Famous Russian R&B singer Bianca has taken legal action against Koala Music (formerly Sony Music Russia). In 2024, she filed a lawsuit against the label, which she had been working with since 2020. According to her PR manager, Maxim Cherny, the company was supposed to pay her royalties for distributing her songs on major streaming platforms. However, an audit by Bianca’s team revealed that she was not receiving the full amount.
Since 2022, Bianca has been self-releasing her music under her own label. The agreement with Koala Music was simple: collect royalties from all platforms and pay her accordingly. However, according to Maxim Cherny, the label failed to fulfill its obligations. In her lawsuit, Bianca demanded full payment and an early termination of her contract. The court ruled in her favor, ordering Koala Music to pay the missing amount. However, the contract termination request was denied, leading Bianca to file a new lawsuit.
This is not the first legal issue for Koala Music. In September 2024, DJ Ilya Barashkov sued the company for 1 million rubles, also claiming contract violations. Industry experts suggest that such cases are common, with some labels allegedly hiding revenue from artists.