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!

Huge win for Portland's music scene and against monopoly power. The City Council just voted 6-3 to pause Live Nation's new music venue, siding with independent venues and artists fighting to protect the local community from the monopolist.

Last night’s vote could be a watershed moment for the antimonopoly movement at the local level, on par with NYC’s rejection of Amazon‘s HQ2. Props to Maine Music Alliance for solid organizing work!

my periodic reminder that your artistic work — your writing, music, dance, whatever it is — is crucially important for you and for the people who receive it, in ways you might never personally experience or grasp. you gotta trust me, please keep going

VICTORY: after a huge outcry from artists and independent venues, Portland, Maine’s City Council has agreed to a 180 day pause on any new development of a proposed 3300-cap Live Nation venue! The council has called for more study of impacts on the local economy and workers.

Currently 6 hours into Portland Maine’s city council hearing over the proposed Live Nation venue. Artists and local venues are lockstep in opposition. Many more citizens still in line to testify.

Redid the math and it’s actually closer to a 26% boost!

I gave an in-depth interview with my hometown Chicago Tribune about what’s going to happen to NPR and PBS, and how cutting public media is part of a broader anti-democratic ideological project.

The fastest way for musicians who record original material to improve their Spotify royalties: register for a PRO (ASCAP or BMI) and register for the MLC. You will immediately start earning about 21% more from your streams.

Come see me on this panel! Or, better yet, come see Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes, Edward "Juicey" Jackson, Tamara Jackson, Fred Johnson, Delfeayo Marsalis, and BIg Chief Howard Miller on this panel, moderated by Lolis Eric Elie. I'll be listening more than talking. ellanola.org/upcoming/the...

Awesome to see @linamkhan.bsky.social recognize musicians in her @nytimesoped.bsky.social opinion piece as an example of small businesses under threat from consolidation and extractive business models.

Some basics: why does Spotify pay less than some rival services? One key reason is the free tier. Ads bring in only ~13% of Spotify revenue, but more than half of monthly users are not paid subscribers. Subscription dollars subsidize the ad supported tier and that drives per stream rates down.

Our allies at @afm-union.bsky.social local 802 are hosting an info session on Gen AI! Open to all musicians! Info here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Here’s where the Fire Aid money went: www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

Broadcasters and big tech keep pointing fingers at each other, but serious antimonopoly policy analysis means no one is let off the hook. Open Markets gets it right.

Our allies at @afm-union.bsky.social local 802 are hosting an info session on Gen AI! Open to all musicians! Info here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

DC is so lucky to have the Fort Reno concert series. Free shows in the park every summer since 1968. What’s happening in your town?

Another reason fair use makes it into the news is when people claim that things are fair use that probably aren’t (eg: Goldieblox v Beasties, Hachette v Internet Archive etc). It doesn’t help that every difference of opinion about the contours of fair use is framed as an attack on fair use itself.

Much unlicensed training is probably illegal already but a bill like this would settle it. We look forward to digging into the details.

FWIW: misleading headline. Benefit concerts very typically funnel money to nonprofits that serve impacted people and communities (including through cash grants and direct services.)

wrote about the spirit of public good that birthed public media in the U.S., the Senate's vote to halt all federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and what this really means for your favorite NPR and PBS stations, both local and national: slate.com/technology/2...

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is currently introducing amendment to strike rescission of Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds (including the money that public media pays to license music). Murkowski (R-AK) cosponsoring.

Musicians rely on public media to reach audiences and sustain local music communities. Today, public media needs your voice. Call your Senators NOW. bit.ly/4eOwuZb Can't get through? Look up their direct numbers: bit.ly/3gqAmmU #ProtectMyPublicMedia