The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

This week Ari sits down with Katie Tucker, a double-platinum songwriter, vocal producer, studio owner, and the visionary behind Sharp Edges Records with its accompanying recording studio. As a songwriter, Katie has crafted hit songs for renowned artists like Namie Amuro, BoA, and Jota Quest. She has amassed millions of streams as a recording artist and her music has been featured on major platforms including ABC, USA, VH1, Fox, Disney, Peacock, and Hulu. A defining moment in her career came with "Do It For Love," featured on Namie Amuro's album Finally, cementing her status as a double-platinum songwriter.These days, however, Katie spends most of her time in advocacy and running Sharp Edges Records. One of the main reasons Katie started her record label/studio was to create a safe space for her clients within the industry. Katie started No Creeps!, an event and movement advocating for mental health, safety, and inclusivity in the music industry as a further expression of her advocacy. This conversation goes deep into safety and inclusion in music and recording. In this conversation, Katie offers tangible resources for how we can all participate in making this industry a safer and more supportive place for everyone. Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiesharpedges/Women In Music Safe(r) Spaces Resource Directory: https://www.womeninmusic.org/saferspacesNo Creeps! Digital Resource Zine: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uk87S0hmxSsHaEXCTieSuz3AiwcaKs-x/view?usp=drivesdkChapters:00:00 Creating Safe Spaces in the Music Industry03:08 The Journey to Sharp Edges Records05:56 The Importance of Vulnerability in Music Creation09:06 Navigating Safety and Inclusivity in Recording Studios11:52 Concrete Steps for a Safer Music Environment15:11 Understanding the Spectrum of Safety Concerns18:00 Educating for Change: The Role of Communication20:50 Empowering Artists Through Advocacy30:20 Addressing Abuse of Power in the Music Industry32:11 The No Creeps! Initiative: Creating Safe Spaces36:19 Empowering Voices: Sharing Experiences and Education41:11 The Importance of Allyship and Advocacy46:24 Navigating Imperfection: Learning from Experiences52:35 Resources for Safety and Support in the Industry56:21 Redefining Success in the New Music BusinessEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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, Ari is joined by the band DOUBLECAMP to discuss how they built such a successful independent career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Ari sits down with Heather Vassar, the Senior Vice President at EMPIRE—a fully independent record label, publishing company, and distributor. Heather’s career began at Universal Music Group Nashville, where she developed digital strategy for renowned artists such as George Strait, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, and Keith Urban. In 2019, Heather joined EMPIRE where she now plays a pivotal role in operations, marketing, and strategy for a diverse roster of artists including Shaboozey, Wyatt Flores, Niko Moon, Sophia Scott, Don Louis, Reyna Roberts, Tenille Arts, and Randy Houser.Heather and Ari discuss the incredible success of Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” which has been number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 19 weeks straight—the longest any song has held that position. Heather reveals how this hit (released on an indie label) became the biggest song in the world and how they have sustained its momentum. She shares the entire journey from signing Shaboozey, to putting out his initial singles, releasing his album, collaborating with Beyonce, all the way to his massive global success today. Thanks to her extensive experience at both major and independent labels, Heather has sharp insights to share about deal structures, ownership models, artist development, and how the industry has shifted (in the majors and the indies) over the last five years, all of which you’ll hear about in this episode.https://www.instagram.com/hvassar/00:00 The Hustle Behind Success02:49 Empire Records: A New Era in Music06:07 Shaboozey’s Journey to Stardom09:12 Navigating the Independent Label Landscape12:01 The Creative Process: From Songwriting to Release14:50 Breaking Through: The Success of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”18:07 The Role of Radio in Today's Music Industry20:49 Building a Fanbase: The Digital Approach24:02 The Importance of Flexibility in Music Releases33:56 Navigating Legalities in Music Production39:08 Strategic Album Rollout and Market Timing45:51 Building a Global Music Infrastructure50:02 Maintaining Momentum After a Hit Release55:04 Balancing Art and Market Trends01:00:10 Educating Artists in the Digital AgeEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Ari sits down with AFSHEEN, an electronic artist, producer, songwriter, and DJ. Initially, AFSHEEN became well-known for producing music by Madonna, Janet Jackson, Selena Gomez, Chris Brown, Sia and other big-name artists. AFSHEEN was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his work on Natalia Jiménez's album Creo en Mi. He wrote "All We Have Is Love" with Sabrina Carpenter, wrote and produced "Sunny Days" with Armin van Buuren and Toby Gad, and has worked with other notable artists like Rebecca Ferguson and Lindsay Stirling. A song AFSHEEN wrote for Korean artist Taeyeon reached number one on the K-Pop Billboard charts for two consecutive weeks. AFSHEEN has had an incredibly successful career as a songwriter/producer, but he also recently released a new album, SMALL WORLD, under his namesake solo project. An Iranian refugee himself, AFSHEEN worked with artists from all over the world to bring this record to life. SMALL WORLD features prominent artists from Indian, Romania, Jamaica, Japan, Amsterdam, and beyond. AFSHEEN talks with Ari about transitioning from being the go-to producer/songwriter for superstars into being a self-released artist who releases his own music through DistroKid. AFSHEEN is also starting his own label, SOUNDISH. He shares insights about the process of building a label and his vision for the label’s future.https://www.instagram.com/afsheenmusic/00:00 Exploring Global Sounds: AFSHEEN’s Journey09:55 The Power of Collaboration: Building a Diverse Album20:07 Cultural Roots and Personal Stories: Music as a Reflection30:03 The Indie Artist Journey: From Producer to Self-Released32:00 Vision for the SOUNDISH label: A New Era in Music Production38:24 Transitioning from Behind the Scenes to Artist42:46 Expanding Global Reach through Collaboration51:22 Breaking into the Music Industry01:02:08 Defining Success in the New Music BusinessEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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.