LOS ANGELES—A federal court today unsealed transcripts from the antitrust lawsuit targeting the Olivia Rodrigo charity festival, a massive benefit concert that recently raised $10 million for reproductive rights organizations.
The legal battle began after Live Nation filed a lawsuit claiming the Olivia Rodrigo charity festival violated standard industry agreements by allowing attendees to feel joy and keeping ticket fees under 300 percent.
Below is an excerpt from the cross-examination of Marcus Bellweather, Spotify's Senior VP of Playlist Emotional Intelligence, who testified for the prosecution:
Q: Mr. Bellweather, you claim the Olivia Rodrigo charity festival damaged the music ecosystem. How?
A: By donating $10 million to women's health charities. That money did not pass through our proprietary 'sadness monetization' algorithms. It went straight to helping people. It is highly irregular.
Q: Are you saying charity itself is the problem?
A: I am saying unmonetized wellness is a threat to our quarterly projections. If fans leave a concert feeling supported and healthy, they stream less emo-pop. We need them vulnerable.
Q: So Live Nation and Spotify prefer audience misery?
A: We prefer predictable consumer behavior. The Olivia Rodrigo charity festival bypassed our mandatory convenience charges. They gave the money to Planned Parenthood instead of our executive bonus pool. It sets a dangerous precedent where music actually serves the public good.
At press time, the judge ordered Rodrigo to pay a $5 million fine or perform three acoustic sets inside a local Ticketmaster customer service call center.
