The Industry Connection

🎙️ Interview with Moody Jones, GM of Dance at EMPIRE

I caught up with Moody Jones, an entrepreneurial entertainment executive and artist who thrives on creating new rules and executing unique concepts. Currently, he’s the GM of Dance at EMPIRE – an independent distribution company and record label pioneering the future generation of the music business. There, he’s building their dance division globally which started with acquiring Claude VonStroke's Dirtybird Records. Prior to becoming GM of Dance, Moody was the SVP of Digital & Creative working on campaigns with top artists such as Yung Bleu, Busta Rhymes, XXXtentacion, Snoop Dogg, Aaliyah, and more. Before EMPIRE, the HITS Noisemaker helped build Wavo as GM, where he was instrumental in scaling its media buying and data-driven music marketing business.

He currently still operates his own agency – Everybody Knows – a creative collective rattling the status quo of marketing that has worked with Brent Faiyaz, Saint JHN, JLO, and many more. By wanting to service his artists better, Moody has been putting out his own records and has millions of streams to date. While he’s always on the go, you can most frequently find him in San Francisco, Miami, and everywhere in between. Catch him on IG @moodyjones. Our conversation is below:

AvA: What led you to becoming an artist on top of being an exec?

Jones: I’m a creator at heart. Whatever I do always come back to that. Being a marketer and being an artist have a lot of commonality in that sense - everything I do comes from a creative angle. It has to feel like it’s coming from me because authenticity is everything.

Being a musician also gives me an edge. I can relate better with artists, managers, and everyone that I interact with in this industry. I can empathize with the DJ on stage in the same way that I can with an SVP of Digital and Creative. I understand the process, the struggle, and I have experience on how to break through.

AvA: What’s been a memorable moment since taking on the GM of Dance role at EMPIRE?

Jones: EMPIRE is home to a catalog that is rich with artists from across the world and across genres. One beautiful thing about dance music is that it is intertwined with every genre that we release on the EMPIRE label. From hip hop powerhouses like Money Man, Key Glock, Danny Towers, Tyga, and Ski Mask The Slump God to Nigerian superstars like Fireboy DML and Kizz Daniel - our dance department and I have the opportunity to be integrated with them all. The goal is to give their records a second life - and to reach new audiences and markets.

AvA: How are dance artists monetizing themselves in new ways? How do you see that trend continuing to develop in the future?

Jones: In today’s world, artists can monetize their life. From vlogs to livestreams, event partnerships and limited release vinyls to sponsored social media posts, sync licensing to soundtracks - we are living in a digital age where the entire globe is interconnected. The key for artists today, and in the future, is to be picky and precise about the monetization routes they choose. Fans can smell a gimmick a mile away. It has to make sense - and it has to provide value for the fans.

AvA: Any new artists on your roster we should be looking out for?

Jones: Salomé Le Chat, MJ Nebreda, Aluna & her label Noir Fever, The Martinez Brothers, Vhoor, Mike Kerrigan, Small Town DJs, & … Moody Jones!

👋 Thanks for tuning into this week’s newsletter and see you next week!

-Warner from the AvA Team

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