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Sturla on life as an artist and the business around it

About 1 hour 33 min 24. august 2026 Host Jan Sindre Heltne Guest Sturla Fagerli Larsen

Sturla has been on X Factor, Idol, The Voice and Melodi Grand Prix, and had a record deal with Sony. A conversation about life as an artist and the business behind it – from television competitions to royalties and booking your own concerts.

Sturla has covered a lot of ground in the Norwegian music industry: X Factor, Idol, The Voice, Melodi Grand Prix and several years under a record deal with Sony Music. Today he runs everything himself, with a goal of playing 100 concerts during 2026.

We talk about the road through the television competitions, what a record deal actually involves, and why he eventually chose to leave it. And we go properly into the business most listeners never hear about: how the Norwegian royalty societies Tono and Gramo work, how little streaming actually pays, and how an artist books, prices and delivers their own concerts.

The content is Sturla’s own experience and his own assessment of the industry he works in, not general advice about money or copyright.

Main topics

  • The road through X Factor, Idol, The Voice and Melodi Grand Prix
  • A record deal with Sony and a 360 agreement
  • Life as an independent artist
  • The economics of touring, booking and riders
  • Tono and Gramo – how royalties actually work
  • AI and the music industry
  • Combining music with a steady job
  • The goal of 100 concerts in 2026

Questions this episode answers

  • What is it like taking part in X Factor, Idol, The Voice and Melodi Grand Prix?
  • What does a record deal and a 360 agreement actually involve?
  • How does an artist make money today?
  • What is the difference between Tono and Gramo?
  • How much does streaming really pay?
  • How does an artist book concerts themselves?
  • What should you think about when it comes to riders and technical equipment?
  • What is it like combining a music career with an ordinary job?

Key points

  • Television competitions give you exposure, but rarely a finished career on their own.
  • A 360 agreement with a label covers production and release, not live income.
  • Tono manages the rights to lyrics and melody, Gramo manages the recording.
  • Streaming pays very little compared with radio play and Tono/Gramo royalties.
  • Booking your own concerts takes persistence – cold emails and phone calls, sustained over time.
  • The most important advice: get secure in your own music before you let the business steer your choices.