Don’t believe the hype: streaming doesn’t sell artists down the river January 19, 2021 Last October, the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee launched an inquiry into the impact of music streaming on artists and the industry, after calls from campaigners to shake up how streaming royalties work. While I appreciate the concerns of many artists, I should say that I am a big fan of streaming, for many [...]
Ancient culture leapfrogging to first nation people’s self-sovereign identity February 9, 2022 Dr Jane Thomason discusses how first nations people have been quietly working to use blockchain to create a self-sovereign digital identity
Ed Warner: Russia ban shows Wimbledon chiefs have backbone – and other sports will take note April 28, 2022 Fans at the Wimbledon Championships aren’t prone to booing, even in the face of a Nick Kyrgios meltdown. And for now they have been spared the challenge to their usual decorum of a Russian or Belarusian player striding onto Centre Court this summer – to the chagrin of the men’s and women’s tours, not to [...]
The public and private divide has shifted and Thatcherism won’t save us November 26, 2021 This, said Margaret Thatcher as she drew Friedrich Hayek’s The Constitution of Liberty from her bag and slammed it on the table, is what we believe. The “vegetables”, as Spitting Image so memorably characterised her cabinet, agreed. Thatcher knew what she believed and the business community knew it too. It was the clarity of her [...]
Hipgnosis bags rock catalogue with Nirvana and Paul McCartney hits May 13, 2021 Music royalties fund Hipgnosis has bought the full rights to producer and mixer Andy Wallace’s catalogue today, which hosts rock icons from Paul McCartney to Nirvana. The London-listed firm has recently gone on a song spree, buying both Dua Lipa and Justin Bieber’s back catalogue just last week. “Andy has shaped the sound of great [...]
Sir Philip Green’s office furniture up for sale as administrators flog Arcadia assets after collapse March 22, 2021 Administrators have begun flogging Arcadia’s assets, including sewing machines and Sir Philip Green’s office furniture, following the collapse of his retail empire. Deloitte has appointed Hilco Global to sell the former Topshop owner’s London headquarters in a dramatic fall from high street royalty to the auction house. Arcadia collapsed into administration last year, putting 13,000 [...]
MPs call for probe into record labels amid music streaming overhaul July 15, 2021 MPs have urged regulators to probe major UK record labels and Youtube as part of a radical overhaul of the music streaming market aimed at tackling “pitiful returns” for artists. In an eagerly-awaiting report published today, the culture select committee called for comprehensive reform to existing legislation as well as new regulations to “reset” the [...]
Mayfair mansion worth up to £100m for sale April 6, 2021 A Mayfair mansion, which could be worth up to £100m after redevelopment, is on the market, making it the largest residential property currently on sale in London. The Grade II-listed building at 38 Hill Street is on offer for £38m, with estate agents saying it could remain as a single mansion or be transformed into [...]
Music royalties firm PPL collects record revenues of £247m for artists May 14, 2019 Music licensing company PPL has reported its highest-ever annual revenues as it paid out to a record number of musicians and rights holders. PPL, which is one of the UK’s two main royalties agencies, collected revenues for its members of £246.8m in 2018, up 13 per cent on the previous year. Read more: Hipgnosis snaps [...]
Hitting the note or off pitch? Quick fix for music streaming won’t help us December 3, 2021 Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art, or so said Claude Debussy in his approach to composition. For Labour MP, Kevin Brennan, a love of music and rules for art is at the heart of his fight against streaming companies, which he claims don’t pay artists fairly. His private member’s [...]