NASHVILLE (CelebrityAccess) – Jon Hume, the Grammy-nominated songwriter, has taken legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Universal Music Group Australia. Hume claims the audio stems he created for Dean Lewis’s 2018 smash hit “Be Alright” were used without his consent and compensation.
Hume, originally from Australia but now based in Nashville, filed the lawsuit in Tennessee on Wednesday (June 19). The songwriter has an impressive track record, having worked with notable artists such as Lewis on hits like “Be Alright,” “Half A Man,” and “How Do I Say Goodbye,” as well as collaborating with Sofi Tukker, Bebe Rexha, JP Cooper, NEEDTOBREATHE, and Calum Scott.
“Be Alright,” which has amassed over 1.7 billion streams on Spotify alone since its release, was co-written by Hume and Lewis around September 2015. According to Hume’s lawsuit, he produced and recorded individual audio tracks, or “stems,” for each instrument, effectively acting as the song’s producer during the demo creation.
In his filing, Hume asserts, “I solely produced the original recording and performed and recorded every instrument, excluding Dean Lewis’s vocal.” These stems, he claims, formed the backbone of the song’s initial version.
However, in July 2016, UMG Australia’s then-managing Director (MD), Michael Taylor, requested that Hume send these stems to another producer. Taylor’s email also addressed to Hume’s wife and manager, Karen, stated that the stems would be used only for reference and would not appear in the final master recording. In a follow-up email, Taylor humorously inquired if UMG could use the original stems “in the main,” ending his message with a smiley face.
Despite these communications, Hume says UMG Australia discussed giving him a producer credit for the expected use of his audio stems. Although credited as a songwriter on Spotify, Hume claims UMG later advised that none of his stems were used in the final master recording.
The situation took a turn in December 2023 when Lewis provided Hume with all the stems from the final master of “Be Alright” for reference on another project. Upon reviewing these stems, Hume alleges that over 50% of them were identical to those from his original recording, contradicting UMG’s previous statements.
In his lawsuit, Hume accuses UMG and UMG Australia of copyright infringement, arguing that they misappropriated his stems and falsely claimed they were not used. Hume is seeking statutory and compensatory damages, attorney fees, and an accounting of all profits derived from the song. Hume also requests that the court declare him a joint author and copyright claimant of the final master recording. He contends a significant dispute exists between himself and the defendants over his authorship of the released master.
The lawsuit further demands that UMG account for any profits gained from the exploitation of the final master, including any licenses or transfers of rights they issued.
