The Biz: Illinois’ Ticketing Reform; EU Proposal Could Cost US Artists; Emmy Noms For Bad Bunny, Swift, 50 Cent Projects; Spotify Vs. Kalshi

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a raft of ticketing reform bills into law, making the Land of Lincoln the latest state to tackle ticketing as federal reforms continue to languish on Capitol Hill.

The three bills signed by the Democrat ban the selling of tickets not held by the seller — known as “ghost ticketing” or “speculative ticketing” — and bans the use of bots to beat ticket limits. A third bill — advertised as a junk fee ban — requires businesses to disclose mandatory fees and surcharges in the pre-tax advertised price.

The spec ticketing ban is in place now. The junk fee and bot bills go into effect Jan. 1, 2027.

“Illinois is saying goodbye to junk fees once and for all, addressing abuses in the ticketing marketplace, and fighting for greater oversight and consumer protections,” Pritzker said. “I’m proud to sign a slate of bills that cuts costs for working families while advancing transparency, fairness, and accountability on behalf of Illinoisans.”

US Coalition Says EU Proposal Could Cost Artists $300M In Lost Royalties

A legislative proposal by the European Union would reverse so called national-treatment status for recording artists and replace it with a material-reciprocity framework, which a coalition of American music interests say would costs US artist hundreds of millions of dollars in lost royalties.

National treatment, which has been the law in Europe since 2020, requires that American artists are treated no less favorably than domestic artists.

In a letter to the US Trade Representative, the coalition — which includes SoundExchange, The Recording Academy, ASCAP, BMI, SAG-AFTRA, the American Federation of Musicians, the American Association of Independent Music, the Artist Rights Alliance, the Christian Music Trade Association, the Future of Music Coalition, Music Managers Forum-US, the National Independent Talent Organization, and the Society of Composers & Lyricists — said a reversal of national treatment will not only cost artists but also throw the international trademark and copyright framework into disarray and potentially make royalty payments a geopolitical issue.

“National treatment has long been a cornerstone of the global copyright system, ensuring American creators – including recording artists, musicians, and performers – are treated no less favorably than domestic rightsholders abroad,” the coalition wrote. “The Commission’s proposed shift to reciprocity would condition these protections on U.S. law, replacing a clear, rules-based system with one that is fragmented, uncertain and would directly disadvantage U.S. creators in foreign markets.”

Emmy Noms For Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show, Swift’s ‘Eras’ Doc and 50 Cent’s Diddy Project

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was a record setter as Emmy nominations were announced, securing nine nominations: outstanding live variety special; production design for a variety special; choreography for variety or reality programming; technical direction or camerawork for a special; directing for a variety special; hairstyling for a variety, nonfiction, or reality program; and lighting design/lighting direction for a special.

Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour: The Final Show” is nominated for picture editing for variety programming; directing for a variety special; technical direction and camerawork for a special; and sound mixing for a variety series or special. She is credited as a producer on the doc.

50 Cent’s Netflix doc “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” earned noms for best documentary or nonfiction series; outstanding directing for a documentary/nonfiction program; and outstanding picture editing for a nonfiction program.

Unusual Kalshi Action Prompts Spotify To Throttle Malcolm Todd Streams

Spotify removed half a million streams of Malcom Todd’s “Earrings” after hit number one following unusual activity related to the song on the prediction market Kalshi.

Among the many bets that can be placed on the prediction market is chart position and timing for songs. The Financial Times reported streams of the track grew by 70% in one day, pushing it to the top of Spotify’s streaming chart. The unusual surge was noted by a Kalshi analyst who tracks music-related contracts on the site.

Theoretically, a Kalshi user could buy artificial streams to goose a song’s chart position, profiting if he or she holds a strong enough position in the outcome on the prediction site.