How to Find the Right AI Buyers for Your Content

My guest today is Dan Steiny, who advises content companies on AI deals. Dan has spent nearly 25 years in licensing, including leading content partnerships at SoundHound AI. Today, he helps content and data companies figure out which AI companies to approach, what kinds of deals to pursue, and why chasing only OpenAI and Anthropic may be a mistake. Dan built Nexus, a database that tracks several hundred AI companies. For one book publisher, his process surfaced 49 potential partners, including Pearson, Chegg, Perplexity, Coursera, and several emerging content marketplaces. We also discuss  --why training an AI model can be like putting a banana into a smoothie,  --why RAG deals may give publishers more control,  --and his belief that \[quote] “people make content, content makes AI, and AI shapes people.” Away from business, Dan's a songwriter, keyboard player, screenwriter, and member of the band Whisky House—and he even plays a little Grateful Dead for us in the intro. This is Dan’s first podcast appearance -- which I always love.  Special thanks to Denise Garcia for connecting me with Dan many years ago. Please enjoy my conversation with Dan Steiny. Thx! Rob Kelly