A single headline sent me down a rabbit hole: Napster, the name that once shook the music world, is now pausing streaming to chase AI companions and immersive experiences. We unpack what that actually means, tracing the arc from MP3 file sharing and courtroom showdowns to corporate hand‑offs, VR concerts, blockchain detours, and a bold new pitch about social music.

We start with the 1999 shockwave that rewired discovery overnight and explore why the industry struggled to catch up. From the lawsuits that ended the original service to the lost decade before streaming stabilised payouts, we map the behaviour shifts that shaped listeners, creators, and labels. Then we walk through the brand’s winding ownership path—Roxio, Best Buy, Rhapsody, Melody VR, Algorand, and Infinite Reality—and ask a simple question: does brand equity still matter if the product doesn’t clearly help artists and fans?

From there, we get practical. What would make AI taste companions genuinely useful? How could interactive playlists and spatial concerts create real value rather than add noise? We compare promises with what other music and Createch founders are building, probe big funding claims, and outline the metrics that matter for creators: data ownership, fair payouts, superfans, and conversion to paid experiences. The conversation lands on a clear takeaway—technology only matters when it moves money, meaning, or community.

If you care about music business strategy, artist monetisation, and where streaming goes next, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves music tech, and tell us: revolution ahead or just a rerun of old hype?

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What if three notes could carry an entire story? I sit down with Erik Reiff, CCO of Black Cat White Cat Music, to unpack how composers build sonic identities for global brands and screens without losing the soul of the music. From Nike to sci‑fi dramas, Erik shows how a tight brief, a clear arc, and a few perfectly chosen sounds can do the heavy lifting that visuals alone can’t.

We dig into the real difference between scoring long‑form narratives and crafting short‑form hooks for social feeds, where you have seconds to win attention. Erik breaks down why space and simplicity matter, how motifs travel across formats, and when to reach for a preset versus invent a new texture from scratch. He shares the hidden skill that powers great work under pressure: taste. The ability to select, place, and pace sounds quickly is often more valuable than reinventing the synth wheel, especially when deadlines loom and the mix must land fast.

Erik’s journey from touring songwriter to agency co‑owner reveals how craft evolves with collaboration. He talks candidly about translating directors’ language into musical choices, building daily feedback loops with artists, and using empathy to align on tone when references are vague. Along the way we explore resilience, celebrating failures, and borrowing inspiration from chefs, athletes, and even accountants who solve problems with their own creative logic. If you’re a composer, producer, or brand leader curious about sonic branding, storytelling, and working smarter under constraints, this conversation offers field‑tested insights you can use today.

Enjoy the episode, share it with a friend who loves music and film, and leave a review to help more creators find the show. Subscribe for more deep dives into the craft and business of music.

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Want to understand why some young artists accelerate while others stall? We sat down with Mike King—VP of Enrolment Management and Marketing at Interlochen Center for the Arts and longtime music marketing educator—to map the through-line from community and craft to career momentum. Mike shares what makes Interlochen unique: a culture where students “find their people,” learn to live and create at a high standard, and step onto stages with top orchestras and icons.The result isn’t just prestige; it’s a repeatable pathway where skills deepen, networks form, and artistic identity hardens through real-world pressure.

We dig into how Gen Z actually learns and why traditional lectures fall flat. Short-form, visual, collaborative, and asynchronous models don’t lower the bar—they move it to where attention lives. Mike explains how to design learning and fan engagement around these patterns so growth compounds. From there we trace the arc of music marketing since 2007: early DIY optimism, tool sprawl, consolidation, and today’s renewed window for artist-led success. The constant is a reliable framework: own your website, grow permission-based contacts, and understand fans at a psychographic level so campaigns feel like a conversation, not a pitch.

Then we get practical. Jónsi and Alex’s vegan cookbook shows how non-music value can perfectly align with fan identity while building your list. Boards of Canada’s cryptic trail proves how to mobilise a committed community with puzzles and play. We talk about choosing niches over trends, proving craft through performance, and avoiding the common mistake of selling before you have a community. Most importantly, we break down why rights ownership and smart deals change your revenue story more than social metrics ever will. If you’re an emerging artist, manager, or educator, you’ll leave with a roadmap you can use this week.

Enjoy the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a marketing reset, and leave a quick review to help more music creators find us.

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What if your next song could jump from idea to radio‑ready with world‑class musicians in the time it takes to finish a coffee? We sit down with Musiversal Co‑Founder and Chief Growth Officer, Xavier Jameson, to unpack a model that flips the remote studio on its head: live, unlimited sessions with a curated roster of elite players and engineers, all inside one membership.

Xavier walks us through the workflow that makes the difference. You browse a handpicked roster, book in a couple of clicks, join the live session, direct performances in real time, and get files minutes later. Because every session is designed for efficiency—pre‑session prep, clear references, and seasoned pros who nail takes—the 35‑minute format routinely delivers multiple full passes and overdubs without the usual back‑and‑forth. We dig into why kindness is a selection criterion, how low‑ego collaboration unlocks better takes, and the way this approach helps creators finish more music without blowing their budgets.

We also go big: real orchestras via a white‑glove, shared‑session model with partners like the Grammy Award Winning Czech National Symphony Orchestra; simple, creator‑first rights with 100% ownership; and a growing suite for release and growth that includes marketing advice, cover design, and video editing. Xavier shares a pragmatic view on AI—useful for speeding up tasks like mixing and prep—while keeping the human session as the heart of the creative process. And with the Musiverse community hosting workshops, masterclasses, and songwriting camps, creators gain not only access to talent but a place to learn, connect, and thrive.

If you care about finishing better songs faster, collaborating with the best, and keeping ownership clear, this episode is for you. Subscribe, share with a fellow creator who needs a boost, and leave a review.

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Year’s end is the perfect moment to trade myths for evidence. We brought together the most useful ideas from the season—data that flips audience assumptions, a calmer path to releasing music that actually moves your career, and a funding shift that weakens the old “advance or bust” story. Keith Jopling spotlights how streaming data exposes who really listens and why waiting until the songs and live set are undeniable saves you from burning momentum. We carry that thread into the studio with a reminder that great records are team sports—writing, performance, production, recording, mixing, and mastering each compounding the others.

We also tackle AI without the panic. Gary Charles warns how models can strip culture from local scenes, while Declan McGlynn lays out how contracts must separate recorded rights from AI training and voice models to protect future value. Anne‑Marie Gaillard reframes ethical AI as a creative co‑pilot that speeds iteration, and Dave Ronan shows how assistive mixing automates the grunt work while keeping taste human. On the other side of the ledger, Matt Jones makes the case for creators owning fan relationships and using blockchain as durable infrastructure, and Ryan Ouyang demonstrates chipped merch that proves fandom, unlocks access, and travels with the fan beyond any single platform.

Zooming out, Ralph W Peer maps how cross‑cultural collaboration—think amapiano grooves, Favela funk textures, hybrid pop—keeps music fresh as individual hits fade faster. Waylon Barnes gets practical about revenue: the money often arrives indirectly through syncs, brands, live, and merch, so attention is the spark and strategy is the engine. Tie it together with clean PR practices that spot bots, smart education and pitching, and rights literacy that licenses new formats before the law catches up.

If you’re planning 2026, use this episode as a checklist: finish better songs, build a fearless live show, protect your assets, embrace ethical tools, and design for superfans you can actually reach. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a creator who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so more artists can find these ideas.

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This episode is a Q & A session where I take questions from listeners and provide answers. A range of topics are covered and explored.

Tension sits at the heart of modern music careers: protect your rights, move faster, and still make work that feels like you. We take that knot apart with practical guidance on AI, publishing, growth, and the day-to-day moves that actually change your trajectory.

First, we separate AI’s ethics from its utility. Training models on copyrighted catalogues without consent or payment is unacceptable, but opt-in, time-saving tools can remove drudge work and speed up mixes, edits, and idea generation. The difference is compensation, consent, and control. From there, we dive into whether songwriters really need publishers. If your goals include cuts, writing camps, sync, and rigorous global collection, the right publisher accelerates everything. If not, smart self-admin plus your PRO might be enough. We also unpack distributor “publishing collection,” outlining when that extra 20 percent is worth delegating and when to keep it in-house.

Growth strategy gets concrete. Bands win when streams and ticket sales rise together—that’s what agents call a catch. We share simple steps to turn online traction into rooms that move: gig swaps to test markets, live video that proves demand, and ads guided by real audience data. On playlists, we point to credible platforms with strong curator standards, so your spend behaves like targeted PR rather than wishful thinking. If you’re stepping into management, start with an IP audit to lock splits and performance clearances, then map a clear 12-month plan to clarify costs, cadence, and the team you’ll need. Writers and producers get a session blueprint too: ask goals, prep references, bring tailored sketches, and start strong.

We close with a frictionless EPK checklist: three bio lengths, high-res images, quotes, music files as well as links, live footage, achievements, future plans, and clean contact info—hosted in a well-organised, instantly accessible folder. Across every topic runs the same theme: clarity. Know your rights, your aims, and your next small move, and momentum starts to compound.

If this helped, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more creators can find it.

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The dream is the music. The longevity is the paperwork. We dig into the real steps that turn a tight-knit band into a professional, protected business without draining the joy that brought you together. From first royalty registrations to company formation, we walk through the decisions that keep friendships intact and revenue flowing when momentum arrives.

We start where money actually tracks you: collection societies. Learn how to register with your local PRO for songwriting royalties and with neighbouring rights organisations to capture income from recordings played in public. Then we move to your identity. A band name is a brand, so we outline practical ways to check for conflicts on DSPs and file an official trademark with the right government office, avoiding scams and needless fees.

Contracts don’t kill the vibe; they protect it. We unpack interband agreements in plain English: who owns the name and artwork, how master rights are split, and how song splits are decided with clear split sheets. We get specific about recoupment, band bank accounts, spending categories, and voting systems that resolve deadlocks. Lineup changes happen, so we plan for exits, additions, and the difficult what-ifs, making sure rights and income remain transparent.

Finally, we compare legal structures that actually suit bands: limited company, partnership, and LLP. You’ll hear the trade-offs on liability, tax, flexibility and member changes, plus when to stay self-employed versus incorporating. The goal is simple: keep the bond, reduce the friction, and prepare for success before it knocks. If this conversation helps you avoid a fight, a fee, or a missed cheque, it’s worth it. Enjoy the episode, and if it resonates, subscribe, share it with your bandmates, and leave a quick review so we can help more creators build sustainable careers.

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What if you could stop guessing your audience and start growing it with proof? I sit down with Waylon Barnes—entrepreneur, musician, and CEO of C2 Management—to map out how modern artists turn attention into a real business. We dig into the mechanics of audience discovery using data and social listening, why so many campaigns miss the mark when they rely on hunches, and the practical steps that make every pound work harder.

Waylon pulls back the curtain on a quiet industry shift: labels increasingly outsource marketing to specialised teams, which means independent artists can access the same playbooks without giving up control. We explore how to structure your strategy so the music sparks attention while the business around the music pays the bills—think sync deals, brand partnerships, merch, touring, and appearances. You’ll hear how streaming acts as public proof rather than a paycheck, why platform virality matters but shouldn’t be your home base, and what it takes to build an ecosystem you actually own.

We also tackle the streaming payout problem and the reforms that would move artists closer to a living wage. To ground it all, Waylon shares three principles for newcomers that cut through paralysis: don’t overthink, don’t fear mistakes, and take yourself seriously. If you’ve been wondering how to choose a single, when to invest in marketing, or how to keep control while scaling your team, this conversation offers a candid blueprint for sustainable growth.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, leave a rating or review, and share it with a music creator who needs a strategic nudge forward.

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