Trapital

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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78:33

Motown Records: The Hit Factory That Changed Music...

Trapital ·

2023/07/13

Few record labels have left their stamp on the industry quite like Motown. This assembly line churned out hit song after hit song in the ‘60s and early ‘70s. With a who’s-who roster — Marin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Diana Ross, and Stevie Wonder, among others — The Hitsville U.S.A. sign Gordy put on Motown’s front door became warranted. This episode is the story of Motown Records — it’s formula for success, what led to its decline, and where it stands today under Universal. I’m joined by friend of the

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48:41

The Real Story Behind Hip-Hop's "Decline"

Trapital ·

2023/07/06

The media commentary on hip-hop’s decline is stronger than ever. Especially since it took six months for a rap album to top the Billboard 200 in 2023, and no rap song has topped the Hot 100 yet..Is hip-hop slipping? Or is there more to this story? is slipping or others are merely catching up?To break it all down, I’m joined by The Wall Street Journal’s Neil Shah, who has written about this extensively. 0:40 Our take on hip-hop’s “decline”4:51 Upcoming albums that may top the charts8:48 How Billboard

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71:17

30 years of Bad Boy Entertainment (with Zack Greenburg)

Trapital ·

2023/06/29

We can’t tell the story of hip-hop without mentioning Diddy and the record label he started. Bad Boy took off in 1993 after Puff was fired from Uptown Records. He brought TheNotorious B.I.G. with him from Uptown Record, and signed a 50-50 deal with Clive Davis’s Arista Records, and it was off to the races.Bad Boy survived the tragic fallout of the East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry, and reached even bigger heights after Biggie’s death. Puff began to rise as a solo artist, but did the rest of the

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34:18

Why Music Streaming Can’t Agree on a Payout Model...

Trapital ·

2023/06/23

Music streaming’s payout model is under a microscope. The industry’s stakeholders — the labels, DSPs, artists, and rights holders — all want more of the pie, but no one can agree on how.Should we stick with the pro-rata model that pools all streams together? Or move to the user-centric model that some DSPs have tested out? Should longer songs count more than a 30-second audio track? What if that artist you choose to start your music session with gets paid more than an algorithmic play? How can we

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48:09

Do Music Videos Still Matter? (with Tati Cirisano)

Trapital ·

2023/06/15

What’s the role of a music video today? In the 1980s, music videos flipped the industry thanks to MTV. Videos helped artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna become cultural icons. Record labels spent millions on music videos to promote their CD sales. Everyone was winning.Music videos don’t hold the same power today in the streaming era. The budgets are smaller, but they still get made. To break it all down, I was joined by MIDiA Research analyst Tati Cirisano. Here’s what we covered:0:52 What is

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45:54

How Ice Spice Blew Up (with Denisha Kuhlor)

Trapital ·

2023/06/08

Even by today’s standards, Ice Spice’s meteoric rise is something else. She first hit it big in August 2022 with the viral release of “Munch.” Since then, Ice Spice has the most top 5 hits on the Billboard 100 in 2023 and guest appeared on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.How did we get here? Her aura, her music, her cinnamon-colored curls, and more have helped her stand out in an oversaturated industry.To explain how Ice Spice’s star was born and where it could go next, I brought on friend of the pod,

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64:59

The Rise and Fall of Roc-A-Fella Records (with Zack...

Trapital ·

2023/06/02

This is the breakdown on Roc-A-Fella Records. Founded in 1995 by the trio of Shawn “Jay Z” Carter (the talent), Damon “Dame” Dash (the promoter), and Kareem “Biggs” Burke (the silent partner), it became one of hip-hop’s most iconic labels.The label took time to develop. Jay’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt, is now seen as a certified classic, but took time to get that recognition. It wasn’t until 1997 when Def Jam acquired a 50 percent stake in the label and The Roc went to that next

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74:52

The State of Music (with Will Page)

Trapital ·

2023/05/25

Will Page returns to the show for a “state of the industry” episode. In last year’s appearance he correctly called out the slowdown in streaming subscriptions, bubbles in web3, and more.Will believes the value of copyrighted music could hit $45 billion annually when the 2022 numbers are calculated — up $5 billion from 2021, which is already an all-time high for the industry. Another massive shift is glocalisation”: the trend of local music dominating the domestic charts, as opposed to Western

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