HarbourView Tops $3.88B, Suno's Fake Mary J. Blige Deal - Friday, September 4

Email us hereHarbourView crosses $3.88B in AUM with a classic catalog grab, Suno's botched Mary J. Blige campaign exposes a fraudulent rep, and Luminate launches a global AI-music detection framework. It's a busy Friday covering deals, lawsuits, and chart data across five continents. Deals & M&A • HarbourView acquires David Kershenbaum royalties — "Fast Car," "Steppin' Out," "Walking in Memphis" — topping $3.88B AUM. • Primary Wave partners with Wilson Pickett's estate for publishing catalog stake and NIL rights; terms undisclosed. • UMG's UMusic Hospitality opens its first UK hotel on London's Denmark Street in Q4 2026, 55 rooms. • Spotify promotes Joe Hadley to VP of Global Music Content & Partnerships; J.J. Italiano named Head of Editorial. Lawsuits & AI • LyricFind vs. Musixmatch mediation collapses — Musixmatch and PE owner TPG refuse to participate. • Suno kills Mary J. Blige ad after learning the deal broker had no authority to represent her. • Luminate launches global AI-generated music detection framework inside its CONNECT platform, powering Billboard charts. Artists & Releases • Spotify reveals 2026 Songs of Summer: Ariana Grande, Ella Langley, Sam Fender, Shakira, and Yung Miami lead the list. • Soul Train Awards return to BET this November in Chicago, with Spotify as exclusive streaming partner. International • Kaskade signs exclusive deal with Ne-Yo and Sonu Nigam's Pacific Music Group for Asia-Pacific expansion. • HYBE India expands girl group auditions to eight more cities; online applications open through October 31. Also Today • Chartmetric flags "blue dot fever" as Post Malone, Zayn, Meghan Trainor, and Pussycat Dolls scale back 2026 tours. • Over one-third of Apple Music subscribers are now bundled inside Apple One, per DMN Pro data. • FL Studio CEO and CTO call GenAI an on-ramp to human music-making — but insist any AI tools must be ethically trained. Five minutes, six categories, zero fluff.