It’s Grammy season which is a perfect time for a reminder that the entertainment industry is—after all—a business that operates behind velvet curtains and closed dressing room doors. All of the biopics, books, and exposes still won’t quite be able to communicate the industry’s mysteries to media consumers. The business’ financial side is one such curious corner ripe for exploration. Often we are wowed by numbers in the millions and billions when it comes to superstars of the decade, but what about the day to day ups and downs of the music market? And what if we wanted to invest in a piece of it? Where would one even start?
David Schulhof is a music industry veteran who has seen all sides of the biz. In fact, David’s father was even a chief executive at Sony. He’s been in the publishing world, worked in musical segments of the film industry, and now he turns his attention to the stock market, the musical side of it, of course. Specifically, David is the founder and CEO of an ETF fund (an exchange traded fund) with a focus on stocks related to music: featuring mainstays and new names that cover all parts of the industry including music streaming, content and distribution, live music events and ticketing, satellite and broadcast radio, and equipment and technology. The ETF is called the MUSQ Global Music Industry ETF (NYSE: MUSQ).
You may love music, but it might require a bit of patience to truly learn about the industry’s financial side. Money and music have always been connected and now during a time when listeners want a more intimate connection with their idols, Schulhof’s ETF might offer them the opportunity to change their relationship from fan to investor.
So, pop a large bowl of popcorn before this year’s Grammy awards and enjoy the show, but consider taking a moment during the production to focus on the sound, the video, the technology, all of the things that help to support the magic of the music we love. Someone’s got to pay for all of the stuff and, hopefully, be rewarded with the profits. Maybe that someone is you.
Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.
