Welcome to the Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast – Best of 2025 This episode rewinds the biggest “did they really just say that?” moments of the year—raw confessions, wild stories, honest truths and practical insights that shaped conversations across the industry.A full year of legends, disruptors and future-shapers dropping their guard and revealing how the business actually works.Hosted by Mark Adams, CEO of Blinding Talent, brand expert and industry leader with 20+ years at Bauer, Emap and Channel 4, working with major artists and global platforms including YouTube and Spotify.This Best Of explores:⬛ Kurt Cobain’s death, empathy in journalism & Eddie Vedder’s most emotional interview⬛ MTV, Seattle & the bands who held each other—and the media—together⬛ Spice Girls, Debbie Harry & Alanis: how 90s women rewired confidence and expression⬛ “Queen of Metal”: women in heavy music and the OGs today’s presenters stand on⬛ Sleep Token: anonymity, branding and why great songs come first⬛ From broken arm → Metallica’s stage: fandom turning into career moments⬛ AI as drum machine 2.0: tool vs threat in mixing, mastering & Atmos⬛ Duty of care: managers, mental health and confidence wobbles⬛ “Put your phone down”: social media as dangerously brilliant and toxic⬛ Direct-to-fan 2.0: Open Stage, data capture & owning your audience⬛ ChatGPT & sheets: predicting ticket sales and supporting artists, not replacing them⬛ AI artists & virtual stars: switching talent “off” and the ethics of synthetic personalities⬛ Sync 101: why supervisors search YouTube and how tags/moods get you placed⬛ 100+ syncs later: discovery, cross-pollination & why TV beats big-budget ads⬛ Streaming fraud & bot farms: fake plays, stolen royalties & why education matters⬛ Adele, Lady Gaga, Girls Aloud & Boyzone: showcases, risk-taking & “Top Trumps 10s”⬛ Heritage vs relevant: ageism, longevity & why great songs still cut through⬛ Kylie, Padam & queer fandom: authenticity, identity & loyalty⬛ TikTok, Gen Z & storytelling: why emotion beats trends⏱ Episode Timestamps:00:00 Intro – Why a Best of 202501:02 Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder & the interview that changed everything04:25 Band support & fan loyalty06:02 Spice Girls, Debbie Harry & 90s empowerment09:05 Queen of Metal & women in heavy music11:10 The phone call that led to MTV13:22 Discovering Sleep Token17:05 Metallica cassettes → stage moments20:18 AI as tool, not replacement24:05 AI vs human engineers27:16 Sobriety & industry addiction31:10 Duty of care & check-ins34:02 Social media & mental health37:40 Direct-to-fan & Open Stage41:03 ChatGPT & revenue projections45:00 Virtual AI talent ethics48:15 Sync basics & YouTube52:02 100 syncs later55:30 Streaming fraud59:05 Adele, Gaga & Girls Aloud1:03:12 Boyzone & solo success1:07:25 Kylie, Padam & ageism1:10:40 Queer fandom & authenticity1:14:22 TikTok & emotion-led storytelling1:18:05 Young voices in the room1:21:00 Closing thoughts & communityFollow Mark Adams:LinkedIn – /markadamsaiFollow Blinding Talent:⬛ Learn more – www.blindingtalent.com⬛ LinkedIn – /blindingtalent⬛ Instagram – /blindingtalentinsta⬛ TikTok – /blindingtalent⬛ YouTube – @BlindingTalentPlease rate, like and subscribe it really helps us get bigger and better guests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.