It’s been 20 years since Apple launched the iPod and a lot has changed in the music industry…as in everything. The mp3, iTunes, Spotify, penny fractions for streams, UMG's recent IPO, music catalogs as attractive asset class, 360 deals and the list goes on. The launch of the iPod doesn’t explain everything in how we got here, but it's undeniably a major watershed moment for a deeper understanding of this history. Saxon interviews award-winning journalist Eamonn Forde about his recent piece in The Guardian on the iPod's 20th anniversary to grapple with all of this, leading to a sprawling and insightful interview examining the current state of the music business and technology. Also, Saxon and Sam discuss briefly the tragic events around Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert and challenge popular media narratives by asking about the responsibility of Live Nation in this horrifying incident. 

 

Read Forde's piece in The Guardian

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