The Manager's Playbook

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Jermaine Dupri joins The Manager’s Playbook to talk about writing songs that last, from Jagged Edge’s “Let’s Get Married” to Usher’s “Confessions.” JD breaks down how real conversations, relationship tension, and everyday details turned into timeless records. He reflects on chasing the feeling of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” realizing “Let’s Get Married” had become a forever copyright, an...

Jermaine Dupri joins The Manager’s Playbook to talk about spotting superstar talent, discovering Kris Kross, writing “Jump,” and why hit records still matter more than hype, charts, or streaming numbers. JD breaks down how he identifies artists with real star potential, from Bow Wow’s hunger to Latto standing out early, and explains why making undeniable songs has always been the foundation of the...

Jermaine Dupri joins The Manager’s Playbook for a masterclass on hit records, artist development, and what today’s music business is getting wrong. As the founder of So So Def and one of the most successful hitmakers of all time, JD breaks down how he spots superstar potential, why timeless songs still matter more than streams or first-week numbers, and what young artists, managers, A&Rs, and...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Symba and Mauricio break down how artists can build the right team, avoid bad label deals, and create leverage before signing anything. They talk about hiring a coordinator or marketing lead, why artists need people thinking about them every day, and how manager incentives can get messy when the money only comes from advances or short-term wins. The conver...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Symba breaks down why he built his own direct-to-fan app after feeling stuck inside the algorithm and major label system. He talks about creating a space where his real supporters can find the music, content, unreleased records, and community without waiting on platforms or labels to decide what gets seen. Symba also shares how the app became a new way to...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Symba breaks down what happens when a label rollout misses, momentum resets, and the records don’t match what fans first connected with. He reflects on releasing Don’t Run From Rap during COVID, dealing with constant product manager turnover, and learning how major label priorities can shift when revenue becomes the focus. Symba also shares how the Don’t C...

In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Symba joins Mauricio Ruiz for an honest conversation about major label deals, artist development, management, leverage, and the hard lessons that come from learning the music business in real time. Symba breaks down what he experienced signing with Columbia and Atlantic, how early deals and label turnover shaped his career, and why having the right team a...

Tom Windish joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down why big streaming numbers do not always translate into real ticket sales, and what it actually takes to build a long-term live career. In this clip, Tom explains why artists should not be discouraged by playing smaller rooms, why superstar artists still need independent agents, and how great booking agents help create opportunities across prom...

Tom Windish joins The Manager’s Playbook to talk about the business behind booking, building an agency, and what it actually takes to grow artists in the live music world. In this clip, Tom shares how he went from promoting college concerts to becoming a booking agent, building The Windish Agency, scaling the company, and eventually selling to Paradigm. He also gets into the early days of electron...

Tom Windish joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down why artists need to take more ownership of ticket sales in today’s touring business. In this clip, Tom explains why artists are often the best advertisers for their own shows, why promoters need real fan data, and how SMS lists, email, city-level audience insights, and presale strategy can help artists understand actual ticket demand. We also...

Tom Windish joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down what booking agents actually do and why live music still matters in a world where attention is harder to earn than ever. In this clip, Tom explains how agents help artists build touring careers, why getting fans to leave the house is more difficult now, and how managers and artists should think about live shows, content, openers, festivals, br...

In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, legendary booking agent Tom Windish breaks down what booking agents actually do and why your favourite artists can have streams, press, and viral moments but still struggle to sell tickets. Tom explains how agents help build an artist’s live career, from choosing the right rooms and negotiating fees to working with promoters, planning tours, developing fe...

Clinton Sparks breaks down how to build a music career people actually remember. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Clinton shares his formula for winning in the music business, from powerful production and bulletproof business to aggressive visibility, real branding, and monetization. He also explains how “Get Familiar” became bigger than a tag, why independent artists have to think like t...

Clinton Sparks breaks down why networking is the piece most people misunderstand. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Clinton shares how he built a reputation by adding value first, protecting his name, and staying authentic instead of chasing fake momentum. From working at UPS and producing music at night to breaking into radio, landing syndication, and building relationships across the Eas...

Clinton Sparks breaks down what it really means to do it for the culture. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Clinton reflects on supporting Clipse’s We Got It For Cheap mixtape series without profiting, spending his own money to press and distribute CDs, and why protecting trust mattered more than chasing a quick win. He also talks about refusing payola, building Mixunit.com, helping DJ Dra...

Clinton Sparks breaks down the real story behind DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What.” In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Clinton shares how he signed DJ Snake in 2007, introduced him to Lil Jon, and watched the record grow from an early idea into a global hit. He also talks about Lil Jon’s guerrilla approach, the behind-the-scenes tension around the song, and why DJ relationships st...

In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with legendary producer, DJ, songwriter, and entrepreneur Clinton Sparks for a conversation on artist branding, music business relationships, and building a career that lasts. Clinton breaks down what it really means to become a brand, how he built “Get Familiar” into something people remembered, and why the best networking starts...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Nick Groff breaks down why great artist managers need to think like CEOs, not just operators. Nick and Mauricio Ruiz discuss the modern manager’s role in building artist businesses, aligning teams, protecting long-term vision, and creating real growth around the artist. They also get into equity, IP, joint ventures, manager commissions, hiring for emotiona...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Nick Groff and Mauricio Ruiz get into the gray area of AI, creativity, and who gets to make music. They discuss whether AI can become a real creative tool for people with ideas but without formal training, while also unpacking the concerns around authorship, devalued music, bad actors, and what “human-made” music even means anymore. From Suno and AI music...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Nick Groff breaks down how BUNT. turned a viral moment into a real hard-ticket fanbase. Nick and Ruiz get into the business behind live growth: merch strategy, per-head sales, market-by-market pricing, fan accessibility, Coachella storytelling, and why viral attention does not mean much if it does not turn into real fans. They also discuss how BUNT. approa...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Nick Groff breaks down why modern artist management now looks more like running a media company. Nick and Ruiz get into storytelling, fan acquisition, content flywheels, post-show highlights, and why artists can’t rely on music releases alone to stay connected with their audience. They also discuss what artists can learn from streamers, how Billie Eilish’s...

Nick Groff returns to The Manager's Playbook, former Interscope and Geffen executive, longtime A&R, entrepreneur, and manager of BUNT. Nick breaks down the modern artist playbook: how managers can build artists like media companies, why storytelling and world-building matter, and how BUNT. went from being dropped to building a global fanbase, selling hundreds of thousands of tickets, and c...

Charlie Rocket breaks down why artists and managers need to stop waiting on labels, managers, or industry validation and start building fans first. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie talks about fan demand, leverage, moving faster, releasing more, and avoiding the trap of getting overwhelmed by industry knowledge before there’s an actual business to protect. He also gets into why tr...

Charlie Rocket breaks down a real artist growth playbook built on volume, virality, and in-real-life fanbase building. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie explains how he helped build Travis Porter’s momentum with no big budget, using fast music output, MySpace hustle, local marketing, and real-world events to create demand from the ground up. He gets into the nine-month blitz strate...