Lou Plaia

Lou Plaia is the A&R Director, North America for Sentric Music Group, a global, award-winning independent music publisher. Plaia's main role is to add to Sentric’s roster via new signings, business opportunities, partnerships and acquisitions. Sentric offers rights management services to over 400,000 songwriters and represents more than 4 million works globally either directly or via partners, including publishers, labels, management companies and distributors that benefit from Sentric’s publishing administration, co-publishing, creative services, and sync licensing. Sentric proudly represents songwriters from all genres ranging including those writing their first ever songs to RIAA Platinum certified artists.

Plaia also launched Hot Rats Entertainment in January 2022 and manages the female-fronted metalcore band, Deadlands.

Plaia is also an Adjunct Professor at Five Towns College in New York where he teaches classes on Artist Management and Concert Production & Promotion.

In 2006, Plaia co-founded ReverbNation and “disrupted” the music business by equaling the playing field when they began to offer ALL artists the promotional tools, distribution, publishing administration, and opportunities previously only available to artists who were signed to record labels. Within a few years it became the largest DIY Artist Services Platform for musicians in the world, with more than 5 million artists/bands using the platform. Plaia and his partners sold the company in November 2021.

From 2002-2005, Plaia was the Head of Marketing and Artist Development for Atlantic Records imprint, Lava Records. And from 1990-2002, Plaia was VP of Strategic Marketing at Atlantic Records. In those roles, he worked in some capacity with Kid Rock, Jewel, Hootie & the Blowfish, Stone Temple Pilots, Simple Plan, Brandy, Lil’ Kim, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, O.A.R., Blue Man Group, Nonpoint, Skindred, Collective Soul, George Carlin, Mike Stern and many others.