 Wow, what's up everybody once again is brand man Sean and today I got a very special guest for you guys. It's Kory This guy has his hands in multiple things. He's a digital marketer He's done some other things in music industry been a manager. So you guys are gonna get a lot of great information for you I'm not from him. I'm not gonna waste your time. I want to hop right into it. So what's up, Kory? How you doing doing pretty good man? Just stand out as heat man Hey man, that heat in Georgia dog is a little rough. That's right. Alright, so like just start here There's always the best place to start tell everybody how you got into the music industry in the first place I'm so my background pretty much comes from publicity. I started out being an intern to like More like an assistant to a publicist I was more so in the media world, you know getting placements on blogs and like magazines and Local press and stuff like that and that kind of transferred into Me working on the publicity and marketing team for like a boutique label Which is pretty much just like a upstart label between some guys with some money who like you I want to start a label come work for us So that to me doing that for about a year or two and then from that kind of transition into managing artists Which I did up into about four or five months ago Okay, which led me into my own marketing thing like kind of freelance marketing working for people doing like influence Marketing and Spotify playlist and stuff like that. Okay, but and I can get to you guys this guy is serious I wouldn't even have him up here, especially him being in the marketing space. You all know what I do So y'all gonna learn some great things from him now when we talk about this label though You said you worked at a label was this like a label when you said two guys with some money You just talking about they got the check and they said he want to start one Yeah, they're already experiencing the industry. So the it was pretty much two people So one of the guys's name is Jonathan. Hey, he's the publicist that I was working for and his business partner Who was a guy that was new to the music industry? But he had the funds to like kind of get everything off the ground So like I said, these two guys were like, you know, we kind of have a vision for a label that we want to start We have something that we want to do we know what you can do Can you come kind of help us with it got you whether I like first footprint or like real serious footprint in the music Okay came from now for all the marketers out there and managers I know so many people want to start a label. So before we get deeper to your personal story What's the biggest thing you felt like? Kept that label from surviving because a lot of people trying to start labels these days Yeah, not really not really knowing the cultural landscape I would say because like I said, like it was two guys who they had the money to do everything That was really any idea like I could come up with it like our crew how much is it? Yeah, we'll get you to check Yeah, they're gonna say so it's pretty much them not not really knowing what they got themselves into Like I said with the other guy coming from a publicity standpoint He's so used to pushing everything from like like the perspective of a publicist or a journalist Which you know, we all know like it comes it's a lot more that comes with yeah starting the label So I don't say that's the only thing I really saw wrong with them because I had all the other things like like took like really nice We say cultural landscape what you talking about there. It's like knowing like, you know Which press is good press for the demographics are trying to get into you know I sound like which which like influences are like really making an impact on what you're trying to get into or like just Observing like the overall like cultural landscape like who are the people that we're trying to get our music in front of it It was very much just like a throwing spaghetti at the wall technique that they were trying to go for as opposed to like You know, who is this person that we're trying to reach who is the fans of our music? So they understand how to like identify who meets the demographic and reversing it engineer from there So they were pretty much just like like they were also every pretty much is like we also like doing the music side Which everyone from my experience everyone who gets really involved in the music side doesn't like to do the other stuff Like they don't like to kind of build that that customer profile You know, so I honestly that's really the only thing I see that in like their artists were like cool artists They weren't like the best like most serious are they also have artists who kind of like took advantage of the situation. Okay, who Didn't shouldn't have been taken advantage of the situation So those things that I mean, I'm sure a lot of you guys have gone through but uh Those some things definitely keep in mind when starting a label and yet that money is not everything Everybody I know a lot of people are like looking to get some money or they say all they need is money but I've Talked to people who have been on tours with artists that have had millions of dollars back in them whether it's their own because they got it somehow or investors and Artists just straight-flopped. Yeah, I'm talking about millions of dollars Yeah, so it's not all just the money if you don't know the customer for profile How to like to do a lot of things that he knows how to do, you know, then It's not as easy as this game everybody on as everybody makes the game see Like you said money isn't everything like at some point There's only like no matter how much money you spend on something at some point It kind of has to like grow us on legs and walk. Yeah, I'm saying like the money is to get the ball rolling But once the ball start, you have the ball has to roll That's real like what do you what are you doing more so today? What's more so your day-to-day when it comes to the services you offer artists? So I pretty much like you said like focus more on like digital music marketing. Yeah It's mostly me doing influence the marketing on Instagram YouTube and then some of it Well, actually most of it is spot-by-play listing So like I pretty much figure out ways that we can take all these digital channels and digital platforms and connect you with people who Make sense with the audience that you're trying to reach and then get you placed into those places Okay, so a lot of artists are trying to get in contact with people like you now For your from your perspective What are some of the things that keep you from working with everybody because? Everybody I know who's taking it seriously. They aren't scamming out here They filter they don't just work with every single artist that reaches out to them So what are some of the turnoffs that you have when it comes to artists who hit you up? I mean with it being the music industry. I Personally it helps if I really like the music just if anyone working with music It makes it a lot easier when you like this one because like when you hitting that point with like everyone's kind of saying No, yeah, it makes you want to like, okay. I really do like this song I believe exactly. I believe in it. So let me go So personal preference probably comes into like 70% of like the clients I work with in the rest of just like how serious do I believe in? Like I'm something like dude Are you doing this because like your friend told you that you need to do this? So are you is it something like you kind of looked into and like you're building your team? You realize I need a guy that does what you do But I know none of us have the time to do it so like seriousness and like personal taste got you the most So it's nothing about like how that brand looks aesthetically or like if they're Music is mastered or something like that. Yes. Well, okay So quality definitely goes into it too. Like I wouldn't work with someone who like Recorded a song like a phone software So quality does definitely matter as far as like the branding stuff that stuff can be changed You know something like yeah, especially with like I'm not at the point where like I'm working with like Superstar artists I'm usually working with artists who are trying to like get that fan base started So like luckily for them they're coming to a point where like most people don't know who they are like No, just to be like honest, like, you know, you may have like a hundred two hundred fans But it's still no couple there's a hundred hundreds of millions of people out there who don't know who you are Yeah, so they have the luxury of like kind of growing and like developing their brand is that go Which is what like what I like the most I don't really worry about that kind of stuff Even the worst brand or someone with the worst brand still has fans out there They just have to figure out how to reach those fans and tell that they're brand like to that person So I'm more so like interested in helping you figure out like all right Where's your niche and what do you have to do like fit in that niche? Okay. Yes. I know you've been a manager before What are some of the issues you see a lot of artists have when it comes to the manager artist dynamic? I think one realizing like the difference between what exactly a manager does as opposed to like What artists like to think of as label services like managers are more so like I Strategic advisors in a sense where it's like they're there to kind of help you map out the game plan To everything but they're not necessarily the people who like fund the game plan Okay, it's pretty much like it like in my opinion a manager is someone who looks at that network looks at your network And then figure out like how can we put a game pen together and make sense for what we do have? Yeah, and how can we figure out a way to get to the things that we don't have access to? So I just think like a lot more artists have to just kind of like really like realize like are you at a point? Would you need the dynamic like do you really need a manager? Do you have anything going on to like you need to be managed? Yeah So I do have enough do you have enough people trying to reach out to you in a week that you need someone to kind of like filter All these conversations if not then like answer you don't like a manager in my opinion It's probably like the third thing you should get like a third thing after what a lawyer and I Was gonna say a good account, but I guess we're not making money manager will be the second so like a lawyer I was like a lawyer and accounting in like a manager, but like if you're not making money You know lawyer first definitely if you can like and then a manager, okay Why you say that? I'm I just like I feel like a lot of artists get themselves tangled up into legal situations Just because they're so stuck in like they're so stuck in the now Which my big thing is I try to get a lot of artists to think of their careers is like a business Like you wouldn't want to make a bad business decision decision today because you know So you're in a tight spot, you know And it kind of comes back and like by shooting the ass like two or three years later Yeah So I feel like artists kind of needs to go into their situations knowing like all the legal things surrounding the things that they think are just like You know every day normal things for like a artist to do No, like I'm gonna take this song that I have a sample and I'm gonna upload a song called anyway Because in their mind like I'm gonna be big one day, but this is gonna be it This song goes viral gets two million streams and then you have you know send the artist the other artist is about now You have five hundred thousand dollar lawsuit in your hands because yeah, you know something you didn't kind of talk to someone about this first and No one is more versed in legal matters than the lawyer like I'm saying like even as a manager like I would tell Artists I was working like you're like this is what I've seen for like I've heard or what I've read Yeah, but let's not make any moves on it unless we talk to somebody else who knows You know if I know 20% of me finds my nose 90% about it That's a trustworthy manager. A lot of managers will not do that. They're just gonna mislead They don't even want to artist educated on stuff now and with that being said to I've known quite a bit of artists that have got Caught up in some legal situations with their manager because they get in that relationship before they really get popping But then they move into a label and then now the label can't really move on things until certain stuff gets right with the manager if That manager like y'all might be parting ways for whatever reason or the manager might Be more demanding or something just harder to deal with you know in the same way I think like Jay-Z and Dame Dash like their situation I don't know all the the details But I always know that Dame Dash was looked at somebody from the label standpoint that was hard to deal with Yeah, right and and that could work for you But some people that might work against them where they say I don't want to be with this manager Because they're not savvy and they're messing up my business. I got a part ways But you can't just part ways when y'all have problems if you already got a legal agreement exactly and mess Best way to think about it is like divorce. Yeah, everybody talks about Never know who you went until y'all get divorced and how ugly these divorces and marriage get Same thing with a manager. They all got something legal like y'all illegally married in business And then you don't like this person y'all are already in some disagreements And then next thing, you know, you know, you try People start acting real shady next thing, you know, like they don't want a bigger cut than you think and Like just just yeah having a lawyer first like even If you decide to get a manager and don't have a lawyer that's like long term like at least Like for the agreement with the manager Like go find someone who knows of a lawyer like someone that you trust that point you in the direction of a lawyer Yeah, like never sign, you know, of course, I never sign anything. Yeah with someone you don't know And I've heard a horror story too about like managers who like to catch Artists when they're like in positions, they don't know anybody they sign to this Violating agreement and like you said like three years later five years later, whatever. Yeah, you're stuck with this person So it does come down to like like you said, like I feel like every business relationship is kind of like dating in the sense Where's like, you know, you won't you won't propose to a girl if y'all haven't even got coffee yet Someone come up you like yo, I like your music. I want to manage you I want to see if I can develop something with you But I cool, you know, come meet me at a couple more on my show, you know, so let's kind of talk this out Yeah, see let me fill you out as a person see how what I think this could be give me some some references, but who are you? Yeah, who are your three closest friends or like I'm saying who are three artists that just know you I can call and ask like yo What's this guy about? Because they're people in the industry that might not even like that person that person might have They might even be decent at that time, but they might have messed up so many of their relationships in the industry They're not gonna be able to move anyway Yeah, so you get a contact get some referrals and see hey, yo you heard of such and such You know this person and they can vouch for their character Yeah, you know that they can vouch for their ability to actually perform He really put yourself in a position where you just added another you to the team All right, well switch your gears a little bit man, I know you work with Spotify playlist a lot and you work with any other type of playlist other than Spotify. Um No, and yes, like I'm learning these are right now Yeah, and it's not really as much as because like Spotify's playlist and platform is a lot more open than like the other Kind of streaming platforms like Apple has the people that makes their playlist Yeah You're not knowing let you know what it's like you can't you gotta come through with the gatekeepers first Right. Yes, I know. Okay. Got you. So what is like maybe two keys since he says when you talk about Spotify playlist Go for the little guy like don't Because one like Spotify has a monopoly on the large place of course because it's their platform Yeah, and then outside that labels have the monopoly on the other large playlist So like probably about 80% of all the playlists over like 200,000 followers are owned by the Spotify of these companies that major labels on so like that's kind of where like even myself I kind of go into the space of like all right Who are these regular people that have built up playlists for whatever reason like how can we find these people and reach out to them? Yeah, like I even tell clients all the time, you know if I can get you a hundred 5,000 follower playlists, that's just as good as me getting you one You don't sound like fifty thousand five hundred thousand follow the playlist So it's kind of like it's pretty much like micro influencing in the Spotify world is like going for those guys and tip number two I would say is just know Where your song fits like I don't think that just because the playlist Has whatever amount of numbers that your song is gonna fit because especially with playlist playlist spotlights playlist a very like either mute move curated or like Very tell it's like a specific sound So it's like if you're a trap rapper Your song isn't gonna do as well than like a chill rap playlist It's like someone who makes music like you know some like a software like to make jinx or something right vice versa Like you know like a pop artist song isn't gonna do well on like a country music playlist Just because it has having many people like you're gonna get the listens But you're not not gonna get like the return of listening I don't get the people who are like who generally like care about your song passes first listen So those are the two things I was to be like let's look for like where you make sense That's not just put you somewhere because you know a lot of people come here like but do you make sense that? That makes sense. I feel you so last question When it comes to what you're working on Right, I know that you mentioned that at some point you do want to have a label. Hmm, right So what does it take for anybody? out there Who wants to have a label at some point that maybe not already have some super connected positions like you Saying you want to have a label one day and you're talking more so in the future instead of just starting one now How come you're not just trying to start one now like most people wouldn't just say hey I got a label and we get an artist and what After you talk about how come What do you have? What do you feel like you need to do before you put yourself in that position to actually start one? I feel like luckily I've been like blessed to kind of come from being inside of a machine Even though it wasn't like a very large machine I still saw like the day-to-day operations of people who work like trying to start a label and we're actually like running a label from a day-to-day Yeah, so like that means I know that shit is work like I know it's like more work Then I honestly could put on myself at the moment and then more work then like I will be willing to like Find artists who believes in that system and like I don't have my structure together So it's like you can't put like this belief in our structure. He's in it even all the way together Yeah, so my game for these couple of years It's just like let me find these people who can help me with the label when I do get to that point I do things like I know I wouldn't know how to do or like things are like I don't know as much about you know like 20% thing So it's like yeah, I know at some point if I have a label like I'm gonna need some he's gonna have to start I'm doing doing tours and doing shows. I don't know how to put it a tour together So let me do what I'm doing now and let me meet some promoters You know some who are working with ours get cool with them So then when I come back in two years now like yo, I have his artist You're still throwing shows out in LA. Let's put my artist on the show. It's kind of breaking me Let's go from there So it's I'm pretty much at a point where I would much rather build the connections and also build like the legal structure and the business structure That comes with you know only late because it still is a business at the end of the day like I still got Yeah, you gotta have shit on word, you know, so it's like I would much rather focus on building those things right now And come back in the year too because artists aren't going away. I can be telling the artist every day of every year You know somebody's gonna be out there, right? Just pretty much me like getting my network and my stuff in order before I like launch it out into the world like that You know, I mean coming from the marketing side like marketing is one of the larger portions of like how people Breaking artists. So it's like even now once I get I started label We don't have to spend X amount of dollars on the marketing team because I know what I'm doing I'll just train two people under no kind of doing what the same thing I was doing now At least we have a leg up already. Now. We just got to figure out other pieces to the puzzle So that's kind of how I look at it Make sense man. Perfect. You've been of extreme value. If the people already know you have been Definitely y'all got to follow this man at Kory the saver savior. That's k-o-h R-e-y-d-a-s-a-v-r I'll put it somewhere at the bottom of the screen or something like that But definitely follow a man, you know if you needed services or whatever just follow mom He stays up on game who moves pretty heavy in Atlanta and I'm sure he's in other cities as well as they do in the industry Y'all already know brand-man Sean Looking forward to having him on the channel again because he has a knowledge a lot of knowledge for you guys anything you want to leave him with Best thing or the one thing I do want to leave everybody with is just take this seriously and Treat it like a business and everything can move for you Really easily. I promise you Perfect words man for real for real. All right, you know what to do hit that subscribe, but