The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

How This UK Indie Label Sold 25K Records For 1 Band First Week

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://www.instagram.com/labrecords] https://labrecs.com/ [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 [https://book.aristake.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

This Artist-Run Record Label is Competing with the Majors in a Big Way

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/iamplvtinum/] https://www.instagram.com/rebellionrecordsnyc/ [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 [https://book.aristake.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How SXSW Works For Music

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://sxsw.com/]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-hobbs-155759164/ [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 [https://book.aristake.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Artist Managers on Music Videos, Artist Development, Long-term Strategy and True Fandom

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Aaron Greene and Neal O’Connor of Slush Management, the artist-first team behind Porter Robinson, Eden, Jai Wolf, and more. Slush has helped their artists generate billions of streams, sell millions of tickets, and craft long-term careers rooted in creativity rather than quick wins. With 15 years of experience across touring, branding, and global fan development, they’ve become leaders in sustainable artist strategy and innovative experiential storytelling. In this episode, Ari Neal and Aaron dive into what modern artist development truly looks like. From building immersive worlds to cultivating real, lasting fan communities beyond vanity metrics, Neal and Aaron share how managers decide when an artist is ready for representation, why social media isn’t the only path to growth, and how long-term strategy beats short-term virality every time. The conversation also covers label paths (self-release, indie, major), when to tour, how support slots actually happen, and the importance of meaningful experiences. Hint: music videos might be more important than most folks realize.  https://www.instagram.com/slushmgmt/ [https://www.instagram.com/slushmgmt/] 05:58 – What “world-building” means for modern artists 08:12 – How Porter Robinson developed his immersive universe 12:00 – Building an entire festival world with Disney-level partners 16:00 – Artist development: when an artist is ready for management 18:20 – Why immediacy is a trap & long-term growth matters 20:35 – Deepening 100 true fans vs. chasing viral moments 27:45 – Majors vs. indies vs. self-releasing: what actually works 31:55 – The real purpose of music videos in 2025 36:50 – Touring strategy: when to headline, when to support 39:20 – How artists actually get support slots 42:55 – What “making it” means in the new music business Edited and mixed by Peter Schrupp 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.

Doja Cat's Managers Have It Down

This week on the New Music Business, Ari sits down with powerhouse managers Gordan Dillard and Josh Kaplan, the team behind global superstar Doja Cat. Together, they break down how they helped build one of the most influential, multi-hyphenate artists of the decade. Gordan and Josh share early viral moments of Doja Cat's diversified empire spanning music, brand partnerships, and new business ventures. Other topics discussed here include: how features really work, how producers differ from beatmakers, what modern record deals look like at the highest level, and why short-form content has completely reshaped the career-building playbook. Gordan and Josh offer candid, unfiltered advice for emerging artists and managers on finding the right partnership, building a fanbase from scratch, and creating leverage in today’s industry. https://www.instagram.com/dojacat/ [https://www.instagram.com/dojacat/] https://www.agood-day.com/ [https://www.agood-day.com/] 04:16 – Why Good Day Management only represents one artist 07:19 – Diversifying Doja Cat’s revenue beyond music 10:18 – How Gordon & Josh first joined Doja’s team 15:40 – The “Juicy” era and early visual strategy 17:31 – Doja Cat’s rise during the pandemic 20:42 – Long-form videos vs short-form content today 24:54 – Balancing artists’ vision with budget and label support 29:10 – How label deals and funding have evolved 36:28 – How features actually get made (creatively & financially) 44:25 – Beatmakers vs producers: what’s the difference? 48:37 – Why songs sometimes have 7 writers & 6 producers 58:54 – Advice for emerging artists & managers today Edited and mixed by Peter Schrupp 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.