Shows / The Manager's Playbook
The Manager's Playbook
Hosted by Mauricio Ruiz, a music industry executive of 15 years, The Manager's Playbook is your essential podcast for insights into the music industry. Whether you're an artist, aspiring manager, music industry professional, or just passionate about the behind-the-scenes of the music business, this podcast is for you. Mauricio brings you in-depth interviews with top artist managers, entertainment lawyers, and other industry execs. Each episode is packed with valuable tips, real-world…
Episodes
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Edgar Cutino on The Secret Strategy Behind Fridayy’s Rise
How did Fridayy go from sending Instagram DMs to landing on DJ Khaled's "GOD DID" alongside Jay-Z? In this clip from The Manager's Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Edgar Cutino on Why Your Manager Should Be 'Difficult'
Are record labels holding artists back from success? In this clip from The Manager's Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Fridayy's manager, Edgar Cutino…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook: Edgar Cutino - Fridayy, Music Industry Politics, DJ Khaled, Artist Development & Management (EP 89)
In this episode of The Manager's Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Edgar Cutino, manager of Fridayy, for an unfiltered conversation about music industry…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Alex Lunt on Why Country Artists Have a Better Path to Success
What makes country music one of the strongest genres for developing artists and building long-term careers? In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Alex Lunt on The Social Media Strategy that Works for Independent Artists
How do you know which content will actually help break a song before spending money on it? In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Alex Lunt on When Is The Right Time To Sign
What does it really take to break a hit song in today's music industry? In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Alex Lunt…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook: Alex Lunt - Dasha, Viral Hits, Major Label Deals, Country Music & Artist Management (EP 88)
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Alex Lunt, founder of Type A Management, to break down what really happens after a song…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: JBeau Lewis on The Real Strategy Behind Booking Your First Tour
When should an artist start touring? And when is the biggest check actually the wrong move? UTA partner and music agent JBeau Lewis, who works with Bad Bunny…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: JBeau Lewis on The Strategy Behind Bad Bunny's Global Success
What makes a top agent want to bet on an artist? UTA partner and music agent JBeau Lewis breaks down what he looks for before signing an artist, how TikTok and…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: JBeau Lewis on How Bad Bunny and Karol G Took Over The World In 2026
What happens when the biggest moments of an artist’s career happen back-to-back? UTA partner and music agent JBeau Lewis takes us inside Bad Bunny’s…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook: JBeau Lewis - Bad Bunny, Karol G, UTA, Super Bowl, Coachella, Touring & Music Business (EP 87)
What does it actually take to build a global superstar? UTA partner and music agent JBeau Lewis joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down the strategy…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Ruffalo on The Secret to Scaling Your Fanbase in 2026
ManyChat is making direct-to-fan marketing feel a lot more personal. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Nick Ruffalo breaks down how artists and…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Ruffalo on How To Scale Your Music on Spotify
Spotify data can tell you when to spend and when to wait. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Nick Ruffalo breaks down how artists and managers should…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Ruffalo on How to Test Your Music Before Release
Fan pages changed music marketing. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Nick Ruffalo breaks down how fan pages, edit pages, and A/B testing can help…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook: Nick Ruffalo II - Artist Marketing, Fan Pages, ManyChat, Audience Strategy & Music Business (EP 86)
Most artists don’t have a content problem. They have a fan-building problem. In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits back down with Nick…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Asa Asika on The Reality of Breaking Records in the TikTok Era
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Asa Asika, longtime manager of Davido and co-founder of The Plug, talks about protecting the art before chasing the…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Asa Asika on How To Get Brands To Pay Your Artist
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Asa Asika, longtime manager of Davido and co-founder of The Plug, breaks down how brand deals, DJs, promoters, and…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Asa Asika on the Perfect Tour Strategy
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Asa Asika, longtime manager of Davido and co-founder of The Plug, breaks down how Davido’s team built a real touring…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook: Asa Asika - Davido, The Plug, Afrobeats, Nigerian Music, Touring Africa & Music Business (EP 85)
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Asa Asika, longtime manager of Davido and co-founder of The Plug, for a deep…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Joe Wiseman on How Insomniac Records Actually Works
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Joe Wiseman of Insomniac Music Group breaks down how Insomniac Records builds global dance music campaigns through…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Joe Wiseman on The EDC Festival
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Joe Wiseman of Insomniac Music Group breaks down how Insomniac grew from underground LA warehouse raves into the…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Joe Wiseman on How John Summit Built an Empire
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Joe Wiseman of Insomniac Music Group breaks down how high-level dance artists build real careers by taking control of…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook: Joe Wiseman - Insomniac Music Group, EDC, Dance Music, A&R, Artist Development, DJ Marketing & Music Business (EP 84)
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Joe Wiseman, Head of Insomniac Music Group, joins Mauricio Ruiz to break down how dance artists really build…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: David Dollimore on Major Label Roster Priorities
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, David Dollimore breaks down how major label priority really works. David and Mauricio get into what happens after a…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: David Dollimore on How To Start A Record Label
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, David Dollimore breaks down what it really takes to build a modern independent label. From funding and A&R to…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: David Dollimore on Music Label Culture
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, David Dollimore reflects on the intense culture that shaped his early years at Ministry of Sound. He breaks down what…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook: David Dollimore - Ministry of Sound, RCA UK, A&R, Artist Development, Major Labels & Music Business (EP 83)
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with veteran music executive David Dollimore for a real conversation about the hidden work…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Wallo267 on Earning Trust in the Music Industry
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Wallo267 talks about building Winners Win, earning real trust with artists, and why results matter more than titles…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Wallo267 on Building a Music Career With Just Your Phone
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Wallo267 shares a simple blueprint for independent artists starting from zero. Wallo breaks down how to use your…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Wallo267 on The Reality of Artist Management
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Wallo267 breaks down why the best artist managers are more than managers. They’re all-purpose partners. Wallo…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook: Wallo267 - Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Artist Development, Accountability, Management & Music Business (EP 82)
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Wallo267, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and co-host of Million Dollaz Worth of Game…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jermaine Dupri on Writing 'We Belong Together' with Mariah Carey
Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap. Book a 1-on-1 meeting with the guests you’ve been watching. See who's available on The Manager's…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jermaine Dupri on What Makes a Song Last Forever
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jermaine Dupri on What Makes a Superstar
Jermaine Dupri joins The Manager’s Playbook to talk about spotting superstar talent, discovering Kris Kross, writing “Jump,” and why hit records still matter…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 081: Jermaine Dupri - Hit Records, So So Def, Artist Development, Music Business & Finding Superstars
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Symba on Scaling Your Music Career
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Symba on How To Protect Your Career In The Music Business
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Symba on How to Rebuild After a Failed Music Rollout
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 080: Symba - Major Label Deals, Artist Development, Artist Leverage, Dr. Dre & Direct-to-Fan
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Symba joins Mauricio Ruiz for an honest conversation about major label deals, artist development, management…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tom Windish on The Real Cost of Touring
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tom Windish on How to Build a Music Agency
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tom Windish on How to Build a Touring Business That Actually Scales
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tom Windish on How Live Music Is Changing
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 079: Tom Windish - Booking Agents, Touring, Ticket Sales, Artist Development & Live Music
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Clinton Sparks on The Formula For A Career That Actually Lasts
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Clinton Sparks on Networking In the Music Industry
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Clinton Sparks on Mixtape Culture
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Clinton Sparks on DJ Snake’s Rise
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 078: Clinton Sparks - Artist Branding, Get Familiar, Music Marketing & Networking
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with legendary producer, DJ, songwriter, and entrepreneur Clinton Sparks for a conversation…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Groff on The CEO Mindset Every Artist Manager Needs
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Groff on The AI Music Debate Nobody Wants to Have
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Groff on The Real Math Behind Live Music Ticketing
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Groff on The Artist as a Media Company
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 077: Nick Groff - BUNT., Artist Management, World-Building, Fan Acquisition & Music Business
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Charlie Rocket on The Fan-First Blueprint
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Charlie Rocket on Building an Artist Fanbase With Zero Budget
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Charlie Rocket on The Marketing Strategy Behind Every Superstar Brand
Charlie Rocket breaks down how artists can build a real superstar brand by giving fans something to belong to. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Charlie Rocket on This Is Why Your Artist Strategy Isn't Working
Charlie Rocket breaks down the problem with viral-first artist development and why chasing views can hurt an artist’s long-term career. In this clip from The…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 076: Charlie Rocket - Fanbase Building, Law of 62, Artist Development, Viral Content & Music Business
Charlie Rocket returns to The Manager’s Playbook with a full breakdown on how artists and managers can build a real fanbase without waiting on the industry. In…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: James Beshara on Mental Wealth
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz and James Beshara reframe mental health as mental wealth. James shares the personal story that pushed…