Music Industry Insights Worldwide: Shaping Equality & Diversity in Music & Entertainment

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How do artists, labels, streaming platforms, and music technology companies work together to shape the future of the global music industry?

In this episode of Music Industry Insights Worldwide, host Saskhia Menendez is joined by Arielle Fischer, a music industry professional with more than 15 years of experience spanning artist and label relations, digital streaming, music technology, and international marketing.

Having held influential roles at Spotify, INgrooves (now Virgin Music Group), Native Instruments, and Endel, Arielle has led more than 40 cross-functional marketing and product initiatives across 12 international markets. Her work has included building INgrooves into a leading distributor for electronic music, launching Spotify's first artist and label partnerships across Southern and Eastern Europe, integrating diversity initiatives into music technology products, and collaborating on innovative projects with artists including The Blaze, James Blake, and Sia.

In this insightful conversation, Saskhia and Arielle explore:

• Building successful artist and label partnerships in a rapidly evolving music industry.
• The changing role of streaming platforms and digital distribution.
• Creating meaningful collaborations between artists and technology companies.
• Managing international marketing campaigns across diverse global markets.
• The importance of diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in music technology.
• Lessons from working with some of the world's leading music and technology companies.
• How creative vision and operational strategy work together to drive innovation.
• Why understanding every part of the music ecosystem leads to stronger industry partnerships.

As both a music industry executive and an artist herself, Arielle brings a unique perspective that bridges creativity, technology, and business strategy. Fluent in English, French, and Spanish, she offers valuable insights into navigating today's global music landscape while supporting artists and organisations to thrive.

Whether you're an artist, manager, label, music entrepreneur, or industry professional, this episode provides practical advice and behind-the-scenes perspectives on building successful careers, meaningful collaborations, and lasting impact in the modern music industry.

Join Saskhia Menendez and Arielle Fischer for an engaging conversation about innovation, international collaboration, and the future of music.

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What does it mean to thrive as an autistic entrepreneur, broadcaster, and advocate in a world that often misunderstands neurodiversity?

In this inspiring episode of Music Industry Insights Worldwide, host Saskhia Menendez is joined by Sam Mitchell, founder and host of the award-winning Autism Rocks and Rolls podcast. Diagnosed with autism, Sam has built an internationally recognised platform dedicated to celebrating autistic success stories, challenging stereotypes, and proving that autism is not a limitation—it's a different way of experiencing the world.

With more than 24,000 podcast downloads, a TED Talk titled Souled Structure, numerous business awards, and interviews with high-profile guests including Temple Grandin, Mick Foley, James Durbin, and Armani Williams, Sam shares his journey from overcoming barriers to becoming a successful entrepreneur, motivational speaker, writer, and nonprofit founder.

Together, Saskhia and Sam explore:

• Living authentically with autism.
• Why neurodiversity is a strength, not a weakness.
• Challenging misconceptions about what autistic people can achieve.
• Building a successful podcast and personal brand.
• Entrepreneurship, advocacy, and creating meaningful impact.
• The importance of representation and inclusion across media, music, and entertainment.
• Inspiring the next generation to embrace who they are.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that there is no single definition of "normal." Success comes from embracing individuality, recognising different ways of thinking, and creating spaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Whether you're part of the creative industries, an entrepreneur, an advocate, or simply passionate about inclusion, this episode offers insight, inspiration, and hope.

About Sam Mitchell

Sam Mitchell is the founder and host of the award-winning Autism Rocks and Rolls podcast, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, writer, blogger, and autism advocate. Through his work, Sam's mission is simple yet powerful: to demonstrate that autistic people are not broken, do not need to be fixed, and can achieve extraordinary success while embracing who they are.

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In this episode of Music Industry Insights Worldwide, we sit down with Kith The Kid, the Iranian rapper born in Ahvaz who transformed adversity into an international music career.

Known professionally as Kith The Kid, Marco Polo Mahan shares his powerful journey from discovering hip-hop at a young age through artists like Eminem and 50 Cent to teaching himself four languages and moving to the United Kingdom at just 19 years old to pursue his passion for music.

After facing significant challenges in Iran that forced him to leave his home country, Kith The Kid refused to give up on his dreams. In 2021, he released his international EP, Legacy, featuring collaborations with acclaimed artists including OG Maco, Glasses Malone and Wrekonize.

As of 2024, his music has been featured twice on Spotify RapCaviar, helping establish him as a rising voice in global hip-hop.

In this conversation, we discuss:
Growing up in Iran and discovering rap music
Learning multiple languages through music
Leaving home to build an international career
 Creating the Legacy EP and collaborating with established artists
The impact of being featured on RapCaviar
 The challenges and opportunities facing independent artists today

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In this episode, we’re joined by Rob Duguay — a freelance arts and entertainment journalist, radio producer, and live music promoter based in Providence, Rhode Island.

Rob shares his unique journey working across multiple sides of the music and media world, from writing for respected publications such as New Noise Magazine, Treble, and the Providence Journal, to founding his own culture platform, Culture Beat, on Medium.

We also dive into his decade-long experience behind the scenes at the WEEI Sports Radio Network in Boston, where he works as a board operator and producer, as well as his work running Top 5 Fiend — a live music booking and promotions organisation that has brought together local, regional, national, and international artists across Rhode Island venues.

This conversation explores the intersection of journalism, radio, and live music culture — and what it really takes to build and sustain creative communities from the ground up.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Jasen Samford, founder of Gatefolded  a link-in-bio platform built for musicians to share music that actually plays — and a long-time music industry operator with deep experience in artist support and distribution systems.

Jasen spent a decade as employee #2 at DistroKid, where he helped build out artist support and education operations, gaining first-hand insight into the challenges independent musicians face when navigating digital distribution platforms. Today, he continues that work through Gatefolded and a consulting practice that supports artists dealing with distribution disputes, platform issues, and the complexities of releasing music independently.

Based in Seattle, Jasen is also an active drummer embedded in the local music scene, bringing a creator’s perspective alongside his technical and operational expertise.

We explore how the modern distribution ecosystem impacts independent artists, why so many creators feel disconnected from the platforms they rely on, and what needs to change to make music infrastructure more transparent, fair, and sustainable.

At its core, this conversation asks: how do we rebuild music systems so they serve artists not just scale content?

Links:

Gatefolded: gatefolded.com

Consulting: jasensamford.com

Instagram (Gatefolded): instagram.com/gatefolded.app

Instagram (Personal): instagram.com/barrybirdnerd

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In this episode, we sit down with OB3Y, a Cameron artist transforming lived experience into powerful music and movement.

Life, in all its chaotic beauty, becomes the muse. Through love, struggle, resilience, and ambition, OB3Y channels raw human experience into sound — creating music that feels honest, emotional, and deeply connected to real life.

This conversation explores how personal journey shapes artistic identity, and how music becomes a way to process, express, and push beyond boundaries.

We discuss:
• Turning life experience into creative expression
• The emotional core behind OB3Y’s sound
• Love, struggle, and resilience as artistic fuel
• Building authenticity in today’s music industry
• Why storytelling matters more than ever in music

OB3Y represents a new wave of artists who aren’t just making music — they’re documenting life in real time through melody, rhythm, and emotion.

🎧 A powerful episode for anyone who believes music should be lived, not manufactured.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Alex Greco, founder of Leep, a collaboration-first platform designed to transform how music is created long before it reaches streaming services.

Leep is built around a simple but powerful idea: artists need space to develop music together, not just release it into algorithms. Instead of focusing solely on finished tracks and streaming performance, the platform allows creators to share works-in-progress, exchange structured feedback, and co-create in real time with collaborators, producers, and even fans.

Alex brings a background spanning product leadership, partnerships, and artist development, working at the intersection of creativity, technology, and rights. His work challenges the dominant streaming-era model by advocating for systems that prioritise process over performance metrics, collaboration over competition, and long-term artist sustainability over short-term visibility.

We explore how emerging artists can build stronger creative foundations, why ownership and transparency matter more than ever, and how platforms like Leep could reshape the early stages of the music-making journey globally.

At its core, this conversation asks: what if the most important part of music isn’t the release — but everything that happens before it?

• Twitter(@LeepAudio)
• Instagram(@leepaudio)
• Tik Tok (@leepaudio)
• Linkedin (Leep Audio)
• reddit (LeepAudio)

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In this episode, we sit down with Emilie Thorsby, an award-winning Danish artist whose music career has rapidly grown into an international success story.

Emilie has released 7 songs, with 4 receiving radio rotation across 7 stations in the USA, including interviews on NBC Radio (11 appearances).
Her growing impact has also been recognised in the media, including being featured as a front story on Instagram by EGW (Elle Global Woman) Magazine (USA).

Over the past few years, Emilie has built an impressive list of achievements, including:

• Nominated Female Artist of the Year (2022, USA)
• 4 major nominations in 2024 including Songwriter, Entertainer & Female Artist of the Year
• Winner of Single of the Year 2024 for Ocean (first major music award)
• Winner of Best Female Vocalist (USA) 2025
• 2025 nominations for Entertainer of the Year and Single of the Year (Darkest Night)

Her music has been played across 15 countries, including the USA, UK, Scotland, Peru, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, Argentina, South Korea, Ireland, France, Italy, Canada, and New Zealand.

Live performances include 21 concerts in Denmark, 3 online shows in the USA, and performances at venues including Musikhuset (Bornholm) and Esbjerg.

This episode explores Emilie’s journey from local performances to global recognition, and what it really takes to build an international music career today.

A must-listen for emerging artists, songwriters

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In this episode of Music Industry Insights Worldwide, we sit down with Nat Cummins (she/they)  Berlin-based artist manager, music consultant, and founder of Red Tape Music.

With over 15 years of experience spanning EMI Records, Ministry of Sound, and SoundCloud, Nat has worked across copyright, licensing, touring, business affairs, and artist development at every level of the industry.
Now running an independent, artist-first label, Nat is challenging traditional industry structures and building a more transparent, sustainable model for emerging punk, alternative, and heavy artists.

We talk about:

• Why the traditional music industry model is failing independent artists
• Power dynamics between labels, managers, and creators
• Building sustainable careers outside the major system
• Neurodiversity, queerness, and navigating the industry differently
• Breaking down the business side of music in plain language

Nat also runs Unlabelled, a free Substack helping artists understand the industry without the jargon.

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In this episode, we sit down with Izzy Naud, a health and performance coach specialising in electronic music artists and high-performing professionals working in high-pressure environments.

With over 30 years immersed in electronic music culture and more than a decade working directly in the industry, Izzy brings a rare insider understanding of touring life, creative pressure, and the physical and mental demands placed on artists today.

Her work focuses on one core mission: helping creatives and professionals build the internal capacity to sustain performance, creativity, and clarity — without burnout.

Izzy integrates:
• Over 25 years of practice in Tai Chi and Qi Gong
• Training in Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Nervous system regulation and energy management tools
• Embodied practices tailored to touring and studio life

In this conversation, we explore how artists can protect their health while maintaining peak performance in an industry that rarely slows down.

We discuss:
• Burnout in electronic music culture
• The physical and mental impact of touring
• Nervous system regulation for creatives
• Building sustainable performance habits
• Longevity in fast-paced music careers

This episode is essential listening for DJs, producers, touring artists, and anyone navigating high-pressure creative industries.

🎧 If you’ve ever felt the cost of “pushing through,” this conversation offers a different path — one built on sustainability, awareness, and long-term creative health.

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