The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

Today's guest is with Madame Gandhi (birth name Kiran Gandhi). She's an incredibly inspiring person, an activist, and feminist. She started her career drumming for M.I.A., Thievery Corporation, and embarked on Oprah Winfrey's Vision 2020 tour before the COVID-19 pandemic. Gandhi is also a recording artist and speaker. She also holds an MBA from Harvard University.

We talk about release strategy, how she creates her music and high production value music videos as an independent artist. 

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2:25 - Madame Gandhi's tour with Oprah Winfrey

7:00 - Kiran getting her MBA and how she did it with her touring schedule

8:50 - Kiran's Indian heritage and culture

15:12 - When Kiran Gandhi came up with the name and project Madame Gandhi

18:04 - What Madame Gandhi thinks an activist is

19:30 - How Kiran chooses which companies/brands to work with

27:15 - Switching sides: Going from employee to employer and what the responsibilities are like

31:10 - How often Madame Gandhi does high production music videos

31:46 - Staying healthy on the road and when you're away from home

33:28 - Madame Gandhi's viral moment running the London Marathon

36:27 - The 'Visions' EP's story

38:04 - Madame Gandhi's creation process - is there a lot of collaboration? What DAW Madame Gandhi uses

41:50 - Maintaining Gandhi's sound and why her drumming skills are vital when writing music

43:33 - Gandhi's independent career and why she hasn't signed to a major label

47:20 - How many shows Gandhi has performed as Madame Gandhi

48:20 - The independent musician hustle - Gandhi's Instagram strategy and understanding your brand

56:40 - The release strategy for Madame Gandhi and the thought process behind her methods

59:30 - Remaining close to the original message of the song when creating music videos and visuals

1:01:38 - What it means to Madame Gandhi to make it in the new music business

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Connect with Ari’s Take:

Website: https://aristake.com

Academy: https://aristakeacademy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.take

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArisTake

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aristake/

Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://ariherstand.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstand

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ariherstand

YouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstand

Facebook: https://facebook.com/ariherstand

Connect with Madame Gandhi:

Website: https://www.madamegandhi.com/

Facebook:

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Today's guest is Dani Deahl. She's the music and technology writer for The Verge. In addition to being a journalist, she's a DJ and the Vice President of the Recording Academy, Chicago Division. 

Dani and I dig into what it's like being a woman in a male-dominated industry. She also gives some tips on how to break in and become a professional DJ. We also discuss artificial intelligence (AI) in the music industry.

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Quick links:

2:27 - Getting started as a DJ and how the industry has evolved

4:40 - Growing up in Chicago and realizing there weren't many role models

6:11 - Having a lot of male peers

8:20 - Who Dani went to when these derogatory actions happened

11:38 - How to be an ally to women in the music + advice to guys to know when they're crossing the line

19:06 - Is harassment becoming less prevalent? How has it changed over the years? Has your treatment being a DJ changed? 

24:40 - How often Dani DJs

25:20 - Tips and tricks on breaking into the DJ/producer world

27:32 - Is there a digital calling card to send to promoters for DJs? 

28:53 - The importance of Instagram

33:38 - Artificial Intelligence (AI) in music

43:50 - Will AI take over the live DJ space?

49:15 - "Context listening"

54:22 - Spotify playlist editors too powerful

1:06:55 - What is the Recording Academy? Dani's role as Vice President, Chicago Division

1:11:53 - How to get into the Recording Academy

1:19:10 - Who owns the copyright in a co-created song with artificial intelligence?

1:34:15 - How Dani defines making it in the new music business

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Playlist Push review: https://aristake.com/post/playlist-push-review

150+ Female Producers You Need to Know: https://aristake.com/post/150-female-producers-you-need-to-know

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Connect with Ari’s Take:

Website: https://aristake.com

Academy: https://aristakeacademy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.take

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArisTake

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aristake/

Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://ariherstand.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstand

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ariherstand

YouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstand

Facebook: https://facebook.com/ariherstand

Connect with Dani Deahl:

Instagram:

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This episode is with superstar Grammy-winning producer and "Godfather of Trap," Zaytoven. He is one of the most influential producers in hip-hop right now. He's a Grammy winner and has worked with artists like Future, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Usher, T.I., Pusha T, and 21 Savage, to name a few.

There are a lot of interviews with Zaytoven out there. He's an interesting guy with a cool workflow. I didn't want him to tell the same stories and answers he's told before. So we dug into what you're most interested. We talk about his processes, manager, music community, and much more. 

If you're a hip-hop producer this is a must-listen episode. Zaytoven dropped endless gems throughout this episode, giving advice to emerging up-and-coming producers on how they can develop their sound. He shares the stories of how he did it and how you can do it as well.

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Quick links: 

4:46 - About Zaytoven and how he got started making beats

8:16 - Was Zaytoven selling his beats to artists early on?

10:28 - How Zaytoven got acclimated to the music community in Atlanta, Georgia

11:49 - Zaytoven's advice to young producers to know when they're ready to start sharing their music

13:17 - How producers can find their own sound

17:00 - How Zaytoven's workflow has shifted since he initially started

18:30 - Does Zaytoven create beats himself or does he collaborate? 

20:13 - What Zaytoven does with his finished beats

21:00 - The pressure Zaytoven feels to innovate his iconic sound

23:33 - Producers who are 'chasing' a sound that's already established and not creating their own sound

26:17 - Releasing music under his own name and the strategies in releasing so much music

30:18 - Is Zaytoven on TikTok?

31:40 - How Atlanta, Georgia has evolved over the years and why it's Zaytoven's favorite place to live

35:50 - How Zaytoven manages all of his projects and keeps everything organized

39:00 - Zaytoven's music release strategy and his involvement in Familiar Territory Records

48:22 - What it means to Zaytoven to make it in the new music business

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Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://www.aristake.com

Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ariherstand/

Instagram (Ari's Take): https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aristake/

Twitter (personal): https://twitter.com/ariherstand

Twitter (Ari's Take): https://twitter.com/ArisTake

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1

Connect with Zaytoven: 

Website: https://www.zaytovenbeatz.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zaytovenbeatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digitaldope

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zaytovenbeatz

YouTube:

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Today's guest is Lucidious, a hip-hop artist originally from Virginia now living in Los Angeles. I’ve covered him in the book and on the website quite a bit. He has an interesting story from the business perspective. He has over 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify without any official playlist inclusion, label, or manager. This translates to more than $20,000 per month from streaming revenue.

I brought him onto the show so we could go deeper into his story. We talk about digital marketing and all aspects of his business. We talk about his family. We discuss mental health because a lot of his fans connect with him on a deep level due to their own struggles with mental health. This was a very enriching and inspiring conversation for me to have, and I think you’ll get a lot out of this as well.

Ari's Take Academy: Streaming & Instagram Growth with Lucidious (use code NMB for 10% off): https://aristakeacademy.teachable.com/p/streaming-instagram-growth

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Quick links:

4:10 - About Lucidious

11:39 - What inspired Lucidious to write lyrics? What was the beginning of the journey like? 

17:50 - When did Lucidious begin rapping?

25:48 - How much say Lucidious has in his productions because of his diverse musical tastes

34:46 - What are the marketplaces artists can purchase cleared tracks? 

38:03 - Was Lucidious' first album officially released or just through SoundCloud? How the Lucidious name came to be

54:15 - Gaining popularity through video ad campaigns

1:02:00 - When does Lucidious decide to point the ad campaigns directly to Spotify?

1:04:50 - Messages that Lucidious receives and how he helps those who are struggling

1:15:40 - Where Lucidious draws the line when responding to fans

1:21:47 - Advice for artists who are receiving dark messages from fans - and how to emotionally protect themselves

1:28:47 - Lucidious heading out on his first headline tour

1:42:48 - How Lucidious defines making it in the new music business

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Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://www.aristake.com

Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ariherstand/

Instagram (Ari's Take): https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aristake/

Twitter (personal): https://twitter.com/ariherstand

Twitter (Ari's Take): https://twitter.com/ArisTake

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1

Connect with Lucidious:

Website: https://www.lucidiousmusic.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0S8NV7XoWi7arXWSRqI3dS?si=JOwNzVHkT_2m1xkGZsx1LQ

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA0jmO32RNZBXHXvb34yBrg

SoundCloud:

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Patreon co-founder and CEO, Pomplamoose and Scary Pockets co-founder, Jack Conte, believes in digital art. He believes in artists and he believes in fans to support artists. So much so that his company Patreon is setup to facilitate a symbiotic artist/fan relationship. He is the founding member of (and still active in) Scary Pockets, but doesn't tour with them and discusses how they're able to get millions of streams and views. Jack is an inspiring dude and this episode will no doubt, brighten your day.

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Quick links: 

5:04 - When Patreon got started and when it moved out of Jack's house

7:08 - Why Jack continued with Patreon in addition to being a musician and where he's at now with it

13:35 - How the artist-fan relationship has evolved and where it's going

16:27 - Is it required for artists to be community leaders and managers?

21:15 - How Jack has seen Pomplamoose fans engage with them and the difference between a budget and a beacon

24:07 - The unique ways that communities are engaging each other

27:14 - How Discord is different than private Facebook groups

28:35 - When is it a good time to start a Patreon? 

31:17 - Where are you seeing communities form prior to joining Patreon?

32:20 - How are musicians transitioning from doing a bunch of hands-on labor to services like Patreon?

39:00 - About Scary Pockets project

48:04 - What's next for Jack Conte?

51:10 - What it means to Jack to make it in the new music business

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Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://www.aristake.com

Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ariherstand/

Instagram (Ari's Take): https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aristake/

Twitter (personal): https://twitter.com/ariherstand

Twitter (Ari's Take): https://twitter.com/ArisTake

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1

Connect with Jack Conte:

Facebook (Pomplamoose): https://www.facebook.com/musicpomplamoose

Facebook (Scary Pockets): https://www.facebook.com/scarypockets

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jackconte

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackconte/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/

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Today's episode features Vo Williams, an incredibly successful hip-hop artist based in Los Angeles. Vo is originally from Sarasota, Florida and has been very successful in getting his music synced in film, commercials, TV shows, and video games. He has thousands of sync placements and makes a lot of money from them.

We go in deep to discuss practical, tangible, actionable steps you can take to get your music synced. Break out your notepad because you're going to learn a lot.

Ari's Take Academy: Advanced Sync Strategies for Film, TV and Video Games with Vo Williams (use code NMB for 10% off): https://aristakeacademy.teachable.com/p/advanced-sync-strategies-film-tv-video-games

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Quick links: 

2:00 - About Vo Williams

7:40 - When Vo thought he could pursue music professionally

11:41 - Vo’s focuses at his performing arts high school

14:27 - Vo’s next steps after he won a number of rap battles

23:47 - Vo’s ghost writing and first time seeing music get synced

28:15 - When Vo moved out of Florida and to Los Angeles

30:55 - When Vo started getting into sync licensing

35:06 - Vo’s first sync

38:24 - Breaking down Vo’s first sync deal, payment, and royalties

44:43 - The difference between a sync licensing company and a music library

49:54 - There’s a lot of money in the backend royalties for sync licensing

57:47 - How Vo went direct to various brands independently

1:02:10 - Thinking about emotions when writing music and how they can be placed in sync

1:03:43 - The production techniques that work really well in picture and why it works so well

1:11:53 - More on how Vo got syncs independently

1:14:14 - How to contact music supervisors and get started in sync licensing

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Connect with Ari’s Take:

Website: https://aristake.com

Academy: https://aristakeacademy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.take

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArisTake

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aristake/

Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://ariherstand.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstand

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ariherstand

YouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstand

Facebook: https://facebook.com/ariherstand

Connect with Vo Williams: 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/18KIg6ST1nUjVUvAlEB6ak?si=Uw72k5GzRKGrLYQx07mJ5w

Facebook:

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You probably know Chris Douridas from Los Angeles' iconic, trend-setting radio station KCRW. He was the host of Morning Becomes Eclectic in the '90s. He has been at the station for about 30 years. Chris is someone who has hired most of the staff that we know at KCRW and is an extremely influential figure in the Los Angeles music scene. Chris also started the premiere music showcase, School Night. He is also a music supervisor and was nominated for a Grammy award for his work on American Beauty and has music supervised a number of films, including the Austin Powers trilogy and Shrek 2.

Chris and I discuss how he listens music and what it takes for what it takes for him to play a new song on his radio show. We also talk about how he puts together the music for films he's working on. Chris also shares a hilarious story about his first time on air as a radio DJ. 

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Quick links: 

2:59 - Chris Douridas's first experience with radio

6:00 - Switching from doing news to music

20:14 - How do you know how much time to talk before the lyrics start?

26:40 - What emails do you choose to open?

31:15 - How Chris searches through SoundCloud

32:30 - What percentage of music you play is from other means vs. being pitched?

34:40 - Have you received any packages that stood out to you?

35:20 - Every artist has the same tools as the labels. 

37:42 - Do you still discover music live?

39:20 - What is School Night?

52:12 - How do you answer the question of, "What kind of music are you into?" 

59:20 - Music supervisors' job is to help find the sonic boundaries of a movie.

1:04:10 - Chris's Grammy nomination for American Beauty

1:12:12 - What project that you are working on are you most excited about? 

1:16:40 - Where do you see the podcast medium headed? 

1:18:00 - What do you think it means to make it in the new music business?

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Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://www.aristake.com

Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ariherstand/

Instagram (Ari's Take): https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aristake/

Twitter (personal): https://twitter.com/ariherstand

Twitter (Ari's Take): https://twitter.com/ArisTake

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1

Connect with Chris Douridas:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisdouridas

KCRW: https://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/chris-douridas

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This episode comes to you from Foundation Management's offices in Brooklyn, New York, which is Lauv's management company. I sat down with Emma MacDonald, Lauv's label manager. Lauv is an independent artist, and I profiled him the second edition of How to Make It in the New Music Business. He is one of those incredibly successful artists without a label. In fact, he was the most spun artist in 2019 and has, to date, more than 4 billion streams.

Emma is employed directly by Lauv through his A5B label. She runs all of his label operations, including radio and marketing campaigns. We discuss what their release strategy looks like, how they worked the rollout for his most recent album, and the waterfall effect.

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Quick links: 

2:35 - About Emma MacDonald and Lauv's A5B label

4:25 - Lauv being fully independent and his publishing deal with Kobalt

6:15 - What Emma's role as label manager is

11:31 - Why Lauv is so heavily involved in the process

14:00 - What are the label services that AWAL provides Lauv? 

15:50 - Is Emma working with AWAL's radio marketing company In2une?

17:30 - How does anyone make the decision to pursue an expensive radio campaign? Why Lauv's story wouldn't be a success on a major label

21:42 - Spending tons of money on a radio campaign for your first song isn't a good idea.

30:00 - What is Lauv's release strategy? Is there a formula? 

32:33 - What does waterfall mean?

41:59 - When the album is out, is there more of a campaign? 

44:00 - What are all of the assets that you like to have for a full on release campaign? 

51:04 - What are the budgets for visualizers and music videos?

54:58 - How do you choose where to put the videos: YouTube, Vimeo? 

1:09:39 - What it means to Emma to make it in the new music business

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Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://www.aristake.com

Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ariherstand/

Instagram (Ari's Take): https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aristake/

Twitter (personal): https://twitter.com/ariherstand

Twitter (Ari's Take): https://twitter.com/ArisTake

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode is with superstar music supervisor Jen Malone. She has placed music and worked on Euphoria, Atlanta, Creed 2, The Resident, Boomerang, Baskets, Shelter, Lady Dynamite, and Step Up. That's just scratching the surface. She has worked in sync licensing now for over a decade. She is so well established and so well respected. I was so happy to finally get to talk to her.

We dug in deep on sync licensing. We talk about what a music supervisor does. She also gave advice and tips on how independent artists can get their music synced and things to look out for in the contracts, quote requests, and things you should strike from the deals. We also discussed how to setup your music to pitch to supervisors effectively and have the best chance of having your music synced. 

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Resources mentioned:

Your Music, Your Future: https://yourmusicyourfuture.com/

Discovery Networks Corners Composers in Music Royalties Battle: https://variety.com/2019/music/news/discovery-networks-composers-music-royalties-1203434924/

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Quick links: 

10:18 - What is a music coordinator? 

11:41 - How pitching music has changed over the years

15:38 - How do you like to be contacted when? 

17:38 - Are there any tools that you use for audio clearance and recognition?

21:54 - How do you find new music?

23:18 - What's your process like when coming into a new project?

24:20 - Who created the sonic vibe of Euphoria?

25:15 - What is the process on working with the director? 

28:55 - When did you come into Creed 2? 

32:40 - Can you work on multiple shows at once?

34:00 - How much does your personal taste influence your selections for the projects you're working on?

36:30 - How do you pick music for scenes that are difficult? How do you create such a juxtaposition?

41:05 - Are there any standout independent musicians that you've seen get a "break" from one of their placements?

44:30 - What are the music discovery trends you've seen over the past years? 

47:55 - Do you curate any playlists? 

49:00 - How do you stay organized when you're working on so many projects at once?

50:35 - What are the differences working with the different platforms? Is there a standard placement rate?

52:30 - The Discovery channel devaluing music and screwing over musicians

58:10 - Jen Malone sides with musicians and helps them negotiate licenses

1:01:20 - How much negotiation is allowed with the contracts you're working with? What advice would you give to someone who wants to have their music synced? 

1:08:30 - How do you define making it in the new music business?

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Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://www.aristake.com

Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ariherstand/

Instagram (Ari's Take): https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aristake/

Twitter (personal): https://twitter.com/ariherstand

Twitter (Ari's Take): https://twitter.com/ArisTake

YouTube: 

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Welcome to episode number one of the New Music Business podcast! This interview with Andy Grammer was recorded live during my book signing event at Barnes & Noble at The Grove in Los Angeles on January 16th, 2020. I've conducted hundreds of interviews over the years. Most of them were private, one-on-one just for me to write about. This was by far one of my favorite interviews I've ever conducted. Seriously. Andy dropped gem after gem after gem for artists, songwriters, and managers on how to approach songwriting, a music career, and just life in general.

Multi-platinum selling pop artist Andy Grammer is all about inspiring and empowering the world by communicating his truths through his music. Grammer is the first male pop star in a decade since John Mayer to reach the Top 10 at adult pop radio on his first two singles. His discography includes a succession of anthemic pop hits, including "Keep Your Head Up," "Fine By Me," "Honey, I'm Good.," "Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)," and "Fresh Eyes." His most recent album Naive is home to his latest single, "Don't Give Up On Me," which quickly reached the Top 10 on iTunes and is already certified gold.

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Quick links:

2:37 - Andy's journey from before his first album came out

5:30 - How longer were you on the Promenade performing? 

9:20 - The importance of giving. It's about the audience.

10:10 - What kept you going through the soul-crushing gigs? 

13:00 - Was there a shift in your perception that enabled you to leap to the next stage in your career?

17:15 - How did you transition from playing the Promenade to doing radio tours?\

18:55 - Manager as a partner

22:03 - How do you know when you've reached the bar?

25:00 - Do you have a practice or routine that enables you to crush your fear regularly? Has the fear ever gotten to be so much that you can't handle it?

28:30 - Does your fear ever prevent you from writing new tracks, especially since you've already written so many hits? 

30:10 - How don't you know if you've written a good song after a session?

33:15 - Andy's co-writing process

39:32 - Can you remember when you first went into a top-level writing session? What was that like?

40:45 - How do you remain humble with all of your success?

47:10 - What is branding?

51:50 - Do you have a way to process songs that are just for you?

54:50 - How do you make it in the new music business?

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Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://www.aristake.com

Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ariherstand/

Instagram (Ari's Take): https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aristake/

Twitter (personal): https://twitter.com/ariherstand

Twitter (Ari's Take): https://twitter.com/ArisTake

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1

Connect with Andy Grammer:

Website: https://andygrammer.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andygrammer/

Twitter: 

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