SAMPLED▌ BUSINESS
51 stories
Stories filed under Business on Sampled — sound, style, and scenes, all in one place.
Why Has Sony Music Asked to Remove 260,000 AI Deepfake Songs?
Sony's takedown requests for AI tracks faking its artists nearly doubled in six months. Here's what's driving it and how independent artists can protect their name.
Why Is Outkast Suing Ovrkast, and Who Is the Judge Hearing the Case?
André 3000 and Big Boi's trademark company says producer Ovrkast agreed to change his name and then didn't. The case landed in front of Judge Eleanor Ross, who was reprimanded this summer. Here's what's at stake.
Why Is Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour Falling Apart?
Macklemore was pushed off the bill for saying 'Free Palestine.' Within 48 hours every remaining support act — and Sheeran's own backing band — walked. Here is what happened and what it tells working musicians about who really controls a stage.
UMG Is Suing DistroKid Over AI Slop: Does It Put Your Releases at Risk?
Universal sued the biggest independent distributor this week over AI-generated uploads and infringement. Here is what the filing actually says, and what independent artists should do about it.
Is AI Music Legal in 2026? Where the Lawsuits and Rules Actually Stand
Settlements, licensing deals, chart bans, AI labels, the EU AI Act and a criminal fraud conviction — what has actually happened, and what it means for working artists.
What Is a Performing Rights Organization and Do You Need One?
PROs collect the money your songs earn when they get played in public. Here is what that covers, what it does not, and how to join.
What Is Music Distribution and How Do You Get on Spotify?
What a distributor does, what it costs, how long it takes, and the exact steps from finished file to live release.
How Spotify Royalties Work: What a Stream Really Pays
There is no fixed per-stream rate. Here is how the payout pool works, where your money gets split, and how to plan around it.
Sony and Warner Chappell sue Anthropic: what it means for songwriters
Two of the biggest publishers on earth say Claude was trained on their catalog. Here is the claim, the stakes, and why a songwriter with 40 songs should care.
T-Pain is suing over royalties again — and the paperwork lesson is free
A roughly $500,000 claim against a label he has already sued once. The useful part for you is not the gossip; it is the audit clause.
The AI chart ban is spreading — and "substantially human made" is about to be your paperwork
Australia moved first. New Zealand is debating it now. Whatever your country does, you should be able to prove a human made your record.
Free Moves That Actually Make Indie Artists Money
Direct-to-fan sales, home-burned CDs, dubbed tapes, and the royalties you may already be owed — none of it costs a thing to start.
The DOJ just told a federal judge that training AI on your work is fair use
In re OpenAI, Inc. Copyright Infringement Litigation: the United States filed a 20-page Statement of Interest on September 1, 2026 backing OpenAI on training. Here is what it argues, where it breaks from the Copyright Office, and what it means for musicians and writers.
Free marketing tools, AI planning, and the honest route from prototype to a real app
Small businesses and creatives can plan, market and prototype for nothing. The hard part starts after the MVP: code signing, app review and offline architecture.
The SEO checklist for business leaders: llms.txt, alt text, Search Console, and three things you can do today
A plain-language, step-by-step guide to the SEO work that actually moves the needle — with the exact clicks, the free tools, and the certifications worth taking.
Music producer contract: every clause explained, and the numbers that count as standard
Points, splits, work for hire and the sample clause — a plain-English walk through what actually belongs in a producer agreement before anybody hits record.
Company review sites for B2B buyers: how to check if a company is legit before you sign
A working method for vetting a vendor, label, distributor or agency: which review platforms actually help, which public records back them up, and how to build a one-page dossier in under an hour.
Australia just drew the first hard line between AI-generated and AI-assisted records
ARIA's updated Chart Code of Practice takes effect with the chart published Friday, August 28. Fully AI-generated recordings are out. AI as a tool is still fine — and the difference comes down to who sang the lead.
SoundCloud now lets artists sell tracks directly — and it's taking zero commission
A beta that opened Aug 26 to roughly 200 Artist Pro creators turns SoundCloud into a direct-to-fan storefront, with the platform taking no cut. Here's what it means for independent artists.
Merlin bought a royalty accounting company — and that says more than most catalogue deals
The independent licensing body and an investment partner completed their acquisition of Curve Royalty Systems. Accounting infrastructure is the quiet fight in independent music.
When a visa disappears mid-tour: what actually happens, and what an artist can do
A U.S. run was pulled this week after a visa was revoked. The mechanics are worth understanding before it is your routing.
Work the problem: how to solve, lead, and know when to ask for help
A working method for creators, borrowed from Apollo 13's flight director: separate what you know from what you are guessing, lead your own station, hand off what you are bad at, and aim for the correct result instead of being personally right.
Free music licensing courses and resources that actually exist
University courses you can audit for nothing, free micro-courses from the organisation that pays your streaming mechanicals, and government video series — every resource here is real, free to access, and linked.
Maluma handed his world tour to an Argentinian promoter, not an American one
Fenix Entertainment will lead strategy for his 2027–2028 global run. For Latin music at this scale, that is a meaningful choice about where the centre of gravity sits.
Ellie Goulding's lawsuit is really a lesson about who owns your manager
She alleges her managers never told her their parent company was owned by Live Nation while she was signing Live Nation touring and merch deals. Read the ownership chart before you sign anything.
Two Suno lawsuits quietly disappeared this week — and nobody explained why
Jamendo and the duo The American Dollar both walked away from their copyright cases. One can come back. One cannot. That difference tells you almost everything.
Round Hill sues Suno and Anthropic, and says each case could top $1 billion
An independent publisher just did what the majors did — twice in one filing day — and the damages language is the part every songwriter should read.
Caroline Rose started a label in May and is releasing her own album on it in October
SUCK Records' first full-length is hers. The artist-owned imprint is having a moment — here is what one actually costs you.
Effective altruism, explained for business — and what it says about AI in music
What effective altruism actually is as a business framework, which people in and around music already operate this way, why the tech world adopted it so hard, and how the same logic lands on AI, record labels and the value of a song.
The majors in 2026, part 3: Sony Music
Sony's music segment posted ¥562.0 billion in quarterly sales, up 21%, with operating income of ¥105.9 billion — plus a raised full-year forecast on the back of consolidating Recognition Music Group.
The majors in 2026, part 2: Warner Music Group
WMG's 2026: a fiscal Q3 with revenue up 10% and net income of $200 million, an abrupt CFO exit, Tom Corson promoted to COO, and an AI strategy built on buying attribution technology.
The majors in 2026, part 1: Universal Music Group
UMG's 2026 so far, read from its own filings and press releases: double-digit revenue growth, the Downtown consolidation, a €500m buyback plus a €250m Pershing Square exit, and a licensed-AI strategy built on settlements.
Megan Thee Stallion went to Interscope and kept everything
A distribution deal, not a record deal. She keeps her masters and her publishing, Hot Girl Productions stays the label, and Interscope handles the world. Here is what that structure actually is.
Music charity, audited: how to give to the industry without wasting the money
Benefit shows, donation tins and relief funds move real money through music every year. Here is an effective altruism framework for checking whether yours does anything — plus the paperwork that tells you the truth.
Effective altruism for creative entrepreneurs: the part that actually helps your business
Strip away the campus-debate baggage and effective altruism is a resource-allocation discipline — scale, neglectedness, tractability, evidence. Here is how it applies to running a small creative brand, and how Sampled uses it.
Wixen wants $102M from Meta — here's what the filing actually says
A publishing administrator, 681 songs, five legal counts, and a motion to dismiss heard on August 3. Strip out the headline number and the case is really about what happens when a music licence expires and the platform keeps running.
Beggars Group told AI companies no in writing — here's exactly what the notice says
The indie group behind XL, 4AD, Matador and Rough Trade has published a blanket reservation of rights against text and data mining. It is short, broad, and worth reading line by line if you own recordings.
Music metadata explained: ISRC, UPC, ISWC and the credits that get you paid
Identifiers and credits decide whether your royalties find you. A practical walkthrough of ISRC, UPC, ISWC and release credits, using the free public standards and databases you can check yourself.
Roblox just signed music's biggest promoter and one of its fastest-growing distributors — in the same week
Live Nation and Too Lost both announced Roblox music deals in the same week. Read side by side, the two press releases reveal how the platform is turning games into a discovery channel.
How to copyright your music in the U.S. (and why it actually matters)
You own your song the second you record it — but registering it is what lets you enforce it. Here's how to file with the U.S. Copyright Office, what it costs, and the mistakes producers keep making.
ASCAP vs BMI vs SESAC: Which PRO Should You Join in 2026?
What a performing rights organization actually pays you, how the three US societies differ now that BMI is for-profit, and how to pick one.
How to Build a Music Release Calendar That Actually Works
A practical, no-fluff guide to planning singles, EPs, and albums so your releases build momentum instead of burning you out.
10 Services Music Producers Can Sell Online (And Where to Post Them)
From mixing and mastering to ghost production and coaching, here are ten proven services producers can offer today — plus the best platforms to list them, from SoundBetter and AirGigs to Fiverr and your own site.
Where Can I Submit My Music for Sync? A Producer's Directory of Blogs, Libraries, and Licensing Platforms
A running list of blogs, newsletters, platforms, and listening sessions that actually accept submissions — and what to send them.
How creatives actually make money in 2026: the real playbook, no filler
Eight income streams with the exact platforms, price points, and moves. Pick two, run them for 90 days, ignore the rest.
Half the year is gone: the mid-year checklist every producer should run on July 1
Royalties, splits, expenses, backups, and the boring stuff that costs you money in April if you skip it now.
CD Baby vs DistroKid: Which Distributor Should You Use?
A practical comparison of CD Baby and DistroKid for musicians deciding how to release singles and albums.
DistroKid vs TuneCore in 2026: Which Should You Actually Use?
Current plans, real costs, publishing admin, and the catalog terms nobody reads — a plain comparison of the two biggest self-serve distributors.
Best Music Sync Submission Websites for Independent Artists
A real breakdown of where to actually pitch your music for film, TV, ads, games, and creator projects — and why most artists are using the wrong door.
Best Websites to Sell Beats Online for Producers
BeatStars, Airbit, Soundee, Traktrain — which platform actually fits how you sell, and what to stop pretending about the beat game.
What Is the Best Music Distribution Service for Independent Artists in 2026?
How the major distributors price their plans now, who takes a cut of what, and the catalog terms that decide whether your music stays online.