What a time to be alive in the music industry in 2025, particularly if you're one of the people charged with keeping the live music scene alive and prospering.

As Managing Director of MusicNSW, Joe Muller has it all before him. And he's up for it and all about it!

Joe comes from credible and respected music stock having had over 15 years of experience with in the industry as a festival curator, creative producer, venue programmer, artist manager, label owner and as an artist himself.

In this weeks episode of Vinyl Tap, we get the lowdown on what is happening in the NSW music scene and why Joe is hell-bent on creating regional eco-systems to support the many artists that live outside of the big smoke. On top of this, Joe is a vocal and passionate advocate of grass roots music and artist development in the evolvement of our great industry.

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On last week's episode of Vinyl Tap, I spoke to Asian Music Industry legend Sandy Monteiro, this week it's his business partners turn.

Allan Klepfisz is not from the Music Industry per se. He is an entrepreneur by nature, having worked in the restaurant and textile industries, but he has always had a penchant for tech.

His new Music Tech baby Fenix 360 aims to change the e-commerce landscape for creatives from all industries, particularly musicians.

In this week's new episode of Vinyl Tap, we get Allan's fresh perspective of the music industry and also why he believes Fenix 360 will make a difference in the highly competitive world of Music Tech and in the artist community itself. This man is not mucking around!

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Sandy Monteiro is very highly regarded in not just Asia, but throughout the world. He is a true pioneer of the digital music space and he has also had very successful stints at running both major and independent record labels. I first met Sandy when he was CEO of Universal S/E Asia some 10 years ago and was suitably impressed by his knowledge of music and, more importantly, his grasp and take on the future of digital music and streaming.

These days, Sandy is still pushing the envelope in the Music Tech space. Fenix 360 is his new baby, a music tech platform that was founded by his business partner Allan Klepfisz (who will be on the show next week). What is Fenix 360? Will it change the way artists do business online? And what are Sandy's plans for the future? This is an intriguing insight into the music industry and music tech space as seen through an Asian lens by one of the best in the business.

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Dean Ormston runs the biggest not-for-profit music organisation in the Southern Hemisphere. As CEO of APRA/AMCOS, Dean oversees the music rights management of over 130 thousand domestic songwriters and composers, as well as all of the nation's Music Publishing companies.

It's a big task and undertaking for this former school music teacher, but one that he is handling with flair and aplomb. The role, however, is not devoid of any challenges as Dean has to navigate through a veritable labyrinth of issues on a daily basis. In this fresh new episode of Vinyl Tap, Dean speaks candidly and confidently about what lies ahead for APRA and AMCOS covering everything from the importance of grass roots Artist Development, the ever increasing need for exporting our music and the growing impact of AI on the business.

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Anyone who can spit into Johnny Lydon's (yes of Sex Pistols fame) sushi and get away with it should automatically be inducted into the Australian Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. And this is only one of many stories that Chrissie Vincent has in her arsenal of rock and roll anecdotes.

There's no denying Chrissie is a trailblazer. She started her career in 1981, when the local music industry was beginning to come into it's own. She has worked in pretty much every facet of the business and she has worked with a vast array of artists. From Bowie and Lenny Kravitz and from The Living End to Pete Murray, she has definitely packed in a hell of a lot in these last 44 years.

Today, you'll find Chrissie imparting her infinite wisdom in her role as the Head of Entertainment Management at Collarts College in Melbourne. And if you think she has lost any of the fire and passion that she is renown for, then think again. She has a lot to say about the music industry, about local radio and about the importance of keeping Australian Music alive and kicking. Buckle in for a proper, fiery hour of power with the human hurricane that is Chrissie Vincent.

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Paris born, US based music entrepreneur Emmanuel Zunz has always been fiercely independent. His music roots are steeped in philanthropy. He started his very first music venture 'Verge Records' back in 2007. It was an innovative record label predicated on releasing music from artists who lived in impoverished neighbourhoods in the US to yield profits to put back into those communities. While it was a relatively short-lived exercise, the seeds of enabling and empowering young musicians had been sown.

Today, Emmanuel is the Head of ONErpm, a data driven global aggregator label that prides itself on representing DIY creators and established independent artists and labels from all around the world. The operation has now spread to 43 offices in 26 countries, including an Australian office run by respected music executive Rick Butterworth.

In this new episode of Vinyl Tap, Emmanuel talks about what ONErpm is, what it has become and what his plans are for doubling his global market share inside the next few years.

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Mardi Caught is a 'stayer' and a master at propelling artist careers. These are not mutually exclusive concepts! She cut her teeth in various major label roles both in Australia and in the UK & also at MTV in London. At the very heart and core of what she does is pure Artist Development. She thrives on it and this is beautifully demonstrated by he work with ground breaking acts like Royel Otis, Lime Cordiale and Genesis Owusu and successful Music Labels like UNIFIED, Ninja Tunes and Sweat It Out.

She describes her new company, The Annex, as a 'swiss army knife'. The Annex is a multi-layered marketing services business that partners with talent, management and labels to create bespoke campaigns for it's clients. The success with and the importance of the aforementioned artists and labels speaks for itself.

So what sets The Annex apart from similar company's and where does Mardi fit inside the local and global music eco-system? What else is there left to do for one of this country's best ever music executives? We discuss this and a whole lot more in this inspiring new episode of Vinyl Tap.

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Who said Busking doesn't pay or, in fact, lead to global success? Starting his music career as a busker himself has held Regan Lethbridge in solid stead.

Regan is best known as the co-manager of Tones and I and the manager of Tash Sultana, both of whom have forged strong international careers. And both of whom, like Regan, honed their craft as street performers.

Today Regan is the proud and successful Co-Founder of Lemon Tree Music, his artist management business, and Lonely Lands Agency which he set up alongside UNIFIED's Jaddan Commerford and Tash Sultana herself.

So what makes Regan one of the most successful young entrepreneur's in the global music scene today? What's the secret to his success and how does he view the future of Artist Development in these challenging times? We unpack this and more in this enlightening new episode of Vinyl Tap.

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Recently, Vinyl Tap ventured out to the St Kilda Town Hall in Melbourne for a special live panel taping. Joining me on the night to discuss the LIVE Music scene were;

PATRICK DONOVAN; Live Music Strategy and Development lead for the Port Phillip City Council, esteemed and widely acclaimed artist and proud local identity CASH SAVAGE, SUNSHINE TROTT; one of Melbourne's most celebrated local DJ's and Producers and ISABEL BEARLIN; National Bookings & Events manager for Live Nation.

We discussed everything from the need to beef up our grass roots music strategy in schools, DIY Touring, the ever growing rise of EDM as our most popular music genre to how the multi-national Touring Company's are giving back to the local music community.

Thanks to those who turned up on a cold Melbourne night to help us engage in a fun and robust conversation about what more we can do to keep our live scene buoyant and thriving in this post-Covid world.

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David Vodicka has paid his dues in every way. First as an independent label owner and now as, arguably, one of the most successful and influential music lawyers in Australia.

His 'Rubber Records' imprint, always cutting edge with its output, certainly delivered some of the best new artists in years gone by. Cordrazine, Even and 1200 Techniques are amongst some of my favourite Aussie acts of all time! David, however always had a Plan B in his back pocket. And that's where Media Arts comes in. Boasting a clientele that reads like a big summer festival lineup- Hilltop Hoods, Tame Impala, Tash Sultana, Teskey Bros, Matt Corby, Briggs et al- Media Arts represents some of the biggest artists and labels here and worldwide. In this weeks episode we get a proper glimpse into world of music law as seen through the eyes of one its best ever protagonists. Meet the best dressed lawyer in town Mr David Vodicka!

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Running a music industry organisation and representative body like ARIA is by no means a walk in the park in the current music climate, but this weeks guest is more than ready for the task.

Annabelle Herd has the right temperament and 'can-do' mentality for navigating the domestic music industry through these challenging, but exciting times.

A career in politics as an advisor in the Communications and Arts sector and then in TV as the Chief Operating Officer at Channel 10 has held Annabelle in good stead as the Head of ARIA. And she means business!

In this week's episode we discuss not only the many challenges that we all face as an industry, but also the reasons we need to stay focused and excited for the future growth of Australian music and the many artists that are flying the flag.

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Karl Richter is somewhat of a chameleon in the Music Industry. Not only has he been able to successfully pivot from A&R to Music Supervision, but he now is also a major player in the Music Tech space.

In this enlightening new episode of Vinyl Tap, we go back to Karl's early community radio days and his entry into the music industry per se. Starting as an A&R manager at MDS, Mushroom's Indie distribution arm in the early 90's, we chart Karl's professional evolution from music executive to becoming one of the most important, if not disruptive forces in the Music Licensing world with the 'happy accident' we now know as Level Two Music.

And now as the Founder of the highly impressive DISCO platform, a B2B file sharing technology, that has taken the industry by storm there is no stopping Karl as he continues to pave his own path to the intersection of music, technology and the screen.

Underpinning all of this is Karl's ultimate A&R philosophy - building creative business' and people that can and that are challenging the norm on a global level.

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Mitch Clark is a true survivor in the music business! She started her professional career learning from the likes of pioneer promoters Michael Coppel and Zev Eizek before taking the plunge and moving to the UK in the late 80's in search of her own journey and path. Whilst there she worked her way up the ranks at the legendary Chrysalis Records label and at EMI UK where she ended up as a VP of International. Her roster was the stuff of legends; Prince, Queen, Sinead O'Connor, Tina Turner. Stevie Nicks, Pink Floyd and Pet Shop Boys, the latter of whom she went on to manage.

In this week's fun new episode of Vinyl Tap. we get a taste of the incredulous and the downright crazy world of Mitch Clark who has now reinvigorated her career as an artist manager again with her aptly titled company 'Mitch Clark Artist Management'. Buckle up for an hour of the funniest and most poignant anecdotes of a long and illustrious life and career.

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Simon Moor has been in the business of Artist Discovery for all of his professional career, first as an A&R manager via his stints at Sony Music & EMI and then as a creative inside SonyATV Publishing. We sure as hell had some great A&R stouch's in the 90's fighting for the same bands but Simon always had a great ear for finding new music.

In 2010, his professional trajectory took a major upturn when he helped launch and run Kobalt Music Publishing, which he still successfully presides over today.

Kobalt are considered a 'disruptor' in the Music Publishing world. They are super transparent, pay their artists in real time and they are able to do the kinds of deals that their competitors simply can't match at times.

In this week's episode of Vinyl Tap, we get Simon's take on the ever changing nature of Music Publishing and what role he and Kobalt play in its evolution.

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Richard 'Rash' Hussein has spent the better part of the last 20 years in Dubai helping to establish a real music industry over in the Wild East! Through his A&R stints at both EMI and Warner Middle East, not only did he amass a staggering 50 #1 records but he also helped define a blueprint for merging Arab Pop with the Western music industry.

In this week's episode, we learn a lot more about the gradual rise of the Middle Eastern Music business and what role Rash played and still plays inside it and whether there is a place for Australian artists in the region. This is a fascinating insight into a world that we, as Australians, know little about.

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MSqaured Productions are a very successful Melbourne based music production duo who have been able to seamlessly transition to and traverse between many music genres throughout their 12 year journey together.

Michael De Lorenzis and Michael Paynter started out as the 'go-to' guys for mainstream pop production and artist development and over the course of the last few years have managed to cleverly pivot and buck pigeon holes. They have been working with artists from the EDM world, the urban pop world and, more recently, the every growing country music space. You only need to look at their CV in order to get a sense of how far they have come- Aloe Blacc, TKay Maidza, Charlie Collins, Tina Arena, Budgerah, Casey Barnes and James Johnston are just some of the names that have helped them amass upwards of 200 million streams across their vast catalogue. The scary thing is you just get the sense that they are just warming up and that there is still a long way to go before this rocket ship finds its ultimate destination. Lets find out all about the MSquared mission and where it's at on this next instalment of Vinyl Tap; The Producers.

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