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Amber Glenn, Seb McKinnon Settle Olympic Music-Rights Dispute

The resolution spotlights persistent confusion over music licensing in figure skating.

Overview

  • Glenn used Seb McKinnon's track "The Return" for her free skate in the Olympic team event as Team USA secured gold in Milan.
  • McKinnon initially posted that the song was used without his permission before congratulating Glenn and stating the matter was resolved amicably.
  • Glenn said a licensing hiccup had been cleared up and signaled interest in collaborating with McKinnon after two years of competing with the piece.
  • Skaters are required to clear music rights, yet the multilayered process involving labels, publishers, and broadcast categories remains complex and error-prone.
  • Separate clearance problems at these Games forced last-minute changes for other skaters, including Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté and Petr Gumennik, underscoring a broader operational issue.