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/@peteganbarg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peteganbarg/

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

04:21 – The True Role of A&R: What Has Changed and What Hasn't

09:00 – Artist Development vs. Chasing Quick Hits

13:20 – Why Live Performance Still Matters to Labels

16:05 – TikTok Stars, Viral Songs, and Building Careers

20:50 – The Difference Between a Song, an Artist, and a Career

25:55 – How Pete Discovers and Develops Songwriters

30:10 – Michael Pollack's Journey to Writing "Flowers."

35:15 – Songwriting by Committee, Sampling, and Publishing Trends

40:50 – AI, Songwriting, and the Future of Music Creation

48:15 – What Excites Pete Most About the Future of Music

54:07 – What It Means to "Make It" in the New Music Business

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.com

05:06 - Meet Dee Diaz and Reach Records

08:47 - The History of Reach Records and Lecrae

12:31 - Building the Reconstruction Campaign

15:07 - The 1,000 Fan Mailer Strategy

16:19 - Creating The Workshop Fan Community

19:37 - Turning Superfans Into Brand Ambassadors

29:09 - Community Service as Music Marketing

37:39 - The Story Behind “Coming In Hot”

43:29 - Why TikTok Doesn't Convert Like It Used To

46:17 - What It Means to Make It in the New Music Business

47:00 - Audience Q&A

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.com

03:57 Nicole Abea on Influencer & UGC Marketing at Hopeless Records

08:44 The Reality of TikTok Seeding, Fan Accounts & Music Promotion

15:20 How to Market a Song with a $2,000 Budget

18:25 BookTok, Online Communities & Finding Your Audience

23:29 What Spotify and DSPs Want from Artists

26:26 Why Record Labels Are Signing Influencers

33:21 Scene Over Genre: How Modern Fandom Has Changed

42:41 How All Time Low's “Dear Maria, Count Me In” Went Viral Again

45:22 Rage Bait, Algorithms & The Future of Music Marketing

51:00 Closing Thoughts

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 this conversation, Ari and Molly dive into some of the most pressing issues facing musicians today, including artificial intelligence, streaming fraud, artist compensation, customer support, and the evolving role of music distribution. They discuss whether AI-generated music should exist, how streaming platforms are responding to generative AI, why artists are increasingly being affected by fraudulent streams, and what distributors like CD Baby are doing to protect independent musicians. Molly also shares her perspective on artist ownership, independence, and what success in the music business looks like in 2026.

Follow Molly Neuman:

https://www.instagram.com/mollydneuman/

https://cdbaby.com/

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

03:45 – Molly Neuman's Journey to Becoming CD Baby President

11:32 – Is CD Baby Still Independent?

18:04 – Universal Music's Acquisition & What It Means for Artists

27:41 – The State of Independent Music Distribution in 2026

39:18 – What Artists Get Wrong About Distribution

49:07 – AI Customer Support: Does It Matter if It's Human?

52:11 – Should AI-Generated Music Exist?

1:03:47 – Streaming Fraud, Bot Plays & How Artists Get Penalized

1:12:56 – What "Making It" Really Means in Today's Music Industry

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 episode, they discuss the recent unauthorized viral AI remixes of Stick Figure’s song “Angels Above Me.” At its peak, the unauthorized remix was #2 on the global Shazam charts and reached #1 on several different iTunes charts across Europe. They discuss the legal challenges of unauthorized AI remixes, the ethical considerations, and how the story led to a David Guetta x Alok version surfacing. Adam discusses the operational reality of dealing with this in real time, and how strategy to combat unauthorized AI remixes changes everyday.

Follow Adam Gross:

https://www.instagram.com/adam.g.r.o.s.s/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgross2018/

Check out Stick Figure:

https://stickfigure.com/

https://www.instagram.com/stickfiguremusic/

Chapters

05:07 Navigating Copyright in the Age of AI

10:03 The Bootleg Remix Phenomenon

14:58 The Role of Labels and Distributors

19:59 Ethics and Future of AI in Music

25:07 Navigating Major Label Deals

28:24 The Impact of Viral Trends on Music

30:43 Whack-a-Mole: The Challenge of Unauthorized Remixes

32:30 Collaborating with Major Artists

36:51 Ethics and AI in Music Production

39:35 The Future of Derivative Works

42:36 User-Centric Payment Models in Streaming

50:52 Building Timeless Music and Community

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, and fan development. His roster includes artists, producers, and songwriters spanning multiple genres, and he's become known for his innovative approach to audience building, fan data collection, and sustainable artist growth.

Follow Joseph Pepin:

https://pepin.works/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_pepin

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

00:06:14 - Intro & How Goldford Broke Through

00:08:56 - Why Most Artists Fail to Keep Their Viral Fans

00:12:28 - Understanding the Marketing Funnel for Musicians

00:16:09 - Social Media Strategy: Hooks vs. Deep Content

00:19:25 - Building a Fanbase Without Chasing Trends

00:39:42 - The B-Side Touring Model vs. Ticketmaster

00:43:09 - Why Artists Need Emails, Phone Numbers & Fan Data

00:47:20 - Goldford’s Viral Growth Strategy Revealed

00:58:57 - Songwriting Camps, Producers & Building Opportunities

01:06:18 - What It Means to Make It in the New Music Business

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 becoming more important in the AI era. Eliah also explains SoundCloud’s approach to generative AI music, ethically trained AI models, and why the platform refuses to monetize fully AI-generated songs.

Follow Eliah Seton and SoundCloud:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliahseton/

https://soundcloud.com/

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

08:27 - Eliah Seton on the Future of SoundCloud

13:41 - Why “Streaming Is Not Enough” for Artists

18:15 - Fan Monetization, Merch, and Direct-to-Artist Revenue

22:03 - How SoundCloud Helps Artists Get Heard and Build Fans

27:14 - Creator Subscriptions and Fan-Powered Features

31:24 - Wallets, Tipping, and the Future of Fan Transactions

36:01 - AI Tools for Music Creation and Artist Discovery

40:48 - SoundCloud’s Approach to Ethically Trained AI

47:17 - AI Music, Royalties, and Streaming Economics

52:08 - The Future of Human Artistry in the AI Era

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 economics, social media virality, the ethics of tour buy-ons, and why building an artist brand matters more than ever. Ash also opens up about expanding Sumerian into film, the future of entertainment brands, and why he believes music videos deserve a better business model.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sumerianrecords/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sumerianrecords

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

04:21 - Ash’s Journey from Touring Musician to Founding Sumerian Records

08:04 - Why Ash Left Booking to Focus Fully on the Label

12:00 - MySpace, TikTok, and How Artists Break Today

17:30 - Scenes, Community, and the Evolution of Heavy Music

22:16 - Artist Development and Getting Bands to Their First 500 Tickets

25:22 - The Ethics and Reality of Tour Buy-Ons

31:49 - Discovering Artists in the Streaming Era

35:15 - Why Music Videos Still Matter

49:00 - Building Sumerian Beyond Music Into Film and Media

56:00 - Ticketing, Industry Frustrations, and What It Means to “Make It”

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.