Elon Musk’s X sues major music publishers over alleged licensing collusion

Post date: 12 January 2026

Reading time 2 minutes

Written by Ouranios Savva

12 January 2026

2 minutes · By Ouranios Savva

Igniting quite the controversy within the world of social media and music publishing, Elon Musk platform X Corp has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) and 18 other major music publishers. Taking the matter to court, X accused various publishers of colluding to force the platform into costly, industry-wide licensing deals, while also claiming they pressured the company with a coordinated wave of DMCA takedown notices rather than addressing genuine copyright concerns.

Image Credit: Steve Jurvetson via Flickr |

Escalating an ongoing dispute on the matter, Elon Musk platform X Corp has sued major music publishers over alleged licensing collusion.

A claim that arose in relation to over 200,000 posts in the first year and nearly 500,000 since 2023, it is the defendants that are, as expected, fighting back, with the point that their practices follow standard copyright enforcement. Staying true to their argument that takedowns are a legitimate response to years of unlicensed music on the platform, they also further argue that every other major social media platform, from YouTube, Meta, and TikTok, to Twitch and Roblox, has licensed music, with X the only exception.

A dispute that has commenced in response to failed settlement negotiations between all parties involved, X has now sued under the Sherman Act, with the platform alleging that major publishers control more than 90% of the US music publishing market through unlawful coordination. One to keep an eye on for sure. Moreover, the case has raised further questions, and as the lawsuit unfolds, you can find more information in the full filing here.