The Manager's Playbook

In this clip, LaRussell and his team break down what it really takes to build an independent music business at scale. They talk about the infrastructure behind the operation: merch, brand identity, photography, videography, editing, security, logistics, live show staffing, sound engineers, and the contractor-based team required to keep everything moving. The conversation also gets into the unglamo...

In this clip, LaRussell and Tietta Mitchell break down a lesson a lot of artists learn too late: before you hire help, you need to understand the work yourself. They talk about why doing every part of the business early on - content, posting, editing, ticketing, emails, calendars, and operations - makes it easier to train people, delegate clearly, and scale without losing standards. The conversati...

Most artists don’t hate ads. They hate what bad ads reveal. In this clip, LaRussell breaks down how he actually uses ads as an independent artist : not to force Spotify streams or fake momentum, but to amplify content that already proved itself organically . The strategy is simple but disciplined: run awareness ads behind posts that are already winning, then use retargeting, lookalike audiences, a...

LaRussell didn’t partner with Roc Nation because he needed a machine. He partnered because he built one first. In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook , LaRussell and his manager Tietta Mitchell break down why the Roc Nation deal made strategic sense for an already thriving independent artist business . They talk about globalizing what they’ve built, expanding into radio, publicity, DSP relationshi...

LaRussell is the rare independent artist who didn’t partner with Roc Nation because he needed a label. He partnered because he built enough leverage to make the label behave like a partner. In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook , LaRussell and his manager Tietta Mitchell break down the real strategy behind signing with Roc Nation (and what artists and managers get wrong when they hear the word...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook , we get into the unglamorous side of the music business that every independent artist eventually faces: release week feels stressful because you’re the label. JMSN explains what it really means to self-fund your art, paying upfront for the rollout, the assets, and the overhead before you’ve made anything back. He breaks down the classic independent cash fl...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook , we talk about a music marketing truth most artists learn too late: a great music video isn’t “extra content,” it’s a long-term marketing asset . JMSN explains why he’d rather put his budget into visuals than into digital ads , paid social , or “content seeding” that disappears in a day. His thinking is simple: a strong video becomes an evergreen commercia...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook , we talk about the part of the music business that’s driving artists crazy: the endless “how to blow up” social media advice that sounds confident and works for almost nobody. JMSN explains why he pulled back from social platforms when it started feeling awful and how the unlock was getting less precious about it all. Instead of trying to look cool or chas...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook , JMSN breaks down the real economics of the music industry : a record deal isn’t automatically “support.” It’s a trade of ownership and creative control for convenience. He explains why he’s stayed truly independent , keeping 100% of his master recordings and music publishing , even as major labels , “indie labels,” and distribution deals come with big adv...

In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook , I sit down with JMSN, artist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and one of the best case studies for what real independent artist success looks like when you stop waiting for the industry to “pick you.” We talk about why he stays fiercely DIY (not just “indie”) from owning your masters and building leverage without relying on a major label or a hype-drive...

In this Manager’s Playbook clip, J. Erving unpacks a “superpower” that’s quietly responsible for most long careers in the music business: surrounding yourself with the right people, reading the room, and staying calm under pressure . He connects it to boxing, where the real skill isn’t just throwing punches, it’s staying composed enough to see what’s happening, position yourself, and set up the ne...

In this Manager’s Playbook clip, J. Erving III breaks down what changes when you go from managing outside the label system to operating inside it, and why most “label frustration” is really a culture and operations disconnect. He explains that the biggest difference isn’t budget, it’s company culture : how teams work, how urgency shows up, and why an independent-minded operation can’t afford to “c...

In this Manager’s Playbook clip, J. Erving breaks down a truth the music business loves to forget: artist trust is built in the off-season . Not when the venue is sold out. Not when the streams spike. Real artist management is dinners, conversations, check-ins, and showing up early, like being present when there are 57 people in the room , because you can’t “build the relationship” once it’s an ar...

In this Manager’s Playbook clip, J. Erving breaks down how top music executives , A&Rs , and elite artist managers actually identify greatness and it’s not just “talent.” We talk artist development through an athlete lens: discipline, work ethic, reps, and dedication to craft are what separate artists with potential from artists with longevity. Because “goosebumps” from a record is real… but i...

In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook , I’m joined by J. Erving III , CEO & Founder of Human Re Sources (a SONY Music/The Orchard partner), to talk about what it really takes to build an artist-led career in today’s music business. We get into artist development through the lens of elite sports: the “goosebumps” moment matters, but discipline, work ethic, and execution are what separate gr...

If you’re a songwriter, producer, or manager, this is the publishing conversation that saves people from “congrats on the deal” regret. In this clip, Jacob Paul breaks down what a co-publishing (co-pub) deal really is, because a lot of creators sign one thinking they’re buying support, when they’re actually giving up catalog ownership . In a typical co-pub, the publisher collects your publishing r...

If you’re an independent artist, producer, or songwriter, there’s a good chance you’re doing the loud part right (streams, content, growth) while missing the quiet part that builds real stability: music publishing royalties . In this clip, Jacob breaks down the two buckets creators overlook the most, mechanical royalties and international publishing royalties, and why “I’ll set it up later” is one...

You can be “up” on Spotify and still collect $0 in publishing royalties . That’s the quiet trap: publishing isn’t paid by default. Master recording money tends to flow through labels and distributors. But music publishing lives in the backend, song registrations, splits, metadata, and global royalty collection, and if you don’t proactively set it up across territories, the system won’t warn you. Y...

You can have songs moving on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, TikTok, live shows, even vinyl and still miss the money that literally belongs to you on the songwriting side. In this clip, Jacob breaks down Music Publishing 101 in plain English: every release has two copyrights and two royalty streams, the master recording (typically flowing through a label or distributor) and the publishing/compositi...

You can build a monster Spotify audience and still collect $0 in music publishing royalties . No warning. No system message that says, “Hey, you’re leaving money behind.” That’s because publishing isn’t an automatic payout . In the music industry, master recording royalties tend to flow through distribution, but songwriter royalties only show up when the right song registrations, splits, and publi...

In this clip, Paris Cole and I break down the real mechanics of artist development and what it takes to break an artist in today’s music business, especially when you’re building without massive budgets, teams, or infrastructure. Paris explains why there’s no single blueprint for releasing music. A smart rollout goes beyond the songs into release strategy, sequencing, visual identity, artwork, sto...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook , Paris Cole and I break down what separates artists who build a real brand identity from artists who only get exposure . Paris explains that it often comes down to vision, and when an artist doesn’t have it yet, that’s where the right manager, creative director, and artist development team step in to help shape and execute it. We talk about why chasing num...

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook , Paris Cole breaks down artist development through branding, styling, and creative direction and why audiences can instantly tell when an artist is “trying too hard.” Paris explains that swag has to feel natural , and the best image-building happens through the build : inch-by-inch growth where the artist evolves in public and fans evolve with them. Using...

Paris Cole is a true music industry multi-hyphenate, artist manager, creative director, and stylist, and in this episode of The Manager’s Playbook , she breaks down what it actually takes to develop artists from the ground up. Paris takes us from her roots in Washington, DC, nightlife, community building, radio, and learning the culture hands-on, to helping shape the early worlds around Ari Lennox...

Touring isn’t just stage time. It’s a business model. In this clip, SonReal breaks down how live shows became one of the most important parts of his career, not only as performance craft, but as a real driver of revenue. We talk about why the stage is where an artist’s brand becomes undeniable (range, presence, genre flexibility), and the lessons he took from early major tours, including direct su...