Here’s my fireside chat with Eliah Seton, CEO of SoundCloud, from our Trapital Summit. We talked about the company’s sale process, how it became profitable, SoundCloud as a platform for tastemakers, and more. Hope you enjoy!

06:25 Connecting music creators and fans

07:48 How SoundCloud became profitable

13:30 Adding value for superfans

20:24 Helping smaller artists monetize and engage fans

25:26 The latest on the sale process

29:42 AI and artist autonomy will alter music

Here’s my fireside chat with Tunji Balogun, Chairman and CEO of Def Jam, and our Trapital Summit. We talked about the evolving landscape of Universal Music Group, fluidity of music genres, the state of hip-hop, and the role of artist development. Hope you enjoy!

04:31 Def Jam's evolution

11:32 Hip-hop’s current state and influence across genres

20:29 Artist development

28:11 Afrobeats' global rise.

This episode was brought to you by music creation platform Splice.

At our Trapital Summit, we had a fireside chat on the overlooked areas of music with Splice CEO Kakul Srivastava and MIDiA Research’s Tati Cirisano. They discussed why it matters to invest in the new generation of talent, the tension between creators and rightsholders, and AI’s influence in music creation. Hope you enjoy!

08:22 Exploring differences between recorded music and creator tools.

08:56 Focus on creative vision, subscription model success.

12:34 Creating tools for human-centered artistic expression.

16:31 AI enhances music accessibility while preserving creativity.

20:23 Striving for better tools, UI in post-AI.

21:48 Music's influence grows beyond TikTok expectations.

25:34 Focus on nurturing young creators and fans.

26:36 Conversations between creators and rights holders challenging.

This episode was brought to you by Hangout. All your music in one place.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

At our Trapital Summit, we had to talk about Founder Mode vs. Manager Mode. We were joined by the founder and CEO of Believe, Denis Ladegaillerie. Believe is global music company that owns TuneCore and had its IPO in 2021. But in 2024, a consortium led by Ladegaillerie tried to take the company private, while fending of a takeover attempt from Warner Music Group.

We talked about that experience, Believe’s plans to 2025, and more.

Note: This conversation was recorded on October 3, 2024, before Universal Music Group’s claims for copyright infringement from Believe. The topic was not discussed in our conversation.

This episode was brought to you by Amy Allen, who is shaping today’s music one hit at a time. For your awards consideration.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

The global value of music copyright is now $45.5 billion. In this episode, we'll explore the global music market with friend of the pod, Spotify’s former chief economist, Will Page. We examine how glocalization is transforming the industry from Colombia to Brazil, Mexico, and beyond.

We'll also discuss the difference between value and volume, streaming revenue, the need for better measurement of emerging markets, and more.**

Stay tuned as we unravel the complexities and opportunities of the music world's evolution. Let’s dive in!

04:13 Vinyl’s growth and impact

07:02 The North-South divide

12:36 The State of Streaming

15:36 Non-American artists

17:17 Colombian music - import and exports

25:20 Brazilian market dynamics

26:58 Looking beyond market share

This episode was brought to you by Too Lost, the all-in-one technology solution for musicians and record labels. Learn more here.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Aubrey Graham has taken two legal actions against Universal Music Group, Spotify, iHeartMedia, after the success of "Not Like Us." Are Drake's claims of inflated streams and defamation of character valid? Even if they are, what is Drake's end game with all of this?

Listen to me and Brian "Z" Zisook, Audiomack co-founder, break it all down.

This episode is brought to you by elgato, my go-to for podcasting.

Here's my fireside chat with Venice Music CEO and co-founder, Troy Carter, live from the summit. We talked about the shift to independence, the need to sell more than just an audio experience, why it's a sellers market for music distributors, and the next revenue driver for music will be after streaming.

We'll be sharing more conversations from the summit over the next few weeks!

This episode is brought to you by Hangout, the new social music platform.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

TikTok has had quite the 2024, especially in music. The year started with a very public dispute with UMG. But TikTok also saw the rise of SoundOn, the end of TikTok Music, lingering threats of a US ban, the force of TikTok Shop, and more.

Join me and MIDiA’s Tati Cirisano as we break it all down.

Sponsors:

• HubSpot: download your free AI playbook here.
• Chartmetric: check out our Stat of the Week!

Here’s another great fireside chat from our Trapital Summit. Listen to Warner Music Group’s chief digital officer Carletta Higginson and MIDiA Research’s Tatiana Cirisano discuss AI’s impact on music, and the ongoing tug-of-war for startup founders asking for permission vs forgivenes.

Higginson has seen it from all sides of the table; as an attorney, at YouTube, and now at a major label and rights holder.

Enjoy!This episode was brought to you by Too Lost, the all-in-one technology solution for musicians and record labels. Learn more here.

The NFL and Roc Nation just renewed their five-year partnership to lead the Super Bowl Halftime Show production and its Inspire Change Initiative. Let’s dive into what led to the initial deal in 2019, how it’s gone, Jay Z’s involvement, the twists, turns, and whole lot more. Join me and Zack O’Malley Greenburg as we break it all down.Sponsors:

• CD Baby: https://cdbaby.com/
• Splice: https://splice.com/
• Chartmetric: https://www.trapital.com/chartmetric