I’m a big holiday person. I love the hallmark holidays because any reason to bring people together is a good reason. Throw in a festive theme with history and tradition and I’m tripling down. Might f*ck around and cop a pet reindeer this year, LOL. Thanksgiving, though, is the be-all, end-all in my family, the only time some of us lets loose in one place. But in the last decade, a new holiday tradition has caught on that I’m particularly thankful for. …

I’m headed to Los Angeles this week for a pair of events, but I’m doing so with a heavy heart. What’s happening with the fires — and climate change in general — is terrifying, and I’m bringing nothing but love and solidarity for friends, family, and the most vulnerable during this tough time. We all need to engage with the process of getting our country and our world on a new course towards rapidly reducing environmental risks. If you’re looking …

This time last year, the Crypto business was all the rage. Fortunes were being made (on paper), infrastructure was being built with abandon, and the market seemed unstoppable. Now, with Q4 breathing down everyone’s neck, the blockchain is one of the year’s biggest disappointments. How did that happen? I published a piece in April, “Rockchain Not Blockchain,” that encouraged my colleagues in the newly rebounded music business to invest in crypto and help ensure sustainable growth. “This is not a time …

The holiday season looms large after Halloween weekend, signalling the start of a very impactful time of year: gala season. For some, it’s nothing but a tax write off. For others, it’s a way to truly give back and connect. Last week, I had the honor of attending the 10th annual POP Gala. Pencils of Promise is an organization built by Adam Braun, brother of music mogul, Scooter Braun. The first time I attended this event, Justin Bieber was honored. They …

Musicians and brands have a lot in common. At WORLDZ on Thursday, alongside the dance duo Krewella and their esteemed manager, Jake Udell, Nue lead a master class on what brands can learn from musicians. We discussed the artist “roadmap,” how to achieve market share, and the ways in which these ideas converge around the traditional business cycle and brand growth. We call it the “Rockstar Business Plan.” The Rockstar Business plan consists of: 1) Product – Whether it’s a …

This biggest growth opportunity I’ve seen this year has been in the cannabis market. Legalization and its myriad health benefits are beyond encouraging, but as a marketer, the brand-building potential is what gets me most excited. The early days of the “Green Rush” were all about getting the products right. Then came distribution and getting it in people’s hands (legally or illegally). Now, we’re witnessing a marketing arms race to distinguish between brands. It’s not going to be easy to …

One of the most challenging aspects of the transition Nue went through — from representing artists to representing brands — was suddenly having to turn down profitable clients, emerging artists, and the opportunities we had previously found so appealing. We went from wanting the 50 Cent’s to wanting the Forbes 500’s, and we knew we had to go all in to successfully switch. Luckily, the recipe we’d honed in taking baby bands to big stadiums applied perfectly to bringing baby …

In the modern media age, the great debate has always been content vs. distribution. Is it the product or how powerfully it’s broadcast? Is it the medium or the message? But the days of having to answer that question alone are coming to an end. There is more amazing content being created than ever before, and everyone’s got something to say. Each week, nearly 20,000 new songs are released on Spotify. There are endless articles, RSS feeds, newsletters, social media …

There was a lot of buzz in the biz last week about the Music Modernization Act passing the Senate by unanimous consent. As the dynamics of the industry shift, so, too, must the rules of engagement. The MMA is complex, but the debate breaks down along these basic lines: artists, producers, and engineers are for it while companies like Sirius XM and certain publishers are against it. Those entities say it will cost them a lot of money. The artists, for their …

“If I have a dollar and you have a dollar and we exchange dollars,” Kanye West once mused, “we’d each have one dollar. But if I have an idea and you have an idea and we exchange ideas, we’d each have two ideas.” I love a good idea exchange. Brainstorms are where clarity comes and the fires of the future are lit. But you can’t always put a proper idea exchange into a timed box or expect to schedule and …

  Fashion Week is in full gear and it’s always an inspiring time in the city. The fashionistas serve up sartorial sensations while brands flex experiential muscle to connect with consumers. A lot of events rely heavily on musicians, artists, and the broader creative culture, which makes for some of the year’s most dynamic days and nights. In a town like New York, that’s saying a lot. I love the intersection of stylistic trends with new marketing and sales techniques, …

  For some it’s back to school vibes again in the air! As the Summer concludes, it’s time to for others to flip into 4th quarter mode. I know I spent my last few weeks living up Summer. Even though this holiday weekend I did it a very un-New York way: by staying in New York. I love a good holiday weekend in the five boroughs with record lows of people and pandemonium. It’s a rare chance to get run …

  As the dog days of August race to an end, I’m blown away by how much has changed. Summer 2018 was packed with personal growth, eye-opening adventures, and lots of extended hours. I get the feeling that we’re all collectively bringing the music business back to its glory days. But you don’t only see growth in the backend metrics. You can literally hear it. 20,000 new songs appear on Spotify weekly, music companies are eyeing IPOs (Sonos went public …

  Hip-hop runs the world, it’s a fact. Since I was in high school, artists like Nas, Tupac, and Puffy influenced what I liked, what I wore, and how I carried myself. I got my start in the biz throwing parties and quickly discovered “the X factor” that determines whether an event is a failure or a success: is hip-hop in the house? There’s a great article in Rolling Stone this week which claims that, thanks to rap music, the …

  You can’t beat summer weekends in New York, especially when friends, family, and great music are in town. Panorama might have been pounded by thunder and lighting on Friday afternoon, washing away The Weekend, Dua Lipa, and Father John Misty, but we all know summer festivals are a big gamble. Luckily, Sunday’s weather was on point, so I headed out to Randall’s Island. My first stop was a Panorama staple, The Lab, a multimedia experience sponsored by HP and …