The music industry is constantly evolving and integrating new technologies, bringing with them both opportunities and challenges. But when it comes to metadata management, DDEX has seen our industry greatly improve since its inception in 2006. In this episode, DDEX Secretariat Mark Isherwood shares his observations over the years as the organization 20th anniversary approaches, addressing current AI discussions and uses as they pertain to metadata, how fear around sharing data has diminished over the last 10 years, the continual evolution of DDEX standards to suit industry needs & tech changes, and DDEX's Music Tech 20/20 Summit!

The jukebox has existed as a catalyst for communal music discovery for nearly a century, with the anniversary of AMI Entertainment's production of the first coin-operated jukebox coming up in 2027. To celebrate, we spoke with AMI CEO Tommy Moreno about the company's rich history & innovations, as well as the pros & cons of the jukebox's evolution into a digital format. Tommy also spotlights how AMI is continuing to evolve & bolster the industry by delivering more royalties on a per-play basis compared to streaming platforms and transforming their app into a more gamified, communal experience!

To be a successful artist management team means to be willing to think outside the box, which is just what mtheory CEO Cameo Carlson and team have done with artist Mickey Guyton, a Country singer who did not have traditional revenue lines in place like touring or radio. In this episode, Cameo recounts the story of how a C2C Festival appearance in London led to Mickey placing second on China's The Singer, and the massive Chinese fanbase and tour that followed. She touches on differences from Western fan behavior, the rigors behind the scenes of a Chinese reality show, and Mickey's future plans for the Asian music market, highlighting the incredible impact of international opportunities for artists, even where you least expect them.

PLUS1 has raised just about $40 million for over 1,200 nonprofits, with their keystone project being a small add-on of $1 per concert ticket to be donated to a charitable organization of an artist's choice. The idea grew out of founder Marika Anthony-Shaw reading a book about Paul Farmer – founder of the organization Partners in Health – while touring with Arcade Fire, leading the band to support the nonprofit for several years. For the other artists and bands who have the desire to give back in this way, PLUS1 executes the process from A to Z, and in this episode Marika both describes that process and provides some examples of their work in action!

The artist-fan relationship is arguably one of the most important in our industry, yet it is often undermined – management of each different aspect is often spread across platforms, and artist websites & channels are usually underutilized as connection points. Rob Sealy noticed this discrepancy and, with no prior experience in the music industry, co-founded Openstage to pull fans into owned channels that create an immersive, personalized experience for fans of artists at all stages of their career. In this episode, Rob dives into some prominent case studies from the platform, why the fan experience has been overlooked for so long, and what is on the horizon for Openstage 2.0!

Fostering equity and inclusion is a collective effort — and though DEI roles have taken a hit in our industry, the experts and community leaders are still out there. During Music Biz 2026, Naledi Nyahuma Seck, VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at The Orchard, joined us to discuss this tumultuous stage and potential for the future, zoning in on the importance of supporting diversity in the music ecosystem at large. She also speaks on her role and the responsibilities it entails, closing the episode with a conversation on diversity efforts at Music Biz, and a rundown on how employment opportunities look different for each level of staff.

Secretly has seen the industry go through many changes, and with it so has Shelly Worcel, who went from intern to Director of Global Physical Account Strategy during her 14 years at their distribution arm. Though the company has grown exponentially over the years, they still maintain their independent mindset – remaining flexible and willing to experiment without jumping ship during times of change, like the transition from physical to digital, the shift away from radio, and the vinyl boom. In an interview recorded during Music Biz 2026, Shelly recounts the company's indie success story, their Bizzy-winning campaign for Hayley Williams' latest album, "blue dot fever," and more!

Dmitri Vietze describes working in PR & marketing in the music industry as a rollercoaster on top of another rollercoaster, given the constant transition in both industries. In this podcast episode, we gain insight into this experience from Dmitri, who runs Rock Paper Scissors, Inc., a PR firm representing music tech companies and organizes the Music Tectonics Conference every year. Throughout the interview, he describes his transition from artist PR to tech PR, how AI music compounds an already flawed attribution process, and how the internet, social media & AI have changed press and the dissemination of information, closing out with a discussion on the 2026 Music Biz Conference & Bizzys!