The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jared Benjamin. Jared broke down how he went from picking up a guitar during the pandemic to earning over 100 million streams, selling out headline tours, and building an intensely loyal community across TikTok and Discord. They discuss his creation process, content strategy, delegating production, leveraging pre-save ad campaigns, and releasing his debut album, Icarus Too Close to the Sun.

Follow Jared Benjamin:
https://www.instagram.com/jaredbenjaminofficial/
http://tiktok.com/@jaredbenjaminofficial

Check out Ari’s Take:
https://aristake.com

4:05 Interview Begins: Welcome & Icarus Debut Album Announcement
5:06 Transitioning from Fast Singles to a Cohesive Debut Album
9:43 Early Short-Form Visual Strategy & Writing Skits
17:25 Lessons from Bad Industry Deals & Going DIY
20:15 Learning Production on YouTube & Collaborating with Producers
25:20 Writing "Three Steps Ahead" at AntiSocial Writing Camp
28:35 Building a Social Following & Meeting His Manager
32:50 The Daily Grind: Posting 2 to 4 Videos a Day & Managing Burnout
35:55 First Headline Tour Experiences: From Empty Rooms to Sold-Out Venues
41:59 Managing Online Communities: Grouped vs. Discord Strategy
50:20 Tapping into BookTok & Author Playlist Marketing
01:01:35 Leveraging Feature.fm Pre-Save Ads to Funnel Fans into Discord

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Laurie Lee Boutet, artist manager at Wednesday Management and manager of the chart-topping Canadian rock band The Beaches.

Laurie shares the incredible story behind The Beaches' explosive rise following their breakout sync placement in Off Campus, why viral TikToks aren't enough anymore, and how artists can build lasting careers by creating cultural moments and not just chasing algorithms.

Follow Laurie Lee:
https://www.instagram.com/laurieleeboutet/
https://www.wednesdaymgmt.com/

Check out Ari’s Take:
https://aristake.com

05:21 Why Viral TikToks Don't Work Like They Used To
08:00 The Sync That Changed Everything
12:50 From 18,000 to 1 Million Streams a Day
18:42 TikTok vs. Instagram: Where Artists Should Focus
24:44 Should Indie Artists Skip Music Videos?
28:33 The New Era of Music Marketing
35:19 How to Create True Superfans
43:13 Stop Wasting Money on Content
52:08 The Future of Artist Growth
59:53 Laurie's Biggest Career Lesson

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Andreas Schuller, hit songwriter, producer, and co-founder of music publishing company Honua Music. Andreas has written and produced songs for artists including The Weeknd, Jason Derulo, Madison Beer, and many more, accumulating billions of streams and numerous gold and platinum records.

Andreas breaks down how hit songs are actually created, how publishing companies develop songwriters, and why today's music industry is more relationship-driven than ever. He shares the story behind Jason Derulo's smash hit "Wiggle," explains how songwriting camps work, discusses the evolution of professional songwriting, and offers practical advice for aspiring songwriters trying to break into the industry.

Follow Andreas Schuller:
https://honuamusic.com/

Check out Ari’s Take:
https://aristake.com

03:48 - Meet Andreas Schuller: Hitmaker Turned Publisher
12:19 - Music Publishing Explained: How Songwriters Make Money
18:39 - The Story Behind Jason Derulo's "Wiggle"
22:02 - Songwriting Splits, Credits, and Industry Politics
30:37 - How Professional Songwriting Has Changed Since 2010
34:46 - Breaking Into the Music Industry as a Songwriter
39:03 - Originality vs. Trend Chasing: What Actually Works?
49:37 - Building Great Writing Rooms and Finding Creative Chemistry
52:39 - AI, the Future of Music, and What's Next for Songwriters

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with legendary A&R executive, publisher, and educator Pete Ganbarg.
With more than three decades in the music industry, Pete has helped shape the careers of artists, songwriters, and hit records across multiple generations. In this conversation, he breaks down how A&R has evolved from the days of artist showcases and long-term development deals to today's algorithm-driven landscape. Pete explains why great A&R is still about connecting great artists with great songs, even as technology and discovery platforms continue to change.

Follow Pete Ganbarg:
https://substack.com/@peteganbarg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peteganbarg/

Check out Ari’s Take:
https://aristake.com

04:21 – The True Role of A&R: What Has Changed and What Hasn't
09:00 – Artist Development vs. Chasing Quick Hits
13:20 – Why Live Performance Still Matters to Labels
16:05 – TikTok Stars, Viral Songs, and Building Careers
20:50 – The Difference Between a Song, an Artist, and a Career
25:55 – How Pete Discovers and Develops Songwriters
30:10 – Michael Pollack's Journey to Writing "Flowers."
35:15 – Songwriting by Committee, Sampling, and Publishing Trends
40:50 – AI, Songwriting, and the Future of Music Creation
48:15 – What Excites Pete Most About the Future of Music
54:07 – What It Means to "Make It" in the New Music Business

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Dee Diaz, Vice President of Marketing at Reach Records.

At Indie Week 2026, Dee shares the innovative marketing strategies behind Lecrae’s Reconstruction album campaign, which helped propel the project to a Billboard Top 10 debut. From sending exclusive mailers to the label’s most loyal fans. To building a gamified direct-to-fan platform called The Workshop, Dee reveals how Reach Records prioritized community, superfans, and authentic artist engagement over chasing algorithms.

Find Dee Diaz:
https://www.instagram.com/deediaz_/
https://www.instagram.com/reachrecords/

Check out Ari’s Take:
https://aristake.com

05:06 - Meet Dee Diaz and Reach Records
08:47 - The History of Reach Records and Lecrae
12:31 - Building the Reconstruction Campaign
15:07 - The 1,000 Fan Mailer Strategy
16:19 - Creating The Workshop Fan Community
19:37 - Turning Superfans Into Brand Ambassadors
29:09 - Community Service as Music Marketing
37:39 - The Story Behind “Coming In Hot”
43:29 - Why TikTok Doesn't Convert Like It Used To
46:17 - What It Means to Make It in the New Music Business
47:00 - Audience Q&A

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.