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Interview with Shaq Milli, Music Agent @ UTA
Assistants vs. Agents
December 06, 2024
š This is Warner from The AvA Connection. Connect with me here.
We sit down with a Shaq Milli, Music Agent @ UTA, who has worked on the careers of Austin Millz (go check him out at Coachella this year), Afrojack, CYRIL, ACRAZE & more.
šØ Today is the last day to buy gifts for your holiday exchange next week. We made ones for you so you donāt have to show up with an embarrassing candle like last year.
This one is most of us:
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The Weekly Buzz or should I sayā¦ Wrapped
BIG week for people who like to post about themselves on social media (Forbes 30 Under 30 AND Spotify Wrapped dropped). Iām beyond honored and humbled to announce that I, yet again, did not make Forbes 30 Under 30 (Iām 32 years old).
But the most important stat of them all?
In other Spotify news, their CEO Daniel Ek is now richer than any artist in history - yes even Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Jay-Z. His net worth - a whopping $4.9 billion (thats about 2 trillion Spotify streams if my back-of-the-napkin math is correct).
Despite being the target of a 6-month long rap beef, Drake came out on top as the most streamed rap artist of the year ā for the 8th consecutive time. Now regardless of who you think won, (which from public perception seems to not be Drake), the numbers donāt lie. Full story here.
Besides being the most streamed Artist on Spotify this year, Taylor Swift has sold more than 800,000 copies of her āErasā book in the first weekend. The book was sold exclusively through Target in the U.S., and comes off the back of her releasing a vinyl anthology of her album āTortured Poets Department.ā Learn about another Taylor win here.
Bob Dylan praises TimothĆ©e Chalamet prior to him starring in the biopic about his life, which notably is the first time he has publicly spoken about the film. Dylan even went on to say, āheās going to be completely believable as me.ā Find out what else he said here.
We had some news released this week surrounding the new Harry Potter TV series:
It will be filmed in the original movie studio
Over 32,000 children (yes you read that number right) submitted auditioned
The series will begin filming in mid-2025, and premiere in 2026
Iām excited as hell
TikTok reveals that 13 of the 16 Billboard 100 number one hits in the US this year were linked to trends on its platform. Some people may say that TikTokās affect on music has fallen off, but the stats are saying otherwise. Story here.
Travis Scott, Chappell Roan, Hozier, and Bring Me The Horizon are being brought together for one of the more eclectic headlining bills we have ever seen at the the iconic 2025 Reading & Leeds Festival. Read the full lineup here.
The Call Log: Shaq Milli, Music Agent @ UTA
AvA: What was your first job in the industry?
Milli: For my very first job in the industry, I was a campus promoter for my Alma Mater, the University of Miami in Miami, FL. This was back around 2010-2011, I started out flyering and hustling tickets for local electronic/edm shows in the South Florida area. Eventually, I got to a point where I had an entire network of promoters on campus and we would fill multiple school buses full of college kids to the shows.
Milli: What are the 3 most important attributes of a successful agent today?
Being honest & respectful
Put the clientās needs above all
Keeping up with and predicting trends
AvA: How are you seeing artists successfully stand out in today's ultra-competitive environment?
Milli: With how music and content is being created and consumed, I think if an artist wants to stand out itās very important for them to create their own specialized path and/or world that incorporates attributes of current trends, their own uniqueness / personality all while pushing the boundaries of their own artistry. Overall, itās more important now than ever that artists are thinking how to be a world builder within their own fan bases and use that world to reach new fans.
AvA: One prediction for the music industry?
Milli: Weāre going to see way more world music crossing over in the near future. Already seeing it with Afrobeats. So excited to see what new sounds, cultures and vibes we get to experience in the future landscape of music industry.
AvA: One piece of advice for someone just starting their career?
Milli: Be a sponge for knowledge and donāt be afraid to ask questions!
AvA: If money was no object, what would your dream job/career be (outside of the Entertainment Industry)?
Milli: Honestly, my dream job is working in entertainment but outside of that, I would say I would love to be a travel influencer and explore new places and cultures.
AvA: Book or podcast recommendation?
Milli: Music, Money and Success by Jeffrey Brabec & Todd Brabec
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