Randy Fusee: “There is plenty of money to pay artists. You just have to be willing to do it.”

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Oct 16, 2025

Randy Fusee, Founder and CEO of Coda Music, is a tech-savvy entrepreneur with a passion for fair music economics. In this lively discussion, he delves into the challenges of launching Coda, emphasizing the need for transparency and equitable pay for artists. Randy shares insights on blending social networking with music streaming and the innovative 'Fan Direct' payment model that empowers fans to support artists directly. He also reflects on his leadership philosophy and the importance of human connection in music discovery, aiming to reshape the industry for the better.

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INSIGHT

Licensing Is The Hidden Barrier

Licensing an on-demand streaming catalog is much harder than expected because major deals haven't been granted since 2008.
Randy discovered the industry resists new DSPs unless they clearly add value to rights holders.

INSIGHT

Streaming Economics Are Misaligned

Current streaming pools subscription revenue but pays artists per-stream, creating misaligned incentives that favor top artists.
This causes artists to chase streams, shorten songs, and prioritize release frequency over craft.

ADVICE

Let Fans Direct Subscription Dollars

Give fans agency by letting them direct subscription dollars to artists without spending extra money.
Peel a portion of streaming subscription revenue to pay artists directly and transparently.

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heartdea13r Podcast // Episode 25 // Randy Fusee

Randy Fusee is the visionary founder and CEO of Coda Music, Inc. Founded in 2019 with a creative vision to connect artists and music fans socially to deliver better music discovery and curation, Coda Music aims to forever change the music streaming industry.

Summary

In this engaging episode of the heartdea13r podcast, host chr1stoph3r g0nda interviews Randy Fusee, an entrepreneur with a diverse background in technology and music. Randy shares his journey from network engineering to founding Gameplan, an app designed to enhance communication in sports. He discusses the importance of honesty and kindness in leadership, the challenges of navigating corporate layoffs, and how his passion for music led him to a new venture. The conversation highlights the significance of timing, market needs, and building relationships in achieving success. In this conversation, Randy Fusee discusses the inception and vision behind Coda Music, a platform aimed at revolutionizing the music streaming industry by providing fair compensation to artists. He shares the challenges faced during the launch, the importance of transparency in the music industry, and the need for a shift in how artists and fans engage with music. The discussion highlights the significance of human connection in music discovery and the potential for Koda to create a more equitable ecosystem for artists and listeners alike.

Takeaways

- Coda Music was born from a desire to support artists fairly.

- The journey to launch Coda took several years and faced many challenges.

- Randy emphasizes the importance of transparency in artist compensation.

- The current streaming model is misaligned with artist needs.

- Coda aims to give fans agency in supporting their favorite artists.

- The platform seeks to restore fairness in the music industry.- Randy believes in the power of grassroots movements to drive change.

- Coda is designed to enhance music discovery through human connection.

- The platform allows for direct artist engagement and support.

- Randy's vision is to create a sustainable model for artists to thrive.