What’s happening in the music business — April 2026

Marshall launches new program to support independent venues

Marshall has introduced Amplify, a free membership initiative that pledges the equivalent of 1% of its members’ purchases on marshall.com to help sustain independent music venues around the world. The program supports these spaces through backline donations, event funding, and long-term partnerships. This initiative arrives at a crucial moment, as economic pressure on small venues continues to rise while the top end of the live industry reaches record-breaking numbers. Marshall’s commitment helps strengthen the foundation of live music — the spaces where new artists and communities grow.

U.S. Supreme Court rules out copyright for fully AI-generated works

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review the DABUS case, in which a computer scientist had sought copyright protection for an image created entirely by his AI, without any human involvement. The decision upholds previous rulings affirming that only works with a human author can qualify for copyright protection under U.S. law.

However, this limitation applies specifically to content produced autonomously by machines. Creations developed with AI tools — where identifiable human creativity is present — remain a gray area still being debated in courts.

In practice, this means that music generated entirely by platforms like Suno or Udio currently has no legal owner in the U.S. While this protects the royalty pool from massive dilution, it also leaves fully AI-created content in a kind of legal limbo.

TikTok x Spotify: new tools bridge viral hits to streams

TikTok and Spotify continue to evolve their partnership with features like “Add to Music App,” letting users save TikTok-discovered tracks directly into Spotify playlists with one tap. This closes the loop between short-form discovery and full-stream listening, a critical move as TikTok drives over 60% of some artists’ initial Spotify streams.

For music teams, it’s a reminder to optimize content for conversion. Strong hooks in the first 3 seconds paired with clear CTAs like “Link in bio” or “Add to Spotify” can now turn casual scrolls into loyal listeners. These platform integrations are reshaping artist strategy in 2026.