Dan Runcie
Founder of Trapital; analyzes the business of hip‑hop, labels, deals, catalogs, and artist monetization.
Resilience Pays: Clive Davis Bounced Back Stronger
Clive Davis was fired by Columbia, pushed out at Arista, but bounced back stronger each time. It’s a great lesson on resilience and leverage.
Whitney Waited to Sing Until Life Matched Lyrics
Whitney Houston once said no to a song because she hadn’t lived it yet, but came back to it later once she did. Clive Davis tells the full story:
Secure Your Spot in AI-Driven Music Industry
"If you don't claim a seat at the dinner table, you're liable to wind up on the menu." I spoke to Michael Nash, Chief Digital Officer & EVP of @universalmusicgroup and @kakuls, CEO of @splice at HumanX, the AI conference in...
Cardi B’s Festival Fees Jumped From $70K to $400K
In 2018, Cardi B was paid $70k per weekend to do Coachella. She spent over $300k+ on production and staging. She saw it as an investment. By 2019, she regularly got $400k+ to perform at different festivals. Cardi B’s rates are likely...
Coachella’s Evolution Shows Festivals Thrive over Decades
Coachella 1999: • 25k tickets for $50 each • One weekend, two-day event • Lost $1M+. Almost bankrupt. Didn't return till 2001. Coachella 2026: • 250k ticket sold for $649+ each • Two-weekend, six-day event • $150M+ ticket revenue Music festivals are a long game.
Big Artists Skip Festivals, Driving Costs and Talent Gaps
Coachella’s dilemma is this: Big artists no longer need festivals. But festivals cost more money than ever to run. Higher prices. Fewer A+ level stars. Tougher product to sell.
Even Strong Brands Can't Justify Premium for Weak Products
It's tough to consistently sell a weaker product for higher prices, no matter how strong the brand is. That's the Coachella dilemma in one sentence. We did a full breakdown on Coachella in a recent episode of Trapital with @realdavebrooks Follow...
Ackman Proposes Michael Ovitz as UMG Chairman
Part of Bill Ackman's proposal to buy Universal Music Group for $64 billion is to name a new chairman of the board, Michael Ovitz:
Brand Partnerships Deliver Higher Margins Than Talent Commissions
Talent agencies get commissions from representing entertainers, but higher margin deals come from brand partnerships.
Kanye's Post‑release Updates Pioneered, yet Remain Rare Today
It’s been 10 years since The Life Of Pablo. After its release, Kanye updated several tracks via streaming. Remember his tweet “Ima fix Wolves”? This was new ground. Living art. Many thought this would become common. But for various reasons, it’s rarely...
Quincy Jones Estate Sells MJ Catalog Rights to Investors
The Quincy Jones estate sold a large portion of his music rights to HarbourView Equity Partners, which included an interest in Michael Jackson’s albums: Off The Wall, Bad, and Thriller. Jackson’s catalog is believed to be one of the most valuable...
AI Music: Emerging Growth Market or Niche Play?
AI music has a ton of interest, but how big will the market get? What are the segments? Will this be a primary revenue driver for music in the future, or more of a niche product? We dug into this on...
Tina Turner's Music Rights Switch to Pophouse
Tina Turner's music rights have switched hands for the second time in five years. 2021: Turner sold catalog + NIL rights to BMG for $50M 2026: Pophouse bought majority stake from BMG Pophouse launched the ABBA Voyage show in London. Let's see what...
Top 80 Spotify Artists Earn 20% of Payouts
Spotify’s top 80 artists generated $10M+ each in royalty payouts in 2025. I estimate that these artists generated $2B total, nearly 20% of Spotify’s payout pool. Here’s how I see it:
Music Catalogs Command Premiums While Stocks Trade Discounted
Music’s biggest catalogs are selling at a premium, but music’s biggest stocks are trading at a discount.
