LyricFind has filed a $1 billion+ lawsuit against Musixmatch, accusing the lyrics provider and its parent company TPG of anticompetitive practices and Sherman Act violations.

The dispute centers around negotiations in March 2024, when LyricFind was close to replacing Musixmatch as Spotify's lyrics provider. According to the lawsuit, Spotify had completed most of the technical integration and successfully tested LyricFind's lyrics system.

In response, Musixmatch allegedly secured an exclusive licensing deal with Warner Chappell Music (WCM), paying what LyricFind claims was "a significant premium" to become the exclusive provider. This move effectively blocked LyricFind's access to Warner Chappell's catalog through fractional licensing restrictions.

Key allegations in the lawsuit:

• Musixmatch and TPG allegedly pressured digital service providers (DSPs) to remove non-Musixmatch lyrics
• Warner Chappell terminated its relationship with LyricFind
• Musixmatch allegedly blocked direct licensing between Warner Chappell and DSPs
• Spotify halted its transition to LyricFind and renewed with Musixmatch
• iHeartMedia switched to Musixmatch, reportedly paying five times more for lyrics

LyricFind argues these actions will lead to higher prices, limited choices, fewer songs with lyrics and translations, and reduced innovation in the market. The company estimates damages exceeding $1 billion after automatic trebling.

Musixmatch responded to the lawsuit, stating: "We believe these are meritless accusations... For over 15 years, Musixmatch has served its customers with the world's highest-quality lyrics, rights, and data platform."

Related Articles

Previous Articles