Claim OwnershipThe Future of What
Subscribed: 203Played: 3,866
Subscribe
© All rights reserved
Description
Founded by Music Biz President, Portia Sabin as a way to educate musicians on the realities of the music business, The Future of What Podcast has become a forum where the most significant voices in our industry discuss important issues of the day. Tune in as she hosts important industry figureheads and innovators alike in exciting discussions on where the music business is headed next!
302 Episodes
Reverse
Consideration of those in a caregiving role is often an afterthought in many industries, but creative industries add an extra layer of challenge due to inconsistent income and schedules. While looking for support in her journey of motherhood while maintaining a career in music, Mamas In Music co-founder Tiff Randol noticed a lack of community, and banded together with Mary Leay to create this support system. We connected with Tiff to discuss the events, partnerships and other initiatives Mamas In Music is looking to put forward, how we as an industry can collectively support mothers better, and much more!
Searching large catalogs via tags can be time-consuming, reinforce biases toward what we already know to save time, and leave a large portion of artist works unexplored. AIMS API looks to utilize AI as an assistive tool for objective and accurate full-catalog discovery via search options that include natural language prompts, similar audio matching, and lyric search to benefit clients working as editors, sound designers, music supervisors, and beyond. In this episode, AIMS CTO Einar Helde unpacks the company’s origins, how their search technologies work, and their upcoming search tool that has already become a sought-after product.
Superfans have been discussed as a promising new revenue stream for artists, and Bootleg is leaning into this concept with an app designed to allow fans to purchase limited release, high-quality audio merch captured from live shows. This platform not only creates direct revenue for touring artists, but helps fans across genres build a community with fellow concert-goers. We spoke with founder Rod Yancy about the app’s offerings, the value The MLC provides in licensing music, how labels are looking to participate with the service, and what's on the horizon!
Killphonic Rights is a creator-founded, full-service music company, with Michelle Fantus serving as Head of A&R. Michelle has witnessed the evolution of artists and repertoire over her tenure in the industry, seeing music consumption go from iTunes downloads to streaming, and now music discovery being redefined by AI & algorithms. While some things have changed for A&R over the past decade, the practice remains the same at its core. In this episode, Michelle walks through the performance measures that A&Rs of both the past and present evaluate, the two “buckets” A&Rs tend to fall into, what this new era of music discovery brings, and more!
As a distributor, publishing company, creator of DIY platform OFFstep and one of the world's largest music MCNs on YouTube, ONErpm is considered a full-service, modern record label. The company puts artists at the forefront by emphasizing transparency & education at both the front end and back end, and even has its own CMS platform for artists to track spending & marketing plans. In this episode, Head of Marketing Jenna LoMonaco details how ONErpm supports & helps to develop their artists’ vision, along with the company’s strategic incorporation of modern tech, and clears up misconceptions on exploitation in the industry.
The Clio Awards have celebrated advertising & creative works across industries dating back to the 1950s, diversifying into different programs over time, including Clio Music in 2014. In this episode, we speak with Michael Kauffman of Clio Music on the three pillars of The Clios, and break it down further into the three award areas of the music branch, along with how to enter. Michael also expands on the true value of recent winning campaigns from around the globe, and the importance of cause-based work & recognition through awards in the music industry and beyond.
In the past, artists needed to sign with record labels who would take out bank loans in order to provide financing. Now thanks to companies like Sound Royalties, artists can receive financing via advances without giving up any ownership. Possible income generating streams for artists have also grown from few to many, transforming music into a viable asset class. In this episode, Alex Heiche discusses how this evolution occurred, the importance of educating artists on where their income is coming from, and more on Sound Royalties – including where & how they operate and the solutions they provide.
Mike Pelczynski has been a part of many important conversations on the subject of AI as the Chief Strategic and Innovation Officer of voice conversion platform, Voice-Swap. These discussions revealed that general sentiments towards AI have shifted from fear to that of constructive concern. In this episode, Mike examines how some issues posed by AI can be addressed using solutions we are already familiar with, the importance of strategic partners for major stakeholders, how the music industry’s approach to AI guides other industries, and more!
Soundstripe is a tech-enabled music licensing company working with brands, agencies and rightsholders, housing 1.5 million users in 160 countries. In this episode, Soundstripe’s Angela Abbott walks us through their licensing process, emphasizing how the platform ensures artists maintain sonic identity. She then imparts advice to early-level professionals, and addresses aspects of licensing that may be overlooked, such as microsync, the importance of valuing licensed music to ad spend, and differences in monetization models from platform to platform.
At Music Biz 2025, Lisa Hresko of A2IM moderated a panel on growth strategies for independent music companies, a topic which she touches upon in this podcast recorded live at the Conference! She further expands the conversation to discuss how artists can “choose their own adventure” in the industry today by tapping into the independent community. Lisa also speaks on A2IM’s current projects, including advocacy for the HITS Act and other legislation.
We spoke with Carrie Colliton of DORS & Record Store Day at Music Biz 2025 about the recent sales surge at indie record stores, how sales data from record stores was on the verge of exclusion from Luminate reporting, and the power of community that brought about the deal to keep that data counted. The conversation also touches on both the positive and the negative effects of streaming on indie music, as streaming helps new fans discover albums they want to own on CD or vinyl but can also devalue music through lower price points. Carrie also talks about how physical music continues to be an expression of personality for music fans, and how it allows for true ownership in the digital age.
We sat down with Chuka Chase, co-founder of SymphonyOS, during Music Biz 2025 to talk about his company, his experience at the Conference, and the convergence of the music and tech industries. He discusses his professional journey which led him from the tech space to music, as he compares and contrasts how both industries operate. He also covers how the internet has made the music industry less siloed, and how SymphonyOS continues this democratization of knowledge for today’s artists. Finally, Chuka shares his experience speaking on a 2025 panel to an audience of startup founders like him.
In this episode, we discuss the motivations behind NIVA’s letter to the US Copyright Office in conversation with Tobi Parks of the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF). Tobi disputes the narrative that licensees are just trying to cut costs, explaining how the current PRO system, combined with a lack of education provided to licensees and artists, leaves an untapped pool of money waiting to be fairly distributed. She also dives into the unique issues faced within the US due to having multiple PRO entities, and how discounts provided to large venues, combined with other economic factors, end up hurting small artists and venues.
We caught up with Virginie Berger, Founder of Don’t Believe the Hype and Advisor at MUSICx; fmr. MatchTune during Music Biz 2025 for a conversation covering the sentiments of fear and concern surrounding the uncharted territory that is AI. She addresses the complications and confusion today’s music market faces, current copyright wins & losses, the fine line AI walks in terms of what is & isn’t forbidden, and MatchTune's AI detection and audio fingerprinting solutions. Touching on legislation in the US, UK and Europe, she explains how rushed governance in the past failed to take into account the issues we are facing now. Virginie also discusses her Music Biz panel on what lessons the music business can learn about embracing new tech from the adult entertainment industry, and how the Conference serves as a forum for all types of topics.
This week we speak with Jonathan Azu, founder of Culture Collective, on the state of the live industry, along with some exciting projects & collaborations he’s working on! Jonathan discusses how important it is for executives to diversify themselves in the same way today’s artists do, highlighting the multi-hyphenate approach he has taken for his business by working on tours, TV specials, philanthropic and DEI-related work, and developing artists. Jonathan provides us his expertise, evaluating the consistency of our industry’s DEI initiatives born out of the self-reflection that came from the COVID era, and how large-scale change comes from those in power. He also examines how the live industry has ebbed and flowed as a result of the pandemic, tying together how no matter what venue, city or capacity, a show itself must be great to have longevity.
Edward Ginis, Founder and CEO of OpenPlay, attended his 15th Music Biz Conference this year. In this episode, he discusses how the Conference continues to evolve with the times, providing true substance and debate over platitudes and hype. In the same vein, Edward touches on just how crucial it is for our industry to nurture entrepreneurs and startups in a mutually beneficial relationship. He discusses how the Conference’s startup programming, including OpenPlay’s “Break The Silos. Build The Future.” Hackathon, allows our industry to both progress in tandem with the tech space and show investors that music companies are worth collaborating with. Finally, he covers hot-button topics such as AI and copyright registration, and how we as an industry have to step up where the government leaves gaps!
The difficulty common earplugs have conforming to each person’s unique anatomy leads to frequent struggles with actually keeping these devices in our ears – not to mention the poor sound quality they create by blocking out only the top frequencies. Biomaterial professor and industrial designer, Lauryn Menard may very well be revolutionizing the future of earplugs, as she has pioneered a solution that not only resolves these issues but also provides a more sustainable option for our environment. Her company GOB has created aerial mycelium foam earplugs that conform to each person’s ear shape and dampen all frequencies for a balanced & comfortable listening experience. In this episode, Lauren touches upon the journey that led to the creation of GOB, strategies the company is using to successfully market their product to consumers, and upcoming venue partnerships.
Top Drawer Merch began their journey through collaborating with artists to create charity bracelets. Today, they service clients both in and out of the music industry, producing apparel & a variety of other merchandise. Implementing a traditional brand approach, they understand that merch is not just a band’s logo on a t-shirt – it’s a story told through the product that comes back full circle, tying into a much larger ecosystem. Kerstyn Inouye, Marketing Director of Top Drawer Merch joins us this episode to discuss the opportunities superfans bring to merchandising, loyalty programs, what it’s like to work with niche bands & their managers, and creative strategies the company implements to maintain a smooth on-site merch experience.
Friends of Noise, an organization supporting the creative youth of Portland, Oregon since 2016, is expanding their educational programming with the opening of their all-ages venue, “The Off Beat.” The nonprofit hosts professional development workshops and produces all-age concerts where teens can perform on-stage, run sound, accept tickets & create posters, with their youth sound engineers being hired to produce local events ranging from block parties to weddings. In this episode, we speak with their Executive Director, Andre Middleton on the organization’s plans for a silk-screen printing microloan program, their upcoming season pass program, the new venue’s specs & how they envision it as a stepping stone for emerging bands!
Building on our series of interviews with Atlanta locals, we spoke with Byron, Ryon & Tyson Horne, better known as The Horne Brothers. To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, the brothers highlighted Atlanta in their 2024 documentary, “The South Got Something To Say.” Though Hip-Hop’s birthplace is credited as New York, the documentary discusses how a large share of popular hits and collaborations have come from Atlanta. It also covers the city’s status as a music melting pot that has created unique, cross-genre sounds through a welcoming network of studios, artists, producers and other talent. This makes Atlanta a strong force in the overall music economy, and therefore the perfect place for music execs to meet for Music Biz 2025. Tune in to hear more on how music impacts the city’s education system, sports & film sectors, and how both the Music Biz Conference and Atlanta’s local government can spark impactful movements.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States