The AvA Connection

The Weekly Buzz:

• Spotify is challenging YouTube, launching music videos for premium users in 11 markets. Read more

  • YouTube has 2 BILLION users who stream music on its platform, making it the largest music streaming in terms of total usage. Spotify still leads in terms of subscribers with 150 million.

• When music gets political

  • Olivia Rodrigo invited abortion funds to distribute contraceptive supplies at tour venues for her GUTS Tour, but her management has now bowed to political pressure and reversed course. Read more

• Searches for rock music are up 600% on Spotify. Gen Z is in their rock era it seems. Read more

• Live Nation extends their ‘On The Road Again’ program through 2024, providing financial help to developing musicians on tour.

  • The program includes gas + travel fees, waiving merch fees, and bonuses to touring crews that worked over 500 hours in 2023. Read more

• J Lo has cancelled multiple dates on her tour amid weak ticket sales. Read more

• NSYNC reunited in LA during Justin Timberlake’s performance last night in LA.

• Beyoncé announces her new album’s title

  • Act II: Cowboy Carter will be released March 29

  • She has already released a pair of singles from the album, and became the first Black woman to ever hold the number 1 U.S. country single spot with “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

The Call Log: Phil Quist, Music + Emerging Tech Agent at CAA

Phil Quist is a Music Agent at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA).  Quist has helped sign and/or represents many of the world’s leading musicians, including Tate McRae, Charli XCX, The Chainsmokers, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, among others. He also serves as an investor at Connect Ventures, an investment partnership between CAA and global venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA), with a focus on early-stage consumer-focused businesses.

AvA: How did you get started in the music industry?

Phil Quist: I was a finance major in college, but was promoting concerts at school and around the Dallas area on the side. After graduating, I wanted to work in investment banking, and was going to attend business school with the ultimate goal of graduating and working with musicians and creatives to be their eyes and ears on the investment side of things. Long story short, I figured what better way to build a network in the entertainment space than going to an agency. I applied to all of the agencies and CAA was the first one I got a job at. I thought that I was only going to be here for a year, but it’s now been 12 years… 

AvA: What inspired you to dive into the tech side of the business?

Quist: Tech has always been something that's been of interest to me, and I’ve seen how it’s augmented, changed and progressed in other verticals. I felt there was a similar opportunity here in the music space. We saw the transition from CDs to streaming, and I think we're at the precipice of another major shift in terms of what the future of music looks like. Technology is going to be a big part of that, and we're starting to see different parts of that shine through including AI and machine learning. Both are becoming a big part of the streaming platforms including Spotify, and Apple Music. 

AvA: How are you seeing tech intersecting with the music and entertainment spaces? 

Quist: Streaming platforms and social media are creating new opportunities for artists to reach and engage with their fans, as well as monetize their content. 

Gamifying the music creation process is one example that is going to be very interesting for the common consumer. Breaking music up into stems gives fans the opportunity to play around with songs, and gives everyone the opportunity to become a creator. 

AI and machine learning are also going to be incredible for music creation, creating ways to look at the data from an artist perspective, as well as personalizing playlists recommendations so that you're getting exactly what you want to hear. 

I think back to before the massive growth of the electronic space, you had all of these production tools that let you sample different instruments and sounds, which led to people learning how to DJ from their bedroom or their dorm room. Now there are tons of artists who are self taught on some of those platforms.

I think these new tools will be additive to what everyone's trying to build, and are going to create more opportunities for people who want to become musicians. There's opportunities for translation into different languages to reach a new fan base, and opportunities for a lot of legacy artists that are coming to the tail end of their touring careers to extend their life cycle by doing a hologram show. 

AvA: Are Artist seeking new monetization paths?

Quist:  I think the biggest thing that people are trying to figure out right now is what the fan-to-artist relationship looks like, and how you monetize that more efficiently. A lot of Artists have a very parasocial relationship with their fans, where the fan admires them, but they don’t have a direct one-to-one relationship back. You’re starting to see a shift in social media towards that, and I think there are going to be platforms that empower the fans and artists to create, share, and connect without any intermediaries at all.

I think it’s going to be really interesting, and going to allow artists to monetize more efficiently, as well as have their content viewed by a higher percentage of their audience

AvA: What do you foresee being the biggest disruption to the music industry in the next few years?

Quist: Something that's come up a lot, and we'll see how prevalent it becomes, is this idea of co-creation. We're starting to see it in retail and luxury fashion, where fans are submitting what the next line should look like for a collection, which makes them have more of an affinity to the product or brand. I think there's a similar sentiment in the music space where fans want to be a part of the process. You are starting to see Artists giving behind-the-scenes access in the studio and artists collabing.. but that is only the first version of it. 

The next version is making it more interactive and giving the fans a say. Maybe it's not on every song, but instead just having input on one song from an album, choosing who should be the lead singer for a single, or deciding who should collab on a specific song. That input is going to be valuable because at the end of the day your fans are your biggest customers, and you’re making them feel valued. 

AvA: What is some advice you have for someone just starting their career?

Quist: Be curious. Be adaptable. Be resilient. 

We're in an industry and a time that is always changing, and being able to be resilient and learn new skills, and explore new opportunities is very, very important. Try to gain as much knowledge as you can about the industry, but also about the tangential verticals that touch the industry. 

Relationships are your currency in this business. Try and develop those relationships wherever you can, and with whoever you can at varying levels. People progress in different ways, at different times, and in their own way, so try to be pleasant to everyone. 

The Job Board

💼 = Job | 🎒 = Internship

💼 Project Manager - HYBE - LA - Apply Here

💼 Account Director - NOX Media - Remote - Apply Here

💼 Content Creator (Freelance) - NOX Media - Remote - Apply Here

💼 Exterior Ops Project Manager - Insomniac - LA - Apply Here

💼 Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator - Live Nation - Various - Apply Here

💼 Manager, Brand Partnerships - Wasserman - LA - Apply Here

💼 Sr Coordinator WW Music Clearance - Paramount Pictures - LA - Apply Here

💼 Music Analyst - Pandora - LA - Apply Here

💼 Agent Assistant, Indie - Wasserman - Nashville - Apply Here

💼 Influencer Network College Associate - Live Nation - NYC - Apply Here

💼 Film and Special Events Coordinator - Central Park Conservancy - NYC - Apply Here

💼 Assistant, Artist Development - Sony Music Entertainment - NYC - Apply Here

💼 Production Assistant - Peloton - NYC - Apply Here

💼 Digital Media Coordinator - Warner Bros. Discovery - NYC - Apply Here

🎒 2024 Internships - Roc Nation - Various Locations - Apply Here

🎒 2024 Internships - Live Nation - Various Locations - Apply Here

🎒 Social Media, Sports Talent - Wasserman - LA - Apply Here

🎒 Music Strategy Internship - Sony Music Publishing - NYC - Apply Here

🎒 Brand Marketing & Industry Relations Intern - SoundExchange - DC - Apply Here

🎒 Music Business Development Intern - Create Music Group - LA - Apply Here

🎒 Management, Marketing & PR Internships - River House Artists - Nashville - Send resume and cover letter to [email protected]

🎒 2024 Summer Internship, Business Development & Partnerships - Spotify - NYC - Apply Here

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