JoJoDun #Take on The Music Business
@jojodun.bsky.social
Former Executive Vice President, Sony/ATV Music Publishing; Adjunct Faculty Instructor, UCLA Anderson School of Management.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I’M SAYIN'
RE the audiovisual licensing headlines..."[they] made it sound like a breakthrough for independent songwriters. In reality, what we have is a bare-bones description of a direct-license program whose key financial and legal terms remain hidden from view."
RE the audiovisual licensing headlines..."[they] made it sound like a breakthrough for independent songwriters. In reality, what we have is a bare-bones description of a direct-license program whose key financial and legal terms remain hidden from view."
November 19, 2025 at 2:12 AM
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I’M SAYIN'
RE the audiovisual licensing headlines..."[they] made it sound like a breakthrough for independent songwriters. In reality, what we have is a bare-bones description of a direct-license program whose key financial and legal terms remain hidden from view."
RE the audiovisual licensing headlines..."[they] made it sound like a breakthrough for independent songwriters. In reality, what we have is a bare-bones description of a direct-license program whose key financial and legal terms remain hidden from view."
The Big Hype for Direct Licensing Rises Up Again
NMPA and all the major pubs have entered into "direct licenses" with Spotify for new audio-visual "features."
Music journal stenographers declare these direct licenses will mean "higher royalty payouts" -- why? Because the parties said so!
NMPA and all the major pubs have entered into "direct licenses" with Spotify for new audio-visual "features."
Music journal stenographers declare these direct licenses will mean "higher royalty payouts" -- why? Because the parties said so!
November 12, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The Big Hype for Direct Licensing Rises Up Again
NMPA and all the major pubs have entered into "direct licenses" with Spotify for new audio-visual "features."
Music journal stenographers declare these direct licenses will mean "higher royalty payouts" -- why? Because the parties said so!
NMPA and all the major pubs have entered into "direct licenses" with Spotify for new audio-visual "features."
Music journal stenographers declare these direct licenses will mean "higher royalty payouts" -- why? Because the parties said so!
Publishers Want To Be Left Alone (to their own devices)
They want less regulation. They want to negotiate “freely in the open market.”
Because that would ensure, they say, “songwriters and publishers are fully compensated…at market rates.”
Really?
They want less regulation. They want to negotiate “freely in the open market.”
Because that would ensure, they say, “songwriters and publishers are fully compensated…at market rates.”
Really?
April 15, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Publishers Want To Be Left Alone (to their own devices)
They want less regulation. They want to negotiate “freely in the open market.”
Because that would ensure, they say, “songwriters and publishers are fully compensated…at market rates.”
Really?
They want less regulation. They want to negotiate “freely in the open market.”
Because that would ensure, they say, “songwriters and publishers are fully compensated…at market rates.”
Really?
Spotify Stats – Read ‘em and Weep
The macro side:
There are 11 million distinct artists on Spotify.
More than 202 million tracks.
Of those, less than 800,000 (=.4% … 4/10 of 1%) garnered 1 million streams.
For reference, more than 1 million new tracks were uploaded each month of 2024.
The macro side:
There are 11 million distinct artists on Spotify.
More than 202 million tracks.
Of those, less than 800,000 (=.4% … 4/10 of 1%) garnered 1 million streams.
For reference, more than 1 million new tracks were uploaded each month of 2024.
March 13, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Spotify Stats – Read ‘em and Weep
The macro side:
There are 11 million distinct artists on Spotify.
More than 202 million tracks.
Of those, less than 800,000 (=.4% … 4/10 of 1%) garnered 1 million streams.
For reference, more than 1 million new tracks were uploaded each month of 2024.
The macro side:
There are 11 million distinct artists on Spotify.
More than 202 million tracks.
Of those, less than 800,000 (=.4% … 4/10 of 1%) garnered 1 million streams.
For reference, more than 1 million new tracks were uploaded each month of 2024.
Why Won't They Tell?
Warner Chappell Music followed suit with a direct licensing deal with Spotify for “bundles.”
Wow, that sounds good. What’s the new rate?
Oh wait… “Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.”
Warner Chappell Music followed suit with a direct licensing deal with Spotify for “bundles.”
Wow, that sounds good. What’s the new rate?
Oh wait… “Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.”
February 7, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Why Won't They Tell?
Warner Chappell Music followed suit with a direct licensing deal with Spotify for “bundles.”
Wow, that sounds good. What’s the new rate?
Oh wait… “Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.”
Warner Chappell Music followed suit with a direct licensing deal with Spotify for “bundles.”
Wow, that sounds good. What’s the new rate?
Oh wait… “Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.”
UMG SPIN MACHINE … Say nothing but mean it.
UMG is hitting up the music press: “Universal announced that it had agreed new ‘multi-year agreements’ with Spotify covering both its record labels and music publishing business...
UMG is hitting up the music press: “Universal announced that it had agreed new ‘multi-year agreements’ with Spotify covering both its record labels and music publishing business...
January 29, 2025 at 3:10 AM
UMG SPIN MACHINE … Say nothing but mean it.
UMG is hitting up the music press: “Universal announced that it had agreed new ‘multi-year agreements’ with Spotify covering both its record labels and music publishing business...
UMG is hitting up the music press: “Universal announced that it had agreed new ‘multi-year agreements’ with Spotify covering both its record labels and music publishing business...
SPOTIFY’S PLAYLISTS ARE A PATH TO MORE $$ MISERY
-- Spotify liked the idea of playlists as a way of curating songs to be background music in life.
-- It was a short hop from there to ghost (“fake”) artists.
To feed its playlists, Spotify commissioned “perfect fit
content” (PFC).
-- Spotify liked the idea of playlists as a way of curating songs to be background music in life.
-- It was a short hop from there to ghost (“fake”) artists.
To feed its playlists, Spotify commissioned “perfect fit
content” (PFC).
January 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM
SPOTIFY’S PLAYLISTS ARE A PATH TO MORE $$ MISERY
-- Spotify liked the idea of playlists as a way of curating songs to be background music in life.
-- It was a short hop from there to ghost (“fake”) artists.
To feed its playlists, Spotify commissioned “perfect fit
content” (PFC).
-- Spotify liked the idea of playlists as a way of curating songs to be background music in life.
-- It was a short hop from there to ghost (“fake”) artists.
To feed its playlists, Spotify commissioned “perfect fit
content” (PFC).
Songwriters Have Always Been Under Their Thumb
The 20th century music biz economics only partially explain the reason why labels scourge the songwriter. It’s also because record company execs have always acted like feudal lords reigning over a fiefdom of serfs.
The 20th century music biz economics only partially explain the reason why labels scourge the songwriter. It’s also because record company execs have always acted like feudal lords reigning over a fiefdom of serfs.
January 17, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Songwriters Have Always Been Under Their Thumb
The 20th century music biz economics only partially explain the reason why labels scourge the songwriter. It’s also because record company execs have always acted like feudal lords reigning over a fiefdom of serfs.
The 20th century music biz economics only partially explain the reason why labels scourge the songwriter. It’s also because record company execs have always acted like feudal lords reigning over a fiefdom of serfs.
The Circle of Life in the Music Biz
Spotify goes public (2018); Labels share the spoils (15% equity); Spotify cashes in ($1.25 Billion in sold shares); Songwriters go broke.
www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/12/24/s...
Spotify goes public (2018); Labels share the spoils (15% equity); Spotify cashes in ($1.25 Billion in sold shares); Songwriters go broke.
www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/12/24/s...
December 29, 2024 at 10:14 PM
The Circle of Life in the Music Biz
Spotify goes public (2018); Labels share the spoils (15% equity); Spotify cashes in ($1.25 Billion in sold shares); Songwriters go broke.
www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/12/24/s...
Spotify goes public (2018); Labels share the spoils (15% equity); Spotify cashes in ($1.25 Billion in sold shares); Songwriters go broke.
www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/12/24/s...
A holiday musing (and a break from music issues for the moment):
December 23, 2024 at 6:13 PM
A holiday musing (and a break from music issues for the moment):
And they said "Content Is King" -- That's so 20th century.
Spotify founders cash out more than $550MM in stock.
Spotify founders cash out more than $550MM in stock.
November 20, 2024 at 2:24 AM
And they said "Content Is King" -- That's so 20th century.
Spotify founders cash out more than $550MM in stock.
Spotify founders cash out more than $550MM in stock.