Stealing Back the Scalpers’ Playbook with Randy Nichols

Today we have a fascinating conversation with Randy Nichols, artist manager and CEO of Force Media Management. Randy’s been at the forefront of attempting to figure out the ticketing strategy math, especially the scalper side of the equation. We hear about his dive into the cold hard data, scalper chat rooms, and that time he sent someone undercover to the Ticket Scalpers Convention. We also talk about the allure of the “super fan” and why that is… baloney. Also we get into merch, and the general state of live music today.    News! YouTube to demonetize AI-generated videos starting July 15 Why fandom’s ‘more is more’ era could backfire YouTube’s ‘Ask Studio’ feature adds AI insight to its analytics Report: Threads is closing in on X’s daily active users total   Shoutouts! Immensity_AI Klaviyo Openstage   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.  

Today we talk with Cullen Hendrix, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, about the impact of tariffs on musical instruments. A trained political scientist as well as having a background as a touring musician, Hendrix has a really distinctive lens in which to view the tariff news. We talk about how tariffs on Chinese imports could stifle the next generation of musicians, the potential consequences for the used instrument market, and the effects on American culture as a whole.    News! The Velvet Sundown is an AI band after all, with its music created on Suno, confesses a spokesperson   AI in disguise? Music lovers angry at Spotify for promoting an allegedly fake band   Can the music industry make AI the next Napster?   Cloudflare launches a marketplace that lets websites charge AI bots for scraping   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.

Join us today as we talk with Jessica Sobhraj, the co-founder and CEO of Cosynd; a platform that helps creators protect their copyrights. We start by talking about the complex legal maneuvers involving the US Copyright Office; we then head into the ongoing impact of AI and the proactive steps you should take to safeguard your intellectual property.    But first, the news!  Anthropic Scores Major Fair Use Win in Authors’ Infringement Suit: ‘Using Copyrighted Works to Train LLMs to Generate New Text Was Quintessentially Transformative’   Affordances in the brain: The human superpower AI hasn’t mastered   Deezer Exec Says ‘There’s No Going Back’ on AI Music: ‘The Industry Will Need to Make a Decision’   The music industry is building the tech to hunt down AI songs   Shoutouts mentioned 5 Calls Sureel   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.  

On today's episode we talk with Bomo Piri, Chief Brand Officer at Native Instruments. Our conversation begins with the techno Berlin roots of the brand and dives into what’s happening today with their strategic partnerships -- like the London based Young Urban Artist Foundation, and a very cool sounding recent collab with Mustard at Coachella. We chat about Bomo's unique marketing approach as well as the importance of authentic community engagement, and how they see that as a throughline to most of their marketing efforts.   The News! US music publishing revenue jumped 13.4% to $7bn in 2024, outpacing the growth rate of recorded music   PlayStation’s concert series is coming to the US   UMG JV with investment firm WTSL focuses on ‘artist-led IP’   Sony Music CEO Talks AI: ‘We Are Going to Do Deals for New Music AI Products This Year’   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.  

On today's podcast we have a truly amazing talk with Damien Riehl, a musician and technology lawyer who is one of the masterminds behind All the Music Project; an algorithmically generated catalogue of 471 billion melodies, which was then put into the public domain in an attempt to protect musicians from being sued for copyright claims. It is a fascinating conversation. Damien’s Ted Talk here   News! Gen Z is embracing a digital detox and the ‘Martha Stewart summer’   Apple Intelligence Is Gambling on Privacy as a Killer Feature   The iPhone is your karaoke mic in tvOS 26's Apple Music Sing   Nothing will stand in the way of independents (and why the world’s first three-person indie unicorn is only a matter of time away)   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.  

”Create a flurry of content.   But do not put $10,000 aside for a celebrity to come in and talk about your brand. I want you to go after thirty smaller creators with followings between ten and thirty thousand.” Today we hear from Adam McHeffey, the former CMO of Artiphon and current Chief Creative Officer at Rock Paper Scissors to discuss effective strategies for marketing musical instruments. Key points include the significance of IRL networking, the importance of strategic planning, and the role of traditional PR. Adam also provides some very clear step-by-step marketing strategies. This episode is a must for anyone looking to launch a new product or musical instrument.   News! Events-tech firm Fever raises its latest nine-digit funding round   AI, bot farms and innocent indie victims: how music streaming became a hotbed of fraud and fakery   Do not settle.   AM Radio Mandate is Moving in Congress — But Should It Pair with Performance Royalty Requirements?   ‘Ethical’ AI Music Firms React to the Majors’ Suno-Udio Licensing Talks: ‘We Just Get Left Behind’   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.  

Today we bring you the recording from our latest on-line Seismic Event, “Artist Careers in a Parallel Universe.” It was an exploration into the livelihood of three working artists; Clara Venice, Vivek Agrawal, and The Phronetic. RPS Chief Creative Officer, Adam McHeffey talks with them about how they are using new technology to fuel their creative visions, how they've built brand relationships, and importantly, how they're monetizing their networks. Great insight into how they make it work. Also! stick around for the news.   Seismic Activity Guests Vivek Agrawal The Cassette Speaker The Oasis   Clara Venice Locket   The Phronetic   Sign up for the next Seismic Activity!   Links to the News What Is Going On With the Chaos At the Copyright Office? Fake Podcasts EU artists generated more than $1.8 billion on Spotify in 2024, up 15% YoY   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.

On today’s news roundup show Dmitri and Eleanor tackle the week's music tech news. They discuss Spotify's app store changes, Apple Music's new transfer tool, and so many AI music industry developments, including the $10 million AI music fraud case.    News you might want to read: Spotify says App Store changes have boosted its subscriptions   Apple Music’s new transfer tool simplifies switching from other streaming services   Martina McBride Speaks Out Against AI Deepfakes at Senate Hearing: ‘It’s Just Terrifying’   Udio launches mobile app using Apple’s in-app purchases system   OpenAI has hardware ambitions – and a $6.5bn deal to ignite them   ‘A Billion Streams and No Fans’: Inside a $10 Million AI Music Fraud Case   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.  

In today’s episode we welcome pioneering innovator Ty Roberts, founder of Gracenote, and former CTO of Universal Music Group. We talk about some of the pivotal moments in his career including Gracenote's role in the development of iTunes, and working with David Bowie on generative music. We discuss the future of visual music experiences, the rise of AI in music creation, and the possibilities for personalized live events using advanced technologies.    Shoutouts from the News Are Tech Bros Hijacking the Music Industry? An Urgent Look at the Latest AI Developments SoundCloud Says Users’ Music Isn’t Being Used for AI Training Following Backlash Licensing AI music: the industry is focusing on the wrong problem U.S. Copyright Office Releases New Report on Legality of AI Training, Suggesting Law Is With Rightsholders on Key Issues Taco Bell launches record club with 2025 Feed The Beat class   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.

On today's episode, Dmitri and Tristra discuss the news of the week. They review recent acquisitions like Monstercat and BANDS, and discuss the economic confidence of the music sector despite economic downturns. They also talk about the evolving role of AI and the implications of recent legal copyright cases on AI training data. It’s a lot of news to round up!    Shoutouts Create Music Group acquires again, swooping for indie electronic label Monstercat Jay Penske Takes Control of SXSW: Will Profits, Politics Overtake Festival? Trump signals willingness to extend TikTok ban deadline again Arts agency terminates dozens of grants after Trump proposes eliminating NEA Are Music Companies Seeing Consumer Pullback? This Week’s Earnings Calls Offered an Answer Live Nation predicts ‘historic year’ despite revenue decline Judge in Meta case warns AI could 'obliterate' market for original works Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Report   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.