Drop The MIC: Music Industry Conversations

26 Episodes

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Rising Songwriters: Cracking the Creative Process

2021-05-1444:44

From voice memo to release day, emerging artists Jereena Montemayor and Pretty Boy Aaron deep-dive into their creative process, sharing the songs and stories that have shaped their journey to date.

An Artist's Arsenal

2021-05-1131:31

In addition to the obvious necessity of a repertoire of musical talents and skills, an artist will benefit from an arsenal of professionals. Through our conversations with Doug Mark, an entertainment attorney, Liv Seltzer, an artists and repertoire consultant, Miranda Martell, Chief Growth Officer at Quadio Records, and Abir Hossain, VP of Quadio Records we will reveal how these professionals support an artist.

Finding the Right People: Making it as a Songwriter

2021-05-0758:03

Success as a songwriter in the music industry requires collaboration. Our guests today will talk about what it looks like when you've found the right people to work with. We’ll be hearing from Gracie and Lawrence Clyde from Lawrence the band, Braxton Cook, Christian Kuria, Zach Fogarty, and Michael Uzowuru. Songs included in this episode: "Do You Wanna Do Nothing With Me?" and "It's Not All About You" - Lawrence"Don't Wanna See You" - Braxton Cook"Too Good" - Christian Kuria"Power F...

From Ticket Sales to Soundcheck: A Breakdown of the Domestic Touring Experience

2021-05-0440:00

What puts a tour into motion? In this podcast episode, we sat down with live music and touring experts Kaleb Herbel-Eisenmann (Artist Manager at Abstract MGMT), Darius Zelkha (Artist Manager/Marketing Partnerships at Brilliant Corners Artist Management), and Danielle Zucchini (National Marketing Manager for Live Nation) to discuss the mechanics of mid-cap, domestic tours in North America. Tune in to see how a tour is created, from initial planning and marketing, to being on the road, and ever...

From Artist Management to Activism: Carving Your Own Path in the Music Industry with Kyle Frenette

2021-04-3030:44

In this episode, we’re talking with Kyle Frenette, who previously was the long-time manager of the band Bon Iver. Throughout his successful and multi-faceted career in the music industry, Kyle has been involved in many different ventures including artist management, starting a record label to promote the local music scene, and political activism--even running for Congress. We’ll hear Kyle’s take on what the most important skills are for a successful artist manager and how he applied his skill...

Music Streaming: Tipping Scales and Sales

2021-04-2732:18

In this episode, we chat with Stanford alum Jose Serrano who manages emerging artists like Emery Kelley and Sybyr and rising artist Heidi Rolph-Statt about the role of streaming platforms in artists' careers. We discuss imbalances in pay, streaming and gender.

200 Days on the Road: Building a Business in the Music Industry

2021-04-2335:19

Building a business is hard. Building a business in the music industry is even harder. Artists and managers put their blood, sweat, and tears into their businesses, spending as many as 200 days at a time on the road. On this episode we hear from music industry executives, founders, and innovators telling us how they found their niches, how they built their businesses, and what advice they have for aspiring entrepreneurs hoping to enter the space.

Age and Experience: The Lifespan and History of A&R

2021-04-2032:46

In this episode of Stanford’s Drop the MIC podcast, we hear from A&R professionals spanning over 20 years of music industry history. We have Daouda Leonard, a tried and true vet who was part of the generation that christened the internet age of brand building. Alongside him we have Bekah Flynn, an A&R rep at an indie record label who saw the rise of streaming platforms during her career and has learned when to leverage the numbers, and when to rely on her intuition. Finally, we speak ...

Reinventing the Jam Session: Music Technology's Response to COVID-19

2021-04-1644:14

Through the anecdotes and experiences of musician Mike Rocha, pianist and coder Dan Tepfer, investor Mike McGinley, and Stanford professor Chris Chafe, we delve into the impact and development of music collaboration technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our guests give us valuable insight into the pandemic’s lasting impact on the music industry.

Revolutionizing the Relationship Between Artist and Audience

2021-04-1338:48

In this episode, game-changers Roneil Rumburg (Co-Founder and CEO of Audius), Elomida Visviki (Co-Founder and CEO of Weav Music), and Matt Block (Head of Production at Splice and Co-Founder of La Reserve) discuss the new paths they’ve created for artists to interact with fans. From creating equitable platforms for bedroom producers to inventing new technology, they’re redefining the nature of artist and audience.

Artist and Analyst Conversations on Music Streaming

2021-04-0844:46

This episode dives into the world of music streaming with interviews from Jay Troop, who works in Artist & Industry Insights at Pandora, Lyric Rains-Bury, an artist, producer, and student, and Shun Hendrix, recording R&B artist and actor. These three interviews touch on our guests' experiences distributing their music, using music analytic tools, and dives into their overall experiences on music streaming platforms. This episode features music from Ace, the Storyteller.

Becoming Undeniable: Building a Brand that Takes You to the Top

2021-04-0648:12

From new artists selecting their target audience, to well-known stars switching up their style, building, maintaining, and even re-working their brand is a major aspect of an artist’s time in the spotlight. In this episode, we speak with the founder of Daemon, a company that offers modern music marketing by implementing a holistic marketing strategy across disciplines, and with executives at Harbor Park Media Company, which provides tailored media and management services to artists. Listen to...

Stories of Seasoned Songwriters: How to Craft Your Next Song

2021-04-0244:29

In our first episode of Season 2, we catch up with songwriters Jamie Hartman and Sam Dixon to talk about their creative process, artist collaborations, and how those play out in the studio. Jamie Hartman co-wrote Rag’n’Bone Man’s hit single, “Human,” and has worked with Ellie Goulding, James Bay, Celeste and many others. Sam Dixon is a Grammy award-winning songwriter and producer whose songwriting credits include songs from Adele, SIA, and Christina Aguilera. Whether you are an aspiring artis...

Next Up: Streaming, Discovery, and Innovation

2020-12-0722:23

In our exclusive bonus episode, we dive into conversations with the creators of Apple Music’s renowned Up Next program and managers of up-and-coming artist Gracie Abrams. Chris Hovsepian and JJ Corsini, the Senior Vice Presidents of Artist Development at Universal Music Group, reveal how they innovate and stay ahead of the curve while the music landscape changes at lightning speed. They also dig into how they championed stars-in-the-making through the Up Next program at Apple Music (Billie Ei...

From Perfectly Ordinary to Pop Star: A Guide to Marketing and Branding in the Music Business

2020-11-2349:57

Marketing and Branding is at the foundation of launching and maintaining a successful career in the music business. Top marketing experts such as Jesse Coolbroth (VP of Fan Engagement and Digital Marketing at Warner Records), Jon Romero (Head of marketing at Vector Management), and Erin Cooney (Marketing Director at Interscope Records) discuss the importance of designing and promoting an artist's brand.

Back To Our Roots: Emerging Artists from Stanford

2020-11-1642:23

Pop singer and producer Clarissa Carter as well as Jack Seigenthaler and Henry Ingram of rock band Sloan Woolly describe their involvement in music during their time at Stanford and recall what it was like to dive into careers as musicians after their time at The Farm came to an end.

Pioneers in Music Festivals and Artist Discovery

2020-11-0201:06:30

Want to meet the former Stanford undergrad who brought The Grateful Dead to Frost Amphitheater in 1982? Tune into this episode which features Vinnie Freda, the Chief Data Officer of Warner Music Group and a proud Stanford alum, among other industry professionals like VP of A&R at Warner Records, Kate LaBrel.

From Rising Star to Grammys: Here’s How Music is Made

2020-10-2646:11

You’re in for an exclusive look at the art of music making. Hear from recording artist, Sun Kuma, manager of Leon Bridges and Carly Rae Jepsen, Jonathan Eshak, and Oscar winning and Grammy nominated engineer and producer, Daniel Roland. They each share their unique perspective into creating music and offer invaluable advice to aspiring artists looking to break into the music industry.

Artist Management and the Art of Forming Partnerships

2020-10-1937:43

In this episode, a team of Stanford students meet with industry professionals who have managed big-time artists like Jai Wolf, Cody Simpson, and Sandro Cavazza. They reveal the different pathways to becoming a manager, the keys to success as an artist manager, and share their hopes for the music industry post-Coronavirus.

Songwriting, Grit, and Country Music

2020-10-1201:06:33

Two of country music's best songwriters, GRAMMY-nominated Angaleena Presley and rising star Hailey Whitters, share how the songwriting process works. Additionally, Angaleena and Hailey share a glimpse of the sheer grit required to start a career in Nashville and explore some of the ins and outs of the country music industry.

#box-pro-ellipsis-173525088113384{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}Drop The MIC: Music Industry Conversations

Drop The MIC: Music Industry Conversations