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Today’s guest is Nick Gatfield. He has been in the music industry for decades. He was a major label executive for 25 years, most recently Sony Music UK, which he left in 2014. He’s worked at various majors over the years, including Universal and EMI. He was there when they signed Radiohead and was also part of Amy Winehouse’s team.
But now he’s out of the major label game and runs an investment company called Twin Music. They invest in artists, recordings, and various artists’ assets. I will let Nick explain how it all works because he is so knowledgeable on this due to his decades worth of experience in the industry. It’s clear that he cares about artists and this new model. One of the first artists he signed to this new deal was Allie X, who was on the show about a month ago. I encourage you to check out her episode to learn how this deal works from an artist’s perspective.
+Allie X on Creating Her Artist Package, Breaking Into LA and Staying Independent
Quick links:
3:53 – How London is doing amidst the pandemic and how the industry is shifting
10:55 – What is Twin Music and what’s the business model?
22:22 – What does the exit strategy look like for Twin Music / the artist?
25:03 – Does Twin Music just put up the money or is there a team that helps the artists?
27:18 – Who are Twin Music’s distribution and publishing partners?
29:54 – Is Nick’s business model scalable or is it just a wave that will eventually pass?
35:42 – Will major labels always have their place in being the driving force behind popular culture or is the industry shifting away from them?
37:50 – What percentage of artists that Nick signed when working at the major labels made their advance back on their first album?
46:38 – What does an investment look like? How does someone invest in an artist?
53:42 – What can an artist expect from an investment deal? Does it work like an advance?
56:25 – What does it mean to Nick to make it in the new music business?