Steve and Stuart are back in the new and - oh yes - improved The Price of Music!

In this episode:

• The Velvet Sundown are a fully-AI-generated band that have over a million listeners on Spotify – is this a tipping point – and should human artists worry?

• Oasis are back – so how much money did each show make (and how much of it is VAT?

• The band Deerhoof have pulled their music from Spotify in protest at co-founder Daniel Ek's investments into a weapons startup

• The proposed takeover of indie conglomerate Downtown Music by Universal Music is starting to get tetchy...

• Steve wonders: who owns your songs if your record label goes bust?

• and more!

As ever, we welcome your feedback, emails and – in particular – any niggling questions you might have about how the music biz works that Steve and Stuart can answer.

Email us: [email protected]

Steve and Stuart

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Follow Steve on X - @steve_lamacq

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For sponsorship, email - [email protected]

The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:

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The Price of Music is returning on Wednesday 9th July 2025– and each week we’ll be exploring some of the big music stories of the past seven days. Steve and Stuart will be finding out where the money’s going and attempting to explain how the industry works.

We'll bring you the headline figures, the hot topics of the week; and discussing what it all means for us as music fans.

So whether it's record deals or streaming royalties; ticket prices or technology, we’ll be helping to demystify what goes on behind the scenes and what makes the music industry tick.

We will also be answering your questions and interviewing key music biz people, from artists to A&R scouts; from managers to moguls.

Steve and Stuart look at Spotify's response to Kate Nash’s latest comments about streaming royalties, and discuss the news that Warner Music is in the final stages of testing its superfan app, with heavy involvement from Ed Sheeran.

Send in your questions for Stuart and Steve on [email protected]

Follow Steve on X - @steve_lamacq

Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge

Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod

Support The Price of Music on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic

For sponsorship, email - [email protected]

The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:

https://musically.com

Steve and Stuart find out why AI music startup Suno is in hot water again, and discuss the news that South African artists have doubled their Spotify payouts over the last three years.

Send in your questions for Stuart and Steve on [email protected]

Follow Steve on X - @steve_lamacq

Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge

Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod

Support The Price of Music on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic

For sponsorship, email - [email protected]

The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:

https://musically.com

Steve and Stuart discuss the news that PPL, the UK's music licensing company, has posted the highest annual revenues in its 90-year history, and find out why England captain Harry Kane has invested in a ticketing firm.

Send in your questions for Stuart and Steve on [email protected]

Follow Steve on X - @steve_lamacq

Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge

Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod

Support The Price of Music on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic

For sponsorship, email - [email protected]

The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:

https://musically.com

Steve and Stuart discuss the news that the US has hit 100 million paid music subscriptions, and find out why Mariah Carey has been cleared of copyright infringement in a case over her 1994 Christmas staple, All I Want for Christmas Is You.

Send in your questions for Stuart and Steve on [email protected]

Follow Steve on X - @steve_lamacq

Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge

Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod

Support The Price of Music on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic

For sponsorship, email - [email protected]

The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:

https://musically.com

Steve and Stuart take a look at the money behind SXSW in Austin, Texas, and discuss a new report on the music economy of Gloucestershire.

Send in your questions for Stuart and Steve on [email protected]

Follow Steve on X - @steve_lamacq

Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge

Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod

Support The Price of Music on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic

For sponsorship, email - [email protected]

The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:

https://musically.com

Stuart speaks to Matt Griffiths, chief executive of the charity dedicated to helping marginalised young people, Youth Music.

Send in your questions for Stuart and Steve on [email protected]

Follow Steve on X - @steve_lamacq

Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge

Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod

Support The Price of Music on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic

For sponsorship, email - [email protected]

The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:

https://musically.com

Steve and Stuart dissect the various comments from artists at the BRITs 2025 about grassroots music venues, youth-music education, and the government's AI policies, and find out why Snoop Dogg has sparked a disagreement with Spotify.

Send in your questions for Stuart and Steve on [email protected]

Follow Steve on X - @steve_lamacq

Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge

Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod

Support The Price of Music on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic

For sponsorship, email - [email protected]

The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:

https://musically.com

Steve and Stuart find out why over 1,000 artists are backing a 'silent' AI protest album, and discuss thew news that Casey Lowery is funding the production of his debut album through a Kickstarter campaign.

Send in your questions for Stuart and Steve on [email protected]

Follow Steve on X - @steve_lamacq

Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge

Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod

Support The Price of Music on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic

For sponsorship, email - [email protected]

The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:

https://musically.com