Where are you based?
I am based in Chicago, Ill.
Where do you work? What do you do?
I am the Co-Founder of Audiomack, an artist-first music streaming and artist discovery platform. I currently serve as our SVP of Operations & Artist Services, working with nearly 200 rights holders (record labels, distributors) and our incredible independent artist community.
What are you listening to?
Everything! Hip-Hop, R&B, Afrobeats, Amapiano, Jazz, Latin, Dancehall, Soca, Pop, you name it.
How do you discover new music?
I use Audiomack — of course, working at a music streaming service that emphasizes artist discovery certainly helps in that department. I also scour social media for personal recommendations. In person or online, word of mouth remains the best form of music discovery.
What formats do you usually listen to? LP, CD, Cassette, Digital, Streaming Services? Why?
I have a large vinyl collection, but at the moment, it’s collecting literal dust. The vast majority of my consumption is currently through streaming.
“For most listeners, the phone serving as the music player made music consumption an entirely passive activity. People press play and then play hopscotch from one app to another, actively engaging in news, social media, gambling, and other forms of content, while the music merely soundtracks their sessions.”
Where do you do most of your music listening?
Everywhere, all day long. I listen in the morning under Bose headphones while drinking coffee and catching up on emails; I listen during my car ride to the office; I listen at the office from Alesis studio speakers; I listen during afternoon walks between calls under Apple Airpods Pro; I listen while making dinner with my family through a wireless Sonos speaker; etc… You get the idea [laughs].
How do you find and listen to pre-release music?
Fortunately, my job allows me to receive new music days, weeks, and sometimes months before it’s released to the public. Artists and labels flood my inbox daily with preview streams.
What are your frustrations with listening to music digitally? Any benefits?
For most listeners, the phone serving as the music player made music consumption an entirely passive activity. People press play and then play hopscotch from one app to another, actively engaging in news, social media, gambling, and other forms of content, while the music merely soundtracks their sessions. The benefit is obvious: Music fans now have nearly every piece of music in recorded history at their fingertips.
How do you keep track of everything you are listening to?
When new music is released that I want to listen to, I save it to my device. If I press play and love the tunes, I keep it saved. If I don’t love it, I un-save it. What remains saved continues to get burn.
Do you tip other people off to new music? How?
Every day, through personal conversations and my social media. Very few things in life give me the satisfaction I feel when I’ve introduced someone to their new favorite artist.
Anything you want to “promote”?
Yes — Audiomack! Download our app on iOS and Android for free! On the artist front, here are the last ten artists in my listening queue that I strongly recommend: Juls, Teddy Swims, Saint Harison, ASTN, AUSAR, Adekunle Gold, Navy Kenzo, Bloody Civilian, Amaarae, BLK ODYSSY.
