Topic: Sony Music

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), representing Sony, Universal, and Warner, has filed lawsuits against AI music startups Suno and Udio. The suit alleges the companies illegally used copyrighted recordings to train their AI systems. The hosts discuss the difficulty of "manufacturing" viral hits through technology versus organic humor.

Bruce Springsteen has sold his entire music catalog and publishing rights to Sony for an estimated $500 million. This deal follows a similar trend by artists like David Bowie, though Springsteen's payout is significantly higher. The sale means Springsteen's music will likely be used in widespread commercial advertising, and he may even have to pay royalties to perform his own songs.

Archival audio from 2002 features Michael Jackson accusing Sony Music and executive Tommy Mottola of attempting to destroy his career to gain control of his publishing assets. Jackson highlights his ownership of half of Sony's publishing catalog as the primary motive for the industry's hostility toward him.

Michael Jackson topped the Forbes list of top-earning dead celebrities, making $275 million in 2009. The hosts discuss Jackson's ownership of half of Sony Music Publishing and revisit theories that he was murdered for his valuable music catalog. They criticize the media for continuing to make jokes about Jackson's past legal troubles.

Actor Randy Quaid and his wife have fled to Canada, claiming a "Hollywood whack squad" is responsible for the deaths of actors like Heath Ledger and David Carradine. The hosts discuss the suspicious nature of Michael Jackson's death and the subsequent commercialization of his music catalog, which is half-owned by Sony Music's licensing arm.