RBX Sues Spotify for $600M, AI Chart Rules Proposed - July 29

Email us hereThe music industry's AI reckoning dominated Wednesday, as a major-label coalition proposed chart-eligibility rules for AI-assisted recordings and Suno faced a new class action over its 55-million-user data breach. Meanwhile, rapper RBX's amended Spotify lawsuit alleging $600M in diverted royalties raised the stakes on streaming fraud claims, and HYBE's Q2 concert revenue surged 243% to $432M. Lawsuits & AI • Major labels, BMG, Concord, HYBE, and others propose chart rules requiring AI tracks be substantially human-made and properly labeled. • Fully AI-generated tracks would be barred from official charts under the coalition proposal. • Rapper RBX files amended class action alleging Spotify diverted $600M in royalties from indie rights holders over 48 months. • Judge denies music attorney Donald Passman's opt-out from Anthropic's $1.5B author copyright settlement. • Suno hit with class action over November 2025 data breach reportedly affecting 55.3 million US users. Streaming & Tech • Deezer H1 2026: revenue nearly flat at €268.2M, total subs down 3.5%, but direct subscribers grew 8.7% to 5.8M. • Spotify may have overtaken Korea's Melon for the first time, per WiseApp data; YouTube Music leads both at 9.5M MAUs. • US AM/FM radio's ad-supported audience remains more than 10 times larger than Spotify's free tier, per Westwood One. Live & Touring • Anaheim's $5B OCVibe district hits construction milestone; 5,000-cap concert hall targets March 2027 grand opening. • HYBE Q2 concert revenue soared 243% YoY to $432M, with live outpacing recorded music in H1 for the first time since 2019. Artists & Releases • HYBE liquidates AI voice company Supertone after ~$32M investment, citing strategy realignment. International • Winamp's revival will bundle a Deezer-powered subscription music service, announced alongside Deezer's H1 financials. Also Today • Luminate Midyear 2026: Dance/Electronic tops US growth genres; English-language streaming hits historic low of 87.1%; CD sales up 16%. • K-pop drove over half of the CD sales surge in H1 2026; big-box retailers captured nearly 30% of the physical market. • Analysis: major labels shifting from AI litigation toward building licensed AI creation and attribution platforms. Five minutes, six categories, zero fluff.