WTF FTX
WTF FTX

A sea change is coming as we begin to wind down 2022. The much discussed “red wave” didn’t crest in the election last night (phew), FTX traded to Binance (wow), and Elon Musk took control (if you can call it that) of Twitter, which has rapidly introduced unexpected possibilities and concerns for one of the […]

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Thoughts On What’s Next for Music
Thoughts On What’s Next for Music

At Drexel last week, I guest lectured on the topic of Web3 and music. At the end of the session, the professor, Monika Julien, asked me what I thought was “next for music.” It got me thinking. What is next for this industry? The game is changing as rapidly as the world. We’re dealing with global […]

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Taking a Break for Broadway
Taking a Break for Broadway

Sometimes it’s healthy to take a break from the news, the hype cycle, Elon buying Twitter, the daily influx of texts, alerts, and Kanye f-up’s. What does it all mean? A lot! However, sometimes it’s nice to do something different; something that challenges you culturally; something artsy and outside your comfort zone. That’s what I […]

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Brand Partnership Bonanza
Brand Partnership Bonanza

It’s an exciting time at the intersection of brands and music. Before the pandemic, brand partnerships were an under-utilized tool in the music industry. In early 2020, before the paradigm shift, the music business was seeing double-digit growth in all areas except brand partnerships. Sure, brand partnerships were on the rise, but not at the […]

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Do Everything Better With Music
Do Everything Better With Music

I’m a huge believer in the power of music, and I learned at an early age that music makes everything better. When I was throwing weekly parties in high school, I realized what made the event really memorable was a great soundtrack. And when I became high school president, I added music to the daily […]

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Advanced Marketing
Advanced Marketing

Marketing as a medium has changed. The marketing tactics of the past, won’t get the job done in a world with 60K new songs dropping a day on the major streaming services (even more on Youtube), and more competition than ever competing for your mind in the attention economy in every direction, both in physical […]

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Latin Music Takeover
Latin Music Takeover

We’re right in the heart of Hispanic Heritage Month, which traditionally runs from September 15th to October 15th. But being engaged to a Latina and living in Miami, every month is Hispanic Heritage month in my house. On a national scale, Hispanic culture and its many miracles have clearly entered the American mainstream. The Latino […]

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A Playlist Is Not A Marketing Plan
A Playlist Is Not A Marketing Plan

In the latest edition of our Beats, Bytes and Brands column for Adweek, Clay Durant and I address the art of playlists and how they pertain to brand marketing. In a world where there is more content being released than ever, curation is regaining its standing as the arbiter of cool. We realize playlists are […]

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Brandweek, Best Week 🌴
Brandweek, Best Week 🌴

Back to work vibes are in the air this week nationwide. I love this time of year. For the next few months, everyone is off the beach, out of their shell, and looking to finish the year as strong as possible. The bell for the 4th quarter is about to ring true. My nomadic Summer […]

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Game Set Match
Game Set Match

Every year, I give up The Playa for the Vineyard. I’m glad to be back out on Martha’s, surrounded by loved ones and playing a helluva lot of tennis. I’m trying to take a week away from trends, so today’s newsletter is about tennis and tennis only. I love tennis, which is ironic considering love […]

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Why Are We Developing Virtual Performers and Not Artists?
Why Are We Developing Virtual Performers and Not Artists?

Every time I turn around, I see another story about “robots” taking over the music business. I usually look to Asia to see where trends are going. So it’s wild seeing Japan, Korea, and China all very focused on creating virtual stars. This week, Sony Japan announced the launch of the largest virtual talent development and […]

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