The Live Music Industry Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Paul Bradley, founder and CEO of Eventric, to explore the company's journey from inception to industry leader. Discover the origin story behind Eventric and their flagship product, Master Tour, designed to streamline tour management. Paul shares the fundraising challenges they faced, recounts an [almost] acquisition, and dives into their turbulent journey through covid. Paul also provides insights into the company's current initiatives and his visionary outlook for the future of the live music industry. Tune in to learn about the resilience and innovation driving Eventric's success.   What is Eventric? With a deep understanding of tour management, Eventric has developed Master Tour, an innovative software that simplifies logistics for bands and artists. Master Tour focuses on making the complexities of touring more manageable, allowing artists to concentrate on their music.    (01:50) The Eventric origin story(09:20) What is Master Tour?(11:05) Shifting to modern technology(12:25) Fundraising challenges(16:40) Master Tour [almost] acquired(25:50) Surviving the COVID pandemic(32:00) Current times at Master Tour(34:30) Post-COVID mental health services(40:00) New product features coming(43:30) Pricing the product(50:45) Incorporating AI(55:25) Shifts in the industry(60:00) Vision for the future of the industry(67:05) Tech in the live music industry

In this episode, we are joined by JR, the visionary CEO and co-founder of Prekindle and Space Colonel Management. We delve into the recently dropped antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation by the DOJ and explore JR's inspiring journey in co-founding Prekindle. Discover how his company stands out by refusing to lock clients into contracts, their seamless integration with Prism, and JR's remarkable approach to maintaining authenticity in business. Additionally, we discuss the transformative potential of AI in the music industry and what the future holds. Tune in for an enlightening conversation that blends entrepreneurial insights with the cutting edge of technology. After signing with Atlantic Records as a singer-songwriter and touring for years, J.R. quickly went the entrepreneurial route and helped start Prekindle where he’s currently CEO. Prekindle is an event ticketing and marketing platform started in Texas which now hosts 50,000 events a year across the US - including concerts, festivals, food & drink events, classes, attractions and everything in between. Denson has also built a career as an artist manager, having first discovered Charley Crockett and helped him to build a global touring and recording business. J.R. went on to cofound Space Colonel which now manages 14 music clients in the Country/Americana/Folk space including Shooter Jennings, Jason Boland and The Stragglers, Benjamin Tod, Lost Dog Street Band, The Lone Bellow, Kat Hasty, Beau Bedford. Via Space Colonel, J.R. also runs a publishing joint venture with Warner Chappell where they represent a growing roster of songwriters. His original mission to bring communities together through events and music has turned into a career that now spans 15+ years - over that time, J.R. has played a part in 10 million attendee experiences and counting.  (00:25) - DOJ suing Live Nation & Ticketmaster(05:10) - Government intervention in businesses(08:10) - Monopolistic practices(11:45) - The Prekindle origin story(14:50) - Prekindle’s growth trajectory(16:30) - Prekindle’s model differentiation(19:20) - How Prekindle competes(21:25) - Prekindle’s bootstrapped operation(25:10) - Space Kernel origin story(28:15) - Discovering Charley Crockett(29:50) - SaveLive Prekindle partnership(35:20) - Prekindle’s biggest challenge(37:45) - Unique approach to business(41:00) - Seamless Prism+Prekindle integration(44:05) - Incorporating AI into business(46:15) - Vision for the future

I had a fascinating conversation with Mark Williamson, the co-founder and CEO of ROSTR, Inc - a tech startup building tools for artists and music industry professionals. During our chat I learned about his wild decade-long ride at Spotify, its growth and success, and how it led to the inception of ROSTR. We dove into the origins of ROSTR, the value the product is providing to the music industry, the challenges faced while building the business, what tactics the team took to gain traction, and where ROSTR is headed next. No conversation would be complete without a discussion around the role of AI in the music industry, how ROSTR plans to incorporate it into the business, and what impact we foresee AI having on the industry & the world as a whole. ROSTR is a music industry directory and data platform that helps artists and music industry professionals build their network, discover artists and save time. The site tracks relationships, signings, artist data, tours, festivals and more; it's like having an all-knowing assistant. In 2023, ROSTR launched Jobs by ROSTR - a music industry job board that doesn't suck. Jobs by ROSTR is already one of the leading places to find jobs and hire talent in the music industry, with 500+ employers, 1k+ job postings and 35k+ applications so far.  Please share this with anyone that might be interested in the topics, links below to subscribe and stay in the loop with the podcast and Prism: Subscribe www.prism.fm/podcast/ More on Prism www.prism.fm Follow us on Instagram (@prismfm) www.instagram.com/prismfm Meet the Podcast Host/CEO of Prism https://www.linkedin.com/in/mford3 ROSTR https://hq.rostr.cc/ (00:50) - What is ROSTR? (02:50) - Experience at Spotify (05:20) - The ROSTR idea is born (13:05) - Spotify becomes industry leader (21:55) - Why Spotify and not others? (25:35) - Spotify moving into live music/ticketing (38:45) - Building ROSTR (45:30) - Overcoming resistance and objections (49:10) - Where does the data come from?  (51:25) - How ROSTRs growth took off (64:35) - Extracting value and creating a sustainable business model (78:45) - Role of AI in the the business and industry (92:25) - Building software to improve the industry (96:05) - Optimistic outlook on the future (99:20) - Music industry job directory in ROSTR

The independent live music industry can rest soundly at night knowing it has NIVA and incredible leaders behind it like Dayna and Stephen fighting with will, resources, and creativity. My mind was blown to learn about the complexity of the problem in ticketing and that NIVA is back taking the fight to Congress and making progress. This was truly a special conversation that shined a light on important issues, such as the complexity and scale of tech in the secondary, progress on getting bills passed to levy fines on so much fraud that is happening every day, and Steve Balmer’s take on technology playing a role in solving the problem. We rounded the podcast out on a sweet and inspiring note about the Future of NIVA, leadership, and what inspires us all so deeply about keeping live music alive and independent. Please share this with anyone that might be interested in the topics, links below to subscribe and stay in the loop with the podcast and Prism: Subscribe www.prism.fm/podcast/ More on Prism www.prism.fm Follow us on Instagram (@prismfm) www.instagram.com/prismfm Meet the Podcast Host/CEO of Prism https://www.linkedin.com/in/mford3 National Independent Venue Association www.nivassoc.org (00:44): What is Fix The Ticks? (03:30): Ticket scalping high tech and Espionage:) (05:40): Spec tickets & fraud (10:00): Making this mess illegal, rallying congress, 15k fines per ticket (22:29): Steve Balmer, anti scalping tech, and dynamic ticketing (26:17): Progress and wins (34:00): Stephen Parker’s story (38:40): Dayna Frank’s story / sneaking into First Ave shows as a kid (43:20): The Why behind live music & leadership (50:10): NIVA con (53:30): The Future

I had a brilliant conversation with Andrew (Senior Talent Agent Rocky Road Touring) that spanned his perspective on booking shows internationally, macroeconomics, the advantages boutique independent agencies have on larger corporations, and more. Please share this with anyone that might be interested in the topics, links below to subscribe and stay in the loop with the podcast and Prism: Subscribe www.prism.fm/podcast/ More on Prism www.prism.fm Follow us on Instagram (@prismfm) www.instagram.com/prismfm Meet the Podcast Host/CEO of Prism https://www.linkedin.com/in/mford3 Rocky Road Touring www.rockyroadtouring.com (01:48) - Growing and scaling Rocky Road Touring (06:50) - Booking shows internationally  (08:50 ) - Live Music in China, Israel and Russia (13:36) - Roger Waters asking bands to Boycott Israel (17:00) - Russia, Eastern Europe and Ukraine  (29:11 ) - Shows in South America, FIAT Currencies & Bitcoin (34:49) - Booking shows in bitcoin, Macroeconomics of currency exchange  (45:05) - The advantage of boutique and independent agencies (54:13) - Strong-manning the perspective of working with bigger agencies  (58:35) - Can boutique agencies cultivate the same level of relationships  (01:05:00) - Powering an agency with technology (01:13:00) - The beauty and joy of a true Mom and Pop Shop (01:19:07) - Hopes for the future of the music industry

Jessie and Adam Hartke truly embody the tenacity of the broader industry. In this podcast, we ventured through a medley of topics — the live music and entrepreneurial spirit of Wichita, the Hartkes’ involvement in 5+ business ventures, the industry’s response to macroeconomic trends, DIY infrastructure and so much more. Enlightening and engaging, this conversation spotlights the Hartkes’ brilliance and expansive industry knowledge, and gives us hope that the industry has a very bright future. The Live Music Podcast is hosted by Matt Ford, the CEO and Founder of Prism.fm

“NIVA successfully advocated for 16.25B dollars, the single largest arts grant in the history of the country” This is one conversation that you do not want to miss. Our inspiring, yet practical and informative chat with Cody digs into the roots of his love for music through snapshots of the rebellious Austin Punk Rock scene of the 90’s. Cody maps his mind boggling journey from being that punk rock kid, playing in DIY hardcore bands, to running Mohawk (one of the most iconic clubs in the world), graduating to advocating for all Austin venues, and eventually landing as the COO of NIVA–where he will advocate for all independent venues across the country. “This is one of the underlying challenges for the fate of our civilization” (00:10) - Introduction NIVA hangs with Biden at the Whitehouse to discuss ticketing fees (15:05) - Survival of the fittest, venues need to adapt and survive (17:02) - Cody’s story on how he got started in this industry / Historical moment in Austin music scene (23:53) - Tips to make it as a creative (26:17) - Cody’s reflections at fighting the good fight for Mohawk and Red River Cultural District (46:39) - The Founding story of NIVA (Music Industry Shutdown trigger warning) (01:02:39) - Future of NIVA / NIVA Conference preview (01:19:10) - Where will NIVA Con be held in the future?  (01:22:00)- Concluding hopes, ambitions, and an extremely optimistic message for the future 

With over 20 years of experience in the Live Music Industry, Cobb is a true expert who deeply cares about the industry's success. As the former owner and operator of several venues, including Exit/In, and the current booker for The Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Cobb has a wealth of knowledge to share.In this episode, we delve into various topics such as the essential qualities needed to run a successful live music venue, the challenges facing the industry, and innovative solutions to revive the live music market. Cobb also discusses his involvement with D Tour and NIVA, shedding light on the crucial work these organizations are doing to support live music venues.If you're a music lover, a venue owner, or anyone interested in the live music industry, this episode is a must-listen. Get ready to be inspired by Cobb's passion and wisdom as he shares his insights on what it takes to succeed in this exciting yet challenging field. (00:37) Exit/In lowdown (05:40) Trademark battle (07:10) The capitalist challenge in Nashville (and other music communities) (11:30) Solutions and a message of hope (21:00) Life after Exit/In and what’s next — Niva, Chattanooga, Booking, and more! (24:00) Music inside the Amazon tower downtown (31:15) The future of NIVA (34:55) Incredible advice for opening venues (39:27) Headliners of the Riverbend festival (43:55) What is D tour + the future (56:00) What is Cobb’s why?

It's conversations like this that inspire me to be a better human and believe in a beautiful future. Join us for a beautiful conversation with Ryan Honey, the executive director of TACAW, the world's first all electric Net Zero Carbon PAC. In this convo we unpacked the nuances of sustainability, explored the cutting edges of energy production technology (including nuclear, fusion, Geo hydro engineering & space-time bending UFOs), and talked about what's it like to run an incredible community venue. Ryan ended by painting a beautiful picture of his vision for Net Zero Tours and a greener healthier world. (00:14) The first All Electric, Net Zero (carbon emission) live music venue (03:44) Net Zero from the ground up (05:44) Shoveling snow off the solar panels (06:59) Using people energy to heat the building (10:29) Cold Colorado nights vs hot summer nights (13:54) Myth-busting sustainability questions: it costs too much to be Net Zero / Carbon Payoff (18:44) Why go Net Zero (22:14) Sustainable communities (25:04) New construction vs existing buildings moving to sustainable (27:14) Artists can make a change — Jack Johnson’s impact (28:36) Geothermal, fusion, windmills, other sustainability technologies (33:34) Nuclear powered music venues (36:34) Gravity bending UFOs and Star Trek (38:54) Lessons learned in creating the venue for sustainability, gardens, compostable cups, single use plastic & locally sourced food (46:14)The secrets of successful programming at TACAW (48:29) Utilizing technology in running a successful, sustainable, efficient operation (54:04) The future & vision of TACAW and a more sustainable industry: Net Zero Tours! (01:00:14) Ryan’s path into this mission (anyone can do it!) (01:04:14) Music Industry Sustainability Conference! (01:05:54) False end… we had to hear the Star Trek story!!

He’s a President, CEO, and an all around-fascinating human being – Ty Sutton is what’s known in the industry and by Prism’s casting directors as a ‘Triple Threat.’ Get a backstage look at what goes into leading Dayton Live, the primary host and presenter of the Performing Arts in the region, and running 5 incredible venues, including the historic 150 year old Victoria Theater, and the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center. Ty shares his incredible story and career that have taken him across 5 different states, working for the Olympics, and eventually finding himself in Dayton, Ohio, at the helm of one of the most significant and efficiently run operations in the entire country. Take your seat for this intriguing lesson on PAC economics, the keys to Ty’s success, the breakdown of donor basses, and everything in between. (00:50) What is Dayton Live  (01:20) Ty’s journey into the industry, law school? Singer?  (04:00) University gig (07:00) Working for the olympics  (09:50) Booking an enormous resort  (18:30) The value of seeing great leadership in action  (22:00) Pacs outside of SF / using technology to stay organized  (26:00) Ty’s first gig running the show (31:00) Lessons and failings of a new venue operator   (35:00) PACs in Oil country, Midland Texas (39:00) How to 10x your goals  (46:50) Building Dayton Live  (48:46) The economics of Dayton Live and PACS in-general.   (54:00) Breakdown of donor base (58:20) The value of booking your own shows  (01:01:22) Technology as a key to running a great business  (01:09:30) The big question, what is the future of the Performing Arts Industry