TOPICS: Ryan and Katie Z talk about how country Singer Luke Combs accidentally sued a fan for copyright infringement, and turned it into a PR success story (teaching us all some great lessons along the way); AI Overlord Tip of the Week; we interview crooner and author Russ Lorenson about finding happiness after his cancer diagnosis and still creating fulfilling art. Russ’ new album “Standard Time: Live in New York” is available now. Find out more by visiting...

TOPICS: How can a 1958 Christmas song become the Billboard Hot 100 #1 in 2023?; Hank Green revealed how much he gets paid for his TikTok videos; AI Overlord Tip of the Week; Taylor Swift earned over $100 million on Spotify this year; we interview Timothy Patch, co-founder of event company Daybreaker. You can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting www.daybreaker.com. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan...

TOPICS: Anna Indiana is the first 100% AI musician, and Ryan and co-host Gideon King are not fans; is thel ine blurring between social media and traditional broadcast media; we interview Distrokid Director of Creative Services Mike Fink. Find out more about Distrokid’s distribution services for musicians by visiting distrokid.com Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the Break the Business Podcast...

TOPICS: Rob Abelow’s predictions about the future of music; ElisaRockDoc career update; we interview Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz about her new book "Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet.” Taylor’s book is available whenever books are sold and you can find out more by visiting www.extremelyonlinebook.com. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the...

TOPICS: Ryan and Katie Zaccardi break down the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike and discuss how the actors did on their deal; dealing with burnout as a creator; we interview Music Will Founder Dave Wish about how his organization Music Will helps all students in schools discover their inner musician (that every person has within them!). You can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting www.musicwill.org. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud,...

TOPICS: The University of Miami is offering a law school class all about Taylor Swift, and Ryan talks to the professor who created it; Vince Vance is suing Mariah Carey for copyright infringement (again!); we interview Live Music Society Executive Director Cat Henry to talk about the work that her amazing organization does to save small venues throughout the United States. You can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting www.livemusicsociety.org. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the...

TOPICS: We are celebrating our 400th episode! Ryan and co-host Gideon King talk about the differences in payouts between Spotify and Apple Music and discuss whether streaming services might actually start to charge artists to use their platforms. Our guest this week is acclaimed indie documentary filmmaker Nancy Kates, director of the iconic 2003 documentary Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher,...

TOPICS: Ryan and Katie Zaccardi talk about the Billboard’s list of the Top 100 songs to never make the Billboard Hot 100; Spotify is changing its royalty policies; how artists can promote themselves organically. On this week’s show, we also have a special interview with U.S. Representative Deborah Ross (D-NC) to talk about her new bill the “Protect Working Musicians Act,” and how this law could help level the playing field with indie creators and tech platforms. You can find out more about...

TOPICS: We have a spooky Halloween episode this week! Ryan and Gideon King swap ghost stories; we talk about entertainment law legend Donald Passman’s recent Billboard interview in which he talksabout how the music industry has evolved; what should artists look for in a good entertainment lawyer;we interview Grammy award-winning songwriters Evan Bogart and Amanda Warner of LVCRFT abouttheir latest Halloween album “V”. Find out more by visiting LVCRFT.net.Song: “Everyday is Halloween” by...

TOPICS: Ryan has recovered from covid!; Did Drake rip off the Pet Shop Boys; AI Overlord Tip of the Week; We interview Brooklyn Bowl Nashville General Manager Sara Barnett. You can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting https://www.brooklynbowl.com/nashville. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the Break the Business Podcast @thebtbpodcast. Like Break the Business on Facebook and tell a...

TOPICS:  Recommend documentary “Squaring the Circle”, Is there value in cover art? ; Ed Sheeran releases independent album on his own label Gingerbread Man Records; Staying inspired for songwriting, Do we need pain and sadness to create?; Interview with Singer/Songwriter Frankie Raye where she plays her new song “Foot in Mouth” Live. Find out more about our guest at www.FrankieRaye.com ; Supreme Court copyright case; and strike update: congrats to WGA and support for SAG/Aftra....

TOPICS: Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce an item? Ryan and Katie Z discuss; AI Overlord Tip of the week; the text of the Protect Working Musicians Act has been released; we interview music executive JasonDavis of One One 7. You can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting oneone7.com Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the Break the Business Podcast @thebtbpodcast. Like Break the Business...

TOPICS: Ryan continues to obsess over Marlins third baseman Jake Burger; the Protect Working Musicians Act is back in Congress again and we hope that Congress will pass this important law to help independent creators level the playing field with big tech; DistroKid acquires Bandzoogle; AI OverlordTip of the Week; we interview award-winning tech and entertainment industry podcast Stephen Robles. Find out more about our guest’s podcast, YouTube channel, and newsletter by visiting beard.fm...

TOPICS: Is Dr. Pepper with creamer delicious?; Jimmy Buffett was an incredible businessman; Ryan and Zak talk about future trends in music; Is TikTok killing the traditional music video; Zak answers a listener question about how music producers can get the best performance out of the musicians they record. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the Break the Business Podcast @thebtbpodcast. Like Break...

TOPICS: Taylor Swift cuts out the movie studios (who are in the middle of a labor dispute) to distribute her new “Eras” concert tour film; does social media hurt artists’ creativity?; we interview Professor Tony Iliakostas of New York Law School about the role that AI plays in copyright law. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the Break the Business Podcast @thebtbpodcast. Like Break the Business...

TOPICS: Eminem to Vivek Ramaswamy: Stop using my music; getting musicians to buy your merch; creating content calendars; we interview we interview alt blues singer-songwriter ZZ Ward. ZZ’s newalbum “Dirty Shine” is available on September 8th and you can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting www.zzward.com.Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the Break the Business Podcast @thebtbpodcast....

TOPICS: A federal judge rules on whether AI-generated works can be protected by copyright; ElisaRockDoc breaks down her hosting gig at GenCon; we interview acclaimed entrepreneur and musician Miki Agrawal. Check out Miki’s debut album “It All Exists” (under the moniker Soul Gaze) and find out more about our guest’s work by visiting www.mikiagrawal.com.Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the Break...

TOPICS: Co-host Zak Sloan brings back his Orson Welles impression for the AI Overlord Tip of the Week; advice on saving money on copyright registration and why you shouldn’t do the “poor man’s copyright”; we interview NYC songwriter Diane Gentile about the state of live music post COVID lockdown. Diane’s new album “The Bad and the Beautiful" is coming out in September and you can find out more about her work by visiting https://www.dianegentile.comRate/review/subscribe to the Break the...

TOPICS: Does terrestrial radio have less of an impact for musicians?; How does TikTok pay royalties; Should songwriters use AI?; AI Overlord Tip of the week; we interview Veda Cruz, entertainment attorney and corporate counsel for game developer Gearbox Publishing. You can check out our guest on Instagram and Twitch @vaulthunterveda. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the Break the Business...

TOPICS: We celebrate Producer Lauren’s birthday; Ryan gets a taste of TikTok virality; we talk about coming back from burnout as a creator with Katie Zaccardi; AI Overlord Tip of the Week; we interview Bay Area singer and DJ Barbara. If you're in LA, check out Barbara performing at the We Found New Music Showcase at Hotel Ziggy on Wednesday, 8/9 at 7pm. She'll be singing unreleased tracks from her album Palm City Dreams out later this year. RSVP for this free show here:...

TOPICS: We talk about the rise of NPC creators; why did Twitter change its name to X?; we talk to singer-songwriter and TikToker Emilee Moore about her groundbreaking Pixar-inspired songs and videos. Follow Emilee on TikTok @emilee.moore and check out her latest single "If I Don't Have You" on all streaming platforms. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the Break the Business Podcast...

TOPICS: SAG-AFTRA's 160,000 members are on strike, joining the WGA; Keith McNutt of the Entertainment Community Fund; AI Overlord Tip of the Week; we interview Katy and James from Sunflower Fox and the Chicken Leg. Their latest single "Naughty Little Girl" is available now and you can find out more about our guests’ work by visiting www.sunfoxband.com. Support the Entertainment Community Fund by visiting www.entertainmentcommunity.org. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast...

TOPICS: Ryan and co-host Gideon King talk about the recent trend of stupid music fans throwing cell phones, sex toys, and dead people’s ashes at musicians at concerts; changes in music technology; we interview music manager Emily Cameron (ATC Management) about protecting artists’ rights. You can follow ATC Management on Instagram and Twitter @atcmanagement. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and the...

TOPICS: July is here and that means that the Barbie/Oppenheimer premiere is fast approaching; AI DJs; Instagram Threads is here; we interview attorney and TikTok sensation Reb Masel about balancing her work as a lawyer and as a TikTok creator and podcaster. Check out Reb’s podcast Rebuttal on all major platforms and follow her on TikTok and Instagram @rebmasel. Rate/review/subscribe to the Break the Business Podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Follow Ryan @ryankair and...

TOPICS: Ryan and Elisa talk about their obsession with The Legend of Zelda; AI Overlord Tip of the Week; we break down the end of the Kesha - Dr. Luke legal saga; we interview musician and finance CEO Gideon King about how he has applied the skills he learned on Wall Street in the music world. The new EP of his band Gideon King and City Blog titled “Splinters” is coming out later this year and you can find out more about our guest’s work by visiting...