The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

In this solo episode of the New Music Business podcast, Ari untangles the complexities of royalties, registration, and publishing. After his social media video with the same message (“Don’t cut your drummer into publishing”) went viral for the wrong reasons, Ari wanted to come on the show and break down the nuances of this advice. Tune in to get clear on the differences between publishing royalties and master royalties, which royalties session musicians are legally due, the importance of one-stop agreements, and how to fairly (or, more so, generously) compensate your session musicians. Read the article on Ari’s Take: https://aristake.com/publishing-royalties/ [https://aristake.com/publishing-royalties/] Chapters 00:00 Understanding Music Publishing and Royalties 02:55 The Role of Session Musicians in Music Creation 05:55 Differentiating Between Master Royalties and Publishing 09:09 The Importance of One-Stop Agreements 11:59 Fair Compensation for Session Musicians 15:12 Changing Industry Standards 17:46 How Publishing Royalties Work Within Bands 20:13 Why Session Musicians Are Not Considered Co-Writers 22:20 Legally Entitled Radio Royalties for Session Musicians Edited and mixed by Ari Davids 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 week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Jacob Paul, the VP of Platform Growth & Brand Strategy at Kobalt and KOSIGN. Jacob has been one of the leaders behind Kobalt’s new admin publishing platform, KOSIGN, since its public launch in February 2025. Kobalt has been disrupting the traditional publishing model for years. Now their application-based platform, KOSIGN, is doing the same in the admin publishing space. In this episode, Jacob explains how Kobalt and KOSIGN approach publishing differently than traditional publishers and admin publishers. Along the way, he and Ari completely break down how music publishing works. They touch on: how songwriters get paid, the difference between “artists” and “songwriters,” the difference between publishers and admin publishers, and how creators can be sure they’re not leaving any money on the table. Jacob also shares why it’s advantageous to have a publisher or an admin publisher instead of just working with a PRO or MRO. If you have questions about music publishing (and let’s be real, who doesn’t?), this episode’s got you covered.  https://www.kosignmusic.com/ [https://www.kosignmusic.com/] Chapters 00:00 Understanding Music Publishing and Royalties 05:07 The Role of Kobalt in Music Publishing 10:10 Distinguishing Between Artists and Songwriters 14:51 The Importance of Publishing for Songwriters 19:53 Kobalt's Innovative Approach to Publishing 25:03 Exploring Traditional vs. Admin Publishing Deals 29:56 The Launch of KOSIGN and Its Impact on Indie Songwriters 35:43 The Rise of Independent Artists 40:23 Understanding Publishing and Royalties 45:35 Navigating the Complexities of Publishing Administration 51:10 The Role of KOSIGN in Empowering Songwriters 56:25 The Future of Music Publishing and Artist Ownership Edited and mixed by Ari Davids 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 week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Mag Rodriguez, the founder and CEO of the direct-to-fan platform EVEN. Throughout his career, Mag has helped artists generate over 1 billion streams—but now, he’s focused on building a parallel music economy where artists sell directly to fans before streaming. “Superfan” platforms like EVEN are redefining how artists monetize their work. Through EVEN, Mag has partnered with J. Cole, 6LACK, LaRussell, Lauren Jauregui, Fariana, Smino, Ryan Leslie, and thousands of other artists of all levels, empowering them to take ownership of their fan relationships and unlock new revenue streams. They’re essentially putting control and earnings back into the hands of artists. In this episode, Mag tells Ari about artists who don’t have many followers or monthly listeners, but are making significant revenue from their fans on EVEN. They discuss the previous eras of direct-to-fan platforms (like Bandcamp, Patreon, Kickstarter) and how EVEN’s music-centric model differs from these prior iterations. Superfan platforms are truly taking the industry by storm—Mag tells Ari that EVEN, alone, onboards about 8,000 artists each day. If you’re interested in exploring superfan platforms, this episode is a great place to start.  Check out EVEN at: get.even.biz [http://get.even.biz] Chapters 00:00 The Challenge of Monetizing Music for Emerging Artists 02:57 The Rise of Direct-to-Fan Platforms 05:58 Understanding Even: A Direct-to-Fan Platform 08:55 Windowing and the Shift in Music Distribution 11:54 The Economics of Music Sales vs. Streaming 15:12 Selling Access: The Community Aspect of Even 18:00 Building Community: The Even Triangle 21:04 Real Success Stories: Emerging Artists on Even 24:00 Emotional Commerce: Connecting with Fans 26:57 The Future of Music Monetization 35:10 The $1,000 Album Phenomenon 38:36 Sustainable Revenue Models for Artists 40:16 Data-Driven Insights for Artists 44:27 The Journey to Building Even 51:12 Navigating Major Labels and Independent Artists 54:23 Operational Framework for Artists and Labels 01:00:07 Community Engagement and Fan Interaction 01:04:24 Defining Success in the New Music Business Edited and mixed by Ari Davids 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 week, Ari is joined by Lyor Cohen, the Global Head of Music at YouTube. Earlier in his career, Lyor led Def Jam Recordings, where he worked with artists such as Jay-Z, Ja Rule, and Ludacris. He eventually sold Def Jam to Universal and helped create the Island Def Jam Music Group. After Def Jam, Lyor became Chairman and CEO of Recorded Music at Warner Music Group. He went on to co-found 300 Entertainment (repping artists like Fetty Wap and Young Thug) before landing at YouTube in 2016. In this episode, Lyor and Ari discuss artist development, the state of the industry, and music’s digital revolution. Lyor shares what it was like to lead Warner Music at a time when both Spotify and YouTube launched. If you’re curious about the trajectory of tech in music, how generative AI can bring artists and fans together, or how you can use YouTube to build momentum in your career, this episode is for you. Chapters 00:00 The Pursuit of Artist Success 05:23 Navigating the Music Industry Landscape 12:11 User-Centric Approach in Music 20:34 Building Artist Communities 27:14 The Evolution of Music Consumption 33:30 Embracing Generative AI in Music Edited and mixed by Ari Davids 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 week Ari sits down with Victoria Canal, the rising singer-songwriter known for her deeply moving and introspective music. Victoria has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Later… with Jools Holland, and onstage with Coldplay at Glastonbury. She has won two Ivor Novello awards (including the Rising Star award) and recently released a new album, Slowly, It Dawns. After ten hard-won years as a DIY artist, Victoria’s now signed with a major label, Parlophone Records (under Warner Music Group). In this episode, Victoria opens up about her journey as an artist and the varying pressures faced by both indie and label-repped musicians. Tune in to learn more about headlining the Troubadour, life as a touring artist, managing the pressures of social media, and how to attract the right kinds of fans.  https://www.victoriacanal.com/ [https://www.victoriacanal.com/]  Chapters 00:00 From Glastonbury to Stardom 03:11 The Journey of Victoria’s Career 05:49 Creating Intimate Connections Through Music 08:50 The Reality of Touring Economics 11:56 Balancing Artistry and Business 14:58 The Emotional Journey of Songwriting 18:07 Evolving Through Performance 20:55 The Impact of Social Media on Artists 24:09 Navigating Vulnerability in Performance 27:14 The New Album: Slowly, It Dawns 30:05 Reflections on Growth and Authenticity 36:23 The Inner Journey of Self-Acceptance 39:50 Meeting Idols: Reality vs. Expectation 40:45 A Dream Come True: Performing with Coldplay 45:04 The Importance of Energy in Performance 46:06 Navigating the Artist Lifestyle and People Management 49:03 The Weight of Fan Interactions 54:06 Social Media Pressures and Authenticity 01:01:19 Taking a Stand: Performing at the Kennedy Center 01:05:39 Defining Success in the Music Industry Edited and mixed by Ari Davids 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.