The Money Trench - The Music Industry Podcast with Mark Sutherland

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by Mark Davyd, CEO and founder of Music Venue Trust. Catching up shortly after his front-page appearance with Katy Perry, the conversation highlights the growing international support for the Music Venue Trust, with backing from global stars and prominent UK artists. The conversion digs into the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & S...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by Shabs Jobanputra, founder and president of Relentless Records. Catching up at Sony HQ, Shabs shares his journey into the music industry, reflecting on the challenges he faced as an immigrant and recounting the early days of Relentless Records. He discusses the label's first signings and its evolution over the years, offering insights...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by Lucas Keller, founder and president of Milk & Honey Management. Catching up after two nights of industry awards and the morning after the U.S. election, Lucas digs into some of the most pressing issues facing his clients. The conversation covers navigating complex deals with multiple songwriters, the ongoing battle for fair streaming...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by Robert Swerdlow, of Starwood Management. With over 25 years of management experience, Robert discusses the challenges artists face today and his role in protecting them - from issues around selling copyright to the complexities of the digital entertainment industry’s close ties with music. The conversation also touches on the pros and...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by AIM interim-CEO, Gee Davy. Digging into the latest industry news, Gee shares her insights on the Merlin-TikTok licensing developments and GEMA's advancements in AI music licensing. As well as discussing the journey of her winding career, from engineer, to lawyer and now Aim interim CEO, the conversation also covers the impact of Unive...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by two of the most influential music publishing execs of the last 30 years, Caroline Elleray and Mark Gale, co-founders of Second Songs. Caroline and Mark give us an in-depth look at their storied careers in the music industry, sharing the details behind starting Second Songs publishing and management, the dynamics behind working as both...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by Karen Emanuel, CEO and founder of Key Production Group, & recent winner of Businesswoman of the Year at the Women in Music Awards. As well as covering topics including the future of vinyl, new music formats, and sustainability in the business, Karen shares her experience of starting and growing a company during a recession. She opens...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by A&R legend Mike Smith. Mike is one of the industry’s true A&R legends, who has built an enviable reputation across MCA, EMI, Columbia, Mercury, Virgin EMI, Warner Chappell, Downtown and beyond, signing and working with some all-time greats. Fresh off the plane from Spain and back in the UK for a new music launch, Mike shares the fresh...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by BPI CEO Jo Twist and CSO Sophie Jones. After a rainy few days in Liverpool at the Labour Party Conference and the BPI Northern Music Showcase, Jo and Sophie discuss how politicians need to engage with the music industry and the importance of treating music as more than just culture. They also share insights on how pro-business policie...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by Olivia Hobbs, founder of marketing agency Blackstar. Olivia breaks down the success of digital marketing in today’s genre-agnostic music industry, exploring innovative ways to build communities and market music beyond traditional social media channels. As well as sharing insights on creating viral moments and discussing why some artis...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark joins Alex Hardee, Executive Vice President & 'Special Agent' at Wasserman Music. Touching on some of the biz's top headlines, Alex shares his thoughts on the ongoing frenzy around dynamic ticket pricing and potential solutions, he also discusses the challenges artists face with the EU’s touring regulations. Reflecting on his early days working wi...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark sits down with Ben Wynter, the visionary Founder of Unstoppable Music Group, Co-Founder of Power Up, and Director of Business Development & Partnerships at AIM (Association of Independent Music). Looking back on his early career, Ben shares stories of pitching to managers on the street, securing spontaneous internships in New York, and navigating...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark sits down with Alan Edwards, the founder of public relations powerhouse, The Outside Organisation. As the buzz around the Oasis revival dominates headlines, Alan delves into the potential ripple effects of the band's reunion on the music industry, particularly its influence on grassroots venues. Often hailed as the godfather of modern PR, Alan rec...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by Helen Thomas, Head of BBC Radio 2, and Jeff Smith, Head of Music for BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music. As they explore the evolving strategy at Radio 2, Helen and Jeff share insights on adapting to a new generation of listeners while continuing to serve the current audience, the rationale behind changing the presenter lineup, and the planning...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by Various Artists CEO Dave Bianchi. Throughout the conversation, Dave discusses the challenges of breaking UK acts internationally, exploring the complexities of selling music abroad and predicting where the next 'alt' music movement might emerge. Beyond industry insights, including his new ventures with Various Artists, he shares his l...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by Island ex-CEO and President, A&R Legend and now Indie Label Head, Darcus Beese. Giving the music industry headlines a miss this week (Mark's on holiday), Darcus dives into his journey from intern to industry leader, sharing stories of signing some of the biggest artists of the past few decades, including Amy Winehouse, Sugababes, and...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt and manager Vicky Dowdall. With a partnership going back to Nina’s teenage years, the pair reflect on the pivotal moments of their careers together, from handling major label deals to starting a label of their own Apple Tree Records. They share the secret to their strong artist-manager relationship and r...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by Tara Richardson, not long after the launch of her new management company T-Time Management. Tara discusses her decision to leave Q Prime and start her own company, sharing her vision for T-Time and her thoughts on the future of the music industry. Reflecting on her journey in the music industry, Tara recounts her early days managing g...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark catches up with storied US label boss Daniel Glass. On a fleeting London visit, Daniel reflects on the early days of his career, from the moment he fell in love with the market, to setting up a label from a hotel foyer, and his time at Chrysalis and Universal Records. As well as sharing his thoughts on hustle culture and how to be a successful ent...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by the new Music Managers Forum (MMF) CEO, Annabella Coldrick. As well as digging into the latest music industry news, including major label restructuring and management lawsuits, the conversation explores how the role of music managers has evolved over the years, the key ways to make the industry fairer and how to create strong artist r...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by the new UK Music Chief Executive, Tom Kiehl (recorded on the day of the General Election). As the bridge between the music industry and government, Tom discusses how UK Music has prepared and will respond to the results of the General Election. In addition to sharing stories of early morning record store days and investigating the Por...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this episode, Mark is joined by A&R heavyweight and former major label head, Ferdy Unger-Hamilton. In another big week for the industry, the conversation covers major label lawsuits, the Rolling Stones on Roblox, and an in-depth discussion of the most important parts of A&R. Reflecting on his career, Ferdy talks through his very first job interview taken on a paypho...

Welcome to The Money Trench. In this, our very first episode, Mark is joined by Lorna Clarke, Director of Music at the BBC, ahead of one of the busiest weeks in her calendar, Glastonbury. As well as discussing the scale of the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage and detailing what goes into planning a broadcast of this scale, Lorna takes us on a deep dive into her career, sharing her thoughts on the BBC vs...