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Trained chimps, Neil, Beyonce, and a thin line.

"No conflict, no interest" means I can shill my actual own indie rock show Saturday Night.
 
Names in the Pod today:
Dave Brooks
Nicole Halimpoor
Bob Allen
Pollstar
LiveNation
Nancy Nicholson
 
LINKS:
Neil Rejects Platinum Tickets
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/17/neil-young-abandons-platinum-tickets-calls-it-fan-exploitation/
Bey Sells a Wagonload of Tickets
https://www.billboard.com/pro/beyonce-cowboy-carter-tour-ticket-sales-prices/
PollStar Q1 Report
https://news.pollstar.com/2025/03/18/q1-analysis-data-points-to-another-mixed-year-following-post-pandemic-golden-age/
DOJ v LiveNation rolls on
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/16/live-nation-doj-antitrust-battle-trump/
Anyma at The Sphere
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/19/anyma-the-end-of-genesys-stage-production-sphere-las-vegas/
 
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Hangout
Https://hangout.fm

The craft beer strategy, swarming TikTok bees and dunking on Drake.

Music May not be so recession-proof this time.
 
Names in the pod today:
Mark Mulligan
Emma Roth
Andrew Hutchinson
RIAA
@privden2
 
Links:
US Recording music barely beats Inflation
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/recorded-music-streaming-revenues-grew-by-just-3-6-yoy-in-the-united-states-in-2024-dragged-down-by-a-decline-in-advertising-payouts/
Mark Mulligan has the solution
https://www.midiaresearch.com/blog/a-model-for-a-new-music-streaming-industry
Dunking On Drake
https://www.theverge.com/news/631902/drake-umg-not-like-us-lawsuit-response
TikTok Tea leaves
https://www.theverge.com/news/631999/oracle-tiktok-ban-deal-project-texa
TikToks Getting longer
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/research-tiktok-longer-videos-get-more-reach/742754/
TikTok creators prepare to Swarm to Youtube
https://www.dailydot.com/culture/the-youtube-shorts-colonization-tiktok-march-25/
Community Notes on Mets, What could got wrong?
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-launches-first-stage-community-notes-fact-checking/742387/
 
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Hangout.fm
Https://hangout.fm
Lydia's V30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0tG6NjUzug

The A. I. Super Bowl, Thieves and Pimps 2. 0, and WTF is WAF?

A concept of an AI training data licensing plan.
 
Names In Today's Pod:
 
Jensen Haung
Invidia
Trip Mickel
Skye Jacobs
Ashley King
Wes Davis
Virginie Berger
Songwriters Guild of America
Society of Composers and Lyricists
Music Creators of North America
Sonos
 
LINKS:
The Super Bowl ofAI
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/technology/nvidia-gtc-conference-ai.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Thieves and Pimps 2.0
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/14/google-weighs-in-on-us-ai-action-plan/
https://www.techspot.com/news/107158-openai-seeks-trump-administration-help-ai-fair-use.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/virginieberger/2025/03/15/the-ai-copyright-battle-why-openai-and-google-are-pushing-for-fair-use/
The Copyright guys fight back
https://www.forbes.com/sites/virginieberger/2025/03/15/the-ai-copyright-battle-why-openai-and-google-are-pushing-for-fair-use/
Sonos
https://www.theverge.com/news/630883/sonos-update-new-features-future-updates   
 
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Hangout.fm
Https://hangout.fm

South by So Long, a Bundlegate Double Down, and Finance Friday Leftovers.

A true crime procedural set in the music industry...
 
Names In Today's Pod:
 
Ana Gutierrez
Brendan Gilmartin
Dennis Scheyer
Ashley King
Kristin Robinson
Dylan Smith
Glenn Peoples
Murray Stassen
Believe Music
Mark Mulligan
 
LINKS:
SXSW Music Retrench
https://www.statesman.com/story/entertainment/2025/03/16/sxsw-2026-schedule-half-price-badges-early-bird-available-now/82470583007/?
Not Really the TikTok News
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/14/is-oracle-the-frontrunner-to-run-tiktok/
Ambient Under Siege?
https://www.billboard.com/pro/can-ambient-music-boom-withstand-ai-genre-report/
UMG Tracks the US Market
https://www.billboard.com/pro/universal-music-group-shares-fall-pershing-stock-sale/
Believe Crosses $1B
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/believe-generated-over-1-billion-in-2024-as-annual-revenues-grow-11-5-yoy/
Bundlegate is working out for Spotify
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/pro/weekly-dsp-bundling-rates-2024/
Spotify Shortform AudioBooks
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/14/spotify-audiobooks-indie-publishing-program/
Midia Pips IFPI
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/global-recorded-music-revenues-rose-6-5-to-36-2bn-in-2024-says-midia-research/
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Hangout.fm
Https://hangout.fm

The elephant is a memory, Spotify's short tail, and who are you and why are you here?

 You may be scoundrels, rascals, and grifters, but you're my scoundrels, rascals, and grifters.
 
Names in the pod today:
 
Daniel Tencer
Dylan Smith
Drew Thurlow
John Mlynczak
Kristen Robinson
Billie Jean Sarullo
Mike Odabashian
AIMS
Heidi Hartsclub
Thomas Athey
Alan Benedict
Bria
Chris Eggertson
Steve Zapf
Thomas Athey
Alan Benedict
 
 
LINKS:
Dead Elephant Dead
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/12/recognition-music-group-launch/
Spotify's short Tail
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/12m-artists-uploaded-music-to-spotify-last-year-less-than-0-6-generated-10000-or-more-in-royalties1/
Some Good AI news
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/bria-raises-40m-to-expand-patented-attribution-engine-to-ai-generated-music-content/
Roan gives back
https://www.billboard.com/pro/chappell-roan-support-mental-health-charity-backline/
That Mexican Telecaster's price is about to go up.
https://www.billboard.com/pro/how-trump-tariffs-hurt-musical-instrument-manufacturers/
 
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Hangout.FM
Hangout.fm

Fogerty Shreds. Get thee to Kraftwerk, and the UK does the right thing.

SXSW is still a grind but if you aren't here...
 
 
Names in the Pod today:
 
John Fogerty
Isabela Raygoza
Mark Sutherland
Kraftwerk
SXSW
 
LINKS:
The UK does the Right things
https://variety.com/2025/music/global/indie-venues-levy-arena-concert-tickets-1236327834/
Bad Bunny Gooses the Puerto Rican Economy
https://www.billboard.com/pro/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-help-local-economy/
 
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Hangout
Https://hangout.fm

Does TikTok still matter? Short fingered jazz hands and another jiggy viral.

Alexis Ohanian is everywhere.
 
Names in the pod today:
TikTok
Alexis Ohanian
Paul Resnikoff
Chartmetric
Ashley King
Mandy Dalugdug
Digg
Kevin Rose
Stumbleupon
Civ
 
 
Links:
Chartmetric's new Tool
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/02/24/chartmetric-talent-search-tool/
TikTok Sale Jazz Hands
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/07/tiktok-sale-negotiations-march-2025/
Alexis Ohanian is Everywhere 1
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/reddit-co-founder-alexis-ohanian-joins-frank-mccourts-peoples-bid-to-buy-tiktok/
Alexis Ohanian is Everywhere 2
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/06/alexis-ohanian-kevin-rose-team-up-to-buy-back-digg/
 
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Hangout.fm
Https://hangout.fm
Lydia's V30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0tG6NjUzug

A licensing history lesson, Sony bar the door, and Drew Thurlow has an axe to grind.

A nod to my mentors and a rare show of unity Re: AI.
 
Names In Today's Pod:
 
Paul Resnikoff
Audoo
Elias Leight
Don Rose
Rob Simonds
Arthur Mann
Doug Lexa
Mandy Dalugdug
Drew Thurlow
 
LINKS:
 
Audoo is better than a Baseball Bat
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/07/audoo-song-tracking-data-denver-pro/
A Licensing History Lesson
https://www.billboard.com/pro/major-label-licensing-deals/
Sony Bar the Door!
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sony-music-reveals-75000-ai-deepfake-takedowns-criticizes-uks-rushed-copyright-reform1/
Drew Thurlow
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewthurlow/
 
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Hangout.fm
Https://hangout.fm

Even less radio? More hiding the music? And what's a label for? Answered.

Behind the Tate McCrae domination and Ezra Edelman doesn't hide the music.
 
Names In Today's Pod:
Jordan Blaugrund
RCA
Dan Rys
Joseph Perla
Steve Knopper
Audacy
Dylan Smith
Ador
Min-Hee Jin
Bob Holmes
Ezra Edleman
Pablo Torres
 
LINKS:
 
Ezra Edelman on Pablo Torres finds out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Congrats Jordan
https://www.billboard.com/pro/how-tate-mcrae-scored-career-best-debut-so-close-to-what/
Audacy Layoffs
https://www.billboard.com/pro/audacy-layoffs-radio-company-200-employees/
Korean HR
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/07/newjeans-ador-injunction-hearing/
Ambient Country Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ambient-country/id1695988317
 
 
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Hangout.fm
Https://hangout.fm

UMG's year, 37 million cartons of eggs, and let me put that into perspective.

Ball or Ball-er Status, the price of eggs, and some perspective checks.
 
Names in the pod today:
Lyor Cohen
Jim Turner
Universal Music
Aquarian
Raven Capital
Rudy Sashay
David Israelite
Daniel Ek
Liangelo Ball
Elizabeth Dilts Marshall
Glenn Peoples
Dylan Smith
Paul Resnikoff
Stuart Dredge
Tim Ingham
 
 
LINKS:
Youtube Music over 125M
https://musically.com/2025/03/05/youtube-now-has-125m-music-and-premium-subscribers/
BlackPInk over 75 Mil
https://musically.com/2022/06/30/blackpink-are-first-music-artist-with-75m-youtube-subscribers/
As go UMG earnings...
https://www.billboard.com/pro/universal-music-group-earnings-2024-revenue-up-streaming-merch/
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/06/universal-music-earnings-q4-2024/
More money flowing in
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/06/raven-music-partners/
Resnikoff's Funding Update
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/pro/2025-funding-jan-feb-yoy/
DeadMaus maybe sold ealry
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/05/deadmau5-create-music-group-catalog-deal/
Real Estate Perspective
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/03/04/still-no-buyers-for-diddys-61-5-million-beverly-hills-mansion/
EK Hoarding Eggs
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/daniel-ek-bags-another-29m-from-spotify-share-sale-cashing-out-close-to-700m-since-2023/
David Israelite
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/david-israelite-b87a434_this-is-one-of-the-craziest-stats-i-have-activity-7303496048457469953-n7Qj?
The third Ball Brother is still doing ok
https://www.billboard.com/pro/liangelo-ball-tweaker-how-much-money-generated/
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Hangout.FM
Hangout.fm