How Spotify's Algorithm Works (From Its Creator)

Order THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.comBeginning his tenth year in the music industry today, Will Runzel is co-founder of Prodigy Artists. He got his start throwing Hip-Hop concerts (Big Sean, Jeremih, Mike Posner, Twista) in college towns in the midwest, Steve Aoki brought him to LA to head up Dim Mak Live for a year before heading up React Presents West Coast division and another year with LED Presents / Goldenvoice (booking Jamie XX, M83, Calvin Harris). Around that time he started what is now known as Collectiv Presents with Chris Den Uijl, as well as his management company Prodigy Artists alongside Steven Haddad. Today, Runzel is the CEO of Prodigy Artists who represent SLANDER, Deorro, NGHTMRE, Guy Gerber, Audien as well as Grammy-nominated producers Bekon & The Donuts.This week, Ari and Will discuss various aspects of the dance music industry, including revenue streams, remixes, and the role of managers. He emphasizes the importance of touring for bass music artists and the unique nature of their merchandise sales. Will also explains the business model of remixes and additionally highlights the need for data collection and retargeting in the new music business.Chapters00:00 Remixes and Original Music10:12 SLANDER, NGHTMRE, and Deorro29:07 Revenue and Profitability of Shows36:16 Revenue Breakdown for Bass Music Artists41:53 Reselling Records50:21 Managing Record Producers57:43 The Challenges of Playing at the SphereSubscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/Ari's Take Academy: https://aristakeacademy.comWatch more discussions like this: https://bit.ly/3LavMpaConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.takeX: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeThreads: https://www.threads.net/@aristake_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandX: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with Will Runzel:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-runzel-884456112Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willrunzel/X: https://www.prodigyartists.com/Edited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enrollment closes soon for Ari's Take Academy! Save 10% with code NMB and enroll: https://aristakeacademy.com/Moody Jones is an entrepreneurial entertainment executive and artist who thrives on creating new rules and executing unique concepts. Currently, he’s the GM of Dance at EMPIRE – an independent distribution company and record label pioneering the future generation of the music business.This week, Ari is joined by GM of Dance at EMPIRE, Moody Jones, to discuss Empire's business model, the dance music industry, and the role of an executive in supporting artists. They discuss various aspects of the music industry, including consumer behavior on social media, the impact of UMG on artists, advice for aspiring producers and DJs, the importance of art in everything you do, discovering and signing new artists, release frequency, and what it means to make it in the new music business.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Overview of Empire05:09 The Dance Division and the Dance Market15:02 Measuring Success and Revenue Streams23:02 Consumer Behavior on Social Media26:00 Advice for Aspiring Producers and DJs30:23 Building Relationships with Artists37:38 Release Frequency and Removing Songs from DSPs44:30 What It Means to Make It in the New Music BusinessSubscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/Ari's Take Academy: https://aristakeacademy.comWatch more discussions like this: https://bit.ly/3LavMpaConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.takeX: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeThreads: https://www.threads.net/@aristake_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandX: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with Moody Jones:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moodyjones/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moodyjones/X: https://twitter.com/moodyjonesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moodyjonesEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enrollment closes soon for Ari's Take Academy! Save 10% with code NMB and enroll: https://aristakeacademy.com/A Los Angeles native and UCLA alumni, Michele Harrison commenced her career as a legal assistant at the Law Offices of Fischbach, Perlstein and Lieberman. Following gigs at Virgin Records and Hollywood Records, she spent 15 years at Ian Montone’s Monotone, Inc., working with the likes of Broken Bells, The Shins, Vampire Weekend, and Academy® Award winner Jamie Foxx. In 2018, she became Co-Head of Management at Friends At Work, managing Alanis Morissette and Raphael Saadiq. 2021 saw her join Range Music as a Partner, overseeing the careers of Healy, KaiGoinKrazy, Tkay Maidza, Justin Tranter, and UMI. With MPH Collective, she has now built a haven for artists, visionaries, and storytellers to shine without compromise.In this interview, Ari and Michele discuss the role of autonomy and control in management, the impact of TikTok on artists' careers, and the changing landscape of record deals. She shares insights into the profitability of different venue sizes and the revenue streams from touring, including VIP experiences and merchandise sales. Michele also discusses the role of producers and the process of creating beat packs to pitch to artists and songwriters. She highlights the importance of getting in the room with other producers and songwriters to create music.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background of MPH Collective03:06 The Impact of TikTok and Challenges in the Music Industry06:53 The Shifting Landscape of Record Deals11:52 The Importance of Authenticity in Social Media30:26 Building a Collaborative Team35:15 The Importance of Booking Agents and Touring41:09 Profitability and Revenue Streams46:09 The Role of Producers57:01 The Goal in the New Music BusinessSubscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/Ari's Take Academy: https://aristakeacademy.comWatch more discussions like this: https://bit.ly/3LavMpaConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.takeX: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeThreads: https://www.threads.net/@aristake_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandX: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with Michele Harrison:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-harrison-88315a18/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mphcollective/Edited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enrollment closes soon for Ari's Take Academy! Save 10% with code NMB and enroll: https://aristakeacademy.com/Glenn McDonald was Spotify’s data alchemist and the creator of the music exploration site Every Noise at Once. He writes things for people about how humanity and technology co-exist, and things for computers about how to cope with not being human. He wrote a weekly music review column called The War Against Silence for ten years, tabulated the Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop music critics’ poll for several years, and was part of the music-intelligence start-up The Echo Nest, which was eventually acquired by Spotify.He believes that music is the thing humans do best, and that bringing all the world’s music together online is one of the greatest cultural achievements of his lifetime. His book explaining why is being published by Canbury Press in 2024.This week, Ari and Glenn McDonald discuss his role as a data alchemist and his work on the Every Noise at Once genre map. McDonald shares insights into the creation and maintenance of the Every Noise genre map, which categorizes over 6,000 genres and subgenres. He also discusses the evolution of Spotify playlists, from editorial to personalized, and the impact of algorithmic programming. They explore the impact of algorithmic recommendations on artists and fans, as well as the challenges of detecting fraud and bot attacks.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background08:30 Creating the Every Noise Genre Map19:54 Personalized Playlists and Algorithmic Programming32:25 Fans Also Like and its Evolution37:06 The Challenges of Algorithmic Recommendations41:30 The Limitations of Detecting Fraud47:56 The Mystery of Sudden Streaming Spikes01:00:19 Glenn McDonald's Book and Future PlansSubscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/Ari's Take Academy: https://aristakeacademy.comWatch more discussions like this: https://bit.ly/3LavMpaConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.takeX: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeThreads: https://www.threads.net/@aristake_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandX: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with Glenn McDonald :Every Noise: everynoise.comFuria: furia.comX: https://twitter.com/glenn_mcdonaldLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-mcdonald-ab3b36/Edited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enrollment closes soon for Ari's Take Academy! Save 10% with code NMB and enroll: https://aristakeacademy.com/This week, Ari is joined by Benn Jordan, musician, youtuber and entrepreneur, to discuss the many challenges of the modern streaming focused music industry. They discuss the recent issue around artists getting their music removed from streaming services due to fraudulent streaming activity and the impact on artists’ careers. The conversation also touches on the recent zero tolerance policy of distributors. The conversation covers topics such as the financial challenges of being an independent musician, the future of sustaining a music career, the ethics of AI in music, creating ethical AI models, and the role of artists in shaping the future of music and AI.Chapters00:00 Introduction05:35 Challenges of Streaming Platforms11:10 The Problem with Subsidized Streaming15:26 The Success Story of Independent Artists22:43 Introduction to VoiceSwap36:21 The financial challenges of being an independent musician44:02 The future of sustaining a music career49:43 The ethics of AI in music01:00:02 The role of artists in shaping the future of music and AI01:01:52 Defining success in the new music businessSubscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/Ari's Take Academy: https://aristakeacademy.comWatch more discussions like this: https://bit.ly/3LavMpaConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.takeX: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeThreads: https://www.threads.net/@aristake_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandX: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with Benn Jordan:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BennJordanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bennjordan/X: https://twitter.com/bennjordanEdited and mixed by Ari DavidsMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enrollment closes soon for Ari's Take Academy! Save 10% with code NMB and enroll: https://aristakeacademy.com/Dana Nielsen is a Grammy-nominated mixer, engineer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his work with SZA, Rihanna, Adele, Post Malone, The Smashing Pumpkins, Neil Young, Justin Timberlake, Weezer, The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan, and Kanye West.  A frequent collaborator with legendary producer, Rick Rubin, Nielsen has amassed credits that run the stylistic gamut from Neil Diamond to Slayer and just about everything in between.In this episode, Ari and ATA student Dana Nielsen, a Grammy-nominated mixing and engineering master, discuss his home studio setup, career, and superstar collaborations. He shares insights into his career journey, from starting out in Chicago to working with legendary artists and producers like Rick Rubin, Bob Dylan, and SZA. Dana emphasizes the importance of networking and seizing opportunities to advance in the music industry, highlighting the freelance nature of the entertainment industry and the importance of developing relationships in a transactional environment. Finally, Dana provides insights into the business side of engineering in the music industry, discussing the various roles and rates in the recording studio.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Gear Setup14:38 Early Career and Networking27:26 Putting Yourself Out There29:32 Meeting Rick Rubin32:12 Learning from John Hanlon33:11 Working with Rick Rubin40:26 Working on Neil Diamond's Album45:14 Understanding the Role of a Second Engineer50:44 The Business of Engineering in the Music Industry01:09:26 Making It in the New Music BusinessSubscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/Ari's Take Academy: https://aristakeacademy.comWatch more discussions like this: https://bit.ly/3LavMpaConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.takeX: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeThreads: https://www.threads.net/@aristake_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandX: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with Dana Nielsen:Website: https://www.mixprotege.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/danafrioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@danaproducerYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@danaproducerTwitter: https://twitter.com/TheDanaNielsenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaproducer/Edited and mixed by Ari Davids-ErgasMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enrollment closes soon for Ari's Take Academy! Save 10% with code NMB and enroll: https://aristakeacademy.com/Brittany Douziech is a film and TV music supervisor with 20 years of industry experience. She has a knack for supervising projects that become festival darlings including the feature film, The Long Game, which won the SXSW Audience Narrative Award in 2023; and the documentary, Body Parts, which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca and AFI Film Festivals. Additionally, Brittany has worked alongside veteran music supervisors Frankie Pine and Joe Rudge on a variety of TV projects, including Netflix’s From Scratch, Hulu’s Life & Beth, Amazon’s A League of Their Own and Daisy Jones & the Six, which was Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Music Supervision.In this episode, Ari and Brittany discuss the process of sync licensing and music supervision for TV shows. They discuss the role of a music supervisor and the creation of a sonic palette. Brittany explains the collaboration between music supervisors, directors, and editors, as well as the budgeting process for music licensing. She also shares insights into the trends in music placement and the negotiation of fees for indie artists.00:00 Introduction and Overview09:29 Trends in Music Placement10:08 Choosing Music for TV Shows13:19 Timeline and Process for Music Supervision21:19 Negotiating Fees for Indie Artists26:17 Challenges of Clearing Music for TV Shows34:18 Advice for Artists Wanting to Get Music Synced41:00 Payment for Synced Songs44:00 Breaking into the Music Supervision Industry48:47 What It Means to 'Make It' in the New Music BusinessSubscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/Ari's Take Academy: https://aristakeacademy.comConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.takeX: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeThreads: https://www.threads.net/@aristake_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandX: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with Brittany:Website: https://www.brittanydouziech.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittanydouziech/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanydouziech/IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5987667/Edited and mixed by Ari Davids-ErgasMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Order THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.comTheFatRat is known to be the world's most influential Gaming Music artist. His music ranges from euphoric progressive house to trap and melodic glitch-hop, with a heavy influence of video game music. The artist’s forward-thinking approach to lift copyright restrictions on his music has led to him having been featured in 30+ million videos from a range of different content creators-collectively accounting for over 29 billion views on YouTube.Over the years he has become one of the most top-charting acts in dance music, having had multiple singles remain in the iTunes Top 50 for over 3 years straight. He has had his music sync-to-screen for advertising giants including Coca-Cola and popular video games like the top-grossing Dota 2, Rocket League, Rolling Sky and Game For Peace and he has planted himself as the go-to-artist for Esports brands like ESL and Dreamhack.00:00 - Welcome00:57 - Ari’s intro04:19 - TheFatRat’s journey from music producer to viral sensation10:03 - TheFatRat’s experience with remixing major artists18:39 - Growing streaming numbers through others’ YouTube videos24:34 - Monetizing music on YouTube31:29 - Promoting music on YouTube and social media41:40 - Picking the right distribution platform for you52:24 - Dealing with royalties and how TheFatRat manages his careerSubscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/Ari's Take Academy: https://aristakeacademy.comWatch more discussions like this: https://bit.ly/3LavMpaConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.takeX: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeThreads: https://www.threads.net/@aristake_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandX: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with :Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefatratofficial/Threads: https://threads.net/thefatratofficial X: https://twitter.com/thisisthefatrat?lang=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefatrat Edited and mixed by Mikey EvansMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Order THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.comJamie Dee Hart is a music rights management advocate who’s passionate about giving back and educating creators at all levels of their career. She’s the Founder & CEO of Hart & Songs, an artist and rights management firm ensuring independent artists, producers, and songwriters properly register songs and effectively collect their royalties.Jamie also manages Ryan Nealon, an LA-based pop singer-songwriter with a growing audience across TikTok and Instagram from several viral moments, as well as chill electronic producer Koresma who has over 100 million streams across all DSPs. Her past projects have encompassed a broad range of activities, from producing a live concert at Madison Square Garden for a Latin GRAMMY-nominated album to providing social media strategy guidance to breakout Clubhouse star Axel Mansoor during the app's explosive growth which was featured in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Jamie also received her Masters Degree in Music Entrepreneurial Studies from Azusa Pacific University and continually helps foster the next generation of young executives.00:00 - Welcome00:47 - Ari’s Intro04:48 - Jamie Dee Hart and music rights management06:52 - Copyrighting your music and making money from Youtube20:44 - The publishing side on royalties26:16 - Using a CMS to collect Youtube royalty money vs. a distributor32:05 - Collecting money on other platforms39:47 - UMG removing tracks from TikTok51:36 - Jamie’s thoughts on building an artist’s career as an artist manager01:05:09 - What does it mean to Jamie to make it in the New Music Business?Subscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/Ari's Take Academy: https://aristakeacademy.comWatch more discussions like this: https://bit.ly/3LavMpaConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.takeX: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeThreads: https://www.threads.net/@aristake_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandX: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with Jamie Dee Hart:Hart and Songs: https://www.hartandsongs.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiedeehart/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jamiedeehartLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiedhart/Edited and mixed by Mikey EvansMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Order THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.comJJ Cassiere is the co-founder of 33 & West, an independent talent agency that specializes in the representation of established and emerging musicians, comedians, and film & television entertainment professionals. Utilizing his 20+ years of experience, Cassiere oversees the diverse Music Touring Department alongside his partners, and leads the agency’s Comedy Department, where he has worked closely with well-known, established headliners, while also nurturing emerging talent from the screen to the stage, transforming them into headlining sensations with robust ticket sales, selling out all types of venues around the globe.00:00 - Welcome04:44 - JJ Cassiere and how he started 33 & West12:16 - The roots of 33 & West from the Florida punk metal scene17:14 - When it comes to representation, what do you look for in a new artist?21:15 - How important is ticket history when finding representation, and what is your approach with developing a new artist?29:22 - Support tours and tour buy-ons39:28 - JJ’s philosophy of picking up the phone45:46 - How do you set up tours for guarantees vs door splits?55:04 - Merch splits at venuesSubscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/Ari's Take Academy: https://aristakeacademy.comWatch more discussions like this: https://bit.ly/3LavMpaConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.takeX: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeThreads: https://www.threads.net/@aristake_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandX: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with JJ Cassiere:Website: https://www.33andwest.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjcassiere/X: https://twitter.com/JJCassiereLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jj-cassiere-230036a9/Edited and mixed by Mikey EvansMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.