We are the music makers https://wearethemusicmakers.co/latest Music tech and AI in music: the news that matters, what we think about it, and a directory of the tools. en-us Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:30:00 GMT https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ftc-ticketmaster-bots-act-case-survives-dismissal FTC v. Ticketmaster survives dismissal: the BOTS Act and fee claims head to discovery https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ftc-ticketmaster-bots-act-case-survives-dismissal On 28 September 2026 a federal judge in Los Angeles refused to throw out the FTC and seven states' case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster over broker-friendly ticket limits and drip pricing. That isn't a finding that the companies broke the law. It does let the case go ahead on the theory that a ticket platform can be liable under the BOTS Act for reselling tickets brokers got around its limits to buy, and that theory is the part of the ruling artists should care about. Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryticketingbots-actticketmasterartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/spotify-music-pro-reserved-tickets-superfan-artists Spotify's superfan tier still hasn't arrived, but Reserved tickets have. How artists get their top fans picked https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/spotify-music-pro-reserved-tickets-superfan-artists Spotify's reported "Music Pro" superfan add-on, at up to $5.99 a month extra, has still not launched in the West. Instead, Reserved went live in the US on 18 June 2026: two tickets per tour held for top fans, inside ordinary Premium, through Live Nation. Here is what is confirmed, what is only reported, and what artists can actually do. Thu, 18 Jun 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryspotifyticketingsuperfanslive-nation https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/04/ftc-junk-fee-rule-stubhub-10m-ticket-act-stalled All-in ticket prices are now US law: StubHub pays $10M, and the TICKET Act still waits on the Senate https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/04/ftc-junk-fee-rule-stubhub-10m-ticket-act-stalled StubHub has agreed to pay $10 million to settle FTC charges that it hid mandatory fees in the three days after the FTC's fee rule took effect on 12 May 2025. That rule already makes all-in pricing the law for US live-event tickets. The TICKET Act, which would add a ban on speculative tickets and refund rights, passed the House 409-15 almost a year ago and still has no Senate vote. For artists, the rule changes what fans see, not what they pay or who gets the money. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrylive-musicticketingftc