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.

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 today's episode has music industry news and a special presentation of my instrumental album, futuristic hip hop soul. June is black music month, and I'd be remiss to not share some of the stuff that I have available for you to listen to on your favorite streaming platforms.

00:24
that some people know, but you might not be aware of. So yeah, I'm really excited to be bringing this episode to you. And before I go ahead and drop that first beat, 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.

00:55
[BEAT BREAK]

17:37
Hey, I'm back with the Music Biz Brief. First up, Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer may have unintentionally handed regulators a reason to block Universal's proposed acquisition of Downtown Music. In a recent investor presentation, he openly described how Sony uses data from indie music distribution arms like The Orchard and AWOL to identify trends, scout talent, and drive billion-dollar catalog acquisitions, sometimes even taking ownership status of indie clients.

18:07
This level of insight shows why a similar setup at Universal could harm competition and deepen major label dominance. If Universal gains Downtown and FUGA, it could trigger a data duopoly, leaving True Independence even more marginalized. Next, independent artist Anthony Justice has filed a class action lawsuit against AI music generators, Suno and Udio, aiming to represent all US indie artists whose work may have been used without permission to train the company's models.

18:36
While major labels are already suing both startups, Justice argues that independent creators who make up the majority of online music have been the most exploited yet remain unrepresented. His suit challenges the company's expected fair use defense by citing a recent U.S. Copyright Office report asserting that training on AI-copyrighted songs to generate competing content is likely not protected under fair use. Also, Deezer says up to 70 % of AI-generated streams on its platform may be fraudulent

19:05
even though AI tracks account for just 0.5 % of overall streams. The platform is flagging this as part of its broader anti-fraud efforts. While Spotify claims AI-generated music sees quote-unquote, infinitely small engagement on its end, the concern remains. Fraudsters are now targeting AI music as the latest low-effort way to siphon revenue, ultimately at the expense of us real artists.

19:30
Recent court cases have exposed how some ticket touts have made millions reselling event tickets through major UK resale platforms like StubHub, ViaGoGo, and Ticketmaster-owned sites. Investigations revealed that certain touts received inside help from ticketing staff, including software support and financial incentives, enabling them to bypass purchase limits using fake identities. While Ticketmaster has closed its resale sites and says it no longer supports uncapped reselling, experts warn,

20:00
Ticket scalping remains widespread, and enforcement resources are limited. So yeah, this serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges for fans and artists seeking fair access to live events. Music publishing revenue in the US surged 13.4 % last year, hitting $7 billion, outpacing the 2.7 % growth in recorded music.

20:22
According to the NMPA, a major driver was the recovery of nearly $2 billion in unpaid royalties from sources that previously claimed they didn't need licenses. This is the 10th straight year of double-digit publishing growth, even as Spotify and Amazon exploited a royalty loophole tied to bundling. The NMPA is now pushing for regulatory reform and greater market freedom to ensure fair compensation for songwriters and publishers. All right, that's a wrap for the Music Biz Brief.

20:52
I'm gonna take a quick pause for the cause, and then I'll be back right after this.

32:31
[BEAT BREAK]

41:39
And that was Futuristic Hip Hop Soul, available on your favorite streaming platform, so make sure that you check it out. Follow me @AchickWitBeatz wherever you vibe the music, and now time for more beats!

48:06
[BEAT BREAK]

59:28
Alright, that's a wrap for this episode of Instrumental Intel. I've been your host, music producer Achickwitbeatz, and once again, I thank you for tuning in. I'd love to thank my home station, Grander Radio out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, for supporting me all this time. I really appreciate you. And so make sure that you tune back in. Next week, I've got another episode lined up for you, filled with goodness that I can't wait to share. So, until next time, you know where to find me.

59:56
Tune in, tell a friend, and I'll see you then. Peace.