The Live Music Industry Podcast takes you inside the business of live entertainment through candid conversations with the people shaping it. Hosted by Matt Ford, Founder & CEO of Prism.fm, the show features promoters, venue operators, talent buyers, agents, artist managers, and industry leaders sharing real-world insights on booking, ticketing, operations, technology, and the evolving live music business.
Recent Episodes
Podcast Episode 46
Building Bleecker Bell: A 200-Cap Bet on Manhattan’s Future In this week’s episode, Matt Ford sits down with Hap Pardo, Director of Musical Operations at Wha Entertainment to talk about Bleecker Bell, the new 200-cap venue preparing to open in Greenwich Village, and what it takes to build and sustain independent live music spaces in…
Podcast Episode 45
Live Nation Monopoly Case Update and the StubHub Scandal There’s been a verdict in the Live Nation/Ticketmaster antitrust case. So what happens now? Matt Ford sits down again with artist manager and industry operator Randy Nichols to unpack what the jury’s monopoly verdict actually means, why the case is still far from over, and what…
Podcast Episode 44
Inside One of America’s Most Innovative Performing Arts Centers Matt sits down with Randy Vogel of Mesa Arts Center to explore what it takes to lead one of the country’s most dynamic multidisciplinary performing arts centers. Randy shares how Mesa Arts Center became a catalyst for downtown revitalization, why performing arts centers must balance community…
Podcast Episode 43
The AI Playbook for Booking & Marketing Shows with Pat Hannigan After a popular fireside chat at NIVA a few weeks ago, Matt Ford and Pat Hannigan, Co-Founder & CTO of Hive, sat down to continue the conversation around one of the biggest topics shaping live events today: AI. In this episode, Matt and Pat talk…
Podcast Episode 42
Tixr’s story: Tech, AI Resale, and the Future of Live Events with Sara Mertz & Steve Oberman In this episode, Matt Ford sits down with Sara Mertz (VP, Music Partnerships) and Steve Oberman (VP, Partnerships) from Tixr to discuss the future of independent ticketing, the evolution of the secondary market, and the technology shaping live events. They…
Podcast Episode 41
No-Contract Ticketing: Why Loyalty Should Be Earned, Not Enforced In this episode, Matt Ford sits down with Justin Kantor, Founder of VenuePilot, to unpack a radically different approach to ticketing-one that challenges long-standing industry norms around contracts, fees, and control. They explore the hidden economics behind ticketing deals, from advances and per-ticket fees to the…
Podcast Episode 40
From Clubs to Arenas: How Independent Promoters Are Scaling Smarter In this episode, Matt Ford sits down with Lucas Fritz and Jessica Gordon, Co-owners and Talent Buyers for Broadberry Entertainment Group, to explore how independent promoters are scaling from clubs to theaters and even booking arena-level shows in a Live Nation-dominated landscape. They dig into…
Podcast Episode 39
Why Live Music Is Sacred: Community, Ghosts, and the Economics of Staying Independent What does it take to build a live music experience that actually matters in today’s world? In this episode, Matt sits down with Jesse Lauter, Head of Production & Media at Dayglo Presents, the team behind iconic venues like Brooklyn Bowl and…
Podcast Episode 38
Should Promoters Share Ticket Buyer Data? with Matt Washburn of Atlas Touring The live music industry runs on ticket sales, but still can’t agree on who owns the data behind them. In this episode, Matt Washburn of Atlas Touring joins us to dig into one of the most debated and least resolved topics in the business:…
Podcast Episode 37
The Live Nation Trial Isn’t Over: Inside the States’ Revolt The Live Nation/Ticketmaster antitrust case is one of the most consequential battles in live music right now, and it’s far more complicated than the headlines suggest. In this episode, Matt Ford sits down with Randy Nichols to break down what’s actually happening, from the DOJ…
Podcast Episode 36
David vs. Goliath: The Promoter Who Went to Washington In this episode, Matt Ford sits down with David Weingarden, Vice President of Concerts + Events at Z2 Entertainment, independent promoter, and chair of the Colorado Independent Venue Association, to unpack what it’s really like fighting on the front lines of ticketing reform. From testifying before…
Podcast Episode 35
Laylo’s “Drops” Playbook: Turning Social Hype into Ticket & Merch Sales In this episode of The Live Music Industry Podcast, Matt Ford sits down with Alec Ellin, Co-Founder & CEO of Laylo, for a candid conversation about fan capture, “drops,” and the marketing flywheel powering modern ticket, merch, and content launches. From Laylo’s early pivots through…
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What Is Prism?
Prism is the state-of-the-art, all-in-one booking system built by live music professionals and engineers for venues, promoters and talent agencies.
Why Prism?
Prism helps you consolidate all of the tasks and systems you use today into one, easy-to-use, automated platform so you can be more productive, efficient and organized. You have one place to manage your calendar, generate offers, track and analyze financials, generate reports, settle shows, communicate with your team and partners, and a whole lot more.
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So many top venues and agencies are already using Prism, we’ve developed quite the community of successful industry pros who are able to collaborate with each other in one system. The more who join our network, the easier it is for everyone to work together to book more shows.