Future Knowledge Music Copyright, Creativity, and Culture
Sep 24, 2025
Jennifer Jenkins, a clinical professor of law and director of Duke's Center for the Study of the Public Domain, dives into the intriguing world of music copyright. She discusses how copyright influences song creation and the streaming economy, highlighting the complexity of licensing and payout structures. Jenkins explains challenges stemming from music's limited vocabulary and the implications of recent landmark cases, like Ed Sheeran's ruling on chord progressions. She also explores the future landscape of music, including AI's role and artist income.
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How Tech And Law Shape Music
- Copyright, technology, economics, and aesthetics interact repeatedly to reshape music over time.
- Each technological shift creates new markets and changes what kinds of music succeed.
Recordings Created New Rights
- Recording and radio created distinct markets and licensing regimes that reshaped musical production and distribution.
- Recordings spawned mechanical and sound-recording rights, splitting composition and performance money flows.
Radio Turned Music Into Attention
- Radio turned music into an attention product sold to advertisers and changed what became popular.
- Broadcasters favored concise, 'radio-ready' hits, altering song aesthetics and formats.
