Podcast
Prof Snyder's Music Biz News
Hosted by AI Music and Music Industry Educator, Jeff Snyder · EN
Current, Interesting, Offbeat, Music Biz News Updates Curated from Various Sources.
“The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows.” – Aristotle Onassis
Video Versions at https://www.youtube.com/@snydersmusicbiznews
For 27+ years as a Music Professor teaching Music Business and Recording classes, as well as being a professional musician, one of my favorite classes was Intro to Music Business. Each week we discussed current news in the music industry that I found interesting and worth discussing. Now retired, I still try to stay current on what's happening, and have decided to share what I find with a (potentially) much bigger class...Prof Snyder's Music Biz News.
Links to articles referred to in the topics discussed will be posted on my blog https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot.com/
So if you actually learn something new, please follow, like, and subscribe. Thanks! Snyder
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Reanimated. Repackaged. Redeployed. By Agentic AI
2w ago00:09:14Tap to summarizeGeorge Romero's Night of the Living Dead is in the public domain. (That's why I can use a screen grab and not worry about copyright infringement.) But Hal Roach made the zombies green and so created a derivative that he could copyright and make $ licensing. BMG's announcement about Synch + brought to light how agentic AI is replacing music supervisors and song pluggers. "AI tools analyze BMG’s repertoire of over three million songs and 200,000 production music tracks to find precise matches for film, TV, and advertising briefs." Those who opt-in to allow BMG's agentic AI train on their music should be aware of the results. AI training creates a permanent capability to generate unlimited similar works....derivatives that BMG owns, with nonstop countless derivatives of the derivatives that only create $ for the label. Once your song's DNA is out there, there's no pulling it back. Maybe even if you decide to later opt-out. (Be sure to read the license you grant. Even better seek legal counsel). "While the “ethical” data training touted by some in the music industry may provide certain compensation in the short-term for the music on which these models are licensed, there are tangible long-term risks to production music libraries, composers and creators that should be considered." "It is not just about selling a song. It is about owning the source material, the derivatives, the licensing pathway, and the machine that helps produce the next wave of derivatives." Romero never made a dime on the derivatives of his creation. Will those who opt-in to feed AI? Sources: https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot....
Transcribe →
Another Shark in the Food Chain? The Big 4
3w ago00:08:56Tap to summarizeFor the last 14 years, the Big 3, the holy trinity SONY, WMG, and UMG have dominated the music industry, devouring all of the other labels, and scooping up music catalogs. BMG, once a major label itself, though seemingly disappeared, has been kept alive by its parent company Bertlesmann, and it has sprung back to life joining with the old jazz label, Concord. Both have been on a feeding frenzy of music catalogs owning 4.3 million songs, enough to claim a spot with the Big 3 labels ....(BMG would prefer to be considered the king of indies). Though the headlines have broadcast the merger and the major shift with the Big 4, most haven't noticed that BMG is just a small part of the Bertelsmann empire, that with the merger owns Penguin Random House, the largest book publisher, 10,000 plays and musicals including Hamilton and Rogers and Hammerstein's works, and even classic movies like King Kong, Citizen Cane, and It's a Wonderful Life. Along with the titles, Bertelsmann has large divisions of marketing, streaming, and yes...AI. Regardless if it's one of the Big 4, or King of the Indies, it has moved up the food chain, and will undoubtedly have a major impact on the music industry. Sources: https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot.com/2026/05/another-shark-in-food-chain-big-4.html
Transcribe →
Wild Free-Range AI Music Has Its Own PRO, Charts, Etc.
Apr 2400:10:22Tap to summarizeThe 1st AI Music Chart (versus Billboard charts) The 1st Performing rights Organization (versus ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) The 1st AI Streaming platform (versus Spotify) Just three of the parallel music organizations in the rapidly expanding AI music industry. (This is not an endorsement of AI Music...just reporting what I see) "A new music industry is being built—with its own rules, its own economics, and its own definition of success. And for the first time in modern history… That industry doesn’t need the old one to survive." ChatGPT Sources: https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot....
Transcribe →
DDEX Adds AI Info to Meta Data: Now The Required Ticket Into The New Music Ecosystem
Apr 1500:09:59Tap to summarizeThis is the 3rd and last podcast linking 3 music biz events that I believe marks a change in access to the music markets. Indie distributors and labels being swallowed by majors, major labels and Spotify now allies working together to create an answer to AI music (and market control), and DDEX becoming the required meta data required for access to the new music ecosystem. DDEX has added AI descriptions into the Meta data of song files. Spotify and the major labels have adopted DDEX as the sole source of Meta Data Spotify requires to accept new uploads. While this will gratefully screen out false or misleading AI generated music, it also gives them control...they make the rules. Meta data has been a mystery to most musicians and who have left it up to distributors like Distrokid and Record labels to create and add meta data to their songs based on the accuracy and truthfulness of the artists' submissions. Most music companies accepted the data without question. Now, meta data comes into view with the dominant majors and Spotify creating a new collaborate music ecosystem controlling access to the market, with the DDEX standard becoming the sole accepted meta data source. Spotify's 'gatekeeper' now closely examines uploaded songs for DDEX before accepting them for streaming. Only labels and record labels can add DDEX data to your songs. While the accuracy of the DDEX data created by indie distributors and indie labels may vary based the accuracy of info when submitted by the artist, requiring closer examination, Spotify knows that music presented by the major labels in their new agreement is 'clean', with legit AI use of licensed music and accurate song info, so fast-tracks the music into the streams. It's imperative that musicians now learn the importance of meta data and providing accurate information when submitting a song to a distributor for upload to Spotify, publishers, etc. or risk their music being rejected. sources: https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot.com/2026/04/ddex-and-new-music-world-order.html
Transcribe →
Spotify and Labels Create New Music Ecosystem
Apr 1500:09:48Tap to summarizePart 2 of 3: Once they competed, now they work together for the first time to create a new music ecosystem built around AI. Spotify, WMG, UMG, SONY Music, Believe, and Merlin joined forces in reaction to AI. The labels have licensed their music to Spotify to be used in Spotify's new AI tools being developed. All in theory to better serve musicians and copyright holders, except of course those who aren't paid royalties because their song didn't achieve 1,000 streams in 1 year (where do those royalties go?) What will happen to artists outside the new ecosystem? Part 3 will be the new DDEX AI music standard they agreed on. Sources: https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot.com/2026/04/spotify-and-labels-create-new-music.html
Transcribe →
AI AND THE ORANGE DOOR
Apr 100:07:47Tap to summarizeA brilliant (my opinion) world-wide promotional campaign by Taylor Swift for 'Life of a Showgirl' became tainted as her fans began to notice videos with 'A bartender's hand passing through a napkin. A disappearing coat hanger. A carousel horse with two heads.' Sure signs of AI residue, and fans weren't/aren't happy. Will Smith, T Swift, and even Katy Perry, (at least their promo teams), are learning you can't fool the fans, and if you use AI for anything, quality control is imperative!!! Sources: https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot.com/2026/03/ai-and-orange-door.html
Transcribe →
CDBaby Now Owned By UMG: Are Indies Being Washed Out of Existence?
Apr 100:09:56Tap to summarizeThis is Part 1 of 3 podcasts of recent events that I believe are connected: 1. The Majors Swallow the Indies 2. Major Labels and Spotify's Agreement for Total Domination 3. New DDEX Standard for AI Influence in Music May Affect Music Uploads and Streaming Universal Music Group, and the other majors, are buying indie music companies at a rapid pace. CDBaby, once seen as an alternative distributor for indie musicians, is now part of the corporate system. What does this mean for artists, maybe you, who preferred the freedom from corp ownership? UMG now represents BOTH its artists and (formally) independent musicians. Who do you think they might favor? It could be a big boost, or the silent fade of indies. All of the data, and future, of the indie companies, are now in the hands of the majors. But...before you leave CDBaby and pull your music, be aware of the consequences that will have on your music. It's called the 'stickiness factor.' (If you or anyone you know, are using any of the indie music companies, please share this podcast...be aware of what is happening to your music) Sources: https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot.com/2026/04/cdbaby-now-owned-by-umg-washing-of.html
Transcribe →
2026: The Year Autonomous Bots Compose Music W/O Human Involvement?
Mar 1400:10:04Tap to summarizeAgentic AI. "AI that doesn’t solely rely on human prompts nor require human oversight." Meta (Facebook) just bought the 1st all AI social media network, Moltbook. AI agents interact and talk to each other, even creating new religions for AI bots, humans aren't welcome. Agentic AI agents are already creating music (a brief example is at the end of the video), new genres, and they're uploading to Spotify on their own. They not only create music for human consumption, they create music for other bots to listen to. There has already been a court case about if bot-to-bot music can be copyrighted. Will 10 years from now, or in a year, humans using SUNO with their pathetic human prompts to compose, be left behind as agentic AI bots, that 24 hours a day, on their own, create and upload a flood of license free music? AI exclusive sites are spreading with all AI streaming platforms like MoltDJ, and other social media sites like MoltGram. We humans can watch, but that's all. 2026 is the year of Agentic AI. sources: https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot.com/2026/03/2026-year-autonomous-bots-compose-music.htmlYouTube
Transcribe →
Ticketmaster/Live Nation Blames Bots for the Taylor Swift Ticket Fiasco: It's A Valid Point!
Mar 1000:10:41Tap to summarizeTicket Scalpers for a Charles Dickens Reading Tour were called 'Sidewalk 'Men'.The term scalper was first used in a book about the railroad.The first bot scalper was used for U2's Vertigo Tour.Now Ticketmaster/Live Nation are in court (now settled) because of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour ticket fiasco, the first time AI was used to scalp tickets for resale. AI Scalping Bots have learned, and continue to learn, how to imitate humans. CHAPTAs aren't effective anymore, as AI Bots can even mimic frustrated humans trying to solve the puzzles. AI Ticket Scalpers have changed the ticketing industry forever as they constantly learn how to overcome obstacles, and there isn't anything (yet) that can stop them.(As a sidenote...CHAPTAs collect more information about you than you're probably aware of!)sources: https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot.com/2026/03/live-nationticketmaster-go-to-court-ai.html
Transcribe →
Record Labels Raising Walls
Feb 2700:12:02Tap to summarizeWhile AI detection tech is improving, SONY announced it has the tech that can identify the original music in AI generated songs by percentages...“30% of the music used is by the Beatles and 10% is by Queen.” Should artists begin the celebration? It may be too late!The Internet is being divided up by the record labels into 'walled gardens,' charging tech companies to slip into the gardens and train AI on the music. It may be too late.A nonprofit company you probably haven't heard of, Common Crawl, has been silently crawling and archiving the Internet for decades, and allows free access to the data. It is now the source of 80% of the data used to train AI, there wouldn't be a ChatGPT without it. I.E., everything on the Internet has already been gobbled up by AI. Can you name a song that hasn't been on the internet? Is walling off their existing IP and charging for AI access to the data, that AI probably already has, a way to provide legal cover for the AI tech companies? Does this mean there will be less 'free' Internet available after it is carved up by big corps?And if you're not signed to a label, you're music is outside the walls and is open game for AI!Sources: https://snydersmusicbiznews.blogspot.com/2026/02/carving-up-and-raising-walls-on-web.html
Transcribe →