Quick Hits: Universal’s top lawyer and Gimlet’s surprise drama

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web:

Interview with Universal’s top lawyer: Billboard interviewed Jeffrey Harleston, general counsel for Universal Music Group. He shared insights into the hot-button topic of exclusives and finalizing negotiations with SoundCloud. He also offered a glimpse into the type of work he handles for the music major (the James Brown catalog is one he handles personally).

Show cancellation at Gimlet sparks questions: Gimlet Media is one of the standouts in the growing podcast space, but the network has hit some growing pains. The company found itself in some hot water over the cancellation of Mystery Show, which it dubbed “unsustainable to produce and publish on a consistent basis.” Nicholas Quah of Hot Pod broke down why the resulting drama has been so big for this still-small industry.

Anna Washenko