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PODCAST

Trapital

Trapital is where technology meets culture. Hear breakdowns on the most important trends in tech, media, and entertainment. Trapital founder Dan Runcie and various guests break down the moves that shape the rest of society. Learn more

technology

All Episodes

84:17

Can New Superstars Ever Surpass Current Superstars?

Trapital ·

2023/12/22

Music has several big new stars with tons of talent, but will they ever have a year as big as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé in 2023. Both women have been commercially successful for decades and continue to dominate the charts even to this day. They came up in a different time, which works to their advantage.But what does this mean for the streaming and TikTok era artists who want to break through all the noise? Can they ever reach the same level of stardom?In this episode, I’m joined by Tati Cirisano

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63:10

Why Celebrity Fast Food Meals Took Off

Trapital ·

2023/12/15

It’s been 3.5 years since McDonald’s Travis Scott meal, and we still see new celebrity fast food meals all the time.In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Marcus Collins, author of “For the Culture,” as we explore how fast food chains like McDonald's bounced back to its partnerships with influential artists and musicians.Marcus and I discuss McDonald’s history in celebrity fast food partnerships, how other fast food chains have had their own meals, what works what doesn’t, and where things are

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63:34

Adidas: Sneakers, Hip-Hop and Culture

Trapital ·

2023/12/08

Adidas has one of the most insane backstories of any major apparel company. From its ties to the Nazi party, and its turbulent relationship with Kanye West, to its partnerships with Hip-Hop, and its influence in soccer, we cover it all.We also talk about the brands rise, its strongest years, Beyoncé, Ivy Park, and why celestial star power isn't always enough.In this episode I’m joined by friend of the pod Zack O’Malley Greenburg as we break it all down. We examine Adidas’ story history,

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70:59

YouTube’s Impact on Music

Trapital ·

2023/12/01

It’s hard to imagine what music would be like today without YouTube. The platform has done more to lower the entry barriers to music creation and distribution than any other platform.From the early days when acts like Soulja Boy harnessed the raw power of YouTube to drive their careers, to modern narratives like NBA YoungBoy mastering Creator culture, in this episode we delve into how YouTube's become an essential player in the music industry.In this episode, I’m joined by Tati Cirisano from

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70:43

Why Music is a $40+ Billion Industry

Trapital ·

2023/11/17

How much money does the music industry really make on an annual basis? The answer is not as straightforward as you think. Most of the outlets that publish figures only report on one side of the business. But since 2014, former Spotify chief economist and author Will Page has made it his job to answer this question in his annual report on global music copyright. This year the global value is at $41.5 billion.In this episode, I’m joined by Will and friend of the show, Tati Cirisano from MIDiA

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63:03

Reebok: Sneakers, Hip-Hop, and Missed Opportunities

Trapital ·

2023/11/10

It wasn’t that long ago that Reebok was head-to-head with the biggest athletic apparel companies in the world. In 1989, Reebok sales had exceeded Nike. In 2001, Reebok’s two biggest stars, MVPs Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson, faced off in the NBA Finals. In 2003, two of hip-hop’s biggest stars, 50 Cent and Jay Z, had their own Reebok sneakers.But less then a decade later, the brand was a… struggling CrossFit brand under the Adidas umbrella. What happened?In this week’s episode of Trapital, Zack

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61:47

The Trapital Report 2023

Trapital ·

2023/10/30

The Trapital Report 2023 is here! In this episode we break down a few big takeaways from the report on streaming, live music, the state of hip-hop, and the most valuable songs in the world. I’m joined by David Boyle from Audience Strategies, who first reached out to me about working on this report and we’ve been working together ever since.We have two report versions. You can download the free preview of the report here.We also have a premium version of the report available with insights on engaging

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91:13

Apple’s Impact on Music: From iPods to AirPods

Trapital ·

2023/10/20

Apple has been the most influential company in music in the 21st century, and music was the major driver behind Apple’s comeback. Join us for a deep dive on where Apple was before its music journey, the impact of iTunes, Steve Jobs, iPod, U2, iPhone, Apple Music, Drake, Taylor Swift, Frank Ocean, and a whole lot more.I’m joined by friend of the pod, Zack O’Malley Greenburg. We discuss how music helped Apple exceed the value of the entire music industry. We also discuss the company’s strategy with

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1:51

Trapital Report coming soon!

Trapital ·

2023/10/13

No new episode this week. We’re working hard on this year’s Trapital Report, which is out at the end of October! Make sure you’re signed up for our email newsletter to get the report once it’s live.Next week we’re back with another deep dive episode. Listen to this brief episode for a few hints! Talk to you next week.

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64:27

Pandora: a 3-1 Lead in Music Streaming

Trapital ·

2023/10/05

This episode is all about Pandora Music. In the post-iPhone era, Pandora was the early favorite in music streaming. We break down its decade-long journey to get there, its rise in popularity, IPO, SiriusXM, and how and why it got beat by other competitors.I’m joined by friend of the show, Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research. Here’s what we discussed:[00:05:50] The Music Genome Project[00:09:37] Rejected by 300 VCs[00:14:44] Pandora’s legal battles[00:18:22] Pandora vs Spotify[00:40:50] The SiriusXM

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21:59

Stanford GSB: The Future of Music - 2023 Black...

Trapital ·

2023/09/29

In May 2023, I gave a talk at the Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business - Black Leadership Conference. I explored the future of music, industry trends, and its impact on Black artists. Hip-hop culture sets the trends that society follows. I explore all that and more.[00:06:18] Beyond the vanity metrics[00:08:06] Whitney Houston estate[00:13:16] The OutKast Edge[00:19:51] Q&A: Leveling up at each stage of growthEnjoy this podcast? Rate and review the podcast here

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101:16

Def Jam Recordings: A 40-Year Legacy

Trapital ·

2023/09/22

You can't tell the story about hip-hop without telling the story of Def Jam. We break down the business behind of one of the most iconic record labels of all time. Join me, Dan Runcie, and friend of the pod, Zack Greenburg, as we discuss the triumphs and challenges that shape Def Jam and its legacy.[00:04:44] Def Jam influence on modern hip hop[00:08:59] How Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin met[00:18:18] Simmons and Rubin part ways[00:26:23] Lyor Cohen takes over, Polygram deal[00:34:24] Def

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44:51

Investing in Music, Songs of the Summer, Pop Star...

Trapital ·

2023/09/15

This is a solo episode! I break down four important topics:Saudi Arabia investing in musicThe “Song of the Summer” is no morePop star decline: winners, losers, and trendsSpotify’s podcast strategy and the creator economy[00:04:22] Saudi investors exploring entertainment and tech, except music.[00:07:50] Music festivals present opportunity for strategic investment.[00:08:47] Investment activity in acquiring back catalog.[00:13:12] Songs of summer: fragmented, subjective, lost meaning.[00:16:52] Song

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45:50

The Music Industry: A Tale of Two Cities

Trapital ·

2023/09/08

In today's episode, I’m joined by Kakul Srivastava, CEO of Splice. We discuss the untapped potential of the music production market, how music shapes our lives, and the need for more accessibility in music. We also discuss the potential of AI in creative tools, Splice’s future, and more:[00:04:56] Music’s overlooked and underserved market[00:06:43] A tale of two cities[00:12:29] The digital music producer market[00:21:26] The right balance with AI[00:29:56] Leading with empathy[00:33:12] Hard

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82:21

Napster's Impact on Music and Culture

Trapital ·

2023/09/01

Napster. The name alone brings back memories of the wild, wild west of the dot-com bubble.We'll take you back to the late 90s and early 2000s. Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning’s creation was a game-changer. But was its influence bigger than its actual impact? Who won and lost the most from Napster? Could the situation have been handled differently? We break down all that and moreI’m joined by Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research. Here’s everything we covered this episode:[00:002:13] Napster's

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101:06

MTV: Music Videos, Reality TV, and Ridiculousness

Trapital ·

2023/08/25

I Want My MTV! We broke down one of the most influential companies in music: MTV. I’m joined by friend of the pod, Zack Greenburg, who wrote a book about one of MTV’s biggest star’s ever, Michael Jackson.We discuss the highs, lows, challenges, controversies MTV faced. From its business model over the years, shift to reality TV, VMAs, TRL, Yo MTV Raps, impact on culture, and its missed opportunities.[00:08:43] MTV business model, rise of cable TV, untapped teenage market[00:15:50] The impact of

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55:59

Unpacking the Economics of Taylor Swift

Trapital ·

2023/08/15

Taylor Swift is on track for the first $1B+ tour ever, but that’s old news..In this episode, we look beyond the public drama surrounding her masters and unpack the questions that have been overlooked.How valuable are the original recordings compared to Taylor’s Version? How will that change once '1989' is re-released? How much money will Ithaca Holdings, Shamrock Capital, Big Machine Label Group, and Taylor herself make in the end? Can anyone else in the music industry pull this off??Join me

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105:53

Hip-Hop's 50 Greatest Moguls

Trapital ·

2023/08/08

August 11, 2023 is the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. What started out mostly as a spoken word artform has become a worldwide juggernaut. Thanks to the moguls who pushed the genre forward, hip-hop went from 0 to 100.In this episode, we rank the 50 greatest moguls in hip-hop’s history. We reached out to industry experts — from artists to execs to media personalities — to help us compile the list. Friend of the pod, Zack O’Malley Greenburg, joins me to count them down from No. 50 to No. 10:39 How do we

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54:05

The State of the Middle-Class Artist

Trapital ·

2023/07/28

Episode title: The State of the Middle-Class ArtistThe “middle class musician” is a popular talking point in the industry. Several platforms have been built to serve this group. But what exactly is a middle-class musician? How can they get ahead when the major companies are incentivized to support the superstars? How does the 1000 True Fans theory apple here? And which companies do a great job of serving them today? I talked to Tati Cirisano of MIDiA Research to break it all down. Here’s everything

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38:10

What’s Next for Travis Scott?

Trapital ·

2023/07/20

Travis Scott is in album mode. Utopia will be his first album since 2018, but a lot has changed since then.The industry isn’t as hip-hop dominant, hypebeast culture has shifted, and Travis is still navigating things after the 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy.How will all this influence Utopia? I broke it all down with friend of the pod, Denisha Kuhlor. Here’s what we covered:0:43 How hip-hop has changed since Astroworld8:23 Travis sold a lifestyle to success9:29 Why Travis attracted category-leading

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304 results

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