Steve Stoute’s Competitive Advantage For Independent Artists

UnitedMasters and Translation CEO Steve Stoute returns to the show, fresh off a new deal with R&B star Brent Faiyaz for a reported $50 million. Brent had his pick at multiple major labels, but chose to stay independent with UnitedMasters.

We talk about how independent companies can compete with majors on upfront money, competitive advantages in the music industry, and more.

Steve and I also chat about the industry at-large: AI, entrepreneurship, subscription prices and more. Here’s what we hit on:

0:00 Introducing Steve Stoute
1:32 The ups and downs of entrepreneurship
5:21 Building two companies at once
10:04 Positioning UnitedMasters in the music distribution space
13:00 Does anyone in music have a moat?
15:24 Why Brent Faiyaz chose to sign with UnitedMasters
22:30 Should the DSPs raise prices?
28:02 Artists and creators becoming mini-media channels
35:52 How NIL (name, image, likeness) is like the independent music business
41:43 Is Steve going to strike more NIL deals?
44:52 Why every artists needs a Chief Technology Officer
48:04 Separating real from hype: blockchain, to web3, to AI

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