Spotify's prices go up again; Which album's songs are in the wrong order?; Napster are being sued (is it 1999 again?); How easy is it to get a #1 album?; Steve's tip for getting into a sold-out gig
Aug 13, 2025
Spotify raises subscription prices again, sparking debates on its impact. The duo discusses the controversy of album track orders, questioning which classics got it wrong. Interestingly, Napster faces a lawsuit, prompting thoughts of the early 2000s. Plus, they explore the surprisingly easy path to achieving a #1 album today. And for a fun twist, Steve shares his tip on getting into sold-out gigs, while Stuart reflects on his late-night anticipation of a Taylor Swift announcement.
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Algorithmic Rediscovery Creates New Hits
A 1999 Pavement B-side, "Harness Your Hopes," has 217.5 million Spotify streams and outperforms many album tracks.
Spotify's algorithm and TikTok rediscovered the track, giving it a long-tail afterlife.
insights INSIGHT
Napster's Legal Problems Return
Sony Music has sued Napster for $9.2m over unpaid royalties and alleged continued availability of music.
Napster's brand evolved into a licensed streamer but now faces legacy-like copyright and payment disputes.
insights INSIGHT
Stadium Touring Fuels Promoter Profits
Live Nation reported huge profits driven by stadium shows and 130m tickets sold, with stadium attendance tripling in a quarter.
High ticket prices and global demand (including India, Latin America) are shifting promoter focus to large-scale events.
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Steve and Stu have questions – so many questions. Fortunately they also have answers! In this episode:
Stuart's Big Number is 217.5 million... and what does it have to do with a B-side by US indie rock icons Pavement?
Steve wants to know which albums have the songs sequenced in the "wrong" order? (And which Blur album does he have a controversial tracklisting opinion about?)
Spotify's prices go up (again) – and who is happy about it and why?
How easy is it to get a #1 album now – and did indie band The K's do it by selling CDs?
Live-show promoters Live Nation have made "stonking" profits – and have sold 130m tickets. And it's because stadium shows are incredibly popular at the moment – but why?
Napster are being sued by Sony Music... so have Stuart and Steve accidentally travelled back to the year 2000, or is something else happening?
Donating a kidney for a sold-out festival ticket;
Stuart waits up all night for the Taylor Swift album announcement – or is it a pre-pre-pre-announcement announcement?
And in the special post-show lock-in section just for our Patreon Superfans, Steve and Stuart chat about:
The time when the man in front of Steve in the guestlist queue claimed that he was Steve Lamacq;
(And the time when Steve claimed he was someone else to get into a Bob Mould gig);
Steve’s top tip for legitimately getting into a sold-out gig;
The time Stuart accidentally ended up at a minor reality TV star’s birthday party;
Stuart CONFESSES ALL about his ILLEGAL Napster use in 1999 (and how he downloaded the pop songs he felt too ashamed to buy in the shops);
How Stuart was once gifted - and then lost - a $2000 bottle of tequila.
As ever, we welcome your feedback, emails and – in particular – any questions you might have about how the music biz works!
The Price of Music