Why Spotify Is Reintroducing In‑App Messaging

Your weekly guide to the music biz and how it all works. In this week’s The Price of Music:

• Steve takes over Big Number duties to reveal how many weeks ‘ABBA Gold’ has been in the UK’s album chart

• The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Light’ hits 5bn Spotify streams – but what is he raising $1bn for?

• Why has Spotify reintroduced messaging inside its app, and would Steve or Stuart use it?

• Apple Music’s radio stations are expanding beyond their parent service

• Sad TikTokers have given Radiohead a new chart hit in the US with an old song

• Bandcamp is enlisting DJs and journalists to curate $13-a-month clubs for music and community.

• More shade for The Smiths’ tracklisting skills.

• Plus music speakers made out of rocket-fuel tanks, which we almost certainly can’t afford.

And in the special post-show lock-in section just for our Patreon Superfans, Steve and Stuart prop themselves at the bar to chat about:

• Why Stuart never liked The Smiths – and Steve’s recommendation of the perfect song to explain that

• How Steve and family arrived three hours early to queue for a Conan Grey gig – and still found hundreds of people ahead of them

• The tale of Stuart accidentally queuing for a selfie with Grumpy Cat in the days of Peak YouTube Cat Videos

As ever, we welcome your feedback, emails and – in particular – any questions you might have about how the music biz works!

Email us: thepriceofmusicpodcast@gmail.com