Universal & Sony Music Take Legal Action in Canada Against ‘Parasitic’ Streaming App Musi
Categoria: Musica
IFPI and Music Canada are coordinating the action against the app, which unlawfully sources music from YouTube.
Por Billboard | 07/08/2026
Major labels are cracking down on an illegal streaming app in Canada. Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group will begin legal proceedings in Canada against the developers of Musi, a streaming app that sources music from YouTube without the authorization of artists. The app, which has been deemed “parasitic” by the majors, features the same content as YouTube and YouTube Music, but with fewer or no advertisements. Related Music Publishers & Elon Musk’s X End Copyright Lawsuit Over Social Media Songs BE:FIRST Is Ready for the World: Inside the J-Pop Superstars' Long-Planned U.S. Breakthrough Glenn A. Baker, Australian Music Historian and Former Billboard Correspondent, Dies at 74 Although it was pulled from Apple’s App Store in 2024 following a slew of copyright claims and infringements, users who previously installed the app can still access it, and the majors are now stepping in to crack down on its activity. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has teamed up with Music Canada, its local national group representing the three majors in Canada, to represent both labels in the action. They claim that Musi is illegally making copyrighted material available to the public and deliberately circumventing technical protections that would normally protect such content on YouTube from theft. “We are serving notice on parasitic apps, which are designed specifically to exploit artists and their music, and undermine legitimate music services,” says IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley. “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.” The platform has charged users for subscriptions and advertising models, making a profit by circumventing legitimate competition, they argue, and simultaneously depriving artists of certain royalties and income. “This litigation sends a clear message that services designed to circumvent platform protections and exploit music without authorisation are not legitimate businesses,” says Music Canada CEO Patrick Rogers . “The industry will continue taking coordinated action to protect artists and fans from unlawful exploitation. Our goal is simple: ensure artists are paid when their music is played — and shutting down parasitic apps is one way to achieve that.” Copyright has been a top priority for the Canadian music business, with major labels and music companies taking action. Earlier this year, Music Canada secured a first-of-its-kind court order from the Federal Court of Canada to block popular YouTube stream-ripping sites like Y2Mate, YTMP3 and Savefrom, which count over 1.7 million monthly users and are known for facilitating illegal music downloads. “I believ