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: James Beshara on The Unsexy Truth About Making It in Music
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz and James Beshara talk about focus, under-committing, and why artists need to stop trying to master…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: James Beshara on Why Most Music Artists Quit
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz and James Beshara talk about purpose, burnout, validation, and what it really means to build with…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: James Beshara on Why the Solo Genius Myth is Killing Your Music Career
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz and James Beshara break down why success in any creative career usually comes down to people…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 075: James Beshara - Silicon Valley, Artist Development, Trust, Wellness & Music Business
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with angel investor, musician, founder, creator, and Magic Mind CEO James Beshara for a…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Amber Grimes on The Mistake Every Music Executive Makes
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Amber Grimes, EVP, GM, and partner at Love Renaissance (LVRN), to talk about…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Amber Grimes on The Visual Strategy That Makes Artists Memorable
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Amber Grimes, EVP, GM, and partner at Love Renaissance (LVRN), to talk about what makes…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Amber Grimes on The New Rules of Artist Branding
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Amber Grimes, EVP, GM, and partner at Love Renaissance (LVRN), to talk about what…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Amber Grimes on How LVRN Builds Artist Rollouts
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Amber Grimes, EVP, GM, and partner at Love Renaissance (LVRN), to talk about what goes…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 074: Amber Grimes - LVRN, Artist Branding, Music Rollouts, Artist Development, Fan Communities & Music Business
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Amber Grimes, EVP, GM, and partner at Love Renaissance (LVRN), for a real conversation…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nael Atweh and Alyce Hayek on How to Build a Music Career That Actually Works
Great music still wins. In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Nael Atweh and Alyce Hayek of Grass Fed Music talk about what it really takes to build a music…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nael Atweh and Alyce Hayek on Delusional Optimism in Music
What does it really take to last in the music business? In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Nael Atweh and Alyce Hayek of Grass Fed Music talk about the…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nael Atweh and Alyce Hayek on What Great Artist Managers Actually Do
What separates great artist managers from everyone else? In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Nael Atweh and Alyce Hayek of Grass Fed Music talk about…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nael Atweh and Alyce Hayek on Marriage and Music Business
Nael Atweh and Alyce Hayek of Grass Fed Music join The Manager’s Playbook to talk about building a music management company together as husband and wife. They…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 073: Nael Atweh & Alyce Hayek - Grass Fed Music, Artist Management, Artist Development, Independent Artists & Music Business
Artist management is not just about deals, rollouts, and relationships. It’s service. In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Omar Grant on The Real Reason Your Songs Aren't Getting Heard
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Omar Grant breaks down the mistake too many artists make with their music: releasing without enough quality control…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Omar Grant on His Rise to Roc Nation Co-President
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Omar Grant breaks down the strategy behind building a real career in the music business. Omar reflects on his rise…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Omar Grant on Why Record Labels Don't Develop Artists Anymore
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Omar Grant breaks down why artist development no longer lives only inside record labels. As Rihanna’s longtime A&R…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Omar Grant on the Bar for Rihanna’s Next Album
Rihanna’s next album isn’t just another release. It comes with the weight of everything she’s already done. In this episode, A&R executive Omar Grant breaks…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 072: Omar Grant - Rihanna, A&R, Roc Nation, Artist Development, Songwriting, Music Publishing & AI
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Omar Grant, Rihanna’s longtime A&R, former Roc Nation co-president, and founder of…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Lecrae on the Business Behind Reach Records
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Lecrae breaks down the business behind Reach Records and what it really takes to run an independent label. He…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Lecrae on How Christian Radio Really Works
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Lecrae breaks down how Christian radio really works and why gospel, Christian music, and mainstream radio operate in…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Lecrae on the Hidden Business of Christian Music
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Lecrae breaks down the hidden business behind Christian music and why the niche is much bigger than most people…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Lecrae on Why He Stayed an Independent Artist
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Lecrae breaks down how he built independently after major hip-hop labels said his music was “too Christian” and…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 071: Lecrae - Christian Hip-Hop, Reach Records, Independence, Faith, Artist Development & Music Business
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Lecrae for a conversation about faith, hip-hop, independence, and what it really means…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Veikko Fuhrmann on The Touring Business Behind Latin Music’s Global Rise
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz talks with Peso Pluma’s Tour Director, Veikko Fuhrmann, about the business behind Latin touring across…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Veikko Fuhrmann on What a Tour Director Really Does
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Peso Pluma’s Tour Director, Veikko Fuhrmann, to break down what a tour director actually…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Veikko Fuhrmann on The Hidden Tour Expenses Artists Don’t Understand
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with live touring specialist and Peso Pluma Tour Director Veikko Fuhrmann to explain why a tour…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Veikko Fuhrmann on Tour Money for Artists and Managers
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with live touring specialist Veikko Fuhrmann of We Are Live to break down how artists lose…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 070: Veikko Fuhrmann - Music Touring, Tour Management, Live Business, Artist Expenses, Tour Budgets & Global Touring
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with live touring specialist Veikko Fuhrmann of We Are Live for a deep breakdown of how…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on Building a Company Around the Artist
Tems’ manager Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down how to build a real company around an artist. In this clip, Muyiwa explains why Tems’…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on The Truth About Afrobeats Going Global
Tems’ manager Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down the truth about Afrobeats going global and what African artists need to understand…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on How to Build Beyond the Music
Tems’ manager Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down how Tems’ team built a business beyond the music. In this clip, Muyiwa explains why The…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on The Business Behind Tems
Tems’ manager Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to explain why real artist management starts with protecting the person before the music. In this…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 069: Muyiwa Awoniyi - Tems, Afrobeats, Artist Management, Music Ownership, Global Strategy & Partnerships
Tems’ manager and partner Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down the strategy behind building Tems into a global music star. Muyiwa shares…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Matt Hansen on Artist Mode vs CEO Mode
Matt Hansen joins Mauricio Ruiz on The Manager’s Playbook to talk about the balance between being the artist and being the CEO of your music career. Matt…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Matt Hansen on TikTok Hooks That Drive Streams
Matt Hansen joins Mauricio Ruiz on The Manager’s Playbook to break down how independent artists can make content that actually moves the music. Matt explains…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Matt Hansen on the ROI of Opening Slots
Matt Hansen joins Mauricio Ruiz on The Manager’s Playbook to break down the real business behind touring as an independent artist. Matt explains how he used…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Matt Hansen on What Happens After Going Viral
Matt Hansen went viral overnight after posting a one-take Frank Ocean “Godspeed” cover in a parking garage. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Matt…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 068: Matt Hansen - 1 Billion Streams, TikTok Covers, Independent Artist Strategy, Touring ROI & Orchid
Matt Hansen went from posting TikTok covers to building a billion-stream independent music career. In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Matt joins…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mauricio Ruiz on Why He Started The Manager’s Playbook
How The Manager’s Playbook Became Music’s Insider Podcast In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz shares why he created the podcast and how it…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mauricio Ruiz on The Artist Manager Skills Nobody Talks About
When Is an Artist Ready for a Manager? In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz breaks down what artists and managers should understand before…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mauricio Ruiz on How Jessie Reyez’s First Song Sparked a Label Bidding War
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz breaks down the early days of managing Jessie Reyez and the strategy behind her breakout single…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mauricio Ruiz on How He Built Canada’s Biggest Music Video Company
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz breaks down how he helped build Mad Ruk Entertainment into one of Canada’s biggest music video…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 067: Mauricio Ruiz - Jessie Reyez, Mad Ruk, Artist Management, Music Business & Building The Playbook
How did Mauricio Ruiz go from managing artists to building one of the music industry’s most trusted insider podcasts? In this live, in-person episode of The…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Bryan Johnson on How Spotify Editors Find Music
How do artists get discovered on Spotify today? In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz and Bryan Johnson from Spotify talk about the future of…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Bryan Johnson on How Streaming Changed Artist Power
Getting dropped by a record label used to feel like the end. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz and Bryan Johnson from Spotify talk about…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Bryan Johnson on AI Music, Fraud & Royalties
How is Spotify handling AI music, fake streams, and artist impersonation? In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz and Bryan Johnson from…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Bryan Johnson on Spotify's $11B Artist Payout
Spotify paid $11B to music rights holders in 2025 but who actually gets the money? In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz and Bryan Johnson…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 066: Bryan Johnson - Spotify Royalties, Independent Artists, AI Music & The Future of Streaming
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Bryan Johnson, Spotify’s Head of Artist and Industry Partnerships, International, for a…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Chris Anokute on How the Next Superstars Will Be Built
What does the future of artist development actually look like in a democratized music business? In this clip, Chris Anokute breaks down why younger artists…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Chris Anokute on How Disrespect Costs Record Labels Great Artists
What makes an artist worth backing before the data shows up? In this clip, Chris Anokute breaks down why real artist development starts with belief, desire…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Chris Anokute on Why Artists Can’t Ignore AI Music Anymore
AI is already changing the music business, and artists can’t afford to ignore it. In this clip, Chris Anokute breaks down why AI is not a passing trend, how…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Chris Anokute on Why Artists Don’t Need Record Labels But Still Want Them
Why do artists still sign record deals if they don’t actually need them? In this clip, Chris Anokute breaks down the real value of record labels, why there’s…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 065: Chris Anokute - AI Music, Artist Development, Record Deals, A&R & The Future of the Music Business
In the part II of this Manager’s Playbook convo, Mauricio Ruiz sits back down with former EPIC Records executive Chris Anokute to talk about what AI means for…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Khris Riddick-Tynes on What Every Producer Must Know About the Music Business
What does every producer need to know about the music business beyond making great records? In this clip, Khris Riddick-Tynes gets into the side of the game a…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Khris Riddick-Tynes on Why “Folded” Worked
Why did Kehlani’s “Folded” work the way it did? I n this clip, Khris Riddick-Tynes breaks down how the record came together, why it needed more emotional…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Khris Riddick-Tynes on The Long Game Behind Music Success
Why do some artists last while others fade after one breakout moment? In this clip, Khris Riddick-Tynes breaks down the mindset behind real music career…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Khris Riddick-Tynes on Why the Song Still Comes First
Why do some songs fade fast while others last for years? In this clip, Khris Riddick-Tynes breaks down why the song still comes first; not the trend, not the…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 064: Khris Riddick-Tynes - Songwriting, Hit Songs, Artist Development, A&R & Music Business
Khris Riddick-Tynes, three-time Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, and Kehlani’s executive producer, joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down what really…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Hitmaka on What’s Wrong With the Music Industry
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Hitmaka and Mauricio Ruiz unpack why the music industry does not create stars the way it once did. They get into what…