Musonomics

Latest Episodes:

The 3 Most Important Stories of 2015 Jan 01, 2016

Show notes

2015 was a year of change and unexpected record breaking. In our final episode of the year Larry Miller of NYU Steinhardt talks with Neil Shah of the Wall Street Journal about the three biggest and most important music industry stories of 2015: Adele and the unbelievable success of 25; the multitude of streaming services that launched this year, and a call for revision of arcane music licensing laws from the U.S. Copyright Office.

That Weird Thing That Happened To Recording Studios Nov 30, 2015

Show notes

Recording studios used to be the place where music was written and produced, but since the '90s their role in the production has seen a dramatic decrease. In this episode of Musonomics, we take a look at the state of the modern recording studio. We talk to producers and studio veterans from both coasts about the technological advances, changes in production methods, and ever-shifting musical styles that have made for tough times at recording studios. Dave Amlen of MSR Studios tells us how facilities in New York survived and how hip hop helped. Finally, we chat with John Seabrook, author of The Song Machine, about the new way hits are made and the small group of producers from Stockholm making them happen.

YouTube's Big Red Elephant is Loose in the Music Industry's Room Oct 27, 2015

Show notes

Season 2 of The Musonomics Podcast kicks off with episode 8, "YouTube is the Big Red Elephant in the Music Industry's Room." We've talked on previous shows about the streaming wars; Spotify vs Tidal vs Apple Music vs Deezer vs an ever-growing list of new faces -- but there's one streaming service with user numbers that dwarf the competition, and it isn't any of those names. In just 10 years, YouTube has become not only the biggest video streaming service in the world, but the biggest music streaming service in the world. But how did YouTube become so huge, and what's next for the streaming giant? How how will YouTube continue to impact the music industry? To find out, we look back to 2005 and trace YouTube's explosive growth over the past 10 years. Then we chat with media analyst Rich Greenfield about what all that growth and power means for the music industry, and what to expect from YouTube in the coming years. Then finally, we take a quick look at YouTubeRed, the streaming giant's new subscription service.

The Transparency Moment Sep 02, 2015

Show notes

In this episode of Musonomics, Larry Miller looks at the lack of information transparency in the music industry. Why do artists still get indecipherable paper reports from labels and music services in the digital age, and how do we know those reports are accurate? Why is it so hard to get easy answers to simple questions about royalty rates and royalty payments? Grammy Award-winning composer and big band leader Maria Schneider shares how the lack of transparency drove her to take her music off the internet and Jeff Price of Audiam and Revelator's Bruno Guez outline the byzantine complexity of the music industry's royalty payment systems.

Summer Festival Fever Spreads from Newport to Tennessee Aug 03, 2015

Show notes

Bonnaroo and EDM are the focus of the second half of our two-part series on the state of the summer music festival. In this episode, Larry Miller talks with Jonathan Mayers of Superfly Productions and Jonathan Azu of Red Light Management about the inception and astounding growth of Bonnaroo. Billboard's Ray Waddell gives us some analysis on opportunities for growth in the saturated festival space, and EDM expert Robby Towns tells us what sets EDM festivals apart.

George Wein and the Newport Legacy Jul 23, 2015

Show notes

In part one of our two-part series on the business evolution of summer music festivals, Larry Miller interviews George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals. On the 50th anniversary of when Bob Dylan "went electric" and the 60th anniversary of Miles Davis' debut, 90-year old impresario George Wein shares vivid memories and important insights on the people, musical moments and the business influence of his summer music festivals.

Apple, Music, and the Launch of Apple Music Jun 28, 2015

Show notes

In preparation and celebration of the launch of Apple Music, we take a look back at Apple's prosperous relationship with music from the first iPod ad through to last month's WWDC keynote and launch announcement. We've got a ton of great guests. Josh Friedlander of the RIAA chats with us about the emergence of the streaming industry, and artist manager Emily White gives us insight into Apple's relationship with artists. Dick Huey of the Toolshed marketing agency sheds light on what stats to watch, and David Pakman, a partner at Venrock, sits down for a chat about what success will look like for Apple Music.

What's a Mixtape Anyway? Jun 06, 2015

Show notes

What even is a mixtape anymore? To figure it out, we take a look back at how the mixtape was born and what it has evolved into. Then, Alyse Howard of The Urban Coin brings us a special report about Nipsey Hussle, the Wu-Tang Clan and artificial scarcity. And Billboard Senior Editor Gail Mitchell, chats with Larry Miller about what it means to make and distribute a mixtape in the current hip-hop landscape and the mixtape's economic role in the music industry.

Hello, Tidal! The Escalation of the Streaming Wars and the $100 Billion Music Business May 07, 2015

Show notes

In our second episode we take a look at Tidal, Jay-Z's newest headline grabber, and the state of the industry segment that Tidal is trying to conquer. Tom Silverman of Tommy Boy talks about how we'll get to a $100 billion music business. Larry Rosin of Edison Research explains how music streaming consumption is actually evolving. And we learn about the music licensing value gap with YouTube from Alex Jacobs of the IFPI.

Record Store Day, the Vinyl Resurgence and The State of Physical Music Retail Apr 16, 2015

Show notes

This week we will take a close look at the vinyl resurgence and music's newest quasi-holiday, Record Store Day, which falls this year on Saturday, April 18. You'll hear from James Donio of the Music Business Association about how the vinyl resurgence came about. Michael Kurtz, the founder of Record Store Day, will talk with us about how Record Store Day got started, how it affects the vinyl pressing industry, and how Record Store Day became an international phenomenon. Finally, you will hear from entertainment industry analyst Russ Crupnick of MusicWatch about the future of vinyl, its role in the music ecosystem and the willingness of consumers to pay for music.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Musonomics

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6