Music Moneyball

Music Fastball: Turning passive music catalogs into active revenue w/ Ryan Hamilton

In this Music Fastball episode, we’re joined by Ryan Hamilton to explore two areas where catalog investors leave money on the table: deal optimization and commercial music usage across social platforms. First, we break down how the agreements and structures investors inherit can constrain catalog performance — and how taking a more active approach to catalog management can unlock greater commercial leverage and upside. We then explore one of the fastest-growing areas of music monetization: identifying and enforcing commercial music usage across platforms like TikTok and Instagram using AI tools that now make this possible at scale. Ryan is the founder of CTLGMGMT and brings nearly two decades of catalog management experience, helping rights holders and investors turn passive catalogs into active revenue-generating assets. Brought to you by Standard Innovation. ► Stay up to date Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd] ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links CTLGMGMT: ⁠⁠https://catalogmgmt.com [https://catalogmgmt.com/] Standard Innovation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://standard-innovation.com] ► Credits Guest: Ryan Hamilton — founder, CTLGMGMT Host: Sam Morey, Standard Innovation Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

Why music catalogs don’t fit a 5-10 year fund model w/ Josh Gruss

The catalog investment boom has largely been built around 5-10 year fund models. But does that structure actually fit the asset? In this episode, Josh Gruss, CEO of Round Hill Music, argues that some of the biggest returns in music come later than most investors expect, and that selling too early can leave a lot of value behind. We discuss how catalogs evolve over time, from streaming growth to sync and unexpected rediscovery, and why holding through those moments matters. Josh also reflects on selling assets that would likely be worth more today, and how that shaped his view on evergreen structures. Along the way, we get into what really drives catalog value, how Round Hill approaches portfolio construction, and why data is becoming a core part of their strategy. Brought to you by Standard Innovation. ► Stay up to date Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd] ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links Round Hill Music: ⁠https://www.roundhillmusic.com [https://www.roundhillmusic.com] Standard Innovation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://standard-innovation.com] ► Credits Guest: Josh Gruss — CEO, Round Hill Music Hosts: Tom Mullen and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

Music Fastball: Fixing the hidden gaps in music catalog revenue w/ Richard Hinkley

This episode looks at an overlooked source of revenue leakage in music catalogs: recordings that aren’t set up to earn properly in the first place. We’re joined by Richard Hinkley from Repped Music, who has over 25 years of experience working at major record labels and now works with catalog owners and investors to identify and resolve operational gaps in recorded music. In this Music Fastball episode, we break down how gaps in availability, fragmented rights, and operational issues during catalog transfers can leave parts of a catalog underperforming — and why issues at the recording level ultimately limit downstream royalty generation. We focus on the operational layer: identifying where those gaps exist, validating what should be available, and ensuring catalogs are set up to capture the revenue they’re already driving. Brought to you by Standard Innovation. ► Stay up to date Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd] ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links Repped Music: www.reppedmusic.com [https://reppedmusic.com] Email Richard: richard@reppedmusic.com [richard@reppedmusic.com] Standard Innovation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://standard-innovation.com] ► Credits Guests: Richard Hinkley — Co-Founder, Repped Music Host: Tom Mullen — CEO, Standard Innovation Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

Music Fastball: Unlocking cheaper capital & higher multiples w/ Firdaus Dawood & George Williams

This episode gets into two of the things music funds care about most: cost of capital and multiples — and how both are shaped in practice. We break down the financial pillar of the Catalog Maturity Curve and explore how operational maturity — from reporting and visibility to financial infrastructure — directly impacts how capital providers price risk, value assets, and determine who can access the deepest pools of capital. As institutional capital continues to scale into the asset class, the gap between platforms is widening. Funds with stronger financial operations are able to access better capital, move faster, and operate with more flexibility, while others face higher costs, limited options, and more friction when raising or refinancing. Brought to you by Standard Innovation. ► Stay up to date Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠ [https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd] ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links Standard Innovation: ⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com⁠⁠⁠ [https://standard-innovation.com] ► Credits Guests: Firdaus Dawood — Private credit, institutional capital (ex-BlackRock)George Williams — Private equity and M&A Host: Tom Mullen Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

What actually makes a music catalog valuable? w/ Matt Herzfeld

Brokers sit in the middle of every deal, seeing both sides of the market in real time. In this episode, Matt Herzfeld shares what he sees from hundreds of transactions each year — working directly between buyers and sellers to price, structure, and close deals. From that vantage point, he explains where the real activity sits today, including how much of the market is made up of smaller, under-the-radar deals, and why that matters for investors. We also explore how buyers think about different types of income, why sync is often discounted, and how unpredictable earnings can lead to deals being retraded. Along the way, Matt breaks down the risk and opportunity in newer catalogs, how different assets behave over time, and why operational capability is becoming a key differentiator in this space. Brought to you by Standard Innovation. ► Stay up to date Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd] ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links Seasons Music Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://seasonsmusicgroup.com [https://seasonsmusicgroup.com] ► Credits Guest: Matt Herzfeld, Seasons Music Group Hosts: Tom Mullen, Emma Griffiths, Sam Morey Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records