In this episode of The Label Machine Podcast, host Nick Sadler chats with Chris Muirhead, Label Production Manager at Disc Manufacturing Services (DMS). Discover insights into the current vinyl and CD market, best practices for new bands, minimum units for tour sales, and the future of physical music products. Get an insider's look into the world of disc manufacturing from one of the industry's leading experts. Don't miss out on this deep dive into physical music media!

In this episode of The Label Machine podcast, host Nick Sadler sits down with Jeff Ponchick, co-founder and CEO of Mogul and former Head of Creator at Soundcloud, to explore how the platform is revolutionizing the way indie artists and labels manage and maximize their music revenues. They discuss Mogul's mission to uncover millions in unclaimed music royalties, the importance of understanding the business side of music, and the potential impacts of AI on the industry. Jeff shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, including taking a gap year and the challenges faced in developing the tech behind Mogul. The conversation also delves into the dynamics of music rights, the trend towards direct artist-to-fan connections, and advice for artists aiming to grow their careers amidst evolving music consumption habits. Mogul: https://www.usemogul.com/ The Label Machine: https://thelabelmachine.com/

In the ever-evolving landscape of the music industry, the role of playlists and curators on streaming platforms like Spotify cannot be overstated. Playlists have become a powerful tool for both emerging artists and established musicians to reach wider audiences. In this blog post, we delve into the world of playlisting and submission, featuring insights from Harry Sotnick, an expert in the field and a key player at Dailyplaylists. Dailyplaylists is more than just a platform; it's a game-changer for artists and curators alike. At its core, it's a user-friendly playlist submission platform that simplifies the process for artists. Harry Sodnick, with his extensive background in both music and technology, has been instrumental in transforming Dailyplaylists into a thriving curator-centric platform. If you're eager to dive deeper into the world of playlisting and discover how Dailyplaylists can be a valuable resource, don't miss this episode of The Label Machine series. Harry Sotnick's expertise is sure to provide you with valuable insights and strategies for navigating the modern music industry.

On this episode Nick shares the stage with Dr. Martin Clancy, who is a distinguished Irish musician, academic, and industry consultant, currently serving as an IRC Research Fellow at the Center for Digital Humanities, Trinity College Dublin. He holds the prestigious position of Founder Chair of the IEEE Global AI Ethics Arts Committee. His expertise in AI and music is widely recognized, with publications in the IEEE Journal and a book titled "Artificial Intelligence and Music Ecosystem" published by Routledge UK. As a Certified Ableton Live 11 Trainer, he has imparted knowledge on music creativity and industry practices in renowned institutions like KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Queen Mary University of London, and University College Dublin. Join host Nick on this insightful podcast as we explore the world of music and technology. Delve into the distinctions between the music industry and the music ecosystem, unravel the complexities of music copyright infringements, and discover the myriad ways AI is revolutionizing music-making, from creative composition to marketing.

On this episode Nick sits down with Ken Kobori, founder and CEO of SURF Music, a digital marketplace where music creators can sell their unreleased music directly to buyers worldwide. One of today's most celebrated J-Pop songwriters and producers - best known as 2SOUL - Ken first found success in 2005 as the producer of "Story" by Japanese-American artist AI. The record-smashing hit single has led to numerous partnerships with artists from Japan, Korea and the US, including the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire and Little Glee Monsters. Success in his career as 2SOUL saw him create his own label 2SOUL MUSIC and later become an executive of Japanese media company Breaker Inc. Ken's experience as both a creator and music business entrepreneur led him to develop SURF Music as a platform that simplifies the business of selling music for both producers and buyers. SURF Music uses artificial intelligence to auto-tag creators' songs and optimize the buyers' experience of searching for the right song, while keeping transactions efficient and transparent for creators. Join us for an hour-long discussion on the Japanese music industry, the difference between North America and East Asia's music markets, sync deals, artificial intelligence in music and much more!

On this episode we have Josh Brust, founder and CEO of music distributor IndieMassive and promotion company YouGrow Promo. After founding the duo Project North, Josh began reinvesting his royalties money into furthering his music's promotion, eventually developing a business that helped other artists promote and release their music. Join us for an hour-long discussion on Spotify playlists, connecting with curators, building a marketing system for your music and much more.

On this episode Nick sits down with Dorian Perron, co-founder of music promotion company Groover. Starting with just a music blog, Dorian eventually began working on Groover while attending college in the US. Along with Groover's co-founders he developed a promotion tool that connects independent artists with blogs and publications and ensures that their submissions are listened to and receive feedback. Groover boasts a simple, equitable pricing option where fees are equally split between Groover and curators, a system that has resulted in the company's exponential growth and overwhelmingly positive reviews. Join us for an hour-long discussion on effective music promotion, getting featured on blogs and publications, and capitalizing on the feedback and network opportunities Groover offers.

On this episode Nick sits down with Heather Christie, an independent artist who is also the founder of motherhood-focused record label Möonbabe Records and Mind Body Music, a "holistic music school" with the focus of teaching female artists how to navigate the independent music industry.Heather was a 2016 American Idol contestant and founder of several independent music acts, such as Silk Drop, Honeywild, Sirens of Soul and Feral Fauna, the latter of which earned international recognition and millions of streams with their single "Tincture." Join us for an hour-long discussion on women in the music industry, combining family with a music career, music marketing and PR tips - and much more.

On this episode Nick sits down with Peter Sinclair, a "growth-focused entrepreneur" who is the co-founder and CEO of beatBread, a start-up company helping independent artists secure funding as an alternative to traditional record label deals. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Peter embarked on a business career journey that ultimately saw him become SVP of e-commerce at Universal Music Group. He co-founded beatBread in 2020 and steered it through a seed round that raised 34 million USD. His company has partnered with over a dozen of the world's largest distributors and beatBread's unique AI technology for automated advances has paved the way for artists and labels to obtain funding without relinquishing control over their music.  Join us for an hour-long discussion on advances, record label deals, music royalties and much more.

On this episode Nick sits down with Andrew Batey, co-founder of music streams auditing and tracking company Beatdapp and professor at Trinity Western University. Batey is an experienced start-up founder who has raised over $50M for his start-ups and filed over 40 patents in seven different countries. He has been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times and is a frequent guest speaker at conferences focused on venture capital, marketing and blockchain. Join us for an hour-long discussion on digital music distribution, DSP's, streaming fraud, content auditing, music marketing tips and much more.