The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

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.