Music publishers go to war with Spotify

On this week’s show, we discuss the launch of the record industry’s first major lawsuits against music-generating AI companies - with the RIAA coordinating litigation against Suno and Udio - plus a group of songwriters are suing PRS. SECTION TIMES 01: Labels v Suno + Udio (00:04:30) 02: News in brief (00:15:20) 03: Songwriters v PRS (00:18:05) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • Suno and Udio’s “lawless” behaviour cheapens human creativity with sound-a-likes and knock-offs says watershed RIAA lawsuit • Suno boss accuses music industry of “reverting to its old lawyer-led playbook” • Udio responds to record label lawsuit insisting its AI model ‘listens’ rather than ‘copies’ • PRS sued over “unreasonable and unnecessary hurdles” for writers directly licensing their live performances NEWS IN BRIEF • UK Music names Tom Kiehl as new CEO • Live Nation boss Michael Rapino sued by shareholder over DoJ action • SiriusXM breaches consumer rights by charging an extra music royalties extra fee, says lawsuit • KKR acquires Superstruct ALSO MENTIONED • SXSW ditches weapons sponsors to burnish brand - so why won’t it ditch its ties to Saudi Arabia?

On this week’s show, we discuss the latest escalation in the fight over Spotify’s reclassification of its premium subscription as an audiobook and music bundle in the US, the lawsuit against Drake for putting one of his own song titles on a t-shirt, and the return of the band formerly known as Easy Life, who have nothing to do with easyJet. SECTION TIMES 01: Spotify (00:10:22) 02: News in brief (00:17:24) 03: Drake and Hard Life (00:19:28) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • Music publishers now fighting Spotify audiobook bundling trick on multiple fronts • Drake sued over t-shirts referencing his track ‘Members Only’ • Easy Life return as Hard Life following easyGroup legal battle NEWS IN BRIEF • The COVID trend of late-in-the-day ticket purchases has continued, says Eventbrite • Musicians now see success from a more long-term perspective, study finds • Martin Shkreli ordered to hand over copies of Wu-Tang album ALSO MENTIONED • Touting, touring and AI in the spotlight in election manifestos

On this week's show we discuss the US government’s legal action against Live Nation that seeks to force it to sell off Ticketmaster, ticket touts’ plans to fight the Labour Party’s proposed 10% price cap on the resale of tickets, and more. SECTION TIMES 01: Live Nation (00:06:40) 02: News in brief (00:23:07) 03: Ticket resale lobbying (00:26:52) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • Live Nation monopoly is “anticompetitive” and must be broken up says DoJ lawsuit • Live Nation faces class action that could involve millions of ticket buyers • Hackers claim to have accessed personal data about 560 million Ticketmaster customers • Campaigners respond to “astounding” report on the “sinister” lobbying plans of ticket touts NEWS IN BRIEF • US court agrees to fast-track legal challenge over TikTok ban • Parklife founder Sacha Lord under pressure as Arts Council and GMCA launch investigations into COVID funding • Queen deal • Government confirms it has issued drug-testing licences to “some of the leading festivals in the UK” ALSO MENTIONED • Spotify sued over decision to stop supporting Car Thing • Spotify price hike in France • Revealed: how touts drew up secret plans to sabotage Labour’s ticket reforms (The Guardian)

On this week's show we discuss the battle between the music publishers and Spotify as it ramps up another gear, Sony Music's lawsuit accusing the Marriott hotel chain of “rampant” copyright infringement, and more. SECTION TIMES 01: Spotify (00:04:39) 02: News in brief (00:22:15) 03: Sony Music (00:25:13) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • Spotify’s conduct proves US compulsory licence isn’t working, says NMPA boss • Sony sues Marriott over social media posts NEWS IN BRIEF • Leadmill eviction battle in court • Live industry welcomes ticket tout prison sentences • TikTok wants its legal case against US “sell-or-be-banned” law fast-tracked • Scarlett Johansson accuses ChatGPT of stealing her voice ALSO MENTIONED • Live Nation monopoly is “anticompetitive” and must be broken up says DoJ lawsuit

On this week's show we discuss the battle between music publishers and Spotify over its plans to reclassify its subscriptions as bundles of music, audiobooks and podcasts, and commercial media companies hit out at the BBC’s plan to sell advertising on its podcasts. SECTION TIMES 01: Spotify (00:03:48) 02: News in brief (00:15:20) 03: BBC (00:17:48) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • The MLC is suing Spotify over audiobook bundling • Publishers accuse Spotify of licensing gaps in letter the streaming service has dubbed a “misleading press stunt” • US music publishers ramp up the rhetoric against Spotify's royalty reducing bundling trick • Media companies hit out at plan for BBC to sell ads alongside its podcasts NEWS IN BRIEF • TICKET Act passed by US House Of Representatives • Universal removed as defendant on explosive Diddy lawsuit • TikTok creators file lawsuit against US sell-or-be-banned law • Utopia swings the axe again with significant job losses across remaining non-UK operations • ATC takes majority stake in Raw Power ALSO MENTIONED • Sony Music tells 700+ AI companies to respect its copyrights

On this week's show we discuss the UK Parliament’s Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee recommending that a levy on ticket sales for large scale shows be implemented by September and that the government should instigate a VAT cut for grassroots music venues, plus the concerns surrounding the launch of a new SXSW festival in London. SECTION TIMES 01: Grassroots venues report (00:06:50) 02: News in brief (00:14:18) 03: SXSW London (00:17:38) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • MPs set September deadline for ticket levy to support grassroots venues and shows • SXSW London could disrupt delicately balanced music ecosystem and should reconsider its date NEWS IN BRIEF • TikTok sues the US government over sell-or-be-banned law • Goldman Sachs analysts upbeat about music industry after a “turning point” year • Lucian’s lunch money under threat as shareholder pressure mounts over “excessive” pay packet • Nine of the ten wrongful death Astroworld lawsuits now settled, says Live Nation • OfCom should use Online Safety Act powers to force Facebook to act on ticket scams, says Which? • Music Venue Properties announces purchase of The Ferret in Preston • Apple finds out the hard way that not everyone thinks destruction is a form of creation

On this week's show we discuss the calls on both sides of the Atlantic for new AI laws to protect creators, the big love-in between Universal and TikTok as they finally resolve their differences, and more. SECTION TIMES 01: AI laws (00:07:00) 02: News in brief (00:20:29) 03: Universal x TikTok (00:23:20) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • MPs call on UK government to create “a pro-creative industries AI bill” • FKA Twigs and Warner boss tell Senators about the urgent need for a US-wide law to regulate deepfakes • Universal and TikTok are best buds again • Universal boss Lucian Grainge talks up the new TikTok deal which “will protect the integrity and value of human artistry” NEWS IN BRIEF • EU TikTok ban “is not excluded” says European Commission President, as FCC Commissioner says US ban won’t be scuppered in the courts • CEO of NewJeans label Ador refuses to convene board meeting as parent company HYBE tries to push her out • R Kelly fails to overturn Chicago conviction • Astroworld victims want first trial to be livestreamed • Taylor Swift and Record Store Day push UK vinyl sales reach highest level since 1994 ALSO MENTIONED • Could Co-op Group terminate Manchester arena naming rights deal? Fury mounts as safety incident forces yet more Co-op Live show cancellations

On this week's show we discuss the bidding war compounding the latest in a long line of dramas at Hipgnosis, the faltering start for Manchester’s new Co-op Live arena and more.  SECTION TIMES 01: Hipgnosis (00:04:59) 02: News in brief (00:18:48) 03: Co-op Live (00:12:15) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • Hipgnosis debacle might be over as Concord offers to acquire entire share capital of SONG - but there’s a catch… • Blackstone tops Concord offer for SONG, hints at invoking call option • The state of Hipgnosis • To the moon! Concord reaches for the high notes as it ups its SONG bid to $1.25 • Co-op Live GM says grassroots venues are “poorly run”, before cancelling thousands of tickets to test event at the very last minute • Manchester’s new Co-op Live arena cancels launch shows as power issues delay opening NEWS IN BRIEF • The clock is now TikTokking as US Senate votes through sell-or-be-banned law • Amazon AI employee claims she was told to breach copyright rules because “everyone else is doing it” • Moving BBC radio to an ad-funded model would be a disaster, says Radiocentre • Drake threatened with legal action over AI Tupac in Kendrick diss track ALSO MENTIONED • AI and music one year later: What happened? And where are we at? (Spot Festival, 3 May, 1pm) • Dissecting The Digital Dollar: What’s changed? (Spot Festival, 4 May, 11.45am) • The new pay-out models: What are the consequences for you as an artist and as a songwriter? (Spot Festival, 4 May, 1.15pm) • The great streaming swindle: That’s how much money is swindled every year in the music industry (Spot Festival, 4 May, 2.15pm)

On this week's show we discuss the warning from UK politicians that there need to be “tangible steps to improve musicians’ remuneration and performer rights” by this time next year, and Blur drummer Dave Rowntree’s class action lawsuit against PRS For Music over songwriter royalties, and more. SECTION TIMES 01: Performer remuneration report (00:05:39) 02: News in brief (00:14:53) 03: Dave Rowntree v PRS (00:19:23) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • “Fundamental reform of music streaming” must come soon, say MPs • Blur’s Dave Rowntree leads class action lawsuit against PRS For Music seeking “hundreds of millions of pounds” for songwriters NEWS IN BRIEF • WIN renews shared values of the independent music community • GEMA says German song right income is booming, but digital growth is lacking • Timeline for TikTok law in Senate still to be confirmed, though Minority Leader says its deserves "urgent attention" • Universal relaxes TikTok boycott - but only if your name is Taylor Swift • Have a playlist idea but don’t know what songs to put on it? Spotify’s AI bot can help with that • Spotify planning tools to allow users to remix tracks ALSO MENTIONED • Westway Lab

On this week's show we discuss UK Parliament's Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee's hearing on the grassroots live music crisis, and the Nirvana logo legal battle's return to court. SECTION TIMES 01: Grassroots live music crisis (00:08:13) 02: News in brief (00:17:09) 03: Nirvana logo (00:21:43) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • MPs hear about the crisis in grassroots live music - a ticket levy might help, but how would that work? • Nirvana ‘smiley face’ copyright dispute back in court NEWS IN BRIEF • Rapper ordered to pay $800,000 to Sony over TikTok hit with unlicensed sample • Sean Combs properties raided in federal sex trafficking investigation • Discrimination, lower pay and shorter careers are the norm for female musicians in the UK, study shows • RIAA 2023 Year-End Music Industry Revenue Report ALSO MENTIONED • As BMG’s 2023 numbers show continued growth, could a merger with Warner Music or Believe be on the cards?