Epidemic Sound Removes Rights and Royalties From the Equation
The New Music Business with Ari HerstandShow Notes
This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Oscar Höglund, the co-founder and CEO of Epidemic Sound. Epidemic Sound is a leading music and soundtracking platform for content creators. They have garnered attention for its digital rights model and soundtracking tools that help creators to elevate their content with music, while simultaneously supporting artists financially. Oscar shares insights from his journey launching Epidemic after working with Sweden’s renowned Zodiak Television.
In their episode, Ari and Oscar unpack critical issues impacting independent artists, including royalty structures, streaming economics, and the evolving landscape of music licensing. They explore Epidemic Sound’s unique approach to artist compensation, discuss how digital streaming has pushed music toward playlist-driven consumption, and tackle the creative tension artists face when making commercially viable music. This episode offers an in-depth look at one of the industry's most influential platforms shaping the future of music in content creation.
Chapters 00:00 The Changing Landscape of Music Royalties 06:00 Epidemic Sound: A New Model for Music Distribution 12:14 Artist Compensation and Ownership Rights 17:46 Innovative Approaches to Music Licensing 24:09 The Impact of Epidemic Sound on Independent Artists 29:53 Future of Music in the Digital Age 42:16 The Evolution of Music Consumption 46:21 Negotiating with DSPs and Licensing Rates 49:52 The Rise of Epidemic Sound 55:31 The Artist's Identity Crisis 01:08:01 Future Innovations and AI in Music 01:21:12 Becoming a Full-Service Music Platform
Edited and mixed by Ari Davids Music by Brassroots District Produced by the team at Ari’s Take
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