Podcast Summary: The Digital Executive

Episode: Ashanti Abdullah on Empowering Artists Through Smarter Touring | Ep 1067

Host: Brian, Coruzant Technologies
Guest: Ashanti Abdullah, Founder and CEO of Turnwheel
Release Date: May 26, 2025

Overview

This episode centers on how Ashanti Abdullah is transforming the live music industry for artists via her company, Turnwheel. The discussion dives into how touring is now the primary source of income for musicians, the complications they face on the road, and how Turnwheel enables artists to not only survive but thrive financially by simplifying tour management.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Pain Points in Touring & Origins of Turnwheel

[01:06]

• Ashanti built Turnwheel after nearly 20 years of managing artists and repeatedly seeing them return from tours with less money than expected due to unforeseen expenses.
• Key observation: Lack of real-time financial modeling and communication hindered profitability.
  • Quote: “There are so many opportunities for us to come home with a few more dollars than we did, but we wouldn’t know that until the end of a tour... There’s gotta be a way to model this out in real time.” (Ashanti Abdullah, [01:10])

2. Shifting from Surviving to Thriving in a Streaming-Dominated Economy

[02:06]

• Touring is now the dominant revenue stream for musicians, as streaming provides minimal direct income.
• Turnwheel gives artists real-time budgeting tools, so they can adjust plans (like hotels or routing) mid-tour to remain profitable.
• The platform acts as a team's “single source of truth,” centralizing data and logistics.
  • Quote: “This is your only way of making money and you’re overspending, it’s going to very quickly not be your only way of making money anymore.” (Ashanti Abdullah, [02:34])
  • Quote: “Everybody’s on one page. It’s kind of the one single source of truth for the entire group.” (Ashanti Abdullah, [03:20])

3. The Decline of Album Sales & Changing Revenue Streams

[03:55]

• Streaming services are now more about music discovery than income.
• Success is defined more by audiences attending live shows or buying merchandise.
  • Quote: “Streaming’s become more of the way that people discover music now... It’s not so much MTV anymore. It’s definitely on the streaming side.” (Ashanti Abdullah, [03:58])

4. Streamlining Chaos: Turnwheel’s End-to-End Platform

[04:30]

• Turnwheel simplifies the traditionally chaotic logistics of touring by placing all information (schedules, communications, finances, guest lists) in one app.
• The platform eliminates the need for multiple group chats and spreadsheets, returning autonomy and mental clarity to artists and tour managers.
  • Quote: “You can take your phone back... once you get outside of Turnwheel, your phone is your phone again. So there’s not a bunch of other stuff going on on it.” (Ashanti Abdullah, [05:16])

5. Real-World Impact: The Greaves Case Study

[06:01]

• Ashanti shares the story of Greaves, an independent artist whose take-home income increased by an average of 21% after using Turnwheel.
• For Greaves, the platform was a “game changer,” allowing him to manage critical tour finances and logistics efficiently—demonstrating that Turnwheel can sometimes even stand in for a traditional tour manager for artists with established experience.
  • Quote: “Instead of him coming home with 32%, he’s coming home with 52%. And because this is something, this is what he does for a living day in and day out, I’m just overjoyed to see it actually show, improve and work out there in the wild.” (Ashanti Abdullah, [06:31])
  • Quote: “He’s what you’d call a blue-collar artist, an everyday artist.” (Ashanti Abdullah, [06:54])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On SaaS for Touring:
  • “I said, there’s gotta be a way to kind of model this out and think about it in real time.” (Ashanti Abdullah, [01:19])
• Host’s Perspective:
  • “Touring is now the major way people... can get in there and make some of their own money. Streaming has certainly changed the way for them to make money. For them to make money, it’s been hard.” (Brian, [03:32])
• On Restoring Peace of Mind:
  • “Your phone doesn’t have to have a bunch of different tech streams going on it.” (Ashanti Abdullah, [05:18])
• Host’s Summary of Impact:
  • “Having bring in an average of 21% increase on the take home pay basically is amazing. Just streamlining that whole process through one app, which is yours, Turn Wheel.” (Brian, [07:07])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:06] – Ashanti’s inspiration and hard lessons as an artist manager
• [02:06] – How Turnwheel empowers financial decision-making for artists
• [03:55] – How streaming has shifted the industry focus from album sales to live shows
• [04:30] – Demonstrating how Turnwheel streamlines team communications and logistics
• [06:01] – Case study on Greaves: tangible financial improvement and career impact

Conclusion

Ashanti Abdullah’s Turnwheel is reframing how artists approach touring, empowering them financially and organizationally in an ecosystem upended by streaming. With a focus on real-time decision support, centralized communication, and transparency, Turnwheel is driving measurable financial results and peace of mind for its users—especially independent, “blue-collar” artists trying to build sustainable careers in music.