This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Molly Neuman, President of CD Baby, one of the largest independent music distributors in the world. Molly has spent decades advocating for independent artists and labels, helping shape the modern music industry through leadership roles at CD Baby, Downtown Music Holdings, and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM).

In this conversation, Ari and Molly dive into some of the most pressing issues facing musicians today, including artificial intelligence, streaming fraud, artist compensation, customer support, and the evolving role of music distribution. They discuss whether AI-generated music should exist, how streaming platforms are responding to generative AI, why artists are increasingly being affected by fraudulent streams, and what distributors like CD Baby are doing to protect independent musicians. Molly also shares her perspective on artist ownership, independence, and what success in the music business looks like in 2026.

Follow Molly Neuman:

https://www.instagram.com/mollydneuman/

https://cdbaby.com/

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

03:45 – Molly Neuman's Journey to Becoming CD Baby President

11:32 – Is CD Baby Still Independent?

18:04 – Universal Music's Acquisition & What It Means for Artists

27:41 – The State of Independent Music Distribution in 2026

39:18 – What Artists Get Wrong About Distribution

49:07 – AI Customer Support: Does It Matter if It's Human?

52:11 – Should AI-Generated Music Exist?

1:03:47 – Streaming Fraud, Bot Plays & How Artists Get Penalized

1:12:56 – What "Making It" Really Means in Today's Music Industry

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

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 Adam Gross, the president of Ineffable Records. Adam founded Ineffable Records in 2019 and later became a co-owner of Ineffable Music Group, now Billboard’s top independent reggae label for six consecutive years. Ineffable works with artists such as Stick Figure, Collie Buddz, Protoje, The Elovaters, and O.A.R., and many more.

In this episode, they discuss the recent unauthorized viral AI remixes of Stick Figure’s song “Angels Above Me.” At its peak, the unauthorized remix was #2 on the global Shazam charts and reached #1 on several different iTunes charts across Europe. They discuss the legal challenges of unauthorized AI remixes, the ethical considerations, and how the story led to a David Guetta x Alok version surfacing. Adam discusses the operational reality of dealing with this in real time, and how strategy to combat unauthorized AI remixes changes everyday.

Follow Adam Gross:

https://www.instagram.com/adam.g.r.o.s.s/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgross2018/

Check out Stick Figure:

https://stickfigure.com/

https://www.instagram.com/stickfiguremusic/

Chapters

05:07 Navigating Copyright in the Age of AI

10:03 The Bootleg Remix Phenomenon

14:58 The Role of Labels and Distributors

19:59 Ethics and Future of AI in Music

25:07 Navigating Major Label Deals

28:24 The Impact of Viral Trends on Music

30:43 Whack-a-Mole: The Challenge of Unauthorized Remixes

32:30 Collaborating with Major Artists

36:51 Ethics and AI in Music Production

39:35 The Future of Derivative Works

42:36 User-Centric Payment Models in Streaming

50:52 Building Timeless Music and Community

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

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 Joseph Pepin, artist manager, producer manager, and founder of a boutique management company that has helped artists like GoldFord build massive audiences while remaining independent.

Joseph has spent nearly two decades in the music industry, working across artist management, producer and songwriter representation, touring, marketing, and fan development. His roster includes artists, producers, and songwriters spanning multiple genres, and he's become known for his innovative approach to audience building, fan data collection, and sustainable artist growth.

Follow Joseph Pepin:

https://pepin.works/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_pepin

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

00:06:14 - Intro & How Goldford Broke Through

00:08:56 - Why Most Artists Fail to Keep Their Viral Fans

00:12:28 - Understanding the Marketing Funnel for Musicians

00:16:09 - Social Media Strategy: Hooks vs. Deep Content

00:19:25 - Building a Fanbase Without Chasing Trends

00:39:42 - The B-Side Touring Model vs. Ticketmaster

00:43:09 - Why Artists Need Emails, Phone Numbers & Fan Data

00:47:20 - Goldford’s Viral Growth Strategy Revealed

00:58:57 - Songwriting Camps, Producers & Building Opportunities

01:06:18 - What It Means to Make It in the New Music Business 

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

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 Eliah Seton, CEO of SoundCloud. Eliah breaks down how SoundCloud is evolving beyond streaming into a creator-first platform focused on fan relationships, monetization, and artist discovery.

Why “streaming is not enough” for artists, how fan-powered royalties work, the future of direct-to-fan monetization, and why creator tools are becoming more important in the AI era. Eliah also explains SoundCloud’s approach to generative AI music, ethically trained AI models, and why the platform refuses to monetize fully AI-generated songs.

Follow Eliah Seton and SoundCloud:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliahseton/

https://soundcloud.com/

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

08:27 - Eliah Seton on the Future of SoundCloud

13:41 - Why “Streaming Is Not Enough” for Artists

18:15 - Fan Monetization, Merch, and Direct-to-Artist Revenue

22:03 - How SoundCloud Helps Artists Get Heard and Build Fans

27:14 - Creator Subscriptions and Fan-Powered Features

31:24 - Wallets, Tipping, and the Future of Fan Transactions

36:01 - AI Tools for Music Creation and Artist Discovery

40:48 - SoundCloud’s Approach to Ethically Trained AI

47:17 - AI Music, Royalties, and Streaming Economics

52:08 - The Future of Human Artistry in the AI Era

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

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 Ash Avildsen, founder of Sumerian Records. Ash shares the story of building one of the most influential independent labels in modern rock and metal, from booking DIY tours in the MySpace era to helping artists break into arenas.

During this episode, Ari and Ash dive into artist development, the evolution of touring, music video economics, social media virality, the ethics of tour buy-ons, and why building an artist brand matters more than ever. Ash also opens up about expanding Sumerian into film, the future of entertainment brands, and why he believes music videos deserve a better business model.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sumerianrecords/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sumerianrecords

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

04:21 - Ash’s Journey from Touring Musician to Founding Sumerian Records

08:04 - Why Ash Left Booking to Focus Fully on the Label

12:00 - MySpace, TikTok, and How Artists Break Today

17:30 - Scenes, Community, and the Evolution of Heavy Music

22:16 - Artist Development and Getting Bands to Their First 500 Tickets

25:22 - The Ethics and Reality of Tour Buy-Ons

31:49 - Discovering Artists in the Streaming Era

35:15 - Why Music Videos Still Matter

49:00 - Building Sumerian Beyond Music Into Film and Media

56:00 - Ticketing, Industry Frustrations, and What It Means to “Make It”

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

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 Red Leather, the anonymous artist who turned viral TikTok videos into sold-out tours around the world. Known for his signature red hat, Red Leather first started his career by busking on Hollywood Boulevard before exploding online with viral covers and original songs like “The Only Time It Rains in Hollywood.” 

In this episode, Red Leather breaks down how he used social media to grow his audience from scratch, why he posted 5 videos a day for 100 straight days, how smashing guitars outside Capitol Records landed him a record deal (that he turned down), and why ticket sales matter more than streams or viral moments. He also opens up about sobriety, surviving addiction, touring independently, and eventually partnering with Empire after years of doing everything DIY.

Follow Red Leather:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redleather/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@redleather

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

00:04:02 - Intro

00:04:36 - The Origin of Red Leather

00:06:39 - Sobriety, Addiction & Artistic Vulnerability

00:10:11 - Posting 5 Videos a Day for 100 Days

00:14:11 - The Viral TikTok That Changed Everything

00:20:00 - Smashing Guitars Outside Capitol Records

00:25:12 - Why He Turned Down Major Label Deals

00:33:28 - Booking Tours Through Instagram DMs

00:47:23 - Virality vs Real Fans & Ticket Sales

01:01:58 - What “Making It” Means Today

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

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 Oskar Med K, a breakout Norwegian EDM producer. Oskar breaks down the "overnight" success that was actually years in the making—from the days of sending 500 cold emails to labels with no response.

In this episode, Ari and Oskar talk about the marketing strategies that helped him scale from 40k monthly listeners to 11 million, why "simple" content often outperforms high-production on TikTok, and the surreal feeling of playing Coachella as his first-ever music festival.

https://www.instagram.com/_oskarmedk/

03:54 – Intro: The Release of Oskar’s Debut Album Feel

05:24 – Albums vs. Singles: Building a Body of Work in the Streaming Era

09:12 – The Remix Story: How Khalid Ended Up on a Remix

12:52 – Behind the Tracks: Songwriting and Collaborating Remotely

17:19 – The Early Grind: From iPad Beats to Music School in Norway

19:00 – From 0 to 1: The "Hustle" of Emailing 500 Record Labels

20:17 – Breaking Through: Finding the Right Label via LabelRadar

25:12 – Marketing Strategy: Simple Content vs. High-Production TikToks

33:42 – Moving to the Stage: Transitioning from Studio Producer to Live Act

40:40 – The Coachella Milestone: Playing Your First-Ever Festival

44:29 – The Future of Music: Addressing the AI Debate and "Making It"

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

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 Ethan Berlin and Skully Kaplan of ROAM Artists for an inside look at the realities of booking and touring in today’s music industry. They unpack how booking agencies build and manage their rosters, what it really takes to develop artists on the road, and how deals—from guarantees to ticket splits—actually come together. If you’re an artist planning your next tour or trying to understand the live side of the business, this episode gives a clear, candid breakdown of how it all works.

https://www.instagram.com/roam.artists/

https://roamartists.com/

Chapters

05:03 – Intro & ROAM Agency Origin Story

08:26 – From Partnership to Global Agency

11:32 – Why Artists Need Different Agents by Region

14:59 – Breaking Into International Markets (Asia & Beyond)

19:52 – Why Artists Blow Up in Some Countries First

25:20 – Genre & Market Differences Worldwide

34:48 – The Real Cost of Touring Today

40:16 – How Artists Cut Costs on Tour

44:48 – How Artists Actually Make Money Touring

48:16 – Tour Deals & Promoter Strategy Explained

52:11 – Marketing Tours & Selling Tickets

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

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 Mark Orr, the founder of Lab Records, to explore how independent labels are evolving in today’s music industry. 

From deal structures and artist ownership to marketing strategies and physical releases, Mark shares a transparent look into how his label has operated and adapted over nearly two decades. They dive into how indie deals have shifted to become more artist-friendly, how Lab approaches partnerships like distribution with ADA, and why physical products like vinyl and limited editions are more important now than ever. Mark also breaks down how to build a lean team, when to outsource, and how to create meaningful fan engagement in a crowded digital landscape. Whether you’re on the artist or label side of the business, you won’t want to miss this episode.

https://www.instagram.com/labrecords

https://labrecs.com/ 

Chapters

00:00 - Lab Records Origin

05:00 - Building a Lean Team

09:25 - Streaming & Fan Engagement

13:23 - Pitching Artists vs Majors

16:07 - Modern Deal Structures

21:19 - Artist Power Shift

26:19 - Marketing in 2020s

31:42 - Physical Sales Comeback

36:21 - Touring Builds Fanbase

45:50 - Tools, Teams, Future

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids-Ergas

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 Michael Turner, founder of the disruptive record label Rebellion. Turner shares how he’s building a modern music company by leveraging viral marketing, short-form video, and niche communities to help independent artists break through without relying on traditional gatekeepers.

In this episode, Turner breaks down how viral hits are engineered through tastemaker networks and micro-influencers, how artists track fan conversion across platforms, and why touring and deal structures are evolving outside the traditional label system. They also discuss royalties, distribution, and AI-generated music—and why Turner believes we’re entering a golden era for those independent artists willing to adapt.

https://www.instagram.com/iamplvtinum/

https://www.instagram.com/rebellionrecordsnyc/

Chapters

00:00 - From Artist to Rebellion Founder

05:48 - Early Spotify Virality & Indie Strategy

08:17 - From Algorithms to TikTok Discovery

13:32 - Engineering Viral Campaigns

18:38 - Metrics That Matter Beyond Streams

21:36 - Turning Virality Into Ticket Sales

24:13 - New Touring Models for Indie Artists

34:04 - Building the Modern Indie Ecosystem

43:01 - AI’s Impact on the Music Industry

48:32 - Signing Artists in the Indie Era

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids-Ergas

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 Brian Hobbs and Dev Sherlock from South by Southwest (SXSW). Brian, VP of Music, has been at SXSW since 2012, helping shape the festival’s music programming and expand its sound, especially in hip hop and global scenes. Dev is the Director of Music at the festival. He plays a key role in building the lineup and working directly with artists, managers, and industry teams navigating the SXSW landscape.

In this episode, we break down what SXSW actually is, and whether it makes sense for you and your career. Dev and Brian discuss how this year is massively different than years past, what the real purpose of “South By” is, and how to approach it with a smart strategy (instead of just showing up and hoping for the best). We get real about networking—what that actually looks like at SXSW—and how artists, managers, and other industry folks can make the most of their experience. For those thinking about applying to official showcases, Brian and Dev walk through the submission process, and what their team is really looking for when they book artists. If you’re going to SXSW (or even thinking about it) listen to this episode first.

https://sxsw.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-hobbs-155759164/ 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to South by Southwest

02:14 Changes in the Festival Structure

05:43 The Overlap of Music and Tech

08:46 The Role of Live Music Discovery

11:22 Business Opportunities at South by Southwest

19:05 Navigating Official and Unofficial Showcases

23:18 Monetizing Opportunities for Artists

27:58 The Global Impact of the Irish Diaspora

29:48 Travel Concerns for International Artists

30:41 Booking Artists for South by Southwest

34:55 The Application Process Explained

37:57 The Fluid Nature of Artist Bookings

41:42 Understanding Compensation Models

43:52 The Conference Experience at South by Southwest

45:52 Networking Tips for Artists

50:57 Defining Success in the Music Industry

Edited and mixed by Ari Davids-Ergas

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.