Uh, congrats to Tsunami on their Grammy nomination!

The federal legislation that addresses the lack of artist bargaining power which allows Discovery Mode to happen is @ross.house.gov's Protect Working Musicians Act. It's expected to be reintroduced sometime after the shutdown ends.

Discovery Mode has been under fire from groups like us and @artistrightsnow.bsky.social for years, and Reps. Nadler and Johnson sent a letter on the issue in 2021. nadler.house.gov/news/documen... The issue is ripe for an FTC rulemaking.

This is what independent music media is for

One thing that punk rock teaches us all is how to stand up to bullies. Another is that monopolies suck.

This report is interesting, but if the point is to learn lessons, maybe it would be worth interviewing people who tried to talk to the Biden White House and found, disturbingly/surprisingly, that they were listening to Stubhub-funded astroturf groups and not reaching out to musician advocates.

Very helpful piece by @cushac.bsky.social unpacking the problem of AI Slop

The hearing on CM Allen’s RESALE Act is tomorrow! Learn more and tune in: www.charlesallenward6.com/media_adviso...

Yet another fake anti-Ticketmaster group obviously funded by resellers has launched. Their standard tactic: try to dupe people into opposing artists’ and venues’ proposed new laws. Beware “Beat the Bots” and beware any other group that who won’t say who’s behind it!

Works out to roughly $19,656 USD per enrolled musician at a cost of about $7.43 per Irish citizen. In contrast, the US Govt spends only about 59 cents per citizen on the entire national endowment for the arts (across all artistic disciplines).

Artists: a holiday weekend is a good moment to get your paperwork in order. Sign up with @soundexchange.bsky.social , the MLC, and your composition PRO of choice, otherwise you may be leaving a big chunk of your streaming money on the table!

Especially in light of the shutdown of @wcsb.bsky.social yesterday, it's important to know that college radio IS thriving and plays a vital role in many students' lives. Thanks to @emwhitenoise.bsky.social for this great piece that takes a closer look at why Gen Z is excited about college radio.

Live Nation news: in addition to the DOJ antitrust case and the FTC consumer protection lawsuit, there are a couple of pending class action suits. LNE tried to dismiss one of these by saying its arbitration provisions preclude class action, but SCOTUS said no. www.courthousenews.com/live-nation-...

Always worth considering this guy’s insights 👇

The recent victory that Portland, Maine activists won against LiveNation is huge—but not without precedent, as it follows the Chicago Independent Venue League’s successful fight. Understanding this history is important, because there’s so much that can be learned. pitchfork.com/news/chicago...

For the past 17 years Kym Register has owned The Pinhook, one of Durham's most esteemed clubs. WUNC music reporter @brianburns.bsky.social recently sat down with Register to talk about the history of the club and what came before it. www.wunc.org/wunc-music/2...

We agree with Lina Khan, who suggested that unlicensed AI training on music that then is used to compete with the original music likely qualifies as an unfair method of competition under the FTC Act.

Perhaps Ek’s become a liability for the company in light of his complete inability to read the room when addressing artist frustrations and his investment portfolio. But nothing indicates meaningful moves toward accountability or responsibility toward artists.

We're unlikely to see much of an exodus from YouTube even among the part of the artist community that finds this deeply problematic on free speech grounds. That's because YouTube makes it deeply difficult to get your music off the platform; it's much more challenging than with Spotify.

Here’s the Heritage Foundation saying price caps on ticket resale are bad. Actually, though, price caps on resale are good. townhall.com/columnists/t...

@ednewtonrex.bsky.social argues Spotify is completely unserious about combating AI music. The policy challenge is that independent creators lack a seat at the negotiating table (but distributors who profit from AI slop do have a seat.) fairtraining.substack.com/p/spotify-is...

The incuriosity of a particular kind of pundit.

@ashleybelanger.bsky.social has one of the more lucid explanations of what's in the new FTC Ticketmaster lawsuit here: arstechnica.com/tech-policy/... Meanwhile the DOJ monopoly suit is set to go to trial in spring 2026.

Reminder: a whole lot of your favorite music wouldn't exist without autistic people.

The FTC‘s new suit against Ticketmaster shows that Ticketmaster tested more transparent forms of all in pricing, but realized they would make less money, and that’s why they only support weak all in pricing rules, like what’s required by the TICKET Act.

Encouraging to see bipartisan support for tough intervention but we can't stop here. As artists have long argued, we need to •break up Ticketmaster •cap resale •create strong rules of the road that apply to every company •full upfront itemization of fees, no hiding things behind toggles

This lawsuit seems damning and squares with what we have been saying: Live Nation and the resellers are both huge problems. Sometimes they’re the same problem.

Meanwhile, the FCC is about to consider scrapping the broadcast ownership rules that prevent a single company from owning every FM station in your town. Luckily we still have a chance to speak up.

The NO FAKES act would allow artists to stop this. Follow @humanartistry.bsky.social to learn more

Stubhub's IPO is aimed at reducing debt; much of that debt is a result of how much they pay for Google and Facebook ads to try and outrank the primary sellers and indie venues that charge less for tickets. Ultimately this part of the secondary ticketing business is about extraction.

We’re so proud to be cosponsoring this event! Creative workers belong at the center of the antimonopoly movement!

as you watch the media mergers, remind yourself to invest in purchasing from independent artists! never been more important (and it always was important)

This event is sold out but you can join the waitlist. We're stoked! antimonopolysummit.org

meanwhile in the UK...

This is so good and life affirming and y’all’s should turn your attention to it.

While we don't comment on elections, a cap on ticket resales is an idea that artist groups like us have strongly backed in multiple states! Momentum is growing; DC's City Council is expected to consider a bill with a 10% price cap and penalties of up to $10,000/ticket sometime soon.

One thing is clear: any policy interventions to fix streaming need to be crafted to encourage the flourishing of alternatives like Bandcamp. We need a marketplace that allows for maximum flexibility and choice.

Raising wages for artists is an important goal, but getting the details right is crucial.

Oof no one seems happy with this Google remedies decision other than Google.

"Enshittification" is a popular concept because it helpfully names something we've all observed, but as a explanatory theory it falls short. That's because it obscures deeply rooted problems at the core of the cyberlibertarian idealism of the early 2000s. That might actually be the point!

Whatever happens at the federal level, the fight against monopolies will continue at state and municipal levels, and musicians will be at the center of it! Thanks to @ronmknox.bsky.social for connecting the dots.

Huge amounts of money are being spent lobbying to deregulate AI. This is because AI companies & VCs know the public overwhelmingly supports AI regulation. Politicians must resist the money and side with the public. www.wsj.com/politics/sil...

The local paper in Portland Maine had their art/architecture critic review the proposed Live Nation venue.

This suit is the result of good work by FTC staff past and present. Imagine what they could do to protect artists and consumers if given adequate resources!

This is good to see from FTC! It’s their job to stop scammers and protect consumers. But this complaint raises some serious questions!

Testimony from last night’s City Council hearing in Portland, Maine where the music community successfully pushed to pause a planned Live Nation development project.

This is a baffling decision. Soundexchange’s job is to collect and distribute royalties and ensure that artists get paid when their music is played on services like Sirius, the satellite radio monopolist. Taking away their right to sue amounts to giving Sirius the right to underpay.

It was especially exciting to see the breadth of opposition coming from diverse musicians, arts nonprofits like the Portland Symphony Orchestra, independent venues, and more!