The music industry is a monstrous beast to tame. Over the last several decades, we’ve seen music and media industries take a dramatic shift with the popularity of streaming. Creators of all kinds are meeting in social media spaces to share work, collaborate and network. Behind the scenes of these seemingly seamless shifts in economy are fierce entrepreneurs and moguls who have taken huge risks and leaps of faith to spearhead these changes and create spaces that work for artists as these shifts occur. Especially in the modern age, entrepreneurs need to have a post-streaming mindset to achieve success in the changing landscape of the music industry. Let’s take a look at a few big names who have enjoyed massive success in the modern world of music and media.
Jay Z
While primarily known for his music career, Jay-Z has been a successful entrepreneur since achieving global success as a rap star. He is the CEO of Def Jam records, a label responsible for discovering many of our most popular hip hop artists since 1984. In addition to his work as a record executive, he has also ventured into apparel, beverages and sports teams. He is the co-founder of clothing brand Rocawear with Damon Dash.
Justin Timberlake
Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, former ‘N Sync frontman Justin Timberlake has made a splash as a recording artist, record executive, businessman and actor. He gained some new popularity by hosting SNL on multiple occasions, always being an audience favorite. Timberlake also starred in the popular film The Social Network which follows the story of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. He serves as the CEO of Interscope label Tennman Records and has also explored the apparel industry with his fashion label William Rast. He has even sponsored his own brand of tequila called 901.
Mark Gillespie
Mark Gillespie is the CEO and founder of Three Six Zero, a global music management company aimed at uniting UK artists with US artists and audiences. Gillespie’s magnetism has already earned him global recognition as a manager. Since signing scottish DJ superstar Calvin Harris in 2007, Three Six Zero has infiltrated every media outlet from music to digital content.
Mark grew up just outside of Birmingham UK, just close enough to city culture to develop a strong passion for music and DJ culture. By 16, he was already booking acts at local clubs and by 18, he was the primary booking agent for local club GodsKitchen. At the time, he had a dream that would eventually come true: to run record labels. But discovering Calvin Harris was a turning point towards management. Three Six Zero has gone on to start their own label with Sony and acquire Westbrook Entertainment, adding the entire Smith family to their impressive roster.
Since then, Gillespie has taken Three Six Zero across the world from London to Los Angeles and is an avid investor in companies exploring sustainability. Some examples include SonicEnergy (a wireless charging company), Outdoor Voices, Songkick and Lyft.
