Weekend Update
Spotify vs. TikTok, AI Copyright, Namdcamp Union
TAKEAWAYS
Salient statements from this week’s music news.
1. Why is Spotify Copying TikTok? To Cling on to Power
With algorithmic influence waning with listeners (just 10%-20% of plays, according to a recent UK government inquiry), the streamer is looking for new ways to fortify its sole competitive advantage compared to Apple, Amazon, etc.
Takeaway: Spotify is trying to mirror the stickiest functional elements of TikTok’s ‘For You’ feed. It’s doing so to turbocharge the percentage of plays on its platform driven by its algorithmic recommendations.
2. Copyright Report Says AI-Assisted Works Can Be Protected – But Only If A Human Was Still In Charge
The copyright office is not ready for the deluge of “case-by-case” AI works that will be coming its way. And that’s just one of the problems.
Takeaway: The report didn’t even touch on a potentially thornier legal question: whether the creators of AI platforms infringe the copyrights of the vast number of earlier works that are used to “train” the platforms to spit out new works.
3. Recorded Music Market 2022 | Reality Bites
Slowing growth drives analysts to look for the glass-half-full scenario.
Takeaway: Though overall market growth was down in 2022 compared to 2021, 2021 was in many respects a year of artificially accentuated, post-Covid growth, while 2022 was at the opposite end of the scale, with a host of economic headwinds. In this context, 6.7% growth for 2022 could be considered even more of an achievement than the 24.8% achieved in 2021.
4. Bandcamp Workers Form Union: ‘It’s Not Enough to Get Small Wins Alone’
The 68-person non-managerial staff of Bandcamp joins the 88,000 strong Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU).
Takeaway: Workers hope to address what they view as an overall lack of transparency from management, especially in the wake of the Epic Games takeover.
5A. Electronic Music Industry Has 'Pervasive Culture' of Abuse and Sexual Harassment, Survey Finds
5B. Be the Change Study Offers New Stats on Sexual Harassment in Music
Two studies from the Electronic Music Inclusion Initiative and TuneCore/Believe found rates of harassment higher than the majority of other industries.
