Cloud Bar is back with a new lineup dedicated to industry change and social justice

As outlined in our CEO’s letter to the community on June 15th, we’ve been working to produce more live programming that would not only educate and inspire the creator community, but help you navigate the current climate and progress the industry toward positive change. 

To kick things off, we launched The Journey, a roundtable series featuring intimate discussions with Black industry executives about their careers and advice for future generations, and last week we brought Cloud Bar back with an all-new roundup dedicated to topics like social change and career sustainability. 

The first show aired on Thursday, August 13th and was moderated by veteran music executive / music and culture writer, Naima Cochrane and featured the following panels: Assembling a Top-tier Team with Taz Taylor, founder of production collective Internet Money; DIY or Sign? with Moody Jones, VP of Digital and Creative at distribution company EMPIRE; and Maximizing Your Revenue Streams with Courtney Stewart, co-founder of Keep Cool and Moe Shalizi, CEO of management company The Shalizi Group. 

This week, we’ll be keeping the conversations going around career longevity and diving into topics like brand sustainability, publishing and A&R.

To watch live and join the discussions below, just tune in here at 11 a.m. PST / 2 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. BST on Thursday, August 20. 

• Building a Sustainable Music Career: Ben Willis, co-founder of management firm Indie-Pop (Yuna, KYLE) will discuss how to maintain your brand and sustainable audience growth even as you evolve.
• Publishing 101:  Ian Holder, VP, Creative at Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Rhea Pasricha, Head of A&R West Coast at publishing company Prescription Songs will break down the complexities of publishing so you understand the basics of how you can make money from your music. 
• The Evolution of A&R: In the past, A&R execs would find out “who’s next” via live showcases, but today there are endless ways to discover new artists online. Hear from Steven Carless, Universal Music Group A&R executive (Nipsey Hussle, YG, 2 Chainz, Dave East, SAFE, Polo G and more), entertainment executive Nicole Plantin (Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, Jhene Aiko, Schoolboy Q, Nipsey Hussle, Joey Bada$$), and Head of Music for i am OTHER, Kawan “KP’ Prather (OutKast, T.I., Killer Mike, John Legend) on how you can stand out from the pack. 

Interested in what’s on deck? You can always get the latest updates by checking our regularly-updated schedule here.