INDUSTRY FREEKS · Issue 5
I Guess Monopolies Are Fine Now 🤷♂️
She goes by Miss Krystle — lawyer, YouTuber, and musician — and she’s out here fighting for the little guy/girl.
In this video she breaks down Universal Music Group’s acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, a $775 million deal that just closed last month after a lengthy regulatory battle with the European Commission.
The EU approved it — but only after forcing UMG to spin off Curve, Downtown’s royalty and rights-management platform, which gave them access to sensitive data from hundreds of independent labels.
Downtown’s catalog includes CD Baby, FUGA, and Songtrust. UMG is already the largest record label on the planet. You do the math.
Miss Krystle does it for you.