The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

How To Become a Grammy Winning Producer from BTS and Beyonce's DJ Swivel

Mar 10, 2021

01:10:33

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Highlights

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Episode notes

How Can I Get Feedback From Musicians?

03:09

Are We Doing Away With the Unpaid Internship Program?

04:41

The Plugging Business Is a New Facet of the Business

04:40

Introduction

2min

How to Make It in the New Music Business

3min

I'm an Allie, and I've Just Done a Recording With Zulty and Audio Movers

2min

How Do You Run a Virtual Song Writing Session?

2min

Do You Have a Skio Business?

2min

You're a Producer, Engineer, Mixer?

2min

Working With Biance - It's a Full Time Job

4min

Music Is a Business, and I'm a Cofounder.

2min

Younger Artists

4min

10.

The Story Time Sessions

3min

11.

How Did You Get Started in Music?

2min

12.

How Did You Pay Rent and Eat in New York City?

3min

13.

Are Internships Still the Way to Go?

5min

14.

Is It a Good Job?

6min

15.

Are We Doing Away With the Unpaid Internship Program?

5min

16.

I've Had Plenty of Unpaid Internships

2min

17.

How Can I Find a Way to Connect With the Top Mixers?

4min

18.

The Plugging Business Is a New Facet of the Business

5min

19.

The Music Business Never Gives You Any Real Stability

2min

20.

Are You a Distributor of Pluggins and Sample Packs?

2min

21.

How Can I Get Feedback From Musicians?

3min

22.

Music Hubs of the States - Where Are You Now?

2min

23.

Hippop Music

4min

24.

The Rent Jis Sky Rocket

2min

25.

Making It in the New Music Business?

5min

Today my guest is DJ Swivel. He is a producer, engineer, songwriter, most notably for BTS, Beyonce, The Chainsmokers, Mary J Blige, Kanye West, Fabolous, Bow Wow, Redman, Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah, Mariah Carey. The list goes on.

We talked a lot about getting started in the industry as a producer and engineer, and what it takes and what it means. He discusses diversifying your business and what it means to make it in the new music business, of course the final question I ask everybody. His answer was really interesting.

We also go deep into the LA vs. New York vs. Atlanta vs. Nashville vs. Miami discussion. He gave some really great insight as to what the scenes are shaping up to look like and why he moved from New York to LA. I really enjoyed our conversation. I learned a lot. I think you're going to dig this conversation.

DJ Swivel's Story Time on The Chainsmokers: https://youtu.be/XcYtTuHzv6Q

Quick links:

3:16 - Working remotely and how DJ Swivel has accommodated

9:26 - Co-founding SKIO Music and where his entrepreneurial spirit came from

16:55 - Winning a Grammy does not mean you're set for life: advice for making sacrifices in your music career

23:00 - Getting started as a producer in 2021 and being raised to treat money with respect

34:20 - The ethics of unpaid internships

46:18 - DJ Swivel's plugin business

54:32 - How DJ Swivel has sought out feedback and criticism over the years

57:35 - Why DJ Swivel left New York and what his thoughts are on the various music hubs around the US

1:06:17 - What it means to DJ Swivel to make it in the new music business

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