The Music Industry’s New Gatekeepers

14 Jun 2026 / 00:33:05

🎵 Spotify now wants to decide who gets first access to concert tickets. Ticketmaster says its queues aren’t quite as random as fans thought. And major record labels are worth tens of billions. So who really controls music now? In this episode of Listener Land, Louis, Geoff and Wayne discuss Spotify’s new superfan ticketing system, Ticketmaster’s controversial queue process, Prince’s unreleased vault recordings, Universal Music’s rejected £48 billion takeover offer, and whether fans are gradually losing control of the music they love. We also ask whether live music has become too polished, whether artists should receive priority treatment over casual listeners, and if unreleased recordings should be released after an artist has passed away. 🎧 New Listener Land episodes every week. 👇 Let us know in the comments: Should Spotify reward its biggest fans with exclusive ticket access, or should everyone get an equal chance? https://listenerland.com @listenerland 00:00 Spotify’s superfan ticket system 02:45 Should loyal listeners get priority? 05:00 Ticketmaster queue controversy 08:55 Rod Stewart’s comment to King Charles 10:05 What actually counts as a residency? 11:40 Has live music become too perfect? 14:40 Live concert or unreleased music? 16:30 Prince’s vault is opening again 19:35 Tribute band quiz 22:15 Universal Music rejects £48bn offer 27:00 Barry Manilow at 82 30:55 Music used to disperse crowds 33:00 Final thoughts #listenerlandpodcast #musicpodcast #spotify #ticketmaster #livemusic #musicindustry #prince #musicnews #theeagles