The world needs great new artists, and the traditional label system is broken. So we created Music180: The world’s first online Artist Development Platform that helps aspiring artists succeed by providing expert guidance, opportunities to get signed, and direct access to hundreds of the world’s top music industry professionals.
The world-class producers, managers, songwriters, publishers, music supervisors and other pros on Music180 have helped build careers for Justin Timberlake, Jay Z, Beyonce, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, U2, Carrie Underwood and many others. Every pro on Music180 is authentic and many of the opportunities and services they offer (like feedback, critiques and one-on-one meetings) are guaranteed.
Music180.com is run by music industry experts in Los Angeles and New York.
Eric Galen | Founder/CEO
For over a decade, Eric has helped independent artists and music professionals succeed in all aspects of their financial and creative endeavors. As a professionally trained musician and seasoned entertainment and technology attorney, Eric has assisted countless artists, producers, writers and labels, including Sony/BMG, Cher, The Eagles, Marti Frederiksen, Miley Cyrus, Microsoft, Concord Records and Mariah Carey, as well as a host of other producers, songwriters and independent artists.
Before founding Music180, Eric was the VP Business Development and General Counsel at Audiolife.com, a direct-to-fan e-commerce platform, helping the company raise over $3M in private funding and successfully managing strategy, business development and partnerships. From 1999 to 2007, Eric worked with some of the most prestigious law firms in the U.S., representing a variety of Fortune 500 firms and major entertainment clients.
Eric is a published author and was voted a “Rising Star” in Super Lawyers and Los Angeles Magazine (the top 2% of attorneys in California) for five of the last eight years. Eric has been a featured speaker and panelist at CMJ, ASCAP Expo, Miami Music Festival, Musicians Institute, UCLA, the Los Angeles Recording Academy and many other institutions.
Eric earned his B.A. cum laude from the University of California at Los Angeles and his J.D. from the University of Southern California. He is a member of the Recording Academy (RIAA), the American Federation of Musicians and the California Bar Association. Eric has performed on several independent and major label projects, won several awards for Outstanding Musicianship at Stanford University, and comes from a family of musicians.
Pam Rousakis | VP Business Development & Publishing
Pam Rousakis is a 20 year veteran of the music industry with in-depth experience in music publishing, record production, talent management, live performance, touring and studio operations. Pam was a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Notation Music Group, a multi-million dollar music publishing and record production company, founded by Pam and multi-platinum and Grammy Award winning producer Ric Wake. Notation was an immediate success and in five years shepherded the creation and exploitation of over 4000 new compositions that yielded a wealth of domestic and international top 40 hits, many climbing to #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and achieving gold and platinum sales.
In 1999, Pam oversaw the creation of new venture, DV8/Wake Productions, with Sony Music. In its partnership with Sony, DV8 produced and/or published over 300 songs and recordings that cumulatively achieved gross sales revenues in excess of $2 billion. Notation and DV8 productions included works for platinum selling artists including Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, the Dixie Chicks, and Marc Anthony.
Zack Singh | Director of Artist Development
Zack is an experienced professional in music publishing, artist development and talent acquisition. Before joining Music180, Zack served as the Manager of Creative Services at ArtHouse Entertainment, where he worked directly with songwriters and producers responsible for chart-topping hits, including songs by Bruno Mars, Carrie Underwood, Eminem, Cee Lo Green, Jason Derulo, Flo Rida, Daughtry, and many others. Zack holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Industry from the University of Southern California.
Scott Galen | Marketing
Scott has 10 years of marketing and sales experience with a passion for online media and unconventional marketing strategies. He earned an M.B.A. from St. Mary’s College of California with a major in Marketing.
Liuba Shapiro | Marketing & Licensing
Liuba is an Entertainment Marketing expert and Independent Music Supervisor with over a decade of music industry experience that includes the number one Billboard® album, the Juno soundtrack. With over five years of Music Marketing experience – including breaking new releases, online marketing, tour marketing, artist development and catalog campaigns, Grammy® campaigns, brand marketing, holiday album and gift guide campaigns, radio promotions, box set promotions, children’s products, gospel albums and even a fitness DVD – Liuba maintains strong working relationships across music, film, online media, fashion and comedy, with artists, managers, publicists, studios, labels and third-party partners. Additionally Liuba possesses extensive experience with online marketing and soundtrack promotions. In 2010 Liuba added Music Supervision and Consulting to her resume with contributions to the indie film “The Man That I Was” directed by Dave Cole and the upcoming, Sundance premiering documentary “Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest” directed by Michael Rapaport.
Ari Martin | Artist Development & Industry Relations
Ari Martin spent 8 years in the major label marketing departments of Epic and Arista Records, working with a diverse array of artists such as Oasis, Spin Doctors, Sarah McLachlan, Spiritualized, Crash Test Dummies, Patti Smith, Kenny G, and Carly Simon. In 1999 he started the NY office of Nettwerk Mgmt, which has represented Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, Coldplay, Dido, Barenaked Ladies, Guster, Brand New, and Sum 41 among others. He also has his JD from Fordham Law.
John Schenk | Finance and Accounting
John has 20 years of finance, strategy and operational experience working for major entertainment brands including Sony, DreamWorks and EMI Music, as well as a variety of early-stage internet and technology companies. John is a licensed CPA, and earned his MBA in Finance from New York University.
DIRECTORS AND ADVISORS
Johnny Hwin | Johnny was co-founder of DamnTheRadio.com, which sold to Fanbridge in 2011. Former product manager at Hi5.com, former co-founder and business development executive at Inrapt.com.
John Rudolph | John was the prior CEO of Bug Music Publishing, which was recently sold to BMG Rights for $300 million. He is also the co-founder of consulting firm Music Analytics, as well as the past CFO of Windswept Publishing.
John Boyle | John is a music industry veteran with deep experience in label operations, artist development, management, digital music and Internet start-ups. John was the CEO of Hello! Music, and co-launched the Warped Tour. He was a former executive at Giant Records/Warner Bros. and Virgin Records. John has an MBA from UC Berkeley and spent years working with top artists around the world.
Doug Barry, Investor and Advisor | Doug is the past managing director at Selby Venture Partners, and was an original venture investor in Pandora (the leading internet radio service with over 100 million listeners). Doug has over 20 years of experience in media, including as an executive at Turner Broadcasting and Electronic Arts. Doug is the CEO of Artist Capital Finance, which finances co-publishing deals for songwriters and publishers.
Lucas Keller | Lucas Keller is an entrepreneur and music manager currently working at Beverly Hills based media management company The Collective. Keller runs The Collective Songs, a group that oversees top songwriter and producer Talent like Desmond Child, David Hodges, John Feldmann, Gavin Brown, and more. Additionally, he works with a handful of the most successful career touring and recording artists in the world.
Marti Frederiksen | Marti is an award-winning producer, songwriter and musician with over 40 million record sales to his name. Marti has produced albums and written hits with Aerosmith, 3 Doors Down, Carrie Underwood, Foreigner, Motley Crue, Hannah Montana and Buckcherry, Mick Jagger, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Faith Hill and others. Marti also produced and performed all of the original music in the hit movie Almost Famous, and has recently produced and written new songs with top artists.
Dick Wingate | With more than 30 years in the music and interactive media industries, Dick Wingate recently served as Pres. Media Dev & Chief Content Officer for Nellymoser Inc., a leading provider of rich media mobile services, overseeing content, licensing and business develoment strategies, working closely with Sony/BMG, Warner Music and ABC. Wingate pioneered digital music during his years as SVP Content Dev. at Liquid Audio. His in-depth experience in the recording industry includes positions as SVP, Marketing, Arista Records (BMG); SVP, A&R PolyGram Records; Dir. Talent Acquisition, Epic Records; and Dir. Product Mgmt, Columbia Records. Dick has been integrally involved with the careers of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Aimee Mann. He was one of the earliest music industry supporters of digital interactive media, and in the early 90’s held the position of VP, Market Dev., Intouch Group, developer of the i-Station, the first networked, interactive music-previewing kiosk for record stores.
Stephen Finfer | Stephen has seen success in many aspects of the industry. While operating his own law firm and management company, Mr. Finfer represented Dr. Dre/Death Row Records, Master P/No Limit Records, Capitol Records, Priority Records, House of Pain/Everlast, and Fleetwood Mac. Mr. Finfer also spent several years at Capitol/EMI music before being appointed General Manager of MCA Music Publishing in charge of East Coast operations. Thereafter, he served as Senior Director of Creative Affairs at Famous Music Publishing and was appointed General Manager of TVT Music, Inc., where he signed writers/producers Scott Storch and Li’l Jon.
Mr. Finfer’s experience and success have carried over to ArtHouse Entertainment. To date, the ArtHouse catalogue has been featured in major campaigns nation-wide, including brands such as Chrysler, Pepsi, Elizabeth Arden, Dell, Doritos, Candies and Bally’s. Arthouse songs have also been licensed in film and television productions, for studios such as Disney, Warner Bros Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures, New Line Cinemas, Paramount Pictures, and Lions Gate Entertainment; as well as NBC, ABC, CBS, MTV, VH1, BET, HBO, Lifetime, Bravo and the CW.
Luke Ebbin | Luke is a multi-platinum, Grammy nominated record producer, composer and songwriter. Luke is credited for the comeback of the seminal ‘80’s band, Bon Jovi with his production of the worldwide smash single It’s My Life (one Grammy nomination) and the 8 million selling album Crush (one Grammy nomination). In addition, Luke has produced a second Bon Jovi album, Bounce (two Grammy nominations), Melissa Etheridge (one Grammy nomination), Plain White Ts, The All-American Rejects, Wakefield and Richie Sambora, among others. Mr. Ebbin is also an active participant in the new music and digital media space.
Arthur J. Rice III | Mr. Rice was a co-founder and Marketing executive for Software.com, a leading electronic messaging software company that merged with Phone.com to form Openwave Systems (OPWV). He is currently an active angel investor, board member and/or advisor to multiple early stage Internet and biomedical companies. Prior to Software.com, Mr. Rice held sales and marketing positions for several companies in the microwave communication and ultrasonic technology spaces. AJ also serves as on the Board of The Dream Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to granting final wishes to terminally ill adults. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Andy Arnold | Mr. Arnold is an active private investor and works with numerous start-ups and small companies with financial and investor related projects, including financial models, communications, new business strategy and helping management understand & act on results. Mr. Arnold has extensive experience with the finances of membership businesses, having spent 14 years in finance and strategy positions at America Online. During the latter part of his tenure at AOL, he was one of the directors of Investor Relations, gaining the respect of dozens of Wall Street brokerage firm analysts and institutional investors, during the Internet bubble and subsequent deflation. Before that, as Manager of Planning & Analysis for the first half of the 1990s, Mr. Arnold put together AOL’s revenue plan and budgets for marketing and network expenses in addition to providing support for deals, investor relations, royalty systems and other projects.
Greg Gilman | Mr. Gilman was director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Law at Pepperdine University School of Law, where he held faculty status and taught Intellectual Property Law. Prof. Gilman has represented a number of award-winning recording artists, producers, independent record labels and entrepreneurial businesses, as well as Internet application developers, independent record labels and media and production companies. He served as the interim vice president of Legacy Interactive, a software gaming company based in Hollywood, CA. Prof. Gilman has served on the board of directors of several pre-IPO companies, and as the head of business and legal affairs for record labels.
Patrick Vlaskovits | Patrick is a customer development and lean startup expert, and author of the book “The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development.” After college, Patrick teamed up with college roommate Jonathan Siegel to form ELC Technologies, based on an existing company known at the time as The Electric Connection. Patrick later went back to UC Santa Barbara to earn a Master’s in economics (with emphases in finance and econometrics). Patrick worked at an investment bank in Los Angeles, and then as an analyst for The Concord Group. Patrick is a co-organizer at the Los Angeles Lean Startup Circle, and principal at Twiistup.
Aaron Ross | Aaron is the founder of PebbleStorm, which is helping 100 million people “make money through enjoyment” by combining happiness and money. Aaron Ross’ Unique Genius work shows people how to discover your purpose & passions and turn them into a successful business. Aaron is the author of “CEOFlow: Turn Your Employees Into Mini-CEOs“, and his “Create Predictable Revenue” sales consulting practice helps companies with B2B sales organizations do just that. Aaron is also the cofounder of DataSalad (“Fresh B2B Marketing Data”), and on the advisory boards of Clickability, 4INFO, ConnectAndSell, AfterCollege, ExpertCEO and Flywheel Ventures. His B2B sales blog is Build A Sales Machine.
