What you need to know in the music business this week Quick note: I’ve added a new section at the end called What We Read so you can see some of the sources I often use to compile 9 Signals. Enjoy - LP. 1. DATA POINT Spotify Is Gaslighting Artists on Royalties. Here’s the Proof. Spotify’s director of global music policy recently wrote a letter to the Economist citing percentage growth rates as evidence that the platform helps artists at every level of the royalty pyramid. It’

What you need to know in the music business this week 1. AI & RIGHTS Suno Will Pay You. Just Don't Ever Criticize Suno. Read the fine print on this one before you get excited about free money. Suno's new "Spark" incubator program offers independent artists cash grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. On the surface, that sounds like genuine support for unsigned musicians struggling to break through. Underneath, the terms tell a different story. Recipients must publicly disclos

What you need to know in the music business this week 1. POLICY WATCH The NO FAKES Act Just Cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee For the first time, real bipartisan momentum is building behind federal legislation that would protect every American's voice and likeness from unauthorized AI deepfakes and clones, not just celebrities and public figures. The NO FAKES Act (formally the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act) passed the Senate Judiciary Com

What you need to know in the music business this week 1. PLATFORM MOVES Spotify Is Coming for Live Concert Video Spotify is in talks to license live concert and festival video as part of a broader push into live music content. Read that alongside everything else Spotify has done in the last six months: the UMG AI deal, the Reserved ticketing feature, the narrated articles push, the multi-format Investor Day reframe. None of these moves are random. They are sequential steps to