The Music Business Buddy
A podcast that aims to educate and inspire music creators in their quest to achieving their goals by gaining a greater understanding of the business of music. A new episode is released each Wednesday and aims to offer clarity and insight into a range of subjects across the music industry. The series includes soundbites and interviews with guests from all over the world together with commentary and clarity on a range of topics. The podcast is hosted by award winning music industry professional Jonny Amos.
Jonny Amos is the author of The Music Business for Music Creators (Routledge/ Focal Press, 2024). He is also a music producer with credits on a range of major and independent labels, a songwriter with chart success in Europe and Asia, a senior lecturer at BIMM University UK, a music industry consultant and an artist manager.
www.jonnyamos.com
Join The Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xqmxrYSz
Episodes
94 episodes
Episode 93: How Hit Songs Actually Happen (Inside A&R with Pete Ganbarg)
Hits don’t happen by accident. They happen when the right singer meets the right song and a focused team executes without ego. That’s the throughline of my conversation with Pete Ganbarg—a two-time Grammy-winning A&R leader whose fingerprin...
Episode 92: How to Build a Music Career Without Permission (Audience, Data & Strategy)
What if the power in music has already shifted—and you just need the receipts to prove it? We sit down with Nashville and LA veteran Jason Hollis to unpack a modern blueprint for building leverage, owning your audience, and turning proof into p...
Episode 91: How to Become a Session Drummer (Real Career Path with Collette Williams)
The path from rehearsal room to global stages is rarely straight, and Collette Williams shows how grit, honesty, and community can bend the line in your favour. I sit down with the session drummer and multi-instrumentalist to unpack the craft b...
Episode 90: How to Release Music Independently (Tools, Strategy & Startup Insights)
Your song is done. The artwork is perfect. Now what? We sit down with Adriano and James, the creators of Release Assist, to unpack a smarter way to launch music without drowning in choices. Their goal-led approach replaces vague hopes with a cl...
Episode 89: How Fintech is Changing Artist Funding (What Artists Need to Know)
Money talks in music, but the language is changing—and fast. We dive into how fintech is rewiring artist funding, why streaming didn’t fix the economics, and how data has quietly turned songs and catalogues into investable assets with predictab...
Episode 88: Understanding Music Supervision in Context
What if the song that makes a trailer unforgettable could also launch an artist’s career? We sit down with music supervisor, consultant and sync creative Drew Sherrod to unpack the craft behind placing music to picture, the business mechanics t...
Episode 87: How Artists Define Their Sound, Genre & Identity (Step-by-Step)
Identity isn’t a vibe—it’s a system. We dig into the practical steps artists can take to define who they are, where they fit, and how that clarity turns into real momentum. From choosing a primary genre and useful secondary tags to shaping a so...
Episode 86: Music Rights & Catalogues Explained (What Artists Must Understand)
What if the biggest lever on your music’s success isn’t a new single, but the data behind it? We sit down with music catalogue specialist Robin Maddicott to unpack the hidden systems that decide where your tracks land, who discovers them, and h...
Episode 85: How to Write Music for TV (Inside the World of TV Composers)
Big‑league scores don’t appear out of thin air—they’re built through craft, collaboration, and choices that balance art and business. I sit down with George Warren and Nico Pacella; two composers from Hans Zimmer's award winning Composer Collec...
Episode 84: How Artists Can Fund Their Music Without Giving Up Ownership
Money changes the music you can make, and control changes the way you make it. I sit down with Duetti’s Head of Growth, Elliot Bahmoul, to unpack how music creators can sell a slice of their catalogue for upfront cash and pair that capital with...
Episode 83: How Brands Choose Music (And How Artists Get Selected)
Great music doesn’t have to start from scratch every time. We sat down with Ryan Dickinson, Creative Director at made by ikigai, to unpack how he creates brand-defining music for Adidas, Nike, Samsung, and beyond—without losing the human sp...
Episode 82: Napster Explained: How It Changed the Music Industry Forever
A single headline sent me down a rabbit hole: Napster, the name that once shook the music world, is now pausing streaming to chase AI companions and immersive experiences. We unpack what that actually means, tracing the arc from MP3 file sharin...
Episode 81: What is Sonic Branding? How Music Shapes Brand Identity
What if three notes could carry an entire story? I sit down with Erik Reiff, CCO of Black Cat White Cat Music, to unpack how composers build sonic identities for global brands and screens without losing the soul of the music. From Nike to sci‑f...
Episode 80: Music Marketing Strategies That Actually Work (For Independent Artists)
Want to understand why some young artists accelerate while others stall? We sat down with Mike King—VP of Enrolment Management and Marketing at Interlochen Center for the Arts and longtime music marketing educator—to map the through-line from c...
Episode: 79: How Musicians Can Access Session Players On Demand (Musiversal Explained)
What if your next song could jump from idea to radio‑ready with world‑class musicians in the time it takes to finish a coffee? We sit down with Musiversal Co‑Founder and Chief Growth Officer, Xavier Jameson, to unpack a model that flips the rem...
Episode 78: Best Music Business Lessons of 2025 (What Artists Should Know)
Year’s end is the perfect moment to trade myths for evidence. We brought together the most useful ideas from the season—data that flips audience assumptions, a calmer path to releasing music that actually moves your career, and a funding shift ...
Episode 77: Music Business Q&A: Royalties, Publishing & Common Mistakes Answered
This episode is a Q & A session where I take questions from listeners and provide answers. A range of topics are covered and explored. Tension sits at the heart of modern music careers: protect your rights, move faste...
Episode 76: How to Turn a Band Into a Business (Step-by-Step Guide)
The dream is the music. The longevity is the paperwork. We dig into the real steps that turn a tight-knit band into a professional, protected business without draining the joy that brought you together. From first royalty registrations to compa...
Episode 75: How Music Management Connects Artists to Opportunities
What if you could stop guessing your audience and start growing it with proof? I sit down with Waylon Barnes—entrepreneur, musician, and CEO of C2 Management—to map out how modern artists turn attention into a real business. We dig into the mec...
Episode 74: Music Publishing Explained (Inside One of the World’s Biggest Publishers)
What if a 97-year family legacy held the blueprint for making songs travel further, earn more, and outlast the hype cycle? I sit with Ralph W. Peer, Managing Director at peermusic UK and Australasia and VP for Africa and the Middle East, to exp...
Episode 73: How Music Industry Pioneers Built Their Careers (Lessons for Today)
The safest place in music is the middle of the road—and that’s exactly why Russell C Brennan never stands there. We welcome the multi-platform creator behind Future Legend Records to unpack how he built a lasting indie label, broke new artists ...
Episode 72: How Cruise Ship Gigs Can Build a Music Career (Pros, Pay & Reality)
Ready to turn your music into a steady income without losing your creative spark? I sit down with Lara from The International Musician, to break down the real world of cruise ship performing: who gets hired, how much you can earn, and how ship ...
Episode 71: What Does an Artist Manager Actually Do? (Full Breakdown)
If you’ve ever wondered what a great artist manager really does—and how to know when you’re ready for one—this deep-dive lays out the playbook with clarity and zero fluff. We break down the day-to-day reality of management across business strat...
Episode 70: How Music Supervision is Broken (And How It’s Being Fixed)
What happens when award-winning music supervisor Frederic Schindler takes on the challenge of modernising a broken licensing system? The result is Catalog - a groundbreaking platform that's transforming how music gets paired with visual media.<...
Episode 69: The Virality Trap - Why Going Viral Doesn’t Build a Music Career
The age-old belief that viral social media moments convert seamlessly into genuine fans may be crumbling before our eyes. Drawing from some outstanding research by MIDiA titled "All Eyes No Ears: Why Virality is not building fandom," this episo...
