Music 3.0

Dmitri Vietze is the Founder and CEO of Rock Paper Scissors, Inc. It was his crazy idea to transform a global music PR firm into what has become a predominant music tech PR firm. Vietze is a regular presenter at SXSW Music, SF MusicTech, Music Biz, APAP, and WOMEX. He is also the director of the annual Music Tectonics Conference, and host of the Music Tectonics podcast. Brian and Nick chat with Vietze about new and exciting tech companies in the world of music, and important strategies for musicians to get their music heard.

Show Notes

[4:37] Dmitri discusses the origins of Rock Paper Scissors, and the PR firm got their start by specializing in helping international artists break into the United States market.

[8:40] Dmitri speaks on the music industry in regards to tech.

[12:00] Dmitri lends advice to independent musicians looking to make bigger strides in the music industry, 2 learning practical business skills.

[27:15] Dmitri gives our listeners the rundown on the best music tech software and apps on the market, and how they assist musicians or foster fandom.

[39:27] Dmitri talks NFTs and the blockchain as a whole, and how the two are helpful to artists right now.

[41:48] Dmitri tells us what’s next for Music Tectonics, including the Music Tectonics Conference.

For more on Dmitri and Rock Paper Scissors, visit them online at rps.rockpaperscissors.biz.

Growing up as a musician and music fan, Kris Ahrend eventually leveraged his law degree into a career in the music industry. After working for Sony Music Entertainment, Rhino Entertainment Company, and Warner Music Group, he became the CEO of the nonprofit Mechanical Licensing Collective, established in response to the historic Music Modernization Act of 2018. Kris sits down with Brian and Nick to discuss the complexities and nuances of the royalty system, and how the MLC works to collect and distribute the money that many musicians might miss out on from their own mechanical royalties. To date, the MLC has already distributed over 139 million dollars in royalties to artists. Learn more about them here.

Show Notes

[1:45] Kris reflects on his roots as a musician, and the transition of his career to the law side of the music business.

[7:18] Kris speaks on the origins of The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), and why it was a necessary response to the rise of digital services such as Spotify and Apple Music, and the coinciding exponential growth of music catalogs.

[11:15] Kris defines the differences between mechanical royalties and performing royalties, and how The MLC helps right holders claim their mechanical royalties in the United States.

[20:22] Kris explains why DIY, or “indie,” musicians might be missing out on royalties, and how they can avoid leaving money on the table by understanding the digital royalties landscape and the four revenue streams.

[28:50] Kris informs the audience on how to retroactively retrieve uncollected mechanical royalties from The MLC, and breaks down a practical example of how receiving royalties works for the average independent musician.

Karen Allen has held executive positions on the digital side of the music and entertainment industry at the RIAA, Mobile Entertainment Forum, TAG Strategic, and as a consultant advising startups on strategy and business development. Intrigued by the advent of live-streaming, Allen took a deep dive into the world of Twitch streamers, and came away with a new understanding of the way audiences engage with online content. This led her to write the definitive guidebook on the subject - Twitch for Musicians - and she joins Brian and Nick to talk about the ways musicians can benefit from building an interactive online community with their fanbase, spearheaded on Twitch. Find Karen on Twitter at @karenallen.

Publicist Beth Martinez founded Danger Village PR in 2007 to help support emerging bands that she believed in. With over a decade of industry experience and success, Beth sits down with Brian and Nick to answer questions like: when does an artist need their own publicist, and what should an artist do on their own before hiring PR company? They also discuss the way that publicity has changed in the digital age, strategies to use for social media growth, and how digital entertainment differs from traditional media. Danger Village PR has helped launch the careers of bands like Sure Sure, FIDLAR, Cautious Clay, Marian Hill, and Mehro. 

Marshall Betts has been booking shows since he was in a high school garage band, and continued to do so through college until it eventually became his career. Working his way up through management firms, Marshall eventually started his own agency in New York City - the TBA Agency - which signed hot artists like Courtney Barnett, CHVRCHES, The War On Drugs, Hot Chip, and many more. A lifelong lover of music, Marshall discusses cultivating talented artists, helping them grow, as well as the evolution of the live music industry in the post-pandemic world. Learn more about TBA here.

Jeremy Born saw the implications of blockchain technology earlier than most. As the founder of NFT Genius, he is now considered a thought leader and industry expert within the NFT space. We sit down to chat with Jeremy about his efforts to bring music to the world of NFTs, and empower artists and creators to focus on their craft instead of being bogged down by non-creative concerns. He talks about the growing potential of NFTs to lead to mass adoption within the blockchain industry, and where he sees this technology leading us in the future. Learn more about NFT Genius here.

As a lifelong fan of video games, Darren Korb is living his dream as the sole composer and audio engineer for Supergiant Games. After graduating from NYU, Korb honed his craft in small studios around New York City, eventually getting a job authoring songs for the Rock Band Network (and winning the 2010 Rock Band 2 national championship). As one of the founding members of Supergiant Games, Korb has composed music for all their projects, including their most recent critically acclaimed release, Hades. Korb discusses the challenges of creating music for games that are meant to be played for hundreds of hours, and how he layers music stems to create a dynamic soundtrack that changes based on what the player is doing. Check out his work on Spotify, and find him on Instagram at @darrenkorb!

David Wise didn't set out to become a video game composer, but his knowledge of synthesizers garnered the attention of Rare Limited in the 1980s, who hired him on the spot. Since then he has had a long and lucrative career in the gaming industry, where he is known for his beautiful and atmospheric scores - particularly on Nintendo's Donkey Kong Country series. Wise discusses his origins, his process, and the huge technological advancements in digital audio, as well as the surreal experiences of hearing his music sampled by famous rappers like Drake and Childish Gambino. Check out his work here.

Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Chuck Prophet has been working hard in the music industry since his days with Green On Red in the 1980s. Since then he has had a lucrative career as a songwriter and session player, working with artists like Heart, Bruce Springsteen, and Cake, and going on to release his own solo records. Chuck discusses his origins in the Bay Area music scene, his inspirations, as well as "the mystery" of what makes a song special enough to keep listeners returning to it time and time again. Learn more about Chuck Prophet here.

David Möllerstedt is the co-founder of Stockholm based electronics company, Teenage Engineering. With a background in both audio recording and computer programming, David used his love of music to create new, portable, and compact synthesizers for musicians. Calling in from Sweden, David sits down with Brian and Nick to discuss the creative philosophy of his company, the challenge of making elegant and functional hardware, and how that hardware can inspire musicians to create magic.