UMG x ElevenLabs Deal, T-Pain Sues Akon for $489K - Friday, September 11

Email us hereUniversal Music Group's landmark licensing deal with $11B-valued ElevenLabs dominates today's news, signaling a new era of label-backed AI co-creation. T-Pain's second lawsuit against Akon's Konvict Entertainment adds fresh drama to the royalties beat. Rounding out a busy Friday: Ella Langley ties history at the CMA nominations and Spotify quietly reshapes its India charts. Deals & M&A • UMG signed a multi-year licensing and product deal with ElevenLabs ($11B valuation) to build AI remix and vocal experiences. • beatBread named former TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson as its new chief executive. • Primary Wave acquired a stake in Savage Garden co-founder Daniel Jones's catalog, including "Truly Madly Deeply." Lawsuits & AI • T-Pain sued Akon's Konvict Entertainment a second time, alleging $489K withheld from a $1.3M Zomba payout. Streaming & Tech • Spotify quietly pulled stream-count figures from its India daily and weekly charts with no public explanation. • Apple unveiled always-on passive Shazam recognition for Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 via "Audio Intelligence." • Spotify landed a limited-window exclusive on Noah Kahan's "Orbiter" video, extending its push into video content. Artists & Releases • Ella Langley leads 2026 CMA Award nominations with nine nods, tying the all-time record for a female artist. • Brian Eno relaunched his Opal Records imprint with October reissues of two long-out-of-print ambient albums. Also Today • Columbia Records named Corey "C-Notes" Calder SVP of Marketing and Head of Urban Music Marketing. • U2 named MusiCares 2027 Persons of the Year. • Notes·fm launched financial accounts via Stripe and is entering music distribution with split royalty payouts. • Shania Twain and Zedd reimagined "You're Still the One" for Candy Crush's Music Season 2026 via UMG. Five minutes, six categories, zero fluff.