IPNation Targets $100M in Arabic Catalogs, Twitch's AI Opt-Out Backlash - August 13

Email us hereArabic music investment platform IPNation launches with $100M ambitions, while Twitch's default AI training opt-out ignites creator fury. Beatport moves to block AI-generated tracks at ingestion, and Rod Stewart's health forces him off the road entirely. Here's everything that mattered today. Deals & M&A • IPNation, backed by Influence Media Partners, launches as the first Arabic music catalog platform targeting $100M across 10–20 deals. • Anghami co-founder Eddy Maroun and investment veteran Jose Maria Dot are co-leading the new UAE-headquartered vehicle. Lawsuits & AI • Beatport bans wholly AI-generated music, expanding its Beatdapp partnership to auto-detect and block AI tracks at ingestion. • Stevie Wonder opposes the Phonorecords V CRB settlement, saying songwriting has "too often been undervalued." • Twitch defaults all streamer content into Amazon AI model training, drawing nearly 14,000 upvotes of backlash on its own forum. Streaming & Tech • Google adds Ticketmaster, Pandora, and iHeartRadio as Gemini connected apps; the assistant now tops 1 billion monthly active users. Live & Touring • Jonas Brothers headline the NFL's first-ever Australia regular-season game halftime show, airing live on Netflix on September 11. • Rod Stewart, 81, cancels his entire remaining 2026 North American farewell tour following a coronary stent procedure. International • MENA recorded music revenues grew 15.2% year-over-year in 2025, the joint second-fastest-growing region globally per IFPI. • Quebec French-language artists' share of physical album sales fell from 24% to 18% in a single year, per new Luminate data. Also Today • Dance music ticket demand surged 23.7% year-over-year in 2026, outpacing every major genre per Bandsintown. • Boy George walked off his Frankfurt set after three songs, citing technical difficulties before walking back a sabotage claim. Five minutes, six categories, zero fluff.