The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Toni Nelson, artist manager, business manager, and co-founder of 1990 Records.Toni Nelson is an artist manager and co-founder of 1990 Records with a background in retail fashion and mental health clinical work. Combining expertise in behavioral science with music industry operations, Nelson specializes in sustainable artist development, data analytics, and guiding independent artists like Adrian Daniel, to build long-term, monetizable careers while protecting their intellectual property. Follow Toni Nelson:https://www.instagram.com/1990records19/https://1990records.org/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com04:01 - What it Means to Build a Creative & Fan Community 09:00 - Protecting IP & Using Split Sheets in the Studio 13:14 - Navigating Producer Credits, Writer Splits & Work for Hire 18:18 - Release Strategies & Tracking Data with Music Analytics 23:27 - How Independent Artists Can Monetize Their Audience 27:38 - Staying Independent vs. Label Licensing Deals 32:45 - When is an Emerging Artist Ready to Tour? 36:22 - Case Study: Developing Adrian Daniel's Career 43:17 - Mental Health & What It Means to Make It in Music 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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Alexis Lanternier, the CEO of global music streaming platform Deezer. Together, they break down the massive influx of AI-generated music flooding streaming services, Deezer’s pioneering efforts in AI detection and fraud removal, and the future of fair artist payouts through user-centric royalty systems. Follow Alexis Lanternier:https://www.instagram.com/deezer/https://www.deezer.com/us/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com05:45 - The Reality of AI Music Flooding Streaming Services10:23 - How Deezer Detects Streaming Fraud & Purges AI Bots13:42 - Tagging AI Music & Algorithmic Recommendation Rules18:32 - Generative AI: Creative Assistive Tool vs. Fully AI Music24:40 - In-App Fan Remix Tools & Licensing Fair Payouts33:36 - The Flaw in Market-Centric Payouts vs. User-Centric Payouts42:15 - Major Label Licensing Deals & Independent Artist Royalty Rates50:37 - Powering Winamp & What It Means to "Make It" in Music 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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jared Benjamin. Jared broke down how he went from picking up a guitar during the pandemic to earning over 100 million streams, selling out headline tours, and building an intensely loyal community across TikTok and Discord. They discuss his creation process, content strategy, delegating production, leveraging pre-save ad campaigns, and releasing his debut album, Icarus Too Close to the Sun.Follow Jared Benjamin:https://www.instagram.com/jaredbenjaminofficial/http://tiktok.com/@jaredbenjaminofficialCheck out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com4:05 Interview Begins: Welcome & Icarus Debut Album Announcement5:06 Transitioning from Fast Singles to a Cohesive Debut Album9:43 Early Short-Form Visual Strategy & Writing Skits17:25 Lessons from Bad Industry Deals & Going DIY20:15 Learning Production on YouTube & Collaborating with Producers25:20 Writing "Three Steps Ahead" at AntiSocial Writing Camp28:35 Building a Social Following & Meeting His Manager32:50 The Daily Grind: Posting 2 to 4 Videos a Day & Managing Burnout35:55 First Headline Tour Experiences: From Empty Rooms to Sold-Out Venues41:59 Managing Online Communities: Grouped vs. Discord Strategy50:20 Tapping into BookTok & Author Playlist Marketing01:01:35 Leveraging Feature.fm Pre-Save Ads to Funnel Fans into DiscordEdited 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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Laurie Lee Boutet, artist manager at Wednesday Management and manager of the chart-topping Canadian rock band The Beaches.Laurie shares the incredible story behind The Beaches' explosive rise following their breakout sync placement in Off Campus, why viral TikToks aren't enough anymore, and how artists can build lasting careers by creating cultural moments and not just chasing algorithms.Follow Laurie Lee:https://www.instagram.com/laurieleeboutet/https://www.wednesdaymgmt.com/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com05:21 Why Viral TikToks Don't Work Like They Used To 08:00 The Sync That Changed Everything 12:50 From 18,000 to 1 Million Streams a Day 18:42 TikTok vs. Instagram: Where Artists Should Focus 24:44 Should Indie Artists Skip Music Videos? 28:33 The New Era of Music Marketing 35:19 How to Create True Superfans 43:13 Stop Wasting Money on Content 52:08 The Future of Artist Growth 59:53 Laurie's Biggest Career LessonEdited 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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Andreas Schuller, hit songwriter, producer, and co-founder of music publishing company Honua Music. Andreas has written and produced songs for artists including The Weeknd, Jason Derulo, Madison Beer, and many more, accumulating billions of streams and numerous gold and platinum records.Andreas breaks down how hit songs are actually created, how publishing companies develop songwriters, and why today's music industry is more relationship-driven than ever. He shares the story behind Jason Derulo's smash hit "Wiggle," explains how songwriting camps work, discusses the evolution of professional songwriting, and offers practical advice for aspiring songwriters trying to break into the industry.Follow Andreas Schuller:https://honuamusic.com/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com03:48 - Meet Andreas Schuller: Hitmaker Turned Publisher12:19 - Music Publishing Explained: How Songwriters Make Money18:39 - The Story Behind Jason Derulo's "Wiggle"22:02 - Songwriting Splits, Credits, and Industry Politics30:37 - How Professional Songwriting Has Changed Since 201034:46 - Breaking Into the Music Industry as a Songwriter39:03 - Originality vs. Trend Chasing: What Actually Works?49:37 - Building Great Writing Rooms and Finding Creative Chemistry52:39 - AI, the Future of Music, and What's Next for SongwritersEdited 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

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/@peteganbargInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/peteganbarg/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com04:21 – The True Role of A&R: What Has Changed and What Hasn't09:00 – Artist Development vs. Chasing Quick Hits13:20 – Why Live Performance Still Matters to Labels16:05 – TikTok Stars, Viral Songs, and Building Careers20:50 – The Difference Between a Song, an Artist, and a Career25:55 – How Pete Discovers and Develops Songwriters30:10 – Michael Pollack's Journey to Writing "Flowers."35:15 – Songwriting by Committee, Sampling, and Publishing Trends40:50 – AI, Songwriting, and the Future of Music Creation48:15 – What Excites Pete Most About the Future of Music54:07 – What It Means to "Make It" in the New Music BusinessEdited 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

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/reachrecords/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com05:06 - Meet Dee Diaz and Reach Records08:47 - The History of Reach Records and Lecrae12:31 - Building the Reconstruction Campaign15:07 - The 1,000 Fan Mailer Strategy16:19 - Creating The Workshop Fan Community19:37 - Turning Superfans Into Brand Ambassadors29:09 - Community Service as Music Marketing37:39 - The Story Behind “Coming In Hot”43:29 - Why TikTok Doesn't Convert Like It Used To46:17 - What It Means to Make It in the New Music Business47:00 - Audience Q&AEdited 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

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/hopelessrecords/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com03:57 Nicole Abea on Influencer & UGC Marketing at Hopeless Records08:44 The Reality of TikTok Seeding, Fan Accounts & Music Promotion15:20 How to Market a Song with a $2,000 Budget18:25 BookTok, Online Communities & Finding Your Audience23:29 What Spotify and DSPs Want from Artists26:26 Why Record Labels Are Signing Influencers33:21 Scene Over Genre: How Modern Fandom Has Changed42:41 How All Time Low's “Dear Maria, Count Me In” Went Viral Again45:22 Rage Bait, Algorithms & The Future of Music Marketing51:00 Closing ThoughtsEdited 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