Break the Business

TOPICS: By demanding that artists have established careers before signing them, are labels making themselves obsolete? Ryan answers a listener question about copyright registration; our guest this week is singer-songwriter Ammar Farooki. Ammar’s new album“Twelve” is available now! Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan...

TOPICS: Legendary music executive Clive Davis passes away at the age of 94; the NOFAKES Act passes the Senate Judiciary Committee; our guest this week is John Lister, the head of Content and Community at Rap Fame. John is here to break down Rap Fame’s new report about how underground and independent rappers feel about AI and the current state of the underground genre. You can find out more about o...

TOPICS: Can artists really get business opportunities through Instagram DMs? Congress is proposing a bill that would make the Register of Copyrights a President-appointed position, and Ryan talks about why that might be a bad thing; our guest this week is entrepreneur and singer-songwriter Nick Cain. Nick’s new album “Singled Out” is available now, and you can find out more about our guest’s work...

TOPICS: Ryan and Zak Sloan talk about “Obsession” topping the box office with less than a $1m budget; how to fix Spotify; our guest this week is music executive Russ Rieger. Russ is the co-founder of Not Dead Yet Media, a company that aims to give indie artists management, label, catalog acquisition, events, and content services under one roof. You can find out more about our guest's work by visit...

TOPICS: YouTube and Dropout are investing heavily in FYC Emmy campaigns—will the industry take note? ElisaRockDoc career update: our guest this week is musician and actor Martin Luther McCoy. His new album Welcome Back Love” drops on July 17th on his own Rebel Soul Records imprint. You can find out more about our guest's work by visiting martinluthermccoy.com. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break th...

TOPICS: What can artists do about rising fuel costs making tours more expensive? Boring bands don’t get booked; our guests this week are Kelly Breaks and Paul Mezier, developers of the Blue Frog Immersive VR Concert App for the Apple Vision Pro. We talk to Kelly andPaul about their app and the future of VR concerts for indie creators. You can find out more about our guests’ work by visiting https:...

TOPICS: Ryan and Producer Lauren talk about Taylor Swift’s latest trademark news, including her new “Hey, It’s Taylor” sound trademarks and the latest in her “Life of a Showgirl” trademark lawsuit; our guest this week is music producer, entrepreneur, and AIfuturist Caro Castilla. You can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting www.lovemyrobot.ai. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Bus...

Topics: Zak and Lauren run the show while Ryan is away celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary. Touring artists: Ticketmaster is causing artists Blue Dot Fever. Taylor Swift seeks trademark protection from potential AI threats. Chat with our guest, Singer/songwriter/producer, Maria Ellis. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Fol...

TOPICS: Is the music industry a good place for indie artists in 2026? We answer a listener's question about equity crowdfunding. Our guest this week is Sarah Nagourney, executive, songwriter, and host of the She Creates Noise podcast. You can find out more about our guests’ work by visiting www.sarahnagourney.com. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitc...

TOPICS: Ryan and Gideon King break down the April 15th jury verdict in the LiveNation/TicketMaster Trial; our guest this week is TV host and social entrepreneur Simonetta Lein. Check out the Simonetta Lein show and find out more about our guest’s work by visiting www.simonettalein.com. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow...

TOPICS: Record deals are becoming more favorable for artists but also less favorable; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snubs; the power of positive visualization; our guest this week is singer, songwriter, and podcast host Miist. Miist’s new single “Love Will Show Us Our Way” is available now, and you can find our guest on most social media platforms @miistthesinger. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break t...

TOPICS: Ryan and ElisaRockDoc talk about indie video games and the unique sync licensing opportunities that they provide to artists; Taylor Swift is facing a lawsuit over her “Life of a Showgirl” brand; our guest this week is author, manager, DJ, and music business professor Amani Roberts. Amani’s book “The Quiet Storm” about the impact and legacy of R&B groups is available now! Visit www.aman...

TOPICS: Ryan and Katie Z talk about how to select a good artist consultant; Universal Publishing submits a legal filing arguing that Anthropic’s use of song lyrics to train theClaude platform is not fair; our guest this week is musician and social activist Mike Cykoski. You can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting www.aisforatom.com. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podc...

TOPICS: Ryan and Gideon talk about the recent defamation suit involving the writer of the opening song to “The Lion King”, and use it as a springboard to discuss other notable defamation claims and their broader impact on the entertainment industry. Our guest this week is publishing executive and Gateless CEO Brittany Perry. You can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting www.g8less.com....

TOPICS: Ryan and Zak talk about the DOJ settling the antitrust lawsuit with Live Nation, even though over two dozen states are continuing the fight; managing your mental health on tour; our guest this week is musician and author Bobbo Byrnes. Join us for a delightfully unhinged interview with a knowledgeable and engaging artist. Bobbo’s memoir “Too Many Miles: On the Road with an Unofficial Rock &...

TOPICS: The Dropout crew will be on ABC’s “The Rookie” TV series; Ryan and Katie answer a listener question about whether creators can own and commercialize the music they create with the help of an AI platform; our guest this week is award-winning singer-songwriter and Broadway actress Ava Della Pietra. Ava’s new single “3 AM” is available now, and you can find out more about our guest’s work by...

TOPICS: Ryan and Zak break down the Winter Olympics and the Donny Osmond concertlawsuit; Miley Cyrus Copyright litigation; our guest this week is Brian Popowitz, GeneralManagerat marketing agency Black Box. You can find out more about our guest’s work byvisiting www.blackbox.la Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ r...

TOPICS: Gideon King and Ryan discuss the Winter Olympics; what does it mean to be a human creator in an AI-driven world? Our guests this week are Ian and Danielle from the alt-rock act Orphan Prodigy. Orphan Prodigy’s debut album “Medication for a Modern World” is out now, and you can find out more by visiting orphanprodigy.com. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, So...

TOPICS: Ryan and ElisaRockDoc talk about the Bad Bunny halftime show; Ben Thornewill’sValentine’s Day song for Ryan and his wife; Jonny Greenwood is upset about his song being used in the Melania documentary; we talk to Andrew Corbett of fan-controlled multi-streaming platform VOLTA. You can find out more about our guest’s work by visitingwww.volta.live. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Busi...

TOPICS: Ryan is obsessed with the new Muppet Show; musician Ben Thornewill has a great Valentine’s Day micro-commission strategy; Ryan and Katie have networking tips; we interview New Jersey-based indie artist Gregory McLoughlin. Gregory’s new self-titled album is available now, and you can find out more by visiting www.gregorymc loughlin.com. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcas...

TOPICS: Ryan and ElisaRockDoc talk about how artists can build moments of crowd unity in their live shows; are artists more likely to peak with their debut album?; our guest this week is electropop artist and entrepreneur Bill “Downupright” Boulden. Support Bill’s latest Kickstarter for their upcoming album “Don’t You Put Words in My Mouth” by visitingtinyurl.com/dont-put-words. Rate/review/subscr...

TOPICS: Bandcamp has announced a ban on AI music on its platform; Stacie Orrico sues her former manager and label for sexual abuse; we interview social entrepreneur Kimball Gallagher of music NGO 88 International. You can find out more about our guest’s work byvisiting 88international.org. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Fol...

Come and join Ryan Kairalla and Zak Sloan as we celebrate the 500th Episode milestone of Break the Business. Ryan reflects on what 500 episodes mean to him and what the plans are for the show going forward. Episode #1 guest Meri Amber joins the program for a musical performance. Our guest this week is Hans Schuman of nonprofit JazzReach. Find out more by visiting jazzreach.org. Rate/review/subscri...

TOPICS: Ryan is happy that The Muppet Show is coming back in 2026; we answer a listener question about Christmas Carols being in the public domain, and Ryan, Zak Sloan, and Producer Lauren play a Public Domain game show; we interview Jill Goyeau of indie rock band Talking Violet. Talking Violet’s new single “Destroy” is available now, and you can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting ww...

TOPICS: Katie Zaccardi’s Les Mis party; we discuss Katie’s latest TikTok video; New Year’s resolutions for indie creators; we chat with acclaimed indie blues rock artist Leanne Binder. Leanne’s new EP “I Got Something to Say” is available now. Visit www.leannebindermusic.com to learn more! Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Fol...