tHis music business needs a hug…and a punch to the gut.
As someone who cares deeply about mental health, wellness, and people who support those in need, my intentions in this letter come from the purest place of love and empathy. But if you learned anything from my time in the music industry, it’s direct. Today, I seek more consistent, accessible personal and professional development support for those who continue to turn the wheels of the music industry. These include leadership and communication training, adaptive and resilient coaching, and a basic understanding of emotional intelligence. We cannot have a healthy industry where healthy humans live without a crossroads of mental health. and Professional and personal development. We need to not only check what is visible on paper, but we also need to move beyond what does not affect what actually owns the day-to-day operations of our business. It’s an unsustainable long term. If the business itself doesn’t support usage, what good is the resource? How can you seriously promote wellness while maintaining conditions that undermine it in the workplace? The need to invest in both our happiness and As we navigate unprecedented mergers and acquisitions, ramp-stretched layoffs for evolving businesses, and increasingly competitive landscapes that show no signs of slowing down, the creation of a healthier work environment is becoming miserable.
First, we can benefit from operating with less ego and more empathy. Leaders can always strive to become better decision makers and communicators, focusing on the humility and understanding of their teams and partners. They retain the power to make a difference, but they also face great pressure and need to support them in guiding the industry. We also need more people who really care about human growth and have the ability to fight to change outdated systems.
These precursors are necessary to address what our artists are expressing on stage at award shows and what experts are talking about when they discuss records over dinner. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can speak for the hundreds of people I’ve met over the past five years, including those who attend our Jump.Global Annual Summit. Yes, we are good at calling this all “mental health,” and to some degree it fits under that umbrella. But it’s more than that. It addresses the infinite company’s Roargue, constant critique of performance, burnout from grind, lack of boundaries to healthy work-life, and the real impact of an industry that prioritizes making money without ensuring people are satisfied with personal growth.
These are not new revelations. The industry has long been criticised for its broken promise and dehumanization culture, but we have reached a turning point. People are mentally and physically exhausted, overwhelmed by constant fatigue and whipping of merciless demands. They are captured during morning meditation and breathing work sessions, but are thrown into the infinite email mixing chaos and an unclear path to progress. It is widespread and affects every part of our personal and professional life. The music industry must always embrace those who are their hearts and souls. Both artists, fans and workers. It’s time to nurture relationships that maintain it, provide support, care and awareness that has often been overlooked, and ensure that everyone involved feels valuable, heard and connected. It needs to be very systematic, so it’s just as common as creating emails and suggesting releases. Do we really listen to our team’s feedback on the charts? Making people profitable can turn this around, but without this shift there is a risk that people will keep this industry alive.
This sentiment is reflected by my coaching community that I have directed towards my research and development. “When mental, physical and emotional health is prioritized as part of the organizational structure, a change in corporate culture, people become more creative, more productive, more communication, stronger performance, stronger performance. “I work with both executives and artists, but most of them are trying to prevent burnout and then recover from it. When people are at their best, the whole industry benefits. And the way we take care of ourselves and each other affects the happiness and success of artists.”
Outside of overall health, it is important to remember how important it is for leadership training to play such an important role in all of this. “When we develop leaders and prepare them well, they can manage their teams effectively and compassionately. Tamara Gal-On and Remi Harris, UK-based coaches and co-founders of the Music Leader Network, share in the joint statement, Tamara Gal-On and Remi Harris, who share in the joint statement, can create a better working culture, maintain industry talent, reduce burnout and improve performance.
Effective communication has also been identified as a key component of strong leadership. Tracey Pepper, a veteran media and public coach and certified individual coach, said, “I work with high-level executives every week and are expected to inspire and motivate my team by sharing ideas and providing feedback, but I have never asked for support in developing a communication style. But how they interact with colleagues and colleagues has a big impact on the culture and productivity. Knowing how you influence others by how you talk to them is a leadership game changer.”
I ask almost everyone I meet about this cutting, and the consensus is clear. Our industry does not necessarily lack awareness of how important professional and personal development resources are. It lacks the time people dedicate appropriately to it because of how intense and fast their work is. Without immediate ROI, development often feels like a “luxury” that businesses and people can’t afford to buy. But what if you stop looking at it like that and start to obviously treat it as needed?
I praise music companies already with learning and development programs, but I hope that after a one-off grant, seminar or annual workshop, the journey will not stop. You need to create a continuous learning environment where experts use tools to thrive personally and professionally. The strength of our business lies not only in the artists we promote and the music we create, but in the culture we cultivate within our team. Cultivating powerful, emotionally intelligent people who work in music is not merely a blessing. This is important for the long-term success and sustainability of the industry. “What is emotional intelligence?” It’s fun to type into ChatGpt and compare it to the music business.
Of course, there was debate and debate as to who it was responsible for providing tools in these areas. To be fair, I think that is a collective responsibility of who. Thankfully, generous programs and organizations have already led fees to close lawsuits and provide important resources, research and guidance. Again, many of the headlines focus on mental health, but many of them work intersectingly through all the areas I have mentioned. Backline, a group of music industry therapists, Music Health Alliance, Music, Amber Health, Key Change, and many coaches and therapists have made a lasting impact, creating meaningful and sustainable change in the industry. In addition to these organizations, we owe much to organizations that lead ongoing efforts in supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, gender parity, combat ageism, and neuro-promoting education.
That said, there’s nothing you can do all the time. This is an invitation for all of us to play our part if you are not yet. While music is innovated and commercialized, old systems need to be dismantled and developed support for both the creative and the workforce. When we work to heal the world with music, we must first extend the same care to those who make it all possible. We can do this through compassion, empathy and kindness.
We are all human and we can all benefit from these changes, regardless of our title, company, or salary. To the artist manager who just lost his biggest clients, the marketing directors struggling to juggle 20 releases, the people who have dedicated their lives to eliminate their lives, the CEOs who have tried to rise just to be defeated by the corporate ladders, the people who have been invisible, unsupported or confused. This is why there is a need for systematic changes that will consistently support you, not just when it becomes impossible to ignore. Whether you’re implementing new ways to promote open communication within the department, or simply giving coaching sessions to your colleagues, we can all work together to shape a more resilient culture.
So, dear music business man, I hope you will embrace this embrace and share it with the friends you made along the way, the team you manage, the team you inspire, the artists you work with, the artists you have not met yet. With the massive scale of all music business, gut punches may feel like a tap of love, but we promise to carry enough weight to affect your revenue today or tomorrow.
With immeasurable love, gratitude, and interest,
Nick Maire
Nick Maiale is Founder and CEO Jump.Global – Agency solutions for music executives and businesses to increase influence through B2B trade marketing, conferences and panels, international relations, university guidance and more. He is studying to become a certified executive coach with a mission to bring more personal and professional development events. Jump.Global Annual Summitto the music business public.
