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.

Your weekly guide to the music biz and how it all works. This week, Stu and Joe get ready for their summer holidays and punt a beachball at this week's music biz news:

How much has controversial secondary-ticketing firm StubHub has just been fined in the UK for illegal ‘drip pricing’? (Also, what is that?)

The news seems bit AI-heavy this week, but it's actually all about artists:

→ 31 groups representing artists and managers have written an open letter about AI music… but it’s not AI companies who it’s addressed to…

→ AI-music company Suno is giving some money to musicians at last! But there are some strings attached…

→ Meanwhile, streaming service Tidal isn’t giving ANY money to wholly AI-generated music, according to its new policies on this area.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS?

→ James Blake has been making friends in the world of music journalism. Hasn’t he? Oh.

→ And talking of good causes, more than 200 artists have signed an open letter calling for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. So who’s signing, and what exactly do they want? (and there is some new advice on how we as music fans can reduce the impact our streaming has on the planet.)

AND FINALLY…

→ Recommendations of classic, influential hip-hop bangers from a maker of fizzy, lemonade-adjacent drinks.

And in the special post-show lock-in section just for our ⁠⁠Patreon Superfans⁠⁠, Stu and Joe prop themselves up at the bar – in this week's bonus material:

• Can you make money by investing on things mentioned in a Kraftwerk song?

• A Little Grandad Update - a segment that now has its own jingle!

• In a section recorded before England get knocked out on penalties / gloriously proceed on penalties against DR Congo, Stu and joe take a look at the successful use of the much-mocked 'hydration break' as a massive singalong

• They also venture further into the Official FIFA World Cup Album™ and dare to ask the question: who is iShowSpeed anyway, and why does he have a song?

• Assorted football songs discussed:

• IShowSpeed - World Cup (Champions) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrY1THC_NQE&list=OLAK5uy_nsOacWtSBM2kV8c_yjosYwk3hQq1A7-JY&index=19

• Alejandro Fernández - Mi Mexico Lindo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk-8wMflT34

• Belle and Sebastian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8riNobpEyg 

• Peter Beardsley doing the John Barnes rap from "World In Motion" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPh63Y6sSKA

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  As ever, we welcome your feedback, emails and – in particular – any questions you might have about how the music biz works!

  Email us: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

  See you next week!

  Stuart and Joe

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