Super Fans and Super Strikes

This week, the crew digs into two timely stories providing some new perspective on this crazy little thing called music. First, they dig into the rising influence of so-called “super fans”: folks who consume content from their favorite artists along 5 or more distinct channels. According to recent research they are not just a thing—they’re increasingly driving the industry. What does this rampant physical consumption tell us about the digital world? Does it follow the endless trend for infinitely increasing commodification? Or does its very irrationality suggest…an off ramp? THEN, a discussion of one of the biggest labor stories in a year full of them: the Hollywood strikes! Saxon and Sam dissect some of the macroeconomic forces behind demands from writers and actors, and try to puzzle out why this all went down now. More topically, they also wonder whether anything like this could ever happen for music—and think through what a lack of labor representation means for the industry shaping conversations of the future.   Music: Lona Mesa - "Spaceman"    "Time to Break Up Hollywood"  - Matt Stoller  

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