TikTok

UPSAHL has ignited a groundswell of fan adoration and tastemaker praise by way of numerous indie alternative gems. “Can You Hear Me Now” achieved a palpable viral buzz followed by the widely praised single “Drugs,” which has been used in nearly two million TikTok videos, reaching #6 on the Viral Chart and the #1 Sound on the Trends Chart.

Our guest this week on the New Music Business is Dan Runcie, the founder of the podcast and research group Trapital.

Joining us this week on the New Music Business is the hit songwriter and producer, Bonnie McKee. Since the early 2000s, McKee has written 10 singles that have reached #1 in the US and UK, which have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide combined.

Our guest this week on the New Music Business is singer/songwriter Sammy Arriaga. Ari and Sammy dive deep into everything songwriting and his successful endeavors in the world of NFTs.

Do you want to know who the most powerful gatekeeper in the music industry is right now?  No, it’s not a Spotify playlist editor. It’s not a major label A&R. It’s not even a person. It’s the TikTok algorithm.  TikTok is currently the most powerful free promotional tool that musicians have at their disposal.

In this week’s episode, I spoke with artist NEFFEX and his manager Ryan Sullivan. We breakdown NEFFEX’s impression release strategy in which he successfully released one copyright free song a week (yes, you read that right!) to eventually surpassing 4 billion DSP streams all independently. We also dive into his previous record deal with 12Tone Music, embracing TikTok’s open verse challenges as well as how he expanded his role as a songwriter and producer.

Ryan Chisholm is the General Manager of Work of Art Management, as well as the Senior Vice President of Arista Records’ West Coast division. At WoA, the company currently represents notable artists such as Mike Posner, Trevor Daniel, Verzache, Tai Verdes, Wes Period and MILCK. Prior to WoA and Arista Records, Chisholm worked with Nettwerk Music Group under their Artist MGMT and A&R department. In this episode, we dove into Tai Verdes’ musical journey, the significance of TikTok, influencer marketing deals and gaining leverage with the major labels.

Griffin Haddrill is the co-founder and CEO of the leading viral marketing agency, VRTCL, providing marketing services for some of today's most popular artists. In this episode, he also discusses ways independent musicians can leverage TikTok in their own careers.

Justin Vibes is a multi-platinum songwriter, producer, vocalist, and vibraphonist. In this episode, he discusses how he went viral on TikTok, incorporating the vibraphone into mainstream music, and his career as a solo artist and collaborator.

Ritt Momney (real name Jack Rutter) is a 21-year-old musician who went viral on TikTok at the end of 2020 for his song "Put The Records On."