the TrueFans AMP— Issue 107

"People don't fall in love with an artist because of that one song. People fall in love with artists because of who they are and what they stand for."
— Ari Herstand 

In This Issue... 14 pages (about 20ish minutes to read) You'll Get... 

• Recommends— Ari's Take: Music Business Made Real

• Your BIZ— Copyright in the Age of AI: What Every Music Artist Must Know

• The Greatest Songwriters of All Time— Max Martin. Pop's Unsung Genius

• In Partnership with Music Business Worldwide

• IMHO— Spotify's 'Super Listeners' = Your TrueFans (Sort of) by John Fogg

• PS from PS— The Moment Everything Shifted

Here’s the playlist

• Recommends— Ari's Take. Music Business Made Real

If you're an independent Music Artist trying to crack the code of today's music industry, you need Ari Herstand in your corner. His platform Ari's Take (blog + podcast + newsletter) is one of the smartest, most practical resources out there for musicians who want more than "tips & tricks"— they want real strategies that work.

Ari isn't an industry talking head. He's a working musician who's lived the grind and figured out how to build a career outside the old label system. His bestselling book, How To Make It in the New Music Business, has become a bible for artists worldwide, and his podcast brings on everyone from managers and agents to successful DIY artists who break down exactly how they did it.

What you'll find in Ari's Take is the stuff most Music Artists wish they'd known years earlier:

It's sharp, current, and no-BS. Ari's mission is to put the power back where it belongs—  in the hands of artists.

Do yourself a favor: explore Ari's Take.

• Your BIZ— Copyright in the Age of AI: What Every Music Artist Must Know

By Randi Zimmerman (Symphonic Blog) and Cosynd— adapted and combined for TrueFans AMP™

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The ground is shifting under your feet— and fast.

AI isn't just changing how music is made. It's changing how easily your work can be copied, scraped, remixed, claimed by someone else, and moneytized without you ever knowing… let alone getting paid.

Whether you use AI tools in your music or you're keeping it 100% human, your rights and your income are now in the crosshairs. The only thing standing between you and losing control over your songs? 

Registered Copyright.

And the fight to protect that right is happening right now in courtrooms, in Congress, and behind closed doors at the U.S. Copyright Office.

The New Reality
As Randi Zimmerman writes for the Symphonic Blog, "There's never been a more important time to protect your original work."

AI makes it easy for your track to travel the globe in seconds— or be ingested into an AI training model without your permission. Once it's in that system, AI can generate new music "inspired by" your work… 

Without credit. Without payment. 
Without recourse unless...
You're registered.

The law is blunt:

If your work isn't registered, you can't sue for infringement.
No registration, no legal leverage.

Without that registration, you're invisible in the eyes of the law. With it, you have the ability to fight back, claim damages up to $150,000 per infringement, and get legal fees covered.

Why Registration Is Non-Negotiable

Cosynd's reporting exposes a deeper fight:

This isn't an isolated policy dispute. It's a coordinated push by some of the most powerful tech companies to rewrite the rules in their favor. Their goal: continue using unlicensed creative content to build billion-dollar AI models— at no cost.

If they succeed:

The Bottom (of the) Bottom Line
If you don't register your work, you're betting your career on the goodwill of corporations whose business models depend on using your content for free. The tech is moving fast. The politics are moving faster. But so can you.

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About Randi Zimmerman Writer & Editor Symphonic Blog
Randi Zimmerman is a seasoned music journalist and editor known for her sharp insights into the music industry and her commitment to helping independent artists navigate it. As a writer for the Symphonic Blog— the content platform for Symphonic Distribution, one of the top independent music distributors— Randi focuses on offering practical advice, trend analysis, and behind-the-scenes guidance tailored to indie artists, producers, and labels.

Her writing stands out for being clear, actionable, and artist-centric. Whether she's breaking down how to plan a music release, maximize streaming, or build a brand on social media, Randi brings real-world knowledge and a supportive tone that empowers readers to take control of their music careers.

She's also contributed to other music publications and platforms, and is respected for her ability to translate complex industry shifts into digestible, do-something-about-it-now content.

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Article Sources: Adapted from:

"Max Martin is the quiet architect behind the soundtrack of generations— his melodies don't just stick, they redefine pop."

Few songwriters have shaped the modern pop landscape as indelibly as Max Martin (born Karl Martin Sandberg on February 26, 1971 in Stockholm. His uncanny touch has yielded 27 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, an all-time record as of March 202— all while he remained largely behind the scenes, letting his songs, not his face, take center stage.

Max Martin's music is defined by razor-sharp hooks, clarity of melody, and production that prioritizes emotional resonance. He built the Cheiron-studio model where producers not only wrote the songs but recorded and mixed them— sometimes before artists ever stepped into the booth.

He's spoken about his creative approach succinctly:

"When pop culture can influence things in any way, when a song becomes something bigger than just a song, that's the greatest thing to me."

And on his obsession with precision in the studio:

"I want to be part of every note, every single moment going on in the studio. I want nothing forgotten; I want nothing missed."

Max Martin's touch spans decades and genres:

Rooted in Swedish music education and inspired by ABBA, Prince, Kiss, and Lasse Holm, Martin combines Scandinavian pop sensibilities, melody-first songwriting, and a work ethic steeped in precision.

His influence is palpable in protégés and peers:

"We work melody first. That's Max Martin's school. We'll spend days, sometimes weeks, challenging the melody. The goal is to make it sound like anyone can do this, but it's actually very difficult." 
— Savan Kotecha

Dr. Luke has called the partnership "magical," likening himself and Martin to Jedi masters of pop crafting.

Martin's catalog has even been adapted into the stage musical & Juliet, affirming his cultural reach beyond radio.

"He's not only amazing and talented the way everyone knows him, but he's also a great guy. It's not just music; you learn so much about life, how to collaborate with people, and how to be open and not let egos take over the room." 
— Ali Payami

Personal Life & Public Persona
Away from the studio, Max Martin has built a life as private as his professional output has been public. He met Jenny Petersson around 2000, and the couple married in 2011; together they have a daughter born in 2001. Martin splits his time between Los Angeles and Stockholm, balancing the demands of a global career with a strong connection to his Swedish roots. True to form, he rarely gives interviews and almost never appears in public— a stark contrast to the artists whose careers his songs have launched. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Martin has chosen not to engage visibly in political or social activism, letting his work speak for itself. His legacy, then, is defined almost entirely by the music— a body of work that has reshaped pop without ever requiring the spotlight for himself.

"When pop culture can influence things in any way, when a song becomes something bigger than just a song, that's the greatest thing to me." 

Enduring Influence
Max Martin's chart-breaking success across four decades cements him among The Greatest Songwriters of all time. As The New Yorker once noted, his melodies don't just dominate playlists— they define eras. Revered by artists and producers alike, he is both mentor and sonic visionary, shaping the sound of global pop while remaining almost invisible to fans. From the teen-pop explosions of the '90s to the arena anthems of the 2010s and the streaming juggernauts of today, his music has become part of the very DNA of mainstream culture. Martin's songs are more than hits; they are the touchstones that entire generations recognize, remember, and sing back to the world.

the Wrap-Up
Max Martin's legacy lies not only in record-breaking charts and sales, but in his ability to write music that becomes woven into cultural memory. He's a rare figure who exerts mastery from the shadows— crafting art that propels artists into global stardom, all while maintaining an aura of mystery and meticulous devotion to craft.

"I want to be part of every note, every single moment going on in the studio. I want nothing forgotten; I want nothing missed."

in partnership with Music Business Worldwide

• IMHO— Spotify's 'Super Listeners' = Your TrueFans (Sort of) by John Fogg

Why the data is right— but the destination is wrong

Spotify just confirmed what we've known all along.

They call them Super Listeners. We call them TrueFans. But the truth is: 

the top 2% of your audience is responsible 
for the majority of your real success

i.e.; streams, ticket sales, merch, word-of-mouth, and long-term loyalty.

Spotify just released a report packed with numbers that prove it.

And while we're not exactly waving pom-poms for Spotify around here at the TrueFans AMP™, we are big fans of one thing: 

Data that supports what actually helps Music Artists make Right Now Money and have Fans Forever.

Let's dig into the good, the cautionary, and the takeaway.

The Good: Spotify's Numbers Tell the Truth
Their research on Super Listeners paints a clear picture:

And here's the kicker:

One Super Listener streams as much as 20 casual listeners.

That's power. That's potential. That's exactly what we mean when we say TrueFans are the foundation of a thriving music career.

The Catch: It's Still Spotify's Game

Spotify's strategy is simple:

Get artists to do the work, so 
Spotify can keep the listeners.

They offer tools— analytics, campaign kits, countdown pages, playlist pitching— but all roads lead back to… more streaming. More time on the platform. More dependency on them.

Yes, you can use these tools to spot your most loyal fans.

Yes, you can see who's sticking around and who's not.

But you still don't Own the Connection.

You don't get their email. You don't control the relationship.

And if the algorithm shifts, or a new platform emerges, guess who loses?

Not Spotify.

The Shift: Use Spotify as a Funnel, Not a Home

Here's the real takeaway for TrueFans AMP™ Music Artists:

Spotify is a great place to find your TrueFans. But it is not the place to build your fanbase.

Use the data. Use the reach. Use the playlist traction. But don't stop there.

Bring your Super Listeners off-platform.

Super Listeners / TrueFans aren't casual. They want more.

Give it to them where you control the experience— and the income.

Your Action Plan (aka How to Build TrueFans from Super Listeners):

Bottom Line: The Data's Right— The Delivery's Wrong
Spotify sees what's working.

So do we.

They just want fans to stay inside their house.

We want you to build your own.

Super Listeners are real. They're out there.

Use Spotify's tools to spot them— then build a deeper, lasting connection that lives beyond the stream.

That's how you make Right Now Money 
and have TrueFans Forever.

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John Fogg is a million-selling author and the editor of the TrueFans AMP™

• PS from PS— The Moment Everything Shifted
I sat in a coffee shop with a Songwriter I've admired for years. We've shared countless talks about art and authenticity, but this time was different. Her voice dropped as she said: "I found my track in an AI training dataset. The one where I'm crying about losing my father. They're selling ‘emotionally authentic' tracks learned from my grief."

In that moment, I felt the ground shift. For two years I've poured myself into New Music Lives™, believing amplifying voices was enough. But hearing her describe the theft of her most sacred expression, I realized I'd been tending a garden while the foundation was being ripped away.

This isn't just technology disruption. It's the commodification of human transformation through art. And it's coordinated. The U.S. Copyright Office recently declared training AI on copyrighted works without consent isn't fair use—a win that should've mattered. Days later, the Register of Copyrights was fired. Then the Librarian of Congress. Both champions for artists, gone.

Every song carries years of emotional archaeology, pain turned into beauty. When AI systems devour this work, they don't just steal property— they strip-mine the soul of human growth and discovery.

Without copyright registration, artists are invisible to the law. With it, they can reclaim both protection and agency.

That's why every story I share here carries new urgency. This newsletter is no longer just celebration— it's resistance. Because while technology moves fast, love for artists— fierce, protective, transformative love— moves faster.

With unwavering commitment,

Until we speak again...

Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback.

And PLEASE, if you've got any Singer Songwriter friends, pass the AMP on, because... It’s Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time...