In the age of data, A&R is no longer a Dark Art. Find out how music industry veteran Travis Rosenblatt created Meddling to deliver indispensable data and tools, so the label executives who spot new musical talent aren’t operating on gut instinct alone. Travis gives occasional host Tristra Newyear Yeager his expert view on the shifting power dynamics between artists and labels, the pitfalls of betting on TikTok success, and where the new tastemakers are. Learn how Travis turned his own career...
Feb 04, 2021•41 min•Ep. 135
Matthew Neutra, Lead Experience Engineer at Bose, tells host Dmitri Vietze about the audio company’s focus on delivering musical experiences and solving human problems. Find out how their philosophy has kept them at the front line of audio innovation as music listening has evolved, from speakers, to headphones, to earbuds, and beyond. Hear the origin story of founder Amar Bose’s pioneering noise cancelling headphones, and how the company’s recent innovation, Frames audio sunglasses, succeeds whe...
Jan 28, 2021•46 min•Ep. 134
How do artists and songwriters navigate music industry revenue streams and royalty payouts to achieve financial independence? Damian Manning, founder and CEO of HIFI, explains how his company brings tech innovation to business management for the music industry. Find out how HIFI’s Royalties Dashboard puts income data from many sources into one view, so artists and their teams can make smart financial decisions and chase down problems. Why is HIFI committed to a membership services model that pro...
Jan 21, 2021•53 min•Ep. 133
Music Tech strategist and writer Tristra Newyear Yeager joins host Dmitri Vietze to dig into the highs and lows of the most tumultuous year for the music industry in decades. How did the pandemic accelerate the adoption of new technologies for professional artists, music consumers, and the growing number of creators who fall somewhere in between? Will 2020’s lessons on scarcity and abundance change the way music is made, released, and promoted? What will future virtual concerts look and feel lik...
Jan 14, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 132
Ecommerce platforms just aren’t built for the music, merch, and tickets artists and their teams have to sell. Find out how Single Music solves their problems by making direct-to-fan music tools for the popular, powerful Shopify platform. Founder & CEO Tommy Stalknecht tells how the company builds feature sets and thrives in Shopify’s app-based ecosystem, letting artists sell (and bundle) digital and physical music, merch, and tickets. Learn about how Single added tools early in the pandemic ...
Dec 17, 2020•44 min•Ep. 131
You’ve seen the viral videos of celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Mark McGrath wishing happy birthday to their fans, now dig into how Cameo is innovating the monetization of fandom. Mat Devine, head of Music Partnerships at Cameo, sits down with host Dmitri Vietze to explore how fans and artists are connecting on Cameo. Learn how the platform makes its magic: fans get memorable video shoutouts and support their favorite celebs, while artists get to connect with their listeners and generate revenue...
Dec 10, 2020•44 min•Ep. 130
Music Tech analyst Mark Mulligan of MIDiA Research explores what comes next after streaming saturation in this talk recorded at Music Tectonics’ conference teaser event, The Shock Before the Quake. As the streaming market reaches saturation, where will new growth drivers arise? Which unlikely platforms are poised to take the lead in converting free users to subscribers? Why are we still mistaking quantity for quality when it comes to music discovery? How do you socially distance a mosh pit? Wher...
Dec 03, 2020•46 min•Ep. 129
When a sold-out show has empty seats and scalpers are selling choice tickets for an arm and a leg, it’s hard on artists, fans, and everyone who counts on a live show to succeed. Lawrence Peryer, Chief Revenue Officer at Lyte, explains the live event ticketing landscape and how Lyte’s ecommerce thinking is bringing it up to date. Find out how Lyte products help fans buy, exchange, and return tickets with ease, while artists and risktakers fill houses, hold on to revenue, and learn about their aud...
Nov 24, 2020•47 min•Ep. 128
Bob Moczydlowsky (you can call him Bob Moz), Managing Director of Techstars Music, explains how the accelerator program unites Techstars venture capital with member companies across the global music business. Find out how Techstars Music selects 10 music startups from around the world for 13 weeks of intensive mentorship, development and investment every year, and which hot emerging companies the program has launched. How has Techstars Music responded to 2020’s crises by doubling down on their c...
Nov 19, 2020•49 min•Ep. 127
Music Tech journalist and researcher Cherie Hu wrapped up the recent Music Tectonics Conference with a fireside chat with Dmitri Vietze. Listen in on their conversation to get a taste of Cherie’s upcoming book on how artists can run their music careers more like tech entrepreneurs. How is recording an album like developing software, and how has the pandemic led artists to change their approach? Music Tectonics can watch the sessions they missed in the Music Tectonics community app! Visit MusicTe...
Nov 13, 2020•46 min•Ep. 126
Brett takes us on a wild journey through the outer edges of music tech and its impact on music making and listening. In a time when tablets can be studios and algorithms bandmates, he and Dmitri explore the tension between aesthetics and tools, music’s evolving value frameworks and tried-and-true structures, and the fuzzy world springing up between makers and fans. No longer locked to a room, no longer tied to analog instruments or clunky digital interfaces, music lovers are finding new depths o...
Oct 26, 2020•42 min•Ep. 125
Roblox’s Global Head of Music John Vlassopulos talks to Dmitri about how audio is playing a key role in the “imagination time” of the wildly popular Roblox gaming and world building platform. He and the Roblox team see themselves as “firestarters,” those who provide the basic ideas and code and then see what people create. As music performances port to new virtual settings, Vlassopulos shows us how in-platform concerts are just the beginning, as a community of young users and international devel...
Oct 23, 2020•43 min•Ep. 124
Scott Fetters, the CEO of incubator and media/tech makerspace 2112, talks about the thrill of uniting a wide swath of Chicago’s creative minds and startup stars under one roof--and how COVID helped them find new possibilities and partners. What started as a rehearsal space has turned into a media and culture production powerhouse, uniting fragmented industries, serving small businesses, and growing the region’s creative sector. It launched a standalone educational initiative, the Center for Crea...
Oct 22, 2020•34 min•Ep. 123
The pandemic has accelerated everything tech by three years. On this episode, music tech veteran and CEO Darryl Ballantyne of LyricFind scans the horizon with host Dmitri Vietze on all things music tech. The two tackle music tech investment, borderless music engagement, monetizing fandom, livestreaming, mixed reality, fitness, and more; all themes that will be explored at the 2020 Music tectonics Conference online. We wrap up by asking what other verticals Darryl is keeping an eye on and what he...
Oct 15, 2020•43 min•Ep. 122
Now that there are so many paths to music, it can be overwhelming for artists, labels, and managers to bring everything back together, On this podcast Linkfire's Lars Ettrup and Andrea Arcari put forth a vision for how artists and their teams can get in front of the dispersal of their connection to fans while still helping music streaming services attract ears and increase listeners. Plus find out what topic they will be addressing in their Music Tectonics Conference presentations and what they ...
Oct 14, 2020•41 min•Ep. 121
What has been emerging in music listening since the lockdown? How are music services weaving together streaming, radio, news, podcasts and ads in the emerging streaming marketplace? Super Hi-Fi's Zack Zalon is back as we dissect possible paths the listening experience can take. He echoes Daniel Ek's statement that radio's $18 billion in ad revenue globally is there for the taking by the music services that fight for it the hardest. We talk about what future interactive ads might sound like, plus...
Oct 13, 2020•48 min•Ep. 120
AdRev CEO Noah Becker has a message for the world: stop using music in your videos and social media content without valuing it. He believes that the world needs mass education of video creators about why songwriters and recording artists should share in the revenue influencers are making from sponsored posts and brand deals. He calls on social platforms to spend less money on avoiding paying for music licenses and distribute more of that money to artists and writers. If you like your podcasts sp...
Oct 08, 2020•40 min•Ep. 119
Do you own your fan data, or do you rent it? Michael Bassal of Tradable Bits, a Music Tectonics Conference speaker & sponsor, digs into how fan-based marketing really works. Find out how the company puts data into human context to help artists, sports teams, festivals, and more understand who their fans are across platforms. Learn how Tradable Bits yields actionable insights for artists and their teams so they can focus on creating great fan experiences—and reaching the next 10,000 fans. Wha...
Oct 06, 2020•39 min•Ep. 118
Dan Mackta of luxury music streaming and download service Qobuz explains why hi-res audio is an important piece of the music revenue equation. Dmitri and Dan explore the dynamics of the music-loving audiophile market. On this episode find how a higher-end tier in music listening creates value for the entire music industry. Dan draws on his many years in music to comment on additional revenue streams for artists, the future of livestreaming, and bundling music with other subscriptions. Plus hear ...
Oct 01, 2020•45 min•Ep. 117
How is the live music industry evolving during pandemic restrictions? Juan Torres of Prism.fm works with venues and promoters on the front lines of the crisis, and he’ll be speaking at the Music Tectonics Conference Oct. 27-28 online. What has happened in Austin TX since SXSW kicked off a wave of cancellations and delays? Find out about the Wyoming promoter now holding drive-in rodeos and church services as well as concerts. Dig into the state of live event tech and learn how Prism is helping pr...
Sep 24, 2020•34 min•Ep. 116
When so many listeners discover music on streaming services and social media, why should artists manage their own web presence? Guests from artist platform Bandzoogle build a strong case for connecting directly with fans, owning your own domain and data, and controlling your career. Stacey Bedford, Bandzoogle CEO (a 2019 Billboard Digital Power Player) and Dave Cool, Vice President of Business Development, tell how Bandzoogle has been helping artists build websites since the early ‘00s and adapt...
Sep 17, 2020•42 min•Ep. 115
Digital experiences in fitness have been a growing phenomenon since before the pandemic, but that growth has only accelerated since March due to the high demand for online content. Hear from Lauren Pufpaf, Co-founder of Feed.fm, as she explores the integral role of music in the time of digital fitness, smart mirrors, even bluetooth ovens. Find out how Feed.FM is helping businesses share music with their customers legally and seamlessly, from licensing to delivery to curation. Music is everywhere...
Sep 10, 2020•36 min•Ep. 114
Music marketing has become more and more intertwined with video. How can indie artists tap into video’s power to engage listeners without breaking the bank or learning a whole new skillset? Diarmuid Moloney, founder and CEO of Rotor, explains how his platform automates and streamlines the music video creation process. Starting with just a song, musicians and their teams can focus on creative decisions instead of technical details to make engaging music videos speedily and cost effectively. Get a...
Sep 03, 2020•43 min
What does it mean to personally invest in an artist? Hear from Adam Cowherd, CEO & founder of AmplifyX, a platform that’s introducing a new financing solution for artists and a new asset class for investors- the first and only such platform that’s SEC and FINRA compliant. The AmplifyX model lets upcoming and established artists retain control of their own intellectual property and career decisions, all while collecting up to 90% of royalties (the current industry standard is often less than ...
Aug 27, 2020•19 min
As the pandemic hit and music teachers scrambled to find new technology to support remote learning, many turned to Solfeg.io. Hear about how music and education intersect from Toms Rusovs, CEO and Co-founder of Solfeg.io, MidemLab 2020 winner in the Music Creation & Education category. Toms explores how this new learning tool supports learning in over 10K schools by breaking down popular songs to teach essential musical ideas. When a teacher isn’t available, there's AI technology to customiz...
Aug 20, 2020•39 min
Musicians are suffering and venues have closed. Rishon Blumberg of Brick Wall Management explores how artists are adapting to stay afloat during this global pandemic and navigate a world without touring. From Instagram livestreams to drive-in theater style concerts, what’s working to fill the gaps? How are live albums and concert merch changing in the time of livestreaming? Artists are using this time to write and record loads of new material- but who’s to blame if their streaming payouts amount...
Aug 13, 2020•51 min
Video gaming platforms have become essential lockdown music festival venues even as new livestreaming platforms keep coming out of the woodwork. Find out what makes popular games and virtual concerts such a great match from Alex Perrien, CEO of Genesis, the leading provider of virtual events on the Minecraft platform. Alex discusses how his company creates unique event experiences, from the Blockeley festival on a virtual college campus to a DJ stage in the center of a volcano spewing lava. How ...
Aug 06, 2020•37 min
You'll get more than you bargain for in this episode, when BPI's Casandra Strauss moves from giving an overview of the Music & Tech Springboard Programme to providing a compelling list of categories that music tech companies can help solve in the music industry from A&R to music discovery among casual listeners. Think of British Phonographic Industry (BPI) as the UK equivalent of RIAA. Think of Strauss as an up and coming thought leader in music tech! The Music Tectonics podcast goes ben...
Jul 30, 2020•51 min
From panda-cams at the zoo to live acoustic guitar sets from the bathroom, OnNow.TV is a one-stop shop for all things livestream. Hear how Co-founder Matthew Addell’s decades of experience in digital music led to creating the world's largest index of global live streamed events- in just a few weeks. Adell explains how the OnNow.TV platform helps viewers discover livestream events of all kinds happening around the world, while doubling streamers’ audiences. Matthew digs into how OnNow.TV removes ...
Jul 23, 2020•47 min
Releasing and marketing music today generates tons of data. How do you make sense of all those Spotify streams, YouTube views, TikTok videos, Shazam searches, even Wikipedia pageviews? Chartmetric CEO Sung Cho explains how his company processes and visualizes publicly available data on 2.5 million artists to put all those numbers in context. Find out how Chartmetric helps artists, managers, indie labels, even A&R track the success of new music, surface trends before they’re even a thing, and...
Jul 16, 2020•44 min
