Today @ 7pm - 8pm Chicago time https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/cnwmR79QRSe9-GxRqyXkxw -- PTN Live Listening Session. Hosted by Nate Michalic. Focused on music for visual media, film, TV, trailers, and branded content. Submit purpose-driven cues built for picture. Email Submissions at: listenlive@paintthenoise.com -

Hey PTN fam! Wanted to share this killer job opportunity for composers. Check it out! https://careers.blizzard.com/global/en/job/R028221/Composer%E2%80%99s-Assistant-Temp-SFD-Cinematics

We’re moving our Live Listening Session to October 21! It was supposed to be today, but I’ll be at my Board meeting for the Recording Academy Texas Chapter, where I was recently appointed as a Board Advisor. So join us on October 21! In the meantime, as @Nate Michalic mentioned in his post, feel free to leave your links below so everyone can listen, enjoy, share, and possibly offer some (respectful) constructive feedback!

Tonight @ 7 pm CENTRAL Time.. Hosted by @Nate Michalic

Another one worth everyone's attention. This isn't an AI story or a copyright battle. It's a reminder that the music business still runs on one thing above everything else: trust. - 📍 SIGNAL A former Nike employee who managed music licensing, along with an outside music licensing consultant, has been charged over an alleged $1 million kickback scheme involving music licensing work for the company. Here's what prosecutors say happened in simple terms: Nike hired the consultant to help secure music for advertising campaigns and other creative projects. According to the indictment, the consultant allegedly submitted invoices charging Nike more than the actual cost of the music licensing work. Prosecutors allege the former Nike employee approved those inflated invoices even though they knew the costs had been artificially increased. After Nike paid those invoices, investigators say part of the extra money was secretly routed through another company and eventually paid back to the former Nike employee and the consultant as kickbacks. In other words, Nike believed it was paying legitimate business expenses, while prosecutors allege a portion of that money was quietly diverted into the defendants' own pockets. If proven in court, this wasn't simply accounting fraud. It allegedly exploited the trust built into the music licensing process, where companies rely on internal decision-makers and outside vendors to act honestly. For creators, this story isn't about AI or copyright. It's about one of the most valuable currencies in this business: Trust. - 📂 PATTERN Every successful licensing relationship is built on trust. Brands trust music supervisors. Music supervisors trust vendors. Vendors trust composers. Composers trust collaborators. When someone inside that chain allegedly abuses their position, the damage extends well beyond one company. Cases like this often lead to tighter approval processes, additional compliance requirements, more procurement oversight, and increased scrutiny for every legitimate vendor trying to build relationships.