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The Price of Music

Music Ally
Spotify
Music Industry
Universal Music Group
AI In Music
Streaming Services
Music Venue Trust
Ticketmaster
Oasis
Tiktok
Ai-Generated Music
Music Festivals
Streaming
Youtube
Streaming Royalties
Grassroots Venues
Bandcamp
Vinyl Records
Uk Live Music Industry
Music Streaming
Kate Nash

The Price of Music: your essential weekly music biz explainer – with Stuart Dredge and Joe Sparrow.

Become a Price of Music Superfan and get extra content every week – at patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic

Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge

Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod

For sponsorship email - joe@musically.com

The Price of Music is a Music Ally production:

musically.com/ more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes131Founded2 years ago
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MusicMusic Commentary

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Artwork for The Price of Music

Latest Episodes

Your easy weekly guide to the music biz and how it all works. Become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Superfan of the podcast for free – and enjoy the exclusive weekly Lock-in bonus section! ⁠ This week:

→ Enigmatic duo Boards of Canada have beef with the White Hou... more

Your easy weekly guide to the music biz and how it all works. Become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Superfan of the podcast for free – and enjoy the exclusive weekly Lock-in bonus section! This week, Producer Joe steps into some big shoes to chat with Stuart about:... more

Your easy weekly guide to the music biz and how it all works. Become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Superfan of the podcast for free – and enjoy the exclusive weekly Lock-in bonus section!

This week... Steve is back from the Great Escape music showcase festival and... more

Your easy weekly guide to the music biz and how it all works. Become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Superfan of the podcast for free – and enjoy the exclusive weekly Lock-in bonus section!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week... Stu's back from his travels and joins Steve to discuss bee... more

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Recent Guests

Ashli Todd
Owner of Spillers Records, Cardiff
Spillers Records
Episode: Radiohead's secret bunker; the Kanye/Wireless fallout; and how is the world's oldest record shop preparing for Record Store Day 2026? We chat to owner Ashli Todd to find out...
Ella (Picture Parlour)
Member of Picture Parlour, indie band
Picture Parlour
Episode: Asking fans to help wind the cables: Picture Parlour on what it's really like to be a touring indie band in 2026
David Martin
CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition
FAC
Episode: Asking fans to help wind the cables: Picture Parlour on what it's really like to be a touring indie band in 2026
Niamh Byrne
Co-founder of Eleven Management and chair of the MMF, who has worked with artists like Gorillaz.
Eleven Management
Episode: “Managers do a lot more than they used to...” – super-manager Niamh Byrne on Gorillaz, how the role of manager is changing, and more
Ricky Bates
Operator of The Joiners in Southampton, involved in saving the venue from financial collapse.
The Joiners
Episode: The battle to keep one of the UK's great grassroots venues alive, buying the venue with the help of the community, and the many challenges small venues face in 2026 – with Ricky Bates of The Joiners
Eddie Argos
Frontman of Art Brute
Art Brute
Episode: The Price of Music Christmas Quiz 2025!
John Rostron
CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals
Association of Independent Festivals
Episode: How difficult is it to put on a music festival these days, anyway?
Matt Griffiths
CEO of Youth Music
Youth Music
Episode: Interview: Youth Music CEO Matt Griffiths
Simon Raymond
Musician and interviewer
Episode: Spotify and Universal sign new licensing deal, Deezer publishing 10,000 AI-generated tracks every day

Hosts

Steve Lamacq
Longstanding music broadcaster and journalist, co-hosting discussions on industry economics, policy, and culture with deep knowledge of UK scenes.
Stuart Dredge
Longtime music journalist and analyst specializing in industry trends, touring economics, and technology's impact on music business models.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 192 ratings
  • Friendly & Factual

    These gents really demystify the music biz with plain speak and concrete facts that help you get your head around all the changes, trends and emerging tech in global music.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DJ Tomas/Umoja Sound
    United States6 months ago
  • Great music business pod but …

    The perfect pod if I could understand Stuart, I tend to lose the second half of his sentences, maybe it’s a levels/compression thing, hopefully can be improved as what (I think) is being said is great!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Andy J F (Piano)
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • Good for opinion, bad for detail

    It’s a fun listen but it’s surface level. The obvious comparison is price of football…. There Kieron Maguire can go incredibly deep on a subject as where this pod lacks that person. It’s great to get an opinion on the industry but it would be a better show if it had an expert and or researcher

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    AndrewSouth1066
    United Kingdom8 months ago
  • Great Podcast

    I love listening to this. What fun if Kevin and Kieran did this one and Marc and Stuart did The Price of Football 😂

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SmartyMart06
    United Kingdom10 months ago
  • Great for Music Industry Professionals

    This is the perfect podcast for those who are trying to be more educated about the business of the music industry.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    cprincejr
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The coverage on AI, licensing, and policy is highly valued by professionals.
Some listeners wish for deeper subject-matter expertise or guests to complement the hosts' analysis.
Listeners describe the show as clear, practical, and engaging with strong industry insight.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Asking fans to help wind the cables: Picture Parlour on what it's really like to be a touring indie band in 2026
Q: What is the UK Artist Touring Fund and who can access it?
The fund aims to support headline tours with conditions to prevent loopholes, cover up to 40% of tour costs, and require upfront funding to show real demand, with expansions planned as the program matures to help more artists across regions.
Asking fans to help wind the cables: Picture Parlour on what it's really like to be a touring indie band in 2026
Q: What surprised you about major label deals and how did touring finances impact your expectations?
We learned that a major label deal isn't the golden ticket you imagine; financial realities are tight, touring costs rise, and you still need to budget carefully to pay crew and travel, which can strain the band's finances even after a sign.
Asking fans to help wind the cables: Picture Parlour on what it's really like to be a touring indie band in 2026
Q: How did you meet and what did The Castle mean to you as fans and artists?
We met at The Castle in Manchester, a venue that became a community hub; it was the launching pad where we decided to jam together, which led to writing and eventually forming Picture Parlour as a band, with The Castle acting as a lifeline in our early days.
Twigs Vs Twigs! Just how big is country music in the UK now?; Timbaland's new artist is unreal; Digging for deep cuts; and how much is AI Slop worth?
Q: Is country music the fastest growing genre in the UK, and can we prove it?
The hosts explain that while country music is growing, it is doing so from a small base, with data from the BPI showing doubling of share from 2022 to 2024 and Spotify data indicating a large rise in streams since 2020, but it remains a sixth largest genre and not poised to eclipse others soon.
Phonk: the biggest genre you've (probably) not heard of; Only 20% of the 2025 UK Top 100 were performed by UK artists; What is 'radio plugging'?; and your ashes in an urn that's also a speaker...
Q: What is Phonk?
Phonk is described as a subgenre of hip-hop and trap with jazz influences that has gained substantial online traction and in gaming, largely through background usage in videos and streams rather than through conventional radio play.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Price of Music

What is The Price of Music about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Two seasoned music industry commentators unpack weekly developments across the business, from streaming economics and AI-enabled creation to live-music policy, licensing, and platform changes. Episodes mix data-driven analysis with candid industry commentary, often tying global trends to the UK scene, touring economics, and artist revenues. Notable is the recurring focus on how technology, policy, and market shifts reshape who gets paid and how fans engage, plus occasional guest perspectives on management, venues, and grassroots funding. The format tends to blend sharp analysis with accessible storytelling, making it useful for professionals tracking the music economy and opportunity areas for sponsorship or media partnerships.

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How many listeners does The Price of Music get?

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Which podcasts are similar to The Price of Music?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Price of Music:

1. The Price of Football
2. Word In Your Ear
3. Rockonteurs with Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt
4. Kermode & Mayo’s Take
5. The Totally Football Show with James Richardson

How many episodes of The Price of Music are there?

The Price of Music launched 2 years ago and published 131 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Price of Music?

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Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Price of Music?

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What guests have appeared on The Price of Music?

Recent guests on The Price of Music include:

1. Ashli Todd
2. Ella (Picture Parlour)
3. David Martin
4. Niamh Byrne
5. Ricky Bates
6. Eddie Argos
7. John Rostron
8. Matt Griffiths

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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