How Hopeless Records Approaches Influencer and UGC Music Marketing

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Nicole Abea, Director of Influencer & UGC Promotions at Hopeless Records.Over the last decade, Nicole has helped evolve Hopeless Records’ marketing strategy from traditional social media campaigns to modern influencer marketing, user-generated content (UGC), and TikTok-driven discovery. Starting as an intern and rising to lead influencer and UGC promotions, Nicole has worked with artists including Scene Queen, THXSoMCH, Neck Deep, Melrose Avenue, Autumn Kings, and more.Nicole pulls back the curtain on how music marketing actually works in 2026. They discuss influencer campaigns, fan accounts, micro-budget marketing strategies, TikTok trends, BookTok, DSP pitching, and how artists can build communities that translate into real fandom.Follow Nicole Abea:https://www.instagram.com/nicolethedesigner/https://www.instagram.com/hopelessrecords/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com03:57 Nicole Abea on Influencer & UGC Marketing at Hopeless Records08:44 The Reality of TikTok Seeding, Fan Accounts & Music Promotion15:20 How to Market a Song with a $2,000 Budget18:25 BookTok, Online Communities & Finding Your Audience23:29 What Spotify and DSPs Want from Artists26:26 Why Record Labels Are Signing Influencers33:21 Scene Over Genre: How Modern Fandom Has Changed42:41 How All Time Low's “Dear Maria, Count Me In” Went Viral Again45:22 Rage Bait, Algorithms & The Future of Music Marketing51:00 Closing ThoughtsEdited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Molly Neuman, President of CD Baby, one of the largest independent music distributors in the world. Molly has spent decades advocating for independent artists and labels, helping shape the modern music industry through leadership roles at CD Baby, Downtown Music Holdings, and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). In this conversation, Ari and Molly dive into some of the most pressing issues facing musicians today, including artificial intelligence, streaming fraud, artist compensation, customer support, and the evolving role of music distribution. They discuss whether AI-generated music should exist, how streaming platforms are responding to generative AI, why artists are increasingly being affected by fraudulent streams, and what distributors like CD Baby are doing to protect independent musicians. Molly also shares her perspective on artist ownership, independence, and what success in the music business looks like in 2026.Follow Molly Neuman:https://www.instagram.com/mollydneuman/https://cdbaby.com/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com03:45 – Molly Neuman's Journey to Becoming CD Baby President11:32 – Is CD Baby Still Independent?18:04 – Universal Music's Acquisition & What It Means for Artists27:41 – The State of Independent Music Distribution in 202639:18 – What Artists Get Wrong About Distribution49:07 – AI Customer Support: Does It Matter if It's Human?52:11 – Should AI-Generated Music Exist?1:03:47 – Streaming Fraud, Bot Plays & How Artists Get Penalized1:12:56 – What "Making It" Really Means in Today's Music IndustryEdited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Adam Gross, the president of Ineffable Records. Adam founded Ineffable Records in 2019 and later became a co-owner of Ineffable Music Group, now Billboard’s top independent reggae label for six consecutive years. Ineffable works with artists such as Stick Figure, Collie Buddz, Protoje, The Elovaters, and O.A.R., and many more.In this episode, they discuss the recent unauthorized viral AI remixes of Stick Figure’s song “Angels Above Me.” At its peak, the unauthorized remix was #2 on the global Shazam charts and reached #1 on several different iTunes charts across Europe. They discuss the legal challenges of unauthorized AI remixes, the ethical considerations, and how the story led to a David Guetta x Alok version surfacing. Adam discusses the operational reality of dealing with this in real time, and how strategy to combat unauthorized AI remixes changes everyday.Follow Adam Gross:https://www.instagram.com/adam.g.r.o.s.s/https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgross2018/Check out Stick Figure:https://stickfigure.com/https://www.instagram.com/stickfiguremusic/Chapters05:07 Navigating Copyright in the Age of AI10:03 The Bootleg Remix Phenomenon14:58 The Role of Labels and Distributors19:59 Ethics and Future of AI in Music25:07 Navigating Major Label Deals28:24 The Impact of Viral Trends on Music30:43 Whack-a-Mole: The Challenge of Unauthorized Remixes32:30 Collaborating with Major Artists36:51 Ethics and AI in Music Production39:35 The Future of Derivative Works42:36 User-Centric Payment Models in Streaming50:52 Building Timeless Music and CommunityEdited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Joseph Pepin, artist manager, producer manager, and founder of a boutique management company that has helped artists like GoldFord build massive audiences while remaining independent.Joseph has spent nearly two decades in the music industry, working across artist management, producer and songwriter representation, touring, marketing, and fan development. His roster includes artists, producers, and songwriters spanning multiple genres, and he's become known for his innovative approach to audience building, fan data collection, and sustainable artist growth.Follow Joseph Pepin:https://pepin.works/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_pepinCheck out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com00:06:14 - Intro & How Goldford Broke Through00:08:56 - Why Most Artists Fail to Keep Their Viral Fans00:12:28 - Understanding the Marketing Funnel for Musicians00:16:09 - Social Media Strategy: Hooks vs. Deep Content00:19:25 - Building a Fanbase Without Chasing Trends00:39:42 - The B-Side Touring Model vs. Ticketmaster00:43:09 - Why Artists Need Emails, Phone Numbers & Fan Data00:47:20 - Goldford’s Viral Growth Strategy Revealed00:58:57 - Songwriting Camps, Producers & Building Opportunities01:06:18 - What It Means to Make It in the New Music Business Edited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Eliah Seton, CEO of SoundCloud. Eliah breaks down how SoundCloud is evolving beyond streaming into a creator-first platform focused on fan relationships, monetization, and artist discovery.Why “streaming is not enough” for artists, how fan-powered royalties work, the future of direct-to-fan monetization, and why creator tools are becoming more important in the AI era. Eliah also explains SoundCloud’s approach to generative AI music, ethically trained AI models, and why the platform refuses to monetize fully AI-generated songs.Follow Eliah Seton and SoundCloud:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliahseton/https://soundcloud.com/Check out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com08:27 - Eliah Seton on the Future of SoundCloud13:41 - Why “Streaming Is Not Enough” for Artists18:15 - Fan Monetization, Merch, and Direct-to-Artist Revenue22:03 - How SoundCloud Helps Artists Get Heard and Build Fans27:14 - Creator Subscriptions and Fan-Powered Features31:24 - Wallets, Tipping, and the Future of Fan Transactions36:01 - AI Tools for Music Creation and Artist Discovery40:48 - SoundCloud’s Approach to Ethically Trained AI47:17 - AI Music, Royalties, and Streaming Economics52:08 - The Future of Human Artistry in the AI EraEdited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Ash Avildsen, founder of Sumerian Records. Ash shares the story of building one of the most influential independent labels in modern rock and metal, from booking DIY tours in the MySpace era to helping artists break into arenas.During this episode, Ari and Ash dive into artist development, the evolution of touring, music video economics, social media virality, the ethics of tour buy-ons, and why building an artist brand matters more than ever. Ash also opens up about expanding Sumerian into film, the future of entertainment brands, and why he believes music videos deserve a better business model.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sumerianrecords/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sumerianrecordsCheck out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com04:21 - Ash’s Journey from Touring Musician to Founding Sumerian Records08:04 - Why Ash Left Booking to Focus Fully on the Label12:00 - MySpace, TikTok, and How Artists Break Today17:30 - Scenes, Community, and the Evolution of Heavy Music22:16 - Artist Development and Getting Bands to Their First 500 Tickets25:22 - The Ethics and Reality of Tour Buy-Ons31:49 - Discovering Artists in the Streaming Era35:15 - Why Music Videos Still Matter49:00 - Building Sumerian Beyond Music Into Film and Media56:00 - Ticketing, Industry Frustrations, and What It Means to “Make It”Edited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Red Leather, the anonymous artist who turned viral TikTok videos into sold-out tours around the world. Known for his signature red hat, Red Leather first started his career by busking on Hollywood Boulevard before exploding online with viral covers and original songs like “The Only Time It Rains in Hollywood.” In this episode, Red Leather breaks down how he used social media to grow his audience from scratch, why he posted 5 videos a day for 100 straight days, how smashing guitars outside Capitol Records landed him a record deal (that he turned down), and why ticket sales matter more than streams or viral moments. He also opens up about sobriety, surviving addiction, touring independently, and eventually partnering with Empire after years of doing everything DIY.Follow Red Leather:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redleather/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@redleatherCheck out Ari’s Take:https://aristake.com00:04:02 - Intro00:04:36 - The Origin of Red Leather00:06:39 - Sobriety, Addiction & Artistic Vulnerability00:10:11 - Posting 5 Videos a Day for 100 Days00:14:11 - The Viral TikTok That Changed Everything00:20:00 - Smashing Guitars Outside Capitol Records00:25:12 - Why He Turned Down Major Label Deals00:33:28 - Booking Tours Through Instagram DMs00:47:23 - Virality vs Real Fans & Ticket Sales01:01:58 - What “Making It” Means TodayEdited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Oskar Med K, 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.In this episode, Ari and Oskar talk 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.https://www.instagram.com/_oskarmedk/03:54 – Intro: The Release of Oskar’s Debut Album Feel05:24 – Albums vs. Singles: Building a Body of Work in the Streaming Era09:12 – The Remix Story: How Khalid Ended Up on a Remix12:52 – Behind the Tracks: Songwriting and Collaborating Remotely17:19 – The Early Grind: From iPad Beats to Music School in Norway19:00 – From 0 to 1: The "Hustle" of Emailing 500 Record Labels20:17 – Breaking Through: Finding the Right Label via LabelRadar25:12 – Marketing Strategy: Simple Content vs. High-Production TikToks33:42 – Moving to the Stage: Transitioning from Studio Producer to Live Act40:40 – The Coachella Milestone: Playing Your First-Ever Festival44:29 – The Future of Music: Addressing the AI Debate and "Making It"Edited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 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.https://www.instagram.com/roam.artists/https://roamartists.com/Chapters05:03 – Intro & ROAM Agency Origin Story08:26 – From Partnership to Global Agency11:32 – Why Artists Need Different Agents by Region14:59 – Breaking Into International Markets (Asia & Beyond)19:52 – Why Artists Blow Up in Some Countries First25:20 – Genre & Market Differences Worldwide34:48 – The Real Cost of Touring Today40:16 – How Artists Cut Costs on Tour44:48 – How Artists Actually Make Money Touring48:16 – Tour Deals & Promoter Strategy Explained52:11 – Marketing Tours & Selling TicketsEdited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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 Mark Orr, the founder of Lab Records, to explore how independent labels are evolving in today’s music industry. From deal structures and artist ownership to marketing strategies and physical releases, Mark shares a transparent look into how his label has operated and adapted over nearly two decades. They dive into how indie deals have shifted to become more artist-friendly, how Lab approaches partnerships like distribution with ADA, and why physical products like vinyl and limited editions are more important now than ever. Mark also breaks down how to build a lean team, when to outsource, and how to create meaningful fan engagement in a crowded digital landscape. Whether you’re on the artist or label side of the business, you won’t want to miss this episode.https://www.instagram.com/labrecordshttps://labrecs.com/ Chapters00:00 - Lab Records Origin05:00 - Building a Lean Team09:25 - Streaming & Fan Engagement13:23 - Pitching Artists vs Majors16:07 - Modern Deal Structures21:19 - Artist Power Shift26:19 - Marketing in 2020s31:42 - Physical Sales Comeback36:21 - Touring Builds Fanbase45:50 - Tools, Teams, FutureEdited and mixed by Ari Davids-ErgasMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s TakeOrder 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.