Fake Streams and Deep Fakes
Takeaway Special: Higher Streaming Prices, Better Thinking Through Creativity
TAKEAWAYS
Salient [not fake news] statements from this week’s music biz.
1. The Case For — and Against — Higher Streaming Subscription Prices
JPMorgan Chase analysts estimate a Spotify rate increase for U.S. individual plans would create incremental annual revenue of about $200 million.
Takeaway: Spotify may have been fortunate not to raise its standard plan prices. In the wake of global supply chain problems and persistent inflation, consumers are increasingly price-sensitive.
2. Rights of Publicit-AI?
The state-by-state hodgepodge of publicity rights law is not adequate for the coming wave of AI imposters.
Takeaway: As this technology becomes increasingly accessible to the everyday person, it seems abundantly clear that Congress should enact some federal statutory right of publicity akin to the federal statutes recognizing every other form of intellectual property.
3. Could Robert Kyncl’s ‘Multiplier’ Plan Improve the Way Artists Are Paid From Music Streaming?
The new WMG head wants royalties to favor artists who generate “user actions over algorithmic actions.”
Takeaway: Ultimately, the cleanest solution to increasing royalties for ‘premium’ artists (a subjective phrase) is one that music fans might not like: price hikes. Whether that’s implementing additional charges for subscribers to access certain types of content, or simply further rises in the standard $9.99-per-month music streaming subscription price.
4. Building a Better Brain Through Music, Dance and Poetry
More and more studies show how creative activity helps the brain with non-creative tasks.
Takeaway: The link between arts and academic achievement has been noted by educators for many years. But it's only in the past couple of decades that technology has allowed scientists to see some of the changes in the brain that explain why.
5. Why Can’t Music Fix Its Fake Streams Problem?
According to one estimate, more than $1 billion in royalties could be lost to streaming fraud worldwide. But the industry has yet to form a united approach.
Takeaway: There’s a growing realization that if the music industry really wants to prevent hundreds of millions of dollars from slipping out a side door, it may need a more comprehensive, cooperative approach.
