The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

Hosted by Ari's Take

Business Entrepreneurship Interviews CommentaryInterviews guestsExplicit

Website RSS feed

Episodes

237

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

**WEBBY AWARD FOR BEST MUSIC PODCAST** “#1 music industry podcast to help keep you in the loop” -Spotify “The 10 Best Music Business Podcasts of 2022" – Variety Ari Herstand is the best-selling author of How To Make It in the New Music Business. Forbes calls him “The poster child of DIY music.” In this show, he deconstructs the brightest minds in the music industry, digging deep to find the tools, tactics, and strategies that listeners can use to run successful careers of their own. Ari offers straight talk with no fluff and doesn’t let his guests off easy. If there is a way, Ari will find it. To learn more follow @aristake_ and @ariherstand Visit aristake.com to join the newsletter. -- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 10, 20261 hr 7 min

How This Manager Sold Out Tours Without Venues and Develops Artists, Songwriters and Producers

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Joseph Pepin, artist manager, producer manager, and founder of a boutique management company that has helped artists like GoldFord build massive audiences while remaining independent.Joseph has spent nearly two decades in the music industry, working across artist management, producer and songwriter representation, touring, marketing, and fan development. His roster includes artists, producers, and songwriters spanning multiple genres, and he's become known for his innovative approach to audience building, fan data collection, and sustainable artist growth.Follow Joseph Pepin:https://pepin.works/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_pepinCheck out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com00:06:14 - Intro & How Goldford Broke Through00:08:56 - Why Most Artists Fail to Keep Their Viral Fans00:12:28 - Understanding the Marketing Funnel for Musicians00:16:09 - Social Media Strategy: Hooks vs. Deep Content00:19:25 - Building a Fanbase Without Chasing Trends00:39:42 - The B-Side Touring Model vs. Ticketmaster00:43:09 - Why Artists Need Emails, Phone Numbers & Fan Data00:47:20 - Goldford’s Viral Growth Strategy Revealed00:58:57 - Songwriting Camps, Producers & Building Opportunities01:06:18 - What It Means to Make It in the New Music Business Edited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 3, 20261 hr 9 min

Has SoundCloud Cracked Superfandom and AI Music?

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Eliah Seton, CEO of SoundCloud. Eliah breaks down how SoundCloud is evolving beyond streaming into a creator-first platform focused on fan relationships, monetization, and artist discovery.Why “streaming is not enough” for artists, how fan-powered royalties work, the future of direct-to-fan monetization, and why creator tools are becoming more important in the AI era. Eliah also explains SoundCloud’s approach to generative AI music, ethically trained AI models, and why the platform refuses to monetize fully AI-generated songs.Follow Eliah Seton and SoundCloud:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliahseton/https://soundcloud.com/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com08:27 - Eliah Seton on the Future of SoundCloud13:41 - Why “Streaming Is Not Enough” for Artists18:15 - Fan Monetization, Merch, and Direct-to-Artist Revenue22:03 - How SoundCloud Helps Artists Get Heard and Build Fans27:14 - Creator Subscriptions and Fan-Powered Features31:24 - Wallets, Tipping, and the Future of Fan Transactions36:01 - AI Tools for Music Creation and Artist Discovery40:48 - SoundCloud’s Approach to Ethically Trained AI47:17 - AI Music, Royalties, and Streaming Economics52:08 - The Future of Human Artistry in the AI EraEdited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 27, 20261 hr 4 min

Breaking Hard Rock and Metal Bands with Sumerian Records

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Ash Avildsen, founder of Sumerian Records. Ash shares the story of building one of the most influential independent labels in modern rock and metal, from booking DIY tours in the MySpace era to helping artists break into arenas.During this episode, Ari and Ash dive into artist development, the evolution of touring, music video economics, social media virality, the ethics of tour buy-ons, and why building an artist brand matters more than ever. Ash also opens up about expanding Sumerian into film, the future of entertainment brands, and why he believes music videos deserve a better business model.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sumerianrecords/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sumerianrecordsCheck out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com04:21 - Ash’s Journey from Touring Musician to Founding Sumerian Records08:04 - Why Ash Left Booking to Focus Fully on the Label12:00 - MySpace, TikTok, and How Artists Break Today17:30 - Scenes, Community, and the Evolution of Heavy Music22:16 - Artist Development and Getting Bands to Their First 500 Tickets25:22 - The Ethics and Reality of Tour Buy-Ons31:49 - Discovering Artists in the Streaming Era35:15 - Why Music Videos Still Matter49:00 - Building Sumerian Beyond Music Into Film and Media56:00 - Ticketing, Industry Frustrations, and What It Means to “Make It”Edited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 20, 20261 hr 5 min

Going Viral In The Right Way Allowed Him To Turn Down Record Deals and Sell Out Venues Around The World

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Red Leather, the anonymous artist who turned viral TikTok videos into sold-out tours around the world. Known for his signature red hat, Red Leather first started his career by busking on Hollywood Boulevard before exploding online with viral covers and original songs like “The Only Time It Rains in Hollywood.” In this episode, Red Leather breaks down how he used social media to grow his audience from scratch, why he posted 5 videos a day for 100 straight days, how smashing guitars outside Capitol Records landed him a record deal (that he turned down), and why ticket sales matter more than streams or viral moments. He also opens up about sobriety, surviving addiction, touring independently, and eventually partnering with Empire after years of doing everything DIY.Follow Red Leather:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redleather/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@redleatherCheck out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com00:04:02 - Intro00:04:36 - The Origin of Red Leather00:06:39 - Sobriety, Addiction & Artistic Vulnerability00:10:11 - Posting 5 Videos a Day for 100 Days00:14:11 - The Viral TikTok That Changed Everything00:20:00 - Smashing Guitars Outside Capitol Records00:25:12 - Why He Turned Down Major Label Deals00:33:28 - Booking Tours Through Instagram DMs00:47:23 - Virality vs Real Fans & Ticket Sales01:01:58 - What “Making It” Means TodayEdited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 13, 202651 min

He Went from 40K Listeners to 11 Million and a Coachella Slot in Under a Year as an Indie Artist

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Oskar Med K, a breakout Norwegian EDM producer. Oskar breaks down the "overnight" success that was actually years in the making—from the days of sending 500 cold emails to labels with no response.In this episode, Ari and Oskar talk about the marketing strategies that helped him scale from 40k monthly listeners to 11 million, why "simple" content often outperforms high-production on TikTok, and the surreal feeling of playing Coachella as his first-ever music festival.https://www.instagram.com/_oskarmedk/03:54 – Intro: The Release of Oskar’s Debut Album Feel05:24 – Albums vs. Singles: Building a Body of Work in the Streaming Era09:12 – The Remix Story: How Khalid Ended Up on a Remix12:52 – Behind the Tracks: Songwriting and Collaborating Remotely17:19 – The Early Grind: From iPad Beats to Music School in Norway19:00 – From 0 to 1: The "Hustle" of Emailing 500 Record Labels20:17 – Breaking Through: Finding the Right Label via LabelRadar25:12 – Marketing Strategy: Simple Content vs. High-Production TikToks33:42 – Moving to the Stage: Transitioning from Studio Producer to Live Act40:40 – The Coachella Milestone: Playing Your First-Ever Festival44:29 – The Future of Music: Addressing the AI Debate and "Making It"Edited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 6, 20261 hr 19 min

New Global Booking Agency from ATC and Arrival Artists Now Reps 800 Artists

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Ethan Berlin and Skully Kaplan of ROAM Artists for an inside look at the realities of booking and touring in today’s music industry. They unpack how booking agencies build and manage their rosters, what it really takes to develop artists on the road, and how deals—from guarantees to ticket splits—actually come together. If you’re an artist planning your next tour or trying to understand the live side of the business, this episode gives a clear, candid breakdown of how it all works.https://www.instagram.com/roam.artists/https://roamartists.com/Chapters05:03 – Intro & ROAM Agency Origin Story08:26 – From Partnership to Global Agency11:32 – Why Artists Need Different Agents by Region14:59 – Breaking Into International Markets (Asia & Beyond)19:52 – Why Artists Blow Up in Some Countries First25:20 – Genre & Market Differences Worldwide34:48 – The Real Cost of Touring Today40:16 – How Artists Cut Costs on Tour44:48 – How Artists Actually Make Money Touring48:16 – Tour Deals & Promoter Strategy Explained52:11 – Marketing Tours & Selling TicketsEdited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 18, 20261 hr 2 min

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/labrecordshttps://labrecs.com/ Chapters00:00 - Lab Records Origin05:00 - Building a Lean Team09:25 - Streaming & Fan Engagement13:23 - Pitching Artists vs Majors16:07 - Modern Deal Structures21:19 - Artist Power Shift26:19 - Marketing in 2020s31:42 - Physical Sales Comeback36:21 - Touring Builds Fanbase45:50 - Tools, Teams, FutureEdited and mixed by Ari Davids-ErgasMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 11, 20261 hr 8 min

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/rebellionrecordsnyc/Chapters00:00 - From Artist to Rebellion Founder05:48 - Early Spotify Virality & Indie Strategy08:17 - From Algorithms to TikTok Discovery13:32 - Engineering Viral Campaigns18:38 - Metrics That Matter Beyond Streams21:36 - Turning Virality Into Ticket Sales24:13 - New Touring Models for Indie Artists34:04 - Building the Modern Indie Ecosystem43:01 - AI’s Impact on the Music Industry48:32 - Signing Artists in the Indie EraEdited and mixed by Ari Davids-ErgasMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 4, 202658 min

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://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-hobbs-155759164/ Chapters00:00 Introduction to South by Southwest02:14 Changes in the Festival Structure05:43 The Overlap of Music and Tech08:46 The Role of Live Music Discovery11:22 Business Opportunities at South by Southwest19:05 Navigating Official and Unofficial Showcases23:18 Monetizing Opportunities for Artists27:58 The Global Impact of the Irish Diaspora29:48 Travel Concerns for International Artists30:41 Booking Artists for South by Southwest34:55 The Application Process Explained37:57 The Fluid Nature of Artist Bookings41:42 Understanding Compensation Models43:52 The Conference Experience at South by Southwest45:52 Networking Tips for Artists50:57 Defining Success in the Music IndustryEdited and mixed by Ari Davids-ErgasMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 25, 20261 hr 5 min

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/05:58 – What “world-building” means for modern artists08:12 – How Porter Robinson developed his immersive universe12:00 – Building an entire festival world with Disney-level partners16:00 – Artist development: when an artist is ready for management18:20 – Why immediacy is a trap & long-term growth matters20:35 – Deepening 100 true fans vs. chasing viral moments27:45 – Majors vs. indies vs. self-releasing: what actually works31:55 – The real purpose of music videos in 202536:50 – Touring strategy: when to headline, when to support39:20 – How artists actually get support slots42:55 – What “making it” means in the new music businessEdited and mixed by Peter SchruppMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.