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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

31:03

The Generative AI Music Sweepstakes

Trapital ·

2024/05/24

The market is booming for generative music. Suno raised $125M and Udio has raised over $10M. The tools are impressive, but they raise some important questions:What data are these products trained on?Are startups in music incentivized to ask for permission?Is this what 'IG for music' looks like?Are these products or features?I'm joined by Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research. Hope you enjoy listening.Make sure you listen to our Chartmetric stat of the episode!

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34:24

Why NPR Tiny Desk Is Still a Phenomenon

Trapital ·

2024/05/17

NPR Tiny Desk is 15 years old and arguably stronger than ever. It helped Usher perform at the Super Bowl. It helped Tank and the Bangas break through to a Grammy nomination. And it elevated the perception of artists like T-Pain and Mac Miller.But how does Tiny Desk maintain its influence? Any company can host a stripped-down acoustic series for artists to perform in their office. But even if they did, it wouldn't hit the same.In this episode, we break down the dynamics that make Tiny Desk work,

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40:59

Why Penske Bought All The Media Companies

Trapital ·

2024/05/10

The list of brands that Penske Media Corporation owns or has invested in is long: Billboard, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, Music Business Worldwide, Deadline, and dozens more.What's Penske's long game? Are these companies better off? Where would these companies be without Penske? Which companies are most likely next?To break it all down, I'm joined by Bill Werde, former Billboard editorial director, author of Full Rate No Cap, and the Director of Bandier Program of

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34:49

How Hip-Hop Beef Evolved in the Streaming Era

Trapital ·

2024/05/03

While Drake and Kendrick Lamar trade diss tracks back and forth, we decided to dig into the engine that makes it all possible. How has rap beef evolved in the streaming era and social media? Do the stakes still matter? Who makes money from these beef? How does this impact hip-hop's "decline"?I'm joined by BrandMan Sean, our friend of the pod who had a lot to say about this. Listen here or wherever you get podcasts!Make sure you listen to our Chartmetric stat of the week.

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29:22

Inside KKR's Investments in Music

Trapital ·

2024/04/26

Private equity firm KKR has been fascinating to watch in the music rights landscape. Just when you thought they were out, they get pulled back in!In this episode, we break down the past few years of KKR's deals with Chord Music, Kobalt, HarbourView Equity Partners. Why did they sell Chord Music? Why did they partner with HarbourView? What does it say about the broader music rights investing landscape.Listen to me and Anna Nicolaou from the Financial Times break it all down.00:00 KKR's $500M

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35:46

What Taylor Swift's Return to TikTok Means for...

Trapital ·

2024/04/19

On April 11, Taylor Swift’s songs reappeared on TikTok despite the platform's ongoing dispute with her record label, Universal Music Group. This move was made in advance of the release of Taylor’s 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department.On this episode of Trapital, Tatiana Cirisano and I discuss why Swift and UMG don’t see eye-to-eye, competing incentives, who’s in charge at UMG, and more.00:00 Why we’re not surprised Taylor Swift made this move07:52 Why Swift and UMG have competing

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28:15

What's Next for Diddy's Businesses?

Trapital ·

2024/04/12

We've had plenty of conversations on Trapital about Diddy's business success, so we have to keep that same energy when outlook changes.On this episode, Zack O'Malley Greenburg and I talk about our initial reactions to the allegations surrounding Sean Combs, and we talk about the present state and future of the biggest businesses in his portfolio.Make sure you listen for our Chartmetric stat of the episode

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33:38

Do Music Festivals Have a Superstar Problem?

Trapital ·

2024/04/05

Despite the all-time record highs for the live music industry, music festivals haven't quite had the same post-pandemic recovery. Several well-known festivals have closed up shop, and others have had slower than usual demand (even Coachella!)To break it all down, I'm joined by Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research. Hope you enjoy!Make sure you check out our Chartmetric stat of the episode!

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31:57

Do Major Record Labels Still Have Brand Identity?

Trapital ·

2024/03/29

Back in the day, each record label had a distinct consumer identity. In the 90s, you knew what to expect from an Interscope album. Def Jam, Jive, Uptown, Cash Money. They all had their own vibe, their own identity, their own brand.So... what the hell happened?In the episode, we talk about how music's landscape shifted, and took the consumer brands with it. Strong brands still exist today among today's music companies, but they operate more like B2B brands than B2C brands.I'm joined by

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29:41

UMG vs TikTok, Kids’ Music, and Beyonce - Verizon...

Trapital ·

2024/03/22

It's time to dig into the mailbag again. I asked Trapital listeners to send me their most burning questions about the music industry. But this time we’re doing things a bit differently: you’ll be hearing the questions directly from our listeners.We dug into the TikTok vs. UMGc dispute, children’s entertainment media, and the Beyoncé - Verizon relationship leading to album ‘Act II: Cowboy Carter.”00:00 UMG vs TikTok 15:17 Kids’ music 19:55 Beyoncé, Verizon, and Cowboy CarterMake sure you listen

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38:19

What’s Next For Concert Films?

Trapital ·

2024/03/15

2023 was a big year for concert films. Taylor Swift's “Eras Tour” film became the highest grossing concert film of all time with nearly $270M in worldwide box office gross. Beyonce’s Renaissance film grossed over $44M. Was this just a Beyonce and Taylor thing, or will this continue?In this episode, I’m joined by Jimmy Stone, Founder of Alderbrook Companies, to dive deep into the rise of concert films, the economics behind them, the highest grossing concert films of all time, and so much more.At

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27:43

Why We’re Still Early on AI Music

Trapital ·

2024/03/08

There’s been a lot of discussion (and concern) about the impact of generative AI on music and whether the industry is on the verge of another Napster moment. But according to Jessica Powell, CEO of AudioShake, it’s going to take a lot more than a text prompt to kill music as we know it.On today’s episode, Jessica and I did a dive deep into the rise of generative music, its actual opportunities, and what it means for the industry moving forward.At the end of our conversation, we also included an

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43:44

The Oscars: Hit Songs, All the Drama, and Tons of Money

Trapital ·

2024/03/01

This episode is about Hollywood's biggest night, the Academy Awards. I’m joined by friend of the pod Zack O'Malley Greenburg to dive deep into the Oscars, how it compares to the Grammys, its relationship with music, the money spent on campaigns, the dramas, the major controversies, and some wild theories.00:00 The money behind the Oscars06:30 Why the Grammys gets worse ratings than the Oscars22:05 What happened to big movie soundtracks?31:36 Controversies over the years40:02 Biggest snubs of

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40:32

Virgil Abloh: Off-White, Luxury, and Open-Source Fashion

Trapital ·

2024/02/23

The late Virgil Abloh’s legacy lives on. From luxury rap to high fashion, his influence changed an entire industry, and several other adjacent ones.In this episode of Trapital, I’m joined by friend of the pod Zack O'Malley Greenburg. We broke down Virgil’s early years that shaped his future, his relationship with Kanye West, brands like Pyrex Vision, Off-White, his 3% rule, his open-sourced approach to business, his highs, lows, and so much more.00:00 How Virgil entered the fashion world07:44

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49:18

Yeezy: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Trapital ·

2024/02/16

The rise and fall of the Yeezy brand is a Hollywood screenplay in the making. But this is less like the movie AIR, and more like The Wolf of Wall Street.To break it all down, I'm joined by Zack O'Malley Greenburg, who covered the Yeezy business through his reporting at Forbes. Together, we explore Kanye West's partnerships with Nike, Adidas, and Gap and the highs and lows along the way.Make sure you listen in for our new Chartmetric stat of the week!00:00 Kanye West enters the fashion

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44:42

The Rise of Las Vegas Concert Residencies

Trapital ·

2024/02/09

From gamblers paradise to entertainment mecca, on this episode of Trapital, we take a trip to Las Vegas and how its coveted residencies have evolved over time, the economics of how they work, and predictions for the future.I’m joined by Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research. We explore the Las Vegas’ origin with mob ties, the ground-breaking 2003 Celine Dion residency, and the changing demographic of Vegas attendees.Want to leave us a question for our upcoming mailbag episode? Leave us a voicemail at

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32:53

SoundCloud and the Future of Superfans

Trapital ·

2024/02/02

We hear a lot about superfans and how important they are for an artist, but we rarely see any data to quantify how valuable they actually are.In this episode, I'm joined by Will Page, author of Pivot and former chief economist at Spotify, to break down his most recent report, Soundcloud Rockonomics. We discuss the company’s Fan Powered Royalties, the user centric model, how artists like Lil Uzi Vert can measure their fans, and the impact on the industry.Today’s episode is brought to you by

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62:07

The Business Behind The Grammys

Trapital ·

2024/01/26

This episode is about music's biggest night. But we’re not interested in who should win. This is about the business behind the show and everything surrounding it.We break down how the show makes money for CBS and the Recording Academy despite the viewership decline, the massive For Your Consideration business, the campaigning required to win an award, and major controversies over the years.I'm joined by Zack O'Malley Greenburg, friend of the pod, who covered The Grammys several times

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61:08

How Insurance Ads Became the Industry Standard

Trapital ·

2024/01/19

It's been over 10 years since State Farm's first Chris Paul - Cliff Paul ad. It's been over 20 years since GEICO first introduced the gecko. These ads from insurance companies have been the biggest ad campaigns and their impact continues to grow.I'm joined by Dr. Marcus Collins, who helped develop the Chris Paul - Cliff Paul campaign during his time at Translation. We talked about why there are so many insurance ads, how Chris Paul - Cliff Paul happened, and how its legacy lives

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61:07

Why Radio Still Matters

Trapital ·

2024/01/12

Radio is the music format with nine lives. Despite all of the new evolutions in AI, streaming, and short-form video, radio continues to live on; and will do so for several more years.In this episode, I’m joined by a friend of the pod, Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research. We dive into radio’s impact in music over the years, current cutbacks and layoffs, and what the future of radio looks like in today’s era.Today’s episode is brought to you by Bandzoogle. Build a stunning website today. Start your free

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304 results

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