How a Direct-To-Fan Rollout Secured a Billboard Top 10

How He Got a Million Monthly Listeners and a Sold Out Tour Independently

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jared Benjamin. Jared broke down how he went from picking up a guitar during the pandemic to earning over 100 million streams, selling out headline tours, and building an intensely loyal community across TikTok and Discord. They discuss his creation process, content strategy, delegating production, leveraging pre-save ad campaigns, and releasing his debut album, Icarus Too Close to the Sun. Follow Jared Benjamin: https://www.instagram.com/jaredbenjaminofficial/ http://tiktok.com/@jaredbenjaminofficial Check out Ari’s Take: https://aristake.com 4:05 Interview Begins: Welcome & Icarus Debut Album Announcement 5:06 Transitioning from Fast Singles to a Cohesive Debut Album 9:43 Early Short-Form Visual Strategy & Writing Skits 17:25 Lessons from Bad Industry Deals & Going DIY 20:15 Learning Production on YouTube & Collaborating with Producers 25:20 Writing "Three Steps Ahead" at AntiSocial Writing Camp 28:35 Building a Social Following & Meeting His Manager 32:50 The Daily Grind: Posting 2 to 4 Videos a Day & Managing Burnout 35:55 First Headline Tour Experiences: From Empty Rooms to Sold-Out Venues 41:59 Managing Online Communities: Grouped vs. Discord Strategy 50:20 Tapping into BookTok & Author Playlist Marketing 01:01:35 Leveraging Feature.fm Pre-Save Ads to Funnel Fans into Discord 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 [https://book.aristake.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Artist Manager on Viral Syncs and the State of Music Marketing

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Laurie Lee Boutet, artist manager at Wednesday Management and manager of the chart-topping Canadian rock band The Beaches. Laurie shares the incredible story behind The Beaches' explosive rise following their breakout sync placement in Off Campus, why viral TikToks aren't enough anymore, and how artists can build lasting careers by creating cultural moments and not just chasing algorithms. Follow Laurie Lee: https://www.instagram.com/laurieleeboutet/ https://www.wednesdaymgmt.com/ Check out Ari’s Take: https://aristake.com 05:21 Why Viral TikToks Don't Work Like They Used To  08:00 The Sync That Changed Everything  12:50 From 18,000 to 1 Million Streams a Day  18:42 TikTok vs. Instagram: Where Artists Should Focus  24:44 Should Indie Artists Skip Music Videos?  28:33 The New Era of Music Marketing  35:19 How to Create True Superfans  43:13 Stop Wasting Money on Content  52:08 The Future of Artist Growth  59:53 Laurie's Biggest Career Lesson 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 [https://book.aristake.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How To Be a Professional Hit Songwriter

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Andreas Schuller, hit songwriter, producer, and co-founder of music publishing company Honua Music. Andreas has written and produced songs for artists including The Weeknd, Jason Derulo, Madison Beer, and many more, accumulating billions of streams and numerous gold and platinum records. Andreas breaks down how hit songs are actually created, how publishing companies develop songwriters, and why today's music industry is more relationship-driven than ever. He shares the story behind Jason Derulo's smash hit "Wiggle," explains how songwriting camps work, discusses the evolution of professional songwriting, and offers practical advice for aspiring songwriters trying to break into the industry. Follow Andreas Schuller: https://honuamusic.com/ [https://honuamusic.com/] Check out Ari’s Take: https://aristake.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3dXNE9mNDd1ZFNqUjdEcU1NSHBFbGFVc3I4QXxBQ3Jtc0tueUxHMDByRFhVSjBLYjY0MWlLUVBKRWhmNFdCeTRybEY3RzRVdnVjMDBIb3dOWjluQW4zblphVjZMT09nSlRnQ3FQcWF6ZFExOExzYkxsSzQ1aUpvVkdBSFAwb2N1S2U1VUl4WXRmXzl6UkpWeVJWRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Faristake.com%2F&v=Om3tKCFzS6A] 03:48 - Meet Andreas Schuller: Hitmaker Turned Publisher 12:19 - Music Publishing Explained: How Songwriters Make Money 18:39 - The Story Behind Jason Derulo's "Wiggle" 22:02 - Songwriting Splits, Credits, and Industry Politics 30:37 - How Professional Songwriting Has Changed Since 2010 34:46 - Breaking Into the Music Industry as a Songwriter 39:03 - Originality vs. Trend Chasing: What Actually Works? 49:37 - Building Great Writing Rooms and Finding Creative Chemistry 52:39 - AI, the Future of Music, and What's Next for Songwriters 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 [https://book.aristake.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How Major Label A&R Has Evolved and How Hit Songs Are Written

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with legendary A&R executive, publisher, and educator Pete Ganbarg. With more than three decades in the music industry, Pete has helped shape the careers of artists, songwriters, and hit records across multiple generations. In this conversation, he breaks down how A&R has evolved from the days of artist showcases and long-term development deals to today's algorithm-driven landscape. Pete explains why great A&R is still about connecting great artists with great songs, even as technology and discovery platforms continue to change. Follow Pete Ganbarg: https://substack.com/@peteganbarg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peteganbarg/ Check out Ari’s Take: https://aristake.com 04:21 – The True Role of A&R: What Has Changed and What Hasn't 09:00 – Artist Development vs. Chasing Quick Hits 13:20 – Why Live Performance Still Matters to Labels 16:05 – TikTok Stars, Viral Songs, and Building Careers 20:50 – The Difference Between a Song, an Artist, and a Career 25:55 – How Pete Discovers and Develops Songwriters 30:10 – Michael Pollack's Journey to Writing "Flowers." 35:15 – Songwriting by Committee, Sampling, and Publishing Trends 40:50 – AI, Songwriting, and the Future of Music Creation 48:15 – What Excites Pete Most About the Future of Music 54:07 – 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 [https://book.aristake.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How a Direct-To-Fan Rollout Secured a Billboard Top 10

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Dee Diaz, Vice President of Marketing at Reach Records. At Indie Week 2026, Dee shares the innovative marketing strategies behind Lecrae’s Reconstruction album campaign, which helped propel the project to a Billboard Top 10 debut. From sending exclusive mailers to the label’s most loyal fans. To building a gamified direct-to-fan platform called The Workshop, Dee reveals how Reach Records prioritized community, superfans, and authentic artist engagement over chasing algorithms. Find Dee Diaz: https://www.instagram.com/deediaz_/ [https://www.instagram.com/deediaz_/] https://www.instagram.com/reachrecords/ [https://www.instagram.com/reachrecords/] Check out Ari’s Take: https://aristake.com 05:06 - Meet Dee Diaz and Reach Records 08:47 - The History of Reach Records and Lecrae 12:31 - Building the Reconstruction Campaign 15:07 - The 1,000 Fan Mailer Strategy 16:19 - Creating The Workshop Fan Community 19:37 - Turning Superfans Into Brand Ambassadors 29:09 - Community Service as Music Marketing 37:39 - The Story Behind “Coming In Hot” 43:29 - Why TikTok Doesn't Convert Like It Used To 46:17 - What It Means to Make It in the New Music Business 47:00 - Audience Q&A 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 [https://book.aristake.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.