Entertainment

The Rise of Independent Artists Dictates the Future of Music Industry

Published

4 years ago

December 16, 2020

The globalizing effect of streaming platforms has caused more and more artists to move away from the big labels to market their music independently. The arrival of streaming platforms once again shook the ever-agitated music industry, generating the biggest changes since the advent of the internet. The possibility of having a catalog of millions of songs on a cell phone not only changed the way people listen to music, but it also added a new distribution scenario.

According to a Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) report, during 2018, the independent music industry increased its share in the global market, grabbing 39.9% of the line and generating revenues of more than $6.9 billion.

The globalization offered by all these platforms has changed the way the industry operated. The demand is higher, so artists have been forced to move away from albums and work with singles.

The 2010s were strongly marked by streaming. The new habits of listeners not only favored music platforms but also opened a gap for musical self-management that years later has become a new way of making music, distributing it, and monetizing it

Welcome to 2020

Each of the earlier eras of the music business has been defined and named for the dominant formats. The business models of the music industry were transformed by these technological changes and affected consumer behavior. Although there was a slight transformation due to them, the relationship between artists and record labels remained practically the same. Now everything is taking a turn where artists have more power and information than ever due to:

• Audience Access: The combination of streaming, social media, and music distributors means that artists can find global audiences without the need for a label.

• Alternative models: Signing with a record label is no longer the only option on the table. The percentage of artists who want to sign a traditional agreement with you is very low as this new generation of artists has a strong sense of independence. They are forging a remodeled industry based on new contracts and more balanced commercial structures.

• Respect for musical culture: The time has come when independent artists prefer recognition for their music over money and thus, gain real followers. Independent artists want to vindicate genres and break ground away from the most popular, but they also know perfectly well that being famous is not possible overnight. This lottery is not won by thousands of singers that daily upload their songs to digital distribution platforms. They know that music is a passion and don’t mind making it and earning a few dollars a year.

Prominent names are emerged in the independent music scene, where the likes of Hipolito Teixeira Carvalho a.k.a Lito the Guy, is becoming a brand himself. Lito is known for the “go-to” person in the music industry, allowing many young and aspiring artists find their direction and embark on their music journeys.

He is recognized as the “guy who can do it all”; such that, Lito can produce, record, brand, and market, all by himself. It is a spectacular feat which remains a rare aspect today. He creates his own music from lyrical composition to production, branding, and marketing. Lito is professionally attributed as an entrepreneur, music producer, advertising executive, and record producer.

• Moonlighting: For the most part, artists have careers that they exercise, and music is part of another joint work. For this reason, they tend to be more selective and analytical when it comes to managing themselves as they do not depend on whether their music is distributed or not for a living. We are in the era of emerging artists with a lot of control over their content, audiences, and procedures who know where they want to go and how to do it. The pressures of record labels have already been left behind.

• Open mind: Although some of the procedures of music distribution or marketing are completely foreign to most independent artists, they seek help to achieve their goals because they know that it is the best way to end their journey started within the musical self-management. Knowledge is the key.

Entertainment

Going Public: The Groundbreaking Series Transforming How Americans Invest

Published

4 weeks ago

May 16, 2025

Jonathan Grilli

In a media landscape saturated with reality TV and startup showcases, Going Public stands apart, not just as a show but as a movement. Now in its third season, the interactive series invites viewers to do more than just watch entrepreneurs chase success. It gives them the tools and the opportunity to invest in startups in real time, democratizing access to early-stage funding and reshaping how ordinary Americans engage with entrepreneurship and wealth-building.

Launched by Todd M. Goldberg, a former MedTech executive who hit a frustrating wall while preparing his company for a Nasdaq IPO, Going Public was born from a moment of personal disillusionment.

“When I brought a list of interested friends and colleagues to the Chairman of the Board,” Goldberg recalls, “he explained that all the IPO shares were reserved for institutional investors. That was my epiphany. I just knew that was wrong. Regular people should have a chance to invest in IPOs, but it needed to go even further.”

That insight became the foundation for Going Public, a hybrid of entrepreneurial storytelling and financial access that offers retail investors a seat at the table usually reserved for venture capitalists and insiders. The show brings audiences inside the capital-raising journey of startups, often before they go public, and leverages a powerful innovation: its “Click-to-Invest” feature.

“The bottom line with Click-to-Invest is that it’s seamless,” says Goldberg. “Viewers can go from watching the show to literally clicking a button. It feels more like a Shopify or Amazon checkout than a traditional investment process.”

This accessibility is central to the show’s mission: to educate, inspire, and empower everyday people to participate in early-stage investing. Unlike financial news channels that target seasoned traders, Going Public merges entertainment with financial literacy, using real startup stories to highlight the risks, rewards, and realities of entrepreneurship. It’s financial content with emotional stakes, real people, and tangible outcomes.

Season 3 reflects how far the show has come and where it’s going. With more celebrity involvement, including gaming icon Ninja backing the cashew milk startup Nutcase, and a strategic partnership with the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Going Public has widened its reach while deepening its cultural relevance.

“How do you make this mainstream?” Goldberg says. “The concept was The Apprentice meets Shark Tank meets IPO, but with a twist. Viewers aren’t just spectators, they’re stakeholders.”

The show’s selection of featured companies is another defining element. Startups are chosen not just for their growth potential but also for their mission, relatability, and cultural resonance. In Season 3, that includes everything from disruptive wellness brands to tech-enabled platforms, each paired with guidance from top-tier venture capitalists and Silicon Valley mentors.

This season also introduces a livestream finale, a format innovation designed to create a real-time, high-stakes environment where viewers can watch, decide, and invest together. It adds urgency and community to the investing experience, aligning with the show’s values of transparency and participation.

One of the most surprising and meaningful outcomes has been the personal stories from viewers who never imagined themselves as investors. “We’ve heard from teachers, nurses, and even students who said this was their first time investing and they felt confident doing it because the show made it accessible,” Goldberg shares. “It’s not just about money, it’s about empowerment.”

Looking ahead, Goldberg and his team have ambitious plans. They aim to expand the format to new platforms, explore international adaptations, and build out educational tools so viewers not only invest but understand what they’re investing in. The goal isn’t just more participation. It’s smarter participation.

In a world where capital often feels distant, technical, and exclusionary, Going Public brings the financial journey down to earth and into the hands of the people. It’s not just a show. It’s a redefinition of how business stories are told and how wealth can be created and shared.