Most artists don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they rush, chase the wrong signals, or hand over control before they understand what they own. I’m joined by John Hart, A&R consultant and artist management specialist, for a straight-talking look at what sustainable artist development really means in today’s music industry.

We get specific about what a good manager looks for and it’s not “who might get a hit”. John explains why he backs long-term career potential, why songwriting still sits at the centre of modern revenue, and how authenticity is built through clear identity rather than rigid genre rules. We also dig into audience thinking: who your fans are, what they value, and how that should shape everything from your visuals to your live strategy.

From there we go deep on deal structures and rights. We talk publishing deals that fund recording, working with producers as true creative partners, and why keeping control of masters can open up options later through licensing deals, catalogue value, and smarter investment. We also cover the unglamorous money: neighbouring rights, mechanicals, and metadata, plus the mistakes artists make by releasing too early and treating Spotify like a shop instead of a discovery platform. We finish with the big shifts ahead, including AI, market fragmentation, and the resilience you need to survive rejection and keep moving.

If you’re building a serious independent music career, hit subscribe, share this with an artist mate, and leave a review. Which part of your career needs a clearer plan right now?

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Most music producers spend years trying to be louder, faster, and more impressive in the room. Tenroc argues the opposite;l the real edge is knowing what the song needs, then doing only that. Jonny Amos sits down with the New York songwriter-producer behind work connected to artists like Jon Bellion, Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers and Julia Michaels, and pulls back the curtain on how modern sessions actually function.

We dig into the messy, practical question every producer faces - am I here to write, to build tracks, to programme drums, to play instruments, or to get out of the way? Tenroc explains how he reads the room, protects the creative flow, and builds relationships that last even when the song never gets released. He also shares a personal turning point: moving from behind-the-scenes work into putting out an album as an artist, driven by a clear sense of purpose.

If you love craft, you will enjoy the nerdy details. Tenroc breaks down how he learned “commercial” sound through chart study and reverse-engineering, why emotion is often innate, and how tools like GarageBand, Logic Pro and FL Studio shaped his workflow. We also tackle the underrated skill that gets producers paid: finishing songs, using song structure to hold attention, and understanding when a verse, pre-chorus, hook, or bridge should appear.

Finally, we talk music publishing in plain language - what a good publisher actually does, and why taste and collaborator fit matter more than chasing the biggest name on paper. If you want practical music production advice, major label session reality, and a clearer path for artist development, press play, then subscribe, share with a producer friend, and leave us a review.

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The music industry does not just need more songs and artists. It needs more people who understand how the whole machine fits together and who can help artists build sustainable careers. That is why I brought three of my former students onto the podcast: Natalie Brown, Lotty Evans and Chris Beswick. They have just finished their degrees at BIMM University in Birmingham (UK) and they already sound like the next wave of UK music executives.

We get into what they actually want from the next few years, from freelancing in music marketing and branding to artist management and development, to music journalism and editorial pathways. They talk honestly about competition, building a portfolio career and why “getting in” often starts with showing your work in public. We also dig into how education changes your music business understanding, especially around publishing vs distribution, copyright, contracts and the practical value of music law when you are trying to protect artists early.

Then we turn the spotlight onto emerging artists: the common mistakes they see, the pressure to rush into “professional mode”, and why identity usually needs time to grow from the music before the visuals and strategy can really land. We talk social media consistency, choosing bandmates with aligned goals and treating artwork, photography and story as creative output rather than an afterthought.

If you want a clear look at modern music industry careers, artist development and what actually makes someone employable in music, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a mate who is trying to break in, and leave a review with the biggest lesson you are taking away.

Chris Beswick - Artist Development Professional

https://chrisbeswickmusic.wixsite.com/portfolio

Instagram @chrisbeswickmusic

Tik Tok @chrisbeswickmusic

Natalie Brown - Media and Marketing Professional

https://www.morethanjustmusicblog.com

Instagram @morethanjustmusicblog

Tik Tok @x_natalie_b

Lotty Evans - Freelance Music Marketer

Photography, PR, Marketing and Journalism under her professional brand Charlie Brook Media.

www.melomaniablog.co.uk

I'm Losing It @imlosingitfanzine online

Instagram @charliebr00k

TikTok @.charliebr00k

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When you approach crowdfunding with a plan, it becomes one of the most powerful tools an independent artist can use to fund an album, a tour, a music video, or the next career step without handing over control.

I am joined by Ella Kuijpers and Remy Van Leeuwen, the founders of Crowdable; a crowdfunding platform built specifically for music. Remy and Ella kindly explain why their work is as much about hands on strategic support as it is about raising capital, and what “success” looks like behind the scenes. We talk through the practical mechanics that many artists miss: setting a realistic funding goal, building a clear project page with video and story, choosing rewards you can actually deliver, and communicating with urgency across socials, newsletters, and gigs.

One of the most useful frameworks they share is the three group rollout: start with close friends and family to create momentum, then widen to peers and existing fans, and only then reach future fans who do not know you yet. We also get into the emotional side, including the fear of asking for money, and how to reframe a donation as giving supporters a real chance to be part of the work. Along the way, we place music crowdfunding in the wider UK music industry funding landscape as a tool that can sit alongside grants, distributor deals, and label investment, while also proving you have an engaged fan base.

If you’re planning a crowdfunding campaign or wondering whether it can fit your artist business model, you’ll leave with a clearer strategy and fewer pitfalls. Subscribe, share this with an artist friend, and leave a review with the project you’d crowdfund next.

https://www.crowdable.co.uk/

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Episode 100 is a landmark for me, so I went back through the first 99 conversations and pulled out the 10 biggest lessons I want every music creator to use into 2026. If you make songs, release recordings, or collaborate with anyone at all, this is the practical checklist that helps you protect your work, get your royalties paid, and avoid the silent mistakes that cost artists money for years.

We start with the unglamorous stuff that decides whether you get paid: song splits, ownership clarity, and registering the right rights in the right places. I talk through why works registration and recording registration are not the same thing, how bad metadata leads to unclaimed royalties and black boxing, and how identifiers like ISWC and ISRC help connect the dots. If you are independent without a label or publisher, I explain why the responsibility lands on you and how to make that manageable.

Then we zoom out to the reality of streaming and discovery, where old music competes with new releases and dormant tracks can explode later through playlists, sync, or algorithmic momentum. I also share why music fintech is becoming a real funding route, why catalogue value matters, and what to consider before you lock rights away in long deals. Finally, we get tactical: think globally, embrace AI tools to save time and sharpen strategy, listen to seasoned professionals, map your next 12 to 24 months, build your team your way, and stop waiting to be picked.

If this helps, subscribe, share it with one music maker who needs it, and leave a review so more creators can find the show.

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Royalties don’t disappear, they get stuck. When the data can’t identify you, the system can’t pay you, even if the money has been collected. That’s why I wanted to bring on Amit Dubey from Beat Street Music and Publishing in Mumbai, India; a specialist in the unglamorous back end of the music business - rights documentation, metadata accuracy, publishing administration, royalty tracking, and recovery.

We dig into how India’s music rights ecosystem compares with the UK and US, starting with the basics: composition rights, sound recording rights, and usage. From there, Amit explains the real gap in India, not structure but execution. We talk IPRS membership, why many creators still misunderstand music publishing, and the three reasons royalties end up in a “black box”: unclear splits, poor metadata, and missing registrations. If you’ve ever wondered why a track can trend and still not pay properly, this conversation gives you a checklist mindset.

We also look ahead at what could improve next: stronger reporting practices across radio, TV, OTT, and public performances, wider cue sheet adoption, and a culture of data discipline at the source. Amit breaks down Sangeet Dwar, India’s push towards a single licensing window for public performance, and we finish on how independent music is growing and how streaming economics and short-form platforms are reshaping creative choices. If you care about the Indian music industry, music publishing, copyright, and getting paid fairly from royalties, you’ll want this one.

If it helps, subscribe, share it with one music creator, and leave a review telling us what topic you want next.

https://beatstreetmusic.co

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Confusing distribution with publishing is one of the fastest ways to lose time, miss money, and second guess every release decision you make. I’m Jonny Amos - host of The Music Business Buddy and I’m stripping it back to basics so you can clearly separate what a music distributor does from what a music publisher does, without the jargon and without the myths.

We start with the core distinction the industry actually cares about: the sound recording (master rights) versus the underlying song (composition copyright, meaning lyrics, melody, and harmony). From there, I explain how music distribution works in practice, from getting your recorded music onto Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms, to why accurate metadata, credits, artwork and scheduling affect how you appear in searches, libraries and playlists. Distributors may offer extra services, but their main job is access and reporting for the master side.

Then we move to music publishing, including why it’s even called “publishing” in the first place, what publishers do for songwriters, and why collection societies and PRO systems do not always catch everything without help. I break down the key publishing income streams, especially performance royalties and mechanical royalties, and I clarify the part that trips people up most: where streaming royalties sit, why both your distributor and PROs can be involved, and how the typical 80/20 split between recording and songwriting tends to work.

If you found this useful, subscribe, share it with an artist friend who’s about to release music, and leave a review so more creators can find the show. What’s the one part of distribution or publishing you still want unpacked?

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China can look like the biggest opportunity in music and the easiest place to get lost. I sit down with Jonathan Heeter, who runs Middle8, an outsourced China division for Western labels and artists, to translate what actually works on the ground and what Western playbooks get wrong.

We map the Chinese music streaming landscape through Tencent’s QQ Music ecosystem and NetEase Cloud Music, then dig into why discovery algorithms can feel more sophisticated while staying stubbornly opaque. The real unlock is measurement: when public streaming data is limited, engagement becomes the signal. Jonathan explains why comments on tracks matter, what “memetic behaviour” looks like across Chinese platforms, and how that turns into measurable fandom you can take to promoters and brands.

From there we move into monetisation and deal structure. China’s music business often operates holistically, optimising total revenue across streaming, touring, brand partnerships and IP, rather than treating each income stream as a silo. We also get practical about sync licensing in China, why buyouts are common, and why commissioned brand integrations can be far more lucrative than chasing back-end pennies. Finally, we cover must-know platforms for music marketing in China, including Red Note (Xiaohongshu), WeChat, Bilibili and Weibo, plus the realities of expensive paid media and real-name verification rules.

If you’re an artist, manager, label or publisher building a China strategy, this is your roadmap. Subscribe for more music business insight, share this with someone planning an international campaign, and leave a review with the one China question you still want answered.

https://middle8.agency

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