Ari's Take
Ari's Take is a Los Angeles-based music business education company founded by Ari Herstand, offering online courses through Ari's Take Academy, a Webby Award-winning podcast, an editorial blog, and a book adopted in 300+ US universities, serving independent musicians, music managers, and music business students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ari's Take does
Ari's Take is a Los Angeles-based music business education and artist advocacy company founded by Ari Herstand, a Forbes-recognized 'poster child of DIY Music.' Its core product portfolio consists of five interrelated assets: Ari's Take Academy (ATA), an online education platform founded in 2018 offering music business courses taught by working industry professionals; The New Music Business Podcast, a Webby Award-winning weekly interview show ranked #1 by Spotify; the Ari's Take Blog, which publishes articles on distribution, marketing, royalties, AI in music, and industry legal issues; the book 'How to Make It in the New Music Business' (3rd Edition, published by Liveright/Norton, adopted as a textbook in 300+ US universities); and a direct e-commerce store selling the 3rd Edition Companion Workbook.
The technology stack is deliberately lightweight: a WordPress-based content management system, podcast hosting/distribution (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Acast), a self-serve course delivery platform at aristakeacademy.com, and e-commerce for digital and physical workbook sales. The book is also distributed through Amazon. Ari's Take has no proprietary AI or ML technology, no mobile app, no public APIs or SDKs, and no disclosed data flywheel. The competitive moat is therefore content- and brand-driven rather than technology-driven.
The business model is a content-led, multi-stream operation. Revenue is generated through recurring Academy course enrollments (pricing not publicly disclosed), one-time book and workbook sales (workbook sale priced at $24.98 versus $48.95 original), affiliate and referral fees from partnerships with DistroKid (display advertising), LANDR (AI mastering/distribution content collaboration), and Purple Bite PR (10% discount referral), plus professional services revenue from Ari Herstand's speaking engagements at SXSW, Music Biz, NAMM, Berklee, UCLA, and other industry events. The company is privately held, founder-owned with no external institutional investment, operates with a 1-10 person core team, and serves primarily independent musicians, emerging artists, music managers, and music business university students.
Ari's Take firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ari's Take
- Legal name
- Ari's Take
- Website
- https://aristake.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Ari's Take is a Los Angeles-based music business education company founded by Ari Herstand, offering online courses through Ari's Take Academy, a Webby Award-winning podcast, an editorial blog, and a book adopted in 300+ US universities, serving independent musicians, music managers, and music business students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ari's Take industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Business Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online / Virtual Music Instruction & Platforms (EDAMANAI)
Keywords
Where Ari's Take is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ari's Take business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Academy Course Sales: Ari's Take Academy generates revenue through course enrollments. Courses are taught by working music business professionals and offer immediately applicable tools and strategies. Forbes has called ATA 'The future of music business education.'
- Book and Workbook Sales: Sales of 'How to Make It in the New Music Business' book (published by Liveright, distributed by Norton) and the 3rd Edition Companion Workbook priced at $24.98 (sale price from original $48.95).
- Affiliate and Partnership Revenue: Partnerships with music industry service providers including DistroKid (advertising on site), LANDR (content collaboration), and Purple Bite PR (affiliate recommendations). The company earns referral fees for recommending services to musicians.
- Speaking Engagements: Ari Herstand generates revenue through speaking engagements at industry events including SXSW, Music Biz, NAMM, MusicTech, Berklee College of Music, and UCLA.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 3rd Edition Companion Workbook |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Ari's Take product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ari's Take is a music business education and artist advocacy company that sells online courses through Ari's Take Academy (founded 2018), teaches working musicians through the Webby Award-winning New Music Business podcast, publishes the book 'How to Make It in the New Music Business' (now in its 3rd edition and taught in over 300 US universities), and offers a companion workbook via its online store. Its core deliverable is practical music business education for independent artists covering distribution, royalties, marketing, sync licensing, press, and AI in music.
Product overview
Ari's Take is a music business education and artist advocacy company offering a multi-platform portfolio: Ari's Take Academy (ATA) provides online courses taught by working music business professionals; The New Music Business Podcast delivers weekly industry interviews (Webby Award winner); the Blog publishes articles on distribution, marketing, royalties, and AI; the flagship book 'How to Make It in the New Music Business' serves as the foundational resource taught at 300+ universities; and the Store offers companion workbooks. The company focuses on empowering independent musicians with practical tools and strategies for the new music industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ari's Take Academy (ATA) Online education platform offering music business courses taught by working industry professionals, providing musicians with practical tools and strategies for building careers in distribution, royalties, marketing, sync licensing, press, and AI in music.
- The New Music Business Podcast Webby Award-winning weekly podcast featuring interviews with music industry professionals and deconstructing strategies and tactics used by successful artists and industry executives. Ranked the #1 music industry podcast by Spotify and featured in Variety's '10 Best Music Business Podcasts of 2022'.
- How to Make It in the New Music Business Best-selling book by Ari Herstand serving as a comprehensive guide to the modern music industry. Adopted in over 300 US universities as a music business course textbook and translated into multiple languages.
- 3rd Edition Companion Workbook Companion workbook to the book 'How to Make It in the New Music Business' (3rd Edition), available for purchase through the Ari's Take online store to extend the textbook into practical exercises.
Quantifiable outcome
- Book is taught in over 300 US universities
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ari's Take
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ari's Take technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Ari's Take partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Purple Bite PRminorPurple Bite PR is a results-based PR service that Ari's Take recommends to its audience. They offer guaranteed press coverage from agreed-upon outlets or money back. Ari's Take receives referral fees and subscribers get a 10% discount. Works with major outlets like LADYGUNN, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, Pitchfork, Paste, i-D, Earmilk, and NYLON.
- LANDRminorLANDR is an AI mastering pioneer that now offers complete music distribution, plugins and samples subscription services. Ari's Take has partnered with LANDR on content including the AI tools in music study and distribution guides. Ari's Take receives referral/sponsorship consideration for content featuring LANDR.
- DistroKidminorDistroKid is a music distribution company that runs display advertisements on the Ari's Take website. They are referenced in comparison guides for music distribution services.
- Norton (Liveright)minorThe book 'How to Make It in the New Music Business' is published by Liveright (an imprint of Norton) and distributed through Norton. Ari's Take sells through their own store as well as Amazon.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ari's Take competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CD Baby: Long-standing independent music distribution platform that also publishes educational content (blog, webinars, books) for DIY musicians. Comparable in serving the same indie artist audience with business-of-music knowledge, though its primary product is distribution rather than education.
- MasterClass: Premium subscription education platform with music business, songwriting, and production courses taught by well-known artists and executives. Comparable in serving aspiring musicians with celebrity-led video instruction, but at far greater scale and production budget.
- Berklee Online: Online division of Berklee College of Music offering certificates, degrees, and courses in music business, production, and performance. Comparable as a credentialed music education platform, but operates at much larger scale and with a formal academic model versus Ari's Take's practitioner-led Academy.
Direct peers
- Music Business Worldwide (MBW): Leading music industry news and analysis publication with an education/community arm. Comparable to Ari's Take in its focus on the business side of music (distribution, royalties, deals, AI) and its audience of music industry professionals and aspiring independent artists.
- Soundfly: Online music education platform offering courses, mentorship, and Master Tracks for musicians, producers, and songwriters. Closely comparable to Ari's Take Academy in delivery model (subscription/PLG) and target audience of independent musicians seeking practical, professional-led instruction.
- Music Ally: Long-running music industry news, analysis, and education company covering digital music, streaming, and marketing. Comparable in editorial focus and in monetizing music business knowledge through subscriptions, reports, and events targeting music professionals and independents.
- Point Blank Music School: Online and in-person music production and DJ school offering courses, degrees, and short programs. Comparable to Ari's Take as an online music education provider for working musicians, though weighted toward production and DJ craft rather than the music business.
Emerging players
- Hypebot: Music industry blog and resource hub focused on DIY musicians, marketing, and the new music business. Overlaps with Ari's Take's blog and educational content aimed at independent artists, though with a less formalized course product.
- Icon Collective: Online and Los Angeles-based music production school with a strong focus on artist development and industry placement. Comparable as a music-focused education company with a content/community engine, but heavier on production craft than business education.
- The Trichordist: Artist advocacy blog and community focused on music industry economics, fair pay, and policy. Comparable in its advocacy and education mission aimed at independent musicians, though narrower in scope and less commercialized than Ari's Take Academy.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ari's Take social profiles
Digital presenceAri's Take financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ari's Take leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Ari's Take subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Ari's Take funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ari's Take M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ari's Take
What does Ari's Take do?
Ari's Take is a music business education and artist advocacy company that sells online courses through Ari's Take Academy (founded 2018), teaches working musicians through the Webby Award-winning New Music Business podcast, publishes the book 'How to Make It in the New Music Business' (now in its 3rd edition and taught in over 300 US universities), and offers a companion workbook via its online store. Its core deliverable is practical music business education for independent artists covering distribution, royalties, marketing, sync licensing, press, and AI in music.
Is Ari's Take a public or private company?
Ari's Take is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ari's Take founded?
Ari's Take was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ari's Take based?
Ari's Take is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ari's Take make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Academy Course Sales are the primary driver. The others are book and Workbook Sales, affiliate and Partnership Revenue and speaking Engagements.
Who are Ari's Take's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CD Baby, MasterClass and Berklee Online. Direct peers are Music Business Worldwide (MBW), Soundfly, Music Ally and Point Blank Music School. Emerging players are Hypebot, Icon Collective and The Trichordist.
Does Ari's Take have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ari's Take.
What industry is Ari's Take in?
Ari's Take's product category is Music Business Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMANAI, Online / Virtual Music Instruction & Platforms. Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 8200.