On this week's show we discuss UK Parliament's Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee's hearing on the grassroots live music crisis, the Nirvana logo legal battle's return to court, and more.
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?
The crisis in the grassroots live music sector was discussed in Parliament yesterday. A levy charged on tickets for the biggest shows could help address the issues, MPs were told. However, there is disagreement within the industry about how such a levy might work
Chris Cooke
Nirvana ‘smiley face’ copyright dispute back in court
A copyright dispute between Nirvana and fashion designer Marc Jacobs over a 2018 smiley face t-shirt based on the band’s merchandise was back in court yesterday. The current focus is a claim by former Geffen art director Robert Fisher that he owns the copyright in the original smiley face
Chris Cooke
NEWS IN BRIEF
Rapper ordered to pay $800,000 to Sony over TikTok hit with unlicensed sample
A US court has ordered rapper Trefuego to pay Sony Music over $800,000 in damages after he used an uncleared sample in a track that went viral on TikTok. However, the judge declined to issue an injunction banning future distribution of the track
Chris Cooke
Sean Combs properties raided in federal sex trafficking investigation
US Homeland Security yesterday raided two properties owned by Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, reportedly as part of an investigation in relation to allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault. The most recent civil lawsuit against Combs, filed by a former collaborator, has also been updated
Chris Cooke
Discrimination, lower pay and shorter careers are the norm for female musicians in the UK, study shows
The latest Musicians’ Census report - based on responses from nearly 6000 working musicians in the UK - highlights disparities between the experiences of women and men in the industry. Gender and age discrimination are higher, while women are paid significantly less than their male counterparts
Andy Malt
2023 Year-End Music Industry Revenue Report | RIAA - RIAA
Recorded music revenues in the U.S. in 2023 continued strong growth for the eighth consecutive year. Total revenues grew 8%... Read More »
ALSO MENTIONED
As BMG’s 2023 numbers show continued growth, could a merger with Warner Music or Believe be on the cards?
BMG’s renewed spend on acquisitions - primarily music rights - over the past three years is starting to pay off. With €847 million invested since 2020 it could make a lot of sense for WMG to buy BMG. Or could BMG make a bid for Believe?
Sam Taylor