A BLOG OF SORTS FROM CHRIS COOKE
February 2025 Updates
Music data explained
Looking forward to running this free webinar for Help Musicians and its Business Skills For Musicians programme next month – part of my ongoing mission to get everyone in the music community as interested in metadata as I am! Info here.
Unicorn House
First time in Shoreditch in quite a while today. Given all the changes in this part of town, it’s kind of amazing that the building where we used to have our office is still standing, with the same barbers and kebab shop either side. Though, alas, the Drunken Monkey has moved on.
Sound Connections
Looking forward to joining all these brilliant people at the Sound Connections Inclusive Practice In Action conference in Shoreditch tomorrow. I’ll be taking part in the panel discussion on ‘Navigating Pathways To Musical Progression’.
AI consultation
The deadline for the UK government’s big consultation on copyright and AI is midnight tonight. Here’s my CMU story on the silent protest album released today to coincide with the deadline – and here’s a TW Explainer providing some more background to the consultation itself.
Rigorous research
As you know, I rigorously research all my CMU stories. Admittedly, today that rigorous research doubled up as lunch. Here’s the story.
TW:Weekly
Just a quick reminder that tomorrow, like every Monday, we’ll be publishing the TW:Weekly bulletin, with lots of London show recommendations, interviews with our favourite performers, and TW:Backstage, updating you on key developments in the creative and cultural industries. If that interests you, sign up here.
K-pop regulation
The big old NewJeans v Ador dispute continues in the world of corporate K-pop. Could it all result in more regulation of the way K-pop labels and agencies work with artists? Well, the labels and agencies say the only regulation needed is against “contract tampering”. Here is my CMU report on a statement they put out this week.
At the Beacon
First time at the Bristol Beacon in quite a while. Indeed, last time I was here it wasn’t called the Bristol Beacon. Thanks to BORN2BE Records for inviting me to be part of a brilliant SYNC’D event, lots of great questions and conversations.
SYNC’D
Looking forward to heading back to Bristol tomorrow to take part in the SYNC’D music industry seminar hosted by BORN2BE Records. I’ll be joining sessions on making money from music and getting your music heard.
Today’s lecture
Another visit this morning to Loughborough University’s Stratford campus, explaining the music business in three diagrams for a group of Creative Industries students. And then, just for some variety: ‘A Brief History Of The Podcast Business In Fifteen Minutes’.
Jim v Village People
Imagine if Jim Jefferies actually ended up in court fighting a defamation lawsuit for calling ‘YMCA’ a “gay anthem”. I’ve written about a lot of court cases over the years, but I think that would be my favourite. Jim’s run in with Victor Willis of the Village People is included in this month’s TW Round-Up over on ThisWeek Culture.
Conversations + Alps
Fascinating conversation at Ljubljana Airport yesterday, prompted by my on-stage conversation with Scott Cohen, with a MENT delegate who did not concur at all with the narrative of Friday’s session! I feel I now need to find a conference to put that follow-on conversation on-stage, because we covered some very interesting ground. After that, some glorious Alpine views on the flight to Zurich.
Museum trip
Quick visit this morning to Ljubljana’s National Museum Of Contemporary History Of Slovenia. I feel duly educated, even if I did a lot more listening to the app than reading the signs. Now heading back home. Having just successfully completed an airport-dash here in Zurich, I’m ready for flight number two to London.
MENT stuff
A great day here in snowy Ljubljana at the mighty MENT – including an enlightening and entertaining on stage conversation with Scott Cohen. Quick summary: know your audience, sort your data, super-serve your fans, enhance the experience, embrace the technology and always be creative.
I’m in Ljubljana
Just a few clouds over the mountains as I flew into Ljubljana earlier today. Excited to be back at the mighty MENT. I’ll be joining Scott Cohen tomorrow for a session titled ‘Plan B For The Music Industry’.
CMM in Parliament
It was great to join the Council Of Music Makers at a dinner in Parliament yesterday kindly hosted by Alex Sobel MP – lots of great insights from the music-makers and their organisations, and the MPs who joined us.
Comedy sector survey
An interesting report was published last week about the UK live comedy sector, based on a study undertaken last year by the Live Comedy Association and Brunel University. Here is my TW Explainer running through some of the key findings.
VPN web-blocks
It feels like the VPNs of this world financially support pretty much every YouTube creator and podcaster whose content I consume. But should they also be instigating some of those lovely web-blocks against piracy sites? That’s the question. The VPNs say “no”. Here’s my CMU report.
Ador v NJZ latest
There are now three court hearings scheduled for March and April relating to the very public feuding between HYBE and its Ador subsidiary on the one side, and the label’s founder Min Hee Jin and artist NewJeans – now NJZ – on the other. I think I need to brush up on some South Korean contract law! Here’s my CMU report on the latest developments.
Impressive tangles
Given I put these two cables and two sets of headphones into my bag – separately and neatly – just as I was leaving Leyton this morning, it’s quite impressive how tangled they’d become by the time I reached Borough 35 minutes later!
CMM webinar
Don’t forget, if you are a member of FAC, Ivors, MMF, MPG or MU, I’m delivering a Council Of Music Makers webinar later this month. It’s about how you can use the metadata and transparency codes that the music industry has developed to help ensure music-makers get credited and paid, and to better understand your personal digital music business. Info and sign-up here.
Pathways trends
We wrapped up our latest Pathways Into Music programme for music educators today with a webinar on music business trends and debates, covering the live sector, superfans and AI. We’ll be announcing details about our next Educator Pathways programme very soon.
TW:Backstage Q&As
Normally I’m writing about challenges and debates in the music community – but this week on our TW:Backstage website I spoke to Equity, Directors UK and the Writers’ Guild to find out about the key challenges and debates affecting performers, directors and writers working in theatre, film, TV, gaming and the wider creative industries. You can read the interviews here.
US termination rights
I’ve often thought that the termination right under US copyright law hasn’t been interpreted correctly in practice. But what do I know? Though, at least one US judge has reached the same conclusion. Music publishers everywhere presumably disagree. Given the precedent being set, this one will almost certainly go to appeal – here’s my CMU report.
Copyrightability
The US Copyright Office published another report on copyright and AI this week, this time on whether or not AI generated content enjoys copyright protection. It reaffirmed its position that, under American law, AI-generated works are not protected by copyright, but AI-assisted works can be. It also provided some more information on where to draw the line between AI-generated and AI-assisted. Here’s my CMU report on the Copyright Office’s report.
February speaking
It’s somehow February already. This month I’ll be speaking at the mighty MENT in Ljubljana once again and, for the first time, at the Inclusive Practice In Action event presented by Sound Connections in Shoreditch, which is exciting. Links and stuff here.