In the podcasting world, audio quality used to be king. Today, however, video elements have become increasingly essential. As platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts continue to shift their strategies, the landscape of audio content is changing faster than ever.

Join me and Ashley Carman of Bloomberg News as we break down everything about the podcast business, the current state of podcast deals, and paid podcasting and subscription models.

08:48 Video's Impact on Podcasting

12:44 Spotify's Video Push

21:45 Paid Podcasts

25:08 Audiobooks

34:37 YouTube TV App

This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

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If you enjoy Trapital, please rate and review on your favorite podcast platform!

YouTube turns 20 this year, and it’s influence continues to grow. In music, video, podcasts, advertising, entertainment, attention, and more. It’s in a unique role, where plenty of companies compete with YouTube, but few compete with it on all levels. But what does the future look like? Despite its edge, what are the challenges ahead?

Listen to me and MIDiA Research’s Tati Cirisano to break it all down.

08:45 Video Podcasting Trends

11:56 YouTube Premium

20:52 Paying for Ad-Free Experience

29:42 Competitors and Challenges

This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

If you enjoy Trapital, please rate and review on your favorite podcast platform!

Spotify went from a $14 billion market cap in 2022 to crossing $100 billion toward the end of 2024. A lot has changed in two years, but there’s more to the story than just the past 24 months. Join me and Sleepwell Capital, an investor, to break down Spotify’s journey to profitability. Hope you enjoy!

04:59 Spotify vs Big Tech DSPs

10:16 Spotify's growth signifies change in music distribution.

14:26 Netflix comparisons

21:44 YouTube vs Spotify

28:19 Is Spotify's PE ratio too high?

32:31 Major label’s challenging 2024

This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Don't forget to follow Sleepwell Capital on X and Substack for more insights.

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If you enjoy Trapital, please rate and review on your favorite podcast platform!

Here’s Part 2 of the winners and losers of 2024 in streaming, artist, and record label with Zack O’ Malley Greenburg. We talked about the shifting terrain of the music industry, down to the decline of festival headliners and the emergence of “Peak Superstar”. Hope you enjoy!

02:00 Live music - winners and losers

08:22 M&A - winners and losers

24:38 Comeback players of the year

28:13 Honorable mentions

Here are our winners and losers of 2024 in streaming, artist, and record label. Part 2 coming in a few days. Hear me and Zack O’ Malley Greenburg break it all down!

00:00 Streaming - winners and losers

15:23 Artist - winners and losers

26:00 Record Label - winners and losers

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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.

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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.

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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.

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