Bandier (right), with Randy Jackson and Ben E. King
Over the weekend, The New York Times ran a provocative profile on Martin Bandier, the 68-year-old CEO of music publisher Sony/ATV. The company, which Sony and Michael Jackson co-launched in 1995, co-owns the publishing rights to songs by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, and Taylor Swift, among others.
The story is a must-read for anyone trying to gleam a deeper look into the mindset of a major music exec. Bandier, who joined Sony/ATV in 2007, prefers a hands-on approach, aggressively pursuing new streams of revenue for his clients through TV, movies, and video games.
“I didn’t think guys like him existed in the industry anymore, says hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean. “The reality is, it used to be about the songs, and the time we’re living in now, it’s more about a quick hit.”
“The most difficult part of the business today is deciding whether I should commit the dollars to signing an unknown or wait until the artist has a hit,” says Bandier.
Read the article here.