<p><strong>Your weekly guide to the music biz and how it all works. This week, Stu and Joe go football crazy and stick a reducer early doors on this week&#39;s music biz news:</strong></p><p>→ 270. That’s how many ‘unofficial anthems’ called ‘World Cup 2026’ <a href="https://musically.com/2026/06/09/deezer-says-there-are-hundreds-of-ai-generated-world-cup-songs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">have been uploaded to Deezer</a>… and 70% of them are AI slop.</p><p>→ YouTube reckons that its terms of service <a href="https://musically.com/2026/06/10/youtube-claims-broad-license-to-use-music-uploads-for-ai-training/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">allow it to use independent musicians’ uploads to train AI models</a>. Is that really true?</p><p>→ Tupac Shakur has been dead for 30 years – or HAS he, etc etc – but if you think that will stop him returning to his acting career for a new console game, <a href="https://musically.com/2026/06/08/despite-dying-30-years-ago-tupac-shakur-is-acting-in-a-new-game/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">you’re wrong</a>…</p><p>→ Say You, Say Me… just don’t Say It In My Voice Without Permission. Why has Lionel Richie been filing trademarks for some of his most famous sung phrases?</p><p>→ UK indie streaming service Cantilever has <a href="https://musically.com/2026/06/08/curated-music-streaming-service-cantilever-raises-250k-from-independent-labels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">raised £250,000 of funding from a group of independent labels</a>. Can it carve out a niche for itself against giants like Spotify though?</p><p>→ Ariana Grande is one of the ‘good eggs’ of the pop world, and this week brought more evidence of that: her new charitable foundation, and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/ariana-grande-white-house-dont-use-my-music-heinous-nonsense-2026-06-11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">beef with the White House</a>…</p><p>→ The Happy Mondays want to sell you a giant pill. But wait, it’s not what it seems! This is the latest, very literal meeting of physical music and merchandise…</p><p><strong>And in the special post-show lock-in section just for our </strong><a href="https://www.patreon.com/12218634/join" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">⁠⁠<strong>Patreon Superfans</strong>⁠⁠</a><strong>, Stu and Joe prop themselves up at the bar – in this week&#39;s bonus material:</strong> </p><ul><li><p>Stu has used AI to make a stereotypical England-oriented World Cup song. But is it any good? (No.) We listen anyway.</p></li><li><p>Joe and Stu dig into the weird and wonderful Official FIFA World Cup Album</p></li><li><p>What other overly-literal packaging could be made? (Stu has ideas for &#39;Revolver&#39; and Portishead&#39;s &#39;Dummy&#39;)</p></li><li><p>Last week, Stu saw Rufus Wainwright and Joe saw Mike D – but which had the sparkliest shoes? And which one brought out a Pussycat Doll to do a duet?</p></li><li><p>Joe explains why he only buys his gravy and chips on The Strand</p><p>===================================</p><p><strong>As ever, we welcome your feedback, emails and – in particular</strong> – any questions you might have about how the music biz works!</p><p>Email us: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">⁠⁠</a><a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><strong>[email protected]</strong></a><a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">⁠⁠</a></p><p>See you next week!</p><p>Stuart and Joe</p><p>======</p><p>TPOM online: <a href="http://tpom.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">http://tpom.uk/</a></p><p>Support The Price of Music on Patreon:</p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">⁠⁠</a><a href="https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic⁠⁠</a></p><p>Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge</p><p>Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod</p><p>For sponsorship opportunities, please email - <a href="mailto:⁠⁠[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">⁠⁠[email protected]</a></p></li></ul>