The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

Jaclyn O’Connell, a digital marketer and artist manager, shares her expertise on fan relationships and mental health in the music industry. She discusses innovative tools to connect with fans directly, emphasizing the impact of community engagement. Jaclyn also addresses the strains of social media metrics on artists' creativity and wellbeing. The conversation delves into maximizing tour success for emerging artists while ensuring fair compensation. Ultimately, she highlights building sustainable fan bases over chasing fleeting viral moments.

Danny Ross, a producer/songwriter and founder of Anti Social Camp, discusses the extraordinary world of songwriting camps. He reveals how these camps bring together over 250 artists in a collaborative frenzy of creativity, producing diverse music over just five days. Ross shares insights on the evolution of these camps, focusing on their shifts during the pandemic and the importance of community. He also dives into the financial landscape of music production, addressing the challenges songwriters face in securing fair compensation and navigating publishing inequities.

Dan Melnick, General Manager of Bandcamp, shares insights on the platform's success in empowering artists to connect directly with fans. He discusses Bandcamp's growth despite the decline of traditional downloads and highlights innovative features that help artists monetize their relationships. The conversation dives into the concept of 'superfans' and strategies for building sustainable careers in music. Listeners also learn about the community-building aspects of Bandcamp, from exclusive content to engaging merchandise sales.

In this insightful discussion, the complexities of music royalties and publishing are unravelled. The host emphasizes the distinction between master and publishing royalties, shedding light on what session musicians are entitled to. There's a focus on the significance of one-stop agreements and the historical inequities in compensation models. Additionally, it advocates for fair treatment of drummers and other session players, challenging common misconceptions about their rights in the music creation process.

Jacob Paul, VP of Platform Growth & Brand Strategy at Kobalt and the mind behind KOSIGN, dives deep into the evolution of music publishing. He explains how Kobalt is changing the game for songwriters, emphasizing the importance of understanding payment systems. Jacob highlights the crucial differences between artists and songwriters, and why having an admin publisher can enhance a songwriter's revenue. He also outlines how creators can avoid leaving money on the table as they navigate the complex landscape of royalties and publishing rights.

Mag Rodriguez, Founder and CEO of EVEN, a groundbreaking direct-to-fan platform, shares his mission to revolutionize how artists earn. He reveals that EVEN allows artists—regardless of their follower count—to generate significant income directly from their fans. The conversation highlights the shift from traditional streaming models to superfan platforms, emphasizing meaningful artist-fan connections. Mag discusses the rise of EVEN and its innovative approach to community building, showing how they onboard around 8,000 artists daily!

Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music at YouTube, shares his extensive experience in the music industry, from leading Def Jam to co-founding 300 Entertainment. He dives into the evolution of artist development in the digital age and the transformative impact of platforms like YouTube. Cohen discusses the potential of generative AI to connect artists and fans, the challenges of monetizing music online, and the urgent need for record labels to invest in nurturing new talent. This insightful conversation sheds light on the future of music in a tech-driven world.

Victoria Canal, a rising singer-songwriter known for her introspective music, shares her journey from a DIY artist to signing with Parlophone Records. She discusses the emotional depth of her songwriting, the challenges of touring, and the pressures of social media. Victoria reflects on her powerful performance at Glastonbury alongside Coldplay, the importance of authentic connections with fans, and the financial struggles musicians often face. With insights on navigating the music industry, she emphasizes staying true to oneself in a rapidly evolving landscape.

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Sarah McTaggart from the hit alt-pop band Transviolet. Transviolet exploded onto the scene in 2015 with their breakout single “Girls Your Age” with Epic Records. The band moved between a couple labels throughout their career, but they’re now independent. Transviolet has played Late Shows with Colbert and James Corden; they’ve had notable syncs including the Pretty Little Liars theme song; they’ve played huge festivals like SXSW, Governor’s Ball and Firefly; and they recently released their fourth studio album, Softcore.Sarah tells Ari about Transviolet’s experiences working with a major label and how things have changed since going independent. They talk about the ins-and-outs of touring (including Transviolet’s upcoming US tour), how the band got started, and a brilliant guerrilla marketing technique they used to promote one of their early releases. Transviolet also had the surprising experience of finding out they were big in China (hot tip: you might be too). Tune in to find out how they discovered they were big over there and how you can check for yourself, too.https://transviolet.com/Chapters00:00 The Evolution of the Music Business02:53 Transviolet's Journey to Independence06:02 The Creative Process Behind 'Softcore'08:54 Exploring Vulnerability in Music12:12 The Duality of Persona15:09 Navigating Relationships and Personal Growth17:50 Marketing Innovations in the Music Industry21:11 The Impact of Major Labels vs. Independence36:13 Redefining the Artist's Team39:34 The Evolution of Digital Marketing in Music44:14 Navigating Social Media's Impact on Music51:07 Exploring International Touring Experiences57:21 The Dynamics of Touring and Band Changes01:08:28 Creating Art: The Journey of Songwriting and ProductionEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, for Women's History Month, we are replaying some of our favorite New Music Business episodes featuring incredible women of the industry. This episode highlights star music supervisor Jen Malone. She has placed music and worked on Euphoria, Atlanta, Creed 2, The Resident, Boomerang, Baskets, Shelter, Lady Dynamite, Step Up, and more. Jen has over a decade of highly esteemed experience in the industry.In this episode, Jen goes into depth about what music supervisors do and the business of sync licensing. She gives great advice on how independent artists can get their music synced and things to look out for in contracts and fee negotiations. If you want to know how to pitch your music to supervisors with the best chance of striking a deal, this is the episode for you.Chapters00:00 The Journey to Music Supervision02:55 Navigating the Music Supervision Landscape05:59 The Role of a Music Supervisor08:55 The Evolution of Music Syncing12:00 Tools of the Trade14:59 Finding and Pitching Music18:00 Understanding Music Ownership21:08 The Process of Music Supervision in TV and Film24:05 Collaboration with Composers27:09 The Differences Between Film and TV Music Supervision33:40 Managing Multiple Projects35:21 The Role of Personal Taste in Music Supervision37:22 Juxtaposition in Music Placement42:26 Impact of Music Placements on Independent Artists46:04 The Evolution of Sync Licensing50:19 Workflow and Project Management in Music Supervision51:59 Differences in Working with Streaming Platforms vs. Traditional Networks54:30 The Importance of Fair Compensation for Artists58:03 Protecting Artist Rights in Sync Licensing01:03:42 Advice for Independent Artists in Sync LicensingEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.