Create Success: Breaking Top 40 On Your Own
Before social networks were invented, the traditional route to the Top 40 was built upon the decisions made by ‘gatekeepers’ in the industry. Now, because social media elevates the sharing of entertainment, the opportunity exists for artists to create their own success. It’s the advent of the democratization of entertainment.
Presenters
Gray Blue drives FanBridge’s strategic alliances with key marketing, new media and business affairs executives in the music industry. With more than eight years of experience in music marketing, he leads the creation of fan engagement solutions for FanBridge’s existing larger music clients and brand partners.
Prior to FanBridge, Gray served as senior director of music marketing at Nabbr.com, where he represented music labels such as Island/Def Jam, Atlantic, RCA, Columbia, and others and helped them connect with the highly engaged Gen-Y audience across the social media landscape.
Lindsay Brandt is a music manager who has been apart of the Mick Management team since early 2006. She signed critically acclaimed up and coming band WALK THE MOON to the Mick roster in early 2011. Previous to that, she ran all digital platforms and marketing plans for artists including John Mayer and Ray LaMontagne. While a student at Hofstra University majoring in audio, Brandt held the Music Director position at WRHU and was known for being a tastemaker around campus. After a successful stint interning at ATO Records in early 2006, Brandt formed a relationship with then boss Michael McDonald. In 2007 when Brett Dennen signed to McDonald's management roster, Brandt came on part-time to assist with day to day management and digital marketing. The following year she worked from the road and toured with both Dennen and John Mayer. With WALK THE MOON one of the most anticipated new artists in 2012, Brandt has been focusing the majority of her time into leading their campaign and scouting up and coming new talent for the Mick Management roster.
At RCA, responsible for marketing and product management on a wide range of artists including Three Days Grace, Cage the Elephant, Bullet For My Valentine,"Weird Al" Yankovic, Buddy Guy, Hot Chelle Rae, Sarah McLachlan, Sleeper Agent, Dry The River, New Politics, 2AM Club and more.
Previous employers include Jive Records and Or Music, where as GM oversaw the introduction of Matisyahu and Los Lonely Boys to the marketplace.
Started pioneering music marketing and management company Autotonic in 1992.
Career began as National Director of Promotion for 4AD Records US.
Alex White has been around music his whole life. His dad is a professional cellist and he grew up playing cello, guitar, piano, and bass fronting a band in high school and working at a local recording studio.
He then got much more into the business side of things working two summers at Universal Records, running the production company at Northwestern University (booking and producing acts like Counting Crows, Kanye West, Flight of the Conchords, Ok Go, Girl Talk etc.) He also went on a two-month long nationwide tour with an awesome up-and-coming band called Sing It Loud (Epitaph) handling all the content and online presence for the band.
He raised two small seed rounds before closing a $6.5M Series A financing in Jan 2012. Next Big Sound has been busy hiring engineers, establishing partnerships, talking with hundreds of professionals through out the music industry and building the Premier product. This year Next Big Sound was awarded most innovative B2B startup at Midem, Billboard named the company one of 10 Startups To Watch, Alex White to their 30 Under 30 list, and Bloomberg Businessweek just named him and his two co-founders as top 25 entrepreneurs 25 and under.
Saturday, March 17
