On this week's show we discuss the battle between music publishers and Spotify over it’s 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 ..read more

Chris Cooke and Andy Malt discuss the UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee recommending that the government implement a levy on ticket sales for large scale shows and cut VAT for grassroots music venues, and 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 • SXSW London could disrupt delicately balanced music ecosystem and should reconsider its date NEWS IN BRIEF• Tik ..read more

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 ag ..read more

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 ..read more

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. 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 lawsui ..read more

On this week's show we discuss the ruling in the long-running noise dispute involving Manchester's Night & Day that allows the venue to continue running club nights but potentially puts other nearby venues at risk, plus the BPI’s legal threats against a service that uses AI to create cover versions of songs in seconds. SECTION TIMES 01: Night & Day (00:08:13) 02: News in brief (00:15:15) 03: Voicify (00:19:57) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • Night & Day ruling makes it “open season” on Manchester’s night-time economy says Music Venue ..read more

On this week's show we discuss proposals voted through the US House of Representatives this week to force TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the video-sharing app or face a ban in country, and the UK Labour Party's pledge to introduce a cap on ticket resale prices if it wins the next election. SECTION TIMES 01: TikTok ban (00:03:20) 02: News in brief (00:14:21) 03: Ticket resale (00:17:00) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • Selling TikTok would be last resort for ByteDance, sources say as House votes through sell-or-be-banned law • TikTok insists it isn ..read more

On this week's show we discuss the €1.8 billion fine Apple has been ordered to pay by the EU following an investigation into claims of anti-competitive behaviour made by Spotify, and Live Nation's explanation of why everyone else in the music industry is to blame for rising ticket prices. SECTION TIMES 01: Apple v Spotify (00:06:26) 02: News in brief (00:20:48) 03: Live Nation (00:25:33) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • EU fines €1.8 billion at end of Spotify initiated competition law investigation • Apple hits out at EU competition ruling that “i ..read more

On this week's show we discuss the news that UK music retail revenues are back to where they were at the peak of the CD era in 2001. So long as you imagine that no time has passed in between. Plus, the brewing legal battle of Kanye West’s “shameless” interpolation of a Donna Summer track. SECTION TIMES 01: UK music revenues (00:06:47) 02: News in brief (00:15:20) 03: Kanye West (00:20:38) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES• UK music retail revenues reach record high, according to ERA stats • Donna Summer estate sues Kanye West over “shameless” unclear ..read more

In this special edition of Setlist, Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review CMU's latest series of masterclasses, which look at the music business in 2024. We talk through key trends in streaming, copyright, AI and more. SECTION TIMES 01: The music business in 2024 (00:04:58) 02: Music streaming in 2024 (00:12:51) 03: News in brief (00:19:55) 04: Music copyright in 2024 (00:22:51) 05: Music and AI in 2024 (00:33:01) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) CMU'S 2024 MASTERCLASS SESSIONS Get an expert overview of the topics that will define the music business in 2024, including copyright ..read more