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

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.

How Hopeless Records Approaches Influencer and UGC Music Marketing

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Nicole Abea, Director of Influencer & UGC Promotions at Hopeless Records. Over the last decade, Nicole has helped evolve Hopeless Records’ marketing strategy from traditional social media campaigns to modern influencer marketing, user-generated content (UGC), and TikTok-driven discovery. Starting as an intern and rising to lead influencer and UGC promotions, Nicole has worked with artists including Scene Queen, THXSoMCH, Neck Deep, Melrose Avenue, Autumn Kings, and more. Nicole pulls back the curtain on how music marketing actually works in 2026. They discuss influencer campaigns, fan accounts, micro-budget marketing strategies, TikTok trends, BookTok, DSP pitching, and how artists can build communities that translate into real fandom. Follow Nicole Abea: https://www.instagram.com/nicolethedesigner/ [https://www.instagram.com/nicolethedesigner/] https://www.instagram.com/hopelessrecords/ Check out Ari’s Take: https://aristake.com 03:57 Nicole Abea on Influencer & UGC Marketing at Hopeless Records 08:44 The Reality of TikTok Seeding, Fan Accounts & Music Promotion 15:20 How to Market a Song with a $2,000 Budget 18:25 BookTok, Online Communities & Finding Your Audience 23:29 What Spotify and DSPs Want from Artists 26:26 Why Record Labels Are Signing Influencers 33:21 Scene Over Genre: How Modern Fandom Has Changed 42:41 How All Time Low's “Dear Maria, Count Me In” Went Viral Again 45:22 Rage Bait, Algorithms & The Future of Music Marketing 51:00 Closing Thoughts 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 CD Baby Is Changing With The Times

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Molly Neuman, President of CD Baby, one of the largest independent music distributors in the world. Molly has spent decades advocating for independent artists and labels, helping shape the modern music industry through leadership roles at CD Baby, Downtown Music Holdings, and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). In this conversation, Ari and Molly dive into some of the most pressing issues facing musicians today, including artificial intelligence, streaming fraud, artist compensation, customer support, and the evolving role of music distribution. They discuss whether AI-generated music should exist, how streaming platforms are responding to generative AI, why artists are increasingly being affected by fraudulent streams, and what distributors like CD Baby are doing to protect independent musicians. Molly also shares her perspective on artist ownership, independence, and what success in the music business looks like in 2026. Follow Molly Neuman: https://www.instagram.com/mollydneuman/ [https://www.instagram.com/mollydneuman/] https://cdbaby.com/ Check out Ari’s Take: https://aristake.com 03:45 – Molly Neuman's Journey to Becoming CD Baby President 11:32 – Is CD Baby Still Independent? 18:04 – Universal Music's Acquisition & What It Means for Artists 27:41 – The State of Independent Music Distribution in 2026 39:18 – What Artists Get Wrong About Distribution 49:07 – AI Customer Support: Does It Matter if It's Human? 52:11 – Should AI-Generated Music Exist? 1:03:47 – Streaming Fraud, Bot Plays & How Artists Get Penalized 1:12:56 – What "Making It" Really Means in Today's Music Industry 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.

The Unauthorized AI Remix Became a Global Hit, How This Label Dealt With It

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Adam Gross, the president of Ineffable Records. Adam founded Ineffable Records in 2019 and later became a co-owner of Ineffable Music Group, now Billboard’s top independent reggae label for six consecutive years. Ineffable works with artists such as Stick Figure, Collie Buddz, Protoje, The Elovaters, and O.A.R., and many more. In this episode, they discuss the recent unauthorized viral AI remixes of Stick Figure’s song “Angels Above Me.” At its peak, the unauthorized remix was #2 on the global Shazam charts and reached #1 on several different iTunes charts across Europe. They discuss the legal challenges of unauthorized AI remixes, the ethical considerations, and how the story led to a David Guetta x Alok version surfacing. Adam discusses the operational reality of dealing with this in real time, and how strategy to combat unauthorized AI remixes changes everyday. Follow Adam Gross: https://www.instagram.com/adam.g.r.o.s.s/ [https://www.instagram.com/adam.g.r.o.s.s/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgross2018/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgross2018/] Check out Stick Figure: https://stickfigure.com/ [https://stickfigure.com/] https://www.instagram.com/stickfiguremusic/ [https://www.instagram.com/stickfiguremusic/] Chapters 05:07 Navigating Copyright in the Age of AI 10:03 The Bootleg Remix Phenomenon 14:58 The Role of Labels and Distributors 19:59 Ethics and Future of AI in Music 25:07 Navigating Major Label Deals 28:24 The Impact of Viral Trends on Music 30:43 Whack-a-Mole: The Challenge of Unauthorized Remixes 32:30 Collaborating with Major Artists 36:51 Ethics and AI in Music Production 39:35 The Future of Derivative Works 42:36 User-Centric Payment Models in Streaming 50:52 Building Timeless Music and Community 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.