Iron Maiden Sells to Pophouse, MJ Biopic Hits $1B, Suno Eyes IPO - Wednesday, July 15

Email us hereThree stories dominate today: Pophouse takes a 50% stake in Iron Maiden's full catalog and NIL rights including mascot Eddie; the Michael Jackson biopic crosses $1 billion at the box office — a first for any biographical film; and Suno signals IPO ambitions just weeks after its $400M raise at a $5.4B valuation. Meanwhile, AI licensing battles and a landmark DC ticket-scalping law round out a packed Wednesday. Deals & M&A • Pophouse acquires 50% of Iron Maiden's publishing, masters, and NIL rights including Eddie; terms undisclosed. • Reservoir Media signs T.I. to a worldwide publishing deal covering his full catalog and future works. • Omdia forecasts global recorded-music retail sales hitting $56.8B by 2030, up from $48.3B in 2026. Lawsuits & AI • WMG asks court to dismiss AFM's breach-of-contract suit over its AI licensing deals with Suno and Udio. • DOJ's Live Nation–Ticketmaster settlement enters 60-day public comment; NIVA calls $280M penalty inadequate. • Anthropic battles music attorney Donald Passman amid broader publisher disputes over Claude AI training data. • Suno job listing reveals plans for first financial audit and explicit IPO readiness, one month after $400M raise. • LANDR's Fair Trade AI opt-in licensing program reaches 30,000+ indie artists; first payments ship this month. Streaming & Tech • Spotify launches conversational AI assistant beta for US, Ireland, and Sweden premium subscribers. • RIAA, IFPI, Recording Academy coalition proposes voluntary "AI-Generated" and "AI-Assisted" streaming labels. • Omdia predicts China overtakes UK (2028) and Japan (2029) to become world's second-largest music market. Live & Touring • Washington DC unanimously passes RESALE Act capping ticket resale at 10% above face value; effective January 1. • Apple Music's Club Live broadcasts free Tomorrowland livestreams across all six stages this weekend. • Amazon Music returns to Fuji Rock Festival for year three, streaming on Twitch and Prime Video. Artists & Releases • Michael Jackson biopic Michael grosses $1B worldwide — first biographical film ever to reach that milestone. • Recording Academy invites 4,000+ creators to 2026 New Member Class, including Lola Young and Cash Cobain. International • UK government launches £45M Music Growth Package covering venues, education, licensing reform, and a new Music Champion role. • ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus urges UN summit to adopt collective AI licensing funded by a share of subscription revenue. • Bangkok police arrest five suspects in BTS concert ticket fraud ring amid rising Southeast Asia scam activity. Five minutes, six categories, zero fluff.