The Label Machine Podcast (The Label Machine)

A sneak peek from our second episode, featuring Tommie Keeston

On this episode Nick sits down with Todd McCarty, the founder of Band Builder Academy and former VP of Sales at Sony Music USA and General Manager at Fearless Records. Todd is now helping independent artists build their fanbase and profit from their passion. His proven experience working in both major and indie labels makes for a refreshing perspective of the music industry and how self-releasing musicians can thrive in it.

Join us for nearly an hour and a half of incredible insight on major vs. indie labels, networking, TikTok, DSP's, music promotion, visual branding and much more!

Join Nick Sadler from The Label Machine in an engaging podcast with Brian Zisook, aka Z, the EVP of Global Operations and Head of Artist and Label Services at Audiomack. Discover why Audiomack is the top streaming platform in 17 countries and how it supports emerging artists. Learn strategies for spending $3,000 on a marketing campaign for new artists, the key steps to grow your fan base, and much more.

Highlights:

• Introduction to Brian Zisook: Brian's journey from a high school athlete to co-founding DJ Booth and eventually becoming a key figure at Audiomack.
• About Audiomack: An overview of Audiomack's mission, its focus on supporting independent artists, and how it became a leading streaming platform.
• Key Differences: How Audiomack stands out from competitors like SoundCloud by offering free tools and a human-curated experience.
• AI and Music: Discussion on the role of AI in music, Spotify's new payment threshold, and Audiomack's stance on AI-produced music.
• Marketing Tips: Detailed advice on how to effectively spend a $3,000 marketing budget to promote an emerging artist.
• Growing Fan Base: Strategies to expand your audience, including the importance of social media and releasing music strategically.
• Metadata Importance: The critical role of metadata in music distribution and discoverability.
• Future of Audiomack: Exciting new features and plans for Audiomack, including enhanced creator tools and a label services division.

Explore how Audiomack can help you succeed in the music industry.

On this episode Nick sits down with Heather Christie, an independent artist who is also the founder of motherhood-focused record label Möonbabe Records and Mind Body Music, a "holistic music school" with the focus of teaching female artists how to navigate the independent music industry.
Heather was a 2016 American Idol contestant and founder of several independent music acts, such as Silk Drop, Honeywild, Sirens of Soul and Feral Fauna, the latter of which earned international recognition and millions of streams with their single "Tincture."

Join us for an hour-long discussion on women in the music industry, combining family with a music career, music marketing and PR tips - and much more.

On this episode Nick is sitting down with Erin M. Jacobson, one of the most renowned US attorneys specialized in music industry law. Erin was named Top Music Lawyer by Billboard and has been featured on Forbes Magazine, ABC and BBC networks. She serves on the board of directors for the Association of Independent Music Publishers and is the founder of the Indie Artist Resource, a place where independent artist can access affordable legal solutions and information on music law.

Tune in for an hour of discussion on Erin's career path, music industry law, copyrights, royalties, NFT's and Erin's book, “Don't Get Screwed: How to Protect Yourself as an Independent Musician.”

For our fourth episode we sat down with Chris Garvey, best known as one-half of UK Drum & Bass powerhouse The Prototypes and co-founder of Get Hype Records. 

Chris has achieved great success as an artist with The Prototypes, but his passion for the music industry has not stopped there. On top of his music career as a DnB artist, Chris has founded an independent record label, a live event management service and a mastering business. 

In this episode we speak of COVID-19's repercussions on artists' live shows and revenue streams, stem mastering, digital distribution, social media promotion techniques and the overall necessity for independent artists to become more business-savvy.

Episode #5 is a warm reunion of LEVL8 co-founders Nick Sadler and Matt Ryan! Matt is also the director at Par Excellence and over the course of his career he has managed artists such as Foreign Beggars, Alix Perez, The Upbeats and Shades.

In this episode the two will go over the reality of artist management today, live shows, record release promo and marketing techniques for up-and-coming artists and much more.

On this episode Nick sits down with Jenn D'Eugenio, Sales and Marketing Manager at Austin, Texas-based Gold Rush Vinyl and Founder of the non-profit Women in Vinyl. With a background in textile design for Fortune 500 companies, Jenn is now pursuing a music industry career where she can fully embrace her passion for vinyl as part of one of the only two woman-owned vinyl pressing plants in the US. Through her non-profit, Jenn is empowering women and minorities all over the world on how they get started in the music industry and how they can use vinyl records - a medium that has been quickly reemerging as of late - to stand out from the crowd and leave their mark on the music world.

Join us for about an hour-long discussion on vinyl pressing, physical distribution, consumer trends, music marketing and much more.

In the ever-evolving landscape of the music industry, the role of playlists and curators on streaming platforms like Spotify cannot be overstated. Playlists have become a powerful tool for both emerging artists and established musicians to reach wider audiences. In this blog post, we delve into the world of playlisting and submission, featuring insights from Harry Sotnick, an expert in the field and a key player at Dailyplaylists. Dailyplaylists is more than just a platform; it's a game-changer for artists and curators alike. At its core, it's a user-friendly playlist submission platform that simplifies the process for artists. Harry Sodnick, with his extensive background in both music and technology, has been instrumental in transforming Dailyplaylists into a thriving curator-centric platform. If you're eager to dive deeper into the world of playlisting and discover how Dailyplaylists can be a valuable resource, don't miss this episode of The Label Machine series. Harry Sotnick's expertise is sure to provide you with valuable insights and strategies for navigating the modern music industry.

Welcome to The Label Machine Podcast, where we interview some of the most knowledgeable and acclaimed professionals in the music industry. Learn the secrets of successful artists and record labels in this biweekly show hosted by Never Say Die Records and The Label Machine founder, Nick Sadler.

On this episode Nick shares the stage with Dr. Martin Clancy, who is a distinguished Irish musician, academic, and industry consultant, currently serving as an IRC Research Fellow at the Center for Digital Humanities, Trinity College Dublin. He holds the prestigious position of Founder Chair of the IEEE Global AI Ethics Arts Committee.

His expertise in AI and music is widely recognized, with publications in the IEEE Journal and a book titled "Artificial Intelligence and Music Ecosystem" published by Routledge UK. As a Certified Ableton Live 11 Trainer, he has imparted knowledge on music creativity and industry practices in renowned institutions like KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Queen Mary University of London, and University College Dublin.

Join host Nick on this insightful podcast as we explore the world of music and technology. Delve into the distinctions between the music industry and the music ecosystem, unravel the complexities of music copyright infringements, and discover the myriad ways AI is revolutionizing music-making, from creative composition to marketing.

On this episode Nick Sadler sits down with Isabella Bedoya, a former A&R of Sony Music and the founder of Fame Hackers, a platform designed to help independent artists grow their fan base and explore digital revenue streams.

Join us for a candid conversation regarding music entrepreneurship, digital marketing, release promotion, content creation, paid advertising and much more!

On this episode Nick sits down with Bruno Guez, the founder of Revelator and former Director on the board of Merlin Network, the world's leading music rights agency. Bruno has been in the music industry since he started his own record label Quango Music Group in 1993, and his experiences running a record label - along with his own personal struggles - shaped new goals and ambitions for himself in the industry, particularly as a music tech entrepreneur. His dream of bettering the music industry through digital means led him to create Revelator, a platform that enables artists and labels to manage their copyrights, metadata and digital assets all in one place. Through a constantly evolving cloud-based system, Revelator provides greater transparency and celerity to digital asset distribution and royalties collection.

Join Nick and Bruno for over an hour's conversation on cloud-based automation, Web3, NFT's, smart contracts, digital asset management and much more!

On this milestone tenth episode we have Mixmasters' founder Danny Savage.

One of the most influential figures in today's electronic music world, Danny Savage has gone from DJ'ing in working men's clubs to helping other DJ's and producers build their own musical career. His entrepreneurial mindset, combined with his passion for electronic music, has led him to spearhead game-changing ventures such as Igloo Disco (featured on BBC's Dragons' Den), DJ Growth Lab and the Mixmasters community.

Join us on this special tenth episode as we hear the amazing stories behind Danny Savage's rise in the music industry, as well as invaluable advice from the real Mixmaster himself on paid advertising, Beatport, bootlegs, and much more.

In our seventh episode we have Soren Mensberg, artist manager at Sierra 79 and booking agent / promoter at 3rd Tsunami Agency. His artist roster includes some of the hottest names in the Scandinavian music scene, such as Barselona, Korantemaa, L.O.C. and Snavs.

One of the most accomplished agents and artist managers from Denmark, Soren tells us about his unexpected start in the music industry, his feelings on the effects of COVID-19 in music festivals and live shows, and ways for independent artists to promote themselves in a time of lockdowns and "stay-at-home" measures.

On this episode we have Pete Callaghan, co-founder of email marketing platform Promoly. After finding initial success in the Dubstep genre with his label Tongue Flap Records, Pete was dismayed by the state of music promotion and marketing options available to artists and labels. Together with Mike Ramirez and Kaine Shutler, Pete founded Promoly, a digital platform where you can manage your promo campaigns and get detailed insights on your audience's engagement.

Pete discusses with our host Nick Sadler about his beginnings in the music industry, the birth and development of Promoly, and ways artists and label managers can effectively create mailing lists, build relationships with tastemakers and promote their music to a wider audience.

A sneak peek of our first episode, featuring Nina Condron.

We kick off our first episode with none other than Nina Condron, director at global distributor and label services company Horus Music. Nina walks us through her own experience going into the music industry and, more specifically, the world of music distribution. She also explains how distribution has changed over the years and how specialized distributors effectively empower independent artists and labels in reaching a wider audience within their niche.

On this episode Nick sits down with Andrew Batey, co-founder of music streams auditing and tracking company Beatdapp and professor at Trinity Western University. Batey is an experienced start-up founder who has raised over $50M for his start-ups and filed over 40 patents in seven different countries. He has been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times and is a frequent guest speaker at conferences focused on venture capital, marketing and blockchain.

Join us for an hour-long discussion on digital music distribution, DSP's, streaming fraud, content auditing, music marketing tips and much more.

On this episode Nick sits down with Nimrod Azoulai, co-founder of music promotion platform MySphera. Nick and Nimrod discuss the modern challenges of promoting music, connecting with playlist curators and how MySphera functions as a bridge between artists and tastemakers all around the world.

Join us for an hour-long crash course on promotion, music marketing, EPK, releasing new music and much more.

On this episode we have Amy Jayne, an artist and freelance consultant at a number of electronic music labels, including Friction's Shogun Audio, Elevate Records and Technimatic Music. She is also the current label manager at Maraki Records and one of the leading figures in music conferences across Europe.

As an experienced label manager, Amy shares with us a bit of her background in the music industry, as well as some of her techniques on music promotion, radio plugging, DSP's, getting on playlists, creating your brand and much, much more. It's an hour-long episode filled with some of the best music industry advice we've had on the podcast series so far.

On this episode Nick sits down with Ken Kobori, founder and CEO of SURF Music, a digital marketplace where music creators can sell their unreleased music directly to buyers worldwide.

One of today's most celebrated J-Pop songwriters and producers - best known as 2SOUL - Ken first found success in 2005 as the producer of "Story" by Japanese-American artist AI. The record-smashing hit single has led to numerous partnerships with artists from Japan, Korea and the US, including the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire and Little Glee Monsters. Success in his career as 2SOUL saw him create his own label 2SOUL MUSIC and later become an executive of Japanese media company Breaker Inc.

Ken's experience as both a creator and music business entrepreneur led him to develop SURF Music as a platform that simplifies the business of selling music for both producers and buyers. SURF Music uses artificial intelligence to auto-tag creators' songs and optimize the buyers' experience of searching for the right song, while keeping transactions efficient and transparent for creators.

Join us for an hour-long discussion on the Japanese music industry, the difference between North America and East Asia's music markets, sync deals, artificial intelligence in music and much more!

Our second episode features Kinphonic founder and LabelGrid manager Tommie Keeston. Join us as he speaks of his journey in the music industry, the need for better preparation and mentoring of new artists and label founders, and the marketing strategies and tools that can help you get your big break as a musician/record label manager.

On this episode our host Nick Sadler sits down with Josh Hedglin, Label & Business Development Manager at Ingrooves Music Group and a former Senior Account Manager at Beatport.

With several years of music management and marketing under his belt, Josh is devoted to helping independent artists and labels launch effective music releases and reach wider audiences. A forward-thinking expert who always keeps a finger on the pulse of the latest music industry trends and technologies, Josh is now sharing his extensive knowledge and know-how in the course of nearly an hour and a half!

Join us for an incredibly detailed discussion on digital service providers, music marketing, releasing strategy, physical vs. digital distribution and much more.

On this episode Nick sits down with Kaytee Long Becker, founder of full service public relations company DIY PR, Inc. Kaytee is also the creator of the DIY Music PR Academy, which instructs indie musicians proven methods to grow their fanbase and get featured on publications.

Join us for a deep dive on PR for independent artists, advertising, NFT's in the music industry and much more!

On this episode Nick sits down with Dorian Perron, co-founder of music promotion company Groover. Starting with just a music blog, Dorian eventually began working on Groover while attending college in the US. Along with Groover's co-founders he developed a promotion tool that connects independent artists with blogs and publications and ensures that their submissions are listened to and receive feedback. Groover boasts a simple, equitable pricing option where fees are equally split between Groover and curators, a system that has resulted in the company's exponential growth and overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Join us for an hour-long discussion on effective music promotion, getting featured on blogs and publications, and capitalizing on the feedback and network opportunities Groover offers.

On this episode Nick sits down with Peter Sinclair, a "growth-focused entrepreneur" who is the co-founder and CEO of beatBread, a start-up company helping independent artists secure funding as an alternative to traditional record label deals.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Peter embarked on a business career journey that ultimately saw him become SVP of e-commerce at Universal Music Group. He co-founded beatBread in 2020 and steered it through a seed round that raised 34 million USD. His company has partnered with over a dozen of the world's largest distributors and beatBread's unique AI technology for automated advances has paved the way for artists and labels to obtain funding without relinquishing control over their music. 

Join us for an hour-long discussion on advances, record label deals, music royalties and much more.

Exploring the Evolution of Lyric Licensing and Music Tech: Insights from Darryl

In an interview with Darryl, an industry leader in lyric licensing and music tech, we dive into how the landscape of music rights and royalties is changing, and how innovative technologies like AI and video creation tools are shaping the future for artists, labels, and fans alike.

Lyric licensing has evolved over the years, with companies like LyricFind paving the way for new revenue streams through services like Lyric Merch. This on-demand merchandising service allowed publishers to license song lyrics for custom merchandise. However, the challenge of enforcing rights in an increasingly fragmented marketplace of platforms like Etsy and Redbubble led to the transition of Lyric Merch into a licensing model that works with businesses like Lithographs, which makes merchandise based on literature and lyrics.

As Darryl points out, while lyric merchandising faces challenges in enforcement, the broader music industry continues to grow, fuelled by streaming services and direct-to-consumer access. Today, more people are spending on music than ever before, thanks to affordable streaming subscriptions, which have replaced traditional physical formats. This shift has made it easier for independent artists to break into the market without needing a major label.

The rise of AI-driven technologies, such as stem separation tools, also opens up new opportunities for karaoke and lyric synchronisation. While karaoke companies historically used re-recorded tracks to avoid paying for the original master’s licensing, advancements now allow for the use of actual masters. This makes it easier to integrate lyrics into digital karaoke services. However, the publishing rights for karaoke remain a different sector, with publishers avoiding cannibalising existing revenue streams from traditional karaoke.

Looking to the future, Darryl foresees continued growth for lyric licensing, particularly through the synchronisation of lyrics with video content. With more artists focusing on video as a key promotional tool, LyricFind is investing in products like Rotor to help artists create dynamic visual content and leverage the power of lyrics in videos. The advent of autonomous driving will also create more opportunities for in-car entertainment and music engagement.

For independent artists and labels, the key takeaway is that while the business model has changed, the opportunities for growth are abundant. Technology and streaming services have made music more accessible, and platforms like LyricFind continue to evolve to meet the needs of modern music creators.

To explore more, independent artists can visit lyricfind.com for licensing information and tools like Lyric IQ, which analyses song lyrics for trends, moods, and themes. For video creation, RotorVideos.com offers tools for generating promotional content with synchronised lyrics. The evolving role of lyric licensing shows that while the industry is changing, the possibilities for innovation and revenue growth are still vast.

In today's episode of The Label Machine Podcast, Nick Sadler talks with Vasja Veber, CBDO and co-founder of Viberate, a leading analytics platform for musicians.

They discuss how artists and record labels can leverage data to make strategic decisions, benchmark performance, and understand their impact globally. Vasja shares insights on the evolution of data in the music industry, the importance of networking, and anecdotal experiences from managing renowned techno DJ UMEK.

Tune in to learn about Viberate's powerful tools for musicians and industry professionals alike.

00:00 Introduction to Today's Podcast

00:50 Meet Vasja Veber: Pioneer in Music Analytics

01:22 Vasja's Journey in the Music Industry

02:38 The Birth of Viberate

09:00 Challenges and Successes in Silicon Valley1

3:53 Understanding Viberate's Core Mission

16:07 How Artists and Labels Use Viberate

23:59 Understanding the Importance of Context in Data

24:57 Pitching Songs to Spotify Playlists

25:56 Trends and Patterns in Music Data

29:23 Success Stories and Artist Growth

34:07 Challenges for Non-Performing Artists

42:25 The Role of AI in Music Analytics

46:52 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

https://thelabelmachine.com/

On this episode Nick sits down with Gabe Schillinger, one of the best-known music producers on the San Francisco Bay area and founder of Legion Beats and Midi Money. Gabe has worked with legendary artists such as Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Too $hort throughout his production career. He has also started his own platform to educate music entrepreneurs on how to build and grow their business with an emphasis on effective marketing strategies.

Gabe Schillinger has shared the stage in numerous occasions with icons of the marketing industry such as Tony Robbins, Russell Branson and Frank Kern. Now he joins The Label Machine founder Nick Sadler in our podcast's twentieth episode for a no-nonsense discussion on marketing funnels, paid advertising, social media metrics, Web3 and NFT's in the future of music business - and much more!

On this episode Nick sits down with Benji Stein, artist manager and founder of PlaylistSupply, the foremost playlist search tool used by major and indie artists alike.

With a background in graphic design, Benji has built quite the portfolio working early in his career for music industry giants such as Roc Nation  and Red Light Management. He has gone on to develop PlaylistSupply as a way of helping independent artists build connections with curators on Spotify and promote their music in a fast, efficient and inexpensive way.

Join Nick and Benji for an hour-long discussion on Spotify playlists, outreaching, music promotion, artist management, social media for  musicians and much more.

On this episode we have Josh Brust, founder and CEO of music distributor IndieMassive and promotion company YouGrow Promo. After founding the duo Project North, Josh began reinvesting his royalties money into furthering his music's promotion, eventually developing a business that helped other artists promote and release their music.

Join us for an hour-long discussion on Spotify playlists, connecting with curators, building a marketing system for your music and much more.

A sneak peek of our third episode, featuring Rebecca Smart Bakken.

Our sixth episode features Rob Bravery, a singer-songwriter born in Bristol, UK and currently living in Melbourne, Australia. Rob has been compared to the sounds of Radiohead and James Blake; he has released numerous albums over the last ten years after being signed to a major publishing deal, the latest of which is "Agoraphobe's Bossa Nova," having been released at the end of 2020. In this episode, Rob talks about his journey through the music world and gives us some insight from the perspective of a songwriter who has been signed to both major and indie labels in the course of his career.

In this episode of The Label Machine Podcast, host Nick Sadler chats with Chris Muirhead, Label Production Manager at Disc Manufacturing Services (DMS). Discover insights into the current vinyl and CD market, best practices for new bands, minimum units for tour sales, and the future of physical music products. Get an insider's look into the world of disc manufacturing from one of the industry's leading experts. Don't miss out on this deep dive into physical music media!

In this episode of The Label Machine podcast, host Nick Sadler sits down with Jeff Ponchick, co-founder and CEO of Mogul and former Head of Creator at Soundcloud, to explore how the platform is revolutionizing the way indie artists and labels manage and maximize their music revenues.

They discuss Mogul's mission to uncover millions in unclaimed music royalties, the importance of understanding the business side of music, and the potential impacts of AI on the industry.

Jeff shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, including taking a gap year and the challenges faced in developing the tech behind Mogul. The conversation also delves into the dynamics of music rights, the trend towards direct artist-to-fan connections, and advice for artists aiming to grow their careers amidst evolving music consumption habits.

Mogul: https://www.usemogul.com/

The Label Machine: https://thelabelmachine.com/

In this episode of the Label Machine Series, the hosts delve into how artists and record labels are navigating music monetization, joined by Michael "MJ" Jacob, co-founder and CEO of Lemonade.ai, and Ani Mani, the company’s Chief Science Officer and also a co-founder. Lemonade.ai aims to revolutionize the music industry with ethical AI tools that support creators' rights. MJ, with a background as a musician, is focused on using AI to empower artists and help them maintain control over their work in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Ani, with a strong foundation in both artificial intelligence and music technology, leads Lemonade.ai’s development of innovative AI-driven tools. His work centers around enhancing musical creativity through technology, ensuring that AI is used to support rather than replace artists. Together, MJ and Ani share a vision for transforming how AI intersects with the music industry, advocating for tools that benefit musicians and prioritize ethical practices.

The episode begins with a discussion of MJ and Ani’s roles and contributions to Lemonade.ai. They highlight the importance of accurate titles in the context of professional impact, reinforcing how roles like theirs shape Lemonade’s vision. MJ and Ani’s approach emphasizes ethical technology use, addressing common industry concerns about AI, such as the risk of automation replacing creative jobs. Instead, they advocate for AI as a supportive resource, enhancing what artists can do rather than diminishing their role.

Throughout the conversation, MJ and Ani emphasize their dedication to the artist’s perspective, especially around issues of rights and compensation. By using AI tools thoughtfully, they aim to create solutions that allow artists to leverage technology without sacrificing their creative autonomy or ownership. This focus on the musician’s interests and rights has driven Lemonade’s growth as a pioneering AI company in the music industry. The duo discusses various tools Lemonade is working on, designed to streamline creative processes, boost productivity, and open new possibilities for artists to explore their art in unique ways.

In summary, this episode sheds light on Lemonade.ai’s mission to reshape music through ethical AI, underscoring MJ and Ani’s commitment to empowering artists and preserving their creative integrity in a tech-centered future.

This episode Nick Sadler sits down with Alex Branson. Formerly the mastermind behind Ingrooves' international expansion, Alex is now working with Rotor Videos, "the ultimate Music Video App for musicians" that allows artists and labels to create stunning videos for their releases in just a few minutes. He is also the host of his own podcast, "ABC Music Talk Podcast," where Nick has been a featured guest in a recent episode.

Join us for an hour-long talk on Alex's tremendous journey in the music industry and his take on the evolution of digital distribution, paid advertising, music technology, social media marketing and much more!

On our third episode we interview digital marketing nomad and tech guru Rebecca Smart Bakken. We discuss how she has helped +250 startups through her growth hacking methods and how independent artists/labels can use social media to their advantage.