The New Music Business with Ari Herstand cover image

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

How Independent Music Publishing Works (Or Doesn't)

Feb 19, 2025
Marc Caruso, CEO of Angry Mob Music, is an Emmy-nominated music editor and passionate advocate for independent artists. He shares insights into the shifting music publishing landscape amidst the rise of streaming. Marc breaks down complex topics like copyrights and royalties, revealing how sync licensing pays out and the financial realities artists face today. He also discusses the implications of key industry events, like Universal's deal with Spotify and the MLC's lawsuit, highlighting their impact on independent publishers and songwriters.
01:18:34

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The podcast highlights the transition from a sales-based revenue model to a streaming economy, resulting in significantly lower earnings for songwriters.
  • Sync licensing is increasingly lucrative, offering immediate financial benefits compared to the delayed returns from streaming royalties, depending on song placements.

Deep dives

Understanding the Streaming Economy

The podcast delves into the current landscape of the music industry, highlighting the shift from a sales-based revenue model to a streaming economy. In this new paradigm, songwriters earn significantly less from streams compared to mechanical royalties from physical sales in the past. The concept of a 'long tail' is introduced, indicating that it may take a considerable amount of time for songwriters to see financial returns from songs that perform well on streaming platforms but not on traditional media like radio. In contrast, synchronization or 'sync' licensing offers a 'short tail' benefit, allowing songwriters to earn upfront payments when their songs are placed in TV shows or films.

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