We just came back from the 68th Grammy Awards. I am joined by Tati Cirisano of MIDiA Research break down what it’s actually like to the experience the Grammys up close from industry events and late-night conversations to crossing paths with artists, executives, and power players shaping the music business. We unpack standout performances, unexpected moments, and how attending the show in person is different from watching at home.

CHAPTERS

01:43 Bad Bunny’s Big Night

05:11 The Grammys In Person vs. On TV

08:36 Lauryn Hill

10:07 Cher on Stage

14:02 Polymarket and the Grammys

20:39 Grammy Week

25:19 Big Changes Next Year

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YouTube is the biggest TV, music, and video platform in the world, but it’s not satisfied. The company still wants to compete for the dollars that go to traditional TV. But can YouTube have it all?

In this episode, we examine YouTube’s push into the living room, from securing the NFL Sunday Ticket to becoming the exclusive home of the Oscars starting in 2029. But as YouTube chases TV legitimacy and higher profit margins, it faces a core tension: how can it get there without losing the creator-driven ethos that made it dominant.

We break down YouTube’s battle for short-form dominance, where YouTube TV fits in, and what its evolving strategy reveals about the future of media, creators, and global attention.

CHAPTERS

02:12 YouTube’s Ambition

04:59 YouTube vs TikTok

10:04 YouTube TV

13:16 Future of YouTube

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Meta’s short-form video surface, Reels, now generates $50 billion in annual run rate. That’s more than some of the largest media companies like Netflix, TikTok, and YouTube’s ad business.

Reels may be less culturally relevant than those companies, and its users spend less time on the platform than others, but it prints money and shows no signs of slowing down.

This episode explores how Meta’s infrastructure made Reels one of the most successful monetization plays in modern tech and what could threaten its momentum next.

CHAPTERS

02:51 Culture vs. Cash

04:30 How Reels Makes Money

06:49 Meta’s Advantage

15:34 Risks Ahead

18:54 What’s Next for Reels

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In this episode, we sit down with Will Page, economist and author of Pivot, for a deep dive on the global economics of music. Using Will’s latest Global Value of Music Copyright Report, we explore streaming economics, global market gaps, AI, and where the music industry’s next phase of growth may come from.

CHAPTERS

02:45 Global Value of Music: 10 Years in Review 11:24 Emerging Music Markets 13:37 Africa’s Music Economy 18:11 Brazil’s Music Market 21:12 The Crocodile Smile 33:18 AI and Music’s Future

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GUEST

Will Page, former Chief Economist of Spotify and PRS for Music, Author of Pivot

LINKS

Global Value of Music Copyright - Will Page

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Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi have had a big year in 2025, but what are they really? Securities? Derivatives? Sportsbooks? They may be all of the above.

Listen to my breakdown on how these markets have evolved over time, and what led to their current rise today. We then dive into the opportunities, risks, and the regulatory challenges that may shape their future.

CHAPTERS

02:54 The Origin of Prediction Markets

06:43 Polymarket, Kalshi, and Modern Prediction Markets

09:16 Regulation and What’s Next

09:31 Bucket A: Policy, Finance, and Economics

13:36 Bucket B: Sports, Entertainment, and Pop Culture

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Too Lost: empowering artists with tools to manage, distribute, and grow their music independently.

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People say they miss when MTV played music videos, but their viewing habits say otherwise!

We revisited one of our most popular episodes from 2023, but trimmed it down to include the best parts. I’m joined by Zack O’Malley Greenburg to unpack MTV’s rise from a scrappy video platform to a cultural powerhouse. We break down breakthrough moments like Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”, the rise of reality TV, the networks influence, rise, fall, and what’s next?

CHAPTERS

01:04 The Birth of MTV 04:45 MTV's Business Model 13:01 Cultural Impact of Influence 21:28 Rise of Reality TV 29:59 MTV ‘s Decline

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beatBread : A music funding platform that empowers independent artists to access advances on their streaming income while keeping 100% ownership of their music.

Splice, a cloud-based music creation platform offering millions of royalty-free samples, plugins (via rent-to-own), and AI-powered tools to inspire creators everywhere

GUEST

Zack O’Malley Greenburg, Author, Empire State of Mind

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We continue our Trapital Summit series with Dan and MiDIA Research’s Tati Cirisano sharing bold predictions from Trapital Summit attendees and sharing their thoughts.

We debate the long-term viability of major record labels, whether a Netflix + Spotify merger make sense (we recorded this before the podcast partnership!), we also discussed whether we’ll return to mass mainstream monoculture, future growth opportunities, and which new opportunities will be unlocked by AI-powered tools.

CHAPTERS

01:47 Future of Major Labels?

03:58 Will Netflix and Spotify Ever Merge?

05:52 A Return to Monoculture?

09:06 Unprecedented Industry Growth?

10:30 Will AI-Driven Labels Be The Future?

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GUEST

Tatiana Cirisano, VP Music Strategy, MIDiA Research

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This episode is in partnership and collaboration with our friends at The Recording Academy

You’ll hear our deep dive on what we can learn from this years Grammys with our usual analysis and a few select guests including: Panos Panay (President of The Recording Academy), Tati Cirisano (MIDiA Research), Zack O’Malley Greenburg, author and investor.

We discuss the biggest takeaways from the 2026 nominations, the rise of international music, how the voting body has evolved, and the economic lift of a Grammy win.

CHAPTERS

01:41 - Biggest takeaways

05:41 - Tati Cirisano joins us

13:02 - Panos Panay joins us

17:10 - Which past Grammys would have changed

21:52 - The Grammy Bump

33:10 - Zack Greenburg joins us

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GUESTS Panos Panay, President, The Recording Academy

Tatiana Cirisano, VP Music Strategy, MIDiA Research

Zack O’Malley Greenburg, Author, Empire State of Mind

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RESOURCES What is the Economic Value of a GRAMMY in Today’s Industry? - Chartmetric and Will Page

At our Trapital Summit, Nathan Hubbard joined me in stage to discuss Firebird Music’s investment thesis, working with Yungblud, and the business of Taylor Swift.

CHAPTERS

04:06 Firebird’s Mission

06:46 Yungblud’s Case Study

14:16 Investing in Management Companies

21:03 Finding New Talent

23:34 Is Taylor Swift the Best CEO in Music?

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LINKS & SOURCES ⁠Trapital newsletter⁠⁠

Trapital Summit 2025⁠ Guests: Nathan Hubbard, ⁠Firebird Music⁠⁠

Every Single Album⁠ Podcast

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We continue our Trapital Summit series with Jason Sklar, a partner at Shamrock Capital, to explore music rights as an asset class, as well as gaming, film, and more. We discuss Shamrock’s perspective, market trends, valuation approaches, the role of AI, and cross-industry opportunities.

02:27 State of Music Rights Investing

09:37 Shamrock’s Investment Approach

16:01 AI, Gaming, and Music

19:39 Why Investing in Film is a B2B Business

20:13 What’s Next for Catalog Deals

This episode is brought to you by SoundCloud for Artists, the all-in-one platform that empowers artists to distribute music, grow their audience, and get paid directly.

From uploads to insights, SoundCloud helps creators take control of their careers.

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We continued our Trapital Summit series with our talk with Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez and MIDiA Research’s Tati Cirisano. AI is rapidly transforming how music is created, distributed, and experienced. You’ll hear them unpack the challenges and opportunities shaping this new era of sound. From redefining creativity to fostering trust between artists and technology, we explore how collaboration, ethics, and innovation can drive a more equitable and inspiring future for the music industry.

03:36 AI Music: Trends and Future

08:11 What Sets Udio Apart

14:06 Trust and Fair Use in AI

21:19 Future Vision and Rapid Fire

This episode is brought to you by Laylo, a platform built for artists, creators, and live-event teams that helps turn shows into fandom. Laylo powers drops, tour campaigns, fan lists, SMS & DM outreach, and more to grow engagement and enable deeper connections.

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