Song Stories

1: Jade Nielsen, founder and president of Jade Presents, a North Dakota based concert and events promoter, talks about how he got started in the concert business and what it took for him to take his career seriously, what he thinks about the consolidation of the business over the last decade, and the different tactics he has tried out in recent years to sell more tickets. Nielsen has brought tons of national and emerging acts to Fargo, ND and the surrounding Midwest region, as well as launched a separate ticketing arm of his company called Tickets300.

In episode 33 of the Upward Spiral, we talk with JJ Italiano, who is a manager, producer, and major label veteran. Italiano got his start managing Flobots, who rose to alt-stardom with “Handlebars” and then signed a major label deal. After parting ways with them, he managed I Fight Dragons and MC Lars, among others, and also worked at Universal Music Group on the Gotye album. But more than any of this, Italiano is one of our favorite people to talk with about why the new music industry is still beholden to old-school benchmarks and music tech theories.

In episode 32 of the Upward Spiral, we are talking with Aaron Ray, who is a former Partner and Head of New Media at the Collective, a leading talent management firm, and co-founder of CDS, a multi-channel network on YouTube about the state of the music business and where it’s going. Ray used to handle traditional management as well as oversee and run all strategies, assets, and communities worldwide for clients such as Linkin Park, Enrique Iglesias, Counting Crows, and Slash, among many others. He also talks about how digital technology has changed what it means to be a musician and fan.

In episode 31 of the Upward Spiral, Billboard writer Kerri Mason talks about the rise of EDM to prominence over the last few years and how it has changed the musical and business landscape. Mason is recognized as one of the leading experts on the business of EDM — she has written features on major EDM festivals, Baauer and his rise to the top of the Billboard charts, and Robert FX Sillerman’s world domination attempts. We discuss the continued investment in EDM and whether there is a bubble.

In episode 30 of the Upward Spiral, digital music veteran Jon Maples talks about his decade long tenure at Rhapsody and what the future holds for the subscription music company. At the time of recording, Maples served as VP of Product Management and spoke to his vision for the website and suite of mobile applications. In the following weeks, Hypebot learned that he was no longer with Rhapsody. We have decided (of course, with his blessing) to publish the episode, because Maples provides a truly insightful view of the online music market and displays a keen sense of empathy for listeners.

In this episode of the Deep Dive, Cortney Harding and Kyle Bylin discuss music curation with outspoken tech exec and startup founder J Herskowitz. Curation is a topic that just keeps coming up in the press. Spotify buys Tunigo. 8tracks revamps its website. Songza introduces a paid tier. And Beats Music poaches several high-level people in preparation for a U.S. launch. Meanwhile, Rhapsody and Google Play are talking about how they have been using humans to curate all along. What does all of this mean? Where might music streaming services take curation next?

Jason Herskowitz, an outspoken technology executive, talks about the fractured state of the online music market and how music sharing could be improved. Herskowitz is a core contributor and co-founder of Tomahawk, an open-source music platform; he also recently co-founded a stealth music startup, called Hatchet Industries. In this episode, Herskowitz also answers questions like why is Pandora only available in the U.S.? Why is Deezer avoiding the U.S? Is the reality that launching in the U.S. has become too expensive? Can Pandora ever afford to become a dominant global player?

The question of what music charts should count has defined a debate in the music industry that has been going on for several years. Because what gets counted — i.e. what data gets included and weighted in a chart — determines what artists are praised as “successful.” Most recently, a controversy erupted around the Jay Z and Samsung partnership, because Billboard decided that it would not count the album downloads offered through a mobile app. One million copies of “Magna Carta Holy Grail” were omitted from the stats on the album. This issue and many others are discussed on this Deep Dive podcast with Soundrop’s Cortney Harding.

Bandzoogle CEO David Dufresne tells the story of how he went from placing bets on technology companies as a venture capitalist to running one as chief executive. Dufresne runs Bandzoogle, a powerful platform that enables artists to to build their website, engage their fans, and sell their music and merch directly. He also touches on the challenges of the music startup sector and why Bandzoogle recently acquired Onesheet.

Before he became CEO of Bandzoogle, David Dufresne spent a career as a venture capitalist. For more than a decade, he helped firms invest in tech startups -- but music was his true passion. From his vantage point in Montreal, Canada, he brings an outsider's perspective to the music/tech bubbles that exist in certain American cities. Hear his take on artist services, streaming, and why Bandzoogle recently purchased OneSheet.

Hear the story of journalist Steve Knopper's career -- from writing obituaries in the local paper to covering festivals for Rolling Stone and publishing a book on the history of digital music. His passion for music is rivaled only by his keep capacity for asking great questions and telling a captivating story. Anyone who wants to write about music (or the music business) would do well to learn from his example. Listen to our interview, and then check out Episode 27 for his take on the wars & battles fought over the last 10 years in the trenches of the music industry.

Journalist/author Steve Knopper ("Appetite for Self-Destruction") discusses the music biz wars of the past 10+ years. Labels vs. pirates! Consumers vs. DRM! Scrappy startups vs. tech giants! We can learn a lot by revisiting the battlegrounds of the modern music era. Listen to this great conversation, and look for an interview coming soon about Steve's fascinating history of writing about the music industry.

From Yahoo! to CMT, from writing books to founding a label, Jay Frank has covered a lot of ground in the music industry. Hear his story in this interview, as Kyle and Jason delve into Jay's fascinating career. And listen to Jay's thoughts on record labels big & small in Episode 26 of the Upward Spiral.

Digital thought-leader Jay Frank joins us for a conversation about record labels. From majors to indies, where do they stand? How are they innovating? How is Jay's label DigSin different? Listen to this fascinating discussion, plus get recommendations on apps, books, movies, and comics. Look for an Interview Series with Jay Frank coming soon!

Industry pro Emily White tells the story of her career in music. From her internship with Amanda Palmer and The Dresden Dolls, to her time at Live Nation, and finally to founding her own management company & record label, Emily led with her positive spirit, business smarts, and can-do attitude. Hear her stories and learn from her lessons in this Interview Series episode of the Upward Spiral podcast.

Manager, label founder, and entrepreneur Emily White shares a TON of great insights! Hear her unique perspectives on listener habits, music industry success, and staying true to yourself. This is a great conversation; maybe one of the best episodes we've ever done. Check it out -- and look for an Interview Series episode coming soon, where Emily discusses her long and fascinating career in music. Enjoy!

Amber is a marketing & social media expert. She's worked all over the music biz, from EMI to MTV to promoting huge EDM concerts. Listen to this interview about her professional history and learn how she got to be the powerhouse marketer she is today!

Industry expert Amber Horsburgh offers tips on content strategy, fan engagement, and understanding the stages of growth an artist must undergo on their way to success. Also, check out our interview with Amber in the Upward Spiral Interview Series!

Solveig Whittle joins us again to take a look at iTunes' current status in the market, evaluate its competitors, and peer into the future of Apple's devices.

Part 1 of this episode looks at how iTunes has impacted music consumers, artists, and the overall industry over the past 10 years. In Part 2, we'll discuss iTunes' current challenges and what the future might hold for the #1 music retail platform.