The Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast with Mark Adams

Atlanta Cobb - Music Industry Mentor on Artist Development, Social Media & Whether Artists Still Need Record Labels

Atlanta Cobb has spent 15 years in the music industry - from street teaming for Columbia Records as a student to managing artists at major label level. When she left the major label world she found something nobody was talking about: a massive gap between what major label artists have access to and what independent artists are left to figure out alone. She built her coaching practice to fix it.

Today she works with independent artists on everything from audience building and social media strategy to the mindset and emotional work of sustaining a long-term music career. She has also built her own substantial social media following from scratch - practicing exactly what she preaches.

In this episode, Mark Adams and Atlanta get into the things most music industry conversations avoid: why talent is almost never the deciding factor, why most artists post on social media for completely the wrong reasons, and whether record labels will even exist in the form we know them in ten years' time.

They cover:
The CEO mindset - why every artist needs to lead their own career
What separates the artists who sustain success from those who don't
How the industry has changed since Atlanta started - and what labels actually want now
Do artists still need record labels? The honest, nuanced answer
Social media as the single biggest free opportunity for any artist
The real friction points stopping artists from posting - and how to remove them
Organic content vs paid ads: when each makes sense and why you need a specialist
Turning fans into family - and why your link in bio matters more than your follower count
The future of the music industry: one button, one platform, collect everything

The Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast is hosted by Mark Adams - founder of Blinding Talent and former Director of Music Programming at Channel 4, where he launched the Official YouTube Chart (2015) and Spotify's first ever Streaming Chart (2016). With 28 years of experience across Channel 4, Bauer Media, radio and television, Mark created this podcast to give independent artists honest, experienced perspectives from the people who have shaped the music industry.

Blinding Talent works with independent artists across the UK, North America, Europe and Australia - offering artist development, Spotify growth campaigns, social media management, digital advertising, content creation and artist websites.

Full episode and show notes: https://www.blindingtalent.com/podcast/atlanta-cobb
Book a free strategy call: https://www.blindingtalent.com/book
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What does it really take to build a rock legend?

In this episode of The Blinding Talent Podcast, Mark Adams sits down with Steve Tannett, Director of Marshall Records, former artist manager, record executive, and one of the music industry's most experienced talent spotters.

Steve's journey began in the heart of the UK punk explosion, playing alongside the era that produced bands such as The Clash, The Damned and the Sex Pistols before being discovered by legendary music manager Miles Copeland. Since then, he has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including The Police, Sting, R.E.M., Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Duran Duran, Nova Twins and The Molotovs.
Together, Mark and Steve discuss:

▪️ The reality of the UK punk scene in the 1970s
▪️ Being discovered by Miles Copeland and signing his first record deal
▪️ Working with The Police, Sting, Black Sabbath and R.E.M.
▪️ How Marshall Records was launched
▪️ The qualities every great artist and future rock legend shares
▪️ The rise of The Molotovs and Nova Twins
▪️ Why grassroots music venues are essential for the future of music
▪️ Artist development, A&R and spotting talent before anyone else
▪️ The impact of AI on the music industry
▪️ Why live music, vinyl and human connection still matter

This conversation is packed with stories, lessons and insights from over 45 years in the music business, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at artist development, record labels, management and the future of rock music.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Steve Tannett's Punk Rock Beginnings
04:00 Getting Signed by Miles Copeland
08:00 Building Marshall Records
13:00 What Makes a True Rock Legend?
19:00 The Rise of The Molotovs
24:00 A&R Instincts and Signing Artists
29:00 The Alarm and Early Success
34:00 The Police, Miles Copeland and Taking Risks
40:00 Why Grassroots Venues Matter
46:00 Nova Twins, Download Festival & The Future of Rock
49:00 AI, Live Music and the Next 10 Years
54:00 Final Thoughts

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Is radio still the greatest music platform ever created?

In this episode of the Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast, Mark Adams sits down with one of UK radio’s most respected figures - Jo Hart, founder of Hart Media and a radio plugger with over 36 years in the music industry.

Across her career, Jo has helped secure radio success for an incredible list of artists including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nick Cave, Jamie Cullum, Enter Shikari and many more.

Together, Mark and Jo unpack the real power of radio in modern music marketing - from BBC Introducing and community radio through to national playlists, tastemaker DJs and the role radio still plays alongside streaming, TikTok and social media.

They discuss BBC Introducing, tastemaker DJs, streaming vs radio, TikTok, AI, and how artists like Adele, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Olivia Dean and Myles Smith were built over time - proving that lasting careers are rarely created by one viral moment alone.

They also explore:
Why radio was the original algorithm
What makes a true “radio record”
Why one viral moment won’t build a lasting career
The role of human tastemakers in an AI-driven world
Why hearing your song on the radio still feels magical

If you’re an artist, manager, label or music marketer trying to understand how records actually break in 2026 — this episode is packed with real-world insight from two people who’ve spent decades at the coalface of music discovery.

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#MusicIndustry #RadioPlugger #BBCIntroducing #MusicMarketing #SpotifyGrowth #ArtistDevelopment #MusicBusiness #Podcast #BlindingTalent #RadioPromotion
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In this episode of the Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast, Mark Adams sits down with Judd Lander - a true industry insider whose career spans over six decades of music history.

From the Cavern Club in Liverpool to working with ABBA, Culture Club, Spice Girls, Annie Lennox, Prince and more, Judd has been part of some of the most iconic moments in music - often by accident, always by instinct.

From creating the harmonica on Karma Chameleon in under 30 minutes…to working behind the scenes at the BRIT Awards for over 20 years… to navigating the shift from the 60s music scene to today’s AI-driven industry… This is a rare, honest perspective on how the music industry really works - from someone who’s lived it.

IN THIS EPISODE
How The Beatles inspired Judd’s journey into music
The story behind Karma Chameleon (and how quickly it came together)
What artists like Michael Jackson, ABBA and Prince were really like behind the scenes
Inside the BRIT Awards and capturing iconic moments
The evolution of PR, radio and artist development
The reality of being an artist in today’s landscape
AI, streaming and the future of music

KEY MOMENTS
1:14 – From The Beatles to Ed Sheeran: Judd’s career journey
2:00 – Liverpool, The Cavern Club & early beginnings
11:30 – First encounters with The Beatles
22:00 – The Karma Chameleon story (created in minutes)
25:40 – Spice Girls studio moment
30:00 – 21 years inside The BRIT Awards
32:00 – Amy Winehouse moment
36:30 – Prince & what makes a true musician
38:00 – What Michael Jackson was really like
42:00 – ABBA: the reality behind the hits
49:00 – AI in music: opportunity vs risk
1:00:10 – The Jeff Beck story

WHY THIS MATTERS
If you're an artist, manager, or building a career in music, this episode gives you something rare:
→ Perspective across decades
→ Real industry insight (not theory)
→ A clearer understanding of what actually builds careers

ABOUT BLINDING TALENT
Blinding Talent helps artists grow with clarity, not noise.
Social • Spotify • Strategy • Management

Built on over two decades at the coalface of the music industry.
👉 Learn more: www.blindingtalent.com

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Jacqui Quaife has worked at the heart of the UK music industry for over four decades — from running the Spandau Ballet fan club in the 80s to leading TV promotions at Syco, BMG and Sony Music for artists including One Direction, Westlife, Little Mix, Prince, Beyoncé and Britney Spears.

In this episode, Jacqui shares what really happens behind the scenes of pop stardom.

What was Simon Cowell actually like behind closed doors?
How did One Direction build global fandom before TikTok and streaming?
What was the pressure like during Prince’s “symbol” era?

We explore music PR, TV promotion strategy, reality TV, X Factor, burnout, overexposure and how the music business has evolved from fan mail to social media.
This is a rare inside look at how pop stars are built - and what it costs to sustain fame.

In this episode
00:00 – Working with Prince, Beyoncé & global icons
01:13 – How it all started: Spandau Ballet fan club
04:03 – Fan clubs vs social media: what really changed
06:58 – Breaking into PR: Ferret & Spanner
09:23 – First major breakthrough: East 17
10:43 – Building Westlife before social media
15:23 – Prince’s “symbol” era chaos behind the scenes
17:40 – Reality TV: Pop Idol, X Factor & the snobbery debate
22:08 – What Simon Cowell was really like
24:09 – Did Little Mix outgrow the “girl band” label?
26:31 – The rise of One Direction
29:22 – “The fandom was outrageous. Scarily so.”
32:18 – The work rate, the burnout & the human cost
36:30 – The emotional final moments of One Direction
38:09 – Being a woman in the music industry
45:34 – The Johnny Depp story
49:39 – The future of music, AI & staying human

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