This past week, the first (although certainly not the last) person was sentenced to US prison for a new form of streaming fraud. Apparently, over the past several years, a man named Michael Smith had been using tens of thousands of AI bots to stream thousands of AI songs by made-up artists in order to earn millions of (real) dollars—money that should rightfully have been distributed to hard-working artists. Via the systems set up by the music industry. Which…are fair? Right?
Smith’s story, it turns out, is about MUCH more than just fraud. Instead, it represents the dark side of the contemporary industry, reflecting the tactics of the mainstream but…just a bit beyond the pale. Payola. Clipping. Viral Marketing. Bundling. Where does promotion stop and crime start?
But first! We dig into the cRaZy collab between (of all people) The Kings of Leon and The Weather Channel, while Sam convinces Saxon that this story is actually interesting. Conspiracies! Algorithmic Culture! Rolling Stones Branded Fragrances! It’s a stacked episode, for sure. Come for a tiny, tiny guitar in a great big truck. Stay for Snoop Dogg being willing to sign onto literally anything.
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