What makes a good recording session or a good collaborator? What's really going on in LA in 2025? (Spoiler: it's not an urban hellscape warzone). We'll also share some artist mental health resources, discuss TikTok's new artist tools, and stare deeply at Timbaland's very weird take on AI. A Goldman Sachs report gets reviewed — shout out to global banking, we love you. Oh, and our transition game is impeccable.

• Artists Often Pay For Their Own Health Care — This Is Their Biggest Expense By Elizabeth Dilts Marshall for Billboard https://www.billboard.com/pro/therapy-artists-biggest-health-care-expenses/
• TIKTOK FOR ARTISTS LAUNCHES GLOBALLY AFTER BETA TESTING
  MANDY DALUGDUG at Music Business Worldwide https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/tiktok-for-artists-launches-globally-after-beta-testing/
• Goldman Sachs Lowers Global Music Industry Growth Forecast, Wiping Out $2.5 Billion by ELIZABETH DILTS MARSHALL for Billboard https://www.billboard.com/pro/goldman-sachs-lowers-global-music-industry-growth-forecast/

Recorded live at Secret Spot DTLA http://secretspotdtla.com
Cameron Ljungkull https://www.cameronljungkull.com
Augustus Watkins https://augustuswatkins.com

Cameron Ljungkull and Augustus Watkins break down social media strategies for reluctant posters. Then we talk about the way the tech industry has changed the "soft power" of American culture, share some mental health resources for musicians, and discuss the new era of 360 deals. We also tempt fate by calling out UMG's famously rowdy legal team.

• Meta, TikTok, Spotify & New Rules of Soft Power by Mark Mulligan via Music Industry Blog https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2025/05/meta-tiktok-spotify-the-new-rules-of-soft-power-mark-mulligan-of-midia.html
• Mental Health Resources for Musicians in 2025 By Randi Zimmerman https://blog.symphonic.com/2025/05/01/mental-health-resources-for-musicians/
• 20 years ago, labels targeted fandom. Will it work the second time around? by Tatiana Cirisano https://www.midiaresearch.com/blog/20-years-ago-labels-targeted-fandom-will-it-work-the-second-time-around
• UMAW https://weareumaw.org

Recorded live at Secret Spot DTLA http://secretspotdtla.com
Cameron Ljungkull https://www.cameronljungkull.com
Augustus Watkins https://augustuswatkins.com

Welcome to Wholesome Music Podcast with Cameron Ljungkull and Augustus Watkins. It's our first episode and we're talking about the right time to get a manager, the creator economy, how social media broke capitalism, the economics of touring, AI brainrot music, and more!

Links:

• Why Some Artists Are Rethinking Touring https://hmc.chartmetric.com/why-artists-arent-touring-2025/
• Americans Are Paying $300-Plus or Going Into Debt for Concert Tickets, Studies Show https://www.billboard.com/pro/concert-ticket-prices-studies-spending-debt-consumer-trends/
• Into the Horrid Depths of Instagram Reels Music By Kieran Press-Reynolds https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/into-the-horrid-depths-of-instagram-reels-music/

Recorded live at Secret Spot DTLA http://secretspotdtla.com
Cameron Ljungkull https://www.cameronljungkull.com
Augustus Watkins https://augustuswatkins.com