The Price of Music
By Music Ally
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Category: Music Commentary
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Episodes: 149
Description
The Price of Music: your essential weekly music biz explainer – with Stuart Dredge and Joe Sparrow.
Become a Price of Music Superfan and get extra content every week – at patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic
Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge
Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod
For sponsorship email - joe@musically.com
The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:
https://musically.com/
joe@musically.com
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
Sam Fender's golden circle ticket trouble; YouTube is no longer a 'value gap'; Making AI music inside AI chatbots; Celebrating Aussie music (and UK music); and Lily Allen's hallowe'en ticket terror!
|
Nov 04, 2026 |
|
What is slop and spam music? (And why is there so much of it?) Daft Punk Lego! What makes venues "fair" for artists? Killing Grannies! Michael Bublé! And more...
|
Oct 29, 2026 |
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Is music radio making a comeback? Or did it never go away? And what is different about music radio in 2026? We find out...
|
Oct 21, 2026 |
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How much should billionaires pay for music? What would you pay for unheard Oasis gig recordings? How many songs has Peppa Pig made? And when is it too early to listen to Christmas songs?
|
Oct 07, 2026 |
|
Viagogo gets feisty over new accusations; How much are Oasis tickets selling for?; UK anti-touting laws?; Sylvan Esso reluctantly back on Spotify; and more extreme weather show cancellations
|
Sep 30, 2026 |
|
Making sense of the Ed Sheeran situation; The million-pound fake vinyl factory; Will there be a new Oasis album?; AI pioneer speaks to TPOM; and The Ace Of Shatner!
|
Sep 23, 2026 |
|
Beyoncé's $900 record box (records not included); Macklemore, Ed Sheeran and politics on-stage; The giant streaming platform you've never heard of; The UK 'homegrown' artist chart; and more!
|
Sep 16, 2026 |
|
Artists sue Suno! Soft rock! Virtual snarky record-shop clerks! A 16-year old 'song of the summer'! And... chicken ice cream?
|
Sep 09, 2026 |
|
Grand Theft Cliff; Are festivals being cancelled because of the climate crisis?; Gina's Pet Bangers!; SoundCloud sells WAVs and much more
|
Sep 02, 2026 |
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Should Netflix offer music streaming too? Are YouTube view counts meaningless now? Is music blogging back (inside Spotify?) Which song would you remix? Christian Metal vs KPop Demon Hunters!
|
Aug 26, 2026 |
|
Artists pressure Andy Burnham over oil; Grammys removes foot from mouth; More popstar football sponsors; and why aren't Berlin clubbers drinking as much?
|
Aug 19, 2026 |
|
Is the music streaming boom over? Is an AI-song about to become a real hit? Which lower league Welsh football club would YOUR favourite artist sponsor? And much more...
|
Aug 12, 2026 |
|
Music streaming fraud – how does it work, who's making millions, and why does it need so much AI music?
|
Aug 05, 2026 |
|
Andy Burnham gives UK grassroots venues hope; Spotify takes on YouTube; Emo is big in Mexico; Suno user data hacked; and... K-POP SHARKS!
|
Jul 29, 2026 |
|
Over 50% of new songs uploaded are now AI-made(!); Lorde bashes Meta and Spotify; Why is Keith Richards in Roblox?; Is the Michael Jackson movie Bad or a Thriller?
|
Jul 22, 2026 |
|
Making records out of recycled plastic bottles for Coldplay and Lorde
|
Jul 15, 2026 |
|
StubHub UK fined for ticket pricing; Artists' AI training pressure; Suno gives artists money; James Blake vs journalists; Artists' open letter for Fossil Fuel Treaty.
|
Jul 01, 2026 |
|
Music prediction markets: a half-billion dollar business based on guessing what will happen in music...
|
Jun 24, 2026 |
|
The Happy Mondays want to sell you a giant pill; World Cup songs: reviewed; Lionel Richie's phrases trademarked; YouTube's AI clause; Tupac is back (again); plus much more...
|
Jun 17, 2026 |
|
The UK's fan-led live music revolution: saving grassroots venues & fixing ticket rip-off pricing – with Lord Kevin Brennan and Shain Shapiro
|
Jun 10, 2026 |
|
Boards of Canada beef with, erm, The White House; Turning text message drama into songs; Universal says "no" to $55bn; Stream League lets you play Fantasy A&R; Last•fm goes indie; and more!
|
Jun 03, 2026 |
|
Ozzy Osbourne is... back?; Spotify's new tickets-for-fans feature; Does recycled vinyl sound good?; Drake's hit trio of albums; and Badger Badger Badger Badger...
|
May 27, 2026 |
|
Bangaranga post-Eurovision; Zara Larsson’s virtual pyjamas; Steve’s big announcement; How many songs have you heard on Spotify?; Plus: World Cup Muppets!
|
May 20, 2026 |
|
Los Campesinos! share US tour costs; Blue Dot Fever; 37% of UK grassroots venues in danger; AI label has AI band making AI music for AI fans; Drink beer, support artists!; and much more...
|
May 13, 2026 |
|
William Shatner's metal album; The Jimi Hendrix High Court Experience; Recycled vinyl; The UK's ban on touting/scalping is on pause; Big Spotify numbers; and more...
|
May 06, 2026 |
|
Which pub was Olivia Rodrigo drinking Guinness in? Can AIs run a record label? Taylor Swift trademarks her speaking voice; AND... Heavy metal dinosaurs.
|
Apr 29, 2026 |
|
Live Nation loses in court; Strong Opinions On Geese (of course); Live royalty argy-bargy; and live music reform in the UK...
|
Apr 22, 2026 |
|
Radiohead's secret bunker; the Kanye/Wireless fallout; and how is the world's oldest record shop preparing for Record Store Day 2026? We chat to owner Ashli Todd to find out...
|
Apr 15, 2026 |
|
Is merch getting unaffordable?; Bands cancelling gigs due to low ticket sales; Are we in a "Pop Slump"?; Music in space; Do you have irrational hate for a specific artist?; and Celine Dion is back?!
|
Apr 08, 2026 |
|
Twigs Vs Twigs! Just how big is country music in the UK now?; Timbaland's new artist is unreal; Digging for deep cuts; and how much is AI Slop worth?
|
Apr 01, 2026 |
|
Radiohead's twenty-show limit; Spotify lets you tweak its algorithm; Steve's SXSW debrief; BTS' mega-livestream; and... Salt-n-Pepa!
|
Mar 25, 2026 |
|
Asking fans to help wind the cables: Picture Parlour on what it's really like to be a touring indie band in 2026
|
Mar 18, 2026 |
|
Radiohead and Kesha are furious; Artists are struggling to tour; Football cosies up to music; and buying a slice of your favourite artist
|
Mar 11, 2026 |
|
Phonk: the biggest genre you've (probably) not heard of; Only 20% of the 2025 UK Top 100 were performed by UK artists; What is 'radio plugging'?; and your ashes in an urn that's also a speaker...
|
Mar 04, 2026 |
|
Bigger than Ed Sheeran – have you heard of Mrs Green Apple? Why are so many old bands in the album charts? (And so few in the singles chart?) Plus: The Wiggles!
|
Feb 25, 2026 |
|
“Managers do a lot more than they used to...” – super-manager Niamh Byrne on Gorillaz, how the role of manager is changing, and more
|
Feb 18, 2026 |
|
Why did Taylor Swift snub YouTube? Did Bad Bunny's Superbowl show boost his streaming numbers? Do teenagers want to go to gigs any more?
|
Feb 11, 2026 |
|
Have world tours stopped doing the "tour" part?; Apple Music had 2bn(!) fraudulent streams in 2025; Spotify pays out $11bn; and Bonnie Tyler speaks out!
|
Feb 04, 2026 |
|
The battle to keep one of the UK's great grassroots venues alive, buying the venue with the help of the community, and the many challenges small venues face in 2026 – with Ricky Bates of The Joiners
|
Jan 28, 2026 |
|
Over 50 million songs got zero streams in 2025 – and other eye-popping data on music streaming
|
Jan 21, 2026 |
|
Elon Musk versus the music industry; AI slop vs human artists - who gets paid?; How can YOU make and sell vinyl records?; and all hail the London Metal Ladies
|
Jan 14, 2026 |
|
Looking ahead to 2026: Live music's pivotal year; More reunion tours; How influential is the UK record industry now?; And Oasis: Knebworth in 2026 – or 2027?
|
Jan 07, 2026 |
|
The Price of Music Christmas Quiz 2025!
|
Dec 17, 2025 |
|
Los Campesinos! share their streaming money data (and it's... sobering); Could a new budget policy be "the death knell for small venues"?; And what are Steve & Stu's Spotify Wrapped 'listening ages'?
|
Dec 10, 2025 |
|
Spotify Wrapped is here (and why is it a big deal?); Why aren't there any matinee gigs?; Olivia Dean takes on Ticketmaster; and Jorja Smith takes on AI clones
|
Dec 03, 2025 |
|
Exploding toilet cancels gig - but will the band and fans get their money back?; Is Spotify putting up prices again?; and yet more Baby Shark news
|
Nov 26, 2025 |
|
Why don't venues advertise set times for gigs?; Ticket resale prices capped in the UK; Megadeth brew beer; *How many* people are already listening to "All I Want For Christmas Is You"?; & much more...
|
Nov 19, 2025 |
|
Why have The 1975 deleted a song? Can YOU tell the difference between AI music & real music (Answer: no.); An answer to why Fleetwood Mac are *still* popular; And music made £8bn for the UK in 2024…
|
Nov 12, 2025 |
|
Major label Universal to make AI-music service with Udio; How did Billie Eilish annoy Billionaires?; Spotify under fire over controversial ICE ads; Why are there no rap tracks in the US Top 40?
|
Nov 05, 2025 |
|
Fans First: Lord Kevin Brennan on fixing live music from the ground up - Bonus Episode
|
Oct 31, 2025 |
|
Steve & Stu answer listener's questions: Why do ticket prices vary so much at the same venue? Why are some songwriter credits missing on streaming platforms (and do they still get paid)?
|
Oct 29, 2025 |
|
Spotify will launch an AI-music service... but what might it be – and will artists get paid? MTV shuts its music video channels; The Irish basic income for musicians; and Stu sings Baby Shark (again)
|
Oct 22, 2025 |
|
How difficult is it to put on a music festival these days, anyway?
|
Oct 16, 2025 |
|
Coldplay's first single is now worth *how much*? The best new band Steve's seen in months; An AI vs human band dust up; A splendidly indignant speech from RAYE; and Steve & Stu vs ‘Baby Shark’
|
Oct 09, 2025 |
|
Steve reflects on working as a music journalist in the 1990s – and has lots to say on music journalism today; Spotify deletes 75 million "spam songs"; and why is TikTok so important to music?
|
Oct 01, 2025 |
|
Massive Attack pull music from Spotify in protest; Ticketmaster sued by US government; Lizzo thinks that music videos are dead; More album-filing dilemmas; & people are listening to "My Humps" again?
|
Sep 24, 2025 |
|
*How many* AI-generated songs are uploaded to streaming each week? Why are Radiohead's fans angry about tickets? Why has Spotify given users lossless music for free? And much more...
|
Sep 17, 2025 |
|
Morrissey, Mazzy Star, and, erm, Bonnie Tyler: selling The Smiths’ songs, and the truth on music streaming royalties – do artists REALLY get such a bad deal?
|
Sep 10, 2025 |
|
The Weeknd’s big streaming milestone; ABBA Gold’s long chart run; Ready for friends to slide into your Spotify DMs?; Apple Music Radio expands; and Radiohead’s ‘Let Down’ gets a TikTok boost.Th
|
Sep 03, 2025 |
|
Coldplay's never-ending world tour keeps selling tickets; K-Pop Demon Hunters!; What on earth is "speculative ticketing"?; Bandcamp's $3.5m Friday; and has Steve actually “gone deaf for a living?”
|
Aug 20, 2025 |
|
Spotify's prices go up again; Which album's songs are in the wrong order?; Napster are being sued (is it 1999 again?); How easy is it to get a #1 album?; Steve's tip for getting into a sold-out gig
|
Aug 13, 2025 |
|
Beyoncé sells $400m+ of tickets; How much money is Oasis making from merch?; Spotify wants a billion subscribers; Hayley Williams surprise-releases songs; and Cardi B’s "full-on cheese experience"...
|
Aug 06, 2025 |
|
Steve and Stu answer your questions! Does the money from a stream get split evenly? Do bands get paid if a festival is cancelled? How do music-making AIs work? What is Spotify's Discovery Mode?
|
Jul 30, 2025 |
|
Will Drake face Kendrick in the witness box?; Los Campesinos! turn down a $60,000 ad deal – but why?; Steve takes a music superfan test; ... and what connects Taylor Swift & Five Finger Death Punch?
|
Jul 23, 2025 |
|
How do songwriters *really* earn money (and which bands moonlight as cover bands)?; Spotify under investigation; Netflix K-Pop animation artists; and Ozzy Osbourne's chimpanzee art
|
Jul 17, 2025 |
|
Oasis are back; The AI-generated band with a million listeners; Indies vs Universal Music spat gets grumpy; and who owns your songs if your label goes bust?
|
Jul 09, 2025 |
|
Spotify responds to Kate Nash’s comments on streaming royalties, Warner Music's superfan app
|
Apr 16, 2025 |
|
AI music startup Suno in hot water again, South African artists double their Spotify payouts
|
Apr 09, 2025 |
|
PPL posts highest ever annual revenues, Harry Kane invests in ticketing firm
|
Apr 02, 2025 |
|
US hits 100 million paid music subscriptions, Mariah Carey cleared of copyright infringement
|
Mar 26, 2025 |
|
SXSW finances analysed, the music economy of Gloucestershire
|
Mar 19, 2025 |
|
Interview: Youth Music CEO Matt Griffiths
|
Mar 12, 2025 |
|
Brit Awards artists speak out on grassroots venues, Snoop Dogg vs Spotify
|
Mar 05, 2025 |
|
Over 1,000 artists back 'silent' AI protest album, Casey Lowery making debut album through Kickstarter campaign
|
Feb 26, 2025 |
|
Spotify's new superfan tier, Sony's multi-billion dollar revenues
|
Feb 19, 2025 |
|
Ticketmaster cancel Oasis tickets, The Black Crowes relaunch Crowe-Mafia club
|
Feb 12, 2025 |
|
James Blake lifts the lid on the music industry, The Libertines as holograms
|
Feb 05, 2025 |
|
Spotify and Universal sign new licensing deal, Deezer publishing 10,000 AI-generated tracks every day
|
Jan 29, 2025 |
|
Interview: Simon Raymonde, Cocteau Twins and Bella Union records
|
Jan 22, 2025 |
|
Travis Scott, SZA and Future sued by Victory Boyd, Ed Sheeran launches music education foundation
|
Jan 15, 2025 |
|
UK recorded music revenue hits all-time record, Neil Young and Glastonbury
|
Jan 08, 2025 |
|
Virgin Music Group buying Downtown Music Holdings, Bad Boy Chiller Crew file legal claim against their record label
|
Dec 18, 2024 |
|
Artists' royalties for tracks featured on adverts, how much it costs to cancel a live tour
|
Dec 11, 2024 |
|
Kate Nash's OnlyFans "punk protest", Drake's legal action against Universal and Spotify over Kendrick Lamar track
|
Nov 27, 2024 |
|
UK government backs ticket levy on stadium and arena shows, Spotify hits 250m premium subscribers
|
Nov 20, 2024 |
|
Interview: Annabella Coldrick, Music Managers Forum chief executive
|
Nov 13, 2024 |
|
Ed Sheeran beats copyright appeal over Thinking Out Loud, Hipgnosis Songs Fund catalog valued at $2.4bn
|
Nov 06, 2024 |
|
Björn Ulvaeus and Thom Yorke among thousands warning AI companies over copyright, Lily Allen's OnlyFans foot pic revenue vs music streaming
|
Oct 30, 2024 |
|
How artists pay for samples, live music loyalty schemes
|
Oct 23, 2024 |
|
Interview: Jonathan Green, boss of EarMUSIC/MPS Records and Megan Page, organiser of Record Store Day UK
|
Oct 16, 2024 |
|
ABBA Voyage revenue tops £100m, Doja Cat teams up with Airbnb
|
Oct 09, 2024 |
|
The money behind music videos, Noel Gallagher's publishing rights explained
|
Oct 04, 2024 |
|
Oasis ditch dynamic pricing for their US tour, Kesha launches her own record label
|
Oct 02, 2024 |
|
The most profitable merch for artists, paying for support slots
|
Sep 27, 2024 |
|
TikTok Music shutting down, Miley Cyrus accused of copying Bruno Mars song
|
Sep 25, 2024 |
|
Interview: UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl
|
Sep 20, 2024 |
|
Coldplay pledge 10% of tour profits to grassroots venues, Beyonce explains why she's stopped making music videos
|
Sep 18, 2024 |
|
Interview: Timm Cleasby, Tramlines Festival operations director, former Arctic Monkeys tour manager
|
Sep 13, 2024 |
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Competition watchdog launches Oasis tickets investigation, The White Stripes sue Donald Trump
|
Sep 11, 2024 |
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Spending on UK live music hits £6.1bn, Method Man says he’s never been paid for streams
|
Sep 06, 2024 |
|
Oasis reunion special
|
Sep 04, 2024 |
|
Streaming playlists, 'independent label' defined
|
Aug 28, 2024 |
|
Interview: Official Charts chief executive Martin Talbot
|
Aug 21, 2024 |
|
Interview: Sam Duckworth, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
|
Aug 14, 2024 |
|
The 1975 sued by Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival, Live Nation posts quarterly revenues of $6bn
|
Aug 07, 2024 |
|
Apollo's $700m Sony investment, Universal's share price dip
|
Jul 31, 2024 |
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Interview: Kelly Wood, National Organiser for Live, Theatre & Music Writers at the Musicians' Union
|
Jul 26, 2024 |
|
Ticket platform DICE looking for fresh investment, Mungo Jerry employ anti-piracy firm
|
Jul 24, 2024 |
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Secondary ticketing websites vs touts, how music metadata works
|
Jul 19, 2024 |
|
How much could Oasis be offered to reform, Beastie Boys suing restaurant chain Chilli's
|
Jul 17, 2024 |
|
Interview: Tom Robinson
|
Jul 12, 2024 |
|
Coldplay settle with former manager, Rema's Calm Down hits 2bn Spotify streams
|
Jul 10, 2024 |
|
Indoor v outdoor gig costs, podcast music royalties
|
Jul 05, 2024 |
|
Songwriters sue PRS for Music, Kanye West and Donna Summer's estate reach a settlement
|
Jul 03, 2024 |
|
The money behind Bandcamp, songwriter royalties for live covers
|
Jun 28, 2024 |
|
Glastonbury finances, record labels vs AI companies
|
Jun 26, 2024 |
|
Listener questions: Difference between PRS and PPL, how the money from gig tickets gets split
|
Jun 14, 2024 |
|
Twitch deal lets DJs play music in livestreams, streaming services must pay 5% of revenue to support Canadian music
|
Jun 12, 2024 |
|
Live at Crossed Wires: Sarah Brooksbank and Ross Orton
|
Jun 07, 2024 |
|
Sony Music boss tells streaming services to ditch their free tier, Queen back catalogue up for sale
|
Jun 05, 2024 |
|
Interview: Jo Twist, chief executive of the BPI, which represents major and independent labels in the UK
|
May 29, 2024 |
|
How music royalty payments work, Murder on the Dancefloor money post-Saltburn
|
May 23, 2024 |
|
Sony Music tells AI companies not to use its artists' work, music publishers sue Spotify
|
May 22, 2024 |
|
Interview: Caius Pawson, co-founder of climate strategy charity Murmur and founder of record label Young
|
May 17, 2024 |
|
Arena and stadium ticket levy, Live Nation revenue up 20%
|
May 15, 2024 |
|
Interview: singer-songwriter Lucy Rose
|
May 08, 2024 |
|
The money side of music and workplaces, venues and merchandise
|
May 03, 2024 |
|
Co-op Live Arena opening problems, Billie Eilish announces 81-date world tour
|
May 01, 2024 |
|
Interview: TikTok artists Charlie Tyler and Russell James Williams
|
Apr 26, 2024 |
|
Hipgnosis Songs Fund bidding war, 'nature' recognised as musical artist
|
Apr 24, 2024 |
|
StubHub looking at stock market flotation, Trent Reznor says streaming has ‘mortally wounded’ artists
|
Apr 17, 2024 |
|
Measuring physical album sales, artists' podcast revenues
|
Apr 12, 2024 |
|
Artificial Intelligence special, indie labels back Universal versus TikTok
|
Apr 10, 2024 |
|
Blur drummer Dave Rowntree leading legal challenge over songwriter royalties, BMG annual revenues up to £775m
|
Apr 03, 2024 |
|
Musicians and pensions, radio play payments
|
Mar 29, 2024 |
|
Global recorded music revenues up more than 10%, James Blake backs launch of Vault
|
Mar 27, 2024 |
|
UK recorded music revenue up more than 8%, Deezer removes 26m tracks
|
Mar 21, 2024 |
|
Interview: Global Head of Spotify for Artists, marketing and policy, Sam Duboff
|
Mar 19, 2024 |
|
Vinyl special: The cost of releasing vinyl records
|
Mar 13, 2024 |
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European Commission fines Apple over €1.8bn, Raye calls for songwriters to receive “master royalty points”
|
Mar 06, 2024 |
|
Interview: Nathan Clark, owner of the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds
|
Mar 01, 2024 |
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Four of the top ten best-selling artists worldwide from South Korea, UMG buys majority stake in Nigerian label Mavin
|
Feb 28, 2024 |
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Headliners and supporting acts - who gets what?
|
Feb 23, 2024 |
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The money behind Spotify, Sony Music buys half of Michael Jackson's music catalogues
|
Feb 21, 2024 |
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Interview: Nadia Khan, founder and chief executive of Women in CTRL
|
Feb 16, 2024 |
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Warner Music Group laying off 10% of staff, Belfast rappers Kneecap suing the UK government
|
Feb 14, 2024 |
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Universal Music Group vs TikTok in depth, who foots the bill for low ticket sales
|
Feb 07, 2024 |
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One in ten UK grassroots venues closed last year, 45 million tracks on Spotify had zero plays
|
Jan 31, 2024 |
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Introducing... The Price of Music
|
Jan 11, 2024 |