Weekday briefing
Thursday 12 November 2026
A quieter day. Touring costs are back in the spotlight, YouTube's AI replacement music reaches UK creators with strings attached, and a US case is testing who pays when influencers use unlicensed songs in brand ads.
Updates
Live music & touring
Kate Nash expects to lose about $16,000 on her next tour
Singer Kate Nash said this week that she expects to lose around $16,000 on her coming North American tour, and will keep using subscription content online to help cover it. She has said the losses come from paying a live band and crew rather than using backing tracks. Last month she told MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee that she lost £26,000 on her last European tour and £13,000 on her UK run.
Why it matters: It's a high-profile reminder of how tight touring margins are, even for established acts with strong ticket sales. Expect it to feed into the ongoing lobbying on touring costs and post-Brexit rules, and to shape conversations with acts about fees, crew size and production.
Sources: RTÉ · Belfast Telegraph · The Independent
Music marketing & social
YouTube's AI replacement music reaches more countries, for YouTube use only
YouTube has opened the AI music option in its Studio 'Replace song' tool to creators in most countries outside the European Economic Area. When a video gets a music copyright claim, creators can generate four instrumental tracks of about three minutes and swap one in; the claim is lifted once all the claimed audio is replaced. YouTube says the generated music is only for content made on YouTube, the edit can't be undone, and the tool is desktop-only for now.
Why it matters: It's a quick fix for claimed promo videos without re-uploading and losing views. But the tracks aren't cleared for Instagram, TikTok or paid ads, so cutdowns for other platforms still need properly licensed music. Keep the original file before saving an edit.
Sources: PPC Land · ContentGrip
Music marketing & social
Spotify's AI DJ adds a British voice and an option to turn off the chat
Spotify has added nine new voices to DJ, its AI host for Premium listeners, including British, Irish and Australian accents, and a setting that switches off commentary between songs. The changes began rolling out on 10 November in markets where DJ is available.
Why it matters: DJ is one of the ways Premium listeners find music, so it's another discovery route where good playlist placement and complete artist profiles matter. Fewer interruptions may also mean more listening sessions that run uninterrupted through DJ.
Sources: Spotify Newsroom · Music Ally
Entertainment law
Kroger asks court to throw out Sony's influencer ad music lawsuit
US supermarket group Kroger and 17 affiliates have asked a California federal court to dismiss Sony Music's lawsuit over at least 392 alleged unlicensed uses of Sony recordings in social videos by Kroger brands and paid influencers. Kroger argues that Sony hasn't said which label owns which recording, and that where an influencer chose the song, any licence fee was the influencer's responsibility, not the brand's. A hearing is set for 14 January 2027.
Why it matters: This is one of several US cases about music in brand and influencer content, and the outcome may influence how brands, agencies and creators split responsibility for licensing. Brand and influencer briefs that spell out who clears the music are worth a look.
Sources: Music Business Worldwide · Digital Music News
Wider context
Entertainment law
EU adviser says AI chatbots reusing press articles may infringe publishers' rights
In the first generative AI case at the EU's Court of Justice, Advocate General Szpunar said a chatbot that retrieves and reuses press articles in real time to answer users may, in some circumstances, infringe press publishers' rights, particularly where the answer could replace reading the original. He treated questions about AI training as inadmissible in this case. His opinion is not binding; the Court will rule later.
Why it matters: The case concerns news publishers rather than music, but it's an early sign of how EU courts may approach AI tools that reuse protected content, which could shape later arguments over lyrics and recordings.
Sources: Court of Justice of the EU · EUR-Lex
Coverage note: A light news day after the launch edition. Two items (YouTube and the Kroger motion) are from earlier in the month but weren't covered before. No new UK-specific legal rulings or deadlines were found. A report of new court filings by music publishers against Anthropic was left out because its date couldn't be confirmed.