The 100-Year Investment: Inside the World of Music Catalog Acquisitions
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Jason Peterson's career path reads like an unconventional playbook for building wealth in the entertainment industry. Starting as a film producer at 19 with a Sundance-screened feature, then pivoting to law school where he founded his company during classes, Peterson has built GoDigital Media Group into a global force managing several hundred thousand music copyrights worldwide.
In this episode, he shares candid insights on navigating sudden wealth, maintaining authentic relationships, and why he believes we're entering a "post-truth era" in media—all while keeping his focus on living in a state of joy.
Guest Name: Jason Peterson
Titles: Founder, Chairman & CEO of GoDigital Media Group
Credentials:
Licensed attorney (California Bar)
BS from USC Marshall School of Business
JD from Pepperdine Law
Named "Top 30 Entrepreneur Under 30" by LA Business Journal (2009)
Multiple-time Billboard "Top 40 under 40 Power Player" and "Indie Power Player"
Current focus: Managing IP rights for hundreds of thousands of music copyrights globally through GoDigital's portfolio companies including Cinq Music, ContentBridge, and Sound Royalties
Additional areas of expertise: Latin music markets, catalog acquisitions, streaming economics, royalty financing, and digital rights management globally
The Challenge of Success: Money and Relationships
Peterson opened the conversation by tackling one of the most discussed topics among successful entrepreneurs: how wealth changes your relationships with friends and family. His approach centers on what he describes as living with purpose and values at the core.
"I've defined my purpose as living in a state of joy or happiness because it creates infinite energy," Peterson explained. This philosophy drives how he deploys resources—not for status, but for experiences that keep him healthy, vibrant, and inspired. His 2024 travel schedule took him to 27 countries, which he frames as essential work for a CEO who needs to forecast where the world is heading.
The friendship dynamic shift has been one of the tougher aspects of success. Peterson shared how many people from his earlier life now relate to him differently—often approaching him for jobs or financial help when economic problems arise. His solution? Maintaining communities where success doesn't define the relationship.
Beach volleyball has become Peterson's sanctuary. Many of his volleyball partners don't even know his real name, just nicknames earned on the sand. "They know nothing about what I do for work, and I kind of cherish that," he said. It's a deliberate choice to create spaces where he's just another person diving for a ball, not a CEO managing hundreds of millions in music assets.
His advice on this front is unequivocal: "Do not work with your friends." While acknowledging that economics can complicate friendships, Peterson quietly helps people in his network when they face challenges, but keeps clear boundaries between personal relationships and professional obligations.
Building GoDigital into a Global Leader
Peterson's path to running a music rights powerhouse started with an unusual meeting. As a law student in 2005, he met with executives from a company that would become his first major client. The catch? He met them on his lunch break from law school, trying to project the image of an established business when he was barely getting started.
"I was driving to and from law school every single day so I would have lunch off campus," Peterson recalled. These coffee meetings, squeezed between Contracts and Civil Procedure, laid the groundwork for what would become GoDigital Media Group.
The business model centers on IP rights management—owning and monetizing copyrights in the streaming era. GoDigital's portfolio now includes:
Cinq Music: A recorded music company working with artists like Janet Jackson, Jason Derulo, Master P, and Daddy Yankee
ContentBridge/AdShare: Digital distribution and rights management platforms
Sound Royalties: Royalty financing services that help artists access capital without selling their long-term upside
Mitú: A US Latino digital media brand focused on content and community
But Peterson's holdings extend beyond music. His "content-community-commerce" thesis led to investments in YogaWorks, Eastern Mountain Sports, and Bob's Stores—companies where media, audience, and transactions intersect.
The Economics of Music in the Streaming Era
When asked about music as an investment, Peterson made a case that surprised even seasoned investors. "Music is one of the only truly non-correlated asset classes," he explained. Music consumption doesn't follow stock market cycles or real estate trends. People listen during booms and recessions alike.
The math behind streaming royalties reveals why Peterson finds music compelling:
A song earning $100,000 annually typically costs between $600,000 and $1.5 million to acquire, depending on genre and durability. This represents a 7-15% annual yield with limited downside risk. As Peterson put it: "At that income level, you're not going below breakeven because [the song has] already proven itself over the test of time in the market."
But there's more to the story. Unlike real estate or equipment that depreciates, music catalogs can appreciate. Songs become what Peterson calls "emotional bookmarks" for listeners—tied to memories of first kisses, weddings, road trips. This emotional connection creates durable value that compounds over time.
The industry structure favors catalog owners in subtle ways:
Spotify demonetizes tracks with fewer than 1,000 streams, meaning more revenue flows to established, professional music
Mechanical rights ensure predictable income streams tied to consumption
Global platforms allow a single asset to generate revenue from dozens of countries simultaneously
Synchronization opportunities in film, TV, and advertising create upside beyond pure streaming
The Latin Music Opportunity
Peterson's work with Latin artists and the acquisition of Mitú reflects his thesis that Latin and African music represent the most exciting growth opportunities in the coming decade.
"A lot of cultures now have their own content readily available to them that is cultural and appropriate for their region," Peterson observed. This shift means fewer taxi rides in far-flung countries playing Hotel California, and more local artists building global audiences through platforms that transcend geography.
The economics favor Latin music for several reasons:
First, demographic scale. Spanish-speaking markets represent hundreds of millions of potential listeners, many in countries where streaming adoption is accelerating rapidly.
Second, cultural authenticity. As Peterson noted, people want music that reflects their lived experience. Latin artists creating for Latin audiences aren't competing for the same ears as English-language pop—they're serving distinct markets with passionate fans.
Third, crossover potential. Artists like Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny have demonstrated how Latin music can dominate global charts, creating catalog value that appreciates as songs become international hits.
AI, Truth, and the Future of Content
The conversation turned to one of Peterson's more provocative statements: "I think we live in a post-truth era." Having served on various councils for major news organizations, he's witnessed firsthand how difficult verification has become in a world of deep fakes, algorithmic feeds, and overwhelming information flow.
Peterson sees parallels between today's AI anxiety and historical technological disruptions. "We don't really care how the content is made," he said, comparing AI-generated music to the synthesizer's invention. When synthesizers first appeared, orchestras in England tried to get them outlawed, arguing "computers are not music."
His perspective on AI and music creation:
The tool doesn't matter—emotional resonance does. If an AI-generated song creates that "emotional bookmark" for millions of listeners and becomes culturally significant, it has value. GoDigital will acquire it, price it, and monetize it just like any other catalog asset.
But Peterson isn't worried about AI flooding the market. There are already 250 million tracks online, most generating minimal streams. "It's a hits business," he emphasized. Throwing a million AI tracks into the mix won't fundamentally change economics because they're competing for consumer time, which remains finite.
The industry has already adapted with guardrails like Spotify's 1,000-stream monetization threshold, which prevents dilution of the royalty pool by ensuring low-quality or AI-spam tracks don't siphon revenue from professional music.
Managing IP Rights: The Hidden Complexity
Most people understand the concept of owning a song, but Peterson's business operates in far more nuanced territory. Music rights split into multiple categories:
Composition rights (the underlying song) versus master recording rights (the specific performance). Publishing deals control compositions; record labels traditionally own masters.
Mechanical rights generate income every time a song is reproduced or streamed. Performance rights pay when music plays in public venues, radio, or streaming services. Synchronization rights govern use in film, TV, advertising, and video games.
Managing these rights across 27 countries means navigating different legal systems, collection societies, and payment structures. A single popular song might generate 50+ separate revenue streams, each requiring monitoring, collection, and optimization.
Peterson's value proposition: aggregating enough copyrights to achieve economies of scale, deploying technology to track and monetize rights more efficiently than artists or small labels could independently, and using data to forecast which catalogs will appreciate in value.
The Discipline of Prediction and Portfolio Management
As someone managing a portfolio approach to music assets, Peterson explained how GoDigital thinks about acquisitions. The company focuses on established catalogs that have already proven market demand rather than betting on unproven artists.
"The goal is to get really good at predicting which [music] is going to be valuable and how much," Peterson said. This requires understanding consumption patterns, cultural trends, and platform dynamics across diverse markets.
His travel schedule serves this purpose. Visiting 27 countries in a year isn't about leisure—it's research. How do people consume content in Jakarta versus São Paulo versus Lagos? What artists resonate in emerging markets before they break through globally? Which genres are gaining traction among younger demographics?
The best-case scenario in music investing: buying a catalog that appreciates in value while generating consistent income. Peterson cited the example of Taylor Swift's catalog, which reportedly sold for around $300 million and now generates $75-80 million annually—a 25%+ yield on an appreciating asset.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome at the Highest Levels
Despite building a business managing hundreds of thousands of copyrights and earning seats at tables with Fortune 500 CEOs, Peterson still experiences imposter syndrome. He's particularly candid about attending forums like Davos, where discussions revolve around colonizing space or transitioning global energy systems.
"What am I doing with this mid-market business that's in entertainment with these guys?" Peterson wondered aloud. It's a refreshingly honest admission from someone who's achieved remarkable success.
His path to confidence came through repetition. In his early years, Peterson deferred to Warner Brothers executives who'd been in the industry for decades. But repeated experience taught him a crucial lesson: "There really wasn't anybody that knew more than I knew or was more capable than me."
What is a belief? "It's successful repetition," Peterson explained. Between 2000 and 2010, enough successful deals and negotiations shifted his mindset from deferential newcomer to confident peer. He earned his seat at the table through demonstrated competence.
But competence doesn't eliminate self-doubt entirely. Even now, Peterson feels the weight of being in rooms where people operate at scales far beyond his own. The difference is he's learned to recognize that feeling, acknowledge it, and continue contributing despite it.
Key Takeaways for Wealth Builders
Several themes emerged from Peterson's story that apply beyond the music industry:
Purpose drives decisions. Peterson's framework of "living in a state of joy" provides a filter for how he deploys resources. Not every wealthy person needs to travel to 27 countries, but having clarity on what creates energy and fulfillment helps navigate the options that wealth creates.
Protect your peace. Maintaining friend groups where success isn't the defining characteristic creates essential balance. Whether it's beach volleyball or book clubs, having spaces where you're valued for showing up, not for what you've built, protects against isolation.
Non-correlated assets matter. Music represents an asset class that moves independently of traditional financial markets. For investors building diversified portfolios, understanding alternatives like royalty streams, intellectual property, or other cash-flowing assets with low correlation to equities can reduce overall volatility.
Scale creates optionality. Peterson's ability to aggregate hundreds of thousands of copyrights gives GoDigital negotiating leverage, technological efficiency, and access to deals that individual rights holders can't access. This applies across industries—reaching scale unlocks a different tier of opportunities.
Forecast the future to win the present. Peterson frames his CEO role as developing a vision for what's coming next. The better GoDigital predicts consumption patterns, platform evolution, and cultural shifts, the more profitable its decisions become today. This anticipatory mindset applies whether you're managing music catalogs or software businesses.
Memorable Quotes
"I've defined my purpose as living in a state of joy or happiness because it creates infinite energy. There's a saying the harder you work the luckier you get."
"Do not work with your friends. Economics definitely could get in the way of friendships."
"A lot of my beach volleyball friends don't even know my name. They have nicknames for me, but they know nothing about what I do for work. And I kind of cherish that."
"I think we live in a post-truth era and there's a lot of challenges associated with that."
"We don't really care how the content is made. If it resonates with a lot of people and creates that emotional bookmark for a large audience, it becomes culturally significant."
"What is a belief? It's successful repetition. I had a bunch of successful repetitions between 2000 and 2010, and I started to realize that actually, I belong here because I can play the game as well as these other folks can."
"At Davos, I still have imposter syndrome sometimes in these rooms. What am I doing with this mid-market business that's in entertainment with these guys that are thinking about how do we save the planet, transition energy, colonize space?"
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