Billboard Magazine Music

Why Doesn’t Apple Music Need a Free Tier? | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

Music streaming is a crowded market where platforms offer most of the same content, so how does Apple Music differentiate itself? Oliver Schusser, vp of Apple Music and international content, Apple, joins Billboard On The Record to break down how the service has transitioned from its early Beats Music roots into one of the world’s leading streaming platforms. He explains Apple Music’s focus on a curated, high-quality listening experience built around editorial expertise, artist relationships and product integration rather than scale alone. Schusser also discusses Apple’s stance on maintaining a paid-only model, how the platform uses AI in discovery and [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Inside the Christian Music Boom w/ Lecrae | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

Christian and Gospel music are having a moment in an evolving industry. Lecrae, four-time Grammy-winning Christian artist and founder of Reach Records, joins Billboard On The Record to break down the genre’s rapid growth, how it’s attracting younger generations and the nuances of combining faith with business. From building his own independent label to staying tapped in with rising artists, Lecrae shares his journey creating a career outside the traditional system, why speaking out matters and what makes Christian music a uniquely powerful and complex space. Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

The Business of Coachella: High-Stakes Booking, Ticketing and Festival Economics | On the Record 0 (0)

Coachella has become the biggest festival in America — and it rewrote the live music playbook in the process. Katie Bain, Billboard’s senior music correspondent, director of Billboard Dance, joins Billboard On The Record to break down how a scrappy desert show founded by then-local promoter Goldenvoice turned into a global cultural force, from the early Pearl Jam experiment to era-defining performances by Beyoncé, Daft Punk and Frank Ocean. She dives into the high-stakes gamble of booking a lineup, the business behind ticketing, sponsorships and livestreams and how moments like Radiohead’s 2006 set and Beyoncé’s Homecoming shifted the festival’s identity [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Why Music Catalogs from Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan & Miles Davis Are Hot Investments | On The Record 0 (0)

Music catalogs have quietly become one of the most valuable assets in entertainment — so who’s really shaping the future of music ownership? Golnar Khosrowshahi, founder and CEO of Reservoir Media, joins Billboard On The Record to break down how she built a music catalog powerhouse before the space became crowded, why music rights offer long-term, reliable value and how her team approaches acquisitions with artists, estates and families. She also discusses preserving legacy while driving cultural relevance for new generations, how licensing, film/TV and biopics impact catalog value, the role of sampling in today’s music economy and how generative [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

The Secrets to Song Virality on TikTok w/ Digital Marketing Agency Chaotic Good | On The Record 0 (0)

How do songs go viral in today’s music landscape? And why has making it as an artist never been more strategic? Jesse Coren and Andrew Spelman, co-founders of Chaotic Good, joined Billboard On The Record for a live episode at SXSW to break it all down. Speaking from their experience building one of the leading viral marketing agencies in music, they explain how TikTok trends, niche audiences and volume-driven campaigns shape which songs take off. Coren and Spelman share how they simulate trends, optimize placements and use data to help artists reach the right listeners while freeing them to focus [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Mark Cuban on Why Music Is “the Worst Industry Ever” (and How Artists Can Still Win) | On The Record 0 (0)

Mark Cuban joined Billboard On The Record for the first-ever live taping of the podcast at SXSW to share his take on the music industry — and why breaking through as an artist has never been harder. Speaking from his perspective as an investor, Cuban explains how the industry has shifted, with music now treated as an asset class and algorithms shaping what becomes a hit. He reflects on why Spotify succeeded, where new music tech could create opportunities and how fans might respond to AI-generated songs. Cuban also emphasizes the importance of artists thinking like entrepreneurs, leveraging the right [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

How Suno’s AI Model Is Disrupting the Music Business w/ CEO Mikey Shulman | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

Suno is now generating 7 million songs a day — how will that change the music industry? Mikey Shulman, CEO and co-founder of Suno, joins Billboard On The Record to explain how he built the popular — but controversial — AI music company. Suno can generate new songs in seconds, and it has become the hottest topic in the music industry. In the interview, Shulman explains how Suno is being adopted by “Grammy winners” and “grandmothers” alike. He discusses the songwriting camps the company has been putting on, its private VIP program, new features like Hooks — its TikTok-like social [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Ryan Tedder & David Israelite Reveal What’s Really Happening to Songwriters | On The Record 0 (0)

Why is it so hard to earn a living as a songwriter today? Ryan Tedder — artist, songwriter, producer and founder of Runner Music — and David Israelite — president & CEO of NMPA — join Billboard On The Record to talk through the many economic pressures facing modern songwriters. Tedder and Israelite discuss how social media and streaming has impacted the way songs are written, and how the growth of writing rooms, sampling and courtesy credits for non-writing artists has led to less money for the average working class songwriter. Israelite explains why radio’s decline threatens crucial income for [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Building The Super Bowl Halftime Show: The Biggest Stage In Music | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

The Super Bowl Halftime Show has become one of the most watched and culturally iconic stages in live entertainment— now it’s time to find out what it really takes to make it happen. Marketing executive Bozoma Saint John joins Kristin Robinson on Billboard On The Record to pull back the curtain on the Super Bowl Halftime Show, from booking superstar talent like Beyoncé and negotiating with artists and brands to coordinating with the NFL and Roc Nation. Saint John shares how she convinced Beyoncé to take the stage and reflects on her experience blending music, sports and culture to create [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Why UMG Decided to Pull All Its Songs From TikTok | Billboard On the Record 0 (0)

What does it take to steer the world’s largest music company through one of the most disruptive eras in music history? Michael Nash, Chief Digital Officer and executive VP, Universal Music Group, joins Kristin Robinson on Billboard On The Record to discuss how UMG is navigating AI, platform power and artist rights at a critical turning point for the industry. Nash reflects on when generative AI first landed on his radar and revisits the pivotal Grammy Week moment two years ago when Universal pulled its catalog from TikTok, following a company-wide stance led by CEO Lucian Grainge. He breaks down [See More…]