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Help Name Hypebot’s New Music Industry Executives To Watch In 2010

image from www.krl.org Tomorrow I'll naming Hypebot's Top Digital Music Executives To Watch in 2010. The list can range from  senior or junior executives at major and indies labels and management companies to the leaders and rule breakers at both startups and more established music tech companies.In short, this list is for anyone, who is likely to help reshape the new music industry in 2010.

I'm not looking for the men and women with best ears for music, but rather those with the best ideas and the talent to pull them off.

Who do you think should be on Hypebot's New Music Industry Executives To Watch in 2010?

Deadline: Midnight Monday 12/21. Nominations Are Closed.

Bruce Houghton on 12/21/2009 in Uncategorized | Permalink | Comments (76)
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  3. Christen Greene – she has the best roster of indies I’ve seen: Fences, Chris Pureka, Hey Marseilles – all poised to do big things in 2010.

  10. Dan Zaccagnino and Matt Siegel – Co-Founders and CEOs of Indaba Music http://www.indabamusic.com
    Two Harvard grads with an awesome idea to bring musicians together through online collaboration… and they manage to generate substantial traffic and revenue in doing so.

  11. Michael Morrison, Co-founder of Wanduta (www.wanduta.com), a musician’s sustainability service that offers artists healthcare, discounts, other resources- almost like an HR department/union for musicians.

  12. Daniele Calabrese, co-founder of Soundtrckr (www.soundtrckr.com)
    The visionnary of the music of tomorrow

  13. Fran Snyder – Concerts In Your Home.com – doing a great job to promote, strengthen and grow the house concert scene for independent artists.

  15. Fran Snyder – ConcertsInYourHome.com – Here is a guy that is outside the box and working it from the bottom up. Fran has developed a thriving business model that pairs independent, touring acoustic musicians, singer / songwriters, etc. with the fans that truly love the music as something more than background noise in a crowded bar or a spectacle staged in front of screaming wannabes. This is the future of the music business for the solo touring artist and Fran is front and center leading the charge. In a relatively short time span he has built his web based organization to hundreds of host (presenters) through out the US, Canada and now Europe and hundreds of artists whose music is truly appreciated in a true listening environment.
    Fran isn’t just another up and comer in the same ruts as the rest of the industry. He’s an innovator and someone to watch for sure!

  16. Cathy Pellow @ Sargent House. It’s a music company that is both label and management to its artists. She utilizes new technology and seems ahead of the curve in finding ways to promote artists.
    check it out – http://www.sargenthouse.com

  17. Ditto on Fran Snyder. He’s a grass roots organizer with a realistic grasp of what’s going to help independent artists to reach new fans through educating potential house concert hosts about how easy and rewarding it is to spread the music they love. This is high tech combined with high touch… hey, wasn’t that one of Naisbitt’s Megatrends from 1980?

  22. I thought of someone else.
    Ge Wang, Stanford professor and co-founder of Smule, maker of the iPhone applications Ocarina, Leaf Trombone, and I Am T-Pain.
    He is leading the movement to create musical instruments for iPhones.

  24. Dru Ha – CEO and Co-Owner of 15 year old indie hip hop label Duck Down Records and Music Director at Cornerstone Promotions

  28. I second Mario. Dru Ha started Duck Down at a young age and has withstood the test of time with the label celebrating its 15 year anniversary in 2010. The combination of new and veteran talent shows that Dru Ha is about furthering Hip Hop for more decades to come.

  30. Dru Ha put Kanye West, Nas, Rakim, & KRS-ONE on a track for Nike Air Force One’s anniversary too which got nominated for a Grammy. I don’t think any other music director could get those names together in one room without somebody’s ego being in the way

  31. Co-Sign on Mario’s choice of Dru Ha. He has kept a classic, indy hip-hop label relevant and innovative. Alongside that, his work at Cornerstone keeps everyone there a step ahead.

  34. I agree Dru Ha of Duck Down Records is making it happen. With all the talent he has recently signed to his label the sky seems like the limit. He’s been doing it for years and it seems like the Duck Down Empire is growing bigtime!!

  36. I also vote to nominate Dru Ha of Duck Down/Cornerstone. The fact that he has been able to keep a 90’s-founded indie Hip Hop label, not only afloat, but extremely relevant in 2009 speaks volumes. He and the staff seem to be a group of foward-thinking individuals who continually look for new ways to further the cause.
    Also an honorable mention to Dan Weisman of Elitaste. I’ve watched him take virtually nothing, and create a prominent brand which continues to grow and branch out into avenues within and beyond music.

  43. Jeff Smith (founder/CEO) and Ge Wang (founder/CCO) of Smule.
    Jim Lucchese (CEO) of the EchoNest.
    David Porter (founder/CEO) of 8tracks.
    Anthony Volodkin (founder) of Hype Machine.

  46. #1 Dru Ha – CEO of Duck Down Records, and Cornerstone 1200 Squad.com Urban Music Director. This guy has like 5 different jobs and does them all at a high level.
    His team put K’Naan on the map this year. Repect it.
    #2 Crack Distributors Radio – I second JW
    @capitalkev

  48. Michael Bennett – Founder of Internet Music Media, a music aggregation nd link directory service that publishes MusicPortal.com and RockAndMetal.com.

  50. I have had the pleasure of working with Matt Graham this year and I can say from 40 years of experience in this business that he is for sure a future music industry leader. At 25 Matt has cut deals that execs in their 30’s only dream about. The kid has got it for sure!

  51. Fran Snyder – Concerts In Your Home.com Great Guy, at every music conference I’ve been to. The world needs more house concerts and fran is helping that happen!

  55. Jesse Kirshbaum who founded New Universal Entertainment Agency (NUE: A pronounced New Way). He focuses on securing talent for concerts, tours and endorsement deals for his various clients all over the world.
    NUE Agency prides itself on being an international, boutique firm with connections to all the major talent houses while retaining the spirit of an indie.
    Jesse specializes in upcoming artists with the potential to be huge touring acts, helping to boost awareness, profile as well as securing sponsorship and endorsements for his clients.
    His current roster consists of Mike Posner, Wale, Big Sean, Theophilus London, J.Cole, Jared Evan, Colin Munroe, Melanie Fiona and Daniel Merriweather.
    Jesse is fast becoming an influential figure on the new music business scene. He was invited to sit on a panel at CMJ to discuss the anatomy of the live college performing market alongside Ari Nisman of Degy Booking International.

  56. I have to nominate my friend and old co-worker Matt Graham. Matt is the founder of BRND MGMT, which recently signed Jared Evan to Interscope records via some outstanding strategies he carried off with Rik Cordero. Matt was also responsible for a lot of incredible things at The FADER Media Netowork before he left earlier this year to grow his company, BRND MGMT. Furthermore, Matt is a founding board member of Sound Ctrl.
    @RobertoSantos

  57. I have to nominate my friend and old co-worker Matt Graham. Matt is the founder of BRND MGMT, which recently signed Jared Evan to Interscope records via some outstanding strategies he carried off with Rik Cordero. Matt was also responsible for a lot of incredible things at The FADER Media Netowork before he left earlier this year to grow his company, BRND MGMT. Furthermore, Matt is a founding board member of Sound Ctrl.

  59. EMILY WHITE from Whitesmith Entertainment (http://whitesmithentertainment.com/). She manages Family of the Year, Sydney Wayser, Brendan Benson.
    As a manager, Emily exudes leadership! She guides her clients through the music industry maze and gets them the cheese! She brings talent to new levels in their niches and their broader careers. She is a great role model and appreciates artists for their talents and as such exposes their talent to the world at large.

  61. Emily White of Whitesmith Entertainment, for sure. She masterminded the Dresden Dolls’ grassroots strategy that launched them to worldwide acclaim. Now she has her own management company, focusing on direct-to-fan communications and donation-based record releases. It’s worked out better than well so far and her company’s only been around for a year. 2010 is going to kill 2009.
    Also agreeing with the love for Jesse from CASH Music. He does incredible work for incredible artists. The man is brilliant and obviously love what he does.
    And, of course, the illustrious Christen Greene of Faux Pas.

  63. Susan Ferris and the gang at Bohemia, Long Live Crime and Broken Halo Records. With upcoming releases from many of their top artists, a sustainability tour in development, and the recent addition of a literary division (High Street Management)and full-service music company (Stage Coach Unlimited), 2010 is lining up to be a banner year.

  66. HappyParts = cash flow positive this quarter.
    Quietly using all forms of digital media for
    last years to develop talent.

  67. Well….Mitchell Fox and Dan Herrington…and of course….Bruce Houghton.
    Happy Everything Everyone.

  69. I’ll give you Greene (cg) too. She’s young, aggressive and has a great roster who are all releasing in 2010. Pureka, Hey Marseilles, Fences and Andrea Gibson (an internationally touring slam) to boot!

  70. Anthony Martini – as a manager at Crush he has quickly brought young artists from obscurity into relevance he is also a part of a successful startup called jingle punks which has been featured in business week, billboard, wired, cnn, digital music news, etc. He is a forward thinker not bound by the “old rules” !
    Michael Breidenbruecker – formerly of Last FM, he now works on RJDJ a unique music creation platform that turns real time events/ sounds into art.
    Jesse at NUE agency – boutique booking agency that not only books acts but is proactive in online marketing strategies. Handles pretty much every hot new hip hop act out – Wale, Posner, J Cole, Chiddy Bang, etc etc

  71. Cliff Rigano, Psychodrama Music Group – lead singer of Dry Kill Logic has been running his own label since 1995.

  73. Archie Hamilton – the general manager of Split-work. They’re responsible for bringing great acts like Sonic Youth, the Go! team, Jens Lekman, Jose Gonzalez, hard-fi ect to China. Me being a young person in China really value art and expression in China and think it is very important. Archie and Split is really doing a great job promoting these in China.

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