UNLIMITED SUPPLY with Digital Music News

SPECIAL: Axegrinder Monday with Karen Allen

We are on vacation this week, SO...we have something special. It's Axegrinder week, where we turn over UNLIMITED SUPPLY to our friends of the pod, some of the smartest thinkers in the industry, who have an axe to grind about a particular issue in the music industry today.
 
Today we hear from Infinite Album founder and CEO Karen Allen, whose Axe to Grind concerns opportunities in gaming.

Don't quote me, Candy Crush for Smart People, Masterworks or Skunkworks.

Don't Quote me, Candy Crush for smart people, and masterwork or skunk works?
LINKS
 
Eric Steps in a pile of Schmidt
https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/14/24220658/google-eric-schmidt-stanford-talk-ai-startups-openai
 
 
A Publishing bomb, or not
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-business-music-licensing/
 
 
What is going on at Primary Wave
 
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/bruce-springsteen-manager-jon-landau-sells-music-interests-to-primary-wave/
 
Duolingo is OK at licensing
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sony-music-strikes-deal-with-duolingo-to-bring-tracks-from-stars-like-hozier-and-meghan-trainor-to-music-courses/
 
 
What's going on over at Masterworks
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sony-music-masterworks-acquires-majority-stake-in-immersive-and-live-entertainment-company-black-sky-creative/

The Elliott Outlook, DistroKid says it's promotional and 1 billion for the sphere.

The Elliot experiment is gonna be interesting...
 
Names in the Pod today:
 
Elliot Grainge
Elias Leight
J.R. Lind
Roblox
Distrokid
Kyle Denis
 
 
LINKS:
 
The Elliot Factor
https://www.billboard.com/pro/inside-warner-elliot-grainge-atlantic-music-group-ceo/
 
It's Promotional!
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/roblox-strikes-deal-with-distrokid-but-indie-artists-wont-be-paid-any-money-from-it1/
 
What does brat summer mean?
https://www.billboard.com/music/features/kamala-harris-presidential-campaign-pop-music-fandom-chappell-roan-charli-xcx-1235752842/
 
DOJ Pushback
https://news.pollstar.com/2024/08/14/doj-pushes-back-on-live-nations-venue-change-proposal/
 
Sphere $1B
https://www.billboard.com/pro/sphere-entertainment-earnings-revenue-dead-and-co/

Snapchat up, Paramount down, and our new correspondent.

Youtube exploring changes, and a new team member.
 
Names in The Pod Today:
Andrew Hutchinson
JYP Entertainment
Tencent Music
Snap
Lydia Valentino
NSynch
Nick Pauley
Hanumankind
The Dare
 
 
 
Viral Wednesday Links
 
JYP takes a Dip
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/stray-kids-label-jyp-entertainment-generated-70m-in-q2-down-37-yoy/
 
Tencent Music Earnings Interestingness
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/13/tencent-music-earnings-q2-2024/
 
Don't Snooze on Snap
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/snapchat-reaches-11-million-paying-subscribers/723249/
 
YouTube may change your video Strategy
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-merging-shorts-long-form-video-into-a-single-feed/724009/
 
Meet Lydia Valentino
https://www.youtube.com/@lydiavalentino
https://www.crownnote.com/users/v30
 
Billboard TikTok 50
https://www.billboard.com/charts/tiktok-billboard-top-50/
 
Spotify US Viral 50
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZEVXbKuaTI1Z1Afx?si=124b8100da2b4307
 
Paramount Layoffs Ugh
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-tv-studios-shutting-down-1235973227/

Platforms give, platforms take away, some boring stuff that matters.

Platform-level news today, and I'm a sucker for a voice interface.
 
Names in the Pod Today:
Ashley King
Joe Sparrow
Patreon
Dylan Smith
Sonos
Will Jackson
Alex Nunes
Mote
Stuart Dredge
 
Tech Tuesday Links
 
UMG and Meta Boringly extend
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/12/universal-music-group-meta-licensing-deal/
 
Patreon Taxed
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/12/apple-tax-patreon-ios/
 
The Open Web is good.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Web
 
YouTube tries to expunge a parasite
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/11/is-youtube-cracking-down-on-api-wrapper-apps-like-musi/
 
Come on Sonos! Oy!
https://musically.com/2024/08/12/platform-round-up-sonos-delays-products-roxi-seeks-funding/
 
I'm a sucker for Voice-driven AI
https://musically.com/2024/08/09/soundverse-debuts-saar-siri-or-alexa-but-for-music-creation/
 
Anthropic Suit to be litigated by bots?
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/09/music-publishers-anthropic-copyright-lawsuit-trial/

Grainge share, publishers stir, never waste a good fiasco.

Hmmm... lots of publishing stuff today...
 
Names In Today's Pod:
Lucian Grainge
Elliot Grainge
Glenn Peoples
Steve Knopper
Murray Stassen
Ashley King
Alix Kram
Thomas Winkler
Paul Sweeting
JYP
Tencent Music
 
LINKS:
 
Grainge Share
https://www.billboard.com/pro/lucian-elliot-grainge-how-much-music-market-control/
 
Stop Using my Music!
https://www.billboard.com/pro/presidential-campaign-songs-artists-stop-music-use-rallies/
 
UMPG Global Marketing Head
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/alix-kram-appointed-head-of-marketing-at-universal-music-publishing-group-in-new-global-role/
 
Amazon Lauches Songline
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7227735322892136448/
 
Paul Sweeting on AI Training
https://rightstech.substack.com/p/building-a-scale-model-for-ai-data
 
Travis Scott Strikes again
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/09/paris-authorities-issue-statement-on-travis-scott-arrest/

The Q2 earnings season finale, the peak streaming debate, but art's NOT a competition.

Size Matters. Q2 Earnings Ranked for Persepctive
 
Names in the Pod today:
 
Matthew Belloni
Lucas Shaw
The Town
Larry Miller
Lynn Gonzalez
Musonomics
Hybe
SM Entertainmment
Believe Music
Dogan Music
#Billie Eilish
#Taylor Swift
 
LINKS
 
Peak Streaming
Belloni X Shaw
https://www.theringer.com/2024/8/5/24214061/has-the-music-industry-peaked-universal-music-group-shares-down?curator=MusicREDEF
Musonomics Flash
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/musonomics/id985799104
For you readers...
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/07/music-streaming-growth-slowdown-analysis/
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sony-unfazed-by-streaming-music-revenue-growth-slowdown-in-calendar-q2/
 
Hybe Earnings
https://www.billboard.com/pro/hybe-quarterly-revenue-record-net-income-dropped-q2/
SM Earnings
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sm-entertainment-reports-185m-in-q2-sales-driven-by-near-doubling-of-concert-revenue/
 
Believe buys Turkish Independence
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/07/believe-acquires-dogan-music-group/
 
Billie-Tay Tay not a competition
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/07/billie-eilish-spotify-followers/

WMG sugars the pill, Adele's Musikfestspiele, and other tales from Europe

Musikfestspiele is a great word...
 
Names in the Pod today:
 
Richard Smirke
Dylan Smith
Robert Levine
Oscar Areliz
Ashley King
Low Cut Connie
 
LINKS:
 
WMG Earnings
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/07/warner-music-group-earnings-q2-2024/
https://www.billboard.com/pro/warner-music-group-q3-earnings-profits-streaming-physical-sales/
 
Sony Earnings
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/07/sony-music-earnings-q2-2024/
 
Europe Fest Woes...
https://www.billboard.com/pro/european-festival-promoters-costs-cancellations-sellouts/
 
Yikes. Taylor Terror scare.
https://news.pollstar.com/2024/08/07/security-at-taylor-swift-concert-in-vienna-stepped-up-following-arrest-of-terror-suspects/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c14z8g605mgo
 
On the other hand there is Adele...
https://www.billboard.com/pro/adele-munich-concerts-attendance-sales-records/
 
On the other hand there is the Fugees
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/08/07/lauryn-hill-fugees-tour-canceled-in-north-america/

Greenwald drops a bomb, the quiet major surges, the Democrats have a better playlist.

Well, that didn't take long...
P.S. Nobody answered me as to why Meryl Streep went viral last week
 
Names in The Pod Today:
Julie Greenwald
Glenn Peoples
Tim Walz
Kamala Harris
Atlantic Records
HYBE
Sony Music
Beto O'Rourke
ByteDance
Andrew Hutchinson
Syco
 
Viral Wednesday Links
 
Julie Greenwald Taps out.
https://www.billboard.com/pro/julie-greenwald-exit-atlantic-records/
 
Hybe Earnings
https://www.billboard.com/pro/hybe-quarterly-revenue-record-net-income-dropped-q2/
 
Sony Earnings
https://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=342215&title=SONY-MUSIC-ENJOYS-23%2525-Q1-REVENUE-BOOST
 
TikTkok Text to Video
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktoks-parent-company-has-a-new-text-to-video-generation-tool/723534/
 
Walz's Minnesota Deep Cuts
https://www.instagram.com/betoorourke/p/C-VUT1suBLP/
 
Angel of My Dreams Viral
https://www.tiktok.com/music/Angel-Of-My-Dreams-7389105835824465921
 
Forever Young Viral
https://www.tiktok.com/music/Forever-Young-7367768334094387973
 
Croquet Club Summer Viral
https://www.tiktok.com/@draftkings/video/7397256305364192543

Google is a monopoly. Who knew? Suno drops the gloves, Roblox surges, what's a Helios?

Railroads, Oil AT&T and now Google.
 
Names in the Pod Today:
Google
David McCabe
Virginie Berger
Mandy Dalugdug
Elias Leight
Lio Kanine
Dick Huey
Jon Vlassopulos
 
Tech Tuesday Links:
 
Google Is a Monoppoly
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/technology/google-antitrust-ruling.html
 
SUno and Udio Fair Use
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/suno-udios-controversial-defense-fair-use-debate-virginie-berger-luvdc/
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/as-suno-and-udio-admit-training-ai-with-unlicensed-music-record-industry-says-theres-nothing-fair-about-stealing-an-artists-lifes-work/
 
Roblox Up
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/roblox-revenue-up-31-in-q2-to-893m-as-daily-active-users-hit-record-79-5m-cfo-exits/
 
AI Adoption not matching Hype?
https://www.billboard.com/pro/ai-adoption-slow-hype-music-creators-use/
 
Helios
https://helios.party/