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Musixmatch Must Face Antitrust Claims Over Lyrics Deal, Court Rules

By  |  September 4, 2025

Federal judge says Musixmatch must continue to face an antitrust lawsuit over allegations that the company is trying to monopolize the market for providing lyrics to streamers like Spotify.

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    A federal judge in California has ruled that Musixmatch must continue to defend itself against antitrust allegations brought by rival LyricFind. According to Billboard, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley denied Musixmatch’s request to dismiss the case, allowing the litigation to move forward into the discovery phase. The lawsuit centers on a licensing deal that Musixmatch struck with Warner Chappell Music, which LyricFind claims unfairly blocked competitors from access to a major portion of the music publishing market.

    In her ruling, Judge Corley stated that if LyricFind’s allegations are eventually substantiated, the exclusive deal could amount to a violation of U.S. antitrust law. Per Billboard, the judge noted that LyricFind “plausibly alleges” Musixmatch entered into an arrangement that could harm competition by foreclosing rivals from accessing Warner’s catalog. Warner Chappell controls rights to roughly 30 percent of all streams and about 60 percent of the top 100 songs, giving the agreement significant weight in the marketplace.

    Related: Canada’s LyricFind Accuses US Rival Musixmatch and TPG of Market Suppression

    LyricFind’s lawsuit, filed earlier this year, claims that the exclusive deal with Warner was “unprecedented” because major music publishers have traditionally licensed lyrics on a non-exclusive basis, allowing multiple companies to compete to serve platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. The company argues that Musixmatch’s move forces streamers to rely solely on its services, even at higher costs. Musixmatch has countered that LyricFind is simply upset about losing a business opportunity and insisted that no laws were broken.

    Although Judge Corley dismissed some of LyricFind’s claims, including conspiracy allegations, she left the door open for those to be refiled with additional detail. The case now heads into discovery, where both sides will present evidence and build arguments ahead of a potential trial. According to Billboard, LyricFind’s legal team expressed satisfaction with the decision, calling it a strong rebuke of Musixmatch’s attempt to end the case early. Musixmatch and its private equity backer TPG Global did not respond to requests for comment.

    The outcome of the case could have sweeping implications for how lyrics licensing is handled in the digital music industry.

    Source: Billboard