Made It In Music: Interviews With Artists, Songwriters, And Music Industry Pros · Full Circle Music: A Nashville Recording Studio & Online Music Education Academy

What Industry Pros Are Looking For (Part 2)

December 20, 2023·36 min·2 clips

Brad compares AI in music to drum machines and says human feel may become more valuable.

1. Made It In Music: Interviews With Artists, Songwriters, And Music Industry Pros focuses on what Brad O'Donnell says music industry professionals look for in an artist. 2. Brad O'Donnell is the co-president of Capital Christian Music Group, and Riley Taylor opens the episode as Full Circle Music's community manager. 3. The episode asks what artists should do to get heard, build relationships, and decide when they are ready for industry attention. 4. Brad says fans usually find artists in their teens and early 20s, when people are exploring new music and new artists. 5. He says many listeners later have jobs and families, so they are less likely to discover music all day. 6. He describes two paths for reaching older listeners: naturally making music that fits them, or finding ways to reach adult artists. 7. Brad says reaching labels is partly about sending enough messages, because he cannot reply to every email or LinkedIn note. 8. He says one thoughtful LinkedIn message and one short email asking him to hear a single song stood out enough for him to answer. 9. He recommends “agenda free meetings,” where artists ask for coffee, learn from people, and let introductions happen naturally. 10. Brad says that network-building eventually turned into a chain where one person led to another person and then another person. 11. On location, he says almost none of the artists they signed were already living in Nashville before signing. 12. He says the internet changed the equation, because if one person in the industry hears a video or song and shares it, artists can be found. 13. On AI, Brad says he is on the optimistic side for now and compares the moment to the invention of drum machines. 14. He says drum machines made perfect repetition easier, but human drummers with feel became more valuable. 15. He argues that AI will likely do some things better than people, while a “soul piece” in music still cannot be replaced. 16. For independent artists, he says measurable signs like playlist placement, views, and follower growth can justify meetings, but relationships can start earlier. 17. On teams, he says artists should add people when a job becomes too much to carry alone, rather than building a team too early. 18. He says producers should be treated like entrepreneurs, and he mentions Nashville’s “unspec” idea as one way to test working relationships. 19. The format is a live Q&A with practical, direct answers, and Brad often uses examples from his own career and roster decisions. 20. Artists who want practical industry advice about labels, teams, and release strategy will get the most from this episode.

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