Why Make Music… Episode 080 – “The Business Of Music”

This episode steps into the machinery behind the music—the part most creatives avoid until it becomes impossible to ignore. Inspired by the classic industry guide This Business of Music, Willa May traces the evolution of the music business from demo tapes, record labels, vinyl, cassettes, and compact discs to peer-to-peer sharing, streaming platforms, digital audio workstations, AI-assisted production, avatar performers, and the new attention economy.

The central question is simple but heavy: music has always been a business, but do artists understand the business they are currently standing in?

Episode 080 explores how the old gatekeepers did not disappear—they changed shape. Labels once controlled ac ...