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: Hitmaka on Why the Music Industry Is Really a People Business
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Hitmaka breaks down why the music industry is really a people business. From working with labels and independent…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Hitmaka on The Truth About Songwriters vs Producers
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Hitmaka breaks down how producers really get paid in the music business. He reflects on his time during Atlantic’s…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Hitmaka on How Producers Really Get Paid
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Hitmaka breaks down how producers really get paid in the music business. From song deals and publishing to fair splits…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 063: Hitmaka - Hit Songs, Songwriting, A&R, Artist Development & Music Business
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Hitmaka, formerly Yung Berg, for a deep conversation on the real business behind hit…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mike Caren on What Makes a Song Feel Like a Hit
Mike Caren breaks down what actually makes a song feel like a hit. This clip explores the role of A&R, taste, replay value, emotional connection, melody…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mike Caren on The Reason Artist-Manager Relationships Fall Apart
Mike Caren breaks down why artists and managers need to have hard conversations early if they want to avoid bigger problems later. This clip is about…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mike Caren on Why Consistency Beats Talent in Music
Mike Caren breaks down why consistency, discipline, and adaptability matter more than occasional flashes of brilliance in the music business. This clip…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mike Caren on Why Most Artists Fail Before They Ever Become Great
Mike Caren breaks down what actually creates longevity in the music business. This clip is about building a career the right way: bringing value instead of…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 062: Mike Caren - A&R, Artist Development, Hit Songs & Executive Leadership in Music Business
Mike Caren is one of the most respected music executives of his generation. From his early years at Atlantic Records to building Artist Publishing Group and…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Charlie Rocket on His Blueprint for Artist Development
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie Rocket breaks down how he would build an artist with no money, using speed, consistency, release strategy…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Charlie Rocket on the Mindset That Breaks Artists
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie Rocket reflects on how he and his partners ended up managing 2 Chainz by doing the work before anyone…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Charlie Rocket on The Old School Music Marketing Tricks That Still Work
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie Rocket breaks down why so many artists in today’s music industry are too focused on virality and not focused…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Charlie Rocket on How Music Managers Create Momentum for Their Artists
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie Rocket breaks down his “Blitzkrieg” approach to music marketing; a focused 30-day sprint built around…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 061: Charlie Rocket - 2 Chainz, Music Marketing, Artist Development, Fan Building & Mindset
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie Rocket joins us for a powerful conversation on artist development, music marketing, fan building…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tommy Brown on Why K-Pop Has Better Artist Development
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Tommy Brown breaks down why K-pop continues to win at artist development, and why its system still looks a lot closer…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tommy Brown on What Netflix’s Hitmakers TV Show Left Out
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Tommy Brown reflects on his experience filming Netflix’s Hitmakers, the pressure of creating on camera, and why the…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tommy Brown on The REALITY of Music Producer Fees, Points & Publishing
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Tommy Brown breaks down one of the hardest truths in the music business: huge streaming numbers do not always mean…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tommy Brown on Why Music Producers Need Content
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Tommy Brown breaks down why visibility and content strategy are now part of the job for artists, producers, and…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 060: Tommy Brown - Hit Records, Ariana Grande, Songwriting, Producer Splits, Publishing & Artist Development
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, I sit down with Tommy Brown (TBHits), hitmaking music producer, songwriter, and one of the most important creative…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: LaRussell & Tietta Mitchell on LaRussell’s Operations
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 Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: LaRussell & Tietta Mitchell on How LaRussell Picks Team Members
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: LaRussell & Tietta Mitchell on The Music Marketing Funnel That Actually Pays
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: LaRussell & Tietta Mitchell on The Roc Nation Deal
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 059: LaRussell & Tietta Mitchell - Roc Nation Deal, Independence, Ads, Direct-to-Fan, Touring & Music Marketing
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 Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: JMSN on the Anti-Ad Music Marketing Plan
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: JMSN on Why Music Videos Can Still Win for Artists
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: JMSN on Why Being “Cool” Online Is Bad for Your Music Career
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: JMSN on the DIY Blueprint to Grow Without Record Labels
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 058: JMSN - DIY Artist Blueprint, Music Videos, Ads, Touring, Content & Music Marketing
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: J Erving III on The Skill Every Music Manager Needs
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: J Erving III on How to Operate Like a Record Label in Any Role
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: J Erving III on What to Do Before Artists Break
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: J Erving III on How to Spot Great Artists Early
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 057: J. Erving III - Artist Development, Music Distribution, Label Services, Team Building, Manager Mindset, SONY/The Orchard & Streaming Growth
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jacob Paul on Music Publishing Deals 101
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jacob Paul on Mechanical Royalties
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jacob Paul on How Global Music Publishing Royalties Work
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jacob Paul on Music Publishing 101
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 056: Jacob Paul - Music Publishing 101, Master vs Publishing, Mechanical Royalties, Global Royalties, Black Box Royalties & Catalog Ownership
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Paris Cole on Artist Management for New Artists
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Paris Cole on How to Build a Real Fanbase as an Artist
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Paris Cole on How to Build a Global Artist
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Paris Cole breaks down artist development through branding, styling, and creative direction and why audiences can…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 055: Paris Cole - Artist Development, Brand Vision, Styling as Strategy, Fan Engagement & Building From Scratch
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: SonReal on How to Tour Without Going Broke
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…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: SonReal on How Independent Artists Can Make Real Money
The biggest advantage an independent artist has right now is simple: there are no rules. In this clip, SonReal breaks down what happens when you stop waiting…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: SonReal on How Content Actually Grows Music
The “mysterious artist” era worked when the music business was built around blockbuster music videos and gatekeepers. Today it’s algorithmic, short-form, and…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: SonReal on The Strategy Behind Viral Artists
Most independent artists don’t struggle because they can’t make music fast. They struggle because they can’t make the pace financially sustainable. In this…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 054: SonReal - Independent Artist Strategy, Owning Your Masters, 2-Week Release Schedule, Content Systems & Touring Profitably
There’s a whole middle class in the music industry. Artists who aren’t household names, aren’t living off viral moments, and aren’t waiting on label…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Sickick on Reinventing His Sound to Build Longevity
TikTok can give you momentum. The real question is whether you can turn that momentum into a career with identity. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Sickick on What Good Management Actually Feels Like
In the music business, careers don’t usually break because of bad songs. They break because team dynamics fail. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Sickick on The Truth About Reinventing Yourself as an Artist
TikTok can give you attention fast. It can also box you in even faster. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Sickick breaks down the real arc behind the…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Sickick on How Bad Management Almost Ended His Music Career
In the music industry, careers don’t usually fall apart because of bad music. They fall apart because of bad management, broken systems, and artists not…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 053: Sickick - Bad Artist Management, Ownership, Content Strategy & Career Longevity
In the music industry, talent is never the only factor. Management is, systems are, ownership is and the ability to understand your own business before someone…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Didier Morais on How PR Helps Artists Grow Fans & Streams
PR doesn’t work when the artist is missing from the plan. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Didier Morais breaks down how music PR actually functions…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Didier Morais on The PR Mistake That Costs Artists Their Careers
PR isn’t press runs. It’s strategy, protection, and narrative control. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Didier Morais breaks down what most artists…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Didier Morais on The Mindset Shift Artists & Managers Need to Grow
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Didier Morais, founder of Vital Versatility PR, breaks down the part of the music business that decides who lasts…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Didier Morais on What a Music Publicist Actually Does
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Didier Morais, found of Vital Versatility PR, breaks down the part of the music business most artists skip…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 052: Didier Morais - Music PR, Independent Artists, Storytelling & Career Strategy
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, I sit down with Didier Morais, PR strategist, former journalist, and founder of Vital Versatility, to break down…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Steve Rifkind on How Akon Blew Up Without a Music Video
Steve Rifkind breaks down the real story of Akon’s breakout, and it’s a masterclass in how hits actually happen before the industry “agrees” they should. In…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Steve Rifkind on How He Negotiated Wu-Tang’s Deal with a CHAIR?!?
Steve Rifkind breaks down the behind-the-scenes reality of Wu-Tang Clan’s record deal negotiations, the kind of label-room pressure that shapes careers…