Decibel and Docket
Decibel and Docket is a podcast at the intersection of the music business, live entertainment and the justice system. Hosted by veteran entertainment journalist Dave Brooks and attorney Mike Seville, this weekly podcast examines major legal stories and headlines affecting artists, content creators and the business of culture.
Episodes
Could a judge force Live Nation to sell Ticketmaster, and would fans be better off if it did? On this episode of the Decibel & Docket podcast, host Dave Brooks of Decibel News is joined by ticketing expert Randy Nichols, back by popular demand as guest co-host. They cover the Live Nation antitrust case, a resale industry lawsuit against Washington, DC’s ticket resale price cap, and a new Justice Department BOTS Act lawsui...
On this episode of Decibel & Docket, journalist Dave Brooks, founder of Decibel News, and entertainment attorney Michael Seville cover three music business stories: Zach Bryan’s free speech stand at Gillette Stadium, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino’s new $60 million-a-year contract, and the U.S. Copyright Office’s new inquiry into streaming fraud and AI-generated music.
Three weeks after New England Patriots own...
On this episode of the Decibel & Docket podcast, entertainment journalist Dave Brooks (founder of decibel.news) and entertainment attorney Michael Seville cover Hollywood power, AI copyright litigation, and the latest turn in the Live Nation–Ticketmaster antitrust case.
The episode opens with Endeavor and WME chief Ari Emanuel's new book, Roll the Calls. Dave explains the Hollywood practice of "rolling calls," where an ass...
The centerpiece of this episode is Dave's interview with Spencer Weber Waller, an antitrust professor at Loyola University Chicago, former Justice Department prosecutor, and author of Power and Greed: Monopolies, Mergers, and Cartels on the American Stage, out October 15 from Bloomsbury's Methuen Drama imprint. Waller says the book began during COVID, when his wife, who works on the business side of theater, asked if he had heard o...
Entertainment journalist Dave Brooks and entertainment attorney Michael Seville launch their new show, Decibel & Docket, with a wide-ranging conversation that moves from true-crime pop culture to a deep dive on one of the most under-covered stories in American sports: the rise of private equity in youth athletics.
Before the main topic, Dave and Michael react to the trailer for Nathan Fielder's upcoming documentary about Therano...
Dave Brooks and entertainment attorney Michael Seville are back with another episode of Decibel & Docket, diving into one of the wildest scam stories of the year before turning their attention to the ticket resale fight engulfing this year's US Open.
Dave and Mike open by unpacking the bizarre case of Dejon Love, a 35-year-old man who spent over four years posing as a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver — despite never havin...
On Episode 32 of Decibel & Docket, Dave Brooks and attorney Michael Seville examine the collision of music, power, politics and representation—from the life and legacy of Dolly Parton to Donald Trump’s reported intervention in the government’s antitrust case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
The episode begins with a heartfelt remembrance of Dolly Parton, who died at age 80 following a brief battle with can...
Did California Attorney General Rob Bonta help kill a ticket reform bill to protect the government’s antitrust victory over Live Nation and Ticketmaster? And did Ellie Goulding spend years paying managers who were secretly owned by the same concert giant they were supposed to negotiate against?
On Episode 31 of Decibel & Docket, veteran music journalist Dave Brooks and attorney Michael Seville examine two stories about mon...
Not all music towns are built the same. While some cities have great music venues and timeless festivals, others are often overlooked are shut out by radius clauses and contract exemptions that suffocate music scenes. On this special episode of Decibel and Docket, Mike and Dave break down the worst live music markets on the planet, both domestically and internationally and break down why some towns struggle to attract major tours.
What happens when an artificial intelligence system is told to complete a task—and decides the easiest path is to break the rules?
In Episode 29 of Decibel & Docket, veteran entertainment journalist Dave Brooks and attorney Michael Seville open with the strange and unsettling story involving OpenAI and Hugging Face. During a security evaluation, an AI model reportedly discovered a vulnerability in its isolated testing envi...
Snitches get stitches but what about deponents?
A new development in the unsolved killing of Los Angeles rapper Drakeo the Ruler raises major questions about the relationship between civil litigation and criminal investigations—and what sworn testimony uncovered years after a murder can mean for a possible prosecution.
In this episode of Decibel & Docket, entertainment journalist Dave Brooks and attorney Michael Seville exa...
StubHub is facing one of the toughest stretches in its history—and this week, Decibel & Docket breaks down why.
Veteran music business journalist Dave Brooks and entertainment attorney Michael Seville are joined by entrepreneur and activist Randy Nichols to examine the latest controversy surrounding StubHub and CEO Eric Baker, following new reporting that has intensified scrutiny of the ticket resale giant just as the comp...
In this explosive episode of Decibel & Docket, Dave Brooks is joined by ticketing reform advocate Randy Nichols for a deep dive into one of the live entertainment industry’s most contentious battles: the war over ticket resale, speculative listings, and the powerful lobbying machine fighting to preserve the status quo.
The episode opens with a candid—and often hilarious—conversation about the term “scalpi...
This week on Decibel & Docket, veteran concert business reporter Dave Brooks speaks with Business Insider's Emily Stewart about an uptick in fraud at the World Cup. But first, Brooks and attorney Michael Seville dig into the most explosive filing yet in the Live Nation/Ticketmaster antitrust case as well as the bizarre criminal case against Memphis drill rapper Pooh Shiesty.
First, Dave and Mike break down Live Nation's newly fi...
In Episode 23 of Decibel & Docket, veteran music business journalist Dave Brooks and entertainment attorney Michael Seville break down two major stories shaping the intersection of the music industry, antitrust law, and entertainment litigation.
Once again the show turns to one of the most fascinating legal developments in the live entertainment business: the surprising fee arrangement behind the states’ antitrust case aga...
Who killed the artist testimony in the Live Nation antitrust trial? In Episode 22 of the Decibel & Docket podcast, veteran music business journalist Dave Brooks and entertainment attorney Michael Seville break down a rare, candid conversation with the former DOJ lawyers who tried USA v. Live Nation — and what their comments reveal about the Ticketmaster divestiture fight, the remedies phase, and the future of concert tick...
What happens after one of the biggest antitrust losses in music industry history? Is Live Nation buying time—or mounting a serious comeback?
This week on Decibel & Docket, Dave Brooks and attorney Michael Seville break down the latest twist in the landmark Live Nation antitrust case, where a federal judge has hit pause on a key phase of the proceedings. The ruling could reshape the timeline of efforts to impose remedies on...
In Episode 20 of Decibel & Docket, veteran music journalist Dave Brooks and entertainment attorney Michael Seville break down one of the wildest weeks yet at the intersection of the music business, live entertainment, politics and the legal system.
The episode opens with a deep dive into the return of “blue dot fever” in the touring industry as several major artists — including The Smashing Pumpkins, Kesha and ...
The latest episode of the Decibel and Docket podcast dives deep into the escalating legal and political battle surrounding Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster, the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust case, and the increasingly volatile intersection of live music, politics, ticketing, and sports. Veteran music journalist Dave Brooks and entertainment attorney Michael Seville unpack one of the most controversial congressional he...
In this episode of the Decibel and Docket podcast, veteran music business journalist Dave Brooks and attorney Michael Seville tackle two of the most controversial issues shaping the live entertainment industry today: the future of Live Nation and Ticketmaster amid ongoing antitrust litigation, and the growing debate over the use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal prosecutions. The episode also dives into the heated conversation ...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.