Taggart: Forward-thinking record labels could have built Spotify themselves
Drew Taggart · The Chainsmokers’ Journey from DJs to VCs · Invest Like The Best · Jun 24, 2025 · at 1:31
Drew Taggart is a member of The Chainsmokers and partner at Mantis VC. He compares the current generative AI phase to the music industry's Napster disruption.
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“If they had been forward-thinking and accepted that they would have created Spotify, we wouldn't be paying an extra 30% to a DSP.”
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“You'd think that we'd have a formula now on how to, like, write a dance song at least, or write a pop song. Forget about trying to write, like, the truest song for you at that moment, but, like, it's still, it can come from anywhere, and it's so difficult, and…”
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“The stars of, the new stars of dance right now, that are doing like, blowing out Madison Square Gardens, or doing the basically festival sized crowds for their own shows, If you looked at them on their Spotify monthly listeners, like we were talking about earl…”