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: Milana Lewis on Why Music Contracts Are Broken
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Milana Lewis, CEO & Co-Founder of Stem, to break down one of the music industry’s…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 039: Milana Lewis – Artist Ownership, Royalties, Distribution vs. Delivery, Concord Partnership & The Future of Music Business
In episode 39 of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Milana Lewis, co-founder and CEO of STEM, to unpack the realities of today’s music…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Rich Castillo on Why Artists Get Dropped Too Quickly
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Rich Castillo pulls back the curtain on the realities of A&R and the inner workings of major labels. He explains how…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Rich Castillo on How Failure Builds Resilience in the Music Industry
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Rich Castillo dives into the rise of UK rap culture and its global impact. He explains how London’s melting pot of…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Rich Castillo on Why He Walked Away From the Major Label System
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Rich Castillo reflects on his move from the major label system to launching his own independent label, Lion Bear. He…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Rich Castillo on The Harsh Truth About A&R at Major Record Labels
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Rich Castillo breaks down what the role of A&R really looks like in 2025. From identifying and developing talent to…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 038: Rich Castillo - A&R Legacy, Class Identity, UK Rap, Artist Development, Industry Evolution & Breaking Cultural Barriers
Rich Castillo has spent nearly two decades inside the music industry, from Polydor, Sony, and EMI to Warner and now his own company, Lion Bear. In this episode…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jared Cotter on How to Build a Team Around a Superstar
In this conversation, Jared Cotter and I dig into what it really takes to build a modern superstar. We talk about the rise of Shaboozey, how undeniable talent…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jared Cotter on How Shaboozey Is Opening Doors in Country Music
In this conversation, Jared Cotter and I dig into the journey of breaking into country music and why authenticity always wins. We talk about how Shaboozey…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jared Cotter on The One Trait Every Great Manager Has
In this conversation, Jared Cotter and I dig into the world of music publishing and what it really takes to build a sustainable career. Jared shares his…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Jared Cotter on Managing After a Hit Record
In this conversation, Jared Cotter and I break down the making of Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” We talk about the creative spark, the key moments that…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 037: Jared Cotter - Shaboozey, Paul Russell, Jay Sean, Building Superstars Independently, Shaboozey’s Rise, Country Music & Leadership Lessons
Jared Cotter is the manager behind one of the biggest independent success stories of the decade. In this episode, we talk about how Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Loren Medina on How to Pitch as an Artist
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, publicist Loren Medina unpacks the evolving music industry and what independence really means for artists today. She…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Loren Medina on The #1 Thing Missing in the Music Industry - Strategy
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, publicist Loren Medina talks about what it’s really like to work with record labels from the outside. She explains why…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Loren Medina on The Brutal Reality of the Music Industry
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, publicist Loren Medina shares her journey from leaving Sony to launching Digital Girl in 2009, one of the first social…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Loren Medina on The #1 Mistake Artists Make When Hiring a Publicist
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, publicist Loren Medina shares why passion is the foundation of every client relationship she takes on. From choosing…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 036: Loren Medina - Jessie Reyez, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, J Noa, The Business of Music PR, Breaking Artists & The Ugly Truth About the Music Industry
In episode 36 of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with publicist and strategist Loren Medina, founder of Guerrera PR. From her start at Sony to…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Dan Gonzalez on Why Music Catalogs Are the Hottest Investment
Music catalogs have become one of the hottest asset classes in the world. In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Dan Gonzalez and I unpack how catalogs are…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Dan Gonzalez on Why Most Artists Don’t Understand Their Contracts
From Canadian grant writing to closing music business deals. In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, I sit down with Dan Gonzalez who has navigated both…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Dan Gonzalez on How Most Artists LEAVE Money on the Table
Royalties are the lifeblood of an artist’s career but too often, they go uncollected. In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Dan Gonzalez breaks down how…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Dan Gonzalez on Why Artists NEED Business Managers
The role of a business manager has never been more important for artists. In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Dan Gonzalez breaks down how the job has…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 035: Dan Gonzalez - Business Managers vs. Artist Managers, Catalogs, Royalties, Taxes & Wealth Strategy
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with his own business manager, Dan Gonzalez, to uncover the financial backbone of an…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Hit-Boy & Nima Nasseri on Breaking Contracts, Momentum & the Music Biz Today
Hit-Boy has leveled up, not just as a producer, but as a person. In this conversation, he talks about upgrading his lifestyle and workspace to unlock peak…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Hit-Boy & Nima Nasseri on The Hidden Truth About Record Labels, Streaming & Artist Leverage
Ownership isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the difference between building a career you control and one that controls you. In this clip, Hit-Boy, his manager Nima…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Hit-Boy & Nima Nasseri on The Dark Side of Music Publishing Deals
Hit-Boy spent 18 years locked in one of the toughest publishing deals in the music business, a contract built on outdated MDRC terms that kept him working…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Hit-Boy & Nima Nasseri on Setting Healthy Boundaries in Music and Family
Grammy-winning producer Hit-Boy is building more than music; he’s building worlds. In this conversation, he talks about his shift from making beats to creating…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 034: Hit-Boy & Nima Nasseri - Breaking Free from an 18-Year Publishing Deal & Building an Independent Empire
Grammy-winning producer Hit-Boy opens up about escaping an 18-year publishing deal, one of the most restrictive contracts in music, and the lessons learned…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Chris Taylor on The Record Label That Saved Metric’s Career
Chris Taylor takes us inside Metric’s improbable rise, from repeated label rejections to breaking through as one of Canada’s most influential indie bands. In…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Chris Taylor on His Biggest Mistake with Last Gang Records
Chris Taylor’s path has been anything but linear: lawyer, label founder, and music executive with a global footprint. In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Chris Taylor on the BIGGEST Record Label Bidding War of 1999
Chris Taylor remembers the moment Nelly Furtado’s music landed in his hands, and the chain reaction it set off. From self-made tracks and photo booth snapshots…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Chris Taylor on How Artist Managers Are Gaining More Power Than Record Labels
Chris Taylor knows the role of the music manager has changed forever. In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, he shares why he launched a management company in…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 033: Chris Taylor – Last Gang Records, Drake, Nelly Furtado, Artist Management, Independent Labels, Music Law, Career Longevity & Betting on Talent
Chris Taylor has done it all: music lawyer, label founder, global executive, and now CEO of Hall of Fame Management. But his story didn’t start with a major…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Ruffalo on The Real Reason Artists Aren't Going Viral Anymore
What actually builds an artist brand in 2025? In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Nick Ruffalo to break down the modern-day…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Ruffalo on The Real Secret to Engaging Music Content
In 2025, music marketing isn’t optional. It’s the engine behind every artist breakout. In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Ruffalo on Why Record Labels Still Matter in 2025
The label question isn’t major vs. indie. It’s alignment vs. confusion. In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Nick Ruffalo to…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Nick Ruffalo on The Real Reason Fans Aren't Connecting With Your Music
What separates artists who get skipped from those who build legacy? In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Nick Ruffalo, SVP of…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 032: Nick Ruffalo - Artist Archetypes, Brand Strategy, Content Funnels, Paid Marketing, Breakthrough Moments & Building in Public
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Nick Ruffalo, SVP of Digital Marketing & Audience Engagement at Big Loud Records and…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tuma Basa on How YouTube Replaced MTV for Artists
YouTube isn’t just for views. It’s for building worlds. In this episode, we unpack why YouTube remains one of the most powerful tools in an artist’s strategy…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tuma Basa on The Difference Between Music Industry and Community
Tuma Basa didn’t just build playlists. He built a perspective shaped by continents, cultures, and connection. In this clip, we unpack his global journey…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tuma Basa on The Culture Clash Around Generative AI
Timbaland made headlines by signing the first AI artist but the real story goes deeper. In this clip, Tuma Basa and I dive into the tension between tech and…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Tuma Basa on What's REALLY Holding Back African Music Globally
The future of music in Africa is full of energy but the infrastructure isn’t there yet. In this clip, Tuma Basa and I unpack the real story behind the rise of…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager’s Playbook 031: Tuma Basa - RapCaviar, YouTube, Music Curation, Artist Longevity, Gen AI, African Infrastructure, Global Strategy & Cultural Fluency
In Episode 031 of The Manager’s Playbook, Tuma Basa, former head of Spotify's RapCaviar and Director of Black Music & Culture at YouTube, joins Mauricio Ruiz…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mag Rodriguez on Why Why the First $500 from Artists' Fans Changes Everything
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, I talk with Mag Rodriguez about the artist who helped change everything: LaRussell. After being introduced to EVEN…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mag Rodriguez on How He Got Funded Without a Degree
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, I sit down with Mag Rodriguez to talk about the journey few founders ever get to share, what it means to break into…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mag Rodriguez on Why the Global South Is the Future of Music Monetization
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Mag Rodriguez and I explore the future of music monetization and what it means to truly go global. From innovative…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Mag Rodriguez on How J. Cole Helped Transform His Music Tech Business
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, I sit down with Mag Rodriguez to unpack the exclusive J. Cole x EVEN collaboration celebrating the 10-year anniversary…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager's Playbook 030: Mag Rodriguez - EVEN, J Cole, LaRussell, Direct-to-Fan Strategy, Global Monetization, and the Future of Artist Ownership
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, I sit down with Mag Rodriguez, founder and CEO of EVEN, a platform redefining how artists connect with fans and…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Laurie Lee Boutet on Why Women Make Great Music Managers
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Laurie Lee Boutet unpacks what it really means to lead as a woman in the music business. From empathy and collaboration…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Laurie Lee Boutet on What Every Artist Should Do After Going Viral
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Laurie Lee Boutet dives into why CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a game-changer in today’s music industry. We…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Laurie Lee Boutet on How to Win Without a Major Label Deal
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Laurie Lee Boutet breaks down why today’s music managers need to think like marketers and strategists. From her work…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Laurie Lee Boutet on The Truth About Canadian Record Labels
Laurie Lee Boutet reflects on a major turning point in the music industry, when independent acts began rising and the label system struggled to keep up. She…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager's Playbook 029: Laurie Lee - The Beaches, Charlotte Cardin, Artist Development, Viral Strategy, Canadian Music Industry, CRM, & Women in Music
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, we’re joined by Laurie Lee Boutet, Billboard Canada’s Manager of the Year and the powerhouse behind Charlotte Cardin…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Lola Plaku on What Artists Should Know Before Signing a Record Deal
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, we take a closer look at the relationship between artists, managers, and record labels, focusing on what it really…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Lola Plaku on The Mentorship Program Changing the Industry
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Lola Plaku shares the vision and journey behind Girl Connected: a mentorship program built to empower women pursuing…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Lola Plaku on Artist Development
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Lola Plaku joins Ruiz for a masterclass on artist development and marketing that actually moves the needle. Lola dives…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Lola Plaku on Building Toronto's Music Scene
Lola Plaku joins The Manager’s Playbook for a powerful conversation on building a career in hip hop from the ground up. One of the few women to carve out real…
- The Manager's Playbook
The Manager's Playbook 028: Lola Plaku - French Montana, A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, A$AP Yams, Artist Management, Girl Connected, Tour Strategy, Label Dynamics & Women in Music
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Lola Plaku unpacks her dynamic journey from the early days of HipHopCanada to managing global tours and launching…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Ray Daniels on The Letter That Changed Everything
In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Ray Daniels shares what it really means to pursue greatness and the price he paid for speaking up. He reflects on the…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Ray Daniels on The Real Reason Some Artists Fade While Others Last
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, Ray Daniels and I explore the “Science vs. Magic” theory in music and why mastering both is key to long-term success…
- The Manager's Playbook
Inside the Playbook: Ray Daniels on Jay-Z vs. Kanye vs. Bow Wow and His Truth About Stardom
In this clip of The Manager’s Playbook, we dive into what really makes a megastar. Ray Daniels unpacks the fandom, timing, and cultural impact behind two very…