Music Mensch Podcast

King Of Surf Rock Dick Dale Passes Away At Age 81 (We offer our condolences to his family and friends)Article 13 is moments away from becoming law. But has it gotten any better?Spotify is supposedly going to hold 'town hall' meetings for songwriters in LA and Nashville. Who should attend?Episode Links:-David Israelite Does A 'Fact Check' On Spotify's Latest Blog Post -Billboard's Old CRB Article Explaining The Breakdown Of Royalty Increase

Spotify files an Antitrust complaint against Apple for their 30% 'app tax' that is typically imposed on any service looking to sell physical products through their app.Is this more a comment about Apple's greed or Spotify's instability?

The Copyright Royalty Board published a decision in 2018 to raise songwriter royalties by 44% between now and 2022. In the eleventh hour, Spotify, Amazon, and Pandora submitted an appeal that not only opposed the rate increase, but would also be used as a divisive tactic to roll back royalty rates by one-third, according to NMPA chair David Israelite.Is Spotify technically suing songwriters? What will happen if the royalty rate increase is confirmed? And more importantly... Could this mean the end for Spotify?For a full transcription of this episode, click here.

Let's talk about the newest Michael Jackson documentary about sexual abuse, Leaving Neverland.Who's to blame for all of this?Should Wade Robson be seen has courageous or not?Did Michael Jackson abuse kids because he was abused himself?Also, the Supreme Court makes a ruling on copyright law that settles a long-fought dispute once and for all.For a transcript of the show, click here.

Warner/Chappell and Spotify go to war over the Launch in IndiaArticle 13 reaches its final voting process, which is set for AprilThe stats from the RIAA 2018 Year-End Report are in, and they are oh-so beautiful!You should also look at the Billboard Article that breaks down what this means. Music streaming stats are interesting.The music industry is doing good things! And you should learn all there is to know about how you can get it on the action! Subscribe to the mailing list to get the FREE pdf-downloadable Essential Music Tools that show you how to balance your budget, tips for practicing, and what to do when releasing your music. Stay ahead of the game!

YouTube accidentally uses Fortnite to facilitate channels that are owned by child predators... and it's being monetized. A former YouTube creator also talks about how this type of material is accessible in less than 10 minutes or, in some cases, less than 5 clicks.The Local Radio Freedom Act is looking to end new taxes or royalty payouts from radio stations for the third time, but most music rights advocacy groups are crying foul, saying that there is nothing "local" about this 5-alarm hose job.Tidal is offering up $1 million through its newest musician grant program which is set to unveil in Detroit on March 1st. The newest program is called Tidal Unplugged and it could be the closest thing we have to an honest production team.Qobuz is dubbed the 'premium gasoline' of music streaming, but can it compete with services that are offering the same services for cheaper?We're looking to give you all of the tools you need to boost your music career. Join the mailing list to get the 3 Essential Music Tools FREE pdf download.

Guitarist for Granger Smith, John Marlin, stops in for a quick interview about life on the road, helping to define personal success, and why the process should be the goal.

Ja Rule has plans to start another festival and app, because his last ventures worked so well.Both R. Kelly and Ryan Adams are under fire for new sexual assault allegations.TIK TOK is catching heat after Inida, which makes up 40% of its fan base, believes that the app is adding to 'cultural degradation'.Spotify spends $340 million on new podcasting acquisition, which make them the Doctor Evils of the podcasting world.

Assistant lighting director on Pantera's 'Cowboys From Hell' and 'Vulgar Display Of Power' tours, Dale Bridges, sat down with me in the green room of Cowboys Red River to talk about his experiences. The stories are great, the sentiments are touching, and the music is metal as hell. Long live Pantera!

Deadmau5 takes to Reddit to vent his frustration about Twitch suspending his account after using a homophobic slur. 'Hate speech' is against their personal policy... But is that the best policy for Americans?Article 13 reaches its final stages and the proposal has changed so much, many large corporations, songwriters, and publishers are wondering whether or not it will have the same affect... Or would it just harm thousands of businesses to same just one?

This week we cover 5 TOPICS!!!Grammy's Fiasco: Ariana Grande pulls out due to a fight with Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich, Cardi B thanks a dead celebrity for sending her flowers (whoops), and Childish Gambino is a sour puss despite the fact he won all the awards he was nominated for.AEG/SMG Merger: Onex cuts a deal with SMG to merge with AEG subsidiary AEG Facilities, creating the new ASM Global. This new venture will own and manage 310 venues worldwide.Kane Brown Lawsuit: Heaven isn't quite like this. Kane Brown blatantly disregards a deal he cut with his past producer Polow da Don of Zone 4 Records and instead continues his unauthorized deal with RCA Nashville, resulting in a lawsuit filed by da Don for all the royalty money he missed out on.Fight Fyre with Fyre: Billy McFarland has been ordered by a New York County Court Judge Joel H. Cohen to pay EHL the $3 million they invested into Fyre Festival, plus the 30% interest they were promised in the contractual agreement. McFarland's net worth sits at a wonderful negative $5 million.New Controversial Michael Jackson Documentary: The Sun Dance Film Festival unveiled a new documentary by Dan Reed that follows the account of two boys (now men) who claimed to have been sexually abused by Michael Jackson when they were kids. How did audiences react? But more importantly, when can you watch it?Bonus: At the end of this episode, catch a small clip of the interview being released Friday with lighting assistant from Pantera's 'Cowboys From Hell' Tour, Dale Bridges. Teaser: He tells a great story about Dimebag Darrell

Maroon 5 gets a big thumbs down for their Super Bowl performance. However, there brings to mind one question: Were you advocating artists to step down in solidarity with Kaepernick? If so, you have no right to complain about the quality of the show.21 Savage faces deportation, and apparently nobody is allowed to joke about his recently discovered heritage. Demi Lovato learned this the hard way after she was forced to delete her Twitter account.The two candidates for the position of the new Mechanical Licensing Collective get into a bloody battle as the decision continue about who will represent songwriters when it comes to mechanical royalties from digital downloads.

Fyre Fest Fury:The incredibly horrendous tales from Fyre Festival 2017 come back to life in two separate documentaries on Netflix and Hulu, directed by Chris Smith and Jenner Furst/Julia Willoughby Nason respectively. Incredibly young, successful entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule teamed up in 2017 to host what was to be the hottest luxury music festival at Pablo Escobar’s old Bahamas hangout, Norman’s Cay. Instead what they got was stranded patrons with a third-world-country-like atmosphere surrounding the location.A New (i)Heart Beats:At the turn of 2018, Texas-based radio company iHeart was $20 billion in debt with seemingly no way to turn the situation around. However, after a fourth revision, their Chapter 11 plan was approved by the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas that will reduce their debt to $5 billion. Part of their agreement will involve a split with Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, while the current presidents keep their positions in the company.Chris Brown Does More Bad Things:Chris Brown was detained in Paris after he was hit with accusations of rape and drug abuse. Multiple women with whom Brown was attending an after-show part with at a hotel had confirmed that he was locking women into his room at several points in the night and forcing them to have sex with him. 

The culture wages war on itself with the debate of free speech.And you can bet that musicians will be affected.

Today we talk about who the potential candidates are for the mechanical licensing collective, R. Kelly's imploding music career, and why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame may be getting fits of rage every year.It's just mayhem out there...

Record companies and musicians are siding with the Article 13 proposal of the EU's Copyright Directive, however many seem skeptical about what type of impact this will have on YouTube's safe harbor clause or their low royalty payouts, if any.Would any additions to a digital footprint scanning system help copyright holders keep their rights, or would it just make the roof cave in on songwriters and content creators?

From sound engineers to digital streaming services, the newest copyright law becomes effective Jan. 1, 2021, and it affects all of us. On this episode, we talk royalties, compulsory licenses, why I hate bar germs, new copyright terms, and how the government plans to regulate the royalties paid to songwriters from digital streaming services. Will the new agency do its job, or will it flop harder than Garth Brook's alter ego?Tune in to find out!

Former country star and mother of Demi Lovato, Dianna De La Garza, talks about what it's like to be the parent of an international pop star, the road to success, her former country career, and her new book Falling With Wings (Available in local retail stores). Go to Dianna's Twitter page (@DiannaDeLaGarza) for more info on where to get the book!