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Music Tectonics

Rock Paper Scissors, Inc. PR firm

The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. The podcast includes news roundups, interviews, and more. Our host is Dmitri Vietze, CEO of PR firm rock paper scissors.

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Wednesday · 49 min
How AI is Transforming the Music Business
AI in music is about more than generating songs. How could it transform the business behind the music? This week on the podcast, Dmitri talks with Matt Urmy, co-founder and CEO of Artist Growth, about how AI can help music companies work smarter, connect their data and systems, and spend less time on operational challenges and more time supporting artists A former touring musician, Matt built Artist Growth to solve business problems he experienced firsthand. They explore why the music industry needs technology built around its unique needs, where AI could have the biggest impact on day-to-day operations, and how the industry can capture more of the value music creates beyond records and streams. As the conversation around AI moves beyond the hype, Matt shares a perspective on the less visible ways technology could reshape the music business. 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 show notes 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.
October 7 · 28 min
Rising Tide: Why You Need to Be at Music Tectonics 2026
What does a rising tide look like when the whole music industry rows in the same direction? This week, we close out the Rising Tide miniseries witha recap conversation between host Dmitri Vietze and Eleanor Rust, director of marketing at Rock Paper Scissors and Music Tectonics, recorded in the Seismic Studio. Dmitri shares why Music Tectonics chose a theme for the first time in 8 years, how a coffee shop in Portland led to the rising tide theme, and what the series taught him about why music is still a smaller industry than it could be. Then, they walk through some of the sessions in this year's conference that put the theme to work for startups, labels, managers, and creators, including some things that are new for returning conference goers. It's not too late to get tickets to the conference, October 27-29 on the beach in Santa Monica (hint- there might be a discount in this episode for podcast listeners). Get your tickets here- https://www.musictectonics.com/ 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.
September 30 · 57 min
Format Shifts: New Products for Music Fans
What happens when music becomes more than something you stream, but instead something you can hold? This week, we're wrapping up the Rising Tide miniseries with the 8th and final revenue multiplier: new products for the music buyer. First, Jennifer Sullivan of KiTbetter explains how the KiTalbum pairs a physical collectible with a digital experience. Then, Jaime Marconette of Luminate breaks down the latest trends in physical music, including the rising interest of CDs and the emergence of Smart Media. Finally, Tarun Nayar of Modern Biology returns to talk about how he turned the experience of his music into an instrument, and what he's learned from selling that at shows instead of just a vinyl or t-shirt. This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, working through the revenue multipliers that grow the value of the music industry, and building toward this year's Music Tectonics Conference theme in Santa Monica this October. Get your tickets now 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 show notes 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.
September 23 · 1 hr 3 min
How Direct-To-Fan Unlocks Revenue
This week on the podcast, we're on revenue multiplier 7 on our Rising Tide miniseries: direct-to-fan. First, Mag Rodriguez, founder and CEO of EVEN, makes the case that most artists are leaving serious money on the table by skipping direct-to-fan entirely, and why you don't need a big mailing list to start selling directly to fans. Then, J Edward Keyes, editorial director at Bandcamp, explains why CDs are suddenly outselling vinyl with younger fans, and walks through some of the free features on Bandcamp that most artists still aren't using. Finally, Tim Quirk, SVP at Zedge and general manager of the new streaming app Tapedeck, talks about why streaming has never paid artists what they're actually worth, and what he's building to fix it. Three companies, all betting that the future of music revenue runs through the fan relationship, not around it. This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, working through the revenue multipliers that grow the value of the music industry, and building toward this year's Music Tectonics Conference theme in Santa Monica this October. Get your tickets now 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 show notes 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.
September 16 · 1 hr 2 min
Fan Growth Tech: More Fans, Buying More Things
What does it actually take to turn followers into fans who buy? This week, we're digging into Fan Growth, one of the 8 revenue multipliers in our Rising Tide miniseries. First, DJay Brawner of TUFF MGMT and MANAGR breaks down why the real work often starts before you grow your audience, making sure you're collecting the money from the fans you already have. Then, Megh Vakharia of SymphonyOS shares how AI agents are turning discovery moments into direct revenue, from automated ad campaigns to catalog valuations. Finally, Anj Fayemi of Rivet explains how unified fan data powers automations that drive repeat merch sales and sell out venues twice as fast. This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, working through the revenue multipliers that grow the value of the music industry, all leading up to the Music Tectonics Conference this October in Santa Monica. 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 show notes 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.
September 9 · 54 min
More Music Means More Growth: The New Job of Distributors
What is a music distributor actually responsible for in 2026? This week on the Music Tectonics podcast, we're focusing on distribution and artist services as a revenue multiplier. It used to mean one thing: getting your music onto Spotify and Apple. Now the companies doing that are pitching marketing, financing, even A&R, and we're asking what's real and what's marketing. First, Daouda Leonard of CreateSafe traces how we got here, from physical distribution through companies like Koch, to TuneCore's 2009 launch as the first real self-upload on-ramp, through the SoundCloud and blog era, to the "gold rush" of 2013 to 2018 when the playing field briefly leveled between independent artists and major labels He also argues that most of what distributors pitch today is still a myth unless real capital backs it, and breaks down how some are starting to structure what looks like a record deal (minus the part where they take your copyright). Then, Isaac Miranda, global marketing director at ONErpm, joins to talk about what a company he calls possibly the last large independent music company operating at scale actually turns on for an artist once they sign, from paid media and sync to fan engagement. We revisit the story from the Emmanuel Zunz episode back in May and pick it up from the marketing side, including a stat from a recent ONErpm audit that found 70-80% of artists in emerging markets weren't collecting their publishing rights. This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, working through the revenue multipliers that grow the value of the music industry, all leading up to the Music Tectonics Conference this October in Santa Monica. 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 show notes 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.
September 2 · 51 min
What if Generative AI Grows the Music Business?
What if generative AI actually grows the music business instead of shrinking it? This week, Dmitri Vietze tackles the AI question everyone's tired of hearing about, but from a different angle. First, Matt Adell, co-founder of Musical.ai, breaks down the $20 billion opportunity sitting inside AI music, and what it actually takes to get consent, attribution and compensation right instead of scraping music without permission. Then Gaurav Sharma, founder of Hook, makes the case for AI as an amplifier for fan engagement rather than a replacement for artists, and why even a fraction of social music consumption could be worth as much as streaming is today. Stick around after the interview for a preview of next week's episode with Daouda Leonard of CreateSafe, former creative director for Grimes, on the story behind Grimes AI voice licensing platform elf.tech and what they learned from building it. This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, working through the revenue multipliers that grow the value of the music industry, all leading up to the Music Tectonics Conference this October in Santa Monica. 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.
August 26 · 1 hr 5 min
New Forms of Licensing: How Businesses, Apps, and Games Pay for Music
What happens when businesses, apps, and games use music without really paying for it? This week we're on the third revenue multiplier of our Rising Tide miniseries: new forms of licensing hiding in plain sight. First, Soundtrack CEO Ola Sars breaks down the 40 billion dollar market for background music in businesses, and why more than 80% of companies playing music today are doing it the wrong way. Only 5% of US businesses are fully compliant on public performance licensing, and that gap is costing the industry billions. Next, we have Lauren Pufpaf of Feed Media Group explain how personalized, intelligent music licensing is opening up categories most of the industry has not even noticed, including a 5 billion dollar opportunity in AI video platforms. Finally, Tomas Jenneborg of Reactional Music reveals that the gaming industry spends 25 to 30 billion dollars a year on user acquisition ads, and music is getting none of it. 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.
August 19 · 56 min
How Music Catalogs Get Valued and Sold
What is your music catalog actually worth, and how would you even find out? This week we're on the second stop of our Rising Tide miniseries, tackling catalog valuation, one of the revenue multipliers we're covering ahead of the Music Tectonics Conference this October. First, music lawyer and Instagram creator Ryan Schmidt breaks down how catalogs get valued, the difference between the multiplier method and discounted cash flow analysis, and why an audit can uncover money you didn't know you were owed. We also get into name, image, and likeness rights, AI licensing, and where Ryan thinks the biggest growth opportunities are for artists and songwriters. Then we bring in two companies already working in this space. Sho Mitchell from Beatlibrary walks us through what a catalog valuation tool actually looks like in practice, and Rob Steiner from Luminate shares data on the current state of the catalog acquisition market. If you're a music tech company solving problems like these, come demo on the beach and network with the ecosystem at the Music Tectonics Conference, October 27 to 29 in Santa Monica. 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.
August 12 · 1 hr 1 min
Revenue Recovery: How to Recover Lost Music Royalties
There's no lost and found for your royalties. If you don't claim them, they don't come looking for you, and depending on where the money's sitting, you may only have a few years before it's gone for good. This week we kick off a new thread inside our Rising Tide miniseries: the eight revenue multipliers in music. We're starting with revenue recovery, the money that's already been earned but never made it back to the artists, songwriters, and producers who are owed it. We talk to three companies attacking this problem from three different angles. Jason Feinberg, who leads Kosign at Kobalt Music, breaks down why revenue recovery is such a persistent problem in the first place, the fundamentals every artist needs to register (PRO, MLC, SoundExchange), and why an hour spent getting your metadata in order might be the most profitable hour of your career. Jeff Ponchick, co-founder and CEO of Mogul, explains how his company built something like "the Plaid of the music industry," centralizing royalty data across every platform an artist is owed money from, and why up to 50% of artist catalogs are registered incorrectly without anyone realizing it. Rob Brown, chief revenue officer at mprs, zooms into a corner of revenue recovery almost nobody talks about: the master points owed to producers, mixers, engineers, and top line songwriters, and how something as small as an unsigned letter of direction can freeze a producer's income entirely. If you're a music tech company solving problems like these, come demo on the beach and network with the ecosystem at the Music Tectonics Conference, October 27 to 29 in Santa Monica. 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.
August 5 · 53 min
Eight Revenue Multipliers of the Music Industry
What's your music catalog actually worth, and where is the industry still leaving money on the table? This week, Dmitri is joined by our chief writer Tristra Newyear Yeager for a deep dive into eight revenue multipliers that they believe can grow the total addressable market for music. Building on last month's conversation with Eleanor about the rising tide thesis, Dmitri and Tristra break down each multiplier one by one: catalog valuation, revenue recovery, artist and label services, licensing, AI licensing, fan growth, fan revenue, and new music products. Along the way, we mention a ton of companies that are actually building in this space right now, so keep an ear out if you're looking for tools to grow your own business. They talk about where catalogs are becoming an investable asset class, why the industry still has multiple black boxes leaking royalty revenue, and how distributors are evolving into full platforms for artists and labels. They also dig into the complicated economics of AI licensing, from training data to generation to the songs that come out the other end, and look at emerging companies working on attribution, revenue recovery, and fan monetization across the space. This episode is part of the Rising Tide miniseries, tied to this year's Music Tectonics Conference theme, Rising Tide: Grow the Music, Grow the Value. The conference takes place October 27 to 29, 2026, in Santa Monica. Companies mentioned: Royaltyport, Beatlibrary, Primordial, Legitary, Luminate, Chartmetric, Viberate, Mogul, MusicInfra, Shine-X, Claimy, Curve Royalty System, AIMS, ONErpm, Orphiq, beatBread, SongStats, Sound Credit, LyricFind, Soundstripe, feed.fm, Soundtrack Your Brand, Merlin Connect, ClicknClear, Musical AI, Vocana, Laylo, Symphony OS, Audience Republic, Rap Fame, OpenStage, Fave, Even, Patreon, Vinyl Bar in Shibuya, Hook, AudioShake, Kitbetter, Tiny Vinyl. 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 show notes 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.
August 3 · 30 min
What Multiplies Revenue for Music? (Bonus Episode)
We interrupt this miniseries for a special bonus episode! Last week, we laid out a theory on what technology can do to grow the value of music, so this time we wanted to hear from someone who is actually betting billions of dollars on the answer. Sam Hendel is the managing partner of Chord Music Partners, a leading pure play music rights catalog home to works from artists like the Weeknd, David Guetta, OneRepublic, Kid Cudi, Diplo and Fleetwood Mac, and he is deploying serious capital alongside Universal Music Group to acquire more of it. Dmitri and Sam get into how catalogs actually get valued, where the industry is still leaking money through under collected royalties and outdated PRO systems, and why streaming remains the best deal in the world for consumers. They also cover how AI, fandom data, and artist brand extensions could reshape where music revenue grows next, plus the thorny question of AI generated music: why attribution is the real unlock, and what a fair model for paying creators when their work trains or inspires new songs might look like. If you have ever wondered how the people writing nine figure checks for music catalogs think about risk, growth, and the future of the industry, this conversation is for you. 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.
July 29 · 47 min
What If Tech Grows the Music Industry Instead of Disrupting It?
That's the question host Dmitri Vietze presents to Vickie Nauman, founder of CrossBorderWorks, in this episode of Music Tectonics. Vickie has spent over two decades at the intersection of music and tech, working on sync licensing for video games and virtual worlds, and pioneering the concept of minimum viable music. This is episode three in the Rising Tide miniseries, built around the theme of this year's Music Tectonics Conference, Rising Tide: Grow the Music, Grow the Value, taking place October 27 to 29, 2026 in Santa Monica. Dmitri and Vickie unpack why technology and the music business have always clashed, why music is usually first to be disrupted by new platforms, and why volume based streaming rewards top artists while leaving mid tier and independent artists behind. They also get into generative AI, AI licensing deals, and why Vickie believes the future of music creation is not human versus AI, but a blend of both. They close out on gaming as an untapped revenue opportunity, why most super fan apps fail to gain traction, and what gives Vickie hope about the next generation of musicians and fans. Topics include music industry trends, music tech, artificial intelligence in music, music streaming, music licensing, sync licensing, gaming and music, and super fan monetization. Get early bird tickets now for the Music Tectonics Conference 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.
July 22 · 1 hr 1 min
State of the Music Industry: What Happens After Streaming?
Streaming built the modern music industry, but its growth is slowing in the US and other mature markets. So what comes next? This week on the podcast, Dmitri sits down with Monica Corton, CEO of Go to Eleven Entertainment, to unpack where the total addressable market for music grows from here. This conversation is part two of the Rising Tide miniseries built around the Music Tectonics Conference theme, Grow the Music, Grow the Value. Monica and Dmitri dig into global streaming adoption in emerging music markets like Africa, Southeast Asia, and India, the return of physical media through kit style formats, and why interactive music and fan experiences could be the next major revenue driver for artists, songwriters, and publishers. They also explore new licensing frontiers including medical and wellness applications, songwriter branding deals, name image and likeness rights, avatar and hologram concerts, and gaming sync opportunities in titles like Grand Theft Auto and Just Dance. The conversation turns to generative AI and music licensing, covering attribution engines, royalty payouts for AI generated songs, and why Monica believes independent publishers need a seat at the table as AI platforms scale. They close with a candid look at publisher and label consolidation, TikTok and social media licensing rates, and whether streaming will ever be replaced or simply become one layer in a much more diversified music economy. Whether you work in music publishing, artist management, music licensing, or music technology, this episode offers a grounded look at where the music business grows next. 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 show notes 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.
July 15 · 47 min
Why is the Music Industry So Small?
Why is the value of the music industry so small compared to other forms of entertainment like gaming and television, even though music seems to be everywhere in our lives? This week on the podcast, Dmitri kicks off a new miniseries built around this year's conference theme, "Rising Tide: Grow the Music, Grow the Value" with Jimmy Stone, managing partner of Alderbrook. Jimmy pushes back on the premise and walks through the real numbers behind the music market, including the gap between wholesale and retail revenue estimates. Dmitri and Jimmy dig into why streaming struggled to create the kind of scarcity that once let labels set prices, how Napster and peer to peer sharing permanently changed what people are willing to pay for music, and why platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Meta may still be underpaying rights holders for how music actually gets used. The conversation turns to where new revenue might come from next, including premium subscription tiers, interactive music features, exclusive concert access, and lessons from Tencent Music's super fan tier in China. They also tackle a big question head on, whether AI will end up being a multiplier or a deflator for music revenue, and why Jimmy lands on multiplier despite the uncertainty around rights and attribution. They close out talking about ABBA Voyage, holographic concerts, and why live human performance might become more valuable, not less, as AI generated music becomes more common. If you're trying to make sense of where music's real value comes from and where it's headed next, this episode is a great place to start. 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.
July 8 · 48 min
How Do You Value Music Catalogs in 2026?
How do you actually put a price on a music catalog in 2026? In this panel from our recent Grow the TAM event, Billboard's Elizabeth Dilts Marshall sits down with three experts who each value catalogs from a completely different angle. Rob Frech of Raine Group has advised on catalog and M&A deals for Warner Music Group, Quality Control, and Downtown. Tom Sarig spent decades managing artists like Lou Reed and Bryan Ferry before launching Antifragile Equity Partners to acquire mid tier music catalogs. And Monica Corton of Go to Eleven Entertainment works with songwriters, artists, and producers across publishing, marketing, and royalty management, helping them maximize the value of their catalogs. The conversation covers who is actually buying music catalogs right now, why active catalog management might matter more than the multiple you pay, how sync licensing drives real catalog growth, what tools like Disco and Luminate are doing to modernize catalog data and rights management, and how AI licensing and name, image, and likeness rights are starting to change what these assets are worth. If you work in music publishing, catalog acquisition, artist management, or music finance, this episode breaks down exactly how catalog valuation is evolving heading into 2030. 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 show notes 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.
July 1 · 1 hr 8 min
How Will Music Be Monetized in 2030?
What will the music business actually look like in 2030? In this special panel from the Grow the TAM summit, Tatiana Cirisano, VP of Music Strategy at MIDiA Research, leads a wide-ranging conversation about the future of music monetization with three industry veterans: Liz Moody, partner and chair of the new media practice at Granderson Des Rochers; Mauhan Zonoozy, founder of Vinyl Bar in Shibuya and former head of innovation at Spotify; and Ty Roberts, CEO of FanTracks and founder of Gracenote. The panel covers AI licensing and generative music platforms, why one panelist argues artists should be negotiating for equity in AI companies rather than royalties, the rise of direct fan subscription platforms, music's untapped opportunity in gaming and interactive experiences, the vinyl revival and whether physical media nostalgia is a real market or a performative trend, and the future of virtual artist concerts and digital fan engagement. If you work in music tech, music publishing, artist management, streaming, or the creator economy, this conversation is essential listening for anyone trying to understand where music revenue is heading next. The news Suno's latest legal opponent fought the tobacco industry – and won a quarter of a trillion dollars The Atlantic created a searchable database of the music used to train AI Luminate data: US market diversifying away from domestic and Anglophone music Patreon CEO Jack Conte on supporting artists in the AI slop era Suno Launches Artist Incubator, Offering Grants and Marketing for Indie Talents 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.
June 24 · 43 min
8 Ways to Grow the Value of Music in 2026
In this episode, Dmitri and Eleanor walk through eight revenue multipliers reshaping the music business in 2026, including catalog valuation, revenue recovery, music licensing, and more. This conversation sets up the theme for this year's Music Tectonics conference: "Rising Tide: Grow the Music, Grow the Value," exploring why music has massive cultural influence but a music industry that still lags behind gaming and sports in overall economic size. Dmitri and Eleanor dig into who this impacts across the music industry, from music tech founders and investors to record labels, publishers, managers, and the song catalog investment world. The conversation also covers the future of streaming revenue growth internationally, the unresolved infrastructure problems around music rights and royalty data, and why platforms like TikTok and Instagram are still not paying enough in music licensing revenue. This episode sets the stage for the Music Tectonics Conference 2026, happening October 27-29 in Santa Monica, California, where the music industry and music technology ecosystem come together around innovation, investment, and growing the value of music. Get your tickets now at- https://www.musictectonics.com/ The news US music publishing revenues hit $7.3B in 2025, NMPA reveals at Annual Meeting honoring P!nk, Julian Bunetta and Harvey Mason jr. The music industry is closing in on a billion global subscribers – with Spotify out in front Four music datasets holding millions of tracks are being shared among AI developers, The Atlantic reports 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.
June 17 · 57 min
Every Object Can Sound: How Playtronica is Reimagining Music Creation
What if you could make music with anything around you? Fruit, water, human skin, or even the weight of objects on a kitchen scale? That's the question Playtronica has been answering for over a decade This week on the podcast, Adam McHeffey sits down with co-founders Sasha Pas and Aglaya Demidenko to explore how they built one of the most creative and community-driven companies in music technology today. Playtronica makes accessible music instruments that turn everyday objects into musical interfaces, no music theory required. Their products, including Touchme, Biotron, Orbita, and their newest release Scales, have gone viral across social media for their playful, tactile approach to music making. But behind the viral moments is a deeply intentional philosophy: remove the barrier of "are you a musician?" and let curiosity do the rest. In this conversation, we get into how Playtronica grew a loyal global community through creator partnerships and influencer strategy, what their installations with luxury brands like Hermès taught them about creativity and access, and why the form factor of an instrument matters far less than the feeling it creates. Sasha and Aglaya also share practical advice for music tech entrepreneurs looking to break through on social media and build communities that last. The news Merck Mercuariadis on Hipgnosis, vindication, and his next move. The Average On-Demand Streaming User Spends $434 Per Year on Recorded Music in the U.S., Up 27% from 2020, DIMA Report Finds Warner Music Group Acquires AI Attribution Tool Sureel AI SingFit Merges Music with Technology to Improve the Lives of People Facing Cognitive Challenges Despite dying 30 years ago, Tupac Shakur is acting in a new game 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.
June 10 · 35 min
The $300 Billion Industry Music Tech is Ignoring
What if the biggest opportunity in music monetization isn't streaming, social media, or live concerts? It's the $300 billion pro AV industry, and most musicians and music tech innovators have never thought about it. This week on the podcast, Graeme Harrison, vice president and general manager of Bluesound Professional, joins Dmitri to break down how commercial audio is reshaping the way brands use music in physical spaces. From 15,000 7-Eleven stores to NFL stadiums to the US Senate, Graeme's work sits at the intersection of music, technology, and brand experience in ways the music industry rarely talks about. In this episode, Graeme and Dmitri dig into why congruent audio and visual together are 1,200% more effective than either one alone, how commercial music licensing pays artists significantly more than residential streaming, and why the rise of AI-generated music in public spaces could trigger a second era of elevator music that cuts artists out of the equation entirely. They also get into the growing world of biophilic soundscaping, adaptive AI playlist curation, and what it means for a brand like 7-Eleven to use music not as background noise but as a core part of its identity. If you work in music tech, artist services, or brand strategy, this episode reframes where the money is and where it's headed. The News What's Next Now That Live Nation Has Been Found to Act as a Monopoly The MLC Re-Designated by the U.S. Copyright Office Suno raises over $400 million, pushing valuation to $5.4 billion Board Raises $20M Series A Led by Union Square Ventures as It Expands From Gaming Hardware to AI-Powered Creation Platform Ableton Extensions will let you code your own tools and actions for Live 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.

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