After a successful radio career in the 90s, Rick Barker became one of Taylor Swift's radio promoters in 2004 and then her manager from 2006 - 2008. He played an instrumental role in the success of her first album as well as her transition to a star. Since departing that role, he's worked as independent consultant for artists and labels, showing them how to maximize their careers.

Rick and I covered his time working with Taylor, and in the full episode on The Record Business podcast, we also talked about his consultancy, Music Industry Blueprint, and how he helps artists with their careers.

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Freeman's Music Biz is a summary podcast that offers 10 - 15 minute versions of Sam's hour-long conversations from his three shows. If you enjoy the clips, please check out the full podcasts, which are listed below.

Podcast #1 - Speakhertz (for talking to audio professionals)

Podcast #2 - The Record Business (for talking to music executives)

Podcast #3 - Music Is A Racket (for talking about the underbelly of the music business)

As the son of a famed music executive who signed KISS and Donna Summer in the 70s, Evan Bogart was set on his own music path in his teens. He got an internship at Interscope and helped bring Eminem to the label after seeing him at the Rap Olympics in 1997. Until now, it's unclear why credit for Em's signing went to Evan's former colleague Dean Geistlinger, so I sat down for a chat to learn about what really happened and who really did what.

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Freeman's Music Biz is a summary podcast that offers 10 - 15 minute versions of Sam's hour-long conversations from his three shows. If you enjoy the clips, please check out the full podcasts, which are listed below.

Podcast #1 - Speakhertz (for talking to audio professionals)

Podcast #2 - The Record Business (for talking to music executives)

Podcast #3 - Music Is A Racket (for talking about the underbelly of the music business)

Tab Nkhereanye has made the journey from aspiring songwriter to hitmaker and now senior A&R. As a writer in the first decade of his career, he wrote for the likes of Mya, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber and Mary J Blige. From there he became an A&R at places like Sony/ATV, Republic and Def Jam. Some of his notable feats were signing Frank Ocean and Alessia Cara. He's now SVP of A&R at BMG and works with a slew of talented artists to help them craft hits.

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Freeman's Music Biz is a summary podcast that offers 10 - 15 minute versions of Sam's hour-long conversations from his three shows. If you enjoy the clips, please check out the full podcasts, which are listed below.

Podcast #1 - Speakhertz (for talking to audio professionals)

Podcast #2 - The Record Business (for talking to music executives)

Podcast #3 - Music Is A Racket (for talking about the underbelly of the music business)

Freeman's Music Biz is a summary podcast that offers 10 - 15 minute versions of Sam's hour-long conversations from his three shows. If you enjoy the clips, please check out the full podcasts, which are listed below.

Podcast #1 - Speakhertz (for talking to audio professionals)

Podcast #2 - The Record Business (for talking to music executives)

Podcast #3 - Music Is A Racket (for talking about the underbelly of the music business)

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Joe D'Ambrosio started off as a ball boy for the New York Yankees in the 70s and was soon hired as an assistant by legendary music producer, Phil Ramone. After years by his side, Joe went on to hold various music-related roles within marketing, sales and live events, but eventually returned to work with Phil in the 90s and later became his manager. He thereafter set up Joe D'Ambrosio Management in 2002 and currently has a roster of acclaimed producers and mixers.

Freeman's Music Biz is a summary podcast that offers 10 - 15 minute versions of Sam's hour-long conversations from his three shows. If you enjoy the clips, please check out the full podcasts, which are listed below.

Podcast #1 - Speakhertz (for talking to audio professionals)

Podcast #2 - The Record Business (for talking to music executives)

Podcast #3 - Music Is A Racket (for talking about the underbelly of the music business)

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Common Saints is the artist moniker of Charlie Perry, a British producer who found success in the late 2010s thanks to his work with artists like Jorja Smith, BTS, Olivia Dean and Maverick Sabre. The first Common Saints EP dropped in 2020 and quickly took the Internet by storm thanks to its modernized version of 70s psychedlic rock that quickly racked of millions of streams and views. I reached out for an interview and we talked about everything from his background to how each Common Saints track was made.

Freeman's Music Biz is a summary podcast that offers 10 - 15 minute versions of Sam's hour-long conversations from his three shows. If you enjoy the clips, please check out the full podcasts, which are listed below.

Podcast #1 - Speakhertz (for talking to audio professionals)

Podcast #2 - The Record Business (for talking to music executives)

Podcast #3 - Music Is A Racket (for talking about the underbelly of the music business)

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Though he started off as a drummer in the 70s, Pelle Lidell went on to become one of most well-known Swedish A&Rs of the last few decades, having a hand in countless records for artists like Christina Aguilera, Celine Dione, Christina Milian, Sugababes and more. He spent time at both indie and major label publishers, first in Sweden and then in the UK. He followed up by contributing to the K-Pop explosion of the 2010s, with several of his writers getting cuts with the biggest stars in the genre.

Freeman's Music Biz is a summary podcast that offers 10 - 15 minute versions of Sam's hour-long conversations from his three shows. If you enjoy the clips, please check out the full podcasts, which are listed below.

Podcast #1 - Speakhertz (for talking to audio professionals)

Podcast #2 - The Record Business (for talking to music executives)

Podcast #3 - Music Is A Racket (for talking about the underbelly of the music business)

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I recently spoke with Brent Kolatalo, a producer/mixer known for his work alongside Kanye West, Future, Lenny Kravitz, and Kendrick Lamar. Some of the covered topics include the following:

• Brent's early days at Berklee and working under Ken Lewis in the 2000s.
• Doing sample replacement and session work on the "College Dropout".
• Not getting credited on famous songs.
• Making records for Future.
• Running his own operation as a producer.

Freeman's Music Biz is a summary podcast that offers 10 - 15 minute versions of Sam's hour-long conversations from his three shows. If you enjoy the clips, please check out the full podcasts, which are listed below.

Podcast #1 - Speakhertz (for talking to audio professionals)

Podcast #2 - The Record Business (for talking to music executives)

Podcast #3 - Music Is A Racket (for talking about the underbelly of the music business)

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Michael Blair is an American drummer and producer who's contributed to breakthrough records with Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Lou Reed, poet Allen Ginsberg, and many more. He also presents workshops and events focused on unlocking creativity and promoting music collaboration. I was able to sit down with Michael and ask him some questions about his career, his relocation to Sweden, and his wider work.