Is Streaming Killing Music—or Saving It? With a Top Spotify Exec

In this episode of The Town, Matt Belloni interviews Charlie Hellman, VP and global head of music at Spotify, along with Lucas Shaw, to discuss the ongoing debate over artist royalties in the music streaming industry. Hellman defends Spotify's payout model, highlighting the company's Loud and Clear report, which claims record payouts to artists. The conversation addresses concerns about lower royalty rates from bundled services, the complexities of payment distribution, and the impact of international markets and indie artists on the platform. They also explore the growth of podcasts and audiobooks on Spotify, competition with YouTube, and the potential influence of AI on music creation and distribution. The episode concludes with a discussion of a potential premium service, Spotify Max, and the most valid criticisms of Spotify from the music industry. Additionally, Matt Belloni briefly discusses the resignation of Wendy McMahon from CBS News and its connection to a potential settlement with Donald Trump over a Kamala Harris interview.