Let’s cut through the noise and get real about what it takes to build a sustainable business on the world’s biggest video platform.

Joining me are Ten2 Media founders Donna Budica and George Karalexis, who help artists like Benson Boone and Brent Faiyaz maximize YouTube. ****We dive into insights on how artists can take advantage of the YouTube ecosystem.

Whether you're an artist, content creator, or curious about what really drives YouTube success—this episode is for you.

00:10 Impact of TikTok Ban

04:11 Content Formats and Artist Strategies

13:30 Navigating Artist Preferences

19:49 Comparing YouTube and Spotify

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.

It’s time for a Trapital Mailbag! We dive into hot topics like the Coachella’s payment plan debate, Tubi’s strategy under Fox, Meta vs the FTC, Lucian Grainge’s tenure at UMG, and a special section on how we use AI tools at Trapital!

00:55 Coachella Payment Plans

07:07 Tubi's Long-Term Strategy

15:42 Lucian Grange's Impact on UMG

26:14 Meta and the FTC: A Legal Battle

29:47 AI Tools for Trapital

Trapital Summit tickets here: early bird tickets until April 30!

Want to be featured in the next partner spotlight? [email protected]

Summit partnership opportunities: [email protected]

Our episode today is a two-parter. I start at the top with my take on TikTok.

We then transition to our partner spotlight!

Part 1: The April 4 deadline has passed, and there’s still no deal on TikTok. The app got caught in the middle of the U.S. - China trade war and the ongoing tariffs. How will this all play out?

Part 2: I’m joined by beatBread’s CEO Peter Sinclair as we discuss the company’s Deal Comparison Tool and how it helps both artists and labels make the best possible decisions.

00:10 TikTok’s Role in the Trade War

06:15 Potential Outcomes for TikTok

10:11 beatBread’s Peter Sinclair joins us

011:06 Independent Labels and Financial Distress

The beatBread Deal Comparison Tool This tool provides a side-by-side analysis of different deals, focusing on key financial aspects such as upfront cash, long-term costs, and cash flow projections over time.

Trapital Summit tickets here: early bird tickets until April 30!

want to be featured in the next partner spotlight? [email protected]

summit partnership opportunities: [email protected]

It’s Data Week at Trapital and for part 2 in this week’s episode, we take a closer look at Spotify’s economic structure and the platform’s evolving role in the music industry.

Spotify’s Head of Marketing & Policy for Music, Sam Duboff joins me as we take insights from the company’s Loud and Clear report, we explore how money flows through the system, what it means for both major and independent artists, and the ongoing conversation around fairness and sustainability.

01:27 Loud and Clear Report

09:20 What Does Independent Mean?

14:36 The 225K Emerging and Professional Artists

17:46 Superstar Artists and Global Reach

Loud & Clear by Spotify 2025 Report

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.

It’s Data Week at Trapital! In 2024, music streaming revenue growth slowed down, but not for everyone! MIDiA Research’s Mark Mulligan joins me to break down the compaby’s annual report and the latest trends. How will the rise of the global south shape the industry? Which sectors of the “indie” market are actually growing? Will expanded rights be the next big thing?

03:18 MIDiA Research’s Recorded Music Report

08:57 Expanded Rights and Fandom

13:06 Independent Music Growth

18:05 Non-Major Labels and Market Share

22:09 Future of Music Publishing

MIDiA Research 2024 Global Recorded Music Revenue Report

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.

Is Apple Music shaping the future of streaming, or is it just playing catch-up?

In this episode, we discuss the past ten years of Apple Music, its role in music streaming, and whether it’s more important to the music business than it is to Apple overall.

Join me and Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research as we break down the moves that led to this point, the exclusives, its stalled growth in recent years, and how it fits into Apple’s broader ecosystem.

00:15 Drake Announcing Apple Music at WWDC in 2015

04:30 Apple Music's Market Position

11:11 The Apple Ecosystem

18:53 Apple Music's Editorial and Curatorial Efforts

This episode is presented by Trolley, the payout platform built for the music industry, helping artists, labels, and platforms seamlessly manage and distribute royalties worldwide.

The most influential conversations about your industry might be from an anonymous commenters who is validated by hundreds of upvotes on popular subreddit thread.

Join me and Dr. Marcus Collins, the award-winning marketer, author, and friend of the pod, as we discuss the significant cultural influence of Reddit, its evolution as a community of subcultures, and how the business has evolved.

02:08 Reddit as a Market Research Tool

04:54 The Power of Community and Moderation

15:29 Will Monetization Match its Cultural Influence?

19:41 If We Ran Reddit

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.

In today’s entertainment landscape, with more platforms and formats than ever, do true moguls still exist? If we’re being honest, they may have more power today than ever before.

From Lew Wasserman’s Hollywood dominance, to Ted Turner’s cable news empire, to today’s tech titans, we explore how these power players shaped the industry, and who might be next in line.

Join me and Web Barr, Founder and CEO of Hi Barr Media. Web recently launched Media Moguls, where he dives deep into Ted Turner’s journey.

02:38 Ted Turner’s Rise

05:45 The Classic Definition of Media Mogul

11:16 Two Types of Moguls Today

18:46 The Future of Media Moguls

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!

What if the most important social network in the world isn’t a social network at all?

In this episode, we explore how WhatsApp—often overlooked in the U.S.—has become a lifeline for families, businesses, artists, and economies worldwide.

Join me and Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research as we break down whether WhatsApp is the closest thing to a true “everything app,” how it differs from iMessage and texting, and why Meta has struggled to monetize it despite its massive reach.

04:33 WhatsApp's Global Growth Strategy

17:07 WhatsApp's Advertising and Privacy Dilemma

21:34 WhatsApp's role in Meta l

24:22 Instagram DMs vs WhatsApp

29:38 WhatsApp's US Growth Prospects

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!

It’s the perfect time to revisit one of our more popular episodes. Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are still at the top of the music industry despite the newer artists that do well on streaming and TikTok. That said, can today’s new class of stars ever match that same level of superstardom? .

In this episode, I’m joined by Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research to explore how artists like Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, and Bad Bunny are navigating the ever-changing music landscape. What does it take to break through the noise, and is music stardom evolving into something completely different?

Let’s get into it

02:00 Streaming's Impact on Music Industry

07:06 The impact of streaming and TikTok

11:09 Olivia Rodrigo's Streaming vs Sales

15:03 Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, SZA

23:23 Morgan Wallen, Bad Bunny

30:28 "Music Industry Aspirations and Realities"

33:39 Emerging Artists: Success Through Unique Roots

Trapital Summit tickets are on sale! Super early bird discount until April 30. Register here.

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

Make sure you check out TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, Equity.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

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