UNLIMITED SUPPLY with Digital Music News More analysis than news, August gonna August and Drake-Kendrick is practically jerky.
Aug 18, 2025
August brings both heat and intriguing developments in music. The decline of AI artist Velvet Sundown contrasts sharply with K-pop's explosive growth. Spotify is also taking steps to secure its publishing future. Meanwhile, the ongoing legal battle between Drake and UMG raises questions about the industry's finances. The summer festival scene is lively, capturing the essence of August. Plus, Telescreens emerges as a fresh rock talent, delivering a raw live album that invites listener engagement.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
AI Artist Spike Can Be Short-Lived
- The Velvet Sundown's monthly listens plunged from 1.4M to 600K, showing AI-artist spikes can be fleeting.
- Lars Murray compares that arc to short-lived TikTok hits and past viral tracks.
K-Pop Growth Is Far From Done
- K-pop is still growing with Q2 showing big revenue and profit jumps across public players.
- Murray expects further expansion as groups like Cat's Eye push K-pop into more territories and influence other genres.
Locking Publishing Rates For Predictability
- Spotify paid Cobalt directly to lock publishing rates and avoid CRB statutory risk.
- Murray argues predictability for Spotify's stock can be worth paying a premium to avoid rate shock.