Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Tuesday edition • 3 min read

Labels Got Paid From Udio and Suno. Their Artists Didn't

What's Up

The American Federation of Musicians is suing Universal and Warner for pocketing the AI settlement money. TL;DR: labels sued Suno and Udio for training on their artists' music, labels settled, labels cashed a very fat check. And their artists, who got hit hardest of all, mind you, got N-O-T-H-I-N-G.

So What

Déjà vu, anyone? Labels love playing hero against Big Bad AI, and fine, suing was the right move. But when everything's said and done, those same labels keep all the money for themselves. That "On behalf of our artists" in their press releases is doing a lot of unpaid work. Much like their artists.

Now What

No surprise, labels look out for numero uno. They don't even build artists anymore; they want you pre-packaged, fans included. So keep building without them. You're indie.

[Full story at DMN]

Sell Directly on Tidal, Keep 90%

What's Up

Tidal rolled out direct-to-fan sales on Tidal Upload: sell albums and tracks, set your own price, and keep 90% (before fees and taxes). Fans don't even need a subscription to buy.

One catch, though: US artists selling to US fans only. Everybody else just has to wait.

So What

Passion fills the soul; it doesn't fill the gas tank. Direct sales are what turn your "little hobby" into something more serious. And now, when someone loves your record, they can profess their love with their wallet, right where they listen.

Now What

For anyone who's stateside, you've got another storefront. Set up direct sales and price your stuff like you mean it.

[Full story at Music Ally]

Bandsintown's Boost Promises 4x the Ticket Clicks

What's Up

Bandsintown wants you to get butts in seats, and they launched a new tool to make sure that happens.

Bandsintown's Boost auto-promotes your gigs to people already looking for concerts. And apparently, boosted shows get 4x more ticket clicks. Hopefully, that'll stop your shows from being, uh, breezy.

So What

2026 is shaping up to be a bad year for touring (Blue Dot Fever, looking at you). Getting people off their couch takes more than an Instagram post and a prayer. What you need is something like Boost. We're suckers for anything that makes touring just a little bit easier.

Now What

That's your tool of the day. Give Boost a shot before your next show.

[Full story at Hypebot]

While You Were Making Music…

⚽ Deezer says there are hundreds of AI-generated World Cup songs [it's the biggest show on Earth; of course, there's gonna be some AI slop]

🪄 A resurrected Tupac joins Sega's Stranger Than Heaven, no AI involved [Tupac being in a Japanese crime game is one thing. But no AI?]

🌮 Taco Bell adds 100 more artists to its Feed The Beat initiative [free Taco Bell on tour. Hope you like Taco Bell]

Today's edition by Jordan F.

For indies who ship music, not excuses.