Posts by Mark Sutherland

He wrote megahits for Michael Jackson and Alanis Morissette. Now he’s taking on musical theater.

Glen Ballard discusses co-writing Jagged Little Pill, working with Michael Jackson, how AI is 'the ultimate threat to every writer in the world' and much more...

Interviews

‘SoundCloud is here to change the world.’

Emmy Lovell, Global Head of Music at SoundCloud, tells MBW why the streaming service is out to transform the industry for everyone…

Interviews

‘When you’re seeing Jane’s Addiction or Porno For Pyros on stage, that’s what life’s about. It’s the best job in the world at that point’

Perry Farrell's co-manager, Michael James, talks about working with an alt-rock pioneer and the cultural impact of his client's bands and projects, from Jane's Addiction to Lollapalooza

Interviews

‘The industry has learned its lesson.’

For 20 years at BMG and Universal, Rob Wells was the music industry’s go-to digital guru. Then he quit. After enduring a ‘trainwreck’ at Crowdmix, he’s now back as CEO of fast-growing rights management company Orfium...

Interviews

‘There’s a safe room we go to where the two of us can say anything to each other.’

Boy (George Merrill) Meets Girl (Shannon Rubicam) discuss writing 1980s mega-hits How Will I Know and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, their experience as artists, divorce, trust and rediscovering their passion for writing...

Interviews

‘These relationships weren’t made by sending beats, they had to be built. We had to meet and like each other, go through ups and downs.’

MBW’s World’s Greatest Producers series interviews Bryan-Michael Cox

Interviews

‘Our ambition is to sign acts with the best talent and break them on a global scale.’

Jamie Spinks, Head of A&R at Columbia in the UK, on how A&R is evolving, and more...

Interviews

‘The objective is not just to have a hit, it’s to make people feel less alone, more loved, more alive, more thankful.’

Josh Jenkins talks about co-writing two very different country mega-hits, the effect they have had on his career, gifts from God, TikTok and the importance of 'a slow, peaceful creative space'

Interviews

‘We need to find a fair way to compensate songwriters, because we can’t survive. Well, I can survive, but I’m terrified for the next generation.’

Liz Rose on becoming a superstar songwriter by accident, Taylor Swift, telling stories, selling catalogs and why current payment models urgently need overhauling

Interviews

‘There can be a lot of mystery and complexity around live music and I see our role as demystifying all of that.’

Songkick General Manager Sarah Jones traces the evolution of the Warner Music-owned concert discovery platform and shares her views on the importance and future direction of live music…

Interviews

‘In the first meeting, she basically told them to f*** off and that she didn’t need them – but they came back for a second meeting.’

Becky Hill’s manager Alex Martin talks to MBW about his journey so far with the double BRIT-winning artist...

Interviews

Music Business Worldwide

Posts by Mark Sutherland

He wrote megahits for Michael Jackson and Alanis Morissette. Now he’s taking on musical theater.

‘SoundCloud is here to change the world.’

‘When you’re seeing Jane’s Addiction or Porno For Pyros on stage, that’s what life’s about. It’s the best job in the world at that point’

‘The industry has learned its lesson.’

‘There’s a safe room we go to where the two of us can say anything to each other.’

‘These relationships weren’t made by sending beats, they had to be built. We had to meet and like each other, go through ups and downs.’

‘Our ambition is to sign acts with the best talent and break them on a global scale.’

‘The objective is not just to have a hit, it’s to make people feel less alone, more loved, more alive, more thankful.’

‘We need to find a fair way to compensate songwriters, because we can’t survive. Well, I can survive, but I’m terrified for the next generation.’

‘There can be a lot of mystery and complexity around live music and I see our role as demystifying all of that.’

‘In the first meeting, she basically told them to f*** off and that she didn’t need them – but they came back for a second meeting.’

‘Record companies still have an important role to play if they reposition themselves in the right way.’

Jimmy Napes on Unholy, Sam Smith, and never taking success for granted

‘It’s not about money and business, it’s about making people want to come give you a hug because they heard a song’

‘Songs are the engine of the music industry and sometimes people can lose sight of that’