The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

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06/17/20 • 86 min

Kevin Garrett on Writing for Beyonce and Recording as an Independent Artist

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

05/27/20 • 56 min

My guest today is singer-songwriter Kevin Garrett. He is an extremely talented R&B, Neo-soul, and soul songwriter. It was such a treat to speak with him. Famously, he's Grammy-nominated for writing Beyonce's track "Pray You Catch Me" from her 'Lemonade' album.

In this episode we discuss his music publishing deal with Roc Nation and his distribution strategies, his music creation process, and remaining independent.

Note: We recorded this call over Zoom, and the technical gods were not in our favor during this interview. If you're hearing glitches and sentences being cut off, that's what's going on. We edited it as best we could so you can understand him, and it's still an incredible conversation.

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Quick links:

3:14 - Staying busy during the quarantine

6:14 - Kevin playing UnCancelled Music Festival + keeping the local music community venues alive

8:21 - Growing up in Pittsburgh and going to New York University

10:54 - Kevin's first release, 'Mellow Drama,' and how it was made

12:09 - Is the home studio just for demos or do those recordings make the album?

13:22 - About the music creation process and using samples

16:14 - Kevin Garrett's unique sound

20:34 - Remaining independent and the behind the scenes to a growing career

27:54 - Kevin's publishing deal and how everything gets set into motion

33:44 - When Kevin found out he made the cut on Beyonce's 'Lemonade' album

37:06 - Kevin's writing process when he's collaborating with others in the studio

41:14 - Protecting yourself with agreements and contracts

44:34 - The conversation nobody wants to have: splits, ownership, money

48:49 - Kevin's deal when he's the producer

54:06 - What it means to Kevin to 'make it' in the new music business

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Connect with Ari’s Take:

Website: https://aristake.com

Connect with Ari Herstand:

Connect with Kevin Garrett:

Website: https://kevingarrettmusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinogarrett/

Facebook:

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05/27/20 • 56 min

Red Light Manager on When and How to Get Management with Andrew Leib

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

05/20/20 • 62 min

Today's guest is my good friend, Andrew Leib. He's an artist manager at Red Light Management. He's worked on the teams of Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Counting Crows, Three Doors Down, Emily King, Lecrae, Luke James, Cory Henry, Victoria Canal, Nu Deco Ensemble. He's worked with a lot of artists.

Andrew and I get into his story and what he looks for in artists that he wants to work with and how artists can reach out to managers. We dig into artist branding and his process on how to put a package together.

This was a fun episode for me to be able to catch up with one of my best friends.

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Quick links:

2:04 - Andrew going to China for a nine city tour

7:20 - Being a hands-on manager and 'being in the band without being on stage with them.'

9:30 - Things Andrew's learned about being a manager from his years of experience in the music business

17:05 - Creating an authentic artist brand so fans can connect to them

25:51 - The Nu Deco Ensemble project, an orchestra for the 21st century

37:12 - Do you need a manager? What Andrew looks for in clients before bringing them onboard.

44:30 - Getting a manger doesn't happen from the first meeting. It takes time.

55:00 - How do you reach out to a manager after you've built up your business?

1:00:31 - How Andrew defines making it in the new music business

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Connect with Ari’s Take:

Website: https://aristake.com

Connect with Ari Herstand:

Connect with Andrew Leib:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leib/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/grandwazoo4u

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

05/20/20 • 62 min

Oprah's Drummer Madame Gandhi on Feminism, Activism, Music Video Budgets as an Indie Artist

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

05/13/20 • 63 min

Today's guest is with Madame Gandhi (birth name Kiran Gandhi). She's an incredibly inspiring person, an activist, and feminist. She started her career drumming for M.I.A., Thievery Corporation, and embarked on Oprah Winfrey's Vision 2020 tour before the COVID-19 pandemic. Gandhi is also a recording artist and speaker. She also holds an MBA from Harvard University.

We talk about release strategy, how she creates her music and high production value music videos as an independent artist.

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2:25 - Madame Gandhi's tour with Oprah Winfrey

7:00 - Kiran getting her MBA and how she did it with her touring schedule

8:50 - Kiran's Indian heritage and culture

15:12 - When Kiran Gandhi came up with the name and project Madame Gandhi

18:04 - What Madame Gandhi thinks an activist is

19:30 - How Kiran chooses which companies/brands to work with

27:15 - Switching sides: Going from employee to employer and what the responsibilities are like

31:10 - How often Madame Gandhi does high production music videos

31:46 - Staying healthy on the road and when you're away from home

33:28 - Madame Gandhi's viral moment running the London Marathon

36:27 - The 'Visions' EP's story

38:04 - Madame Gandhi's creation process - is there a lot of collaboration? What DAW Madame Gandhi uses

41:50 - Maintaining Gandhi's sound and why her drumming skills are vital when writing music

43:33 - Gandhi's independent career and why she hasn't signed to a major label

47:20 - How many shows Gandhi has performed as Madame Gandhi

48:20 - The independent musician hustle - Gandhi's Instagram strategy and understanding your brand

56:40 - The release strategy for Madame Gandhi and the thought process behind her methods

59:30 - Remaining close to the original message of the song when creating music videos and visuals

1:01:38 - What it means to Madame Gandhi to make it in the new music business

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Connect with Ari’s Take:

Website: https://aristake.com

Connect with Ari Herstand:

Connect with Madame Gandhi:

Website: https://www.madamegandhi.com/

Facebook:

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05/13/20 • 63 min

Zaytoven, 'Godfather of Trap' on Production in the Age of Coronavirus

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

04/29/20 • 50 min

This episode is with superstar Grammy-winning producer and "Godfather of Trap," Zaytoven. He is one of the most influential producers in hip-hop right now. He's a Grammy winner and has worked with artists like Future, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Usher, T.I., Pusha T, and 21 Savage, to name a few.

There are a lot of interviews with Zaytoven out there. He's an interesting guy with a cool workflow. I didn't want him to tell the same stories and answers he's told before. So we dug into what you're most interested. We talk about his processes, manager, music community, and much more.

If you're a hip-hop producer this is a must-listen episode. Zaytoven dropped endless gems throughout this episode, giving advice to emerging up-and-coming producers on how they can develop their sound. He shares the stories of how he did it and how you can do it as well.

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Quick links:

4:46 - About Zaytoven and how he got started making beats

8:16 - Was Zaytoven selling his beats to artists early on?

10:28 - How Zaytoven got acclimated to the music community in Atlanta, Georgia

11:49 - Zaytoven's advice to young producers to know when they're ready to start sharing their music

13:17 - How producers can find their own sound

17:00 - How Zaytoven's workflow has shifted since he initially started

18:30 - Does Zaytoven create beats himself or does he collaborate?

20:13 - What Zaytoven does with his finished beats

21:00 - The pressure Zaytoven feels to innovate his iconic sound

23:33 - Producers who are 'chasing' a sound that's already established and not creating their own sound

26:17 - Releasing music under his own name and the strategies in releasing so much music

30:18 - Is Zaytoven on TikTok?

31:40 - How Atlanta, Georgia has evolved over the years and why it's Zaytoven's favorite place to live

35:50 - How Zaytoven manages all of his projects and keeps everything organized

39:00 - Zaytoven's music release strategy and his involvement in Familiar Territory Records

48:22 - What it means to Zaytoven to make it in the new music business

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Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://www.aristake.com

Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ariherstand/

Instagram (Ari's Take): https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

Twitter (personal): https://twitter.com/ariherstand

Twitter (Ari's Take): https://twitter.com/ArisTake

Connect with Zaytoven:

Website: https://www.zaytovenbeatz.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zaytovenbeatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digitaldope

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zaytovenbeatz

YouTube:

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04/29/20 • 50 min

Sexual Harassment, Sexism and Life as a Female DJ in a Male Dominated Field with Dani Deahl

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

05/06/20 • 98 min

Today's guest is Dani Deahl. She's the music and technology writer for The Verge. In addition to being a journalist, she's a DJ and the Vice President of the Recording Academy, Chicago Division.

Dani and I dig into what it's like being a woman in a male-dominated industry. She also gives some tips on how to break in and become a professional DJ. We also discuss artificial intelligence (AI) in the music industry.

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Quick links:

2:27 - Getting started as a DJ and how the industry has evolved

4:40 - Growing up in Chicago and realizing there weren't many role models

6:11 - Having a lot of male peers

8:20 - Who Dani went to when these derogatory actions happened

11:38 - How to be an ally to women in the music + advice to guys to know when they're crossing the line

19:06 - Is harassment becoming less prevalent? How has it changed over the years? Has your treatment being a DJ changed?

24:40 - How often Dani DJs

25:20 - Tips and tricks on breaking into the DJ/producer world

27:32 - Is there a digital calling card to send to promoters for DJs?

28:53 - The importance of Instagram

33:38 - Artificial Intelligence (AI) in music

43:50 - Will AI take over the live DJ space?

49:15 - "Context listening"

54:22 - Spotify playlist editors too powerful

1:06:55 - What is the Recording Academy? Dani's role as Vice President, Chicago Division

1:11:53 - How to get into the Recording Academy

1:19:10 - Who owns the copyright in a co-created song with artificial intelligence?

1:34:15 - How Dani defines making it in the new music business

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Playlist Push review: https://aristake.com/post/playlist-push-review

150+ Female Producers You Need to Know: https://aristake.com/post/150-female-producers-you-need-to-know

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Connect with Ari’s Take:

Website: https://aristake.com

Connect with Ari Herstand:

Connect with Dani Deahl:

Instagram:

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05/06/20 • 98 min

100 Million Streams Doesn't Come Without Some Pain - Lucidious

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

04/22/20 • 106 min

Today's guest is Lucidious, a hip-hop artist originally from Virginia now living in Los Angeles. I’ve covered him in the book and on the website quite a bit. He has an interesting story from the business perspective. He has over 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify without any official playlist inclusion, label, or manager. This translates to more than $20,000 per month from streaming revenue.

I brought him onto the show so we could go deeper into his story. We talk about digital marketing and all aspects of his business. We talk about his family. We discuss mental health because a lot of his fans connect with him on a deep level due to their own struggles with mental health. This was a very enriching and inspiring conversation for me to have, and I think you’ll get a lot out of this as well.

Ari's Take Academy: Streaming & Instagram Growth with Lucidious (use code NMB for 10% off): https://aristakeacademy.teachable.com/p/streaming-instagram-growth

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Quick links:

4:10 - About Lucidious

11:39 - What inspired Lucidious to write lyrics? What was the beginning of the journey like?

17:50 - When did Lucidious begin rapping?

25:48 - How much say Lucidious has in his productions because of his diverse musical tastes

34:46 - What are the marketplaces artists can purchase cleared tracks?

38:03 - Was Lucidious' first album officially released or just through SoundCloud? How the Lucidious name came to be

54:15 - Gaining popularity through video ad campaigns

1:02:00 - When does Lucidious decide to point the ad campaigns directly to Spotify?

1:04:50 - Messages that Lucidious receives and how he helps those who are struggling

1:15:40 - Where Lucidious draws the line when responding to fans

1:21:47 - Advice for artists who are receiving dark messages from fans - and how to emotionally protect themselves

1:28:47 - Lucidious heading out on his first headline tour

1:42:48 - How Lucidious defines making it in the new music business

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Connect with Ari Herstand:

Website: https://www.aristake.com

Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ariherstand/

Instagram (Ari's Take): https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/

Twitter (personal): https://twitter.com/ariherstand

Twitter (Ari's Take): https://twitter.com/ArisTake

Connect with Lucidious:

Website: https://www.lucidiousmusic.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0S8NV7XoWi7arXWSRqI3dS?si=JOwNzVHkT_2m1xkGZsx1LQ

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA0jmO32RNZBXHXvb34yBrg

SoundCloud:

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04/22/20 • 106 min

White Musicians for Black Lives

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

06/10/20 • 43 min

My thoughts on what this moment and movement surrounding Black Lives Matter, #DefundThePolice and the death of George Floyd requires of white people. Namely musicians.

Quick links:

1:20 - About the Black Lives Matter movement and the system that has been setup to strongly favor white people

3:30 - Attending the Black Lives Matter protest in Hollywood, California and the work the black America needs us to do

10:45 - What does defunding the police actually mean?

14:00 - Alicia Garza's interview on Meet The Press about defunding the police

15:24 - Patrisse Cullors on defunding the police

17:09 - "But all lives matter!"

20:18 - Trevor Noah on the right way to handle things

24:06 - This not a time to tune out and why the show had to be paused on June 2nd

30:00 - Two actionable things you can do to educate yourself

31:18 - Ta-Nehisi Coates testifying in Congress about reparations for HR-40

Resources mentioned:

Who in Music is Supporting the Black Community (spreadsheet): https://aristake.com/post/music-supporting-black-community

The Case for Reparations: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/

13th: https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741

Rolling Stone: The Music Industry Was Built on Racism: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/music-industry-racism-1010001/

Sonya Renee Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/sonyareneetaylor/

The Show Must Be Paused: https://www.theshowmustbepaused.com/

Trevor Noah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4amCfVbA_c

Ta-Nehisi Coates testimony on reparations at House hearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcCnQ3iRkys

Meet the Press interview with BLM’s Alicia Garza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxwFJIQUWfg&t=1424s

BLM’s Patrisse Cullors on Defunding the Police: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYa1WjHtzKc&t=119s

Connect with Ari’s Take:

Website: https://aristake.com