Trapital Dan Runcie

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 debt deal with Harborview
07:24 How rising interest rates affect the valuation of music
14:50 KKR vs other players in the industry
22:15 The role of UMG in the music rights landscape
30:25 Predictions on the current bidding wars
This episode was brought to you by 4se New York, the sports and entertainment event on May 21-22. Learn more here.
Make sure you listen for our Chartmetric stat of the week.
Enjoy this podcast? Rate and review the podcast here! ratethispodcast.com/trapital
Trapital is home for the business of music, media and culture. Learn more by reading Trapital’s free memo.

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 move
07:52 Why Swift and UMG have competing incentives
13:37 What it means for UMG and TikTok moving forward
24:27 Who’s the most powerful person in the music industry?

This episode is brought to you by EVEN, where you buy the art from the artist. Learn more at https://get.even.biz/trapital
Make sure you listen in for our new Chartmetric stat of the week!
Trapital is home for the business of music, media and culture. Learn more by reading Trapital’s free memo.

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

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!

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 Justin Hunte, music journalist, startup advisor, and former Editor-in-Chief of HipHopDX, and we break it all down.

04:20 Def Jam's fight for legitimacy and innovation.
06:59 Federal Communications Act - media consolidation impact
12:08 Media success relies on standing on giants' shoulders.
16:36 Hybe's Weverse maximizes label and artist reach.
18:21 Maximizing super fans to boost revenue. Consolidation.
23:07 Shift in entertainment from pandemic to 2024.
25:41 Changing music industry, companies adapting to trends.
28:37 Brand identity crucial; industry accolades have limits.
31:31 Share, rate, and spread the word.

Make sure you listen in for our new Chartmetric stat of the week!
Trapital is home for the business of music, media and culture. Learn more by reading Trapital’s free memo.

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 Carter
Make sure you listen in for our new Chartmetric stat of the week!
Enjoy this podcast? Rate and review the podcast here! ratethispodcast.com/trapital
Trapital is home for the business of music, media and culture. Learn more by reading Trapital’s free memo.