This week, Deezer revealed that 75,000 AI-generated tracks are now flooding the platform every day – representing 44% of all new music uploaded to the streamer daily.
Meanwhile, MBW examined a pair of UMG-linked patent filings that lay out a blueprint for AI-powered copyright enforcement – including a bot that could send its own cease-and-desist letters.
Elsewhere, a Chord Music Partners-linked ABS vehicle is planning a $500 million deal, backed by an $830 million catalog featuring rights from Suicideboys, Morgan Wallen, and Ryan Tedder.
Also this week, Universal Music Group and Concord Music Group sued $10 billion-valued fashion startup Quince over alleged “rampant and brazen” copyright infringement in TikTok posts featuring music from Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, and more.
Plus, UK-based Bella Figura Music acquired the publishing catalog of Grammy and Academy Award-winning producer Paul Epworth, including his work with Adele, Florence + The Machine, and more.
Here are some of the biggest headlines from the past few days…
1. 75,000 AI-GENERATED TRACKS NOW FLOOD DEEZER DAILY, REPRESENTING 44% OF ALL NEW MUSIC UPLOADED TO THE PLATFORM, SAYS STREAMER
The volume of fully AI-generated music being uploaded to Deezer has surged again – with the Paris-headquartered streaming service now receiving nearly 75,000 synthetic tracks every day.
That’s more than 2 million AI-generated tracks hitting the platform each month, according to the company, and it means AI-made music now accounts for 44% of all new tracks delivered to Deezer daily.
The new figures, revealed by Deezer on Monday (April 20), mark a sharp escalation from the 60,000 tracks per day the company reported in January, when synthetic content represented 39% of daily deliveries.
It also marks a significant jump from the 50,000 AI tracks Deezer was receiving per day in November, 30,000 in September, and just 10,000 when it launched its patent-pending AI detection tool in January 2025… (MBW)
2. HOW WILL THE MAJOR LABELS OVERCOME THE COPYRIGHT THREAT FROM AI MUSIC? BY TURNING TO THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON AVAILABLE: AI ITSELF.
Allow us to make a prediction.
In five years, the major music companies will not only be scouring the web for AI infringement, they will also be issuing legal letters directly to the perpetrators…
Sound far-fetched? It isn’t. It’s sitting inside a pair of patent applications published by the US Patent and Trademark Office on February 12, 2026.
MBW unearthed the filings while researching our recent story on the patent portfolio being built by Music IP Holdings, the entity formed last year through Universal Music Group‘s partnership with IP asset management firm Liquidax Capital… (MBW)
3. CHORD MUSIC-LINKED ABS VEHICLE PLANS $500M DEAL, BACKED BY $830M CATALOG LED BY SUICIDEBOYS, MORGAN WALLEN, AND RYAN TEDDER RIGHTS
A new issuing vehicle linked to Universal Music Group-backed investment platform Chord Music Partners is set to raise $500 million in debt through an Asset-Backed Securitization (ABS) transaction.
That’s according to a pre-sale report published by Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) on April 16, which assigns a preliminary A (sf) rating to the $500 million Series 2026-1 Notes to be issued by Canon Music Issuer Trust.
Canon is a newly established vehicle that sits beneath the broader Chord platform, with its collateral pool representing a specific portion of Chord’s assets.
The notes are collateralized by royalties from a catalog of more than 3,750 works from artists and songwriters, including Suicideboys, Morgan Wallen, Ryan Tedder, Diplo, and Twenty One Pilots… (MBW)
4. UMG SUES $10B-VALUED FASHION BRAND QUINCE FOR ‘RAMPANT AND BRAZEN INFRINGEMENT’ IN TIKTOK POSTS
Universal Music Group and Concord Music Group have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Quince, the direct-to-consumer fashion startup that, according to the complaint, has “found its success by eliminating ‘middlemen’ usually used by traditional retailers.”
Starting in fashion, the company has since expanded into luggage, bedding, and other product categories. From its inception, “social media has been Quince’s key advertising and promotional tool,” the complaint states, noting that the company’s growth has been attributed specifically to its presence on platforms including TikTok and Instagram. Quince’s Instagram account alone has 1 million followers.
The company raised a $500 million Series E in March at a $10.1 billion valuation — more than double the $4.5 billion valuation it achieved in its Series D less than a year earlier… (MBW)
5. BELLA FIGURA MUSIC ACQUIRES PAUL EPWORTH PUBLISHING CATALOG, INCLUDING WORK WITH ADELE, FLORENCE + THE MACHINE AND MORE
UK-based music rights company Bella Figura Music has acquired the publishing catalog of Grammy, Academy Award, and Golden Globe-winning producer and songwriter Paul Epworth.
Founded by former BMG UK President Alexi Cory-Smith in 2022, Bella Figura Music says it has more than $200 million in music rights under ownership and management.
The company’s latest acquisition covers Epworth’s publishing catalog and producer income, including some of his co-writes and productions on Adele‘s 21 album, such as Rolling in the Deep, and the Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning Skyfall, which he co-wrote with Adele.
The deal also covers Epworth’s work with Florence + The Machine across Lungs and Ceremonials, and collaborations with Rihanna, Arlo Parks, Glass Animals, Paul McCartney, and many more… (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. Music Business Worldwide
