parent company of grocery chain Ralphs, alleging the retailer used its recordings without authorization in social media advertising. The complaint cites 392 alleged unauthorized uses of Sony-owned tracks.

Court filings reference Kroger’s disclosed advertising spend of approximately $1.18 billion in 2025, a figure Sony’s legal team is likely to point to in arguing for damages. The case adds to a growing list of disputes between major labels and non-music companies over unlicensed use of recordings in marketing content.

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Round Hill Music has laid out its litigation strategy against Suno and Anthropic, with the publisher indicating it intends to pursue both AI companies through trial rather than settle. Court filings reference model weights, data extraction tools and a $75 million figure central to the disputes.

Round Hill estimates statutory damages could approach or exceed $1 billion in each case, underscoring the financial stakes as music rights holders continue to challenge AI firms over the use of copyrighted works in training data.

The cases add to a growing body of litigation testing how copyright law applies to generative AI music and text tools, with outcomes likely to shape licensing negotiations across the industry.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.