TheFutureParty
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The Future. After Anthropic’s Claude 2 chatbot was found lifting the lyrics (sometimes word-for-word) of over 500 copyrighted songs, Universal Music Group, ABKCO, and Concord Publishing sued… and they have a very good chance at winning. If the labels win, the lawsuit could act as a foundational precedent for similar copyright infringement cases in the […]
The Future. The 2023 Billboard Music Awards is going fully digital for its 2023 awards show… which is set to air in one month. That’s a revolutionary overhaul, but it falls in line with other name-brand (but not top-tier) awards shows shifting to streaming — a move forced by TV networks opting not to pick […]
The Future. Andrew Thompson, founder of research project “Components,” breaks down why Bandcamp (which is in the process of being sold) has a better music business model than Spotify. The key to Bandcamp’s success is vinyl sales, which has re-emerged as the top way for fans to listen to their favorite artists. Coupled with the […]
The Future. Ticketmaster doesn’t want another TSwift situation with Olivia Rodrigo’s upcoming Guts tour, so it’s implementing some changes that could cut off scalping. If the plan decreases scalping and makes it easier for actual fans to secure seats, scoring last-minute tickets at absurd prices may soon be a thing of the past. No more […]
Musicians find an AI loophole
The Future. Streaming has made music listenership skyrocket (1 trillion streams in the US alone last year), but it’s also totally changed how music gets made — shorter songs, longer albums, and a dash of global appeal. While mainstream artists are trying to adhere to the playbook, it’s only a matter of time before an […]
The Future. Classical music has historically been viewed as a rarified art form that’s the domain of elite society. Well, video games are saying “game over” to that notion, as the genre has become a staple in some of the biggest titles out there, including Starfield and Assassin’s Creed. Considering today’s teens are playing more […]
The Future. TikTok and Billboard’s new Top 50 list is the first to track music engagement on the app. While it only charts US listenership, a worldwide rollout is inevitable. But more importantly, the chart is another step in TikTok’s plan to become the home for discovering and monetizing music online. Short-form hitsTikTok and Billboard […]
The Future. While virtual musicians have been around for years, Warner Music Group recently signed its first AI-generated act: a CGI model and influencer named Noonoouri. The venture could set the stage for someone like Ghostwriter (the mysterious artist who faced the wrath of WMG after posting a song with deepfaked Drake and The Weeknd) […]
The Future. The Tiny Desk Concert has evolved from a launch pad for quiet singer-songwriters to a place where pop stars try to prove they’re the real deal — taking up the torch of MTV’s highly influential Unplugged series. While the Tiny Desk Concerts are still a great place to discover new artists, their role […]