What if that user base was steadfastly fixed to their own platform? If we could build a unified lobby of artists and fans, we would hold a much stronger hand in negotiation, and consequently may see more favorable deals negotiated in the use of sampled material and other roadblocks prior platforms have experienced. Legacy industry need association... See more
To prevent a future where cultural output is shaped by economic power alone, this report calls on digital services, rightsholders, regulators, and policymakers to take shared responsibility for ensuring that the streaming ecosystem supports innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth .
This occurs across a competitive backdrop in the industry that has seen increased M&A activity, be that major labels acquiring indie labels and distributors, or catalogue acquisition. Heritage rights retain a premium, and market share is being bought, arguably, at the cost of investment in new, innovative music. Independent labels talk of it... See more
In a stunning rebuke of traditional GOP deregulatory instincts, the Senate voted 99–1 to kill the measure. For the first time in decades, conservative priorities placed local cultural guardianship over the absolute freedom to innovate. That vote showed just how unsteady the old coalitions have become, and how powerful the populist realignment... See more
Yet what they best represent is the current state of art, where artists must skillfully package themselves as products for buyers to consume.
It’s precisely the kind of work that is uncomfortable for most artists, who by definition concern themselves with what it means to be a person in the world, not what it means to be a brand.