Inside the Playbook: Mauricio Ruiz on How Jessie Reyez’s First Song Sparked a Label Bidding War

The Manager’s Playbook 069: Muyiwa Awoniyi - Tems, Afrobeats, Artist Management, Music Ownership, Global Strategy & Partnerships

Tems’ manager and partner Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down the strategy behind building Tems into a global music star. Muyiwa shares his people-first approach to artist management, why Tems’ team prioritized ownership over quick checks, how they structured their RCA license deal, and what it takes to build an artist career that can grow beyond music. This conversation covers Afrobeats, African music, artist management, music ownership, branding, fan engagement, publishing, label infrastructure in Africa, and building a global artist ecosystem without losing the vision. A must-listen for artists, managers, music executives, and anyone serious about the business behind global music. Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap. If you’re earning publishing income, make sure you’re collecting all of it.KOSIGN, powered by Kobalt, offers direct global publishing collections and real-time royalty transparency in a flexible, artist-friendly format. It’s highly selective, but free to apply here: https://form.typeform.com/to/JNELnGw9?utm_source=xxxxx&typeform-source=bit.ly#fbclid=xxxxx&gclid=xxxxx Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/ Watch the full episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook] New episodes drop Sundays @ 10am ET In this episode: 00:00 Afrobeats Money Mistakes 01:24 People-First Artist Management 04:17 Ownership Over Checks 06:57 Coachella With Justin Bieber & Wizkid 10:59 Branding and Artist Narrative 19:45 Diversifying Beyond Music 24:59 Why Fans Buy Into Movements 26:48 Fan Engagement in the Experience Era 40:42 Afrobeats, America, and Global Crossover 43:33 Why Labels Need Infrastructure in Africa 44:22 Why Artist Managers Are CEOs Now 50:51 Building Tems From Scratch 54:11 Partnerships Over Transactions 01:07:41 The Weeknd Blueprint, Equity, and Ownership 01:10:20 Funding Independence 01:11:36 Publishing Advances and Admin Deals 01:23:56 Omah Lay Split and Deal Fix 01:32:48 Artist vs. Entertainer Focus 01:34:39 Faith, Purpose, and Staying Grounded

Inside the Playbook: Matt Hansen on Artist Mode vs CEO Mode

Matt Hansen joins Mauricio Ruiz on The Manager’s Playbook to talk about the balance between being the artist and being the CEO of your music career. Matt explains why thinking about ROI, TikTok hits, or business strategy while writing can hurt the song and why he has learned to separate the creative process from the business side. He also breaks down testing songs on TikTok, revisiting hooks, preparing for headline tours, protecting his voice, delegating on the road, and building a team culture rooted in trust, kindness, drive, accountability, and initiative. This conversation is for independent artists, managers, music marketers, and aspiring music executives who want to understand how to build a real artist business without losing the creative centre. Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap. Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/ Listen to the full episode here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54E4CbJCx5Mc7tKAlwIySp?si=Vg5LiESwTBWKYKRsO6usiA Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook [https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook]

Inside the Playbook: Matt Hansen on TikTok Hooks That Drive Streams

Matt Hansen joins Mauricio Ruiz on The Manager’s Playbook to break down how independent artists can make content that actually moves the music. Matt explains how he built a short-form content system around TikTok hooks, emotional targeting, teaser windows, and fan data, including writing 15 hooks per song with his managers and focusing on the first 2-3 seconds of every video. He also shares how he built a 300K-400K SMS/email fan list through Laylo, pre-saves, tour pre-sales, and a “text me” number in his Spotify bio, helping create a reliable first-day streaming baseline without depending only on playlists or the algorithm. This conversation is for independent artists, managers, music marketers, and aspiring music executives who want to understand how content strategy, direct fan data, and emotional storytelling can turn attention into real career leverage. Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap. Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/ Listen to the full episode here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54E4CbJCx5Mc7tKAlwIySp?si=Vg5LiESwTBWKYKRsO6usiA Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook [https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook]

Inside the Playbook: Matt Hansen on the ROI of Opening Slots

Matt Hansen joins Mauricio Ruiz on The Manager’s Playbook to break down the real business behind touring as an independent artist. Matt explains how he used short-term distribution deals to fund touring and releases, why he kept ownership of his earlier songs, and how opening for artists like Train, Teddy Swims, Alec Benjamin, and Lauv helped grow his audience. He also talks about losing up to $140K on opening slots, turning live performance clips into streaming growth, and how “Let Em Go” jumped from around 90K to 600K daily Spotify streams. This conversation also covers catalog ownership, touring ROI, front-of-house relationships, performing with no soundcheck, and why opening slots can be one of the best ways for artists to build leverage. For independent artists, managers, music marketers, and aspiring music executives, this is a practical look at how touring can create value beyond the nightly settlement. Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap. Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/ Listen to the full episode here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54E4CbJCx5Mc7tKAlwIySp?si=Vg5LiESwTBWKYKRsO6usiA Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook [https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook]

Inside the Playbook: Matt Hansen on What Happens After Going Viral

Matt Hansen went viral overnight after posting a one-take Frank Ocean “Godspeed” cover in a parking garage. In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Matt joins Mauricio Ruiz to talk about what happened after the viral moment: going from 500 TikTok followers to 500,000 overnight, getting immediate major label interest, taking meetings alone while still at UCLA, and learning how to protect his leverage as an independent artist. Matt also breaks down finding the right managers, using data to guide his cover strategy and branding, building a “mini label” around himself, staying independent through distribution, and investing in touring even when the early numbers did not make sense on paper. This conversation is for independent artists, managers, music marketers, and anyone trying to understand how a viral moment can turn into a real music career. Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap. Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/ Listen to the full episode here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54E4CbJCx5Mc7tKAlwIySp?si=Vg5LiESwTBWKYKRsO6usiA Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook [https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook]