I sat down for a wide-ranging interview with Roy Elkins, a music industry veteran who is the founder and owner of Broadjam, which pre-dates social media, when indie artists had almost no path to industry decision-makers.
I've known Roy for years and we got into a wide-ranging conversation about the music software boom, understanding artists' struggles, American Idol, the joy of music, fighting cancer, professional bowling, starting in Memphis, and life.
We had such a good time talking we ended up stretching this to a 2-parter.
CHARLIE: When you built Broadjam was there anything else like it at the time? Napster was just kind of taking off. What was the landscape like?
ROY: That’s a really good question, Charlie. When I started Broadjam in ’99, it was still a very primitive time. All these different technologies came and went by the wayside. We built the first version of the site and launched around 2000, but because of Napster, the music industry looked at every new technology since Edison's wax cylinder as evil. Sheet music companies sued Edison because nobody would buy sheet music anymore. Marconi got sued because nobody would buy flat discs.
When I looked at Napster, I thought, if somebody is trading a billion files a month for free, I would try to figure out a way to monetize it instead of suing them out of existence. But that's what the industry did - they sued Napster, BearShare, LimeWire, MP3.com, and others.
CHARLIE: They were in "sue mode" instead of "let's figure this out" mode for about four years too long, right?
ROY: Absolutely.
They were always afraid people would copy music, and they consistently missed opportunities. I think they continue to miss the point with AI today.
We were trying to raise a little money for Broadjam at the time, and I looked around. MP3.com raised half a billion. We were a small company in Wisconsin.
I'd sit on panels with label executives who trashed the tech world. I was thinking, "This is your future." For three or four years, it was brutal just trying to make a living.
Then opportunities started to come along. We worked for Warner/Chappell, cataloging their music. That was one thing we became very good at - being one of the first sites to include extensive metadata for songs.
Everything changed on April 28, 2003, when iTunes launched, they transformed the business. Suddenly, investors who had ignored us called back, and customers lined up. But it was never easy.
CHARLIE: What are typical Broadjam artists like?
ROY: Over the years, I've seen musicians meet and collaborate through Broadjam. I remember one person in Kansas and another in Spain - they connected on the site, got married, and started making records together. Those connections are thrilling - success is really about helping people connect and making music together. Investors often ask, "How many people can you help?" But for me, the joy is in nurturing the music and the connections.
I've always instructed our team: if someone's really upset, get their phone number and I'll call them. I still do that today. Many people are surprised to hear from the CEO directly, but it leads to long conversations, helps them understand how we operate, and often uncovers real opportunities to improve the site.
It's also a lesson in listening. If you can get to the bottom of why someone's angry, you might find something you can actually fix. But if they can't articulate it, sometimes all you can do is hear them out. Either way, you show respect.
This also applies to broader online behavior. If someone posts negatively about you or a competitor, most people don't realize that music supervisors and other industry professionals are likely checking their online presence. If you have nasty posts about others, it signals you might be difficult to work with. That's why I tell musicians to clean up their profiles - your online persona matters as much as your music.
CHARLIE: And you still encounter musicians who think their stuff is pure gold, right?
ROY: Sure, and that's fine. We teach artists how to present themselves professionally and how to collaborate. If you're constantly rude, dismissive, or difficult, nobody wants to work with you, no matter how talented you are. At Broadjam, the majority of musicians are wonderful - they give constructive criticism properly.
CHARLIE: Being part of Broadjam is partly self-selecting. Musicians see the ethos and choose to engage. They tend to be more professional than the average sample of all music online.
ROY: And that matters, because in this industry, whether you're pitching a song, collaborating, or networking, your reputation for being easy to work with is often as important as your skill.
CHARLIE: A friend of mine in theater and film said when you're auditioning - or a musician trying to get a supervisor to say yes - you think everybody's against you. But once you're on the other side, you realize you want to find somebody that works. You're not trying to hold anyone down.
ROY: It's an interesting dilemma. I have my own little publishing company, and I sign songs from Broadjam writers. Many fantastic songs don't get picked. Sometimes I call artists and say, "I think we can get this licensed." And sometimes we can't, even for a big network.
A friend, a successful composer, pitches 10 - 15 songs a day and gets licensed almost once a day. He doesn't get upset about the rest. That's the mindset you need. Selling art is like selling donuts: someone buys one donut, not all 100 on display. With art, we often forget it's a product to others. Your heart and soul matter to you - but to someone producing a film or ad, it's about what fits that scene.
Even at the highest levels, rejection is constant. I heard that 75 musicians were considered to play the Super Bowl this year - 74 great artists got told no. That's the reality, whether you're aiming for the Grammys or a local sync placement. Being told no happens over and over.
CHARLIE: Today, some artists never get past the basics. They spend money on a great record, email it to a couple of critics, and then sulk when it doesn't get attention. It's frustrating when people complain, "Nobody will pay attention to my music," without actually doing the work.
ROY: Yeah, I've had people call me saying, "I'm thinking of quitting." I always ask: why are you doing this? If you hate it, quit. But if you love it, don't stop creating - just keep writing music. Keep your passion alive.
CHARLIE: I always ask everybody an interview: obviously music doesn’t make any sense financially to be in but you weren’t able to quit. You’re missing the gene that allows you to quit being around music, right?
ROY: Yeah, that’s right, that’s right. This is a drug, you know? I mean, if I don’t get my hands on a guitar or piano every day, after two or three days, I start getting a little nervous. I have to sit down and let that out. And whether I’m just playing or writing something, I have to get that out of my system.
CHARLIE: Yeah, I just wander over to the keyboard or pick up a guitar when I'm bored or upset. Not everybody can do that.
ROY: It’s a gift. It isn't a burden. Years ago, a lady called me upset because she submitted one song and it didn't get licensed. I asked her, "How many songs have you written?" She said, "Just one." I said, "Well, the more you write, the better you get at writing. You're going to get told no a lot more than yes, and that's just how it is."
CHARLIE: I see musicians constantly posting "I just wrote a song. Let me play it for you." I think, maybe just let it sit a bit first.
ROY: David Gilmour said he's never finished a song - he just loans it to the world for a while. Some songs take decades to feel finished. Others come together in five minutes. The key is to keep writing, keep performing, keep learning.
There’s more - Part 2 is coming next week (available April 7, 2026) and we cover an ever wider range of topics.
