This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Justin Gammella, a hit songwriter, producer, top liner, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. With over a billion streams to his name and more than 100 released cuts, Justin’s catalog includes Bella Poarch’s viral hit “Build a Bitch” and collaborations with artists like Benson Boone, Lennon Stella, Steve Aoki, and FINNEAS. A true “working class” pop songwriter, Justin brings a decade of professional songwriting experience to the table and is also the host of the Producer Points podcast.

In this episode, Ari and Justin dive into the realities of professional songwriting in today’s music industry. They explore how songwriters get paid, how publishing works, and the controversy around non-writing artists receiving songwriting credit. They also touch on newer developments like songwriters earning master points and how the industry continues to evolve in the streaming era. This episode also takes on the growing role of AI in music—how Justin uses it in his workflow, the ethical questions it raises, and the need for safeguards across the industry.

https://instagram.com/justin_gammella

http://instagram.com/producer_points

Chapters

00:00 The Role of Songwriters in the Music Industry

05:12 Journey to Becoming a Professional Songwriter

10:04 Understanding Publishing Deals

17:30 Monetization in the Streaming Era

23:15 The Songwriting Process and Collaboration

31:54 Vocal Production: The Heart of Music Creation

39:08 The Art of Pitch Songs: Collaboration and Emotion

42:17 Navigating the Modern Music Landscape: Major Labels vs. Indie Artists

45:57 Songwriting Credits: The Controversy of Co-Writing

50:11 The Evolving Role of Songwriters in the Streaming Era

54:56 AI in Music: Opportunities and Ethical Considerations

01:01:36 Defining Success in the New Music Business

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Oscar Höglund, the co-founder and CEO of Epidemic Sound. Epidemic Sound is a leading music and soundtracking platform for content creators. They have garnered attention for its digital rights model and soundtracking tools that help creators to elevate their content with music, while simultaneously supporting artists financially. Oscar shares insights from his journey launching Epidemic after working with Sweden’s renowned Zodiak Television.

In their episode, Ari and Oscar unpack critical issues impacting independent artists, including royalty structures, streaming economics, and the evolving landscape of music licensing. They explore Epidemic Sound’s unique approach to artist compensation, discuss how digital streaming has pushed music toward playlist-driven consumption, and tackle the creative tension artists face when making commercially viable music. This episode offers an in-depth look at one of the industry's most influential platforms shaping the future of music in content creation.

Chapters

00:00 The Changing Landscape of Music Royalties

06:00 Epidemic Sound: A New Model for Music Distribution

12:14 Artist Compensation and Ownership Rights

17:46 Innovative Approaches to Music Licensing

24:09 The Impact of Epidemic Sound on Independent Artists

29:53 Future of Music in the Digital Age

42:16 The Evolution of Music Consumption

46:21 Negotiating with DSPs and Licensing Rates

49:52 The Rise of Epidemic Sound

55:31 The Artist's Identity Crisis

01:08:01 Future Innovations and AI in Music

01:21:12 Becoming a Full-Service Music Platform

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Jaclyn O’Connell, a digital marketer, creative strategist, artist manager, and founder of Bittersweet Media and Good Grief Management. Jaclyn has provided creative marketing solutions and hands-on artist management for artists and labels of all scales and sizes—from emerging artists to well-established acts and both indie and major labels. They have supported gold and platinum records and worked with artists including Wild Rivers, Cavetown, Julian Baker, and Cold War Kids. Drawing on experience in both marketing and artist management, Jaclyn offers a sharp, insider perspective on what it truly takes to build a sustainable career in today’s music industry.

In this episode, Ari and Jaclyn dive deep into the realities of modern music marketing — from navigating ever-shifting social media algorithms to building effective fan funnels that turn casual listeners into ticket buyers and lifelong fans. They also unpack the current touring landscape, direct support deals, and the hot-button issue of tour buy-ons. Whether you're an artist, manager, or just curious about how fan engagement really works, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

http://instagram.com/jaclyn_oconnell

Chapters

00:00 Building Direct Relationships with Fans

03:09 Navigating the Social Media Landscape

05:49 The Importance of Mental Health in Artist Management

09:05 Innovative Monetization Strategies for Artists

11:55 The Role of Community in Artist Growth

14:58 Understanding the Fan Journey

18:05 Challenges in Touring for Emerging Artists

21:03 The Evolution of the Live Music Industry

36:21 The Ethics of Tour Buy-Ons

39:09 Navigating the Challenges of Touring

43:05 Building Artist Relationships and Mental Health

46:04 Defining Success in Artist Campaigns

48:02 The Role of Social Media in Driving Streams

51:01 The Nuances of Going Viral

55:29 The Fragmentation of Viral Success

57:23 Conversations with Labels and Ownership

01:01:23 Balancing Management and Business

01:10:25 Setting Boundaries in Artist Management

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Danny Ross, a producer/songwriter, columnist at Forbes, professor at Berklee NYC, and the founder of the largest songwriting camp in the world, Anti Social Camp. Now in its 5th year, Anti Social Camp brings together over 250 songwriters, producers, and artists, including Cigarettes After Sex, Beach Bunny, Bryce Vine, Walk the Moon, Taja Kumari, Evan Giia, and Louis Cato, for 200 recording sessions across 40 studios in 5 days.

If you are a songwriter or producer who’s ever wondered what goes down at songwriting camps or how to get involved, you’re going to learn all about that and more in this episode with Danny Ross.

Get $100 your Anti Social Camp Badge by using the code: ARIANTISOCIALVIP at antisocialcamp.com

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Reputation in the Music Industry

03:02 Understanding Songwriting Camps

05:48 The Structure and Dynamics of Songwriting Sessions

08:47 The Evolution of the Anti Social Camp

12:01 Building Community in New York's Music Scene

14:54 The Anti Social Camp Experience

17:54 Diverse Genres and Collaboration

20:54 The Future of Songwriting Camps

31:11 Creative Collaborations in Music Production

32:26 Success Stories from the Camp

33:44 Understanding Major vs. Indie vs. Self-Releasing Artists

38:33 The Financial Landscape of Music Production

44:53 Navigating Splits and Royalties in Music

47:01 The Ethics of Publishing in the Music Industry

52:39 Teaching the Next Generation of Music Creators

56:40 The Importance of Community in Music Creation

59:01 Defining Success in the New Music Business

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Dan Melnick, the General Manager of Bandcamp. One of the earliest direct-to-fan platforms, Bandcamp empowers listeners to support artists they love directly. They have enabled fans to pay over 1.49 billion dollars and 193 million dollars directly to artists last year. Over 75k records get sold on this superfan platform every day and over half a million fans buy at least one thing on Bandcamp each month.

In this episode, Dan explains to Ari how and why Bandcamp is still growing after 17 years. He shares where the company’s headed, and why its download model has continued to thrive, despite the fall of downloads on platforms like iTunes. Dan also highlights how artists can use Bandcamp to bolster their release strategies, and Ari shares some of his favorite, lesser-known features of the site. Take a listen to find out how Bandcamp’s direct-to-fan platform can help you connect with fans and monetize your fan relationships.

https://bandcamp.com/

Chapters

00:00 Building a Sustainable Music Career

05:00 The Power of Bandcamp

09:59 Understanding Bandcamp's Growth

15:06 Direct-to-Fan Relationships

19:53 Innovations in Bandcamp

24:45 Community and Engagement on Bandcamp

30:03 Best Practices for Artists on Bandcamp

36:25 Merchandising Beyond Music: The Power of T-Shirts

39:28 Navigating the Streaming Landscape: Bandcamp vs. Spotify

48:25 Building a Sustainable Career: Strategies for Artists

56:11 Understanding Bandcamp's Business Model: Fair Trade Music

01:02:36 The Evolution of Curation: Bandcamp's Editorial Approach

01:05:20 The Future of Bandcamp: Building Sustainable Careers

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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

In this solo episode of the New Music Business podcast, Ari untangles the complexities of royalties, registration, and publishing. After his social media video with the same message (“Don’t cut your drummer into publishing”) went viral for the wrong reasons, Ari wanted to come on the show and break down the nuances of this advice. Tune in to get clear on the differences between publishing royalties and master royalties, which royalties session musicians are legally due, the importance of one-stop agreements, and how to fairly (or, more so, generously) compensate your session musicians.

Read the article on Ari’s Take: https://aristake.com/publishing-royalties/

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Music Publishing and Royalties

02:55 The Role of Session Musicians in Music Creation

05:55 Differentiating Between Master Royalties and Publishing

09:09 The Importance of One-Stop Agreements

11:59 Fair Compensation for Session Musicians

15:12 Changing Industry Standards

17:46 How Publishing Royalties Work Within Bands

20:13 Why Session Musicians Are Not Considered Co-Writers

22:20 Legally Entitled Radio Royalties for Session Musicians

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Jacob Paul, the VP of Platform Growth & Brand Strategy at Kobalt and KOSIGN. Jacob has been one of the leaders behind Kobalt’s new admin publishing platform, KOSIGN, since its public launch in February 2025. Kobalt has been disrupting the traditional publishing model for years. Now their application-based platform, KOSIGN, is doing the same in the admin publishing space.

In this episode, Jacob explains how Kobalt and KOSIGN approach publishing differently than traditional publishers and admin publishers. Along the way, he and Ari completely break down how music publishing works. They touch on: how songwriters get paid, the difference between “artists” and “songwriters,” the difference between publishers and admin publishers, and how creators can be sure they’re not leaving any money on the table. Jacob also shares why it’s advantageous to have a publisher or an admin publisher instead of just working with a PRO or MRO. If you have questions about music publishing (and let’s be real, who doesn’t?), this episode’s got you covered.

https://www.kosignmusic.com/

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Music Publishing and Royalties

05:07 The Role of Kobalt in Music Publishing

10:10 Distinguishing Between Artists and Songwriters

14:51 The Importance of Publishing for Songwriters

19:53 Kobalt's Innovative Approach to Publishing

25:03 Exploring Traditional vs. Admin Publishing Deals

29:56 The Launch of KOSIGN and Its Impact on Indie Songwriters

35:43 The Rise of Independent Artists

40:23 Understanding Publishing and Royalties

45:35 Navigating the Complexities of Publishing Administration

51:10 The Role of KOSIGN in Empowering Songwriters

56:25 The Future of Music Publishing and Artist Ownership

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Mag Rodriguez, the founder and CEO of the direct-to-fan platform EVEN. Throughout his career, Mag has helped artists generate over 1 billion streams—but now, he’s focused on building a parallel music economy where artists sell directly to fans before streaming. “Superfan” platforms like EVEN are redefining how artists monetize their work.

Through EVEN, Mag has partnered with J. Cole, 6LACK, LaRussell, Lauren Jauregui, Fariana, Smino, Ryan Leslie, and thousands of other artists of all levels, empowering them to take ownership of their fan relationships and unlock new revenue streams. They’re essentially putting control and earnings back into the hands of artists.

In this episode, Mag tells Ari about artists who don’t have many followers or monthly listeners, but are making significant revenue from their fans on EVEN. They discuss the previous eras of direct-to-fan platforms (like Bandcamp, Patreon, Kickstarter) and how EVEN’s music-centric model differs from these prior iterations. Superfan platforms are truly taking the industry by storm—Mag tells Ari that EVEN, alone, onboards about 8,000 artists each day. If you’re interested in exploring superfan platforms, this episode is a great place to start.

Check out EVEN at: get.even.biz

Chapters

00:00 The Challenge of Monetizing Music for Emerging Artists

02:57 The Rise of Direct-to-Fan Platforms

05:58 Understanding Even: A Direct-to-Fan Platform

08:55 Windowing and the Shift in Music Distribution

11:54 The Economics of Music Sales vs. Streaming

15:12 Selling Access: The Community Aspect of Even

18:00 Building Community: The Even Triangle

21:04 Real Success Stories: Emerging Artists on Even

24:00 Emotional Commerce: Connecting with Fans

26:57 The Future of Music Monetization

35:10 The $1,000 Album Phenomenon

38:36 Sustainable Revenue Models for Artists

40:16 Data-Driven Insights for Artists

44:27 The Journey to Building Even

51:12 Navigating Major Labels and Independent Artists

54:23 Operational Framework for Artists and Labels

01:00:07 Community Engagement and Fan Interaction

01:04:24 Defining Success in the New Music Business

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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