Once again CMU is hosting the core strands of the TGE Conference, putting the spotlight on music and education, music and deals, and music and the creator economy.

Here in the CMU Daily this week we will be providing daily updates on what to expect, as well as recommending some artists to check out while you are in Brighton, plus there'll be some streamlined coverage of the latest developments in music and the music business.

As this Daily lands, we are in the middle of discussions about the new National Plan For Music Education for England published by the UK government last June. What does that plan say about supporting young people who aspire to work in the music industry, on or off the stage, and how can that be achieved. We've also selected some key elements of the plan as jumping off points, sparking conversations throughout the rest of the day.

At 11.45am we will be considering the impact of new technologies on music education, before putting the spotlight on online learning, and the platforms, channels, content and mentors many people now rely on when educating themselves about music-making and the music industry. How does that work - and how does that complement more traditional music education. We'll be getting expert insights from Amber Horsburgh, Atlanta Cobb and Rosanna Connolly.

Either side of lunchtime we have today's keynote conversations.

First, at 12.45pm, musician, broadcaster, Chair of BPI and Chair of Youth Music YolanDa Brown will discuss her career as a music-maker, and her ground-breaking work encouraging, educating and supporting the next generation of music talent.

Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter, producer and recently re-elected President of the PRS Members' Council Michelle Escoffery will also discuss her career in music and her creator advocacy role at PRS For Music, as well as what early-career music-makers actually need to focus on to pursue a successful career in the industry.

Then at 2.00pm, you will be able to find out more about Elevate, the professional development programme for early-career music business executives and entrepreneurs, and aspiring music-makers, presented by The Great Escape and CMU, and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

This afternoon we will be navigating the various different career paths in music; we'll be asking what skills are required to succeed in the music business; and we'll look at the evolution of music business education.

Along the way we'll hear from the likes of Jamal Guthrie from Route, Jill Hollywood from Echo Beach Management, Sarah Henderson from MCPR, William Bowerman from WFB Live, Charlene Hegarty from the Oh Yeah Music Centre, Emily Akanimoh from Hospital Records, Erika Thomas from WMA, Sandra Bhatia from OneFest CIC, Jen Anderson from Point Blank Music School & Apex Music International, Lucy Squire from University Of South Wales, Mathew Flynn from University Of Liverpool and Nick Stillwell from SupaJam.

Then we will end the day by asking three music-makers "what is the one thing you wish you'd known at the start of your career?" - and "what have you learnt more recently that has really changed your game?" Discussing their lightbulb moments will be David Ford, Eve Horne and Jack Looker.

All of this happens in Conference 1 at the Leonardo Royal Waterfront hotel. And once the first day of CMU+TGE Sessions is done, we'll all head to the TGE Beach Site for the official Great Escape Welcome Party, presented by BPI.

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We will begin the day by discussing what music-makers who are running their own artist businesses need from their industry partners - including money, marketing and infrastructure - and what assets they have to offer those partners - including rights, revenues and reach. We will then look at the different options now available to artists and the deals they may seek to negotiate.

CMU's Chris Cooke will take you on that journey, and we'll also hear expert insights from - among others - Alex Putman from untitled (recs), Andy Robinson from Interstellar Music Services, Cassine Bering from Briffa, Sarah Jones from Songkick, Sophie Goossens from Reed Smith LLP, Charlie Pierce from Neverno Management, Louis Brown from NQ, Thando Zulu from Zulu Music, Grayson Sanders from Chordal, Mark Terry from beatBread and Pat Carr from Remote Control Agency and The Vertex.

Either side of lunchtime are Thursday's keynote conversations.

At 12.45pm, promoter and Afro Nation co-founder Smade will tell the story of the creation, evolution and global expansion of the Afro Nation festival, and his work promoting and supporting afrobeats music and culture via his Smade Entertainment business.

And then at 2.00pm Ticketmaster's EVP of Global Music David Marcus will discuss the latest trends, innovations and opportunities in the live music and ticketing sector, including how new data technologies and services can help promoters, venues and artists better plan and market their shows, and build stronger connections with their audiences.

In the afternoon, we'll move onto the deals done between the music industry and users of music. We'll look at the latest music consumption trends and ask what impact they will have on the industry's digital deals in the future - and we'll investigate how samples and interpolations are delivering new licensing opportunities for songwriters and music publishers.

All of this happens in Conference 1 at the Leonardo Royal Waterfront hotel. And don't forget, from tomorrow morning there is also a packed programme of panels, workshops, parties and networking events presented by TGE's industry partners. Check out the official TGE app for more information on all of those.

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An Ed Sheeran stream should earn more than the sound of rainfall, says Warner boss
Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl has echoed comments by his Universal counterpart Lucian Grainge on the need to restructure the way streaming royalties are paid out. Speaking on the major label's Q2 earning's call yesterday, he said that "it can't be that [an] Ed Sheeran stream is worth exactly the same thing than a stream of rain falling on the roof".

The former YouTube exec's comments came as he announced disappointing results for the record label, with revenues showing almost no growth year-on-year. Following this, the company's share price fell almost 10%.

Kyncl discussed the current streaming model in response to a question from Deutsche Bank analyst Benjamin Black, who specifically raised Universal's recent statements on the need to restructure how pay outs are made. In response, the Warner boss, like much of the music industry, called for price rises in subscription streaming, before dwelling on the sound of rain.

"I am convinced and various numbers back up that music is significantly undervalued", said Kyncl. He noted that while YouTube's TV subscription price has increased by 100% over five years, the same has not happened with YouTube Music.

"Both businesses grew very successfully and the cause of that is the structure of the agreements with [the streaming services]", he went on. "That structure was really, really good for the [music] industry. It has taken it from a low point to an incredible recurring revenue stream all around the world with massive amounts of people and payment instruments on file, premium experience, personalisation, all of that".

However, he continued, while the current subscription streaming business model "has rebuilt the business, [that] does not mean that it is the right thing for the next ten or 20 years. It has to change and it will change. One of the reasons for that is that there is not a real incentive for price increases that you see in every other industry, but the other is that every stream is valued exactly the same way. And that doesn't seem like something that's aligned with the way the world works".

Using the sports industry as an example, he said: "[Basketball player] LeBron James earns more money than some of his teammates, not because he plays more hours per day, [he] plays exactly the same number of hours, but yet he earns more. [US sports channel] ESPN commands more money per subscriber per month than any other TV channel not because it's consumed more. There is a propensity to pay, there's users, users willingness to remain with the overall services".

"So it can't be that [an] Ed Sheeran stream is worth exactly the same thing than a stream of rain falling on the roof", he went on. "I think we have a misaligned model at this point now that the industry is healthy and has grown incredibly well. I think it's time to re-evaluate how we're licensing to [streaming services], do it together with them, because there are ways to make all of this win-win, but music cannot be the only industry that that doesn't assign value to high value artists and songwriters and that it doesn't drive ARPU growth the way every other industry does".

He insisted that his aim was not to "limit the volume of content" on the streaming services, saying: "I understand that's important for personalisation and choice. I'm looking to change the value equation [from] the way it works today and put in new incentives. It's too early to talk about any other specifics, but I can imagine it is one of the top priorities for me personally to change".

Universal boss Lucian Grainge is also making this one of his top personal priorities, having said in a staff memo at the beginning of the year that "consumers are increasingly being guided by algorithms to lower-quality functional content that in some cases can barely pass for 'music'" on the streaming services.

He said that there is a need to shift to "an innovative, 'artist-centric' model [which] values all subscribers and rewards the music they love. A model that will be a win for artists, fans, and labels alike, and, at the same time, also enhances the value proposition of the platforms themselves, accelerating subscriber growth, and better monetising fandom".

Subsequently, Universal formed alliances with both Tidal and Deezer to investigate how alternative models for paying out streaming income might work. Details on what would constitute a major label led 'artist-centric' model are pretty unclear at the moment.

While complaints about the sound of rainfall being paid the same as an Ed Sheeran song have become the 2023 version of the old 'people will pay for a bottle of water but not a download' complaint, there are concerns in some areas that the majors could seek to limit pay outs for any forms of music they deem as being lower value - such as that released by independent labels or DIY artists.

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LEGAL

A judge has dismissed the majority of Marilyn Manson's defamation claims against actor Evan Rachel Wood under California's so-called anti-SLAPP free speech laws. Wood's attorney, Michael Kump said that Manson had "failed to show that his claims against her have even minimal merit". The musician's legal rep Howard King, meanwhile, said that the court had failed to admit "critical evidence" and therefore there would be "an immediate appeal" against the decision.

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RELEASES

Christine And The Queens has released new single 'Tears Can Be So Soft' from new album 'Paranoia, Angels, True Love', which is out on 9 Jun. "'Tears Can Be So Soft' was born out of the marriage of a Marvin Gaye sample that caught my attention, this intoxicating, elegant, almost poised in its melancholy string arrangement", he says.

Albert Hammond Jr has released eight songs from his new solo album 'Melodies On Hiatus', which is out on 23 Jun. Here's one of those songs, 'Old Man'. "'Old Man' is a song about the passage of time and the realisations that come with it", he says. "Musically, it came to me the quickest of any song on the record".

Creep Show - aka John Grant and Wrangler - have announced that they will release their second album 'Yawning Abyss' on 16 Jun. Out now is new single 'Moneyback'. They've also announced live dates over the summer, including London's Village Underground on 25 Jul.

Jessy Lanza has released new single 'Midnight Ontario'. Her new album 'Love Hallucination' is out on 28 Jul.

This Is The Kit have released new single 'More Change' from their Gruff Rhys-produced album 'Careful Of Your Keepers', which is out on 9 Jun.

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GIGS & TOURS

Lil Yachty has announced UK shows in November and December, including Wembley Arena on 1 Dec. Tickets go on general sale on Friday.

Daði Freyr has announced UK tour dates in November and December, finishing at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London 7 Dec. Tickets go on sale on Friday.

Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.

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