1/Artists want to work with… people who make things happen (for them). Artists will prioritize working with people who make them feel invincible over transparency and or ownership.
2/There is an abundance of… data. The biggest companies are at war over it. However, does anybody really know what to do with it? What tools exist to support turning data into actionable opportunity? These tools are being built. It’s time to think about data strategy.
3/It seems like the industry thinks… too short term. Getting stuck innovating in the now for the immediate tomorrow… Believing each moment is the moment of innovation versus thinking where or how things will really be 5-10 years from now.
4/How many bodies are buried… underneath the major music companies? The failed artists. The ones who succeeded mediocrely and got lost in the shuffle. But is it intentional? Did anybody get in the industry to see or help artists die? No. Sure, many do artists get swallowed up by a larger system, but how many of those artists are truly good enough? Do they really have the one track or an electrifying live performance to stop you dead in your tracks? Do they have the star power to corral you every day with their personality over social media? Some do, but the reality is, most are not capable of moving the masses… Even “the industry” believes in them.
5/What’s the best way to deal with… mental health? Sometimes it can be quite basic. One artist recommended started with “asking how I’m doing” as opposed to “laying ten sessions on me”. I’ve learned the same. We can all more of checking in on our artists’ well-being.
6/Since we won’t be remembered (c’mon even William Paley and Walter Yetnikoff aren’t and they yielded way more power than any executive today), our legacies are only as strong as our ability to use the little power we have to pass down opportunity to those we believe in.