Sound Connections

Join us for a grounded conversation with Jan Willem, Co-Founder of Momants and the strategic mind behind Paylogic. 

Jan Willem reflects on Paylogic’s journey as a fintech pioneer which provided a white-label ticketing solution that let event organizers sell directly to their own audience. This technology famously scaled to handle massive peaks for global events like Tomorrowland. We explore his "horror story" exit, a grueling five-year marathon through corporate instability before the company’s final sale to Vivendi.

The conversation centers on his transition from a "non-music guy" to a seasoned investor and initiator of The Chorus at Amsterdam Dance Event, where he mentors the next generation of entrepreneurs. Jan Willem explains why he believes today’s AI-driven landscape finally allows startups to challenge legacy players and rebuild what's broken from the ground up.

Don't miss this honest conversation about starting a company, surviving a tough exit, and finding the spark to go again. 

Subscribe now!

We welcome Christian Ringstad Schultz, CEO and co-founder of the Norwegian music tech company Masterchannel – delivering industry-grade audio mastering.

With a team of just two and a half people, Masterchannel has reached a million-dollar revenue run rate while mastering nearly 100,000 songs every month.

In this episode, Christian shares how proprietary AI, white-label partnerships, and disciplined cost control have shaped a sustainable company in an industry where most struggle to survive.

We explore the economics of staying small, building trust over time, and creating long-term advantage in a competitive AI-driven market.

Listen in and join the conversation.

Join us as we dive into the dark side of the music industry with Andrew Batey and Morgan Hayduk, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Beatdapp.

Their company, the leader in fraud detection and trust solutions, is tackling industrial-scale money laundering in music. Discover how fraudsters exploit streaming platforms, manipulate royalties, and launder millions, threatening the core of the industry. Andrew and Morgan share their bold vision of a trust and safety operating system that could reshape the music ecosystem.

Tune in for a deep dive into how fraud is evolving and what needs to change.

Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

The music industry doesn't need another revolution; it needs a thoughtful evolution.

Björn Lindvall, CEO and Co-founder of Music Infra,  joins the podcast to explain why “blue box” tech fixes often fail and why lasting change depends on deeper infrastructure.

Drawing from his finance background and co‑founding Hipgnosis, Lindvall dissects the challenges of digital licensing, outdated CWR (Common Works Registration) file standards, and mechanical rights. He shares how Music Infra is building scalable systems to cut inefficiencies and ensure rights holders and songwriters are paid fairly and on time. 

This is a grounded look at persistence, trust, and the long‑term vision required to solve music’s most intractable problems.

Join us!

From niche record label to Apple Music Classical  Simon Eder shares the journey of building Primephonic, a specialized music tech startup acquired by Apple.

We discuss the complexities of classical music streaming, from solving metadata challenges to navigating the shift from physical CDs to digital Hi-Res audio. Simon offers a grounded perspective on startup exits, investor relations, and the reality of life after acquisition. It is a quiet reflection on what it truly takes to innovate within the music industry and why understanding master rights is essential for any modern music entrepreneur.

Listen now and subscribe for more conversations on innovation in music and technology.

Know more about Primephonic: https://www.linkedin.com/company/primephonic/

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Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Venture Building - https://amplitude.venturesFollow on;

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00:00 Welcome and Intro
00:53 Founder Background and Transition
02:51 Digitalizing a Classical Label
04:50 High Quality Audio Formats
08:36 Building the Primephonic Brand
14:53 Solving Classical Metadata Challenges
21:18 Streaming Payout Models Explained
28:27 In-House Tech Team Growth
32:57 Apple Music Classical Acquisition
45:56 Reflections on Entrepreneurial Life

Let's go behind the scenes of live music digitalization in this special Sound Connections session from the ESNS 2026 Conference.

We examine the "red ocean" of ticketing with guests Mike van Gaasbeek of Stager and Yannick Corbeau of CM.com, understanding how innovative platforms are easing the heavy daily tasks of event promoters by integrating ticketing, marketing, and payments into a single workflow. 

The discussion distills why modern ticketing must serve as a continuous marketing strategy to keep fans engaged long after the show ends. We also tackle the difficult reality of being a founder in a space defined by small margins and high competition, offering a roadmap for future innovation.

Join the conversation on ticketing innovation and rethink how you engage your audience.

Visit Stager: https://stager.co/en/
Visit CM.com: https://www.cm.com/
About ENSN Conference 2026: https://esns.nl/en/
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Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Venture Building - https://amplitude.venturesFollow on;

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2omT8uLhBamH3GFeih4oo3?si=45206dd146a84ae1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/soundconnectionspodcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundconnectionspodcast?igsh=bDZzbnhrYXBlNHBr

00:00 Welcome and context
05:28 One platform approach
09:38 Ticketing as marketing strategy
13:00 Promoter economics and margins
17:02 Market consolidation trends
23:05 Ticketing and cash flow
28:17 Brand focus and challenges
34:12 Funding models and longevity
41:25 Regulation and audience trust
55:39 Music beyond capital

It's a new year and for our first episode, we welcome Dr. Gigi Johnson in this special partnership with BIME for a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities of music discovery today.

From her decades at UCLA to her current work at Rethink Next, Gigi brings a unique perspective on how AI is reshaping creation, curation, and fandom. The conversation distills the flood of new tracks, the rise of AI‑generated music, and the algorithms that decide what listeners encounter. 

Jakob and Gigi reflect on transparency, personalization, and the need for human connection in saturated digital streams.
This episode offers clarity and inspiration for artists navigating discovery in a noisy, algorithm‑driven world.

Listen in to explore the nuances of discovery, fandom, and AI in music.

Learn more about ReThink Next: https://rethinknext.com/

The event took place from 29th to 31st October, 2025: https://bime.org/

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Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Venture Building - https://amplitude.venturesFollow on;

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2omT8uLhBamH3GFeih4oo3?si=45206dd146a84ae1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/soundconnectionspodcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundconnectionspodcast?igsh=bDZzbnhrYXBlNHBr

In this value-packed episode of Sound Connections, host Jakob Wredstrøm sits down with Jesse Flores, Head of Artist and Label Partnerships at Intercept Music, to explore what it really takes to succeed as an independent artist today.

If you're producing your own music, wondering how to grow a fanbase, or struggling to market your releases,  this is your blueprint. From choosing the right music distributor to understanding how paid ads, DSPs, and Spotify algorithms actually work, Jesse shares hard-earned insights that empower indie artists to take control of their careers.

We cover:

• How to choose the right distributor
• Why creative control matters
• What $1,000 can do for your music
• Smart ways to grow without a label
• What makes indie artists succeed today

Whether you're a bedroom producer, emerging artist, or music entrepreneur, this episode will change how you think about launching and scaling your music in today’s digital landscape.

Follow us NOW and learn tips on how to take ownership – creatively, financially, and strategically.

Streaming isn’t enough. If you're an artist or manager looking to grow real revenue, this episode breaks down how to use merch, email, and digital sales to build a profitable artist business.

Jakob Wredstrøm talks with Jack McCarthy, co-founder of Indiepreneur and co-host of the Creative Juice podcast, about the missing revenue stream most artists ignore: direct-to-consumer e-commerce. 

With actionable steps, mindset shifts, and proven strategies, this episode will help you rethink how you earn from your art.
Perfect for:
- Independent artists
- Artist managers
- Music entrepreneurs
- Music-tech founders
- Digital marketers in music

About Indiepreneur: https://indepreneur.io/

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Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Venture Building - https://amplitude.venturesFollow on;

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2omT8uLhBamH3GFeih4oo3?si=45206dd146a84ae1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/soundconnectionspodcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundconnectionspodcast?igsh=bDZzbnhrYXBlNHBr

Veteran catalog expert and CEO of Dynamite Songs, Alan Wallis joins Jakob to break down the real mechanics behind IP rights, music catalog sales, sync revenue, valuations, private equity, and long-term music investing.

He shares how he built Mojo Music, acquired classic catalogs, sold to Concord, and now runs Dynamite Songs.

Here’s what you’ll take away from this episode:

- Catalog valuation & deal red flags
- Sync as a revenue driver
- Streaming growth and catalog stability
- Why songwriters decide to sell
- How investors price risk and return
- What the next decade of catalog buying looks like

A must-watch for anyone exploring the intersection of music, finance, publishing, and IP ownership.

Learn more about Dynamite Songs: https://www.dynamite-songs.com/