How Songs Make Money is a podcast series about music rights and the income streams associated with songwriting and composition, hosted by Dr Ellis Jones, Lecturer in Music and Management at the University of Leeds.

This week's episode is produced by William Gerrard, a member of the 2024/25 cohort on our Music Management MA course. William’s episode explores the relationship between copyright law and sample-based music. He tells us about the emergence of sample-based genres like hip-hop in the 1970s, identifies the copyright laws involved in clearing samples for use in new recordings, and also considers the social and racial dimensions of how copyright law is used to police particular forms of creative expression. As the episode progresses, William works up from a situated history of sampling to a broader consideration of the philosophical assumptions that underpin different approaches to copyright.

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All views expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers, and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Leeds, the School of Music, or any other organisation. Nothing in this podcast should be interpreted as business or legal advice.

How Songs Make Money is created and assembled by Ellis Jones, with contributions from students on the University of Leeds, Music Management MA course. This series is edited by Nikolai Klimanski. Our theme music is also written and produced by Nik Klimanski, and is included with permission. This series of How Songs Make Money is supported by ‘Research Boost’ funding from the Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute, and enabled by Digital Education Service’s Podcasting Pilot. Special thanks to Sam Wyman for their support, as well as to Angela Hulme, Mia Windsor, Liev Cherry, and Michelle Schneider.