Beats + Bytes Archives

The Cultural Shift Around Aging

I’ve been deeply interested in the health and wellness space for as long as I can remember. Over time, I’ve realized that health is my number one core value in all its forms: mental, physical, and emotional. Without health, I cannot achieve the other things I want in life. So, prioritizing it feels non-negotiable […]

LaPlaybook

Every once in a while, a new artist grabs my attention. In a world where catalog artists are dominating the mainstream and there are over 100,000 new songs dropping daily on Spotify and YouTube, it’s very difficult for a new artist to cut through. Enter LaRussell. When we were a talent agency, we had a […]

Culture Doesn’t Happen Live Anymore

Mainstream culture doesn’t happen live anymore. It happens in the aftermath. What an interesting week for content. Beyond the Benito Bowl – where the shared emotion of the performance and watching it live together felt like the biggest play of the game, everything else was… kind of meh? Until after the game, that is. That’s […]

Why the Water Cooler Is Boiling

It’s been a busy news week. The Grammys. The upcoming Super Bowl. The Winter Olympics kicking off. That insane Australian Open final. We’re swimming in “water cooler moments” — the kind of cultural events everyone is supposed to care about. And I love seeing great artists, colleagues, and teams win. With hundreds of awards, the […]

What The Clios Teach Us

This is the biggest week of the year in music. As the GRAMMYs take over Los Angeles, there are a series of major shmoozes leading up to the big show on Sunday. If there are people you need to see, a lot of ground can be covered in one week. It’s great to see so […]

Signal Boost Part 2

Hope things are moving and grooving in your world. Last week’s signal boost set the tone. Building on that, here is our part two: World Building → The New Moat Artists aren’t just releasing music, they’re building universes to create new touch points. Look at Dua Lipa’s Service95, Kid Cudi’s fine art show, and Diplo’s Run […]

Signal Boost 2026

This year, all signs point to this being the golden age of music. Here’s why Second week of January. Year of the Horse. Back in the saddle. As I point my GPS toward a familiar constellation of pursuits, here’s a topline look at what I’m watching and where I think the music business is headed […]

Why CES Matters More Than Ever

Happy New Year, friends and colleagues. Hope you had a meaningful holiday. I took some downtime to unplug, travel and think deeply about the future I want to create. 2026 is already shaping up to be a wild ride. A few signals that are hard to ignore: I’m expecting the unexpected and betting on deep […]

Wrapped: More Than Just Music

As we look back, there are some key trends that will define 2025 at the intersection of music, technology and brand marketing. Although 2025 isn’t over yet, it’s headed into the archives. It’s crazy to think a quarter of this century has now passed. I love Wrap Season. It’s a reminder of who we actually […]

The Art of Sound

Miami Art Week is in full effect. These tentpole moments are important for creating touchpoints with brands and fans. Events like this create momentum around premieres and previews, generate conversations around projects, and hijack the airwaves. Miami Art Week is bombing everyone’s social feeds. As a music marketer and cultural anthropologist, I cherish the opportunity […]