Shmoozic Biz Wed, 02 Sep 2026 01:32:41 -0400 http://www.shmoozicbiz.com en © 2026 Shmoozic Biz yes 04e73b83-0644-5d0b-af95-3add47dff9c4 william.hochberg@gmail.com Bill Hochberg episodic false Music attorney and journalist Bill Hochberg breaks bread with A-list business, legal and creative professionals to get the low-down and the high-up on the most interesting and consequential news, views and shmooze in today's music world.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Bill Hochberg william.hochberg@gmail.com https://storage.buzzsprout.com/i6oeb22e0qm415smfunn6yrd0t2s?.jpg Shmoozic Biz http://www.shmoozicbiz.com Why Fans Are Looking At D4vd's Music Videos Differently: Criminal Attorney Lou Shapiro Why Fans Are Looking At D4vd's Music Videos Differently: Criminal Attorney Lou Shapiro Blood, knives, a car trunk, dragging a dead body … there’s an eery similarity between images in music videos by pop superstar D4vd and facts alleged by prosecutors in the murder and sexual crimes case against him. On this Shmoozic Biz episode, music attorneys Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi are joined by ace criminal defense attorney Lou Shapiro, who examines potential murder evidence from the music and art of D4vd, as well as evidence of his music business promotional activities around the time of the alleged murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez… and whether any of it is admissible as evidence.  Lou is known for aggressively, creatively, and successfully representing defendants in state and federal criminal cases and he knows the system from the inside out. The intersection between criminal law and music law is a busy intersection indeed these days and we crash right into it.   

Please don't forget to subscribe!  It really helps us out. 


Table of Contents

00:00 — Can D4vd’s Music Videos Be Used as Evidence?
00:35 –  Meet Lou Shapiro, Criminal Defense Attorney
01:05 — How Strong Is the Murder Case?
02:04 — Texts, Location Data and Alleged Motive
04:09 — Record Deals, Endorsements and Morals Clauses
09:07 — “Romantic Homicide” as Evidence
11:40 — Lessons From the Young Thug and Jam Master Jay Trials
15:52 — D4vd’s Reported $19 Million Record Deal
16:53 — Will D4vd Testify—and Can He Get a Fair Jury?
20:28 — Prison Exposure and a Possible Defense Strategy
24:21 — Plea Deal, Special Circumstances and the Death Penalty

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify, and TikTok... links in the profile.  

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music. 

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Blood, knives, a car trunk, dragging a dead body … there’s an eery similarity between images in music videos by pop superstar D4vd and facts alleged by prosecutors in the murder and sexual crimes case against him. On this Shmoozic Biz episode, music attorneys Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi are joined by ace criminal defense attorney Lou Shapiro, who examines potential murder evidence from the music and art of D4vd, as well as evidence of his music business promotional activities around the time of the alleged murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez… and whether any of it is admissible as evidence.  Lou is known for aggressively, creatively, and successfully representing defendants in state and federal criminal cases and he knows the system from the inside out. The intersection between criminal law and music law is a busy intersection indeed these days and we crash right into it.   

Please don't forget to subscribe!  It really helps us out. 


Table of Contents

00:00 — Can D4vd’s Music Videos Be Used as Evidence?
00:35 –  Meet Lou Shapiro, Criminal Defense Attorney
01:05 — How Strong Is the Murder Case?
02:04 — Texts, Location Data and Alleged Motive
04:09 — Record Deals, Endorsements and Morals Clauses
09:07 — “Romantic Homicide” as Evidence
11:40 — Lessons From the Young Thug and Jam Master Jay Trials
15:52 — D4vd’s Reported $19 Million Record Deal
16:53 — Will D4vd Testify—and Can He Get a Fair Jury?
20:28 — Prison Exposure and a Possible Defense Strategy
24:21 — Plea Deal, Special Circumstances and the Death Penalty

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify, and TikTok... links in the profile.  

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music. 

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg Buzzsprout-19737696 Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:00:00 -0400 1630 1 21 full false Pharrell Wasn't The Real Musician: Chad Hugo Complaint Pharrell Wasn't The Real Musician: Chad Hugo Complaint Pharrell and Chad Breakup – From Music Biz Divorce to Copyright War

What began as a messy business dispute between legendary production partners Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams has escalated into a much stranger fight: who actually created the music behind The Neptunes.

In this episode of Shmoozic Biz, music attorney and journalist Bill Hochberg and his associate Sami Kazi break down the amended lawsuit Hugo filed against Pharrell Williams — and why the case now raises serious copyright ownership questions.

Originally filed as a partnership dispute over roughly $1 million in unpaid proceeds, the lawsuit has now been expanded to include copyright claims involving eight songs, including tracks from Rosalía’s Motomami album.

Beyond the legal fight, the case also raises a provocative question about modern pop production: who actually creates the music—and who gets the credit?

You can also read more about the case in my Forbes article here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9kdb6v

Musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by Billeeto.  https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
0:23  Introduction
1:21 Lawsuit Makes Headlines 
2:24 Combing The Complaint
5:37 Statute of Limitations Problems
6:27 Who Created The Music?
8:12 Is Pharrell A Real Musician? 
9:00 The 12-Bar Blues Fiasco
10:16 Musicians Who Can’t Read Music
11:15 Producers Who Aren’t Musicians
12:10 Summary and Outro

If you enjoy deep dives into the music business, law, and industry power dynamics, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz with Bill Hochberg wherever you get your podcasts.  Bill also writes in Forbes on the business and law of music. Here’s a link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhochberg/

And follow Bill Hochberg’s Shmoozic Biz on social media: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whochberg/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/billeeto/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.hochberg

]]> Pharrell and Chad Breakup – From Music Biz Divorce to Copyright War

What began as a messy business dispute between legendary production partners Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams has escalated into a much stranger fight: who actually created the music behind The Neptunes.

In this episode of Shmoozic Biz, music attorney and journalist Bill Hochberg and his associate Sami Kazi break down the amended lawsuit Hugo filed against Pharrell Williams — and why the case now raises serious copyright ownership questions.

Originally filed as a partnership dispute over roughly $1 million in unpaid proceeds, the lawsuit has now been expanded to include copyright claims involving eight songs, including tracks from Rosalía’s Motomami album.

Beyond the legal fight, the case also raises a provocative question about modern pop production: who actually creates the music—and who gets the credit?

You can also read more about the case in my Forbes article here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9kdb6v

Musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by Billeeto.  https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
0:23  Introduction
1:21 Lawsuit Makes Headlines 
2:24 Combing The Complaint
5:37 Statute of Limitations Problems
6:27 Who Created The Music?
8:12 Is Pharrell A Real Musician? 
9:00 The 12-Bar Blues Fiasco
10:16 Musicians Who Can’t Read Music
11:15 Producers Who Aren’t Musicians
12:10 Summary and Outro

If you enjoy deep dives into the music business, law, and industry power dynamics, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz with Bill Hochberg wherever you get your podcasts.  Bill also writes in Forbes on the business and law of music. Here’s a link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhochberg/

And follow Bill Hochberg’s Shmoozic Biz on social media: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whochberg/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/billeeto/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.hochberg

]]> Bill Hochberg Buzzsprout-19730570 Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:00:00 -0400 1023 1 1 full false Episode 20 - Blink 182 vs Slop 183 Episode 20 - Blink 182 vs Slop 183 Did Suno just use Blink-182 or Green Day tracks as training data to generate a generic pop punk ditty from California? Can anyone really figure out exactly which human songs, and how much of each, went into an AI song? Our guest Matt Adell, COO of Musical.ai (and former head of Beatport), says, yes they can. Their program determines who should get paid and who ought to get attribution when robots write songs based on human music. He shares with music attorneys Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi where this new and interesting tech came from and where AI training is going in the music industry on this episode of Shmoozic Biz.

Table Of Contents:
0:00 Intro: the 12% Blink-182 Solution
0:58 Meet Matt Adell: Music Tech Legend
1:58 Matt’s History: From Napster to Beatport to Musical AI
5:05 Music Tech From Synthesizers to AI Music
10:29 The Jorja Smith AI Vocal Case
13:26 How Musical AI "Unscrambles the Egg"
15:00 Master vs. Composition Attribution Tech
18:05 Deterministic Similarity vs. "Magical Thinking"
26:10 Challenges in Detecting AI-Enhanced Tracks
33:40 Major Label Lawsuits vs. Indie Attribution
35:25 Why Licensing is Feasible, Not Inconvenient
35:00 Future Implications for the Music Industry

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Did Suno just use Blink-182 or Green Day tracks as training data to generate a generic pop punk ditty from California? Can anyone really figure out exactly which human songs, and how much of each, went into an AI song? Our guest Matt Adell, COO of Musical.ai (and former head of Beatport), says, yes they can. Their program determines who should get paid and who ought to get attribution when robots write songs based on human music. He shares with music attorneys Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi where this new and interesting tech came from and where AI training is going in the music industry on this episode of Shmoozic Biz.

Table Of Contents:
0:00 Intro: the 12% Blink-182 Solution
0:58 Meet Matt Adell: Music Tech Legend
1:58 Matt’s History: From Napster to Beatport to Musical AI
5:05 Music Tech From Synthesizers to AI Music
10:29 The Jorja Smith AI Vocal Case
13:26 How Musical AI "Unscrambles the Egg"
15:00 Master vs. Composition Attribution Tech
18:05 Deterministic Similarity vs. "Magical Thinking"
26:10 Challenges in Detecting AI-Enhanced Tracks
33:40 Major Label Lawsuits vs. Indie Attribution
35:25 Why Licensing is Feasible, Not Inconvenient
35:00 Future Implications for the Music Industry

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg 440dc5e9-9a1e-407a-b126-30dc063ffca7 Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:15:00 -0400 2148 20 false Music Lawyer Dina LaPolt On NO FAKES, Joel Katz And More Music Lawyer Dina LaPolt On NO FAKES, Joel Katz And More Joining Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi on this episode is music attorney Dina LaPolt, who reps major artists and songwriters and advocates on Capitol Hill for laws like the NO FAKES Act, designed to protect against "deepfakes" and to give creators and content owners new property rights over voices and images separate from copyright and trademark law. Dina kicks things off by sharing some sage advice she took from the late music law titan Joel Katz that has steered her throughout her career. Then the conversation takes some fascinating and sometimes surprising twists and turns, like when Dina says its the Republicans who are the intellectual property party, not the Dems. "This is the time to get the No Fakes Act passed because intellectual property is a Republican issue," she says. After the mid-terms it may be too late, she asserts. Bill and Sami are not necessarily buying all of that, but its a provocative point to consider. This insight-filled convo is a must-not-miss no matter on which side of the political aisle you sit or where you stand on AI music, deepfakes, parody with digital replicas, Silicon Valley influence on Music Row, and other issues rocking the music biz today.

]]> Joining Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi on this episode is music attorney Dina LaPolt, who reps major artists and songwriters and advocates on Capitol Hill for laws like the NO FAKES Act, designed to protect against "deepfakes" and to give creators and content owners new property rights over voices and images separate from copyright and trademark law. Dina kicks things off by sharing some sage advice she took from the late music law titan Joel Katz that has steered her throughout her career. Then the conversation takes some fascinating and sometimes surprising twists and turns, like when Dina says its the Republicans who are the intellectual property party, not the Dems. "This is the time to get the No Fakes Act passed because intellectual property is a Republican issue," she says. After the mid-terms it may be too late, she asserts. Bill and Sami are not necessarily buying all of that, but its a provocative point to consider. This insight-filled convo is a must-not-miss no matter on which side of the political aisle you sit or where you stand on AI music, deepfakes, parody with digital replicas, Silicon Valley influence on Music Row, and other issues rocking the music biz today.

]]> Bill Hochberg e1e5149f-c3b9-48cc-a782-5d1b57c7497b Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:45:00 -0400 2197 19 false How to Avoid Gig Disasters – A New App for Touring Musicians How to Avoid Gig Disasters – A New App for Touring Musicians n this episode Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi get Shark Tanky on a new app called GigLogic designed by musicians for musicians. The app's developers Craig A. Meyer and Gary Arbuthnot say their software will help an act figure out which gigs to play and which to stay away from if they want to succeed on the road (or the high seas). GigLogic is supposed to help predict whether shows are going to be profitable or money-losers on both larger and smaller scale tours. Will this app result in some cities and towns around the country and around the world seeing fewer and fewer tours coming through because the tour economics just don't make sense? We get into that and other interesting aspects and implications of tour accounting software like GigLogic.

Table Of Contents

00:00 - Introduction And Overview
02:18 - Gig Logic Dashboard and Show Profiles
04:37 - Tour Economics and Market Selection Strategies
06:57 - Tour Deficits and Independent Artist Touring Realities
09:24 - Gig Status Categories and Budget Adjustments
11:49 - Official Launch
14:07 - Travel, Lodging, and Historical Touring Comparisons
16:30 - Multi-Ensemble Show Profiles and A/B Scenario Comparisons
18:55 - Founders' Backgrounds and Closing Remarks

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

Headshot of Craig A. Meyer
https://www.pacificsymphony.org/artist-details/541/

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> n this episode Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi get Shark Tanky on a new app called GigLogic designed by musicians for musicians. The app's developers Craig A. Meyer and Gary Arbuthnot say their software will help an act figure out which gigs to play and which to stay away from if they want to succeed on the road (or the high seas). GigLogic is supposed to help predict whether shows are going to be profitable or money-losers on both larger and smaller scale tours. Will this app result in some cities and towns around the country and around the world seeing fewer and fewer tours coming through because the tour economics just don't make sense? We get into that and other interesting aspects and implications of tour accounting software like GigLogic.

Table Of Contents

00:00 - Introduction And Overview
02:18 - Gig Logic Dashboard and Show Profiles
04:37 - Tour Economics and Market Selection Strategies
06:57 - Tour Deficits and Independent Artist Touring Realities
09:24 - Gig Status Categories and Budget Adjustments
11:49 - Official Launch
14:07 - Travel, Lodging, and Historical Touring Comparisons
16:30 - Multi-Ensemble Show Profiles and A/B Scenario Comparisons
18:55 - Founders' Backgrounds and Closing Remarks

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

Headshot of Craig A. Meyer
https://www.pacificsymphony.org/artist-details/541/

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg 165038e2-8bd1-4e0f-8c86-336c70244fc4 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:24:44 -0400 1332 18 false Major Labels Want The Indie Share Of The Record Biz, Now One Third Of The Global Pie Major Labels Want The Indie Share Of The Record Biz, Now One Third Of The Global Pie Independent labels and music distributors have increased their market share to an astonishing one third of the total global recorded music revenue pool, according to sources Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi reveal on this episode. And the major labels want to take a slice or two of that share for themselves, so they've established indie distribution arms to co-exist with their major label distribution businesses. How does this all work and what's the best way for an artist or indie label to understand and deal with the situation? Find out what's on the menu for the majors and whether it's you!

Table of Content

00:05 Introduction: The rise of the independent music sector
00:47 Bad Bunny and the rise of fiercely independent artists
01:53 Virgin Music Group's history and role as UMG's independent arm
03:35 Major label independent distribution arms (The Orchard, ADA, Virgin)
05:23 UMG's strategic acquisitions: Downtown, CD Baby, and Fuga
06:14 The "craft beer" analogy for major-owned indie labels
06:57 The history of The Orchard and Sony's acquisition
08:36 AWOL (Artists Without A Label) and its history with Sony
09:44 Truly independent entities: Empire and Secretly Group
13:06 BMG's position as the "fourth major" with a full distribution stack
15:26 Upstream deals: Evolution and advice for artists shopping for deals
17:33 Conclusion: Will the majors remain dominant or will indies take over?

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

Photo credits:
Bad_Bunny_2019_by_Glenn_Francis.jpg (glennfrancis@pacificprodigital.com)
Goose Island IPA
https://guruofbrew.com/mygooseipa3.JPG

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal or financial advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Independent labels and music distributors have increased their market share to an astonishing one third of the total global recorded music revenue pool, according to sources Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi reveal on this episode. And the major labels want to take a slice or two of that share for themselves, so they've established indie distribution arms to co-exist with their major label distribution businesses. How does this all work and what's the best way for an artist or indie label to understand and deal with the situation? Find out what's on the menu for the majors and whether it's you!

Table of Content

00:05 Introduction: The rise of the independent music sector
00:47 Bad Bunny and the rise of fiercely independent artists
01:53 Virgin Music Group's history and role as UMG's independent arm
03:35 Major label independent distribution arms (The Orchard, ADA, Virgin)
05:23 UMG's strategic acquisitions: Downtown, CD Baby, and Fuga
06:14 The "craft beer" analogy for major-owned indie labels
06:57 The history of The Orchard and Sony's acquisition
08:36 AWOL (Artists Without A Label) and its history with Sony
09:44 Truly independent entities: Empire and Secretly Group
13:06 BMG's position as the "fourth major" with a full distribution stack
15:26 Upstream deals: Evolution and advice for artists shopping for deals
17:33 Conclusion: Will the majors remain dominant or will indies take over?

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

Photo credits:
Bad_Bunny_2019_by_Glenn_Francis.jpg (glennfrancis@pacificprodigital.com)
Goose Island IPA
https://guruofbrew.com/mygooseipa3.JPG

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal or financial advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg de1535c9-d66c-4076-8254-1f2cd5439f14 Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:30:00 -0400 1194 17 true Live Music Biz Is Healthy But High Costs Could Kill It: Experts Say Live Music Biz Is Healthy But High Costs Could Kill It: Experts Say Post Malone and other superstars recently had to cancel tours because of low ticket sales in certain markets. But on this episode we shmooze with top music agent Jarred Arfa and music promoter/attorney Danny Hayes who say big live concerts are not in danger, as long as show costs stay in check. But what about increasing ticket prices in a challenging economy? We discuss the economics of all that and also the Live Nation and Ticketmaster settlement and where that may find us in the future.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto

Post Malone image inside podcast from:
The Come Up Show from Canada, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Post Malone and other superstars recently had to cancel tours because of low ticket sales in certain markets. But on this episode we shmooze with top music agent Jarred Arfa and music promoter/attorney Danny Hayes who say big live concerts are not in danger, as long as show costs stay in check. But what about increasing ticket prices in a challenging economy? We discuss the economics of all that and also the Live Nation and Ticketmaster settlement and where that may find us in the future.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto

Post Malone image inside podcast from:
The Come Up Show from Canada, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg 76f734dc-bba4-4721-9cdf-7c9ccc078db8 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:15:00 -0400 2417 16 false Spotify Keeps More Streaming Revenue Than It Pays To Labels, Top Law Firm Calculates Spotify Keeps More Streaming Revenue Than It Pays To Labels, Top Law Firm Calculates On this episode we consider three surprising conclusions about music streaming revenue drawn by top music attorney Jordan Bromley and analyst Trent Smith at Manatt Phelps & Phillips. NOTE: the firm's findings, based on their music streaming revenue calculator, are not independently confirmed on the podcast. But here's what they are claiming:
First, Amazon Music pays at a rate more than double of what Spotify pays to the record labels, artists, publishers and songwriters. That doesn't mean they pay double the amount of revenue overall, but the rate per 1 million streams is double, which is significant, says Manatt;
Second, Spotify pays itself more revenue from music streaming than the labels who own the recordings; and
Third, Amazon Music takes NO cut AT ALL from the royalties before paying it over to the content owners. But how can that be? Go to the episode for more on this.
The Manatt team stands by the data and you can try their calculator yourself at:
https://www.manatt.com/music-streaming-royalty-calculator
Spotify has pushed back against this podcast, claiming that the Manatt calculator is dead wrong, but Manatt stands by their numbers and conclusions. Please add your comments if you have an opinion one way or the other.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto.

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> On this episode we consider three surprising conclusions about music streaming revenue drawn by top music attorney Jordan Bromley and analyst Trent Smith at Manatt Phelps & Phillips. NOTE: the firm's findings, based on their music streaming revenue calculator, are not independently confirmed on the podcast. But here's what they are claiming:
First, Amazon Music pays at a rate more than double of what Spotify pays to the record labels, artists, publishers and songwriters. That doesn't mean they pay double the amount of revenue overall, but the rate per 1 million streams is double, which is significant, says Manatt;
Second, Spotify pays itself more revenue from music streaming than the labels who own the recordings; and
Third, Amazon Music takes NO cut AT ALL from the royalties before paying it over to the content owners. But how can that be? Go to the episode for more on this.
The Manatt team stands by the data and you can try their calculator yourself at:
https://www.manatt.com/music-streaming-royalty-calculator
Spotify has pushed back against this podcast, claiming that the Manatt calculator is dead wrong, but Manatt stands by their numbers and conclusions. Please add your comments if you have an opinion one way or the other.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto.

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg 8d1cc750-2b64-4d55-b9fd-bbe70873dfab Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:39:25 -0400 2589 15 false Why'd Whitney, Axl, Prince And Marley Catalogs Come To Primary Wave – Exec Explains Why'd Whitney, Axl, Prince And Marley Catalogs Come To Primary Wave – Exec Explains David Weitzman, a top executive at Primary Wave, reveals what they've been doing to boost the premiere music assets they've acquired. He also provides tips for those interested in buying and selling catalogs in 2026 and beyond.

Table of Content:
00:00 Introduction: PW's Successes With Whitney Houston
01:25 Primary Wave's Philosophy
03:45 More On Whitney Houston branding.
07:12 Managing the iconic Bob Marley catalog.
11:30 Acquiring Prince's Assets: The strategy
15:50 Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses
20:15 How Primary Wave uses non-traditional marketing.
25:40 Future of Catalog Acquisitions: Where the market is heading
31:00 Working with Heirs and Estates: Navigating the complexities of legacy management.
34:20 Final thoughts on the intersection of music, business, and legacy.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> David Weitzman, a top executive at Primary Wave, reveals what they've been doing to boost the premiere music assets they've acquired. He also provides tips for those interested in buying and selling catalogs in 2026 and beyond.

Table of Content:
00:00 Introduction: PW's Successes With Whitney Houston
01:25 Primary Wave's Philosophy
03:45 More On Whitney Houston branding.
07:12 Managing the iconic Bob Marley catalog.
11:30 Acquiring Prince's Assets: The strategy
15:50 Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses
20:15 How Primary Wave uses non-traditional marketing.
25:40 Future of Catalog Acquisitions: Where the market is heading
31:00 Working with Heirs and Estates: Navigating the complexities of legacy management.
34:20 Final thoughts on the intersection of music, business, and legacy.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg 8807d089-177b-4194-9328-06b31abf2d6f Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:30:00 -0400 2170 14 false How Exactly Did Bill Ackman Try To Buy UMG With UMG's Own Money? How Exactly Did Bill Ackman Try To Buy UMG With UMG's Own Money? It's game over for Bill Ackman's $64 billion buyout bid for Universal Music Group, but the billionaire activist may have another music biz play up his sleeve. On this episode, Bill and Sami recap Ackman's longshot and discuss whether tricky deals like these are good for the creative community and music companies.

Table of Contents
00:00 Introduction: The Bill Ackman & UMG Deal
01:25 Understanding SPACs and the PSTH Strategy
03:10 Universal Music Group's Market Position
05:45 The Mechanics of the "Buy with Own Money" Attempt
08:30 Regulatory Hurdles and the SEC's Response
11:15 Lessons Learned from the Failed Acquisition
14:00 Final Thoughts and Implications for Music Business

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> It's game over for Bill Ackman's $64 billion buyout bid for Universal Music Group, but the billionaire activist may have another music biz play up his sleeve. On this episode, Bill and Sami recap Ackman's longshot and discuss whether tricky deals like these are good for the creative community and music companies.

Table of Contents
00:00 Introduction: The Bill Ackman & UMG Deal
01:25 Understanding SPACs and the PSTH Strategy
03:10 Universal Music Group's Market Position
05:45 The Mechanics of the "Buy with Own Money" Attempt
08:30 Regulatory Hurdles and the SEC's Response
11:15 Lessons Learned from the Failed Acquisition
14:00 Final Thoughts and Implications for Music Business

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg 98798117-ba76-4f50-9033-147f5ed98cd5 Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:05:26 -0400 967 13 false Drake Rules The Charts, But Still Claims UMG Ruined His Career Drake Rules The Charts, But Still Claims UMG Ruined His Career Drake makes history with three chart-topping album drops plus 42 tracks burning up the Billboard Hot 100... all at the same time! And also at the same time he’s suing UMG for allegedly damaging him by boosting Kendrick Lamar in the “Not Like Us” diss war.

Music law ace Matt Buser of Buser Legal in Miami joins Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi of Raines Feldman Littrell in Los Angeles to add it all up.

]]> Drake makes history with three chart-topping album drops plus 42 tracks burning up the Billboard Hot 100... all at the same time! And also at the same time he’s suing UMG for allegedly damaging him by boosting Kendrick Lamar in the “Not Like Us” diss war.

Music law ace Matt Buser of Buser Legal in Miami joins Bill Hochberg and Sami Kazi of Raines Feldman Littrell in Los Angeles to add it all up.

]]> Bill Hochberg ec2dd84d-26ca-4985-a401-6970d3cf9b64 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:00 -0400 2056 12 false Can Robots Replace Rappers? Let's Find Out Can Robots Replace Rappers? Let's Find Out In this episode, we generate a rap diss war between Chat GPT and Grok. Warning: Explicit Language from Elon and Sam's angry gangsta robots! Given the recent lawsuit between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, what could be more appropriate? But it gets out of control fast when rap-bots go full OG and we need to speed-press the bleeper button. We asked Claude and Gemini to join in the beef, but they respectfully refused. Well respect flies out the window when we invite the Chinese DeepSeek rap-bot to enter the battle stage, and it trashes the American rap-bots mercilessly... From the CPT to the GPT, it's OG NWA with LLMs on fire!

Don’t forget to subscribe, like and please comment to tell us what you think.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> In this episode, we generate a rap diss war between Chat GPT and Grok. Warning: Explicit Language from Elon and Sam's angry gangsta robots! Given the recent lawsuit between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, what could be more appropriate? But it gets out of control fast when rap-bots go full OG and we need to speed-press the bleeper button. We asked Claude and Gemini to join in the beef, but they respectfully refused. Well respect flies out the window when we invite the Chinese DeepSeek rap-bot to enter the battle stage, and it trashes the American rap-bots mercilessly... From the CPT to the GPT, it's OG NWA with LLMs on fire!

Don’t forget to subscribe, like and please comment to tell us what you think.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg 28ddf173-0f31-4d36-aa36-5f2fdecac65d Wed, 27 May 2026 13:01:48 -0400 1112 false Ye Won, Even If Jury Said He Lost – His Lawyer Explains Ye Won, Even If Jury Said He Lost – His Lawyer Explains After a jury found he infringed a copyright for Grammy-winning track "Hurricane," most would say it was a huge loss for Ye (formerly Kanye West). But Ye and his lawyer think otherwise. Bill Hochberg talks with the rap superstar's trial attorney and some surprising aspects not uncovered in mainstream media are revealed, as well as a preview of the upcoming appeal.
And read Bill's Forbes article on it here:
https://tinyurl.com/4hzdh6a6

Table of Content

00:00 – Introduction
02:40 – The Damage Award
05:09 – Private Equity Backing Behind the Lawsuit
08:35 – Listening Party vs. Official Release
14:54 – Song Credits & Industry Standards
16:25 – Legal Precedents: When are Chord Progressions Protectable?
20:47 – Summary Judgment Breakdown
25:20 – The Plaintiff’s Damage Theory
28:01 – The "Implied License" Issue
32:33 – A Key Jury Instruction Critiqued
37:19 – Wrap-up

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> After a jury found he infringed a copyright for Grammy-winning track "Hurricane," most would say it was a huge loss for Ye (formerly Kanye West). But Ye and his lawyer think otherwise. Bill Hochberg talks with the rap superstar's trial attorney and some surprising aspects not uncovered in mainstream media are revealed, as well as a preview of the upcoming appeal.
And read Bill's Forbes article on it here:
https://tinyurl.com/4hzdh6a6

Table of Content

00:00 – Introduction
02:40 – The Damage Award
05:09 – Private Equity Backing Behind the Lawsuit
08:35 – Listening Party vs. Official Release
14:54 – Song Credits & Industry Standards
16:25 – Legal Precedents: When are Chord Progressions Protectable?
20:47 – Summary Judgment Breakdown
25:20 – The Plaintiff’s Damage Theory
28:01 – The "Implied License" Issue
32:33 – A Key Jury Instruction Critiqued
37:19 – Wrap-up

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg da7bc124-9ddf-40e6-be5f-a42086a807c8 Thu, 21 May 2026 14:49:12 -0400 2268 10 false Is Art That Looks Just Like A Marshall Amp An Infringement? Is Art That Looks Just Like A Marshall Amp An Infringement? Can Kaz Oshiro be sued for making awesome amp art? Anyone in the music biz knows there’s something ultra-American about iconic guitar amps, and it takes a Japanese artist like Kaz to capture it perfectly with his hyper-realistic Fender, Sunn, Marshall and Orange amps – OK, Marshall and Orange are UK amps, but the Brits invaded America, so it’s all on our soil. Oshiro’s mixed media masterpieces are made by hand right down to the knobs, screws, scratches and sweat stains? Is it Fair Use or infringement? Bill and Sami discuss art, law and lore with Kaz and take away some amped-up stories and surprising conclusions.
#musicbiz #schmoozicbiz


More on Kaz Oshiro at these and other fine galleries:
https://www.makigallery.com/artists_e...
https://galeriefrankelbaz.com/artists...
And look him up on Instagram.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business, law and art of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Can Kaz Oshiro be sued for making awesome amp art? Anyone in the music biz knows there’s something ultra-American about iconic guitar amps, and it takes a Japanese artist like Kaz to capture it perfectly with his hyper-realistic Fender, Sunn, Marshall and Orange amps – OK, Marshall and Orange are UK amps, but the Brits invaded America, so it’s all on our soil. Oshiro’s mixed media masterpieces are made by hand right down to the knobs, screws, scratches and sweat stains? Is it Fair Use or infringement? Bill and Sami discuss art, law and lore with Kaz and take away some amped-up stories and surprising conclusions.
#musicbiz #schmoozicbiz


More on Kaz Oshiro at these and other fine galleries:
https://www.makigallery.com/artists_e...
https://galeriefrankelbaz.com/artists...
And look him up on Instagram.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business, law and art of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, Spotify (Video), and TikTok... links in the profile.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes and other top publications on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg 8e119476-8dbd-4cba-a459-7b0c2081ea08 Tue, 12 May 2026 15:02:10 -0400 1552 9 false Why Bill Ackman Is Really Bidding On UMG Why Bill Ackman Is Really Bidding On UMG Billionaire acti-vestor Bill Ackman’s bid for Universal Music Group may just be designed to pump up the stock price so he can unload his poorly performing investment in the company at a profit. Others say he may aim to transform the world's biggest music operation for an AI world. And yet others say he wants to control culture ...
Bill breaks it down with music attorneys David Helfant, who represents legacy legends like Alice Cooper and Jackson Brown, as well as Sami Kazi, whose clients include ground-breaking emerging artists and start-ups.
We dive into the culture and the numbers to figure out whether Ackman's run on UMG is genius or a gambler's gaffe.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz with Bill Hochberg on YouTube and follow us on
Instagram, TikTok, Spotify (video) and Apple Music.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Billionaire acti-vestor Bill Ackman’s bid for Universal Music Group may just be designed to pump up the stock price so he can unload his poorly performing investment in the company at a profit. Others say he may aim to transform the world's biggest music operation for an AI world. And yet others say he wants to control culture ...
Bill breaks it down with music attorneys David Helfant, who represents legacy legends like Alice Cooper and Jackson Brown, as well as Sami Kazi, whose clients include ground-breaking emerging artists and start-ups.
We dive into the culture and the numbers to figure out whether Ackman's run on UMG is genius or a gambler's gaffe.

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music, subscribe to Shmoozic Biz with Bill Hochberg on YouTube and follow us on
Instagram, TikTok, Spotify (video) and Apple Music.

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg 616ac92d-b66a-439b-968e-fbcf528d3c43 Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:20:06 -0400 3739 8 false How Snoop Dogg Dodged Fed Weed Ban With His "SWED" Trademark How Snoop Dogg Dodged Fed Weed Ban With His "SWED" Trademark In this episode, Bill chats with top trademark attorney and law professor Rami Yanni about just how Snoop Dogg managed to obtain approval from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his weed store called SWED, after a similar application for “Smoke Weed Every Day" was rejected... even though SWED is just an acronym of the refused mark. We talk about how the USPTO either doesn't notice the relationship between the marks, or doesn't care.
Bill and Rami also look at how Snoop, a rap-capitalist with robust side hustles, doesn't just have a Los Angeles dispensary, but also one in Amsterdam, and how he has pending trademark applications in many countries around the world. And we look at how President Trump's unpredictable policies make it hard to determine where the weed world is headed.

Bill also writes about Snoop's trademark maneuvers in Forbes here: https://tinyurl.com/3f56cyya

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto
Photo of Snoop Dogg from Wikimedia Commons: Bruce Baker from Sydney, Australia

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> In this episode, Bill chats with top trademark attorney and law professor Rami Yanni about just how Snoop Dogg managed to obtain approval from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his weed store called SWED, after a similar application for “Smoke Weed Every Day" was rejected... even though SWED is just an acronym of the refused mark. We talk about how the USPTO either doesn't notice the relationship between the marks, or doesn't care.
Bill and Rami also look at how Snoop, a rap-capitalist with robust side hustles, doesn't just have a Los Angeles dispensary, but also one in Amsterdam, and how he has pending trademark applications in many countries around the world. And we look at how President Trump's unpredictable policies make it hard to determine where the weed world is headed.

Bill also writes about Snoop's trademark maneuvers in Forbes here: https://tinyurl.com/3f56cyya

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto
Photo of Snoop Dogg from Wikimedia Commons: Bruce Baker from Sydney, Australia

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances.

]]> Bill Hochberg 441b9ce5-5a42-47e9-94a3-4870c0b75753 Wed, 22 Apr 2026 20:57:22 -0400 1556 7 false Hear From Lawyer Battling The Music Biz At The Supreme Court Hear From Lawyer Battling The Music Biz At The Supreme Court In this episode, music attorney Tim Kappel speaks with Shmoozic Biz about his David and Goliath battle likely to go to the U.S. Supreme Court. There are billions at stake for music companies and investors who may get a big hit – and not the kind they like – if the high court decides music creators and their heirs can claw back their legacy catalogs worldwide. Tim and Bill break down the complicated but artist-compassionate statute that gives termination and reversion rights to authors and their heirs, no matter how bad the contract was they may have signed decades earlier. The implications for the music industry of worldwide terminations for legacy catalogs are in the billions annually. Bill also writes about this landmark legal showdown in Forbes.

]]> In this episode, music attorney Tim Kappel speaks with Shmoozic Biz about his David and Goliath battle likely to go to the U.S. Supreme Court. There are billions at stake for music companies and investors who may get a big hit – and not the kind they like – if the high court decides music creators and their heirs can claw back their legacy catalogs worldwide. Tim and Bill break down the complicated but artist-compassionate statute that gives termination and reversion rights to authors and their heirs, no matter how bad the contract was they may have signed decades earlier. The implications for the music industry of worldwide terminations for legacy catalogs are in the billions annually. Bill also writes about this landmark legal showdown in Forbes.

]]> Bill Hochberg fca57a50-15a0-4e14-b7e9-9209171effb0 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:01:52 -0400 3889 6 false Pop Imposters: Can Major Labels Stop Jutin Biber and Kendrik Laamar? Pop Imposters: Can Major Labels Stop Jutin Biber and Kendrik Laamar? Pop imposters are making bank off of sped-up and remixed versions of copyrighted tracks by the real Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar and Ariana Grande, among other pop stars. On this episode, Bill is joined by law colleagues Sami Kazi and Taylor Coley to breakdown why this activity is against the law and why major music labels just settled their $500 million lawsuit against music distributors TuneCore and Believe Music for allegedly profiting off these massive identify thefts. We also look at whether the recent Cox v Sony Supreme Court ruling letting the media company off the hook for not taking action after warnings from Sony about massive copyright infringements. Are TuneCore, Believe and these pop identity thieves also getting away with something? We break it down.  

Chapters: 

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Why Did UMG Sue Believe

02:30 How Crooks Steal Pop Song IDs

03:17 How Cox v Sony May Relate

04:47 The Safe Harbor's Not So Safe

06:64 Sec. 512 of the DMCA's Scope

08:40 Should Distributors Be Liable?

09:37 Who is Jutin Biber? 

10:17 Trademark Claims Too

11:34 Looking to the Future

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music subscribe to Shmoozic Biz with Bill Hochberg on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify and Apple Music.  

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes on the business and law of music. 

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this program without seeking legal or other professional advice on your specific matter. This program contains general information and may not reflect current legal developments or address your specific situation. This program and the associated written materials are not intended as a solicitation.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

]]> Pop imposters are making bank off of sped-up and remixed versions of copyrighted tracks by the real Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar and Ariana Grande, among other pop stars. On this episode, Bill is joined by law colleagues Sami Kazi and Taylor Coley to breakdown why this activity is against the law and why major music labels just settled their $500 million lawsuit against music distributors TuneCore and Believe Music for allegedly profiting off these massive identify thefts. We also look at whether the recent Cox v Sony Supreme Court ruling letting the media company off the hook for not taking action after warnings from Sony about massive copyright infringements. Are TuneCore, Believe and these pop identity thieves also getting away with something? We break it down.  

Chapters: 

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Why Did UMG Sue Believe

02:30 How Crooks Steal Pop Song IDs

03:17 How Cox v Sony May Relate

04:47 The Safe Harbor's Not So Safe

06:64 Sec. 512 of the DMCA's Scope

08:40 Should Distributors Be Liable?

09:37 Who is Jutin Biber? 

10:17 Trademark Claims Too

11:34 Looking to the Future

For news, views and shmooze you can use about the business and law of music subscribe to Shmoozic Biz with Bill Hochberg on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify and Apple Music.  

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP and he writes regularly in Forbes on the business and law of music. 

DISCLAIMER: This program and the associated written materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this program without seeking legal or other professional advice on your specific matter. This program contains general information and may not reflect current legal developments or address your specific situation. This program and the associated written materials are not intended as a solicitation.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

]]> Bill Hochberg b4f1044f-39c1-49fd-a624-0df136255bf5 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:30:00 -0400 819 1 5 false Bruno Mars Takes Vibes From Classic Hits - Is That Now Legal? Bruno Mars Takes Vibes From Classic Hits - Is That Now Legal? In this episode, host Bill Hochberg talks with his A-list panel about how it is that songs from Bruno Mars’ new #1 album “The Romantic” sound so much like classic hits of the 70s but apparently he's not worried about copyright infringement lawsuits. After the “Blurred Lines” case where Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke lost big time against the Marvin Gaye estate, even when there were no direct parallels between any parts of the melodies, harmonies or lyrics, many in the music biz feared copyright infringement suits even for the slightest similarities… Even crowd noises or high hat cymbal beats seemed fertile grounds for a multi million dollar lawsuit.

But then along came our guest Peter Anderson of Davis Wright Tremaine, who won the landmark “Stairway to Heaven” case, successfully defending Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant against copyright infringement charges in federal district court and on appeal. Peter has also represented the Weeknd, Miley Cyrus, and many other top stars. 

Peter won, even though “Stairway to Heaven” shares identical chords and bass line in certain spots with the plaintiff’s song.  That case helped re-establish the pre-“Blurred Lines” common sense where common musical elements are seen as “building blocks” of music that can’t be horded by anyone. Next you had defensive wins by Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry (on appeal) and others… and finally, that takes us to Bruno Mars’ latest outing that, according to the Guardian and others, has songs that are obviously super similar to classic hits of the past.  But nowadays, it seems you can borrow a vibe and yet not cross the line into a copyright courtroom catastrophe. 

Peter and Bill are also joined in the convo by top music transactional attorney Brigitte Alanis, attorney for Alex Warren, whose song “Ordinary” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks last year, Victoria Monet, and whose firm King Holmes Paterno and Soriano also represents Dr. Dre, Metallica and many other superstars of music. 

Finally, Bill is joined by Lee Knife, the former head of DiMA, the trade organization that rep’d Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube and other streaming giants.

 

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman and Littrell and he writes regularly in Forbes on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto, available on Spotify.

NO LEGAL ADVICE IS BEING PRESENTED IN THE PODCAST.

]]> In this episode, host Bill Hochberg talks with his A-list panel about how it is that songs from Bruno Mars’ new #1 album “The Romantic” sound so much like classic hits of the 70s but apparently he's not worried about copyright infringement lawsuits. After the “Blurred Lines” case where Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke lost big time against the Marvin Gaye estate, even when there were no direct parallels between any parts of the melodies, harmonies or lyrics, many in the music biz feared copyright infringement suits even for the slightest similarities… Even crowd noises or high hat cymbal beats seemed fertile grounds for a multi million dollar lawsuit.

But then along came our guest Peter Anderson of Davis Wright Tremaine, who won the landmark “Stairway to Heaven” case, successfully defending Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant against copyright infringement charges in federal district court and on appeal. Peter has also represented the Weeknd, Miley Cyrus, and many other top stars. 

Peter won, even though “Stairway to Heaven” shares identical chords and bass line in certain spots with the plaintiff’s song.  That case helped re-establish the pre-“Blurred Lines” common sense where common musical elements are seen as “building blocks” of music that can’t be horded by anyone. Next you had defensive wins by Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry (on appeal) and others… and finally, that takes us to Bruno Mars’ latest outing that, according to the Guardian and others, has songs that are obviously super similar to classic hits of the past.  But nowadays, it seems you can borrow a vibe and yet not cross the line into a copyright courtroom catastrophe. 

Peter and Bill are also joined in the convo by top music transactional attorney Brigitte Alanis, attorney for Alex Warren, whose song “Ordinary” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks last year, Victoria Monet, and whose firm King Holmes Paterno and Soriano also represents Dr. Dre, Metallica and many other superstars of music. 

Finally, Bill is joined by Lee Knife, the former head of DiMA, the trade organization that rep’d Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube and other streaming giants.

 

Bill Hochberg is a music and media lawyer at Raines Feldman and Littrell and he writes regularly in Forbes on the business and law of music.

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto, available on Spotify.

NO LEGAL ADVICE IS BEING PRESENTED IN THE PODCAST.

]]> Bill Hochberg 7c1d799b-0995-45fd-acaa-b7d9985e5486 Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:04:14 -0400 523 1 4 false Pharrell Is No Musician - Chad Hugo's Complaint Says Pharrell Is No Musician - Chad Hugo's Complaint Says What began as a messy business dispute between legendary production partners Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams has escalated into a much stranger fight: who actually created the music behind The Neptunes.

In the full episode of the Shmoozic Biz podcast, music attorney and journalist Bill Hochberg and his associate Sami Kazi break down the amended lawsuit Hugo filed against Pharrell Williams — and why the case now raises serious copyright ownership questions.

Originally filed as a partnership dispute over roughly $1 million in unpaid proceeds, the lawsuit has now been expanded to include copyright claims involving eight songs, including tracks from Rosalía’s Motomami album.

Beyond the legal fight, the case also raises a provocative question about modern pop production: who actually creates the music—and who gets the credit?

You can also read more about the case in my Forbes article here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9kdb6v

Musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by Billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

]]> What began as a messy business dispute between legendary production partners Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams has escalated into a much stranger fight: who actually created the music behind The Neptunes.

In the full episode of the Shmoozic Biz podcast, music attorney and journalist Bill Hochberg and his associate Sami Kazi break down the amended lawsuit Hugo filed against Pharrell Williams — and why the case now raises serious copyright ownership questions.

Originally filed as a partnership dispute over roughly $1 million in unpaid proceeds, the lawsuit has now been expanded to include copyright claims involving eight songs, including tracks from Rosalía’s Motomami album.

Beyond the legal fight, the case also raises a provocative question about modern pop production: who actually creates the music—and who gets the credit?

You can also read more about the case in my Forbes article here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9kdb6v

Musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by Billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

]]> Bill Hochberg c1831b37-49cb-44cd-acc3-ab69ccd1e8e7 Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:06:55 -0400 52 1 1 false Don't Lie About Using Suno In Your Music: Top Music Attorneys Don't Lie About Using Suno In Your Music: Top Music Attorneys In this episode we go from Suno Stars to Bruno Mars and what every music pro should know about AI copyrights. Bill's joined by Peter Anderson, superstar litigator for the Weeknd, Cardi B, Led Zep's Plant & Page; Brigitte Alanis, transactional lawyer for Alex Warren and Victoria Monet, and Lee Knife, former head of DiMA, the trade org for Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and more. From Suno to Bruno Mars, it's a fascinating convo about how we protect music and whether that should change.

]]> In this episode we go from Suno Stars to Bruno Mars and what every music pro should know about AI copyrights. Bill's joined by Peter Anderson, superstar litigator for the Weeknd, Cardi B, Led Zep's Plant & Page; Brigitte Alanis, transactional lawyer for Alex Warren and Victoria Monet, and Lee Knife, former head of DiMA, the trade org for Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and more. From Suno to Bruno Mars, it's a fascinating convo about how we protect music and whether that should change.

]]> Bill Hochberg 964f680e-f09d-4487-8323-4cce9f6f1f2e Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:13:09 -0400 3668 1 3 false Superstar Music Attorney Sues Former Law Partner - Why? Superstar Music Attorney Sues Former Law Partner - Why? Dina LaPolt is one of the best-known music lawyers and she’s locked in an ugly legal fight with a young lawyer who used to work for her. It seems to revolve around a music licensing screw-up with both lawyers pointing the fingers at each other. One attorney accuses the other of defamation, the other shoots back with a civil rights wrongful termination lawsuit and muddy accusations of all kinds fly back and forth.

We don’t take a position on who’s right and who’s wrong in this legal mess. Instead, we strive to derive a teachable moment. And we discuss just what the all-important synchronization license is.  Why do you need one? How do you properly secure one? What happens if you don’t?  Those are key questions we delve into on this episode that we hope will help others avoid this kind of frightful fight caught in a courtroom spotlight.

 

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

 

Chapters:

 

00:00 Teaser

00:41 Intro

01:24 Finger Pointing

03:12 What Do The Complaints Say?

03:50 What Is A Synch License?

08:09 Who Are Synch Agents?  

09:17 Platform Blanket Licenses

10:15 Off Platform Usages

12:01 Group Chat Becomes Evidence

13:40 Benefit Of The Doubt

14:31 How To Avoid This Problem

14:58 Pulling The Blanket Up

16:25 Outro

 

Don’t forget to subscribe for more deep dives into the music business, law, and industry power dynamics from Shmoozic Biz. https://www.youtube.com/@shmoozicbiz

 

Follow us on social media:

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/billeeto/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/bill.hochberg

LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/in/whochberg/

]]> Dina LaPolt is one of the best-known music lawyers and she’s locked in an ugly legal fight with a young lawyer who used to work for her. It seems to revolve around a music licensing screw-up with both lawyers pointing the fingers at each other. One attorney accuses the other of defamation, the other shoots back with a civil rights wrongful termination lawsuit and muddy accusations of all kinds fly back and forth.

We don’t take a position on who’s right and who’s wrong in this legal mess. Instead, we strive to derive a teachable moment. And we discuss just what the all-important synchronization license is.  Why do you need one? How do you properly secure one? What happens if you don’t?  Those are key questions we delve into on this episode that we hope will help others avoid this kind of frightful fight caught in a courtroom spotlight.

 

Our musical theme is "8 Church Birds" by billeeto. https://tinyurl.com/billeeto

 

Chapters:

 

00:00 Teaser

00:41 Intro

01:24 Finger Pointing

03:12 What Do The Complaints Say?

03:50 What Is A Synch License?

08:09 Who Are Synch Agents?  

09:17 Platform Blanket Licenses

10:15 Off Platform Usages

12:01 Group Chat Becomes Evidence

13:40 Benefit Of The Doubt

14:31 How To Avoid This Problem

14:58 Pulling The Blanket Up

16:25 Outro

 

Don’t forget to subscribe for more deep dives into the music business, law, and industry power dynamics from Shmoozic Biz. https://www.youtube.com/@shmoozicbiz

 

Follow us on social media:

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/billeeto/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/bill.hochberg

LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/in/whochberg/

]]> Bill Hochberg 1f9f38d6-c3d6-496b-b3c2-45b7f70c22f8 Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:22:52 -0400 1023 1 2 false Chad Hugo Claims Pharrell Williams Isn't A Real Musician Chad Hugo Claims Pharrell Williams Isn't A Real Musician Is Chad Hugo saying Pharrell Williams is not really a musician? On this episode we explore in depth the courtroom battle between members of the once toppermost pop music production duo the Neptunes, and we gain some teachable moments for those interested in the law and business of music. Bill Hochberg is joined by his associate Sami Kazi to get the down low and the high up on this interesting case.

]]> Is Chad Hugo saying Pharrell Williams is not really a musician? On this episode we explore in depth the courtroom battle between members of the once toppermost pop music production duo the Neptunes, and we gain some teachable moments for those interested in the law and business of music. Bill Hochberg is joined by his associate Sami Kazi to get the down low and the high up on this interesting case.

]]> Bill Hochberg 85a80310-dad5-44f4-8653-ade35de721ff Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:46:08 -0400 863 1 1 false