The Music Maestro Podcast with Dan Fisk

Bill and Al are the co-founders of The Other Songs, an independent music company working across records, publishing, management and live events. After starting their careers in A&R at major labels including Warner Music and Island Records, the brothers launched The Other Songs to build a company centred around the song and the people who create it.🎙️ In this episode, we explore Bill and Al's journey from working at major labels to building The Other Songs from the ground up. We discuss why they felt songwriters were being undervalued by the music industry, how a small songwriter night grew into a major live platform, the importance of artist development, and the stories behind some of their biggest successes, including Ren and Super-Hi & NEEKA. We also explore their approach to discovering talent, building an independent music company, supporting the next generation, and why great songs remain at the heart of everything they do.📌 Highlights:◼️ How Bill and Al went from major labels to founding The Other Songs◼️ Why they believe songwriters have been undervalued by the music industry◼️ How a small songwriter night became The Other Songs Live◼️ What they look for when discovering unsigned artists and songwriters◼️ The story behind Ren's journey to a UK number one album◼️ How Super-Hi & NEEKA's ‘Following The Sun’ became a global hit◼️ Why artist development still matters in today's music industry◼️How The Other Songs operates across records, publishing and management◼️ Why they share master income with non-performing songwriters◼️ What it's like building a music company as brothers◼️ The importance of supporting young people and arts education◼️ Why learning to say no can be one of the most important lessons in business⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction & The Other Songs01:06 - From Major Labels To Independent Music02:33 - Why They Started The Other Songs03:54 - How The Songwriter Night Began05:32 - Building The Other Songs From Scratch06:34 - Why Songwriters Were Undervalued07:39 - Is Artist Development Disappearing?10:14 - What They Look For In New Artists11:17 - The Story Of Ren13:19 - How ‘Following The Sun’ Became A Global Hit16:08 - Their Favourite Other Songs Releases17:24 - Records, Publishing & Management19:03 - Building A Multifaceted Music Company20:14 - ‘The Song Is The Nucleus’21:17 - Supporting Non-Performing Songwriters23:48 - Building A Company As Brothers26:06 - How They Complement Each Other28:24 - What Makes A Good Leader30:50 - Supporting The Next Generation33:44 - Their Mission For Free Arts Education34:46 - What They Would Do Differently36:17 - Their Favourite Songs Of All Time37:51 - The Rise Of Yacht Rock🎵 Music Maestro helps artists and brands grow with music content fans love 🫶🌍 Visit our website: https://www.musicmaestro.co.uk📬 Join our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gKhqHX📽️ Watch our showreel: https://musicmaestro.box.com/s/vnzcu8#musicbusiness #musicmarketing #artistdevelopment #musicindustry #songwriters #musicindustrytips #musicpublishing #AandR

Zara Stewart is a music marketing executive whose career has spanned artist campaigns, international marketing, live events and streaming partnerships. Working across some of the biggest names in music, she now specialises in platform marketing, helping legacy artists maximise opportunities with Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. Alongside her career, Zara has built a LinkedIn audience of over 20,000 followers by sharing practical advice on breaking into the music industry, personal branding and artist development.🎙️ In this episode, we explore Zara's journey from starting a passion project podcast to landing an internship at Sony Music and building a successful career in the music industry. We discuss what it really takes to break into the business, how personal branding can open unexpected doors, why artists need to think beyond viral moments, and the strategies behind building sustainable careers in today's music landscape.📌 Highlights:◼️ How Zara broke into the music industry without industry connections◼️ Why passion alone isn't enough to build a successful career◼️ How LinkedIn became a powerful career-building tool◼️ The biggest mistakes artists and music professionals make online◼️ Why artists should focus on building communities, not just chasing viral moments◼️ Practical advice for anyone looking to build a career in music⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction01:48 - Discovering A Career In Music04:08 - Landing An Internship At Sony Music05:27 - Why Passion Alone Isn't Enough06:13 - Breaking Into The Industry Without Connections09:00 - Building A Personal Brand On LinkedIn12:53 - Growing 20,000+ Followers In Six Months13:16 - How LinkedIn Created New Career Opportunities14:15 - Posting Four Times A Week In Just One Hour16:12 - The Biggest LinkedIn Mistakes Music Professionals Make19:13 - What Platform Marketing Actually Is19:33 - Why Some Artists Build Long-Term Careers21:15 - What Artists With No Audience Should Do First24:01 - Why Live Streaming Is A Huge Opportunity25:23 - Are Artists Under Too Much Pressure To Create Content?27:14 - Building A Visible & Valuable Career29:18 - The Advice Zara Would Give Her Younger Self30:45 - How To Break Into The Music Industry Today32:14 - Is University Still Worth It?35:53 - Why Amy Winehouse Is The Blueprint For Artists📲 Follow Zara StewartInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zara.nirvana/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-stewart-a2a890150/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zara.stewart📲 Follow Dan Fisk:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dan.fisk_/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danleonfisk/---🎵 Music Maestro helps artists and brands grow with music content fans love 🫶🌍 Visit our website:https://www.musicmaestro.co.uk📬 Join our newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gKhqHX📽️ Watch our showreel:https://musicmaestro.box.com/s/vnzcu8...#musicbusiness #musicmarketing #artistdevelopment #musicindustrytips #personalbranding #linkedin

Mike Delinquent is a DJ, producer, songwriter, and one of the key architects of the UK bassline movement. As one half of Delinquent, he helped shape the sound of UK garage and bassline through a string of influential records, remixes, and collaborations with artists including Usher, Ciara, Wiley, Danity Kane, and Fifth Harmony. Nearly 20 years after its original release, his biggest record, *My Destiny*, has found a remarkable second life, amassing billions of views across social media and connecting with an entirely new generation of listeners.🎙️ In this episode, we explore Mike's journey from working in a phone shop while chasing a dream in music to becoming one of the defining producers of the bassline era. We discuss the rise of UK garage, the birth of bassline, the story behind *My Destiny*, navigating multiple waves of music industry change, and what it feels like to watch a song explode around the world two decades after its release.📌 Highlights:◼️ From phone shop employee to UK dance music pioneer◼️ How Delinquent helped shape the bassline movement◼️ The story behind the making of *My Destiny*◼️ Why a 20-year-old record suddenly connected with billions of people◼️ The emotional connection between *My Destiny* and the neurodivergent community◼️ Why Mike believes great music can find its audience at any time⏱️ Timestamps:00:11:33 - Mike Delinquent's Journey Begins00:12:15 - Working In A Phone Shop While Chasing Music00:14:24 - Discovering UK Garage & London Rave Culture00:15:50 - When Delinquent Was Born00:17:43 - Right Place, Wrong Time?00:20:13 - The Sheffield Call That Changed Everything00:21:48 - How UK Garage Became Bassline00:23:12 - The Story Behind My Destiny00:24:39 - Knowing The Song Was Special00:25:26 - Going Solo As Mike Delinquent00:27:01 - The UK Garage Resurgence00:28:43 - A 20-Year-Old Song Goes Viral00:30:02 - The Neurodivergent Community Discovers My Destiny00:33:01 - Why The Moment Felt Spiritual00:34:15 - 3.5 Billion Views Later00:35:07 - Why My Destiny Connected With A New Generation00:36:29 - What Comes Next For The Song00:37:12 - Don't Ever Give Up00:38:23 - Why UK Garage Never Dies📲 Follow Mike DelinquentInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikedelinquent📲 Follow Dan Fisk:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danleonfisk---🎵 Music Maestro helps artists and brands grow with music content fans love 🫶🌍 Visit our website:https://www.musicmaestro.co.uk📬 Join our newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gKhqHX📽️ Watch our showreel:https://musicmaestro.box.com/s/vnzcu89ik251sic5uaojto7b1kql0zq3#musicindustry #musicbusiness #ukgarage #bassline #musicmarketing #podcast

Fraser T Smith is a Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, and musician whose work spans pop, grime, and UK rap, shaping era-defining records for artists including Adele, Stormzy, Dave, Raye, and Craig David. With over 2,500 songs written and billions of streams worldwide, Fraser has played a key role in redefining what it means to be a producer in the modern music industry. 🎙️ In this episode, we explore his journey from guitarist to global hitmaker, the true role of a producer, the making of Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain, the blurred line between songwriting and production, and why success today is about balance, health, and building a sustainable creative life.📌 Highlights:◼️ Redefining success beyond awards, charts, and industry validation◼️ Inside the making of Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain◼️ What needs to change to keep live music accessible and sustainable◼️ How human feel and creativity protect producers in an automated era⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 - Meet Fraser T Smith: From Pop to Grime00:45 - Redefining What It Means to Be a Producer01:36 - Why Awards Don’t Define Success03:17 - What Success Really Means at 5405:29 - A Successful Life Is Just a Collection of Great Days06:18 - Meeting Craig David 09:31 - The Moment That Set Fraser on the Producer Path09:44 - Songwriter vs Producer: What’s the Difference?11:00 - The Producer’s Real Job: Serving the Artist14:27- How the Producer Role Has Changed Over 25 Years17:37 - Producing Bands vs Solo Artists19:01 - Inside Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain”22:17 - Letting Go: You Can’t Control a Hit Song23:38 - Writing 2,500 Songs and only releasing 30024:46 - From Guitarist to Grime and UK Rap35:45 - Why Helping the Artist Always Comes First39:42 - The Harsh Reality of Touring & Live Music Today56:06 - Fraser’s Favourite Artist of All Time57:15 Fraser T Smith’s Top Five Songs Ever📲 Follow Fraser T SmithInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/frasertsmith/📲 Follow Dan Fisk:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danleonfiskTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@danleonfisk__________________________________________________________________🎵 Music Maestro helps artists and brands grow with music content fans love 🫶🌍 Visit our website:https://www.musicmaestro.co.uk📬 Join our newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gKhqHX📽️ Watch our showreel:https://musicmaestro.box.com/s/vnzcu89ik251sic5uaojto7b1kql0zq3#musicindustry #musicbusiness #musicmarketing #music #podcast

Alex Jukes is the founder of Jukebox and The Tribes — two of the most influential marketing engines in global dance music.Through his work with 150+ festivals worldwide and a 40M-follower creator network, he’s helped shape how events, artists, and brands build audiences in the modern era.Now leading both a full-service creative agency and one of the fastest-growing influencer communities in electronic music, Alex is redefining what festival marketing looks like in 2026 — from raw fan-shot content to micro-raves, cultural storytelling, and algorithm-native campaigns.🎙️ In this episode, we dive into his journey, how music marketing has evolved, the death of aftermovies, the rise of pop-ups and fan communities, TikTok vs Instagram strategy, and what the future of festival culture looks like.📌 Highlights:◼️ How PR evolved from magazine placements to algorithm-native storytelling◼️ TikTok vs Instagram: what actually works in 2026 Building ◼️ Building The Tribes network and spotting viral creators early◼️ The Ministry of Sound “toilet rave” prank that fooled the whole industry⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 - Intro Meet Alex Jukes: The Man Behind 150+ Festivals 02:29 - What Jukebox Really Does Today 03:48 - What Is PR?09:17 - Birth of The Tribes: Building Early Community Pages 13:06 - Why Polished Content Is Dying 14:50 - Are Phones Killing the Dancefloor? 19:35 - Aftermovies Are Dead — FOMO Clips Win 20:02 - The State of the Live Industry 22:23 - The Ministry of Sound “Toilet Rave” Campaign24:14 - The Future of Music Marketing 25:41 - Why Pop-Ups & Micro-Raves Work 27:32 - Can DJs Survive Without Social Media? 30:45 - Why Alex Started His Podcast - Loud & Unfiltered📲 Follow Alex Jukes:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexjukebox/👉 Follow Jukebox:https://linktr.ee/jukebox.pr🎧 Listen to the Loud & Unfiltered podcast:https://linktr.ee/loudandunfilteredpod📲 Follow Dan Fisk:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danleonfiskTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@danleonfisk__________________________________________________________________🎵 Music Maestro helps artists and brands grow with music content fans love 🫶🌍 Visit our website:https://www.musicmaestro.co.uk📬 Join our newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gKhqHX📽️ Watch our showreel:https://musicmaestro.box.com/s/vnzcu89ik251sic5uaojto7b1kql0zq3#musicindustry #musicbusiness #musicmarketing #music #podcast

Alex Peppiatt is a former Senior A&R at Parlophone / Warner Music, where he helped discover and develop breakout stars like PinkPantheress, Ashnikko, CKay, S1mba, and more.Now the founder of All Ways Dance Records, Alex is building a new wave of culturally-led music platforms and redefining what A&R means in today’s industry.🎙️ In this episode, we explore his career journey, what makes a viral artist, how to build independent artist infrastructure, and the future of music talent discovery.📌 Highlights:◼️ How PinkPantheress was discovered and developed◼️ What A&R really means in 2025 - and how it’s changed◼️ Why his label bets on niche, culturally distinct sounds◼️ The difference between managing vs signing artists◼️ What makes a song truly viral - and how to spot it early⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Intro01:15 – What does an A&R actually do?04:40 – From Sony to Ministry of Sound: Alex’s first breaks08:50 – Discovering PinkPantheress: the real story14:28 – Building All Ways Dance Records from scratch18:10 – How niche, culture-led music wins in 202423:05 – Viral hits: what made “Rover” & “Love Nwantiti” work27:33 – The rise of independent artist infrastructure30:20 – Management vs Label: how artists choose34:00 – Why “luck” is actually about readiness39:15 – Tips for aspiring A&Rs and artist managers42:00 – Which artist does Alex think will break in 2026?44:30 – Final thoughts and industry advice📲 Follow Alex Peppiatt:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexpeppiatt🎧 Listen to the latest AWD Records releases:https://linktr.ee/allwaysdance📲 Follow Dan Fisk:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danleonfiskTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@danleonfisk__________________________________________________________________🎵 Music Maestro helps artists and brands grow with music content fans love 🫶🌍 Visit our website:https://www.musicmaestro.co.uk📬 Join our newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gKhqHX📽️ Watch our showreel:https://musicmaestro.box.com/s/vnzcu89ik251sic5uaojto7b1kql0zq3#musicindustry #musicbusiness #musicmarketing #music #podcast

🎙️ This is the Music Maestro Podcast. A show that gets beneath the skin of the music business by speaking to the people that live and breathe this industry. In every show we deep dive into hot topics to explore what's happening right now and what the future holds. Plus we talk about career paths, music tastes and more. 🎵 Music Maestro creates content for the music industry working with labels globally across Sony, Universal & Warner Music. 

🎙️ This is the Music Maestro Podcast. A show that gets beneath the skin of the music business by speaking to the people that live and breathe this industry. In every show we deep dive into hot topics to explore what's happening right now and what the future holds. Plus we talk about career paths, music tastes and more. 🎵 Music Maestro creates content for the music industry working with labels globally across Sony, Universal & Warner Music. 

🎙️ This is the Music Maestro Podcast. A show that gets beneath the skin of the music business by speaking to the people that live and breathe this industry. In every show we deep dive into hot topics to explore what's happening right now and what the future holds. Plus we talk about career paths, music tastes and more. 🎵 Music Maestro creates content for the music industry working with labels globally across Sony, Universal & Warner Music. 

🎙️ This is the Music Maestro Podcast. A show that gets beneath the skin of the music business by speaking to the people that live and breathe this industry. In every show we deep dive into hot topics to explore what's happening right now and what the future holds. Plus we talk about career paths, music tastes and more. 🎵 Music Maestro creates content for the music industry working with labels globally across Sony, Universal & Warner Music.