Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group have initiated legal proceedings in Canada against the developers of Musi, a streaming application they accuse of unlawfully sourcing music from YouTube and operating without proper licences. The action, coordinated by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and its Canadian affiliate Music Canada, alleges that Musi makes copyrighted recordings available to the public without authorization and deliberately circumvents YouTube’s technical protections.
The complaint describes Musi as a parasitic service that replicates the features of legitimate streaming platforms while profiting from unlicensed content through its own advertising and subscription revenue. Although Apple removed the app from its App Store in September 2024 following copyright and terms-of-service complaints from right holders and YouTube, the app remains functional for users who downloaded it before the takedown.
Industry calls for platform accountability
The legal move is accompanied by a broader demand from the recorded music sector for app stores to act more swiftly in blocking or removing applications that facilitate unauthorized access to music. IFPI stated that such services undermine a music ecosystem built on licensed innovation.
“We are serving notice on parasitic apps, which are designed specifically to exploit artists and their music, and undermine legitimate music services. Musi and similar illegal services have no place in today’s music ecosystem which is built on the premise of empowering innovation through licensing.”
The organization added that the litigation sends a clear signal that services engineered to bypass platform protections and exploit music without permission are not legitimate businesses. It emphasized that coordinated industry action will continue to protect artists and fans from unlawful exploitation, with the goal of ensuring artists are paid when their music is played.
Musi’s prior legal challenges
Musi previously marketed itself as a startup success story on the reality television series Dragons’ Den, though its legitimacy has faced scrutiny. In 2024, the company sued Apple over the App Store removal, but that lawsuit was dismissed earlier this year.
