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Only half of the states in the U.S have a codified right of publicity, creating a conundrum that not only raises concern for impersonation in the era of AI, but also complicates what action can be taken when content mimicking one's likeness crosses state borders. To discuss these complexities and how the NO FAKES Act looks to unite us on the federal level, we spoke with Dani Deahl, VP of Creator Policy & Corporate Affairs at Caldecott Music Group and Head of Communications & Creator Insights at BandLab. Dani speaks on how amending existing laws makes the spread of the law of publicity easier between states, the permeation of AI and philosophical questions it poses for our industry, how AI policy affects our broader world, and music as a form of human connection.

Setlist submission is not often top of mind for artists and DJs when they perform. Whether it's due to a lack of awareness or not having the time or resources during busy performance cycles, failing to report setlists leaves valuable live royalties on the table. To keep these artist earnings from entering the black box, Vollou automates setlist reporting using music recognition technology, creating a process that simplifies submission for everyone who is required to do so – venues, festivals, DJs and artists included. In this episode, Vollou CEO Andres Payne discusses pressing issues in music licensing & live royalty distribution that Vollou helps to mitigate, artist education on these topics, and how Vollu ended up becoming the setlist solution it is today!

The music industry is constantly evolving and integrating new technologies, bringing with them both opportunities and challenges. But when it comes to metadata management, DDEX has seen our industry greatly improve since its inception in 2006. In this episode, DDEX Secretariat Mark Isherwood shares his observations over the years as the organization 20th anniversary approaches, addressing current AI discussions and uses as they pertain to metadata, how fear around sharing data has diminished over the last 10 years, the continual evolution of DDEX standards to suit industry needs & tech changes, and DDEX's Music Tech 20/20 Summit!

The jukebox has existed as a catalyst for communal music discovery for nearly a century, with the anniversary of AMI Entertainment's production of the first coin-operated jukebox coming up in 2027. To celebrate, we spoke with AMI CEO Tommy Moreno about the company's rich history & innovations, as well as the pros & cons of the jukebox's evolution into a digital format. Tommy also spotlights how AMI is continuing to evolve & bolster the industry by delivering more royalties on a per-play basis compared to streaming platforms and transforming their app into a more gamified, communal experience!

To be a successful artist management team means to be willing to think outside the box, which is just what mtheory CEO Cameo Carlson and team have done with artist Mickey Guyton, a Country singer who did not have traditional revenue lines in place like touring or radio. In this episode, Cameo recounts the story of how a C2C Festival appearance in London led to Mickey placing second on China's The Singer, and the massive Chinese fanbase and tour that followed. She touches on differences from Western fan behavior, the rigors behind the scenes of a Chinese reality show, and Mickey's future plans for the Asian music market, highlighting the incredible impact of international opportunities for artists, even where you least expect them.

PLUS1 has raised just about $40 million for over 1,200 nonprofits, with their keystone project being a small add-on of $1 per concert ticket to be donated to a charitable organization of an artist's choice. The idea grew out of founder Marika Anthony-Shaw reading a book about Paul Farmer – founder of the organization Partners in Health – while touring with Arcade Fire, leading the band to support the nonprofit for several years. For the other artists and bands who have the desire to give back in this way, PLUS1 executes the process from A to Z, and in this episode Marika both describes that process and provides some examples of their work in action!

The artist-fan relationship is arguably one of the most important in our industry, yet it is often undermined – management of each different aspect is often spread across platforms, and artist websites & channels are usually underutilized as connection points. Rob Sealy noticed this discrepancy and, with no prior experience in the music industry, co-founded Openstage to pull fans into owned channels that create an immersive, personalized experience for fans of artists at all stages of their career. In this episode, Rob dives into some prominent case studies from the platform, why the fan experience has been overlooked for so long, and what is on the horizon for Openstage 2.0!

Fostering equity and inclusion is a collective effort — and though DEI roles have taken a hit in our industry, the experts and community leaders are still out there. During Music Biz 2026, Naledi Nyahuma Seck, VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at The Orchard, joined us to discuss this tumultuous stage and potential for the future, zoning in on the importance of supporting diversity in the music ecosystem at large. She also speaks on her role and the responsibilities it entails, closing the episode with a conversation on diversity efforts at Music Biz, and a rundown on how employment opportunities look different for each level of staff.

Secretly has seen the industry go through many changes, and with it so has Shelly Worcel, who went from intern to Director of Global Physical Account Strategy during her 14 years at their distribution arm. Though the company has grown exponentially over the years, they still maintain their independent mindset – remaining flexible and willing to experiment without jumping ship during times of change, like the transition from physical to digital, the shift away from radio, and the vinyl boom. In an interview recorded during Music Biz 2026, Shelly recounts the company's indie success story, their Bizzy-winning campaign for Hayley Williams' latest album, "blue dot fever," and more!

Dmitri Vietze describes working in PR & marketing in the music industry as a rollercoaster on top of another rollercoaster, given the constant transition in both industries. In this podcast episode, we gain insight into this experience from Dmitri, who runs Rock Paper Scissors, Inc., a PR firm representing music tech companies and organizes the Music Tectonics Conference every year. Throughout the interview, he describes his transition from artist PR to tech PR, how AI music compounds an already flawed attribution process, and how the internet, social media & AI have changed press and the dissemination of information, closing out with a discussion on the 2026 Music Biz Conference & Bizzys!

Precedent shapes legislation. In our industry's current era of change – defined by issues ranging from AI usage to increased artist autonomy – these precedents are challenged to pave the way for the potential of new rulings. During Music Biz 2026, Cynthia Katz & Heidy Vaquerano of Fox Rothschild LLP gave us a glimpse beyond the glamorous exterior of music law, starting with how they got into the field and diving deeper into artist protection against cannibalistic AI (while also recognizing its revenue-generating iterations), the responsibility that comes with artists taking back their rights, and the catalog boom.

Music can be discovered anywhere – and for today's youth, gamified experiences on platforms like Roblox have opened doors for discovering and engaging with a wide range of new music. Splash Music's Roblox game draws in 2-3 million monthly users, establishing itself as the biggest Roblox stage. This episode recorded at Music Biz 2026 features Splash's Allison Moore, who speaks on the power of virtual spaces & connection. Here, she discusses what Splash's Roblox game offers, their companion app that creates music via voice input with the power of AI, her overall industry experience, and more!

Before her start at Revelator four years ago, Ahuvah Berger-Burcat spent two decades in the tech & cybersecurity space. With this, she brings a unique perspective to the music industry and how it compares – from her perspective, we foster an interconnected community but lack regulations on the tech front. In this chat recorded at Music Biz 2026, Ahuvah touches on the importance of the MFFA, the evolution of the web that naturally led to the age of AI, and the false reality of fandom on the internet, closing out with some details on her Music Biz Conference experience!

This episode features Simon Tam of The Slants and Prof. Erik Nielson, co-author of "Rap on Trial," who both have been instrumental in combating First Amendment right violations against minority musicians. Simon's fight to get his all-Asian band the right to their name saw thousands of pages of evidence denied, along with a footnote stating that – had they been Caucasian – there'd be no issue. Erik has researched how the Rap genre is singled out, identifying 800+ documented legal cases using Rap lyrics as evidence against young men of color. Hear from the pair on the results of their efforts, along with their concerns about freedom of speech in general.

When listening to music brings so much joy, working with it every day should feel just as rewarding. In an industry that reflects our broader world, fear-based, ego-driven leadership is slowly being replaced with a culture of empowerment, seeing women and POC in more supervisory roles – though we still have a ways to go. Companies like Downtown drive this change with women holding a variety of leadership roles like Sarah Landy, SVP, Americas at Downtown-company, FUGA. She joins us on the podcast to discuss the role language and communication play in making employees feel valued, how encouragement of collective success drives better outputs, and more leadership insights!