The Future Of What Podcast
A Podcast About the State of the Music Industry
Founded by Music Biz President, Portia Sabin as a way to educate musicians on the realities of the music business, The Future of What Podcast has become a forum where the most significant voices in our industry discuss important issues of the day. Tune in as she hosts important industry figureheads and innovators alike in exciting discussions on where the music business is headed next!
August 19, 2025 – The Future of What Episode #262 — Inside Soundstripe’s Music Licensing Strategy with Global Head of Partnerships, Angela Abbott!
Soundstripe is a tech-enabled music licensing company working with brands, agencies and rightsholders, housing 1.5 million users in 160 countries. In this episode, Soundstripe’s Angela Abbott walks us through their licensing process, emphasizing how the platform ensures artists maintain sonic identity. She then imparts advice to early-level professionals, and addresses aspects of licensing that may be overlooked, such as microsync, the importance of valuing licensed music to ad spend, and differences in monetization models from platform to platform.... Click Here To Listen
August 13, 2025 – The Future of What Episode #261 — Independent Sector Happenings with A2IM’s Lisa Hresko @ Music Biz 2025!
At Music Biz 2025, Lisa Hresko of A2IM moderated a panel on growth strategies for independent music companies, a topic which she touches upon in this podcast recorded live at the Conference! She further expands the conversation to discuss how artists can “choose their own adventure” in the industry today by tapping into the independent community. Lisa also speaks on A2IM’s current projects, including advocacy for the HITS Act and other legislation. Click here to access our entire backlog of interviews on The Future of What Podcast!... Click Here To Listen
August 5, 2025 – The Future of What Episode #260 — Dissecting the State of Physical Music with Carrie Colliton @ Music Biz 2025!
We spoke with Carrie Colliton of DORS & Record Store Day at Music Biz 2025 about the recent sales surge at indie record stores, how sales data from record stores was on the verge of exclusion from Luminate reporting, and the power of community that brought about the deal to keep that data counted. The conversation also touches on both the positive and the negative effects of streaming on indie music, as streaming helps new fans discover albums they want to own on CD or vinyl but can also devalue music through lower price points.... Click Here To Listen
July 22, 2025 – The Future of What Episode #259 — Democratizing Artist Marketing: A Conversation with Chuka Chase of SymphonyOS @ Music Biz 2025!
We sat down with Chuka Chase, co-founder of SymphonyOS, during Music Biz 2025 to talk about his company, his experience at the Conference, and the convergence of the music and tech industries. He discusses his professional journey which led him from the tech space to music, as he compares and contrasts how both industries operate. He also covers how the internet has made the music industry less siloed, and how SymphonyOS continues this democratization of knowledge for today’s artists.... Click Here To Listen
July 15, 2025 – The Future of What Episode #258 — The Impacts Of The Current PRO System On Small Venues
In this episode, we discuss the motivations behind NIVA’s letter to the US Copyright Office in conversation with Tobi Parks of the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF). Tobi disputes the narrative that licensees are just trying to cut costs, explaining how the current PRO system, combined with a lack of education provided to licensees and artists, leaves an untapped pool of money waiting to be fairly distributed. She also dives into the unique issues faced within the US due to having multiple PRO entities,... Click Here To Listen
July 8, 2025 – The Future of What Episode #257 — A Conversation With Virginie Berger @ Music Biz 2025
We caught up with Virginie Berger, Founder of Don’t Believe the Hype and Advisor at MUSICx; fmr. MatchTune during Music Biz 2025 for a conversation covering the sentiments of fear and concern surrounding the uncharted territory that is AI. She addresses the complications and confusion today’s music market faces, current copyright wins & losses, the fine line AI walks in terms of what is & isn’t forbidden, and MatchTune’s AI detection and audio fingerprinting solutions. Touching on legislation in the US,... Click Here To Listen
July 1, 2025 – The Future of What Episode #256 — Jonathan Azu of Culture Collective Walks Through Recent Projects, the State of the Live Industry & Inclusivity!
This week we speak with Jonathan Azu, founder of Culture Collective, on the state of the live industry, along with some exciting projects & collaborations he’s working on! Jonathan discusses how important it is for executives to diversify themselves in the same way today’s artists do, highlighting the multi-hyphenate approach he has taken for his business by working on tours, TV specials, philanthropic and DEI-related work, and developing artists. Jonathan provides us his expertise, evaluating the consistency of our industry’s DEI initiatives born out of the self-reflection that came from the COVID era,... Click Here To Listen
June 24, 2025 – The Future of What Episode #255 — The Tech and Music Industry Crossover: A Conversation with OpenPlay’s Edward Ginis @ Music Biz 2025!
Edward Ginis, Founder and CEO of OpenPlay, attended his 15th Music Biz Conference this year. In this episode, he discusses how the Conference continues to evolve with the times, providing true substance and debate over platitudes and hype. In the same vein, Edward touches on just how crucial it is for our industry to nurture entrepreneurs and startups in a mutually beneficial relationship. He discusses how the Conference’s startup programming, including OpenPlay’s “Break The Silos. Build The Future.” Hackathon,... Click Here To Listen
June 17, 2025 – The Future of What Episode #254 — Hear from Lauryn Menard, Creator of the GOB Sustainable Earplug Brand!
The difficulty common earplugs have conforming to each person’s unique anatomy leads to frequent struggles with actually keeping these devices in our ears – not to mention the poor sound quality they create by blocking out only the top frequencies. Biomaterial professor and industrial designer, Lauryn Menard may very well be revolutionizing the future of earplugs, as she has pioneered a solution that not only resolves these issues but also provides a more sustainable option for our environment.... Click Here To Listen
May 20, 2025 – The Future of What Episode #253 — The Music Merchandising Experience with Kerstyn Inouye of Top Drawer Merch
Top Drawer Merch began their journey through collaborating with artists to create charity bracelets. Today, they service clients both in and out of the music industry, producing apparel & a variety of other merchandise. Implementing a traditional brand approach, they understand that merch is not just a band’s logo on a t-shirt – it’s a story told through the product that comes back full circle, tying into a much larger ecosystem. Kerstyn Inouye, Marketing Director of Top Drawer Merch joins us this episode to discuss the opportunities superfans bring to merchandising,... Click Here To Listen
