The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

This week Ari sits down with Zena White, the chief operating officer at Partisan Records. Partisan is an internationally renowned independent record label headquartered in Brooklyn, NY. Zena has overseen global strategy for #1 charting, Grammy-nominated, Mercury Prize-winning album campaigns across Partisan’s diverse roster that includes IDLES, PJ Harvey, Cigarettes After Sex, Blondshell, the Fela Kuti estate and many more. Zena is also on the board of organizations like World Independent Network, A2IM, RIAA, and is a Recording Academy Member. Prior to Partisan, Zena was Managing Director at The Other Hand marketing services company in London, where she worked with artists such as Run The Jewels, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley, and more.Zena tells Ari about ORCA (Organization for Recorded Culture and Arts) a nonprofit she’s involved with that uses research to demonstrate the economic, social, and cultural value of music. Then later, she takes us behind the scenes of Partisan Records, explaining where they spend their marketing money, how much they spend, and more. Ari and Zena discuss ‘old-school’ marketing tactics like radio, PR, print media, digital and TV, and Zena sheds light on how artists get on Late Night shows… along with how much that costs. Yep—it costs. Ari and Zena also dive deep into the world of ‘new media’ and discuss how Partisan spends its money in the new age of social media. Tune in to hear stories about how Cigarettes After Sex got off the ground and to get a glimpse into the inner workings of indie labels!https://partisanrecords.com/ https://www.orcaformusic.com/ 00:00 Investing in Artists: The New Music Business04:48 Inside Partisan Records: A Label's Journey10:00 Cigarettes After Sex: A Case Study in Success24:42 The Balance of Data and Creativity in A&R34:06 Marketing Strategies for Independent Artists40:50 The Evolving Landscape of Music Marketing46:28 Public Relations and Its Impact on Artist Development52:13 Navigating Television Appearances and Their Costs55:30 The Role of Local Press in Ticket Sales01:02:26 Influencer Marketing and New Media Strategies01:08:58 The Formation and Purpose of Orca01:19:05 Defining Success in the New Music BusinessEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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, Ari is joined by Jason Lipshutz, the Executive Director of Music at Billboard. Jason has written about music for over a decade and has penned cover stories on Taylor Swift, U2, Blink-182, Lorde, Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, among many others. He was formerly a deputy editor at Fuse Media and has contributed to VIBE, The Hollywood Reporter, Spinner, and Popjustice. Jason recently released a book about Linkin Park called It Starts With One.In this illuminating interview, Jason shares his perspective on the state of music journalism, how he approaches conducting interviews, who decides what gets reviewed and who goes on the cover at major music publications. Ari and Jason also trade stories about their experiences with publicists and managers trying to squash stories to protect client images. If you're interested in the inner workings of the music journalism industry, this episode is for you!Check out Jason’s new audiobook: https://aristake.io/ul1wx7 00:00 The Balance of Music Journalism03:10 Writing a Book vs. Cover Stories05:56 The Evolution of Linkin Park13:02 The Art of Interviewing Artists18:09 The Changing Landscape of Music Journalism29:19 Navigating the Pressures of Music Journalism36:05 The Editorial Process at Billboard41:44 Balancing Traffic and Storytelling45:04 Personal Fandom in Journalism48:14 Writing a Book on Linkin Park56:33 Championing Creativity in the Music IndustryEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Ari sits down with Lucas Keller, the Founder & President of Milk & Honey, an entertainment management company that represents some of the world’s biggest songwriters, artists, and producers. Established in 2014, Milk & Honey is a hybrid agency that works in both the music and sports industries and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, Dallas and London. On the music side, Milk & Honey represents world-class creators including the writers behind Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” BTS’s “Butter,” Justin Beiber/Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” and many other international hits. Lucas and Ari talk about the state of music publishing and go deep into the ethics of royalties and producer points. Lucas explains how publishing and record deals work these days and gives his inside scoop on major catalog sales. Lucas also shares Milk & Honey’s process for setting up hit songwriting sessions.If you’re a songwriter, artist, producer, or anyone in the industry who wants to learn more about the ins and outs of music publishing, this episode is for you. https://www.milkhoneyla.com/00:00 The Art of Songwriting: A Daily Grind04:51 Understanding Music Publishing Terminology10:04 The Financial Landscape for Songwriters15:11 The Impact of Collaboration on Songwriting19:50 Navigating the Complexities of Publishing and Royalties24:52 The Future of Songwriting: Challenges and Opportunities26:20 The Evolution of Songwriting and Collaboration34:04 Understanding Publishing Deals in Today's Market48:07 The Growing Importance of Catalog Sales51:56 Defining Success in the New Music BusinessEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Ari sits down with John Summit, one of the most sought-after DJ/producers in the global dance world. John is a superstar DJ, producer, and owner of his own label, Experts Only. He has nearly a billion all-time global streams across his own catalog, two number 1 US dance radio hits, and two top 10 tracks on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. Summit has sold out iconic venues such as BMO Stadium, MSG, the Forum, Coachella, EDC, Tomorrowland and other major festivals all across the globe.John tells Ari all about how he got his start (making music with a day job, producing songs in his parents' basement), and how those humble beginnings led to him touring the world as a celebrated artist. He talks about how he got his career “break,” and gives practical advice to aspiring DJ/producers. John also talks about running Experts Only and how he hopes to develop the label.Keep up with John Summit at: https://www.instagram.com/johnsummit/00:00 Breaking Out of the Local Scene06:07 Creating an Album vs Singles08:59 Staying Inspired Creatively12:12 The Evolution of Live Performances14:53 Navigating the Pandemic: A Turning Point17:47 The Power of Persistence24:00 Collaborating Remotely33:16 Designing Arena Shows vs Festival Shows vs Clubs38:46 Behind The Curtain of Experts Only Label47:20 Experts Only Party Nights and Community Building51:14 Marketing Support for Artists on Experts Only53:04 Advice for Aspiring DJ/ProducersEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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.