This week, Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge sent a comprehensive memo to UMG staff outlining the company’s strategy for generative AI partnerships and product development.

Meanwhile, Spotify announced plans to develop “responsible” AI music products in partnership with all three major music companies and key independents.

Elsewhere, beatBread launched a new $100 million fund to deploy capital to indie labels and distributors seeking alternatives to traditional industry financing.

Also this week, Warner Music merged its Benelux and GSA businesses under a new Central Europe structure, with leadership changes across the region.

Here are some of the biggest headlines from the past few days…

1. SIR LUCIAN GRAINGE ON UMG’S AI POLICY: ‘WE WILL NOT LICENSE AI MODELS THAT USE AN ARTIST’S VOICE WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT.’

Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge has sent a comprehensive memo to UMG staff outlining the company’s strategy for generative AI partnerships and product development.

The letter, sent on Monday (October 13) and obtained by MBW, addresses three core areas: (i) UMG’s expanding portfolio of AI company agreements, (ii) how artists can participate in AI opportunities, and (iii) the company’s public policy advocacy around responsible AI development. Grainge writes that Universal is “playing a pioneering role in fostering AI’s enormous potential”.

His memo confirms that UMG is “very actively engaged with nearly a dozen different companies on significant new products and service plans that hold promise for a dramatic expansion of the AI music landscape…” (MBW)

2. SPOTIFY TO DEVELOP ‘ARTIST-FIRST’ AI MUSIC PRODUCTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SONY, UMG, WARNER, MERLIN, AND BELIEVE

Spotify plans to develop “responsible” AI music products in partnership with all three major music companies – Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group – as well as indie music representative Merlin and independent music company Believe.

The company stated that it is “making significant investments in AI research and product development” and has already begun building a “state-of-the-art” generative AI research lab and product team.

Spotify announced the partnerships and plans to develop “artist-first AI music products” on Thursday (October 16). It said that it aims to onboard additional rightsholders and distributors over time... (MBW)

3. BEATBREAD LAUNCHES $100M GLOBAL INDIE FUND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AIM, WIN, IMPALA

Two months after beatBread secured another USD $124 million in credit and equity capital, the music financing platform has now launched a new fund that will deploy $100 million to labels and distributors seeking alternatives to traditional industry financing.

The Global Independence Fund (GIF) represents an expansion of beatBread’s existing business model, which provides capital to independent music operations.

The company established the fund in partnership with several trade organizations representing independent labels, including AIM, AIM Ireland, WIN and IMPALA.

The financing will allow labels to access capital by borrowing against existing catalog revenue streams, securing advances for artist signings, and obtaining working capital for operational expenses, while “maintain[ing] control of day-to-day decision making…” (MBW)

4. WARNER MUSIC MERGES BENELUX-GSA BUSINESSES; NIELS WALBOOMERS NAMED PRESIDENT, AS CENTRAL EUROPE BOSSES DOREEN SCHIMK & FABIAN DREBES EXIT

Warner Music is combining its recorded music businesses in Benelux (which includes the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg), including Spinnin’ Records, with those in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (GSA) under the Warner Music Central Europe banner.

Niels Walboomers has been appointed President of the expanded WM Central Europe region across those six countries. Doreen Schimk and Fabian Drebes will step down as WM Central Europe Co-Presidents after four years in the role, and decades at the company, as “they pursue new projects”, Warner said on Tuesday (October 14).

On the publishing side of the business, Natascha Augustin will continue to serve as Managing Director of Warner Chappell Music Germany, which Warner noted is the “country’s number one domestic music publisher”, reporting to Guy Moot, Co-Chair and CEO of Warner Chappell Music… (MBW)

5. Frank Sinatra name, image and likeness rights acquired by Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group

Iconic Artists Group, the company led by music industry veteran Irving Azoff, has reportedly acquired Frank Sinatra’s name, image and likeness rights.

Bloomberg reported the news on Sunday (October 12) and said that Azoff plans to create a Rat Pack-themed venue in Las Vegas.

Speaking at Bloomberg’s Screentime conference last week, Azoff confirmed that the company “recently acquired a chunk of the Sinatra estate.”

Frank Sinatra Enterprises confirmed the deal in a statement sent to MBW: “Frank Sinatra Enterprises, Tina Sinatra, and Warner Music Group are delighted to welcome Irving Azoff and Iconic to the dedicated team serving the life’s work and legacy of Frank Sinatra….” (MBW)

Partner message: MBW’s Weekly Round-up is supported by BMI, the global leader in performing rights management, dedicated to supporting songwriters, composers and publishers and championing the value of music. Find out more about BMI here. Music Business Worldwide

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The $1.8 trillion technology company has a few entry-level jobs on the market: a Full-stack software engineer, and multiple product software engineer roles. And lucky for Gen Z just getting their start in tech, the roles don’t require a decade of experience. To qualify, candidates only need a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field like computer science, computer engineering, or applied sciences. 

Top candidates for the full-stack and one of the software engineer roles should also have completed a university-level course, internship, thesis, or 12 months of work in one of the following: PHP and Hack, C++, Python, react framework, coding issues, or large scale storage infrastructure or frameworks. The other iOS software engineer job necessitates a year of experience in skills like object-oriented software development, multithreading programming, and Linux or Unix.

It’s also a plus that these Meta roles come with envy-inducing salaries; they pay anywhere from $176,000 up to $290,000 annually, alongside other perks like bonuses, equity, and benefits. However, WFH-loving candidates won’t be able to clock in from their couches—each full-time role is in-person, whether that be working at Meta’s Washington or California offices. 

What CEO Mark Zuckerberg is looking for in top talent

Candidates vying for the competitive spots could consider studying what Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he looks for in talent.

The tech pioneer and Harvard dropout has revealed that skills outweigh a flashy college degree in his hiring philosophy—but it should be noted that these entry-level Meta roles still require a bachelor’s. Zuckerberg looks for job candidates who have mastered a skill and can apply it across business areas at the company. What they studied in school matters less than their ability to get things done and innovate. 

“If people have shown that they can go deep and do one thing really well, then they’ve probably gained experience in the art of learning something and taking it to an excellent level, which is generally pretty applicable to other things,” Zuckerberg told Bloomberg last year. 

Six-figure entry-level roles are welcome in a bleak entry-level job market 

Meta’s entry-level roles are a welcome addition to a bleak Gen Z job market. Recent graduates were once promised that studying fields like computer science, coding, or engineering would guarantee them six-figure salaries after college. But now, AI automation has flipped everything on its head. Earlier this year, the Washington Post reported that computer-programmer employment dropped to its lowest level since the 1980s—one profession that has been hit hardest over the past few years. 

Struggles aren’t limited to computer-programmer roles—tech companies have been shedding young staffers across the board since 2023. The percentage of Gen Z employees between the ages of 21 and 25 has been cut in half at technology companies over the past two years, according to a Pave study from this year. These young professionals accounted for 15% of the workforce at large public tech firms, like Meta, in January 2023; by August 2025, they only represented 6.8%. And the situation isn’t pretty at big private tech companies, either. During that same time period, the proportion of early-career Gen Z employees dwindled from 9.3% to 6.8%.

There seems to be a clear culprit that’s graying Silicon Valley’s workforce: businesses are being pressured to do more with less, and automate human jobs. Of course, the roles with the simplest tasks are the first to go, disproportionately affecting young hopefuls looking to start their professional lives. Matt Schulman, the founder and CEO of Pave who had early-career experience at Facebook (now Meta) and Microsoft, has witnessed this shift in his industry. While Meta has made headlines for poaching OpenAI and Google DeepMind staffers with $100 million signing-bonuses in the AI race, at its core, the company is known for chasing up-and-coming talent.

“Most public companies have fleshed out training programs that are squarely centered around new grad programs and university recruiting,” the Pave CEO, with early-career experience at Facebook and Microsoft, explains. “A company like Meta, their whole talent thesis was to go after universities, get the smart 21-year-olds, and then train them up.”

Virgin Music Group has announced a new partnership with British pop artist Melanie C and her independent label Red Girl Records, marking the start of a new chapter in the former Spice Girl’s solo career.

The collaboration launches with the release of “Sweat”, the lead single from Melanie C’s forthcoming ninth studio album of the same name, set for release in 2026.

The track, recorded between Stockholm and Los Angeles,  includes a sample of Diana Ross’s Work That Body .

“It feels like a homecoming after the successes we shared working together with Spice Girls and my first two solo albums.”

Melanie C

Melanie C said: “I’m thrilled to be releasing my new music with Virgin Music Group. It feels like a homecoming after the successes we shared working together with Spice Girls and my first two solo albums.

“They are paving the way for more artist-led deals and have an incredibly strong international team. I’m really excited to see what we can achieve together.”

Vanessa Bosåen, President of Virgin Music Group UK, added: “Melanie is such a unique force of nature who is on the verge of another exciting chapter in an illustrious career.

“She captivates the heart of everyone she meets and we are thrilled to welcome her into the Virgin Music Group family. We look forward to working alongside her and her team to bring her intoxicating vision to life.”

The partnership continues Melanie C’s long-standing relationship with Virgin, which originally distributed her early solo releases and the Spice Girls’ global catalog.

The artist, who claims to be the only female performer to Top the UK charts as a soloist and as part of a duo, quartet, and quintet, has also built a parallel career as a DJ and live performer, often blending club and pop influences.

Her upcoming album coincides with a headline show at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on October 23, 2026.Music Business Worldwide