What is the Cyber PR Music Podcast about?
The Cyber PR Music Podcast is a music marketing and artist development show for independent musicians. Host Ariel Hyatt interviews artists, industry executives, and platform insiders about publicity, streaming, fan building, and the business of a music career.
The show has run since 2019 and has covered everything from Derek Sivers on the relationship between your music and your people, to Twitch, Patreon, playlist pitching, and AI-generated music law. It is not a hype show. Most episodes are a working conversation about a specific problem between industry veterans who know what really works for today´s independent artists.
Most Popular Podcast Topics
Recurring topics that Ariel Hyatt and her guests talk about on the Cyber PR Music Podcast include:
- Practical advice on music marketing for independent musicians
- How to build a fan base that sticks around
- What music publicity does and does not do
- Streaming and playlist pitch strategy
- Building email and community for your independent music business
- The business mechanics of going full time as an independent musician
- Staying sane and reducing music industry burnout
- How AI is changing the music business.
Meet The Host
Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Cyber PR, a music PR and artist development firm she launched in 1996 and has run for 30 years, working with thousands of independent artists. She is the author of eight books on music marketing, including From Buzz to Bond: How to Stop Chasing Hype and Build a Lasting Music Career, and has spoken at SXSW, Mondo, and dozens of international industry conferences.
Are you an Independent Musician ready to build a loyal fan base?
Start here
If you’re building the business
- EP 2: The Rise of the Independent Artist with Tony van Veen
- EP 22: The Ultimate Guide to Music Publicity
If you’re stuck in your own head
- EP 7: Your Music and Your People with Derek Sivers
- EP 16: Beat Your Inner Critic with Angela Beeching
If you’re figuring out streaming
Episode Catalog
Season 3, “Buzz to Bond,” 2026 · 8 episodes
| # | Title | Guest |
| 8 | Building a Sustainable Music Career | Emily White |
| 7 | Capture Buckets: How Artists Build Real Fan Ownership | Solo |
| 6 | Creativity, Courage, and Collaboration | Cassandra Kubinski |
| 5 | Social Media & Online Tuneup | Solo |
| 4 | How to Craft an Artist’s Story: The Perfect Bio | Lorne Behrman |
| 3 | Brand Pillars, Fan Personas, and Voice | Solo |
| 2 | Getting Your Mindset Right | Julie Flanders |
| 1 | The Music Industry Has Been Lying to You About Success | Solo |
Season 2, “AI Season,” 2023 · 7 episodes
| # | Title | Guest |
| 7 | Playlisting Prowess: Pushing Playlist Potential with AI | Mike Warner |
| 6 | Consent, Collaboration, and Caution: Web 3.0, Metaverse, AI | Carrie Abel |
| 5 | Digital Dexterity: Decoding the AI Musicians’ Maze | Kristin Juel |
| 4 | Maximizing Music Marketing with ChatGPT and AI | John Oszajca |
| 3 | Rhythm & Reflection: Why Musicians Need an AI Point of View | Chris Wetherell |
| 2 | Melodies in the Machine: Legal Landmines of AI Music | Ryan Kairalla |
| 1 | Metadata, Music Discovery & Musicians AI | Hazel Savage |
Season 1, 2019 to 2021 · 22 episodes
| # | Title | Guest |
| 22 | The Ultimate Guide to Music Publicity | Solo |
| 21 | Growing Patreon With Your Superfans | Heather Mae |
| 20 | Monetizing Zoom Concerts and Hangouts | Dan Mangan |
| 19 | How to Grow a Massive Fanbase | Michael Walker |
| 18 | Music Marketing 101 | Bryan Calhoun |
| 17 | Creating Community | Ashley Kervabon |
| 16 | Beat Your Inner Critic | Angela Beeching |
| 15 | Fighting COVID Through Connection | Solo |
| 14 | Breaking Down the Business | Ryan Kairalla |
| 13 | Twitch for Musicians Pt. 2 | Karen Allen |
| 12 | Twitch for Musicians Pt. 1 | Karen Allen |
| 11 | Why Authenticity is Key | Emily White |
| 10 | Bandsintown, The Indie Artist’s Best Friend | Kristin |
| 9 | Women in Music 2020 and Beyond | Nicole |
| 8 | Full Time Music is Possible | Manafest |
| 7 | Your Music and People | Derek Sivers |
| 6 | On Being a Woman in Music | Bree Noble |
| 5 | Spotify or Die | Mike Warner |
| 4 | Lessons from Marie Kondo | Solo |
| 3 | The Importance of Mindset | Suz Paulinski |
| 2 | The Rise of the Indie | Tony van Veen |
| 1 | Goal Setting for Musicians | Solo |
Notable Guests
Derek Sivers
Tony Van Veen
Emily White
Angela Beeching
Bryan Calhoun
Ryan Kairalla
Manafest
Hazel Savage
John Oszajca
Ariel Hyatt Music Podcast Guest Appearances
Ariel Hyatt has been a guest on leading music industry, entrepreneurship, and music marketing podcasts, discussing music publicity, artist development, fan engagement, branding, crowdfunding, AI, and building a sustainable career as an independent musician.
1. Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle Podcast
Ariel Hyatt has appeared on Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle Podcast four times, most recently discussing From Buzz to Bond, artist burnout, fan relationships, the Bond Marketing Funnel, and building a sustainable music career.
2. Modern Musician Podcast
Ariel joins Modern Musician founder Michael Walker to talk about music publicity for independent artists, building relationships with media, telling a compelling artist story, and creating an effective PR strategy.
3. Break the Business Podcast
Ariel joins entertainment attorney Ryan Kairalla to discuss the changing music industry, AI, music marketing, and the ideas behind From Buzz to Bond: How to Stop Chasing Hype and Build a Lasting Music Career.
4. DIY Musician Podcast by CD Baby
In “Fans, Fears, and Funding,” Ariel discusses crowdfunding for musicians, social media, building an email list, moving beyond vanity metrics, and creating genuine relationships with fans.
5. MUBUTV Music Business Insider Podcast
Ariel talks about developing a compelling signature story, artist branding, marketing, and how independent musicians can better communicate who they are and why their music matters.
6. Music Marketing Manifesto Podcast
Ariel joins John Oszajca to explain how musicians can identify what makes them distinctive, develop a cohesive artist brand, and build a stronger foundation for music marketing.
7. The Entrepreneurial Musician Podcast
Ariel joins host Andrew Hitz to discuss music marketing, PR, networking, social media, online influence, and why musicians need to focus on real human relationships rather than simply chasing social media ROI.
8. The Rock/Star Advocate Podcast
In “PR Made Easy,” Ariel and Suz Paulinski debunk common music publicity myths and discuss when independent artists are ready for PR, what publicity can realistically accomplish, and why relationships remain at the heart of effective music PR.
9. The Set Up: Marketing and Music Podcast
Ariel discusses digital influence for musicians, including choosing the right publicist, developing a publicity plan, measuring PR success, building a network, and using digital media strategically.
10. Music Made Me: The TuneCore Podcast
Ariel discusses crowdfunding for independent musicians, including lessons from her own crowdfunding experience, setting realistic campaign expectations, engaging superfans, and building the audience needed to support a successful campaign.
Cyber PR Music Podcast FAQs
What are the best podcasts for independent musicians?
The Cyber PR Music Podcast is designed for independent musicians who want practical advice about music marketing, publicity, fan building, artist development, streaming, and creating a sustainable music career. Hosted by Cyber PR founder Ariel Hyatt, the show features conversations with artists and music industry experts about what actually works in today’s music business.
How can independent musicians market their music?
Successful music marketing goes beyond posting constantly on social media. Independent artists need a clear brand and story, a way to capture and communicate directly with fans, a consistent release and content strategy, and a plan for turning casual listeners into long-term supporters. The Cyber PR Music Podcast explores these strategies through interviews and practical episodes for independent musicians.
Does music publicity still work for independent artists?
Yes, but publicity works best as part of a larger music marketing strategy. Press coverage can build credibility, create searchable assets, strengthen an artist’s story, and introduce music to new audiences, but PR alone does not automatically create streams or fans. Ariel Hyatt frequently discusses how independent musicians can use publicity alongside social media, email marketing, streaming, advertising, and direct fan engagement.
How can musicians build a loyal fan base?
Musicians build loyal fan bases by creating relationships rather than simply accumulating followers and streams. Ariel Hyatt calls this moving from “buzz” to “bond”: identifying the people most likely to connect with your music, capturing those fans into channels you control, communicating consistently, and giving them meaningful ways to participate in your career.
Do independent musicians still need an email list?
Yes. An email list gives musicians a direct connection to their fans that is not controlled by a social media or streaming algorithm. The Cyber PR Music Podcast covers email marketing, fan capture, community building, and other strategies that help artists turn online attention into relationships they actually own.
How is AI changing music marketing?
AI is changing how musicians create content, research audiences, develop marketing ideas, analyze information, and manage the enormous workload that comes with an independent music career. The Cyber PR Music Podcast has dedicated an entire season to AI and music, exploring practical applications as well as copyright, ethics, metadata, music discovery, and the potential risks of AI-generated music.
Who is Ariel Hyatt?
Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Cyber PR, a music marketing, publicity, and artist development firm she founded in 1996. She is an author, speaker, music publicist, and host of the Cyber PR Music Podcast. Her work focuses on helping independent musicians build sustainable careers by creating deeper relationships with their fans.
What is the Cyber PR Music Podcast?
The Cyber PR Music Podcast is a music marketing and artist development podcast hosted by Ariel Hyatt, founder of Cyber PR. The show features independent artists, music industry executives, entrepreneurs, and platform experts discussing music publicity, fan engagement, streaming, branding, AI, artist mindset, and the business of building a long-term music career.