Trapital

Latest Episodes:

Andreea Gleeson on TuneCore’s Next Chapter Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

We’re continuing our Trapital Summit series with TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson. You’ll hear her and Billboard’s Taylor Mims discuss how TuneCore empowers artists worldwide, how indie artists break through the noise, successes, challenges, and more.

03:48 Wins and Milestones

09:55 Superfans Opportunities

12:57 Future Tools for TuneCore Artists

15:33 Indie Artist Trends

This episode is brought to you by beatBread a music funding platform that empowers independent artists to access advances on their streaming income while keeping 100% ownership of their music.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Kakul Srivastava on Why Splice Acquired Spitfire Audio Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

We’re continuing our Trapital Summit series. In this episode, we’re with Kakul Srivastava, CEO of Splice, to discuss how technology is reshaping music. From Splice’s acquisition of Spitfire Audio to the rise of AI-powered tools, we explore innovation, M&A lessons learned, and more.

03:51 Acquiring Spitfire Audio

10:24 Product and Data-Driven Growth

16:47 Royalty-Free Tradeoffs

20:22 Future of AI

This episode is brought to you by Splice, a cloud-based music creation platform offering millions of royalty-free samples, plugins (via rent-to-own), and AI-powered tools to inspire creators everywhere

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Oliver Schusser on Apple’s Strategy in Music, AI’s Potential, and the Super Bowl Halftime Show Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

We’re continuing our Trapital Summit recap series. In today’s episode, you’ll hear my conversation with Oliver Schusser, VP of Apple Music and International Content, to explore Apple’s journey in music. We dive into the state of music streaming, AI ‘s impact , and Apple’s partnerships in sports and live content.

02:46 From iTunes to Apple Music

01:39 Focusing on Music

08:41 Apple Music Growth and Subscribers

11:40 AI

14:49 Halftime Show, MLB, MLS and more

This episode is presented by TooLost, a platform empowering artists with tools to manage, distribute, and grow their music independently.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Elliot Grainge on Atlantic’s Future, AI, and Selling 10K Projects Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

We’re kicking off our Trapital Summit recap series. In today’s episode, you’ll hear my conversation with Elliot Grainge, CEO of Atlantic Music Group.

This was Elliot’s first public talk since becoming CEO in October 2024.

We discuss his response to the fanfare around the Warner Music Group transition, Elliot’s experience selling 10K Projects, and adapting the 10K playbook for superstars like Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran. We dig into Elliot’s view on leadership, entrepreneurship, and the future of AI.

02:41 The New CEO

03:44 Selling 10K Projects

09:35 Adapting 10K Playbook to Established Stars

14:08 The AI Generation

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Trapital Summit Recap: Venue Surprise, Highlights, and Behind the Scenes Moments Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, we take you behind the scenes of last week’s second annual Trapital Summit.

Listen to me and Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research break down what went into the event. From the NeueHouse bankruptcy to speaker selection, key moments, feedback from guests, curating the right room, and plenty more.

01:13 A Last-Minute Surprise

09:40 Curating the Room

12:05 Programming Decisions

25:45 AI and Industry Trends

36:43 2026 Summit

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

How Much Is The Weeknd's Music Really Worth? Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

Our Trapital Summit is Wednesday, September 10 in Los Angeles! Get your tickets here.

Today's mini-episode is a breakdown on The Weeknd's $1 billion music rights financing goals and whether it is worth that massive price tag. I also share a few words on the late Peter Sinclair, CEO and co-founder of beatBread.

How Much Is The Weeknd's Music Really Worth? - Trapital

Trapital Summit 2025

Have Record Labels Turned Into Private Equity Firms? Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Trapital Summit is on Sep 10 in LA. Join us! Get your tickets here.

The major record labels are adapting for the modern era. Lately, that shift has them looking less like RCA and more like KKR. These companies have invested less in signing new artists and more in acquiring the legendary back catalog of music. With streaming driving steady royalties, the music rights of proven hits are valuable. Music companies have teamed up with private equity firms to cash in.

I also break down how this changes artist deals, lowers risk-taking, and opens the door for global investors and even artists to buy in.

00:33 The Shift to Private Equity

03:45 The Back Catalog Boom

09:24 A&R Reductions

12:14 What The Future Holds

This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Trapital Summit is on Wednesday September 10 in LA. Join us!

The Business Behind Iconic Music Catalogs Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

In this solo episode, we dive into the most valuable music catalogs in the world, and what makes them stand out. From Queen and Michael Jackson’s deals and more, we explore why the top catalogs fetch massive multiples and how they operate at unique financial and cultural assets.

03:19 Iconic Catalogs

07:07 Music Biopics

08:32 How Genres Imoact Catalog Value

13:07 Future of Music Rights

Trapital Summit is on Wednesday September 10 in LA. Join us!

This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Revisiting The Sphere (Rewind) Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, we’re revisiting our deep dive on James Dolan’s Sphere in Las Vegas. The Backstreet Boys residency at the Sphere. As we predicted on our 2025 Live Music Draft, the boy band’s apperance at the Vgas spectacle would exceed expectations. So I talk about that before I jump into the episode.

Then I’m joined by MIDiA Research’s Tati Cirisano for our deep dive on the mult-billion dollar vision and future of The Sphere.

04:05 Sphere’s Backstory

10:33 Business Model

19:21 Financial Hurdles

28:40 Expansion Plans

33:11 Future Prospects

Early bird ticket sales to the Trapital Summit end on Thursday July 24! Get your tickets today before prices go up! Join us on Wednesday September 10 in LA.

This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Algorithms vs. Curators: YouTube’s Role in Breaking Through The Noise Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

It’s harder than ever to breaking through the noise, but navigating YouTube may be a prerequisite to even have a chance.

In this episode, I’m joined by YouTube’s Director of Black Music & Culture, Tuma Basa. He returns to reflect on the platform’s evolution and the ongoing relationship between curators and the algorithms they rely on to reach the masses.

03:23 The YouTube Advantages 12:42 Global Music Trends 16:29 Community Engagement on Platforms 18:42 Music videos: Hype Williams and Dave Meyers

Our partners at Chartmetric just released a new report you should check out, 2025 Make Music Equal Report.

Our Trapital Summit is Wednesday, September 10 in LA! Get your early bird tickets here before July 24.

This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

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