Post-COVID pay cuts and Jay-Z's love chat
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including Live Nation's planned changes to artist agreements post-COVID that will mean performers receiving lower fees and taking on more risk, plus Jay-Z and Beyonce being sued for allegedly using a spoken word recording on their track 'Black Effect' without permission. SECTION TIMES 01: Arti...
27m Jun 22, 2020
27m
The 'urban' music debate and takedowns on Twitch
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including the debate about the use of the word ‘urban’ to categorise music that has seen Republic Records and the Grammys drop or cut back the use of the term, and Twitch’s latest run-in with the music industry. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. SECTION TIMES 01: The ‘urban’ music debate (00:02...
29m Jun 15, 2020
29m
Black Out Tuesday, Eight Mile Style
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including the music industry's Black Out Tuesday shutdown in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and the latest twist in the legal battle between Spotify and Eminem's publishing company Eight Mile Style. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. SECTION TIMES 01: Black Out Tuesday (00:02:2...
29m Jun 08, 2020
29m
StubHub and blanket licences for the whole internet
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including the latest lawsuit against StubHub over its COVID-19 refund policy and the departure of its president, and the proposal by the Electronic Frontier Foundation for a compulsory licence covering all uses of music online. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. SECTION TIMES 01: StubHub lawsuit...
45m Jun 01, 2020
45m
Safe harbours and 6ix9ine's chart battle battle
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including the publication (finally) of the US Copyright Office's report based on its review of the safe harbour that sits in America’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and 6ix9ine’s beef with Ariana Grande over her US chart position. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. SECTION TIMES 01: US Copyr...
39m May 25, 2020
39m
The ten things people get wrong about streaming - part 2
In the second part of this special edition of the show, this week CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke again examine the debate around the fairness of streaming royalties for artists and songwriters, which has been growing during the COVID-19 shutdown. We discuss the second half of our ten point list of things people often misunderstand or don't know about streaming, and what they need to know in or...
40m May 18, 2020
40m
The ten things people get wrong about streaming - part 1
In a deviation from the normal format, this CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke examine the debate around the fairness of streaming royalties for artists and songwriters, which has been growing during the COVID-19 shutdown. Over the next two episodes, we'll be discussing the ten things people often get wrong about streaming, and what they need to know in order to win the argument. Setlist is sponso...
41m May 11, 2020
41m
The future of live music, charity chart battles
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including new research into what the future music look like for live music after lockdown, plus the ressurgence of charity singles as the Live Lounge Allstars knock Captain Tom off number one in the UK singles chart. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. 00:03:56 Live music research 00:18:57 Charit...
34m May 04, 2020
34m
Ticketmaster refunds, Mixcloud livestreaming
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including the class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster over allegations it changed its terms on refunds after the COVID-19 shutdown began, and Mixcloud’s new livestreaming option and the complicated copyright questions all these online performances raise. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. 00:0...
33m Apr 27, 2020
33m
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, lockdown radio listening
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band vow to close what they see as a loophole in UK trademark law that can result in bands losing control of their brands, and the positive and negative effects of COVID-19 on the commercial radio industry. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. STORIES DISCUSSED THIS...
34m Apr 20, 2020
34m
StubHub Refunds, You Raise Me Up
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including StubHub being sued over changes to its refund policy as the COVID-19 crisis wreaks havoc on the live industry, and the dismissal of a song-theft lawsuit over ‘You Raise Me Up’. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. STORIES DISCUSSED THIS WEEK • StubHub sued over COVID-19 change to its Fan...
32m Apr 13, 2020
32m
COVID-19, Paradigm, Public Enemy
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including former Paradigm agent Debbee Klein suing her now ex-employer over redundancies – specifically her redundancy – made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, plus Public Enemy’s big hoax or non-hoax. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. STORIES DISCUSSED THIS WEEK • Ousted Paradigm agent fil...
36m Apr 06, 2020
36m
COVID-19, lockdown, Lizzo
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting the music business and the financial support available to musicians and others who work in the industry, and the latest filing in the dispute over who owns a stake in Lizzo's 'Truth Hurts'. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. STORIES DISCUSSED THIS...
39m Mar 30, 2020
39m
COVID-19, Led Zepplin, Katy Perry
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting the music industry and the many freelancers who work in it, and the latest rulings in the song-theft cases against Led Zeppelin and Katy Perry. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
33m Mar 23, 2020
33m
Top ten legal battles - The Jay-Z moral rights case
It’s the seventh in our series of special editions of Setlist looking at some of our favourite music industry legal battles of all time. CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke discuss the case filed against Jay-Z by the family of Baligh Hamdy, who argued that the rapper had infringed the the late Egyptian film composer's moral rights - an element of copyright law that we rarely have the opportunity to...
29m Mar 16, 2020
29m
Lizzo, Coronavirus, Journey
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including the latest twist in the dispute over who wrote Lizzo's hit 'Truth Hurts', how the coronoavirus is affecting the live music industry, and the bust up between the current members of Journey resulting in a $10 million lawsuit. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. Please note: This episode w...
46m Mar 09, 2020
46m
Touts, US record stats, Brexit
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including the two British ticket touts jailed for fraud, how the continued rise in record industry income in the US, and how the UK government’s post-Brexit immigration policy could affect the music industry. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. STORIES DISCUSSED THIS WEEK • Fraudulent ticket tout...
48m Mar 02, 2020
48m
Top ten legal battles - Suing the filesharers
It’s the sixth in our series of special editions of Setlist looking at some of our favourite music industry legal battles of all time. CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke discuss the period in music history where the major labels attempted to curb illegal file-sharing by suing individual music fans. We look in particular at the cases of Jammie Thomas and Joel Tenenbaum who carried on fighting back ...
43m Feb 24, 2020
43m
Top ten legal battles - Morrissey v the NME
It’s the fifth in our series of special editions of Setlist looking at some of our favourite music industry legal battles of all time. CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke discuss the libel proceedings Morrissey launched against the NME in 2011, four years after the magazine published an article he claimed called him racist. But with an album and plenty of tour dates under his belt in the interim, c...
29m Feb 17, 2020
29m
Top ten legal battles – The Kraftwerk sampling case
It’s the fourth in our series of special editions of Setlist looking at the top ten music industry legal battles of all time. CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke discuss a lengthy battle launched by Kraftwerk, which asked the important question, “can a two second sample possibly constitute copyright infringement?” Setlist is sponsored by 7digital. Listen to more Setlist specials here (https://compl...
37m Feb 10, 2020
37m
European Copyright Directive, German digital pie, tax cuts for music venues
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from recent weeks, including the UK government's confirmation that it currently has no plans to implement the European Copyright Directive, German artist managers’ moves to change how digital royalties are divided up, and cuts to business rates for grassroots music venues. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
48m Feb 03, 2020
48m
Grammy Awards special
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, which this week makes it a Grammy Awards special. Because the run-up to this year's ceremony was pretty dramatic. When recently appointed Recording Academy CEO was placed on "administrative leave" ten days before the event, a war of words erupted with accusations of sexual harrassment, ...
44m Jan 27, 2020
44m
TV music, Tencent, Soundgarden
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from recent weeks, including criticism of US TV company Discovery Networks' new deal for songwriters, why Tencent may take a larger stake in Universal Music than expected, and the dispute over Soundgarden's final album. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
48m Dec 23, 2019
48m
Top ten legal battles – Prince v Warner
It’s the third in our series of special editions of Setlist looking at the top ten music industry legal battles of all time. CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke discuss Prince’s long-running battle with Warner Bros Records. Not strictly a legal battle, because no legal papers were filed (at least during the musician’s lifetime), but over the years numerous legal questions were raised and Prince’s a...
51m Dec 16, 2019
51m
Massive Attack, banned songs, doughnuts
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from recent weeks, including Massive Attack’s plans to take climate scientists out on the road with them, offensives songs on the radio, and alternative music formats from doughnuts to socks. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
50m Dec 09, 2019
50m
Viagogo, Billboard, Jay-Z
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from recent weeks, including Viagogo's $4 billion deal to buy its main rival StubHub, Billboard's latest update to its chart rules, and why Jay-Z has 99 problems with kids learning their ABCs. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
41m Dec 02, 2019
41m
Apple Music, Coldplay, Taylor Swift
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from recent weeks, including Apple Music’s launch of a B2B streaming service, Coldplay’s refusal to tour until they can overcome environmental concerns, and Taylor Swift’s big beef with Big Machine. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
53m Nov 25, 2019
53m
Distribution Revolution, Lizzo, X Factor
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from recent weeks, including the AIM’s new report into the changing world of music distribution, Lizzo’s legal battle over ‘Truth Hurts’, and Simon Cowell’s ‘war’ with Little Mix. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
51m Nov 18, 2019
51m
US radio royalties, Lil Peep, Apple
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from recent weeks, including new calls to make FM and AM radio in the US pay performance royalties, the lawsuit accusing Lil Peep's management team of being liable for his death, and Apple's plans to bundle music and TV subscriptions together. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
51m Oct 28, 2019
51m
Robert Fripp, Notorious Markets, Tegan & Sara
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from recent weeks, including Robert Fripp of King Crimson's dispute with the David Bowie estate and collecting society PPL about how his contributions to Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ and ‘Scary Monsters’ albums have been classified, the US record industry’s latest piracy gripe list, and Tegan & Sara’s new way to fight bac...
44m Oct 12, 2019
44m
Deezer, consent decrees, YouTube
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including Deezer’s big push to get support for user-centric royalty distribution, all 877 submissions to the Department Of Justice’s new review of the consent decrees that regulate BMI and ASCAP, and US Congress’s questions about YouTube’s Content ID. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
55m Sep 22, 2019
55m
Top ten legal battles - Prince and the dancing baby
It's the second in a series of special editions of Setlist looking at the top ten music industry legal battles of all time. CMU's Andy Malt and Chris Cooke discuss Prince v The Dancing Baby – or Lenz v Universal Music Corp, to give it it’s official if less fun sounding name. This long running case tested the obligations of takedown issuers to consider whether unlicensed use of their copyright m...
36m Sep 09, 2019
36m
Tencent, Tents, Baby Shark
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including China’s competition regulator investigating Tencent’s exclusivity deals with the major labels, a proposed tax on tents at festivals and a lawsuit claiming that Baby Shark is a rip-off. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
47m Sep 04, 2019
47m
Eminem, Tidal, the Universal fire
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including Eminem’s publishing company Eight Mile Style suing Spotify and claiming that the recently passed Music Modernization Act is unconstitutional, Tidal threatening to sue Norway and a Universal fire update. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
45m Aug 27, 2019
45m
Top ten legal battles – the Blurred Lines song-theft case
The first in a new series of special editions of Setlist – looking at the top ten music industry legal battles – this week we tell the story of the Blurred Lines song-theft case. CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke discuss how pre-emptive litigation by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams against the Marvin Gaye Estate back-fired, kick-starting a high profile and entertaining court battle that centre...
56m Aug 19, 2019
56m
Tencent, TikTok, Katy Perry
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last few weeks, including Chinese web giant Tencent taking a 10% stake in Universal Music Group, TikTok taking ICE to the copyright tribunal and the big Katy Perry song theft case. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
57m Aug 12, 2019
57m
Live Nation, Woodstock, Ja Rule
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including UK competition regulator concerns about the takeover of Irish concert promoter MCD Productions by Live Nation, the latest roadblock in the story of the surely doomed Woodstock 50 festival, and how Ja Rule wormed his way out of an ongoing Fyre Festival lawsuit. Setlist is sponsor...
53m Jul 21, 2019
53m
Taylor Swift, Spotify, Sam Fender
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including the sale of US indie label Big Machine to Scooter Braun (aka Taylor Swift's "worst case scenario"), Spotify cancelling plans to allow artists to upload music directly, and how autoplaying promo videos on social media are affecting people with epilepsy. Setlist is sponsored by 7d...
51m Jul 14, 2019
51m
Universal, stream scamming, Apple
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including the inevitable lawsuits over the Universal archive fire and the New York Times' response to the major label's criticism of its reporting, efforts to stop record labels artificially boosting their streaming figures, and Apple’s claim that Spotify is barely paying any App Store fe...
46m Jul 05, 2019
46m
Lyrics, Krept & Konan, Vivendi
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including Genius accusing Google of stealing lyrics from its website, publishing company Wixen accusing Pandora of displaying lyrics from its catalogue without permission, Krept & Konan appearing in Parliament to discuss drill, and when the hell Vivendi is going to sell half of its Univer...
54m Jun 29, 2019
54m
FTC, Universal, DJ Khaled
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including the FTC's all-day session on the American ticketing market and the new proposals in US Congress that followed, allegations about how many Universal masters were actually lost in a big fire a decade ago, and DJ Khaled's beef with the Billboard charts. Setlist is sponsored by 7dig...
46m Jun 22, 2019
46m
20 years of CMU – The Pirate Bay, the piracy site that refuses to sink
This week’s episode of Setlist is the last in our series of episodes marking CMU’s 20th birthday, in which we have been looking back at the 20 biggest stories CMU has covered over the last two decades. This time we look at what was once the biggest piracy site on the internet, and how it has survived where so many others have sunk. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
38m Jun 10, 2019
38m
SGAE, RIAA, Richard Ashcroft
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including CISAC's expulsion of Spanish collecting society SGAE, the RIAA’s latest moves against piracy sites, and how Richard Ashcroft reclaimed his most famous song from the Rolling Stones. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
44m Jun 03, 2019
44m
20 years of CMU – The rise and rise and rise of Live Nation
This week’s episode of Setlist is another marking CMU’s 20th birthday, the penultimate in a series of special editions reviewing the 20 biggest stories CMU has covered over the last two decades. This time we turn to the live industry. Not the whole sector, but one company that makes up an increasingly large chunk of it - the ever expansive Live Nation. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
35m May 30, 2019
35m
PledgeMusic, song royalties, Woodstock
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including the collapse of PledgeMusic, how songwriters’ royalties are being lost in the system, and Woodstock 50’s rapid descent into becoming 2019’s Fyre Festival. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital
56m May 23, 2019
56m
20 years of CMU – The saga of MegaUpload and Kim Dotcom
This week’s episode of Setlist is another marking CMU’s 20th birthday, the sixteenth in a series of special editions reviewing the 20 biggest stories CMU has covered over the last two decades. This time we go all the way back to the dramatic takedown of MegaUpload in 2012 and run through everything that has happened in the subsequent seven years. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
31m May 14, 2019
31m
20 years of CMU - How web-blocking became the anti-piracy tool of choice
This week’s episode of Setlist is another marking CMU’s 20th birthday, the fifteenth in a series of special editions reviewing the 20 biggest stories CMU has covered over the last two decades. This time we look at the various strategies the music industry has employed to combat online piracy during that time, and how it ultimately settled on web-blocking as a preferred method. Setlist is sponso...
33m Apr 29, 2019
33m
Ticketmaster, online harms, Donald Trump
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including the £5 million lawsuit over Ticketmaster’s data breach, the UK government’s new proposals for tackling online harms and what it means for music piracy (spoiler: nothing), and Donald Trump’s clash with Batman. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
42m Apr 20, 2019
42m
IFPI stats, iHeart, The Weeknd
CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including the latest IFPI stats which confirmed that the record industry had a fourth year of growth in 2018, iHeart's plan to come out of bankruptcy and straight into an IPO, and the new song-theft lawsuit against The Weeknd. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
51m Apr 08, 2019
51m
20 years of CMU – The record industry's love affair with DRM
This week’s episode of Setlist is another marking CMU’s 20th birthday, the fourteenth in a series of special editions reviewing the 20 biggest stories CMU has covered over the last two decades. This time we look at the record industry's love affair with digital rights management technology in the early years of the digital music revolution and how DRM hindered the growth of legit download store...
30m Apr 01, 2019
30m