Music Tectonics

When you handle marketing at a label or for an artist, there are so many apps and platforms to vet, test, and adapt. Which ones really work and which are worth the money—or the trouble of implementation? At the first annual Music Tectonics Conference which we held October 28-29, 2019 in Los Angeles, we recruited smart marketing thinkers from great indie labels Ninja Tune, New West Records, Concord...

From new keyboards that virtually recreate the circuitry of vintage organs to "silent" guitars, explore the innovations that the Yamaha Corporation of America brought to the 2020 NAMM show. Find out what thrills Blake Angelos, product specialist in Yamaha's synth department, about the company's current product lineup and their long history of innovation. Then Andy Winston, guitar product specialis...

Did you ever hear the one about the song produced to sneak morse code to hostages in Colombia to help set them free? That was produced using Reason's music production software. Hear about it in this compelling conversation that host Dmitri Vietze had with Reason content marketing lead Ryan Harlin during the NAMM Convention in Anaheim, California. Ryan also explains how the growing ease of access t...

Auto-Tune at NAMM with David Przygoda: You've probably heard of Auto-Tune, the pitch correction software that is used in thousands of songs not only as an aesthetic effect, but to... correct pitches! Join Dmitri as he interviews Prz and finds out the little known origin of Antares Tech, the company behind Auto-Tune. Find out about the other types of applications Antares makes available and hear Pr...

Moog Music defined the sound of analog synthesizers in the 1960s, and the company is still focused on innovation. Hear the astonishing story of Moog, from the theremins Bob Moog built to put himself through school to this year's release, the Subsequent 25, from Moog Music President Mike Adams and CTO Cyril Lance. Music Tectonics is at the 2020 NAMM Show, the National Association of Music Merchandi...

On the trade floor at NAMM, Dmitri talks audio innovation with Rob D'Amico, director of product marketing for audio solutions at Avid Technology. They dig into Avid's ProTools DAW, long the standard for audio production and post-production, and its role in bringing music creation and production to the masses. Music Tectonics is at the 2020 NAMM Show, the National Association of Music Merchandisers...

We're launching a new miniseries on innovation in the world of musical instruments, gear, and software! It's also the first day of the 2020 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, where gear makers gather to show off their latest and greatest. Our first gear guest is Nick Kwaś, product specialist at KORG. 2020 is set to be the electronic musical instrument maker's biggest launch year ever: find out how...

The growing momentum of Independent music is causing shifts in the music industry that could prove more powerful even than streaming. At the 2019 Music Tectonics Conference, the Independent Era panel brought together some of the people driving that trend, helping self-empowered artists take control of their careers and change the music industry along the way. Their tools and resources make creatin...

Music Ally just released Stuart Dredge's "The 42 Trends of 2019," a comprehensive end-of-year report for the music biz. With the digital ink barely dry on the virtual page, Stuart sits down with host Dmitri Vietze to explore 5 overarching megatrends that emerged from his report—and his predictions for 2020. Stuart is uniquely placed to reflect back on the year in music: he writes Music Ally's dail...

What does the music tech landscape look like from the investor's point of view—and what are start-ups getting wrong? Listen to the Music Tech Investor Panel, recorded at the 2019 Music Tectonics Conference, to find out. Moderated by writer Cherie Hu (who has her own podcast/newsletter Water & Music), the panel brought together decisionmakers from across the emerging landscape of music tech investm...

Take a deep dive into the rapid growth of the indie sector, one of the seismic shifts that gained the most attention at the Music Tectonics Conference. Our guide to this shifting terrain is Tracy Maddux, CEO of AVL Digital Group, the parent company of CD Baby, AdRev and DashGo, which all provide DIY Musicians with trusted tools for distribution, marketing, and monetization. Being independent doesn...

Explore fault lines in the recorded music industry from Teddy Boys to TikTok with Mark Mulligan of MIDiA Research. When Mark opened the first annual Music Tectonics Conference in October in Los Angeles, he lobbed visions from the future into the audience. We captured the audio of his unique mix of trendspotting, economic analysis, and prediction so you can hear what you missed. What does "peak att...

What if payments in the music industry could be as seamless as paying for your rideshare or food delivery? In this bonus episode, host Dmitri Vietze is joined by Justin Butler, L.A.-based Director of Global Sales at Hyperwallet. Hyperwallet provides payment solutions for many companies to manage payouts for 200 plus companies and teratorries.    Hyperwallet was recently acquired by PayPal and func...

Independent music isn't on the margins any more: It makes up 40 percent of the industry. This week on the podcast, Kevin Breuner joins host Dmitri Vietze to talk about how Independent self empowered artists are changing the game. Kevin knows independent music: He's VP of Marketing at CD Baby, host of the DIY Musician Podcast (going strong at 241 episodes!), and an indie musician himself. The rise...

Data Everywhere? Music In Slices? Hands of the Masses? WTF are all these Seismic Shifts we keep talking about? Podcast host Dmitri Vietze explains it all in this episode recorded live in Los Angeles at General Assembly. Dmitri revealed 18 of the biggest seismic shifts shaking up the music biz as a result of technology and innovation, all distilled into the fun visual medium of trading cards. If yo...

What music fan hasn't dreamed of playing a solo with their favorite band, or immersing themselves in every detail of their favorite song? In a Music Tectonics first, this podcast episode spans five cities (on two continents) to explore the emerging interactive music market. Leaders of three start-ups explain how their apps invite fans into the music in unique ways: Sarah Janiszewski (Jammer),  Fra...

When you stream music, how much are you actually hearing? What happens to audio quality as a track makes its way from the studio to your earbuds? Find out from Dan Mackta, Managing Director at Qobuz USA. Qobuz lets audiophiles stream studio-quality music from any device, not just the lossy mp3s offered by the streaming giants. Dan dares music lovers—especially jazz and classical fans—to try better...

Why are cover songs so popular? And it's not just with fans but with Hollywood too. Jeff Van Driel knows: he's CEO of mVibe, a platform for sync licensing cover songs. This week on the podcast, Jeff gives host Dmitri Vietze a micro-to-macro view of the music biz starting from mVibe's B2B niche. Jeff explains how mVibe's platform offers tech solutions that are unique to connecting music supervisors...

We talk a lot about seismic shifts in the music industry, and Mark Mulligan is a true music tech seismologist. If you've read his Music Industry Blog, followed his work with MIDiA Research, or seen him speak, you know that his data-powered approach is unparalleled for understanding, explaining, and predicting upheavals in the music tech landscape. This week Mark takes Dmitri and Tristra on a whirl...

Put it on the blockchain! That was the cry at music industry conferences over the past couple of years, while industry veterans stood at the back of the room snickering. At Music Tectonics we are facing the tension straight on with a Blockchain Cage Match at our October 29 conference in L.A. Enthusiasts and skeptics will face off on stage. We announce the event on this episode featuring Vezt CEO S...

In the music streaming era, how do fans find out who's playing on their favorite tracks? What happened to all the credits that used to fill album liner notes with fine print? Finally, there's an IMDB for music: Jaxsta. CEO and co-founder Jacqui Louez Schoorl sat down with podcast host Dmitri Vietze in a quiet corner at DIY Musician Conference to tell how she went from working on Star Wars to build...

There was a time when album sales, ticket sales and radio airplay were the only numbers that mattered in the music industry. Now, streaming generates extremely granular data about who is listening, when, where, and how. Greg Delaney and Erik Gilbert of the data management company Entertainment Intelligence sat down with hosts Dmitri Vietze and Tristra Newyear Yeager to dig into how this data explo...

Bob Boilen has a job many of us dream of: listening to and talking about music at NPR. A concert at his tiny desk is a dream gig for up and coming performers, and his long-running All Songs Considered show is the cornerstone of NPR Music. Bob sat down with his friend Dmitri Vietze to give his perspective on the technology of listening to, curating, and creating music. How does Bob manage the lifet...

Dani Deahl and host Dmitri Vietze look at all the cans of worms that Artificial Intelligence has opened for the music biz, and how AI contributes to the seismic shifts we've been tracking in the industry. Listen in on a lively back and forth as they take sides on a multitude of issues: Will AI ever be able to create a pop hit all on its own? Where is the line between useful AI tools and replacemen...

Is transparency in the music industry a cause to fight for... or an inevitability? Noah Becker says it is both! Noah chats with host Dmitri Vietze about how multiple claims on music usage keeps all parties from getting paid and how transparency can help unlock those revenues. He argues that everyone benefits when the "black box" thinking and market-share payouts of the past are replaced by transpa...