Lead of Business Partnerships
Darkroom Records
Years with Company: 2.5
Address: 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Phone: 267-438-2203
Web: darkroomrecords.com
Email: info@thedarkroomco.com
Clients: Waylon Wyatt, John Summit, Julian Fijma, Saam Sultan, Riordan
BACKGROUND
Darkroom Records has helped develop the careers of breakout stars such as Vincent Mason and hey, nothing. Toiling behind the scenes at this indie with major label reach sits Sacha Mattey. There, he advances the label’s strategic growth, ensures financial transparency, and secures brand partnerships.
Following His Heart
I grew up in London and created companies as a kid, mostly in the fashion space, and then went to business school at Wharton. I was studying financing and accounting to work at companies like Goldman Sachs or private equity funds like KKR. A year in, I thought, ‘What do I really want to do?’ I wanted to create value in a field I love. I started managing artists and got my feet wet at Warner. I did a bit of stuff at Spotify and then went to work at Create Music Group. But I wanted to create something of my own. And in order to do so, I had to understand all different facets of the music industry.
Going Dark
A few months into [working at Create Music Group], there was this opportunity to work for [Darkroom CEO] Justin Lubliner, who I was obsessed with. Six interviews later, I got to work at Darkroom. I do various things there on the business side of the music industry. Throughout the years, I’ve been able to learn a lot from creative people but really stick to the business stuff.
Joint Ventures
I’m always speaking to entrepreneurs that have created a record label and want to take it to the next level. Darkroom’s a perfect place for that. I speak to at least one label every day to see if we can form a partnership. We’re trying to be strategic. We don’t just want to be a bank. We want to mentor and teach people whilst learning from them as well.
Best Laid Plans
I help with strategy. There’s the most amazing executive team that drives that, but I’m there to give my perspective. When everyone’s going right, I tend to go left and give a different point of view, not to be contrarian but because my mind works in weird and wonderful ways. I’m a huge believer in the quote from Marcus Aurelius that strategy’s not about building the road all of a sudden but moving a rock every single day and creating the path of least resistance to success.
So, once I get told what success looks like, I’m the person that starts moving those rocks.
Whatever It Takes
I’m not responsible for looking for artists, although I do get my feet wet from time to time. I’ll do anything that brings value to the company. There are people here that have amazingly trained ears and know how to build relationships with artists. I’m better at building relationships with managers. Having said that, I have a huge affinity towards electronic music and signed an artist called Julian Fijma. If I need to be tapped in anywhere, I’ll tap myself in and try to add value.
A Selective Roster
We are not trying to sign everything. We’re trying to focus on artist development and have a strong employee network that is passionate about the people they work on. You see a lot of labels signing as many things as possible. We’re very against that. We’re meticulous about who we sign. By building perfect symbiotic relationships, we’re able to stand out. I’m really passionate about the core values the company holds, focusing on a select few artists, building them out over a long period, and not taking every opportunity to work on something.
Committing to Artists
We’re going to work on and think about you every day. We’re going to really try to make your dreams come true. We’re good at artist development. And we strongly believe that, if we’re paired with the right artist or partner, we can see some value come out of that, not just for them or us but the music industry as a whole.
It’s the Music That Counts
We’re looking for any sort of artist. We work [with everything from] underground rap to pop to electronic to country. As long as you have great music with strong marketing and a good story to tell, you can promote any genre.
The Value of a Dollar
The more you spend, the more in debt you go, so you want to find a balance. If something’s working, we know how to spend it. And we’ve spent years building stuff in house, so a dollar will probably go a lot further with us than someone else. The more transparent one can be with artists and the better understanding they have, the better it will be for them. I try to be up front and blunt as possible. If somebody’s spending in a wrong manner, I will definitely mention that to them. But at the end of the day, it’s typically their choice. I’m just the messenger. Each artist has a different story, and each artist requires a different amount.
Bright Future
The music industry’s growing. Most people consume music. Growing up, I faced difficulties, and the stuff that made me get through it all was music. It’s given me a lot. And it’s given a lot of people a lot. When I go to a concert and see how an artist we work with has changed a fan’s life, you can see there’s something within this industry. I love music and always have. Put on The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses” and you’ll have me crying.
Simplifying
There are a lot of inefficiencies in the music business. I’ll look at royalty statements, and there are so many lines of communication. If this got streamlined, you’d find money on the table. The adoption of A.I. is very late within music; military weapons manufacturers have been using A.I. for ages. How can we use A.I. to cut down on redundant tasks to open up time for people to be creative? The people at the forefront of that will definitely have a leg up in the next few years.
Music First, Money Second
Be careful with any deal you sign. Really understand it to the fullest degree. Don’t sign a deal too early. Wait until the data’s working and you have some leverage. When you’re starting out, the only thing you should be focused on is your music. Don’t worry about the finances. Get the product right. Don’t go out there spending loads of money. Try to spend zero, because you have zero coming in. It all starts and stops with the music. It starts with the music, and then you build a story. Once you build a story, create your world. And then you have an artist proposition. Go out, do your thing, and then start looking at your finances.
Data Vs. Instinct
We’re very tapped in on analytics. We’re also a company that is music-first. We allow our employees to use their gut instinct and intuition while using data [to back them up]. If someone is passionate about a certain artist, we’ll always lean towards that.
Carving a Path Behind the Scenes
Anyone can get into this side of the business. They’ve just got to have a bit of passion. When I was at university, I used to go on LinkedIn every day and network, with a specific goal of working in the investment side of music catalogs. Speak to royalty people. Speak to strategists. Speak to business development people. Speak to investors. Speak to startups in this space. The more you speak to them, the more you’ll have an opinion on certain things. Then you can bring those opinions to meetings and start adding value to the people you’re speaking with.
