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Music

taylor swift
Eriq Gardner • August 6, 2024

The Record Industry’s Full-Blown A.I. War

A pair of well-capitalized A.I. music startups have found themselves in the middle of a gnarly lawsuit against the industry’s biggest labels in a case that may set precedents across numerous creative industries. These suits will either be remembered as a power play, or a devastating blow to their own assets and their relevance to artists.
Eriq Gardner • December 11, 2023
The Sonny Side of Cher’s Royalty War
Previous rulings indicate that Cher should be deemed the favorite. But all of Hollywood will be watching closely to see how broadly Kronstadt rules.
A million-dollar legal battle between the late Sonny Bono’s second and fourth wives could have major implications for how rights are valued in Hollywood.
Shirley Halperin • October 15, 2023
The Sound of Silence
The music business was built, like the rest of Hollywood, by immigrants escaping antisemitism. So why is the industry so silent in the wake of the massacre in Israel?
Eriq Gardner • June 5, 2023
A Music Business Legal Coup
The song industry successfully lobbied the Trump administration to topple the judicial regime that determined its fees. Now comes the blowback.
Marshmello
Matthew Belloni • December 1, 2022
‘Outright Betrayal’ Over a Music Industry Windfall
The story of how dozens of top touring acts allegedly pocketed $70 million in Covid grants, and the Hollywood legal war that erupted in the process.
Chris Brown
Matthew Belloni • November 20, 2022
How the AMAs Shut Down Chris Brown
The controversial singer was set to perform a Michael Jackson tribute until I alerted ABC and the Disney-owned network began considering the optics of a convicted domestic abuser feting an alleged child molester. A behind the scenes scramble ensued.
George Clinton, Taylor Swift and Pharrell Williams
Eriq Gardner • July 11, 2022
The $7.8 Billion Music Case of the Century
In just a few weeks, an obscure three-judge panel will oversee a trial in the shadowy recesses of the Library of Congress that could decide the fate of Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, YouTube and more. Why isn’t anyone paying attention?
Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and Dr. Dre
Eriq Gardner • February 13, 2022
No One Is Taking a Knee on Sunday
A behind-the-scenes clash over the Super Bowl halftime show is a case study in the N.F.L.’s effort to protect its brand through a draconian playbook. As Dr. Dre and Eminem have learned, Republicans buy League Pass too.
George Carlin
Eriq Gardner • February 7, 2022
Spotify’s Next Legal Headache Begins Now
Just-filed lawsuits by the estates of George Carlin and Robin Williams, among others, could rewrite the rules for how music streamers compensate comedians. Amid Rogan-gate, it could be the harbinger of a larger legal battle.
Stallone
Matthew Belloni • December 16, 2021
Stallone Joins the Great Hollywood Cash-Out
Stallone is the latest in a long line of actors and performers—Springsteen, Dylan, Paul Simon, Stevie Nicks—to trade the revenue stream from his life’s work for one of those Publisher’s Clearinghouse-sized novelty checks.