TMT:53 Tom Connaughton on Indie Distribution’s Big Moment & How Spotify Changed The Music World
Welcome to The Money Trench! This week, Mark is joined by Tom Connaughton, former UK & Ireland MD at Spotify, now Partner and Senior Advisor at Canvas Music Distribution.
From pirate radio and Sony Music, to MySpace, Vevo, and Spotify, Tom has lived through every twist in the digital music revolution. Now he’s helping artists navigate a saturated market through boutique distribution and hands-on support.
The pair catch up to reflect on Spotify’s past and future, how independent distribution is evolving, and whether AI and 130,000 songs a day could break the system.
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The Money Trench is sponsored by SoundOn.
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The Money Trench is sponsored by Tixel.
PPL
The Money Trench is sponsored by the PPL.
KEEP UP TO DATE
For the latest podcast and music business updates, make sure to follow us on:
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GET IN TOUCH
If you have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? We’d love to hear from you! - Get in touch here!
Thanks to our partners
SoundOn
Tixel
PPL
Earth/Percent
Tom A Smith
Aimless Play
Fourth Pillar
Sennheiser
Junkhead Studio
Tape Notes
Executive Producer: Mike Walsh
Producer: Tape Notes
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1:02:48
TMT:52 Cliff Fluet On The Future Of AI & Why The Music Biz Must Embrace Technology
Welcome to The Money Trench! This week, Mark is joined by Cliff Fluet, partner at Lewis Silkin, MD of Eleven Advisory, and now Chair of Music Technology UK.
Cliff has spent decades helping artists, managers, rights holders, and tech companies navigate the complicated world of law, licensing, and innovation, from the rise of digital media, to the current era of generative AI.
The pair chat about launching the first Music Tech UK Report, the real state of AI in music, the economic importance of catalogue acquisition, and what the future holds in terms of music technology.
NEWSLETTER
Sign up HERE for the TMT newsletter - featuring each week’s hottest music industry stories.
SOUNDON
The Money Trench is sponsored by SoundOn.
TIXEL
The Money Trench is sponsored by Tixel.
PPL
The Money Trench is sponsored by the PPL.
KEEP UP TO DATE
For the latest podcast and music business updates, make sure to follow us on:
Instagram: @the_money_trench
LinkedIn: The Money Trench
Website: The Money Trench
GET IN TOUCH
If you have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? We’d love to hear from you! - Get in touch here!
Thanks to our partners
SoundOn
Tixel
PPL
Earth/Percent
Tom A Smith
Aimless Play
Fourth Pillar
Sennheiser
Junkhead Studio
Tape Notes
Executive Producer: Mike Walsh
Producer: Tape Notes
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1:00:08
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1:00:08
TMT:51 David Massey On Bringing Oasis To America & The Future Of Major Labels
Welcome to The Money Trench! This week, Mark is joined by legendary label exec, David Massey, whose career has spanned over 40 years at labels such as Epic, Sony, Mercury, Island, and most recently Arista Records.
Fresh off his retirement from corporate life, Massey reflects on working with global artists like Oasis, Shakira, Shawn Mendes, and The Killers, while offering his perspective on the music industry’s evolution.
During the week leading up to the big Oasis reunion, the pair chat about bringing the band to America, the ongoing need for artist development, AI’s impact on music, and the lessons of longevity from both artists and executives.
NEWSLETTER
Sign up HERE for the TMT newsletter - featuring each week’s hottest music industry stories.
SOUNDON
The Money Trench is sponsored by SoundOn.
TIXEL
The Money Trench is sponsored by Tixel.
PPL
The Money Trench is sponsored by the PPL.
KEEP UP TO DATE
For the latest podcast and music business updates, make sure to follow us on:
Instagram: @the_money_trench
LinkedIn: The Money Trench
Website: The Money Trench
GET IN TOUCH
If you have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? We’d love to hear from you! - Get in touch here!
Thanks to our partners
SoundOn
Tixel
PPL
Earth/Percent
Tom A Smith
Aimless Play
Fourth Pillar
Sennheiser
Junkhead Studio
Tape Notes
Executive Producer: Mike Walsh
Producer: Tape Notes
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1:01:31
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1:01:31
TMT:50 Jim King on Turning BST Hyde Park Into A Blockbuster Event and The Secrets Of Festival Success In 2025
Welcome to The Money Trench! This week we celebrate our 50th episode and Mark is joined by Jim King, CEO of AEG Europe’s Festival Division.
Jim is the driving force behind some of the UK’s biggest live music events, including American Express presents BST Hyde Park, All Points East, and newly launched Lido Festival.
The pair chat backstage at BST Hyde Park to reflect on a career that spans Creamfields, Bestival, RockNess, and building AEG’s festival empire. Jim shares hard-earned insights on festival economics, grassroots venue survival, booking headliners, and keeping UK live music at the top of the global game.
NEWSLETTER
Sign up HERE for the TMT newsletter - featuring each week’s hottest music industry stories.
SOUNDON
The Money Trench is sponsored by SoundOn.
TIXEL
The Money Trench is sponsored by Tixel.
PPL
The Money Trench is sponsored by the PPL.
KEEP UP TO DATE
For the latest podcast and music business updates, make sure to follow us on:
Instagram: @the_money_trench
LinkedIn: The Money Trench
Website: The Money Trench
GET IN TOUCH
If you have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? We’d love to hear from you! - Get in touch here!
Thanks to our partners
SoundOn
Tixel
PPL
Earth/Percent
Tom A Smith
Aimless Play
Fourth Pillar
Sennheiser
Junkhead Studio
Tape Notes
Executive Producer: Mike Walsh
Producer: Tape Notes
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1:06:40
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1:06:40
TMT:49 Alison Howe on Running Glastonbury’s Epic TV Coverage & Curating Later's Line-Ups
Welcome to The Money Trench! This week, Mark is joined by Alison Howe, Executive Producer of Music at BBC Studios, and the driving force behind the BBC’s epic Glastonbury TV coverage.
With over 30 years at the BBC and a background spanning Radio 1, Later with Jools Holland, and iconic music specials, Alison shares her journey from secretarial college to being the BBC’s go-to for live music broadcasting.
The pair chat leading up to the world-renowned Glastonbury festival to talk about behind the scenes logistics, broadcast politics, surprise sets, and the any weather reality of producing one of the most-watched music events in the UK.
NEWSLETTER
Sign up HERE for the TMT newsletter - featuring each week’s hottest music industry stories.
PPL
The Money Trench is sponsored by the PPL.
KEEP UP TO DATE
For the latest podcast and music business updates, make sure to follow us on:
Instagram: @the_money_trench
LinkedIn: The Money Trench
Website: The Money Trench
GET IN TOUCH
If you have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? We’d love to hear from you! - Get in touch here!
Thanks to our partners
PPL
Earth/Percent
Tom A Smith
Aimless Play
Fourth Pillar
Sennheiser
Junkhead Studio
Tape Notes
Executive Producer: Mike Walsh
Producer: Tape Notes
About The Money Trench - The Music Industry Podcast with Mark Sutherland
The Money Trench (TMT) is The Music Industry Podcast from presenter Mark Sutherland and exec producer Mike Walsh, produced by Tape Notes and supported by PPL. Each Monday, we will dissect the biggest music industry news stories of the previous week, in the company of one of the industry’s most influential executives. Followed by a deep dive into that exec’s career in music, including their thoughts on where we’re at and where we’re heading. Now, TMT is here to look at all sides of the music business and celebrate the most exciting industry on the planet. Don’t start your music week without it…
Listen to The Money Trench - The Music Industry Podcast with Mark Sutherland, Danny Rants and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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