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Amber Glenn, Seb McKinnon Resolve Olympic Music-Licensing Dispute

The clarification underscores how confusing music clearances are for Olympic figure skating.

Overview

  • Glenn performed her team-event free skate on Feb. 8 to Seb McKinnon’s track “The Return,” contributing to Team USA’s gold medal.
  • McKinnon initially posted on X that the song was used without his permission, then said the issue was cleared up and publicly congratulated Glenn.
  • Glenn called the matter a licensing hiccup in a statement, said it was resolved with McKinnon, and signaled interest in collaborating with him.
  • McKinnon noted his deal gives him sole licensing authority and said he had misunderstood how Olympic broadcast use is treated compared with syncing.
  • Skaters must secure permissions, a process that has tripped others at these Games, including last-minute music changes and approvals for programs such as a Minions medley.