The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Aaron Greene and Neal O’Connor of Slush Management, the artist-first team behind Porter Robinson, Eden, Jai Wolf, and more. Slush has helped their artists generate billions of streams, sell millions of tickets, and craft long-term careers rooted in creativity rather than quick wins. With 15 years of experience across touring, branding, and global fan development, they’ve become leaders in sustainable artist strategy and innovative experiential storytelling.

In this episode, Ari Neal and Aaron dive into what modern artist development truly looks like. From building immersive worlds to cultivating real, lasting fan communities beyond vanity metrics, Neal and Aaron share how managers decide when an artist is ready for representation, why social media isn’t the only path to growth, and how long-term strategy beats short-term virality every time. The conversation also covers label paths (self-release, indie, major), when to tour, how support slots actually happen, and the importance of meaningful experiences. Hint: music videos might be more important than most folks realize.

https://www.instagram.com/slushmgmt/

05:58 – What “world-building” means for modern artists
08:12 – How Porter Robinson developed his immersive universe
12:00 – Building an entire festival world with Disney-level partners
16:00 – Artist development: when an artist is ready for management
18:20 – Why immediacy is a trap & long-term growth matters
20:35 – Deepening 100 true fans vs. chasing viral moments
27:45 – Majors vs. indies vs. self-releasing: what actually works
31:55 – The real purpose of music videos in 2025
36:50 – Touring strategy: when to headline, when to support
39:20 – How artists actually get support slots
42:55 – What “making it” means in the new music business

Edited and mixed by Peter Schrupp
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the New Music Business, Ari sits down with powerhouse managers Gordan Dillard and Josh Kaplan, the team behind global superstar Doja Cat. Together, they break down how they helped build one of the most influential, multi-hyphenate artists of the decade. Gordan and Josh share early viral moments of Doja Cat's diversified empire spanning music, brand partnerships, and new business ventures.
Other topics discussed here include: how features really work, how producers differ from beatmakers, what modern record deals look like at the highest level, and why short-form content has completely reshaped the career-building playbook. Gordan and Josh offer candid, unfiltered advice for emerging artists and managers on finding the right partnership, building a fanbase from scratch, and creating leverage in today’s industry.

https://www.instagram.com/dojacat/
https://www.agood-day.com/

04:16 – Why Good Day Management only represents one artist
07:19 – Diversifying Doja Cat’s revenue beyond music
10:18 – How Gordon & Josh first joined Doja’s team
15:40 – The “Juicy” era and early visual strategy
17:31 – Doja Cat’s rise during the pandemic
20:42 – Long-form videos vs short-form content today
24:54 – Balancing artists’ vision with budget and label support
29:10 – How label deals and funding have evolved
36:28 – How features actually get made (creatively & financially)
44:25 – Beatmakers vs producers: what’s the difference?
48:37 – Why songs sometimes have 7 writers & 6 producers
58:54 – Advice for emerging artists & managers today

Edited and mixed by Peter Schrupp
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Tema Siegel and Zach Blankstein of the band Couch. Tema is the singer and Zach is the guitarist/manager of this seven-piece soul-pop band from Boston. Their explosive live shows and fully DIY approach have helped them sell out major venues across the country. Formed from lifelong friendships and built during the pandemic, Couch has grown into a globally touring act while self-producing their acclaimed debut album 'Big Talk'.

In this episode, Tema and Zach break down how they built an engaged fanbase without label support, the logistics of touring as a seven-member group, and the creative and vulnerable writing process behind 'Big Talk'. Ari dives into their ad strategy, their partnership with the Salt Lick Incubator, how they secured major support tours with Lake Street Dive and Cory Wong, and what it takes to balance musicianship, management, and sustainable growth as an independent band in 2025.

http://instagram.com/couch.theband

07:16 – Adding the seventh member & early chemistry
09:15 – Touring as an introvert and finding group balance
12:19 – Managing a 12-person touring party
16:34 – How fans are reacting to the new songs live
18:22 – How the band uses VIP sections to build superfans
19:40 – Collaborative songwriting process & Temma’s Notes app
22:19 – “Middleman” and the band’s unexpected EDM influence
26:22 – Self-producing the entire album & working with mixers
27:15 – Living in Boston and breaking out beyond the local scene
32:56 – Growing during the pandemic while in separate cities
36:32 – Early viral video & their online strategy
40:07 – How Couch finances the band with day jobs
41:24 – Why Zach became their in-house manager
55:52 – Opening for Cory Wong & Lake Street Dive
58:44 – Deep dive into their ad strategy

Edited and mixed by Peter Schrupp
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari hops on for a solo episode to talk about Brassroots District—a decade-long passion project fusing immersive theater, hard-grooving funk, and 1970s world-building. He shares how the project grew from DIY LA shows into a scripted parking-lot production during COVID, and how it’s finally taking over a premier LA venue. If you're in LA, come catch Brassroots District LA ’74, opening February 7th at Catch One in Koreatown. Check out the trailer and grab your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Bay Area rapper, LaRussell. Known for his backyard shows, revolutionary ticketing and release practices, and motivational freestyling, LaRussell has become a blueprint for modern DIY artistry. His business, Good Compenny, is a multi-media brand that puts on shows, sells merch, and empowers independent artists.

In this episode, Ari and LaRussell discuss when and why it’s important to stay independent as an artist. LaRussell tells Ari how he continues to find joy in making music, even after releasing over 700 songs. He also breaks down his offer-based ticketing model—a game-changing approach that could change the entire live concert industry. Tune in to hear LaRussell’s secrets to community-building, his artistic approach to social media, and loads of inspiration heading into 2026.

https://www.instagram.com/larussell

06:20 – LaRussell explains “out the trunk” direct bookings
08:10 – Origin of the backyard concerts
12:21 – Full backyard experience (hospitality, free food, bounce house)
16:45 – How offer-based ticketing works (“What is this worth to you?”)
18:23 – His $1,000 birthday show that made $250K
20:12 – Full breakdown of all revenue streams
27:02 – Why he stays independent + label philosophy
43:48 – What “Good Compenny” really is (a community)
54:38 – Spending $120K on ads to make $800K back
01:02:01 – Full-circle moment: how the book changed his life

Edited and mixed by Peter Schrupp
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.