The Music Business Buddy

This episode is a Q & A session where I take questions from listeners and provide answers. A range of topics are covered and explored. 

Tension sits at the heart of modern music careers: protect your rights, move faster, and still make work that feels like you. We take that knot apart with practical guidance on AI, publishing, growth, and the day-to-day moves that actually change your trajectory.

First, we separate AI’s ethics from its utility. Training models on copyrighted catalogues without consent or payment is unacceptable, but opt-in, time-saving tools can rem...

The dream is the music. The longevity is the paperwork. We dig into the real steps that turn a tight-knit band into a professional, protected business without draining the joy that brought you together. From first royalty registrations to company formation, we walk through the decisions that keep friendships intact and revenue flowing when momentum arrives.

We start where money actually tracks you: collection societies. Learn how to register with your local PRO for songwriting royalties and with neighbouring rights organisations to capture income from recordings played in public. Then we move to your identity. A band...

What if you could stop guessing your audience and start growing it with proof? I sit down with Waylon Barnes—entrepreneur, musician, and CEO of C2 Management—to map out how modern artists turn attention into a real business. We dig into the mechanics of audience discovery using data and social listening, why so many campaigns miss the mark when they rely on hunches, and the practical steps that make every pound work harder.

Waylon pulls back the curtain on a quiet industry shift: labels increasingly outsource marketing to specialised teams, which means independent artists can access the...

What if a 97-year family legacy held the blueprint for making songs travel further, earn more, and outlast the hype cycle? I sit with Ralph W. Peer, Managing Director at peermusic UK and Australasia and VP for Africa and the Middle East, to explore the legacy of a a century-old global publishing powerhouse. From post‑war royalty runs to today’s data firehose, Ralph opens the black box of publishing so creators can see where value is built.

We dig into the art of cross-cultural collaboration and why place still matters. Ralph shares how Australia’s first intern...

The safest place in music is the middle of the road—and that’s exactly why Russell C Brennan never stands there. We welcome the multi-platform creator behind Future Legend Records to unpack how he built a lasting indie label, broke new artists with daring strategy, and kept control when the majors came calling. From selling 10,000 units in a month by phoning record shops to turning cult TV and film themes into a launchpad for fresh talent, Russell shows how a clear idea and relentless follow-through can bend the market to meet the music.

We explore the blue...

Ready to turn your music into a steady income without losing your creative spark? I sit down with Lara from The International Musician, to break down the real world of cruise ship performing: who gets hired, how much you can earn, and how ship life can supercharge your skills in months. From orchestra pits to high-energy piano bars, we unpack the roles that exist at sea and the qualities agencies actually look for.

Lara explains the pay landscape in plain terms: around $2,000 per month for many roles, up to $6,000 for strong solo entertainers, tips on some American...

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 into one focused plan that preserves your voice while growing your audience.

We talk timing and...

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 soundtracks for iconic brands like Chanel, Hermès, and Prada while supervising acclaimed films including Jim Jarmusch produced "Uncle Howard." 

The disconnect between today's co...

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 listeners into devoted fans. But what if this funnel is fundamentally broken? The research reveals that nearly half of consumers never stream music...

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 shared consistently, the greater the chances of algorithm success. After years of persistence, she began seeing patterns in what worked, particularly with trending audio clips that...

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 same title—"producer"—can encompass wildly different responsibilities depending on the project. For some artists, you might simply polish an existing demo; for others, you...

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 and Asian music markets. She shares invaluable insights into the mechanics of pitching songs internationally, including the critical importance of keeping all...

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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 ten years rather than trying to capitalise on fleeting viral moments.

This shift coincides with changing audience preferences. The SXSW...

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 success. "In Japan, it's honourable and loyal," Greg explains. "If someone sends you an invoice, you pay it." This approach to business helped DWB become the leading UK inde...

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 evolved into partnerships with major artists like Disturbed and Chance the Rapper. The technology bridges the gap between traditional fan identification...

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 relationships and data.

As Jones explains, the current music ecosystem leaves artists capturing just 10% of their economic value – a striking imbalance given th...

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 over time and you can't rush that." This wisdom extends beyond DJing to virtually any creative pursuit—technical proficiency might come quickly, but mastery requires patience and experience.

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, and respecting intellectual property rights.

From DAACI's musician-trained tools that function as creative co-pilots to VoiceSwap's groundbreaking marketplace where vocalists monetize their AI voice models on th...

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 agreements streamline the process for businesses while generating royalty streams for creators.

Delving into te...

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 in minutes rather than hours. What's particularly impressive is how these tools handle the mechanical, often tedious aspects of mixing while leaving the creative decisions...

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 18-25 year olds report feeling lonely in today's disconnected world. Music remains a crucial lifeline, with 70% of respondents agreeing it helps them feel...

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—financial instability, demanding schedules, performance pressure, burnout, and the often isolating nature of creative work. Yet until recently, conversations about th...

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 without permission, VoiceSwap builds all their models with explicit artist consent, using specially recorded training data, and pays artists a 50% split at the moment th...

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 careers with a single placement, understanding these relationships is fundamental to success. The episode illuminates how legendary music supervision moments—like Kate Bush's revival in S...

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 production," Jonny explains, highlighting how this disconnect can prevent your perfect track from being discovered by music supe...

"I just want to make a living as a music creator" is perhaps the most common goal I hear from musicians - and today's podcast explores how the remote marketplace makes that more achievable than ever before.

What if those guitar skills you've developed could earn you income beyond your local band? What if those production techniques you've mastered could serve clients worldwide? What if those songs sitting on your hard drive could be monetised without releasing them yourself?

The golden age of the gig economy has transformed how musicians can earn from their craft...

What if streaming platforms actually paid artists fairly? This question has driven acclaimed producer Lloyd Perrin (Papa Zeus) to develop Serenada, a revolutionary social streaming platform that could transform how musicians earn from their music.

Perrin's impressive career spans from chart success with "About You" (which brilliantly reimagined CeCe Peniston's "Finally") to scoring films like Street Dance 3D. Despite these achievements, he's witnessed firsthand how streaming economics have devastated artist income. "When I first started, we sold CDs and made money. Then downloads meant less money. With streaming it makes even less money and even less sense,"...

Fifty episodes! What started as a mission to help music creators better understand the industry has grown into a thriving community, and I couldn't be more grateful for your support along this journey. In this episode, I answer questions sent in from the community of listeners. 

This milestone episode tackles the questions you've been asking about the music business - the confusing parts, the frustrating parts, and the parts where terminology seems designed to bewilder newcomers. Ever wondered why your distributor sends you most of your streaming money while PRS collects another portion? Confused about what "music p...

Step into the fascinating world of ethical AI music creation with Annemarie Gaillard from DAACI as she reveals how technology can amplify your creative process without replacing the human touch.

What makes DAACI fundamentally different from other AI music tools? "We haven't trained an AI, we have taught an AI," Annemarie explains, highlighting their approach based on musicology and music theory rather than scraping existing works. With 30+ years of research and 70 patents behind them, DAACI have created tools that respect artistry while solving real problems for composers and content creators.

Annemarie's extraordinary journey from classical...

When we cut the roots, the trees don't grow. This stark reality lies at the heart of the UK's current music crisis, where funding cuts to youth music programs threaten to silence the next generation of creative voices.

Matt Griffiths, CEO of Youth Music, joins us for a profound conversation about the organization's 26-year mission to equalize young people's access to music-making opportunities. What emerges is a troubling picture: Youth Music currently turns away 83% of applicants due to limited resources, while 41% of their funded partners face closure. Yet music remains young people's absolute favorite activity, according to...

The worlds of music PR and marketing have merged into a seamless ecosystem, where storytelling reigns supreme and strategy is non-negotiable. In this enlightening conversation, PR manager Ellie Sorensen shares her decade of experience helping independent artists navigate this complex landscape.

Ellie pulls back the curtain on how she transitioned from performing artist to PR specialist, revealing the importance of mentorship and persistence in building her career. With impressive credentials working alongside artists like Idlewild, Nova Twins, and Crawlers, she offers a unique perspective on how PR has evolved from traditional press outreach to a multifaceted discipline...

Standing at the crossroads of streaming and live performance, today's musicians face a peculiar challenge. You might command millions of streams yet struggle to fill a small venue, or pack rooms with fans while your Spotify numbers remain modest. This disconnect represents one of the most fascinating dynamics in music today.

Allow me to take you on a journey through the mechanics of the live music sector, drawing from decades of experience from playing to just two people in a pub to selling out tours within 18 months. I try to demystify the roles that power the live...

Songwriters seeking to break into lucrative East Asian music markets face unique challenges and opportunities that differ dramatically from Western practices. This deep dive explores the mechanics behind getting your songs cut with artists in Japan, South Korea, and China – three powerhouse territories that consistently rank among the world's top 10 music markets.

The pathway to success requires navigating a specific chain: songwriters connect with publishers in their home country who partner with sub-publishers in Asia, who then pitch to entertainment agencies and record labels. Without these established relationships, Western songwriters face nearly insurmountable barriers to entry. China pr...

What if I told you billions of dollars in music royalties go unclaimed every year? That's the reality that Antonio Di Puorto discovered during his remarkable journey from frustrated small-town DJ to successful artist manager who sold his agency to Live Nation.

After witnessing talented artists missing substantial royalty payments throughout his career, Antonio founded MoneTunes to revolutionize how independent musicians collect what they're rightfully owed. His platform elegantly solves a complex problem: even music creators registered with performing rights organizations typically don't collect all of their total publishing royalties, with the rest scattered across hundreds of...

What does it take to spot star potential in today's crowded music landscape? Laurence Hobbs, platinum-selling producer and songwriter pulls back the curtain on artist development with refreshing honesty and decades of wisdom.

Lawrence's journey from songwriter to CEO of SAFO Music Group reveals the profound shifts reshaping how artists build sustainable careers. "Back in the day, you either got a record deal or you didn't. Now you can release however you want," he explains, highlighting how technology has democratized music creation while creating new challenges for those seeking to stand out.

Throughout our conversation...

Cover songs might be the unexpected secret weapon in your artist development strategy. Whether you're an emerging talent trying to build a fanbase or an established artist looking to expand your reach, strategically releasing covers can dramatically accelerate your growth while helping you discover your unique sonic identity.

Many musicians mistakenly believe that releasing cover songs requires navigating complex licensing hurdles. The truth? It's remarkably straightforward. On streaming platforms like Spotify, Tidal, and Deezer, you can release completely re-recorded versions of songs without obtaining separate copyright clearance. Your distributor and the platforms handle the mechanical licensing automatically—yo...

The secretive Spotify algorithm stands as arguably the most advanced digital recommendation system ever created, yet few truly understand how it works or how to leverage it effectively. As a music producer, lecturer, and industry consultant, I've dedicated countless hours to researching and testing how this mysterious system operates behind the scenes.

What I've discovered is that Spotify's algorithm functions through six interconnected elements. Natural Language Processing scans the internet for discussions about your music, collaborative filtering connects listeners with similar tastes, contextual information considers when and where music is being played, audio features analysis examines the...

Guitar virtuoso Rich Watson takes us on a fascinating journey through the evolving landscape of session musicianship. From touring with major artists to recording remotely for clients worldwide, Rich offers a masterclass in musical versatility and career adaptability.

The conversation explores Rich's work across multiple domains – from the technical demands of theatre pit work (where sight-reading is non-negotiable) to the efficient workflow of modern remote session platforms. Rich provides exceptional insights into Musiversal, an innovative platform where musicians undergo rigorous auditions to join a curated roster of session players, offering subscription-based access to high-quality recordings.

Wh...

The music industry is rife with complexities, especially when it comes to rights management, and this episode is designed to unpack everything you need to know to ensure you're not leaving money on the table. Join us as we explore the intricate world of copyrights, neighbouring rights, and the pivotal role of collective management organisations (CMOs) in safeguarding your earnings.

We kick off by addressing the foundational concept of copyright and its significance for every music creator. Understanding who owns what is essential to navigating the music business and ensuring that you receive your rightful earnings. Our...