Ari Herstand is the CEO and founder of the music business education and artist advocacy company, Ari’s Take. Started in 2012 as a blog, Ari’s Take has become the go-to resource for independent musicians on how to run a successful music career in the NEW music business. He is also the author of the best-selling book, How To Make It in the New Music Business which is a #1 Amazon best-seller in 3 categories and has been adopted by over 300 universities and translated into Russian and Spanish. Herstand’s well-researched, relatable, no BS approach is why so many musicians continue to trust him for advice. He offers encouragement without condescension and maintains a “we’re all in it together” attitude not found elsewhere in the space.
In 2018, Herstand launched the online school Ari’s Take Academy which brings in experts in the field to teach courses on running successful careers in the new music business. ATA currently has over 5,000 students enrolled.
He is also the host of the popular music business podcast, the New Music Business where he interviews innovators and experts in the music industry. Since its launch in March of 2020, it has won the Webby award for Best Music Podcast and was cited by Spotify and Variety as best music industry podcasts for 2022.
An independent musician who has played over 1,000 shows around the country, he has performed on Ellen, and has had his music featured in countless TV shows, commercials and films. He currently leads the funk project Brassroots District.
Herstand has written for many of the top musician trade magazines and websites including Billboard, Variety,Music Connection Magazine, American Songwriter, Digital Music News, Playback Magazine, CD Baby, Tunecore, Reverbnation, Roland, Discmakers, ASCAP, Hypebot and others. He has been a featured speaker at SXSW, BBC One’s Amplify, ASCAP Music Expo, SF MusicTech, CD Baby’s DIY Musician Conference and Berklee College of Music.
And he helped rewrite and pass a law in California which helped musicians get work easier.
