Podcasts

Ron Knox says, “Break up Big Music”

Jul 01, 2021

Teddy chats with Ron Knox, senior researcher and writer at The Institute for Local Self-Reliance, about his recent article in Wired Magazine, “Big Music Needs to Be Broken Up to Save the Industry.” He tells stories about why music is worse now than it was when the industry was more competitive, how Sweet Jane Recordings is actually owned by a big conglomerate, how independent record stores ended up with prescription cough syrup instead of indie records, how YouTube effectively sets a floor on streaming royalty rates, and how big radio pays no royalty rates for playing music. Lastly, he talks about how he is optimistic that new antitrust leadership and new legislation in Congress will reshape the industry.