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The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

Ari's Take 245 Episodes Aug 6, 2026

Ari Herstand, best-selling author of 'How To Make It in the New Music Business', interviews the brightest minds in the music industry. Each episode digs deep into the tools, strategies, and tactics artists need to run successful careers. With straight talk and no fluff, Ari challenges his guests to give actionable advice. This is a go-to podcast for independent musicians looking to navigate the modern music business.

Episodes

How He Got a Million Monthly Listeners and a Sold Out Tour Independently
How He Got a Million Monthly Listeners and a Sold Out Tour Independently Aug 6, 2026 1:09:12 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, le
Artist Manager on Viral Syncs and the State of Music Marketing
Artist Manager on Viral Syncs and the State of Music Marketing Jul 29, 2026 1:01:34 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 cre
How To Be a Professional Hit Songwriter
How To Be a Professional Hit Songwriter Jul 22, 2026 1:14:19 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 c
How Major Label A&R Has Evolved and How Hit Songs Are Written
How Major Label A&R Has Evolved and How Hit Songs Are Written Jul 15, 2026 55:18 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 devel
How a Direct-To-Fan Rollout Secured a Billboard Top 10
How a Direct-To-Fan Rollout Secured a Billboard Top 10 Jul 8, 2026 51:42 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 platfo
How Hopeless Records Approaches Influencer and UGC Music Marketing
How Hopeless Records Approaches Influencer and UGC Music Marketing Jul 1, 2026 58:20 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 inf
How CD Baby Is Changing With The Times
How CD Baby Is Changing With The Times Jun 24, 2026 1:17:01 This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Molly Neuman, President of CD Baby, one of the largest independent music distributors in the world. Molly has spent decades advocating for independent artists and labels, helping shape the modern music industry through leadership roles at CD Baby, Downtown Music Holdings, and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). In th
The Unauthorized AI Remix Became a Global Hit, How This Label Dealt With It
The Unauthorized AI Remix Became a Global Hit, How This Label Dealt With It Jun 17, 2026 52:58 This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Adam Gross, the president of Ineffable Records. Adam founded Ineffable Records in 2019 and later became a co-owner of Ineffable Music Group, now Billboard’s top independent reggae label for six consecutive years. Ineffable works with artists such as Stick Figure, Collie Buddz, Protoje, The Elovaters, and O.A.R., and many more.In this
How This Manager Sold Out Tours Without Venues and Develops Artists, Songwriters and Producers
How This Manager Sold Out Tours Without Venues and Develops Artists, Songwriters and Producers Jun 10, 2026 1:07:40 This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Joseph Pepin, artist manager, producer manager, and founder of a boutique management company that has helped artists like GoldFord build massive audiences while remaining independent.Joseph has spent nearly two decades in the music industry, working across artist management, producer and songwriter representation, touring, marketing,
Has SoundCloud Cracked Superfandom and AI Music?
Has SoundCloud Cracked Superfandom and AI Music? Jun 3, 2026 1:09:10 This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Eliah Seton, CEO of SoundCloud. Eliah breaks down how SoundCloud is evolving beyond streaming into a creator-first platform focused on fan relationships, monetization, and artist discovery.Why “streaming is not enough” for artists, how fan-powered royalties work, the future of direct-to-fan monetization, and why creator tools are beco
Breaking Hard Rock and Metal Bands with Sumerian Records
Breaking Hard Rock and Metal Bands with Sumerian Records May 27, 2026 1:04:46 This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Ash Avildsen, founder of Sumerian Records. Ash shares the story of building one of the most influential independent labels in modern rock and metal, from booking DIY tours in the MySpace era to helping artists break into arenas.During this episode, Ari and Ash dive into artist development, the evolution of touring, music video economi
Going Viral In The Right Way Allowed Him To Turn Down Record Deals and Sell Out Venues Around The World
Going Viral In The Right Way Allowed Him To Turn Down Record Deals and Sell Out Venues Around The World May 20, 2026 1:05:46 This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Red Leather, the anonymous artist who turned viral TikTok videos into sold-out tours around the world. Known for his signature red hat, Red Leather first started his career by busking on Hollywood Boulevard before exploding online with viral covers and original songs like “The Only Time It Rains in Hollywood.” In this episod

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