Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group have filed a lawsuit in Canada against the developers of Musi, a streaming app that sources music from YouTube without authorization. The legal action, coordinated by the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) and its national group Music Canada, targets a service the recorded music industry describes as “parasitic.”
Lawsuit Alleges Unauthorized Use of YouTube Content
The claim states that Musi makes copyright-protected sound recordings available to the public by deliberately circumventing YouTube’s technical protections, effectively “stealing” content from the platform. The app profits through advertising and a subscription model, while artists and rightsholders receive no income, according to the filing.
App Removed from App Store, But Still Accessible
Apple removed Musi from its App Store in September 2024 following complaints from rightsholders and YouTube, but the app remains functional for users who installed it before the takedown. The app has been downloaded 66 million times since its launch in 2013. A separate lawsuit filed by Musi against Apple over the removal was dismissed earlier this year.
Industry Demands Direct Action from Platforms
Victoria Oakley, CEO of IFPI, said:
“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. This legal action is an important step, and we hope it will be further supported by effective, direct action from the mobile app stores and the music services being directly exploited by these apps.”
