In my latest piece for @variety , I went full-on investigative reporter here. I interviewed about two dozen artists and managers for this piece (many of whom replied to my emails and posts requesting case studies- thank you!), along with the CEO of TuneCore, the President of DistroKid and a global head at Spotify. If you’ve been the victim of a bot attack or streaming fraud, make sure you notify both your distributor and @spotifyforartists as soon as you realize it to preempt any of their actions. And if it isn’t abundantly clear from this piece, never buy fake streams, never hire anyone who promises x number of streams for x dollars. And be very, very careful with playlist plugging services - as you’ll see in the piece here. SWIPE to read or tap that link in bio.
📘📘📘 The THIRD edition of How to Make It in the New Music Business is coming out January 17th! There are 100 new pages in this sucker, chapters rewritten from scratch, stuff updated in every section and every chapter. Swipe to see 10 things this book will teach you. Preorder it BEFORE January 17th to get the bonuses ($500 value). If you’re in LA, join me at Barnes and Noble at the Grove on release day for a book signing and live podcast taping with a special guest and Q&A.
This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with @_oskarmedk , a breakout Norwegian EDM producer. Oskar breaks down the “overnight” success that was actually years in the making—from the days of sending 500 cold emails to labels with no response. He talks about the marketing strategies that helped him scale from 40k monthly listeners to 11 million, why “simple” content often outperforms high-production on TikTok, and the surreal feeling of playing Coachella as his first-ever music festival.
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#musicbusiness #independentartist #recordlabel
This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Ethan Berlin and Skully Kaplan of @roam.artists for an inside look at the realities of booking and touring in today’s music industry. They unpack how booking agencies build and manage their rosters, what it really takes to develop artists on the road, and how deals—from guarantees to ticket splits—actually come together. If you’re an artist planning your next tour or trying to understand the live side of the business, this episode gives a clear, candid breakdown of how it all works.
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#musicbusiness #independentartist #recordlabel
This week on the New Music Business, Ari sits down with @mark.orr , founder of @labrecords , to break down how modern indie labels are evolving and competing in today’s music industry. He shares how deal structures have become more artist-friendly, how Lab approaches partnerships and distribution, and why physical releases like vinyl and limited editions are making a major comeback. The episode also dives into building a lean team, marketing in a crowded digital landscape, and how artists can create meaningful fan engagement beyond streams.
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#musicbusiness #independentartist #recordlabel
This week on the New Music Business, Ari sits down with Michael Turner, founder of the disruptive record label @rebellionrecordsnyc , to discuss how his label is changing the game using viral marketing and modern deal structures. He breaks down how short-form video, tastemakers, and micro-influencers are driving music discovery today, and how independent artists can engineer viral campaigns in what he describes as a golden era for independent artists.
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#musicbusiness #independentartist #musicmarketing
This week on the New Music Business, Ari sits down with @sxsw ’s Brian Hobbs and Dev Sherlock to demystify how South by Southwest actually works for artists. They break down what’s different about SXSW this year, how the showcase application process works, and what their team is really looking for when booking artists. The episode also dives into networking strategy, navigating showcases, and how artists, can make the most of the SXSW ecosystem.
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#musicbusiness #sxsw #independentartist
This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with @slushmgmt ’s Aaron Greene and Neal O’Connor, the team behind Porter Robinson, Eden, and Jai Wolf. They break down modern artist development, world-building and cultivating real fan communities. The episode also dives into label paths, touring strategy, support slots, and why music videos still matter.
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#musicbiz #musicbusiness #artistmanagement #newmusicbusiness #independentmusician
This week on the New Music Business, Ari sits down with @dojacat ’s managers, Gordan Dillard and Josh Kaplan (aka Good Day Management). From Doja Cat’s early viral moments to a fully diversified empire across music, brand partnerships, and new ventures, Josh and Gordan break down all things strategy. They also share unfiltered advice for emerging artists and managers on building fanbases, finding the right partners, and creating real career leverage today.
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#musicbiz #musicbusiness #artistmanagement #newmusicbusiness #independentmusician
This week on the New Music Business, Ari sits down with @dojacat ’s managers, Gordan Dillard and Josh Kaplan (aka Good Day Management). From Doja Cat’s early viral moments to a fully diversified empire across music, brand partnerships, and new ventures, Josh and Gordan break down all things strategy. They also share unfiltered advice for emerging artists and managers on building fanbases, finding the right partners, and creating real career leverage today.
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#musicbiz #musicbusiness #artistmanagement #newmusicbusiness #independentmusician
This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with @temasiegel and Zach Blankstein of @couch.theband . The DIY soul-pop group first broke through during the pandemic and has since grown into a nationally touring act with a devoted fanbase. In this episode, they discuss their collaborative songwriting process led by Tema’s lyrical work, how Zach balances artistry and management as both guitarist and band manager, and the core principles that fuel their fully independent approach in 2026.
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#musicbiz #musicbusiness #artistmanagement #newmusicbusiness #independentmusician
