Episode 97: How Artists Build Real Fans In China (Platforms, Strategy & What Actually Works)

Episode 104: What Sustainable Artist Development Really Looks Like (With John Hart)

Most artists don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they rush, chase the wrong signals, or hand over control before they understand what they own. I’m joined by John Hart, A&R consultant and artist management specialist, for a straight-talking look at what sustainable artist development really means in today’s music industry. We get specific about what a good manager looks for and it’s not “who might get a hit”. John explains why he backs long-term career potential, why songwriting still sits at the centre of modern revenue, and how authenticity is built through clear identity rather than rigid genre rules. We also dig into audience thinking: who your fans are, what they value, and how that should shape everything from your visuals to your live strategy. From there we go deep on deal structures and rights. We talk publishing deals that fund recording, working with producers as true creative partners, and why keeping control of masters can open up options later through licensing deals, catalogue value, and smarter investment. We also cover the unglamorous money: neighbouring rights, mechanicals, and metadata, plus the mistakes artists make by releasing too early and treating Spotify like a shop instead of a discovery platform. We finish with the big shifts ahead, including AI, market fragmentation, and the resilience you need to survive rejection and keep moving. If you’re building a serious independent music career, hit subscribe, share this with an artist mate, and leave a review. Which part of your career needs a clearer plan right now? Reach out to me ! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2373814/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2373814/support] Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to The Music Business Buddy Brief for weekly insights on the future of the music industry, AI, artist development, rights and the creator economy. The podcast explains what's happening. The newsletter explains why it matters. Join The Music Business Buddy Brief for exclusive weekly insights on the future of the music industry. Subscribe: https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com] Websites www.jonnyamos.com [https://jonnyamos.com/] https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com/] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/] https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/ [https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/] Email jonnyamos@me.com Newsletter Sign Up https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com/]

Episode 103: What Great Music Producers Actually Do (With TenRoc)

Most music producers spend years trying to be louder, faster, and more impressive in the room. Tenroc argues the opposite;l the real edge is knowing what the song needs, then doing only that. Jonny Amos sits down with the New York songwriter-producer behind work connected to artists like Jon Bellion, Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers and Julia Michaels, and pulls back the curtain on how modern sessions actually function. We dig into the messy, practical question every producer faces - am I here to write, to build tracks, to programme drums, to play instruments, or to get out of the way? Tenroc explains how he reads the room, protects the creative flow, and builds relationships that last even when the song never gets released. He also shares a personal turning point: moving from behind-the-scenes work into putting out an album as an artist, driven by a clear sense of purpose. If you love craft, you will enjoy the nerdy details. Tenroc breaks down how he learned “commercial” sound through chart study and reverse-engineering, why emotion is often innate, and how tools like GarageBand, Logic Pro and FL Studio shaped his workflow. We also tackle the underrated skill that gets producers paid: finishing songs, using song structure to hold attention, and understanding when a verse, pre-chorus, hook, or bridge should appear. Finally, we talk music publishing in plain language - what a good publisher actually does, and why taste and collaborator fit matter more than chasing the biggest name on paper. If you want practical music production advice, major label session reality, and a clearer path for artist development, press play, then subscribe, share with a producer friend, and leave us a review. Reach out to me ! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2373814/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2373814/support] Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to The Music Business Buddy Brief for weekly insights on the future of the music industry, AI, artist development, rights and the creator economy. The podcast explains what's happening. The newsletter explains why it matters. Join The Music Business Buddy Brief for exclusive weekly insights on the future of the music industry. Subscribe: https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com] Websites www.jonnyamos.com [https://jonnyamos.com/] https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com/] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/] https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/ [https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/] Email jonnyamos@me.com Newsletter Sign Up https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com/]

Episode 102: The Future Of Music Industry Careers - Lessons From The Next Generation

The music industry does not just need more songs and artists. It needs more people who understand how the whole machine fits together and who can help artists build sustainable careers. That is why I brought three of my former students onto the podcast: Natalie Brown, Lotty Evans and Chris Beswick. They have just finished their degrees at BIMM University in Birmingham (UK) and they already sound like the next wave of UK music executives.     We get into what they actually want from the next few years, from freelancing in music marketing and branding to artist management and development, to music journalism and editorial pathways. They talk honestly about competition, building a portfolio career and why “getting in” often starts with showing your work in public. We also dig into how education changes your music business understanding, especially around publishing vs distribution, copyright, contracts and the practical value of music law when you are trying to protect artists early.     Then we turn the spotlight onto emerging artists: the common mistakes they see, the pressure to rush into “professional mode”, and why identity usually needs time to grow from the music before the visuals and strategy can really land. We talk social media consistency, choosing bandmates with aligned goals and treating artwork, photography and story as creative output rather than an afterthought.     If you want a clear look at modern music industry careers, artist development and what actually makes someone employable in music, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a mate who is trying to break in, and leave a review with the biggest lesson you are taking away. Chris Beswick - Artist Development Professional https://chrisbeswickmusic.wixsite.com/portfolio [https://chrisbeswickmusic.wixsite.com/portfolio] Instagram @chrisbeswickmusic  Tik Tok @chrisbeswickmusic  Natalie Brown - Media and Marketing Professional  https://www.morethanjustmusicblog.com Instagram @morethanjustmusicblog  Tik Tok @x_natalie_b Lotty Evans - Freelance Music Marketer  Photography, PR, Marketing and Journalism under her professional brand Charlie Brook Media.  www.melomaniablog.co.uk [http://www.melomaniablog.co.uk/]  I'm Losing It @imlosingitfanzine online Instagram @charliebr00k  TikTok @.charliebr00k  Reach out to me ! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2373814/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2373814/support] Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to The Music Business Buddy Brief for weekly insights on the future of the music industry, AI, artist development, rights and the creator economy. The podcast explains what's happening. The newsletter explains why it matters. Join The Music Business Buddy Brief for exclusive weekly insights on the future of the music industry. Subscribe: https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com] Websites www.jonnyamos.com [https://jonnyamos.com/] https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com/] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/] https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/ [https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/] Email jonnyamos@me.com Newsletter Sign Up https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com/]

Episode 101: How Independent Artists Build Funding Without Giving Away Ownership

When you approach crowdfunding with a plan, it becomes one of the most powerful tools an independent artist can use to fund an album, a tour, a music video, or the next career step without handing over control. I am joined by Ella Kuijpers and Remy Van Leeuwen, the founders of Crowdable; a crowdfunding platform built specifically for music. Remy and Ella kindly explain why their work is as much about hands on strategic support as it is about raising capital, and what “success” looks like behind the scenes. We talk through the practical mechanics that many artists miss: setting a realistic funding goal, building a clear project page with video and story, choosing rewards you can actually deliver, and communicating with urgency across socials, newsletters, and gigs. One of the most useful frameworks they share is the three group rollout: start with close friends and family to create momentum, then widen to peers and existing fans, and only then reach future fans who do not know you yet. We also get into the emotional side, including the fear of asking for money, and how to reframe a donation as giving supporters a real chance to be part of the work. Along the way, we place music crowdfunding in the wider UK music industry funding landscape as a tool that can sit alongside grants, distributor deals, and label investment, while also proving you have an engaged fan base. If you’re planning a crowdfunding campaign or wondering whether it can fit your artist business model, you’ll leave with a clearer strategy and fewer pitfalls. Subscribe, share this with an artist friend, and leave a review with the project you’d crowdfund next. https://www.crowdable.co.uk/ Reach out to me ! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2373814/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2373814/support] Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to The Music Business Buddy Brief for weekly insights on the future of the music industry, AI, artist development, rights and the creator economy. The podcast explains what's happening. The newsletter explains why it matters. Join The Music Business Buddy Brief for exclusive weekly insights on the future of the music industry. Subscribe: https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com] Websites www.jonnyamos.com [https://jonnyamos.com/] https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com/] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/] https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/ [https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/] Email jonnyamos@me.com Newsletter Sign Up https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com/]

Episode 100: What 100 Music Industry Conversations Taught Me

Episode 100 is a landmark for me, so I went back through the first 99 conversations and pulled out the 10 biggest lessons I want every music creator to use into 2026. If you make songs, release recordings, or collaborate with anyone at all, this is the practical checklist that helps you protect your work, get your royalties paid, and avoid the silent mistakes that cost artists money for years.  We start with the unglamorous stuff that decides whether you get paid: song splits, ownership clarity, and registering the right rights in the right places. I talk through why works registration and recording registration are not the same thing, how bad metadata leads to unclaimed royalties and black boxing, and how identifiers like ISWC and ISRC help connect the dots. If you are independent without a label or publisher, I explain why the responsibility lands on you and how to make that manageable.  Then we zoom out to the reality of streaming and discovery, where old music competes with new releases and dormant tracks can explode later through playlists, sync, or algorithmic momentum. I also share why music fintech is becoming a real funding route, why catalogue value matters, and what to consider before you lock rights away in long deals. Finally, we get tactical: think globally, embrace AI tools to save time and sharpen strategy, listen to seasoned professionals, map your next 12 to 24 months, build your team your way, and stop waiting to be picked.  If this helps, subscribe, share it with one music maker who needs it, and leave a review so more creators can find the show. Reach out to me ! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2373814/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2373814/support] Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to The Music Business Buddy Brief for weekly insights on the future of the music industry, AI, artist development, rights and the creator economy. The podcast explains what's happening. The newsletter explains why it matters. Join The Music Business Buddy Brief for exclusive weekly insights on the future of the music industry. Subscribe: https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com] Websites www.jonnyamos.com [https://jonnyamos.com/] https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com/] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/] https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/ [https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/] Email jonnyamos@me.com Newsletter Sign Up https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com [https://themusicbusinessbuddy.beehiiv.com/]