2025's global music business trends – with Stuart Dredge, Music Ally's head of insight
Episode 169: This podcast is aligned with Music Ally’s newest International Focus report, which pulls together the last year’s worth of Country Profiles which we publish, plus some extra exclusive analysis. So, we’re joined by Stuart Dredge, Music Ally’s head of insight, to discuss some of the burning topics when we look at the international music market right now in summer 2025.Stu talks to Joe Sparrow about:- The new dominance of local talent and genres in markets around the globe.- What are the current export trends, especially for local music which are increasingly reaching global audiences. And what about English-language acts in this newly-polyglot paradigm?- Collaboration as a strategy - now seen as a standard strategy in gaining momentum and reaching wider audiences. But will we reach saturation point with all these feats – or is there still miles to go?Music Ally's Reports - including this newest one – are available here: https://musically.com/category/reports And if you’ve not looked at the Country Profiles for a while, we’ve recently doubled the size of them to include lots of vital, on-the-ground marketing and audience insight – so that you, our premium subscribers can get the latest info from leading industry figures in each market. https://musically.com/countries
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Breaking your music business or artist into new desirable global markets – Symphonic's CEO talks about how they connected successfully with South America and SE Asia
Ep. 168: we speak to Jorge Brea, CEO of Symphonic Distribution, and Guji Lorenzana, Symphonic's Territory Manager, Asia, to talk about successful strategies for international expansion. We talk about:* What has worked well so far in their expansion into Latin America and Asia – and what didn’t go as planned?* When you're entering a new market what are the very first steps you take? What are the absolute essentials for making it work?* What are the key local insights they've uncovered that outsiders tend to miss?* How do you evaluate and build label/distributor partnerships in new markets? What does a good partner look like?* How do you manage the tension between “global consistency” and “local relevance”?* What are mistakes companies or artists make when they try to expand internationally?* If you’re a small-to-mid-level label or manager looking to grow in another country... what is the first move they'd recommend?* What one move should artists or companies make this year if they’re serious about international growth?Symphonic: https://symphonic.com/
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beatBread CEO Peter Sinclair on getting more options, insight and choices in music funding
Ep. 167: We speak to beatBread CEO Peter Sinclair – on getting more options, insight and choices in music funding, and how independent artists, labels and songwriters are getting better deals while retaining ownership of their music using beatBread’s game changing deal comparison tool. Peter chats to Music Ally Editor Joe Sparrow in this episode of MA focus, in collaboration with Beatbread.Website: https://www.beatbread.com/Deal Comparison Tool: https://www.beatbread.com/compareMusic Ally Co-Labs: musically.com/music-ally-co-labs
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Music Streaming in 2025 – what's the value of music today; and what do superfans want?
Ep. 166: Music Ally’s Head of Insight, Stuart Dredge joins Joe Sparrow to discuss two of the most meaningful topics relating to music streaming today: the value of music on DSPs; and the big DSPs' upcoming superfan plans.This podcast connects to Music Ally's latest Insight Report called the State of Streaming in 2025 (https://musically.com/category/reports). In this podcast we discuss:The value of music on DSPs – not just the ongoing subscription price rises, but the ad-supported tiers, and the increasingly loud grumbles around them.The big DSPs' superfan plans – superfans need to be super-served: so will the streaming platforms give fans and artists what they really, really want?
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Getting tomorrow's music income today – looking back on a decade of music financing with Sound Royalties' CEO and founder Alex Heiche
Artists, songwriters and music rightsholders can now free up capital using their music in so many ways, and the old days of simply seeking advances from labels or publishers are long-gone. Sound Royalties provides a way to access tomorrow's music income today: over a decade ago the company pioneered a funding model they call “creative-friendly music finance”, where the company fronts money to artists and rightsholders based on future earnings from streaming – and other sources. Those artists or rightsholders can then use that money to further develop their careers, and then even return to Sound Royalties for more capital – at a new valuation that reflects their newly-developed success.In this Music Ally Focus episode, made in collaboration with Sound Royalties, Music Ally's Joe Sparrow met with CEO and founder Alex Heiche in London –and spoke about what he’s learned from ten years of offering new funding solutions, the new income streams that the company is offering advances for, and what future developments he sees in a world where capital is routinely raised in this way.Sound Royalties: https://soundroyalties.comMusic Ally Co-Labs: musically.com/music-ally-co-labs
Analysing vital music business topics in detail, as they emerge: Joe Sparrow breaks down important stories with expert guests in about 25 minutes. It'll keep you on the cutting edge, and it'll take about the same time as making and eating a good sandwich! (We recommend doing both simultaneously for maximum deliciousness.)
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