Artists and AI: Offense, Defense, and the Future of Music

I sat down with Troy Carter during SXSW in Austin. We talked about Suno role in music, where record labels stand today, artist management, catalog sales, estates, we covered it all! The conversation was hosted by Chaka Mahone at his company, DAWA, 4-day event titled Vision 8291, in collaboration with Venice Music, where Troy is the co-founder and CEO. CHAPTERS 03:30 Stayed Ahead of AI News 08:37 Why Suno Matters 14:38 AI and Fair Use 24:25 Art vs. Content 29:43 Investing in Music Rights 31:26 Prince and Michael Jackson estates SPONSORS Chartmetric: Listen in for our Stat of the Week TRAPITAL Where technology shapes culture. New episodes and memos every week. Sign up here for free.

Is “Artists vs. AI” the wrong way to think about music’s future? At HumanX, I hosted a conversation with Splice CEO Kakul Srivastava and Universal Music Group’s Michael Nash on how AI can become a creative force multiplier for artists, not a replacement. We discussed why music’s supply problem existed long before generative AI, how artists are using new tools to reduce production friction, and why authentic connection still matters more than infinite output. The conversation also breaks down Splice and UMG’s partnership to build AI-powered music creation tools with artist control, copyright respect, and more. CHAPTERS 01:24 Artists vs. AI 04:27 Splice Tools 06:14 UMG x Splice 08:04 Ethical AI 12:42 Artist Control 14:31 Better Music 17:07 Five-Year Vision TRAPITAL Where technology shapes culture. New episodes and memos every week. Sign up here for free.

SoundCloud is at a turning point, and CEO Eliah Seton takes us inside the strategy shaping its future. In this conversation, we break down how SoundCloud evolved into a two-sided marketplace for artists and fans, why it moved on from potential sales, how it's embracing AI, and doubling down on the moves that work best for both creators and fans. CHAPTERS 03:34 Update on a Potential Sale 08:23 How SoundCloud is Structured Today 21:20 AI Principles 33:23 Financial Health and Profitability SPONSORS Chartmetric: Listen in for our Stat of the Week Symphonic: Distribute your music to one of the largest networks in the industry. Symphonic delivers your music to over 200 digital service providers ensuring that you’re monetizing every stream and use of your music on Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, and more TRAPITAL Where technology shapes culture. New episodes and memos every week. Sign up here for free.

In part two, you'll hear Clive Davis reflect on strategic decisions made when running a record label and career revivals he helped shape that defined another chapter of his run. He discusses the balance of control and economics in label joint ventures, why hitmakers are not always great talent scouts, and how LaFace became a powerful force through artists like Toni Braxton, TLC, and Pink. Davis also shares how he revived the careers of timeless artists, including Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Rod Stewart, Santana, and Luther Vandross. It’s a conversation about instinct, patience, and the discipline it takes to build lasting success in the music business. CHAPTERS 02:51 LaFace, Label Deals, and Joint Ventures 09:42 TLC, Toni Braxton, and P!nk 12:37 The Cost of Breaking Artists 17:05 Aretha, Rod Stewart, and Santana 21:14 Catalog vs. Career Revival 25:30 Follow-up Call SPONSORS Chartmetric: Listen in for our Stat of the Week Symphonic: Distribute your music to one of the largest networks in the industry. Symphonic delivers your music to over 200 digital service providers ensuring that you’re monetizing every stream and use of your music on Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, and more TRAPITAL Where technology shapes culture. New episodes and memos every week. Sign up here for free.

I sat down with the legendary record executive Clive Davis. We looked back on the career-defining moments that made him one of the most influential figures in music. He shares memories from the Beverly Hills Hotel, where we recorded the conversation. We also discussed the evolution of his famed pre-Grammy gala, and the philosophy behind honoring artists in the room. Davis also revisits being pushed out at Columbia, Arista, launching J Records, and the story behind Whitney Houston recording “Why Does It Hurt So Bad.” It’s a conversation about instinct, reinvention, and what it takes to keep going at the highest levels in business. CHAPTERS 04:21 Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Gala 11:30 Lessons Learned at Columbia 15:38 From Arista to J Records 23:41 When Whitney Houston and Clive Disagreed SPONSORS Chartmetric: Listen in for our Stat of the Week Symphonic: Distribute your music to one of the largest networks in the industry. Symphonic delivers your music to over 200 digital service providers ensuring that you’re monetizing every stream and use of your music on Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, and more TRAPITAL Where technology shapes culture. New episodes and memos every week. Sign up here for free.

Coachella sold out in five days after announcing Justin Bieber as headliner. That's the good news. The bad news? It tells you how hard it's become to book a headline act who can actually move 250,000 tickets for the one of most premiere music festivals in the world.Dave Brooks, a music correspondent at Puck and host of the Decibel and Docket podcast, joins the show to break down the business of festival season 2026. We get into why the biggest artists no longer need Coachella, which festivals are actually profitable, and what's ahead for live music.CHAPTERS07:46 The Bieber Effect08:02 Stadium Money11:50 Why Stagecoach is Different21:13 Lollapalooza23:43 Chris Brown and Kanye WestSPONSORSAll People Powered is a live concert and pitch competition on Saturday, April 11 where three Bay Area founders pitch on stage for $30,000 in real funding. Get your ticket here.Symphonic: Distribute your music to one of the largest networks in the industry. Symphonic delivers your music to over 200 digital service providers ensuring that you’re monetizing every stream and use of your , TikTok, YouTube, and more

Now that Wasserman Agency has rebrand itself to "The Team," what's next? Who will lead The Team? Who will the new owner be? What will they do with it? Elsewhere in the talent agency world, CAA has a new managing director for music touring, and UTA's longtime leader has stepped down. Who will lead the next era? I am joined by Ben Sisario from the New York Times to unpack the talent agency business, the leadership and reputational questions surrounding the companies, and what it all signals about succession, private equity, and the future of agency power. CHAPTERS 05:05 Wasserman's Rebrand 08:23 Sale Scenarios 12:52 Margins And Risk 21:16 Why Music Lags 26:08 The Black Box of Talent Agencies SPONSORS Chartmetric: Listen in for our Stat of the Week Linktree: Share music, sell merch, and connect with fans on one simple link. Linktree is the #1 link in bio tool that musicians and artists use to connect fans to everything they do. Symphonic: Distribute your music to one of the largest networks in the industry. Symphonic delivers your music to over 200 digital service providers ensuring that you’re monetizing every stream and use of your music on Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, and more TRAPITAL Where technology shapes culture. New episodes and memos every week. Sign up here for free.

As streaming growth slows, the music industry is searching for its next big opportunity. One of the leading bets? AI-powered music creation. I'm joined by MIDiA Research’s Tati Cirisano to break down whether platforms like Suno represent a true growth engine or just another niche product. We explore the rise of consumer creation, the limits of the “superfan” narrative, and why the future of music revenue may be more fragmented than the industry hopes. CHAPTERS 02:10 Rise of AI music tools 06:00 The superfan idea 14:30 The superfan landscape 22:30 Suno’s growth 40:00 AI vs. streaming 46:00 Labels and deals 52:00 Streaming’s future SPONSORS Symphonic's Women Empowered+ mentorship program. ⁠Apply as a mentor or mentee here⁠. Chartmetric: Listen in for our Stat of the Week Linktree: Share music, sell merch, and connect with fans on one simple link. Linktree is the #1 link in bio tool that musicians and artists use to connect fans to everything they do. TRAPITAL Where technology shapes culture. New episodes and memos every week. Sign up here for free.

The Department of Justice has settled its lawsuit against Live Nation - Ticketmaster. There will be no breakup of the live entertainment company, but Live Nation has agreed to several remedies in an effort to improve the ticketing industry. But more rust that’s settled… what’s next? What will this change? In this episode, we are joined by returning guest and NYU professor Larry Miller to break down the DOJ’s settlement with Live Nation/Ticketmaster. We also dig into the bigger question fans care about most: will this make tickets cheaper? CHAPTERS 04:13 Why Did DOJ Want to Settle? 11:14 Will Ticket Prices Fall? 13:05 Primary vs. Secondary Ticketing Market 22:48 StubHub and SeatGeek’s Challenge 24:56 Live Nation’s Consent Decree SPONSORS Chartmetric: Listen in for our Stat of the Week Linktree: Share music, sell merch, and connect with fans on one simple link. Linktree is the #1 link in bio tool that musicians and artists use to connect fans to everything they do. TRAPITAL Where technology shapes culture. New episodes and memos every week. Sign up here for free.

Investors have poured more money into music than ever before. Music as an asset class if hotter than ever,. But the public markets have discounted the value of music companies: UMG stock is currently trading near its all-time low WMG trades at a discount on its earnings relative to UMG RSVR is going through a takeover attempt Several publicly traded music companies have been taken off the public markets This is a huge disparity, and it was time to explain why. In this solo episode, I break down this paradox. We will also connect the dots to real estate, the post-2021 repricing, and why more take-private attempts may be ahead. CHAPTERS 00:10 Private vs Public Money in Music 07:26 Similarities in Music 08:19 2021 Reset 15:10 WMG and UMG 24:02 What’s Ahead SPONSORS Chartmetric: Listen in for our Stat of the Week Linktree: Share music, sell merch, and connect with fans on one simple link. Linktree is the #1 link in bio tool that musicians and artists use to connect fans to everything they do. TRAPITAL Where technology shapes culture. New episodes and memos every week. Sign up here for free.