Algorithms vs. Curators: YouTube’s Role in Breaking Through The Noise

It’s harder than ever to breaking through the noise, but navigating YouTube may be a prerequisite to even have a chance. In this episode, I’m joined by YouTube’s Director of Black Music & Culture, Tuma Basa. He returns to reflect on the platform’s evolution and the ongoing relationship between curators and the algorithms they rely on to reach the masses. 03:23 The YouTube Advantages 12:42 Global Music Trends 16:29 Community Engagement on Platforms 18:42 Music videos: Hype Williams and Dave Meyers Our partners at Chartmetric just released a new report you should check out, 2025 Make Music Equal Report. Our Trapital Summit is Wednesday, September 10 in LA! Get your early bird tickets here before July 24. This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

This is the room for the leaders shaping what's next in music, entertainment, and technology. It's Wednesday, September 10 at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA. ​Register now. Early bird pricing ends July 24, two weeks from today. You'll hear from: Elliot Grainge, CEO, Atlantic Music Group Steve Pamon, CEO, Verzuz | Board Member, IMAX Erin Teague, CPO, Character.ai Kakul Srivastava, CEO, Splice Andrew Sanchez, Co-Founder and CEO, Udio ...More to be announced soon Special thanks to our partners who helped make the summit possible: Platinum: The Raine Group Gold: Splice, Warner Music Group Bronze: SoundCloud, Too Lost ​Early bird pricing ends July 24. Come join us!

This episode’s a bit different, no guests. I’m going solo to break down a big topic. For record labels, the market share they have relative to peers drives major decisions both macro and micro. They spend a lot to maintain that position. Is it all worth it? 01:33 Market Share’s Financial Impact 05:49 Challenges & Critiques 07:21 Cross-Industry Parallels 12:54 Indies vs. Majors Trapital Summit is on Wednesday September 10 in LA. Join us! This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Now that the dust has settled on Taylor Swift’s music rights saga, what’s next? We unpacked the financial impact of all the transactions on key players like Scooter Braun, Scott Borchetta, Shamrock Capital, and Swift herself. While all of those parties made a lot more money, we took a deeper look into the potential losers over the years. And lastly, we tackle an important question: how will history remember this? Join me and Tati Cirisano as we break it all down. 00:47 Scooter Braun’s Legacy 03:34 Taylor Swift Fans 07:12 Artists Reclaiming Their Music Rights 11:42 Superstar Leverage 24:25 Ticketmaster and the Eras Tour This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week. Trapital summit

We’re joined by AWAL CEO Lonny Olinick. In the episode, we broke down why artist development still matters, how AWAL merges traditional record label services with its distribution business, giving artists creative freedom, global reach, and real ownership to AWAL’s artist-first approach often beats major label deals, what it means to be part of the Sony Music family, and how the future of music is being rewritten—deal by deal. 00:13 AWAL Business Model 03:57 Artist Development Focus 10:19 Sony’s Acquisition of AWAL 13:40 Global Expansion and Team Building 25:13 Industry Insights and Future Outlook This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

We’re joined by AWAL CEO Lonny Olinick. In the episode, we broke down why artist development still matters, how AWAL merges traditional record label services with its distribution business, giving artists creative freedom, global reach, and real ownership to AWAL’s artist-first approach often beats major label deals, what it means to be part of the Sony Music family, and how the future of music is being rewritten—deal by deal. 00:13 AWAL Business Model 03:57 Artist Development Focus 10:19 Sony’s Acquisition of AWAL 13:40 Global Expansion and Team Building 25:13 Industry Insights and Future Outlook This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Hip-hop’s has had an outsized impact in fashion for decades, but where are we today? In this episode, I am joined by Fashion Killa author Sowmya Krishnamurthy. We unpack hip-hop’s relationship with fashion, how these partnerships have evolved, where they stand in 2025, and what we want to see more of. 01:41 Hip-Hop’s Cultural Impact vs. Sales Metrics 11:37 Nostalgia and the Evolution of Celebrity 23:22 The Future of Hip-Hop in High Fashion This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

American music still dominate the global stage, despite the world going local. In this episode, I am joined by former chief economist at Spotify, Will Page. We explore the powerful global influence of American music and what it reveals about culture, commerce, and control in the streaming era. From top-down industry power to bottom-up grassroots movements, we unpack how hits spread, why the U.S. music market is still growing despite predictions of global decentralization, and more. 00:28 American Music’s Global Influence 03:40 Glocalization and Market Dynamics 09:42 Hip-Hop an Country Music Trends 13:24 Economic Factors 27:50 Will Page’s Mixcloud This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week. For Will’s 2025 DJ mix, here’s the full link

There are billions of videos uploaded to the internet daily. They all need the right music or sound effect. Many of them rely on Epidemic Sound to make that happen. In this episode, I’m joined by Oscar Hoglund, co-founder and CEO of Epidemic Sound. We dive into how Epidemic Sound uses AI to enhance music discovery while ensuring fair compensation for artists through a unique revenue model. Oscar also shares valuable insights on industry trends, the growth of the creator economy, and where the next wave of value will come from. 01:50 Evolution of Content Creation 06:59 Epidemic Sound's Four-Pillar Model 21:01 The Acceleration of the Creator Economy 24:22 AI in Music Adaptation and Generation 28:18 Data and Distribution 36:24 Future Aspirations This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Listen in for our Chartmetric Stat of the Week.

Is the global market headed for another shake-up? In this episode, we unpack the rising uncertainty in international trade and finance—from shifting geopolitical alliances to unexpected tariffs and policy pivots. What does this mean for businesses, investors, and everyday consumers? Tune in as Billboard’s Senior Finance Correspondent, Liz Dilts Marshall and I break down the trends, the tensions, and what might come next in the global economy. 00:31 Investor Interest in Music Assets 01:49 Earnings Reports and Market Reactions 09:04 Potential Impact of Tariffs 11:39 Touring and Live Music Challenges 17:12 Hipgnosis and Music Royalties 23:59 Comparing Music Value: 1999 vs. Today This episode is presented by State Farm, the home for your small business needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.