Future Echoes: The Music Business of Tomorrow Being Built Today

Lyrics are more than words on a screen. They're a source of revenue, a tool for music discovery, and a way for artists to build deeper connections with fans around the world. In this episode of Music Tectonics, Dmitri Vietze sits down with Darryl Ballantyne, CEO and co-founder of LyricFind, to explore how artists and labels can unlock the untapped revenue in lyrics and music videos. Darryl shares how lyrics drive listening engagement, help fans discover music, and open doors to international audiences through translations. He also explains why official lyric videos matter, how they can generate YouTube revenue, and what artists stand to lose when unofficial videos capture the views. Plus, Darryl announces Artist Unlimited, a new subscription tier within LyricFind's Verified Artist Platform that gives artists access to unlimited video creation through Rotor Videos. From lyric videos and music videos to Spotify Canvas and Apple Music motion art, the offering makes it easier and more affordable for artists to create the visual assets they need across their releases and back catalogs. Whether you're an independent artist, songwriter, or label professional, this conversation explores how to make lyrics work harder for your music and how overlooked assets can become meaningful revenue opportunities. The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find show notes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

What will the music business look like in 2033, and which of today's bets will get us there? This week, we're sharing the kickoff keynote from last month's Music Tectonics pre-conference called "Future Echoes: The Music Business of Tomorrow Being Built Today," from Leon Farrell, senior music analyst at MIDiA Research. Leon looks back at the tech the industry was betting on in 2026, like VR and media streamers, and what changed the business instead: artist distribution, label services, and the creator economy. Then he looks ahead with MIDiA's forecasts on ARPU, the fan economy, and expanded rights like merchandise, licensing, and brand partnerships. We have a Q&A with MIDiA's own Mark Mulligan at the end, who argues that the bigger business opportunity may be in background listening rather than fandom.    The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find show notes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!  Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

AI in music is about more than generating songs. How could it transform the business behind the music?   This week on the podcast, Dmitri talks with Matt Urmy, co-founder and CEO of Artist Growth, about how AI can help music companies work smarter, connect their data and systems, and spend less time on operational challenges and more time supporting artists  A former touring musician, Matt built Artist Growth to solve business problems he experienced firsthand.   They explore why the music industry needs technology built around its unique needs, where AI could have the biggest impact on day-to-day operations, and how the industry can capture more of the value music creates beyond records and streams. As the conversation around AI moves beyond the hype, Matt shares a perspective on the less visible ways technology could reshape the music business.   The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find show notes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

What does a rising tide look like when the whole music industry rows in the same direction? This week, we close out the Rising Tide miniseries witha recap conversation between host Dmitri Vietze and Eleanor Rust, director of marketing at Rock Paper Scissors and Music Tectonics, recorded in the Seismic Studio. Dmitri shares why Music Tectonics chose a theme for the first time in 8 years, how a coffee shop in Portland led to the rising tide theme, and what the series taught him about why music is still a smaller industry than it could be. Then, they walk through some of the sessions in this year's conference that put the theme to work for startups, labels, managers, and creators, including some things that are new for returning conference goers.   It's not too late to get tickets to the conference, October 27-29 on the beach in Santa Monica (hint- there might be a discount in this episode for podcast listeners). Get your tickets here- https://www.musictectonics.com/    The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!  Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

What happens when music becomes more than something you stream, but instead something you can hold? This week, we're wrapping up the Rising Tide miniseries with the 8th and final revenue multiplier: new products for the music buyer.  First, Jennifer Sullivan of KiTbetter explains how the KiTalbum pairs a physical collectible with a digital experience. Then, Jaime Marconette of Luminate breaks down the latest trends in physical music, including the rising interest of CDs and the emergence of Smart Media. Finally, Tarun Nayar of Modern Biology returns to talk about how he turned the experience of his music into an instrument, and what he's learned from selling that at shows instead of just a vinyl or t-shirt. This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, working through the revenue multipliers that grow the value of the music industry, and building toward this year's Music Tectonics Conference theme in Santa Monica this October. Get your tickets now   The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find show notes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!  Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

This week on the podcast, we're on revenue multiplier 7 on our Rising Tide miniseries: direct-to-fan.  First, Mag Rodriguez, founder and CEO of EVEN, makes the case that most artists are leaving serious money on the table by skipping direct-to-fan entirely, and why you don't need a big mailing list to start selling directly to fans. Then, J Edward Keyes, editorial director at Bandcamp, explains why CDs are suddenly outselling vinyl with younger fans, and walks through some of the free features on Bandcamp that most artists still aren't using. Finally, Tim Quirk, SVP at Zedge and general manager of the new streaming app Tapedeck, talks about why streaming has never paid artists what they're actually worth, and what he's building to fix it. Three companies, all betting that the future of music revenue runs through the fan relationship, not around it. This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, working through the revenue multipliers that grow the value of the music industry, and building toward this year's Music Tectonics Conference theme in Santa Monica this October. Get your tickets now The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find show notes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

What does it actually take to turn followers into fans who buy?  This week, we're digging into Fan Growth, one of the 8 revenue multipliers in our Rising Tide miniseries. First, DJay Brawner of TUFF MGMT and MANAGR breaks down why the real work often starts before you grow your audience, making sure you're collecting the money from the fans you already have. Then, Megh Vakharia of SymphonyOS shares how AI agents are turning discovery moments into direct revenue, from automated ad campaigns to catalog valuations. Finally, Anj Fayemi of Rivet explains how unified fan data powers automations that drive repeat merch sales and sell out venues twice as fast. This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, working through the revenue multipliers that grow the value of the music industry, all leading up to the Music Tectonics Conference this October in Santa Monica. The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find show notes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

What is a music distributor actually responsible for in 2026? This week on the Music Tectonics podcast, we're focusing on distribution and artist services as a revenue multiplier. It used to mean one thing: getting your music onto Spotify and Apple. Now the companies doing that are pitching marketing, financing, even A&R, and we're asking what's real and what's marketing. First, Daouda Leonard of CreateSafe traces how we got here, from physical distribution through companies like Koch, to TuneCore's 2009 launch as the first real self-upload on-ramp, through the SoundCloud and blog era, to the "gold rush" of 2013 to 2018 when the playing field briefly leveled between independent artists and major labels  He also argues that most of what distributors pitch today is still a myth unless real capital backs it, and breaks down how some are starting to structure what looks like a record deal (minus the part where they take your copyright).  Then, Isaac Miranda, global marketing director at ONErpm, joins to talk about what a company he calls possibly the last large independent music company operating at scale actually turns on for an artist once they sign, from paid media and sync to fan engagement. We revisit the story from the Emmanuel Zunz episode back in May and pick it up from the marketing side, including a stat from a recent ONErpm audit that found 70-80% of artists in emerging markets weren't collecting their publishing rights.  This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, working through the revenue multipliers that grow the value of the music industry, all leading up to the Music Tectonics Conference this October in Santa Monica.   The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find show notes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

What if generative AI actually grows the music business instead of shrinking it? This week, Dmitri Vietze tackles the AI question everyone's tired of hearing about, but from a different angle.  First, Matt Adell, co-founder of Musical.ai, breaks down the $20 billion opportunity sitting inside AI music, and what it actually takes to get consent, attribution and compensation right instead of scraping music without permission.  Then Gaurav Sharma, founder of Hook, makes the case for AI as an amplifier for fan engagement rather than a replacement for artists, and why even a fraction of social music consumption could be worth as much as streaming is today. Stick around after the interview for a preview of next week's episode with Daouda Leonard of CreateSafe, former creative director for Grimes, on the story behind Grimes AI voice licensing platform elf.tech and what they learned from building it. This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, working through the revenue multipliers that grow the value of the music industry, all leading up to the Music Tectonics Conference this October in Santa Monica.   The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

What happens when businesses, apps, and games use music without really paying for it?  This week we're on the third revenue multiplier of our Rising Tide miniseries: new forms of licensing hiding in plain sight.  First, Soundtrack CEO Ola Sars breaks down the 40 billion dollar market for background music in businesses, and why more than 80% of companies playing music today are doing it the wrong way. Only 5% of US businesses are fully compliant on public performance licensing, and that gap is costing the industry billions. Next, we have Lauren Pufpaf of Feed Media Group explain how personalized, intelligent music licensing is opening up categories most of the industry has not even noticed, including a 5 billion dollar opportunity in AI video platforms. Finally, Tomas Jenneborg of Reactional Music reveals that the gaming industry spends 25 to 30 billion dollars a year on user acquisition ads, and music is getting none of it.    The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.