This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Oscar Höglund, the co-founder and CEO of Epidemic Sound. Epidemic Sound is a leading music and soundtracking platform for content creators. They have garnered attention for its digital rights model and soundtracking tools that help creators to elevate their content with music, while simultaneously supporting artists financially. Oscar shares insights from his journey launching Epidemic after working with Sweden’s renowned Zodiak Television.
In their episode, Ari and Oscar unpack critical issues impacting independent artists, including royalty structures, streaming economics, and the evolving landscape of music licensing. They explore Epidemic Sound’s unique approach to artist compensation, discuss how digital streaming has pushed music toward playlist-driven consumption, and tackle the creative tension artists face when making commercially viable music. This episode offers an in-depth look at one of the industry's most influential platforms shaping the future of music in content creation.
Chapters
00:00 The Changing Landscape of Music Royalties
06:00 Epidemic Sound: A New Model for Music Distribution
12:14 Artist Compensation and Ownership Rights
17:46 Innovative Approaches to Music Licensing
24:09 The Impact of Epidemic Sound on Independent Artists
29:53 Future of Music in the Digital Age
42:16 The Evolution of Music Consumption
46:21 Negotiating with DSPs and Licensing Rates
49:52 The Rise of Epidemic Sound
55:31 The Artist's Identity Crisis
01:08:01 Future Innovations and AI in Music
01:21:12 Becoming a Full-Service Music Platform
Edited and mixed by Ari Davids
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take
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