Business Side of Music Bob Bender

Some weeks back, we posted the question to our followers on Facebook and Linkedin asking for topics of discussion you’d like for us to cover on an upcoming episode of “The Business Side of Music” podcast. On this special episode, we cover several of those questions submitted by our listeners. Joining us in the studio is Vinny Ribas, who is the founder of “Indie Connect”, along with his new educational program “Cartne” who helps provide the answers, and some insight in the process.
We cover such things as to whether Apple Podcasts or Spotify is a better platform. Will the NFT format take off like vinyl, CD’s, and cassettes before. How can emerging artists navigate the challenges of self-promotion and building a brand. When should you introduce children to an instrument. How can an artist improve their earnings from recorded music, what makes a song a hit, and so many other questions.
www.indieconnect.com
www.cartne.com
The book mentioned on the show is “1000 Songwriting Ideas” by author Lisa Aschmann
© 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions LLC
Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella
Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender
Management Representation: Chuck Thompson for Thompson Entertainment Group, LLC
Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella
Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle
Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment
All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas
Recorded inside what could be an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what’s left of Music Row in Nashville TN (Man we sure do miss Noshville Deli, and the Longhorn Steakhouse)
Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN
Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY
Production Sound Design: Keith Stark
Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson
Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy.
Website:
If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to:
musicpodcast@mail.com
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we’ll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at musicpodcast@mail.com
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this show provided by the guest(s), are those of the guest(s) own, and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the host or producers of this podcast. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The Business Side of Music’s name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner (Lotta Dogs Productions LLC), and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Copyright © 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions, LLC, All rights reserved.

The buzzword these days is AI. "Artificial Intelligence". It’s a scary topic of discussion if we allow it to be. But there are good opportinities to use AI, and Paul Loeb who is the founder and CEO of DropTrack has found a way to have it work in the music industry for independent artists.
When Paul started a record label several years ago, he experienced the pains of music promotion, which led him to create DropTrack. What he discovered along the way, is there are more opportunities than ever for musicians, but it's hard to discover the right ones and cut through the noise of the competition. What he did was create DropTrack, which uses AI to help artists save time promoting their music, so they can focus on what they do best. From promoting your music to online streaming services, to writing a press release using their AI PR Agent, which can write a press release for your music simply by uploading the song.
The company also provides a service called “Done For You”, wherein Drop Track acts as your agent, where they help in promoting the music, do a personalized outreach to applicable influencers, along with providing reports on who is listening to your music.
DropTrack's mission is to connect musicians around the world with their best opportunities for success. 
Paul Loeb is a seasoned executive in the music and technology industries, best known as the Founder and CEO of DropTrack, a cutting-edge AI-powered music promotion platform. With over two decades of experience, Loeb's journey in the music industry has been marked by his passion for music, technical expertise, and a relentless drive to innovate.
www.droptrack.com
© 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions LLC
Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella
Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender
Management Representation: Chuck Thompson for Thompson Entertainment Group, LLC
Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella
Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle
Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment
All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas
Recorded inside what could be an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what’s left of Music Row in Nashville TN (Man we sure do miss Noshville, and the Longhorn Steakhouse)
Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN
Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY
Production Sound Design: Keith Stark
Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson
Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy.
Website:
If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to:
musicpodcast@mail.com
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we’ll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at musicpodcast@mail.com
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this show provided by the guest(s), are those of the guest(s) own, and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the host or producers of this podcast. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The Business Side of Music’s name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner (Lotta Dogs Productions LLC), and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Copyright © 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions, LLC, All rights reserved.
 

Do you ever wonder how you can discover trending music, SFX, content creators, and more? How about getting your music attached to some of today’s Tik Tok and YouTube influencers? That’s where Thematic steps in, and helps ease the process. Stephanie Leyva who is the Director of Partnerships at Thematic explains the process, and how one goes about getting your foot in the door.
Stephanie Leyva has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management, General from California State University, Northridge. Stephanie also has an Associate of Science (A.S.) in Behavioral and Social Science from City College of San Francisco. In addition, Stephanie Leyva has certification from YouTube in YouTube Asset Monetization, Content Strategy - Brand Partner Program, and Audience Growth & Development.
www.hellothematic.com
© 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions LLC
Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella
Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender
Management Representation: Chuck Thompson for Thompson Entertainment Group, LLC
Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella
Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle
Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment
All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas
Recorded inside what could be an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what’s left of Music Row in Nashville TN (Man we sure do miss Noshville, and the Longhorn Steakhouse)
Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN
Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY
Production Sound Design: Keith Stark
Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson
Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy.
Website:
If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to:
musicpodcast@mail.com
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we’ll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at musicpodcast@mail.com
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this show provided by the guest(s), are those of the guest(s) own, and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the host or producers of this podcast. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The Business Side of Music’s name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner (Lotta Dogs Productions LLC), and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Copyright © 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions, LLC, All rights reserved.
 

Did you know that 70% to 75% of businesses today don’t know that they’re not supposed to be using consumer services such as Pandora or Spotify to play music in their business establishments? That’s over four million businesses in the United States alone. Having a license from just ASCAP, BMI, GMR or SESAC will not cover all the songs on their playlists. There has to be a more inclusive and overall encompassing way to go about ensuring that the music you’re playing in your restaurant or store is legally covered. Artists, along with rights holders of music are leaving 5 to 10 times of what they would earn in a traditional streaming service by not ensuring that they’re getting paid for their music being played in a commercial environment.
There has to be a way to educate not only the businesses, but also the rights owners of the music for such endeavors. Enter Lisa Farris.
Lisa Farris is the CMO of the company “Soundtrack Your Brand”, which is a B2B Company based out of Stockholm Sweden, providing . She is a graduate of Rutgers University, a former employee of the Recording Academy, Music Marketing Network, and Universal Music Group. Sountrack Your Brand provides over 90 million tracks, building playlists designed for the business, based on the demographics of your customers.
www.soundtrackyourbrand.com
© 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions LLC
Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella
Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender
Management Representation: Chuck Thompson for Thompson Entertainment Group, LLC
Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella
Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle
Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment
All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas
Recorded inside what could be an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what’s left of Music Row in Nashville TN (Man we sure do miss Noshville, and the Longhorn Steakhouse)
Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN
Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY
Production Sound Design: Keith Stark
Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson
Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy.
Website:
If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to:
musicpodcast@mail.com
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we’ll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at musicpodcast@mail.com
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this show provided by the guest(s), are those of the guest(s) own, and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the host or producers of this podcast. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The Business Side of Music’s name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner (Lotta Dogs Productions LLC), and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Copyright © 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions, LLC, All rights reserved.
 

Hailing from the foothills of the North Georgia Appalachian Mountains, Charlsey Etheridge's roots in Americana Music run deep. There she learned to sing harmony around her grandmother's piano after church on Sundays and taught herself guitar chords from her mother’s old Emmylou Harris songbook. She wrote her first song at the young age of 7 while riding through the woods in her step-father’s old army jeep.
After moving to Nashville in 2003, Charlsey was immersed into the Nashville songwriting culture, working alongside such music industry veterans as Harley Allen and Steve Wariner. “Even though Harley is no longer with us, I am often reminded of an invaluable piece of advice he left me,” Etheridge reflects. “He said, ‘just remember... fame will come and go... but you can ALWAYS write.’ As a young 23 year old, I didn’t think much of that statement at the time, but through the years, his words resonate with me more and more.”
In 2013, Etheridge released her first full-length studio album, appropriately titled, Memories of Mine. The critically acclaimed record intimately paid homage to the sounds of her youth, exploring the Bluegrass, Gospel, and old Folk songs her grandmother used to sing to her. Memories received stellar reviews in such bluegrass and roots music publications as No Depression and The Bluegrass Situation. The 2013 album set the stage for Charlsey’s future success in Americana and Roots music.
In 2021, Etheridge collaborated with legendary guitarist Jack Pearson (of Allmon Brothers Band fame) to release a previously recorded, newly mastered five-song EP, An Acoustic Christmas with Charlsey and Jack. The holiday album blends Jack’s lyrical musicality and lightning-precise fingerwork and with Charlsey’s butter-smooth voice in a not-to-be-forgotten compilation of holiday favorites.
Now, nearly 8 years after her first studio album, Charlsey is releasing a compilation of original music, entitled Scars of Mine. She has joined forces with MuzikMafia veteran, Jerry Navarro (Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson), who is also the founder of the new Indy label, The Frequency Spot (of which Etheridge is also an active artist). Joining Charlsey in this collaboration are band members Marcus Finnie (Lady A, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal), Walt Scott, Chris Walters (Barbara Mandrell), and Pat Bergeson (Suzy Bogguss, Lyle Lovett, Chet Atkins). The project is co-produced by sought after guitarist and musician, Pat Bergeson. Scars of Mine is slated for release in 2023.
www.charlseyetheridge.com
© 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions LLC
Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella
Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender
Management Representation: Chuck Thompson for Thompson Entertainment Group, LLC
Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella
Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle
Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment
All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas
Recorded inside what could be an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what’s left of Music Row in Nashville TN (Man we sure do miss Noshville, and the Longhorn Steakhouse)
Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN
Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY
Production Sound Design: Keith Stark
Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson
Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy.
Website:
If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to:
musicpodcast@mail.com
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we’ll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at m

“I Can Lead An Artist Into the Studio, But I Can’t Make Them Tour.”
It’s a line that composer, entrepreneur, and businessman Eric Copeland has been using for years.
Copeland grew up in a very musical and creative family. His mother was a church organist and piano teacher, and his father was a band leader and singer. At a young age Eric was working with a tape recorder, singing and writing songs, and thinking up creative stuff all night long.
By college, he found himself playing in local bands in the Lexington, KY area. Foolishly not concentrating in music while attending college, he did however get into a traveling hotel pop band, traveling the Midwest, eventually ending up in Chicago, IL. He then spent the next 5 years in the Chicagoland area working with bands and singers, going back to school (although still not concentrating in music), and honing his writing and arranging skills on keyboard.
By the time Eric moved back to Lexington at the end of 1989, he was looking to start a new chapter. He met his wife, and officially hung a shingle as a songwriter and arranger. By the mid-90s, he had added producing artists as a side job. His fledgling recording and production company Creative Soul Records flourished with artists coming from all around the US. In 2005, he moved his production and consulting business to Nashville, TN, with his company producing dozens of artists per year, garnering awards and radio play for his clients. In 2009, he realized that he wasn’t finished learning, and in 2013 finished a degree in Music History and Music Business. In May of 2021, Eric went on to earn a Master’s degree in Music Composition at the University of Central Florida. His focus these days is composition for various music libraries, one on one teaching in person, online, and through his YouTube channels MakeMusicIncome.com and HelloComposers.com, and continuing to work with artists, producers, composers, and musicians around the world, along with helping them develop something unique in their careers.
www.makemusicincome.com
www.ericcopelandmusic.com
© 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions LLC
Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella
Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender
Management Representation: Chuck Thompson for Thompson Entertainment Group, LLC
Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella
Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle
Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment
All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas
Recorded inside what could be an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what’s left of Music Row in Nashville TN (Man we sure do miss Noshville, and the Longhorn Steakhouse)
Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN
Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY
Production Sound Design: Keith Stark
Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson
Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy.
Website:
If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to:
musicpodcast@mail.com
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we’ll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at musicpodcast@mail.com
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this show provided by the guest(s), are those of the guest(s) own, and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the host or producers of this podcast. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The Business Side of Music’s name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner (Lotta Dogs Product