Universal Music Group Sues Tunecore for 50 Million

Universal Music Group (UMG), along with ABKCO Music & Records and Concord Music Group, has filed a $500 million lawsuit against Believe SAS and its subsidiary TuneCore, alleging widespread copyright infringement. The plaintiffs claim that TuneCore has distributed millions of altered or unauthorized versions of copyrighted songs—often with minor modifications, like increased playback speed—to evade detection by content-identification systems on platforms like YouTube and Spotify. These tracks were allegedly uploaded by users with misleading artist names, such as "Kendrik Lamar" or "Arriana Grande," and were distributed without proper licensing. UMG accuses Believe of knowingly facilitating these infringements to expand its market presence and profit from unauthorized royalties.