#28 - How Insights and Transparency Can Save Independent Promoters with Jen Lyon
Description
Veteran promoter Jen Lyon, Founder of MeanRed Productions, shares a candid, inspiring conversation around how independents can stand their ground in a Live Nation world—plus why she’s urging promoters to join Insights now.
Inside the episode:
Jen’s personal journey from NYC bottle service clubs to building a values-driven venue in Detroit
Why Insights is a game-changer, and her urgent plea to fellow independents to join the movement
The power of transparency in booking, artist development, and leveling the playing field
How a data-sharing culture can create equity—and why withholding data hurts the whole industryThe real risks independent promoters take—and how tools like Prism help make it sustainable
Why she’s launching a nonprofit venue with community curators (and a unique for-profit/F&B model)
What the future of live music could look like, if we choose to build it together
Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned vet, Jen drops truth bombs, challenges the status quo, and brings hope for a more collaborative, independent future.
Episode Timestamps:
- (00:01:01 ): Evolution of Live Music Booking Technology
- (00:01:49 ): Early Career Challenges
- (00:02:58 ): Transition to Prism
- (00:04:04 ): Transparency in the Industry - Insights deep dive
- (00:06:14 ): Industry Diversity and Inclusion
- (00:08:05 ): Tech and the Next Generation
- (00:09:18 ): Prism's Potential
- (00:10:02 ): Sustaining an Independent Approach
- (00:11:03 ): Different Perspectives on Industry Challenges
- (00:13:30 ): Dynamics Between Large Promoters Versus Independent Venues
- (00:15:40 ): Insights and Data Sharing
- (00:17:32 ): Independent Promoters' Struggles
- (00:19:03 ): Looking to the Future
- (00:21:01 ): Jen's Journey into Live Music
- (00:25:28 ): Building Community
- (00:28:21 ): Finding Sustainability and Purpose
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