Music Industry Interviews and Biographies
Sometimes the best way to learn the ropes in the music industry is to get the inside scoop straight from the horses mouth and studying the paths of those who have gone before you. Find out how other people working in the industry today are making their way and how the major players got their foot in the door.
Interview with Erik Peterson of Plugola
Plugola aims to recreate that great music discovery process your favorite local mom and pop record shop used to bring you - before the Best Buys of the world shut them down. Find out how Plugola works and how it can help you promote your music in this interview with Plugola founder Erik Peterson.
Plugola aims to recreate that great music discovery process your favorite local mom and pop record shop used to bring you - before the Best Buys of the world shut them down. Find out how Plugola works and how it can help you promote your music in this interview with Plugola founder Erik Peterson.
Kevin Liles Profile
Kevin Liles went from unpaid intern to president of Def Jam in just seven short years. Learn more about the career of Kevin Liles in this Kevin Lile profile.
Kevin Liles went from unpaid intern to president of Def Jam in just seven short years. Learn more about the career of Kevin Liles in this Kevin Lile profile.
Tommy Mottola
Tommy Mottola managed some of the biggest names in music and helped Sony Records grow into one of the strongest major labels in the business. Tommy Mottola's career hasn't always been smooth sailing, however, and he's been dogged by rumors of racism. Learn more about Tommy Mottola.
Tommy Mottola managed some of the biggest names in music and helped Sony Records grow into one of the strongest major labels in the business. Tommy Mottola's career hasn't always been smooth sailing, however, and he's been dogged by rumors of racism. Learn more about Tommy Mottola.
Q&A with Nick Fitzsimmons and Tracy Dempsey - UnConvention Belfast
UnConvention Belfast is a music industry convention aimed at the indie and grassroots music industry here. Here, two founders of UnConvention Belfast, discuss the event, the planning and their ideas for the future.
UnConvention Belfast is a music industry convention aimed at the indie and grassroots music industry here. Here, two founders of UnConvention Belfast, discuss the event, the planning and their ideas for the future.
Louise Frazer-Bennett Profile
Sound System Association of Jamaica press office Louise Frazer-Bennett held a power position is a genre of music dominated by men. She represented over 150 differet sound systems in Jamaica in dealing with goverment and the press and acted as an agent for some prominent DJs. Before her 2003 death, she became a vocal antigun activist. Learn more about her story.
Sound System Association of Jamaica press office Louise Frazer-Bennett held a power position is a genre of music dominated by men. She represented over 150 differet sound systems in Jamaica in dealing with goverment and the press and acted as an agent for some prominent DJs. Before her 2003 death, she became a vocal antigun activist. Learn more about her story.
Q&A with Ruth Daniel of the Un-Convention and Fat Northerner Records
Ruth Daniel of Fat Northerner Records founded the music industry conference the Unconvention in 2008 for the indie music industry to have a place to brainstorm and debate the issues. Here she talks about how she pulled the UnConvention together and her plans for future events.
Ruth Daniel of Fat Northerner Records founded the music industry conference the Unconvention in 2008 for the indie music industry to have a place to brainstorm and debate the issues. Here she talks about how she pulled the UnConvention together and her plans for future events.
Q&A with Jon Myer of BBC 6 Music
Jon Myer, music manager of BBC 6, offers advice on getting into the radio business and some insight into how radio stations determine what makes the radio playlist and what doesn't. Good advice that can help your music career - learn more.
Jon Myer, music manager of BBC 6, offers advice on getting into the radio business and some insight into how radio stations determine what makes the radio playlist and what doesn't. Good advice that can help your music career - learn more.
Kramer Profile
Legendary indie music producer Kramer has left his stamp on some of the best known and most loved albums in indie rock. Learn more about his story.
Legendary indie music producer Kramer has left his stamp on some of the best known and most loved albums in indie rock. Learn more about his story.
Q&A with Dave Hahn of Chronicles of a Cruise Musician Blog
Dave Hahn's Chronicle of a Cruise Ship Musician blog offers a glimpse into life in a very unexamined music career. In this interview, he lets us in on what it's like to play music for the cruise ship masses, as well as how he makes sure that budding cruise ship musicians out there can find his blog.
Dave Hahn's Chronicle of a Cruise Ship Musician blog offers a glimpse into life in a very unexamined music career. In this interview, he lets us in on what it's like to play music for the cruise ship masses, as well as how he makes sure that budding cruise ship musicians out there can find his blog.
Q&A with Ron Mexico
Ron Mexico, the brains behind Ron Mexico City, XXL Mag's Negro Please column and several other net based projects, discussed how he got started and offers advice for aspiring music bloggers and writers hoping to follow on his footsteps.
Ron Mexico, the brains behind Ron Mexico City, XXL Mag's Negro Please column and several other net based projects, discussed how he got started and offers advice for aspiring music bloggers and writers hoping to follow on his footsteps.
Tony Wilson Profile
Factory Records' Tony Wilson was a music industry one off who is sorely missed. His Factory Records label released incredibly influential music and Wilson himself was actively involved in shaping the independent music industry. He also a dedicated campaigner for a devolved parliament for northern England. Find out more about this music industry maverick and his inspiring story.
Factory Records' Tony Wilson was a music industry one off who is sorely missed. His Factory Records label released incredibly influential music and Wilson himself was actively involved in shaping the independent music industry. He also a dedicated campaigner for a devolved parliament for northern England. Find out more about this music industry maverick and his inspiring story.
Q&A with Garreth Ryan of Shellshock Distribution
Garreth Ryan of UK music distribution company Shellshock Music has been working in music distribution since the early 1980s and has seen lots of ups and downs along the way. Here, he offers insight into how independent music distribution works and what he sees as the future for music distributors.
Garreth Ryan of UK music distribution company Shellshock Music has been working in music distribution since the early 1980s and has seen lots of ups and downs along the way. Here, he offers insight into how independent music distribution works and what he sees as the future for music distributors.
Q&A with Stephen Pastel of Geographic Records and The Pastels
Stephen Pastel is no stranger to indie bands or indie record labels. His band The Pastels is one of indie music's long lasting and most loved bands, and his 1980s label 53rd & 3rd is a shining example of how just how much impact even the smallest of labels can have on the course of music. Now running Domino subsidiary label Geographic, Stephen is again in the position to introduce the world to music it didn't know it loved. Here, he talks about the label and what he's learned from The Pastels.
Stephen Pastel is no stranger to indie bands or indie record labels. His band The Pastels is one of indie music's long lasting and most loved bands, and his 1980s label 53rd & 3rd is a shining example of how just how much impact even the smallest of labels can have on the course of music. Now running Domino subsidiary label Geographic, Stephen is again in the position to introduce the world to music it didn't know it loved. Here, he talks about the label and what he's learned from The Pastels.
Q&A with David Gedge of The Wedding Present
Making a band last for six months is hard enough - but David Gedge has managed to keep The Wedding Present going for more than 20 years and counting. In this interview with David Gedge, he talks about how The Wedding Present have kept it going for so long, their experiences working with different record labels and the problems he thinks all bands face for the future.
Making a band last for six months is hard enough - but David Gedge has managed to keep The Wedding Present going for more than 20 years and counting. In this interview with David Gedge, he talks about how The Wedding Present have kept it going for so long, their experiences working with different record labels and the problems he thinks all bands face for the future.
Q&A with Lou Paniccia of Sonicbids
You asked, they answered. You submitted your questions to online band/promoter matchmaker and festival submission site Sonicbids, and Lou Paniccia, Artist Relations Manager at Sonicbids, answered them in full. Find out what he had to say about the registration fees, the CMJ incident and much more.
You asked, they answered. You submitted your questions to online band/promoter matchmaker and festival submission site Sonicbids, and Lou Paniccia, Artist Relations Manager at Sonicbids, answered them in full. Find out what he had to say about the registration fees, the CMJ incident and much more.
Russell Simmons Profile
If you love hip hop, you owe Russell Simmons a thank you. In the early days of rap, Simmons fought like no one else to take hip hop out of the underground and to the mainstream audience. He's had a hand in too many of rap's biggest moments to count, and he's still hip hop royalty today. Learn more about how he pulled it off.
If you love hip hop, you owe Russell Simmons a thank you. In the early days of rap, Simmons fought like no one else to take hip hop out of the underground and to the mainstream audience. He's had a hand in too many of rap's biggest moments to count, and he's still hip hop royalty today. Learn more about how he pulled it off.
Q&A with R. City
R.City, brothers Teron and Timothy, are about to release their major label debut, Wake the Neighbors, but you already know all of their songs. How? Because as songwriters, these guys have written for just about every big seller you can think of. Find out how they went from performers to songwriters to performers again and how they used their songwriting talents to get people to notice their own music.
R.City, brothers Teron and Timothy, are about to release their major label debut, Wake the Neighbors, but you already know all of their songs. How? Because as songwriters, these guys have written for just about every big seller you can think of. Find out how they went from performers to songwriters to performers again and how they used their songwriting talents to get people to notice their own music.
Q&A with Radio Pluggers Ben Mainwaring and Terry Hollingsworth
Having a good radio plugger can make the difference between a great track becoming a hit or not. But what does the job involve and how do you get into it? Here, Ben Mainwaring, a freelance radio plugger, and Terry Hollingsworth, director of Radio and Press plugging company 10 X Better to get their thoughts on the role and career of a radio plugger.
Having a good radio plugger can make the difference between a great track becoming a hit or not. But what does the job involve and how do you get into it? Here, Ben Mainwaring, a freelance radio plugger, and Terry Hollingsworth, director of Radio and Press plugging company 10 X Better to get their thoughts on the role and career of a radio plugger.
Interview with MC Serch: Peace in the Middle East
Hip hop icon MC Serch is as well known for his music as he is his committment to giving back. From his work with Rock and Wrap It Up to donating 10% of his income to charities, Serch has always recognized the value of giving back. He recently took a new project to raise awareness about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Peace in the Middle East.
Hip hop icon MC Serch is as well known for his music as he is his committment to giving back. From his work with Rock and Wrap It Up to donating 10% of his income to charities, Serch has always recognized the value of giving back. He recently took a new project to raise awareness about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Peace in the Middle East.
Lyor Cohen Profile
Lyor Cohen is an unlikely pioneer of hip hop music, but he is one nonetheless. He has been instrumental in the careers of many of hip hops biggest stars and has also been one of the most successful and revolutionary thinker in the major label music industry.
Lyor Cohen is an unlikely pioneer of hip hop music, but he is one nonetheless. He has been instrumental in the careers of many of hip hops biggest stars and has also been one of the most successful and revolutionary thinker in the major label music industry.
Q&A with Lauren Barberena of Tall Girl Publishing
Publishing is an often overlooked, but every important part, of a musician's career. With her legal background and her experience building her own publishing company, Lauren Barberena knows this too well. Get the scoop on the publishing world from the inside.
Publishing is an often overlooked, but every important part, of a musician's career. With her legal background and her experience building her own publishing company, Lauren Barberena knows this too well. Get the scoop on the publishing world from the inside.
Q&A with Jay Flanzbaum of Onlinegigs
Booking a show that runs smoothly from start to finish is a Herculean task - many people simply don't know how much there is to get done. Thankfully, help has arrived in the form of Onlinegigs. Jay Flanzaum, creator of Onlinegigs shares a little about the creation of the company, shares a little bit about what the website has to offer.
Booking a show that runs smoothly from start to finish is a Herculean task - many people simply don't know how much there is to get done. Thankfully, help has arrived in the form of Onlinegigs. Jay Flanzaum, creator of Onlinegigs shares a little about the creation of the company, shares a little bit about what the website has to offer.
Q&A with Rod Hsaio of Live 365
Rod Hsiao of internet radio company Live 365 shares what it is like on the front lines of the internet radio royalty battle.
Rod Hsiao of internet radio company Live 365 shares what it is like on the front lines of the internet radio royalty battle.
Q&A with Sound Engineer Simon Kasprowicz
Think that sound engineering might be the music industry career for you? Seasoned sound man Simon Kasprowicz (aka Kas to his friends) shares some insight into the job and his advice for getting started.
Think that sound engineering might be the music industry career for you? Seasoned sound man Simon Kasprowicz (aka Kas to his friends) shares some insight into the job and his advice for getting started.
A Conversation with David Rose of KnowTheMusicBiz.com
KnowTheMusicBiz is dedicated to giving budding musicians the straight dope on life in the industry, warts and all. David Rose, founder of the site, shares a bit about KnowTheMusicBiz and his insight into the issues facing the music business.
KnowTheMusicBiz is dedicated to giving budding musicians the straight dope on life in the industry, warts and all. David Rose, founder of the site, shares a bit about KnowTheMusicBiz and his insight into the issues facing the music business.
Seymour Stein Profile
One of the most important tastemakers in the music industry, Seymour Stein hasn't so much reacted to trends as making them himself. He's discovered artists as diverse as The Talking Heads and Madonna and has managed to survive decades in the music industry - no mean feat. His story is a model for all aspiring label types out there.
One of the most important tastemakers in the music industry, Seymour Stein hasn't so much reacted to trends as making them himself. He's discovered artists as diverse as The Talking Heads and Madonna and has managed to survive decades in the music industry - no mean feat. His story is a model for all aspiring label types out there.
Clive Davis Profile
Clive Davis is something of a rock star among major music execs and thumbs up or thumbs down from his had made or broken many a career. He's always something of a controversial figure, but there is no denying he has spotted some of the biggest selling artists in music history.
Clive Davis is something of a rock star among major music execs and thumbs up or thumbs down from his had made or broken many a career. He's always something of a controversial figure, but there is no denying he has spotted some of the biggest selling artists in music history.