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Dec 12, 2025
Uncover the latest shake-ups in music as Spotify takes down an AI clone of King Gizzard, highlighting the challenges of policing AI in the industry. Universal Music Group is making waves with physical storefronts in New York and London for fan engagement. TikTok users are driving a surge in music saves, adding over three billion songs to streaming libraries. Notably, Craig Kallman is appointed chief music officer at Warner, while Los Campesinos reveal the stark reality of streaming revenues.
AI Snips
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Episode notes
AI Impersonation Is A Growing Structural Problem
- Spotify claims to prohibit artist impersonation but policing AI-generated clones at scale is extremely difficult.
- Mark Mulligan frames AI impacts as first, second, and third order effects that will force painful industry fixes.
Position As The Human-Only Distribution Option
- Wait for distributors or services to explicitly refuse AI content to create a clear human-only signal in the market.
- Consider positioning your platform as a trusted human-generated alternative to win artist and fan trust.
Major Labels Return To Physical Fan Spaces
- Universal Music Group opening physical storefronts shows labels still value real-world fan touchpoints.
- Brick-and-mortar spaces let labels do retail, events, and fan capture that DSPs can't fully replicate.