UNLIMITED SUPPLY with Digital Music News

Winds of change from the East, score a couple for the rights holders, and a "Messy" trend.

Global Power, ChatGPT Power, and Messy Memes
 
Names in the pod today:
Andrew Hutchinson
ChatGPT
Discord
Sarah Perez
Amanda Silberling
Sarah Moses
Monica Kulkarni
Jacob Geskin
 
Links:
Billboard Global POWER
https://www.billboard.com/pro/billboard-global-power-players-2025-list/
ChatGPT on The March in April
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/chatgpt-traffic-rising-versus-other-top-visited-websites-infographic/749090/
Surf Provides custom feeds
https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/22/open-social-web-browser-surf-makes-it-easier-for-anyone-to-build-custom-feeds/
Score two for the rightsholders
https://www.billboard.com/pro/beastie-boys-social-media-lawsuit-diddy-trial-recap-lil-wayne-case/
How Brands can avoid getting Schooled by the rightsholders
https://www.billboard.com/pro/how-brands-avoid-lawsuits-music-social-posts-op-ed/
Discord Is aware of its issues
https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/23/discord-seeks-to-solve-a-problem-that-it-created/
Music Services
Musicservices.com
Hangout.fm
Https://hangout.fm
Lydia's V30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0tG6NjUzug
 

Air gapping your brain. What year is this? And the inevitable AI chop shop?

Reasonable AI expectations for rightsholders?
 
Names in Today's Pod
Nick Clegg
Rob Levine
Youtube
Spotify
Gabe Newell
Valve
Shira Perlmutter
Reservoir Music
Roots Picnic
 
 
LINKS:
AMAs
https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/amas-winners-2025-list-1235980888/
Spotify Songs of the Summer Nominees
NIck Clegg Simps for Big AI
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/26/former-meta-exec-its-not-reasonable-for-artists-to-opt-out-of-ai/
Content ID is possible
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/23/youtube-content-id-payouts/
Copyright office in Chaos
https://www.billboard.com/pro/what-going-on-chaos-copyright-office-trump/
I'm Keeping my Brain Airgapped
https://www.theverge.com/news/673938/gabe-newell-valve-founder-brain-computer-interface-first-chip-starfish
 
RoyFi
Https://www.royfi.com
Hangout.FM
Hangout.fm

You can't fire me and I don't quit, Music City under the bus, and a pagan celebration.

Music City Reps throw copyright under the bus. Just Sayin'...
 
Names in the pod today:
Shira Perlmutter
Martin Lorentzon
Marsha Blackburn
Scott Desjarlais
Andy Ogles
John Rose
Mark E. Green
Klaus-Peter Schulenberg
Udio
CTS Eventim
Spotify
 
LINKS:
Perlmutter claps back
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/donald-trump-sued-by-us-copyright-office-director-over-blatantly-unlawful-firing/
A Big Beautiful Copyright sellout
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/22/ai-safe-harbor-provision-big-beautiful-bill-act/
NOFAKES in the Senate
https://www.billboard.com/pro/martina-mcbride-speaks-out-ai-deepfakes-senate-hearing/
CTS has a Big Quarter
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/cts-eventim-revenues-soared-19-1-to-3bn-in-2024/
Remove a Tariff, watch biz boom
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-says-ios-payment-rule-change-boosted-premium-subscription/
UDIO hits the App store
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/udios-mobile-app-launches-on-ios-priced-at-up-to-30-per-month/
 
Music Services
Https://Musicservices.com
Hangout.FM
Hangout.fm

Death, taxes and Livenation, more AI-nxiety and what's better than donuts.

A dizzying arrat of Livenation litigation
 
Names in the pod today:
 
Richard Smirke
Elizabeth Dilts Marshall
Eriq Gardner
Live Nation
Dave Brooks
Richard Grenell
The Josephine Network
 
LINKS:
 
An extra dose of AI-nxiety
https://www.billboard.com/pro/eu-ai-act-code-europe-music-industry-tech-concerns/
The powers that be Live nation
https://puck.news/podcast_episode/taylors-swifties-v-live-nation/
COVID Collusion Kerfuffle
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/live-nation-and-aeg-face-probe-over-pandemic-refund-policies-report/
https://news.pollstar.com/2025/05/19/feds-probe-live-nation-aeg-for-alleged-covid-era-collusion-report/
The Kid is catching on
https://www.billboard.com/pro/live-nation-donald-trump-appointee-richard-grenell-board/
The Tickets are too damn high!
https://www.billboard.com/pro/concert-ticket-prices-studies-spending-debt-consumer-trends/
Handy Dandy cheap tickets resources
https://www.billboard.com/culture/product-recommendations/best-cheap-tickets-sites-1235380283/
The Josephine Network
https://josephinenetwork.bandcamp.com/
RoyFi
https://www.RoyFI.com
Music Services
Https://Musicservices.com
 
#musicindustry #podcast

A flat circle built on flat circles past peak TikTok, and hang on to that publishing.

"Without You" is this week's viral for the olds.
 
Names in the pod today:
Fred Goldring
Josh Gruss
Universal Music
Ashley King
Emma Roth
Mike Spinella
Ryan Redington
Amazon Music
Soundcloud
Spotify
TikTok
 
 
Links
UMG Goes Back to Bricks and Mortar
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/umg-to-relocate-new-york-offices-to-penn-2-building-in-manhattan-with-future-premium-retail-experience-dedicated-to-serving-music-superfans/
https://www.billboard.com/business/business-news/bookstores-comeback-record-stores-follow-op-ed-1235966827/
Amazon AI Playlisting > Spotify AI Playlisting
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/20/amazon-music-ai-powered-search/
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/amazon-music-ai-music-discovery
Spotify Leans harder into Audiobooks
https://www.theverge.com/news/669933/spotify-iphone-app-audiobooks-purchase-apple-ruling
Past Peak TikTok?
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/20/tiktok-loses-most-downloaded-app-crown/
A SoundCloud-y Promo
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mikespinella_1000bpmremix-1000bpmremix-soundcloud-activity-7329967290274172928-ON0l?
 
Music Services
Musicservices.com
Hangout.fm
Https://hangout.fm
Lydia's V30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0tG6NjUzug

Another wave of layoffs, air quality, and supercomputers versus bachelorettes.

Drummer Layoffs Problematic artists and supercomputers in Space
 
 
Names In Today's Pod:
Jem Aswad
Tressie Macmillan Cottom
Ashley King
Chriss WIllman
Steven J. Horowitz
Ted Suh
Snap
Blue Origin
Kyle Orland
Shira Gans
New York Music Month
 
#musicindustry #musictech #Podcast
 
LINKS:
Drummer Layoffs
https://variety.com/2025/music/news/foo-fighters-fire-josh-freese-drummer-shocked-disappointed-1236400951/
https://variety.com/2025/music/news/the-who-fires-zak-starkey-again-advance-farewell-tour-1236402638/
Cottom on Wallen
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/opinion/country-music-beyonce-lana.html
Aswad on Wallen
https://variety.com/2025/music/opinion/morgan-wallen-fans-maga-trump-1236400045/
Discord Hacks Kanye
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/19/kanye-west-album-leaked-discord/
https://variety.com/2025/music/opinion/morgan-wallen-fans-maga-trump-1236400045/
Epic Games fights for all of us.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/05/epic-goes-to-court-to-force-fortnite-back-on-us-ios/
Bachelorettes of Supercomputer in space
https://www.theverge.com/news/669157/china-begins-assembling-its-supercomputer-in-space
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/musically_weve-just-dropped-the-first-round-of-panels-activity-7330176624056745984-65gX?
Ted Suh Exits Snap
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7323052122990641152-KVWJ/?
New York Music Month Schedule
https://variety.com/2025/music/news/new-york-music-month-2025-full-schedule-1236403359/
 
Music Services
Https://Musicservices.com
Hangout.FM
Hangout.fm

The atmosphere we breathe, the Olds start at 22, and earnings learnings

If you are sleeping on Shorts, wake up!
 
Names in Today’s Pod:
Glenn Peoples
Rob Stevenson
Matt Signore
YouTube
Resorts World
Peter Bjorn and John
Lone Wolves
Jack Hedges
 
LINKS:
Moragan Wallen is everywhere https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/morgan-wallen-im-the-problem-breaks-sreaming-records-1235974784/
Katy Perry OOF
https://nypost.com/2025/05/17/entertainment/katy-perry-not-invited-back-to-vegas-after-residency/
Under 21's are coming. https://www.billboard.com/lists/21-under-21-music-2025-list/
And they are doing it on YouTube Shorts
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/15/youtube-shorts-revenue-now-equals-regular-videos/
Earnings Learnings https://www.billboard.com/pro/music-earnings-report-q1-trends-cost-cutting-subscriptions/
RoyFi
Hangout.fm

Nine-toed cats in court, Albini drops and Apollo bucks go to work.

Back from MusicBiz!
 
Names in the pod today:
Jonathan Vlassopoulous
Byron Coley
Portia Sabin
Mandy Dalugdug
Daniel Tencer
Bill Ackman
Concord Music
 
 
LINKS:
AI Roundup
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/pro/tech-bros-weekly/
Nine toes in court
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/did-anthropics-own-ai-generate-a-hallucination-in-legal-defense-against-song-lyrics-copyright-case/
ALbini Drops
stevealbiniscloset.com.
Concord On Broadway
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/09/broadway-licensing-global-concord-acquisition/
Aurocorrect Hates this...
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/producer-poo-bear-launches-ttikr-app-allowing-creators-to-monetize-content-without-ads/
Spotify payouts up in UK
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/uk-artists-generated-more-than-1bn-on-spotify-in-2024-up-8-from-a-year-earlier/
Ackman bows out
https://www.billboard.com/pro/bill-ackman-resigns-universal-music-group-board-umg/
Next year in Atlanta
https://www.billboard.com/pro/music-biz-conference-return-atlanta-2026/
 
Music Services
Https://Musicservices.com
Hangout.FM
Hangout.fm

Sony earnings. Doing the right thing. And honey, warm up the defibrillator.

Last Day in ATL and my voice is shot!
 
Names in the pod today:
 
Sony Music
Elizabeth Dilts Marshall
Lone Wolves Community
Soundcloud
Eliah Seton
CBGB Fest
Michael Delle Donne
Rob Dekker
Ricardo Briceno
Portia Sabin
Ticketmaster
Katie Bain
 
#musicindustry #podcast
 
LINKS:
Sony done Good in Q1
https://www.billboard.com/pro/sony-music-fiscal-earnings-revenue-profits-streaming/
Doing the right thing 1
https://www.billboard.com/pro/soundcloud-artificial-intelligence-open-letter-terms-ceo/
Doing the right thing 1
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/12/ticketmasters-all-in-pricing-arrives-nationwide/
Canada Festival soft?
https://www.billboard.com/pro/canada-music-festival-market-declining-report/
CBGB Fest Returns
https://news.pollstar.com/2025/05/12/cbgb-festival-heads-to-under-the-k-bridge-with-iggy-pop-jack-white-sex-pistols-more/

Too debased, too frightening and too disturbing, and a viral for the olds, for the win.

Some things are too debased, too frightening and too disturbing to be shared with the public.
 
Names in the pod today:
Dick Wingate
Universal Music Group
Drake
Fiona Bloom
Jamie Marconette
Dylan Smith
Bill Rosenblatt
Eric West
iHeart Media
Ashley King
Tencent Entertainment
Adam Jacobsen
Jeremy Sirota
Elias Leight
Quanisha Madison
Connie Francis
David Pellum II
 
 
Links
iHeart Earnings
https://rbr.com/a-good-start-to-2025-comes-for-iheartmedia/
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/13/iheartmedia-us-radio-advertising-spend-percentage/
Drake suit Too debased, too frightening and too disturbing.
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/12/drake-umg-lawsuit-protective-order/
AI strip mining in the dark of night
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/12/house-republicans-ban-on-ai-regulation/
Tencent Earnings
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/tencent-musics-super-vip-tier-drives-quarterly-revenues-to-1bn-mark-as-income-from-streaming-subscriptions-jumps-16-6/
Jeremy Sirota Leaving Merlin
https://www.billboard.com/pro/jeremy-sirota-leaving-merlin/
 
Music Services
Musicservices.com
Hangout.fm
Https://hangout.fm
Lydia's V30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0tG6NjUzug