The Music Business Buddy

<p>A podcast that aims to educate and inspire music creators in their quest to achieving their goals by gaining a greater understanding of the business of music.  A new episode is released each Wednesday and aims to offer clarity and insight into a range of subjects across the music industry. The series includes soundbites and interviews with guests from all over the world together with commentary and clarity on a range of topics. The podcast is hosted by award winning music industry professional Jonny Amos. <br />Jonny Amos is the author of The Music Business for Music Creators (Routledge/ Focal Press, 2024). He is also a music producer with credits on a range of major and independent labels, a songwriter with chart success in Europe and Asia, a senior lecturer at BIMM University UK, a music industry consultant and an artist manager. <br /> www.jonnyamos.com </p>

Episode 71: Understanding The Role of an Artist Manager

If you’ve ever wondered what a great artist manager really does—and how to know when you’re ready for one—this deep-dive lays out the playbook with clarity and zero fluff. We break down the day-to-day reality of management across business strategy, creative development, and the soft skills that hold a career together when schedules get messy and deals get complex. You’ll hear why the best managers behave like translators and tacticians, connecting A&R, booking, PR, marketing, and finance ...

11-12
34:22

Episode 70: How Award Winning Music Supervision Pioneer Frederic Schindler is Fixing a Broken System

What happens when award-winning music supervisor Frederic Schindler takes on the challenge of modernising a broken licensing system? The result is Catalog - a groundbreaking platform that's transforming how music gets paired with visual media. Frederic Schindler has seen it all in his two-decade journey through music supervision. From his early days promoting French culture abroad to winning the Association of Independent Music's 2025 Music Supervisor of the Year Award, he's crafted soundtra...

11-05
42:23

Episode 69: The Virality Trap

The age-old belief that viral social media moments convert seamlessly into genuine fans may be crumbling before our eyes. Drawing from some outstanding research by MIDiA titled "All Eyes No Ears: Why Virality is not building fandom," this episode explores the troubling disconnect between social media visibility and actual music consumption. For years, the music industry has operated on a seemingly logical assumption: create viral content, convert those views to streams, and transform casual ...

10-29
17:19

Episode 68: The Social Media Success Story of Rising Artist Anja

Meet Anya Jasmine, a remarkable young musician who's mastered the art of social media growth while building an impressive multi-faceted career. What started as consistent guitar content on Instagram unexpectedly blossomed into viral moments and a substantial following that's opened doors throughout the music industry. Anya breaks down her accidental social media success with refreshing honesty, describing how she treated posting like "putting lottery tickets in" - the more quality content sh...

10-21
34:19

Episode 67: A Producers Playbook

The world of music production has undergone a remarkable transformation. Gone are the days when producers were confined to traditional recording studios, working exclusively with signed artists. Today, the landscape offers a rich tapestry of opportunities that extend far beyond conventional production work. In this eye-opening episode, I dive deep into the multiple pathways available to modern producers, revealing how diverse the role has become. One fascinating aspect we explore is how the ...

10-14
28:57

Episode 66: An Interview with K-pop A&R Music Publisher Kristin Hurst

Unlocking the secrets of the East Asian music markets requires insider knowledge, passion, and a forward-thinking approach. Join host Jonny Amos as he speaks with rising music industry professional Kristin Hurst, who serves as A&R for K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop at both DWB Music and ARC Music Publishing. Kristin's remarkable journey began with a university K-pop songwriting camp that caught the attention of industry veterans, launching her career at the intersection of Western songwriting a...

10-07
34:30

Trailer

Reach out to me ! Websites www.jonnyamos.com https://themusicbusinessbuddy.buzzsprout.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themusicbusinessbuddypodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/jonny_amos/ Email jonnyamos@me.com

10-03
00:56

Episode 65: What Happens When Music Collides with the Creator Economy?

Are we witnessing the death of the influencer age? The creator economy is rapidly evolving, and musicians who understand these shifts can position themselves for sustainable success beyond streaming revenues alone. The landscape has dramatically changed since the TikTok boom of 2020-2021, when seven and eight-figure deals were being offered before artists even met with label executives. Today, labels are taking a more measured approach, focusing on where artists might be in three, five, or t...

09-30
17:55

Episode 64: Inside the World of Music Publishing with DWB Music's Greig Watts

What does it take to build a successful independent music publishing company in today's global market? In this captivating conversation, Greig Watts—the "W" in DWB Music—reveals the unexpected journey that transformed a three-person songwriting team into an international publishing powerhouse. Greig shares the fascinating story of how DWB discovered untapped opportunities in the East Asian markets, particularly Japan, where understanding cultural business protocols proved crucial to their su...

09-23
44:57

Episode 63: Web3 Meets Music with IYK CEO Ryan Ouyang

The digital revolution in music is no longer just about streaming - it's now transforming the physical products we cherish as fans. Ryan Ouyang, CEO and founder of IYK, takes us deep into the fascinating world where physical merchandise becomes a gateway to exclusive digital experiences. Ryan explains how IYK's NFC-embedded products allow fans to authenticate ownership and access exclusive content through a simple smartphone scan. What began as a Web3 experiment during the pandemic has evolv...

09-16
38:05

Episode 62: Understanding Medallion With Music Tech Innovator Matt Jones

What if artists owned the platforms where they connect with fans? Matt Jones, CEO of Medallion, is bringing this radical vision to life with a revolutionary approach to artist-fan relationships. Most musicians face a fundamental problem: they build audiences on platforms they can't control, then struggle to reach those same fans when promoting tours, merchandise, or new music. Medallion solves this by creating artist-owned communities where creators maintain complete ownership of their fan r...

09-09
46:48

Episode 61: Beat Matching to Business Success - Amani Roberts on Music Entrepreneurship

What does it truly mean to be entrepreneurial in today's music landscape? According to Amani Roberts—international keynote speaker, global performer, award-winning professor, and bestselling author—it's about more than just technical skills. During our fascinating conversation, Amani breaks down how music professions have evolved through technological advancements. While anyone can learn basic beat matching, he emphasizes that "the art of reading a crowd is something that you acquire o...

09-02
29:15

Episode 60: An Assessment of The Current State of AI

Artificial intelligence has revolutionized how we discover, create, and consume music—but where exactly does it stand in 2025? After interviewing three leading AI music technology founders, I'm pulling back the curtain on the current state of music AI and its ethical evolution. The landscape has shifted dramatically. Today's most innovative companies are building AI tools with fundamentally different values: enhancing human creativity rather than replacing it, compensating artists fairly, an...

08-26
23:28

Episode 59: Blanket Licensing Demystified

How would you feel discovering your music was used on a major TV show without anyone telling you? That's the reality of blanket licensing – a system that keeps the entertainment world turning while ensuring creators get paid. Allow me to break down this complex but crucial aspect of the music industry, explaining how blanket licenses grant broadcasters and venues the right to use vast catalogues of music for a fixed annual fee. Rather than negotiating individual licenses for each song, these...

08-19
22:10

Episode 58: AI Powered Mixing With RoEx CEO David Ronan

Ever wondered how artificial intelligence might transform music production without replacing human creativity? In this eye-opening conversation with David Ronan, CEO of Roex Audio, we explore the fascinating world of AI-powered mixing and mastering tools that are changing how music creators work. David pulls back the curtain on Roex's innovative products: Mix Check Studio, which analyzes tracks and identifies mixing issues for free, and Automix, which can professionally mix up to 32 tracks i...

08-12
37:38

Episode 57: The Next Generation of The Music Industry

The future of music depends on nurturing young talent, yet the path for emerging musicians can be as challenging as it is confusing. This episode takes a deep dive into Youth Music's insightful "Sound of the Next Generation" report, examining how the pandemic, economic hardship, and educational cuts have fundamentally altered young people's relationship with music. I share concerning statistics revealing that just 55% of young people now identify as musical (down 10% from 2019), while 48% of...

08-05
21:32

Episode 56: Exploring Mental Health with Tonic Music's Jeordie Shenton

What does it truly mean to take care of our mental health in the complex, demanding world of music? This question sits at the heart of my conversation with Jeordie Shenton, Programmes Lead for Tonic Music, a pioneering UK charity dedicated to mental wellbeing for everyone who creates, works with, or simply loves music. Music creators experience significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges compared to the general population. The causes are multifaceted...

07-29
45:54

Episode 55: AI Vocals and Voice Swap with Declan McGlynn

Imagine transforming your voice into that of legendary vocalists like Robert Owens or Angie Brown with just a few clicks. The future isn't coming—it's already here, and it's raising profound questions about artist rights, compensation, and the very nature of creative identity. In this extraordinary conversation with Declan McGlynn, Chief Creative Officer at VoiceSwap, we explore how ethical AI voice technology is revolutionizing music creation. Unlike many AI platforms that scrape data witho...

07-22
01:12:15

Episode 54: How to Pitch Your Music For Sync

Ever wonder how your music ends up in that Netflix show or smartphone commercial? The path from creation to placement is paved with gatekeepers, contracts, and strategic pitching—and mastering these elements could transform your music career. Jonny Amos dives deep into the sync licensing ecosystem, revealing the crucial professionals every music creator should connect with. From accessible sync agents building music libraries for clients to the coveted music supervisors who can catapult care...

07-15
27:54

Episode 53: The Key Steps to Sync Placements

Ready to break into the world of sync licensing? Before you can land your music in films, TV shows, or advertisements, you need to master the crucial preparation steps that most artists overlook. Jonny Amos dives deep into the foundational elements of sync success, revealing why understanding your song's true essence is more challenging—and more critical—than most creators realize. "A songwriter could be preoccupied by the emotion felt when writing, yet a different mood emerges in the final ...

07-08
32:09

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