Music Biz Headlines: Jean-Pierre Ferland Honoured, Ticketmaster Faces Troubles

The U.S. is Finally Cracking Down on Ticketmaster. Why Isn’t Canada Doing the Same?

As Canadians moan over corporate power, the U.S. is maintaining its long-standing tradition of doing something about it, David Olive writes. – Toronto Star

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Quebec Music Legend Jean-Pierre Ferland Receives a National Funeral

Quebec music legend Jean-Pierre Ferland was honoured with a national funeral in Montreal as the provincial flag flew at half-mast at the National Assembly in Quebec City. – Jon Bongiorno, Canadian Press

Female Musicians Underrepresented on Canadian Radio Playlists: Study

A new report on Canada’s radio airwaves says songs performed by women have been underplayed on commercial music stations for at least the past decade. – David Friend, Canadian Press

Canadian Music Week Tackles Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (and its inherent copyright issues) is still a hot-button topic. This year’s Canadian Music Week (June 1 to 8) devotes two seminars to AI in addition to a third session that looks at the history of transformative technologies in the industry. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail

Hot in Toronto Music Festival Postponed after Headliner Lil Wayne Drops Out

A major Toronto hip-hop music festival has been postponed after organizers say one of its headliners cancelled his appearance. – David Friend, CP

Griffin Poetry Prize Nominees Dream of Bach, Björk and Laurie Anderson

On June 5, at Toronto’s Koerner Hall, the nominated authors for this year’s Griffin Poetry Prize will read from their shortlisted books. After which, the winner of the $130,000 award for a book of poetry written in (or translated into) English will be announced. – Brad Wheeler, Globe & Mail

Three Canadian Classical Music Festivals to Visit this Summer

These Canadian festivals show classical music for what it is: approachable, fun, joyous. Anything goes when it comes to fashion, too – especially when the venue is a farm, a barn, or an amphitheatre. – Catherine Kustanczy, Globe and Mail

HPO Unveils its 140th Anniversary Season

“We are thrilled to present a diverse range of exciting musical programming.” – Leonard Turnevicius, Hamilton Spectator

Festival Afloat Takes to the Water for a Buoyant Music Showcase

Dubbed a paddle-powered music festival, Festival Afloat raises money and awareness for Raven, an organization that raises legal defence funds for Indigenous people protecting their traditional lands. – Vicki Duong, Georgia Straight

The Luminato Festival still offers eclectic art. Here are five can’t-miss shows and events

The 18th edition of the international arts festival includes something for everyone, from big public art to intimate solo shows – and everything in between. – Glenn Sumi, Toronto Star

International

Spotify is Upping the Price of its Premium Subscription in the United States to $11.99 per Month

Spotify said in a blog post June 3 that it’s updating its pricing in the market so that it “can continue to invest in and innovate on our product features." – Murray Stassen, Music Business Worldwide

VC Says ‘Chaos’ Coming for Startups, Ads and Online Business as Generative AI Eats Web

If the web is an infrastructure built on paying and optimizing for referred traffic, what happens when that’s diminished? – The Wrap

The Ticketmaster Data Breach May Be Just The Beginning

Data breaches at Ticketmaster and financial services company Santander have been linked to attacks against cloud provider Snowflake. Researchers fear more breaches will soon be uncovered. – Matt Burgess, Wired

As Coachella Struggles, Nostalgia Festivals are Booming: ‘We Never Stopped Listening to These Bands’

Events like Lovers & Friends, with big R&B names from decades past, sell out immediately while Coachella sales plummet. – The Guardian