Instrumental Intel - Ep 51 Resources for Poets (4-19-25)

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Achickwitbeatz presents ⁠the Instrumental Intel podcast⁠, bringing you information instrumental to your artistic career including music industry news & tips, insights & interviews, and beats for your inspiration. Listen on Saturdays at 7 pm EST on ⁠⁠⁠Grander Radio⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Achickwitbeatz.com⁠⁠⁠.
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Instrumental Intel Podcast

Achickwitbeatz brings you information instrumental to your artistic career including music industry news, insights, interviews, and beats for your inspiration. Listen on Saturdays at 7 pm ET on ⁠⁠⁠Grander Radio,⁠⁠⁠ Achickwitbeatz.com⁠⁠⁠, and your favorite podcast platform.

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Transcript Generated by Riverside

00:01

Hey, thank you so much for tuning in to Instrumental Intel. I am your host, music producer, Achickwitbeatz, and I'm happy that you're here with me today. This episode has music industry news, instrumentals by me for your inspiration, and because it's National Poetry Month, I've got some resources for poets, and of course, that includes you too songwriters. So I am hoping that you find this episode beneficial and inspirational. And before I go ahead and drop that first beat––which is actually from my instrumental album,

00:29

PoetIc Soundscapes, available on Bandcamp and wherever else you vibe to music––I'd like to give a shout out to my home station, Grander Radio out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. And with that, let's go.

 [BEAT BREAK]

15:31

Hey, I’m back with your Music Biz Brief. First up, eight people were arrested for creating and sharing deepfake videos of HYBE artists due to an investigation launched through a formal agreement between HYBE  and local authorities.  Six of the suspects reportedly distributed the content through Telegram chats. HYBE credits its fan-submitted reports and internal hotline with helping the arrests and emphasized its zero-tolerance stance towards these crimes.

15:56

The concerns over AI-generated deepfakes escalate globally as music execs and major tech firms aim to address similar threats to artists' image rights.  Next,  Universal Music Group is under growing pressure in the EU over its proposed $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings. A leading member of the European Parliament has formally urged the European Commission to investigate the deal, warning that it could give Universal unprecedented control over music distribution.

16:24

royalty systems and artist data.  The acquisition would put platforms like CD Baby, SongTrust, and Curve, all widely used by independents, under UMG's umbrella. Critics argue that this could deepen market concentration and further disadvantage smaller players in streaming payouts.  With political scrutiny rising and regulatory intervention on the table, this deal could reshape how independent artists access the market and manage their rights worldwide.

16:50

CD Baby president Molly Newman says today's biggest challenge for independent artists is making streaming and live income work together sustainably.  Despite global reach, the income gap between recorded and live music is widening, and Newman warns that success is increasingly reserved for a shrinking few.  Still, she's hopeful. She calls for a more ethical, artist-driven industry where creators not only understand the business, but take on leadership roles.  Reflecting on her own path from punk drummer to executive,

17:19

She urges artists to reclaim power, citing examples of musicians building viable, values-based careers without selling out. One can only hope, but that's what we're working on here, right? Also, TD Cohen analysts believe that music will hold steady through the global economic turmoil, calling it a quote-unquote defensive sector, shielded from tariffs and recession. They cite the low cost of streaming and music's emotional value, arguing that fans will hang on to subscriptions and still attend live shows.

17:48

That view arguably downplays how financial pressure could push many consumers to cut both.  On the business side, new direct licensing deals bypassing pros may help some labels and other rights holders claw back more revenue, though the impact likely won't be seen until 2026.  Next, Jack Dorsey, founder of Block and owner of Music Streaming Service Tidal, is under fire after tweeting, quote, delete all IP law, end quote. Critics called out the hypocrisy since Dorsey's own companies rely on IP protections.

18:18

and Tidal negotiates music licensing deals with rights holders who depend on copyright.  While he argues that IP law slows innovation and empowers unfair gatekeepers, many see this as another tech executive pushing a narrative that could strip artists of power.  The debate over copyright and innovation is heating up, and the stakes are high for musicians.  Also, Warner Music Group is testing a new superfan app with Ed Sheeran as the first artist posted on the in-development platform.

18:46

While the app's final look and launch date are still uncertain, it's Warner's move into the booming superfan economy, an area that rivals like Hybe's Weverse and Kakao's Berries are already tapping into.  Warner aims to deepen artist-fan relationships and unlock new revenue streams following industry-wide interest in monetizing superfans.  Atlantic Records CEO Elliot Grange,  son of Sir Lucian Grange, now involved in the project, is also pushing for higher artist payouts, calling current streaming economics nonsensical.

19:16

And speaking of streaming, Spotify experienced a major outage on April  16th, affecting users across the US and Europe.  The platform went down early in the day, disrupting access on the web player, desktop, and iOS apps.  While rumors of a security breach circulated, Spotify confirmed the issue was not a hack and worked quickly to resolve it.  Service was mostly restored by noon Eastern, with Spotify posting an all-clear update shortly after.

19:43

Former Spotify exec Nick Holmston has launched Belong, a fintech startup aiming to turn fan engagement into real-world rewards.  Branded as an entertainment-focused challenger bank for Gen Z, Belong plans to reward fans for supporting artists early through streams, shares, and more.  Next, Believe is set to go private. CEO Dennis at a gallery and his consortium, already holding over 96 % of the company plan to buy out the remaining public shares,  Andy lists from the Paris Euro next.

20:12

The approximately $2 billion dollar offer value shares at about $17.40 each.  If any shareholders resist, a legal squeeze-out will force the sale. Believe, which is home to TuneCore, Nuclear Blast, and more, went public in 2021, but now aims to tighten control amid growing investor interest in music assets.  Next, ASCAP and BMI are pushing back against a U.S. Copyright Office inquiry that questions whether having more pros makes music licensing less efficient.

20:40

They argue the current system is already heavily regulated and that more rules could harm songwriters than help them.  Both point fingers at music licensees, like streaming platforms, for complaining about competition while resisting fair payments and ignoring tools like Songview and online repertoire databases. They also call out newer pros like Alltrack and ProMusic for lacking transparency.  Bottom line, ASCAP and BMI say no new regulations are needed,  only better enforcement of existing ones.

21:09

Kakao Entertainment is shedding underperforming labels and digital platforms to clean up its finances after an aggressive buying spree strained its bottom line. Recent sales include K-Pop agency IST Entertainment and a majority stake in  3Y Corporation, as well as the Webtoon platform Next Level Studio.  These moves have cut net borrowings in half and returned the company to profitability in 2023.

21:34

With leaner operations and improved financials, industry watchers say a long-delayed IPO could be back on the table now.  And Pex, a Los Angeles-based audio content identification platform, has been acquired by Vobile, a global digital content protection company. Founded in 2014, Pex's technology tracks and analyzes copyrighted content across platforms, including social media and user-generated content sites like TikTok.

22:00

Its AI-powered system can identify modified audio, such as remixes and live performances.  The acquisition strengthens Voble's position in the content protection and monetization space, particularly in the music industry. The deal enhances Vobile's services for rights holders as generative AI impacts content creation.  Oh, right. Ultra International Music Publishing has rebranded to Payday Publishing after a legal dispute with Sony Music over the Ultra name.

22:26

The company was ordered by a US judge to change its name by February. The Payday brand, founded by Ultras’ Patrick Moxie, dates back to 1992 with the creation of Hip Hop label Payday Records. Despite the rebrand, Payday Publishing remains focused on business as usual, representing over 70,000 copyrights. The company has announced several international writing camps this year, including its eighth Coachella Camp and a sync writing camp in Palm Springs.

22:53

Next, Africa-focused music streaming platform, Mdundo, reached 39.2 million monthly active users in March 2025, a 14 % year-over-year growth.  The company's expansion into Francophone Africa through a partnership with MTM Cameroon, which provided Mdundo Premium to 13 million customers, played a key role. It succeeded its annual target for telecom partnerships, now working with eight providers across the continent. The company is diversifying payment channels,

23:22

and launching premium subscriptions outside of Africa. Despite growth, the company has lowered its revenue forecast due to payment delays from its largest telecom partners.  A strategic review is underway to explore potential ownership changes or investments. The UAE's Ministry of Economy has issued its first-ever collective management license to the Emirates Music Rights Association, or EMRA, allowing the organization to collect and distribute royalties for music creators.

23:48

This supports the UAE's Vision 2031 goals of becoming a global creative hub with plans to develop a digital platform for rights registration and revenue management. The UAE's cultural sector contributed 3.5 % to its GDP in 2022, and the Middle East and North Africa region saw its fastest growth in global recorded music revenue in 2024. Industry leaders, including IFPI and CISAC, have expressed support for this milestone for the region's music sector.

24:16

And Deezer has reported that 18 % of tracks uploaded to its platform are now fully AI-generated, with over 20,000 AI-generated tracks being added daily. That's double the amount from January.  To manage this, Deezer launched an AI detection tool to filter out these tracks from its recommendations for its 9.7 million subscribers. Concerns over AI-generated music have escalated in the industry, with lawsuits filed against these generators like Suno and Udio.

24:44

for using copyrighted music without permission, allegedly. Deezer has been proactive in tackling the low-quality AI content, even deleting 26 million tracks last year. With AI music posing a potential threat to artist revenues, Deezer is focusing on protecting creators while exploring AI's positive potential in music. Also, Brazilian authorities have taken legal action against the stream manipulation site, JustAnotherPanel,

25:09

all one word, which blocks access to the platform that sells fake streams, likes, and followers. The crackdown, led by cybercrime unit Cyber Gaeco, has disrupted over 1,100 reseller operations and exposed a vast botnet infrastructure. While welcomed by the music industry, including IFPI and Pro Música Brasil, experts say fighting streaming fraud requires global coordination. Artists should also be aware that malicious use of these services can lead to penalties

25:38

even if they didn't buy the fake streams themselves. Next, Live Nation is expanding its footprint in Japan by acquiring Hayashi International Promotions, or HIP for short, a major player in the country's live music scene for over 40 years.  The move aims to bring more international acts to Japan and help J-pop artists reach global audiences.  HIP will continue operating under its current CEO. While deal terms weren't disclosed, both companies emphasize the goal of growing Japan as a key stop for touring artists.

26:08

And finally, YouTube is launching its cheaper Premium Lite plan in South Korea as part of a proposed settlement with the country's Fair Trade Commission,  which investigated the bundling of YouTube Music with premium subscriptions.  The new plan offers ad-free YouTube access without the music service, aiming to address concerns that the bundle unfairly disadvantaged local platforms like Melon and Genie. While some hope this change will boost competition,

26:34

others worry it could further entrench YouTube's dominance by drawing more users into its ecosystem through flexible pricing. Alright, and that's a wrap for the Music Biz Brief. I'm gonna take a pause for the cause and then I'll be back with some resources for poets in honor of National Poetry Month. Keep it locked!

[BEAT BREAK]

42:19

Hey, I'm AChickWitBeatz, multi-genre music producer and strategist to indie artists and labels. Visit AChickWitBeatz.com for resources for artists and instrumentals in various genres available for songs, vlogs, blogs, podcasts, themes, TV, film, commercials, and more. Once again, that's AChickWitBeatz.com. That's A-C-H-I-C-K-W-I-T-B-E-A-T-Z.com.

42:48

Let's make something happen. Hey, I'm back with resources for poets. First up, poet Ellen Waterston, now serving as Oregon's poet laureate, has spent 40 years drawing creative inspiration from the high desert. And so her namesake prize supports the writers doing the same thing.  The Waterston Desert Writing Prize awards $3,000 to a literary nonfiction writer whose work explores the desert as both subject and setting.

43:13

Submissions are open through May 1st, and the winner will be celebrated with a reading at the High Desert Museum in Oregon this fall. You can find more details at highdesertmuseum.org. Next, the 94th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition is now open, with nearly 500 winners to be selected across categories like rhyming and non-rhyming poetry, memoir, essays, fiction, and more. One grand prize winner will receive $5,000, a feature in Writer's Digest,

43:41

paid for a trip to their annual conference, and a pitch session with editors or agents. First-place winners in each category will also receive $1,000 and publication. The early bird deadline is May 5th, and there's more information at writersdigest.com. Also, the Academy of American Poets is now accepting submissions for the 2025 James Laughlin Award, honoring a second full-length poetry collection slated for publication in 2026. The winner will receive $5,000,

44:10

a week-long residency at the Betsy Hotel in Miami, and distribution of their book to over 1,000 Academy members. Eligible poets must be U.S. citizens or long-term residents and have one previous full-length collection.  Submissions are free and open through May 15th. Visit poets.org for details. Next, the Leeway Transformation Award offers 15,000 in unrestricted funding to women, trans, and gender nonconforming artists in Greater Philadelphia,

44:38

who've been creating art for social change for at least five years. Open to all mediums, this award recognizes long-term commitment to using art to engage and uplift communities. Applications are open now. Visit leeway.org for details. Also, the Great Lakes Colleges Association is now accepting publisher nominations for its 2026 New Writers Award, recognizing debut books in poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction published in 2024 or 2025.

45:06

While there is no cash prize, winners receive campus reading invitations with honoraria and broad literary recognition. Submissions are due by May 25, 2025. Next, PEN America is now accepting submissions for the 2026 PEN/Jean Stein Grants for Literary Oral History. Two $15,000 grants will support unpublished non-fiction works in progress that use oral history to explore an event, person, place, or movement. Projects must be authored by a single writer,

45:35

and remain unpublished through April 2026. Submissions are open through June 1st, 2025. Pen America is also offering two $5,000 PEN/Bare Life Review Grants to support unpublished literary works in progress by immigrant or refugee writers. Eligible genres include fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. And again, projects must remain unpublished through April 2026. And these submissions are also open through June 1st, 2025.

46:02

PEN America is also offering 2026 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants to support works of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or drama translated into English. The grants range from $2,000 to $4,000 and prioritize early career translators and underrepresented languages. Submissions must be for unpublished or flawed older translations and are open through June 1st of 2025. You can find more information about all those grants by visiting pen.org for more info.

46:33

This next one is for poets working with a publisher. The Griffin Poetry Prize is a major opportunity to know about. With a top award of 130,000 Canadian dollars, it's the largest international prize for a single book of poetry, written or translated into English. Additional awards include $10,000 for each remaining shortlisted poet, a $10,000 Canadian first book prize,  and a $25,000 Lifetime Recognition Award.  But please note, publishers, not individual poets, submit entries.

47:02

and self-published books aren't eligible. Submissions are free and open globally with deadlines in June and December, depending on the publication date. Winners are announced from March through June, and you can learn more at griffinpoetryprize.com. Also, Washington State artists take note. Grants for Artist Projects offers $1,500 in unrestricted funding to 65 artists across all disciplines. So of course, that includes poets.

47:29

The funds can be used for anything from artist fees to materials, travel, promotion,  or just keeping a project going. Applications open May 16th and close June 23rd, with final decisions to be announced in the fall. To be eligible, you must be 18 or older, a Washington resident, and not currently a student or recent recipient of certain Artist Trust grants. For full details, check out artistrust.org.

[BEAT BREAK]

59:35

Alright and that's a wrap for this episode of Instrumental Intel. I've been your host, music producer Achickwitbeatz, and once again I'd like to thank you for tuning in and joining me. I'd like to thank my home station, Grander Radio out at Grand Rapids, Michigan. Been rocking with me for a long time. Definitely appreciate you. So make sure that you come back next week. I got more goodies lined up.  Till next time, you know where to find me. Tune in, tell a friend, I'll see you then. Peace.