The Manager's Playbook

Mike Caren is one of the most respected music executives of his generation.
From his early years at Atlantic Records to building Artist Publishing Group and Artist Partner Group, Mike has played a major role in the careers of artists, songwriters, producers, and executives across the modern music business.
In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Mike for a wide-ranging conversation on A&R, artist development, music industry leadership, publishing, record labels, management, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.
Mike breaks down why great creative executives need strong opinions, why long-term thinking beats short-term hype, and how the best artists and executives separate themselves through discipline, consistency, communication, curiosity, and self-awareness. He also shares his perspective on identifying hit songs, building sustainable careers, filtering distractions in the age of social media, and creating teams that challenge artists instead of simply validating them.
This episode is a masterclass for anyone serious about artist management, music executive leadership, independent artist growth, A&R development, career longevity, and the inner workings of the music business.
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://bit.ly/4b438pj

Watch the full episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Timestamps:
00:00 Why opinions matter
00:27 Mike Caren career breakdown
03:40 Giving back with facts
07:22 Service over extraction
08:09 Longevity mindset
17:00 Mentorship, not commands
19:10 A&R taste test routine
20:29 Time management and boundaries
23:11 Elite artist habits
26:30 Collaboration and trust
31:42 Optimism and embracing change
36:18 Focus versus distractions
39:29 Consistency and catalog growth
44:01 Tough conversations early
47:00 Feedback over complaints
48:12 Why hard conversations matter
50:53 Learning from mistakes
52:16 Overcommunicate to win
57:22 Teamwork and opinions
59:09 What makes a hit
01:03:20 Defining hits today
01:05:57 Getting ahead as an executive
01:10:04 Hiring and scaling slowly
01:14:54 Building around artists
01:17:59 Consistency for artists
01:22:57 Hiring passionate talent
01:27:23 Long-term career patience
01:28:28 Closing thoughts

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie Rocket breaks down how he would build an artist with no money, using speed, consistency, release strategy, and real-world fan-building.
He talks through a no-budget artist development plan built around frequent releases, working with talented producers who believe in the vision, and staying always on so fans can build real habits around the music. Charlie also explains why mixtapes, bigger projects, versions, and steady output often do more for fan engagement, streaming growth, and artist momentum than short, low-commitment releases.
The clip also dives into real-world music marketing: listening parties, release parties, meet-and-greets, video shoots, and neighbourhood-level promotion. Charlie’s bigger point is that local scene momentum still matters, and that artists can build enough heat in real life for the internet to catch up later.
A strong listen for independent artists, managers, A&Rs, and music executives thinking seriously about music marketing, artist development, release strategy, fan-building, and long-term career growth.
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://bit.ly/4b438pj

Listen to the full episode here -
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rJBuPhpk34kdSw9Dc2MCX?si=OIqpw0t1R5KHv2Qa1GAnig

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie Rocket reflects on how he and his partners ended up managing 2 Chainz by doing the work before anyone officially gave them the title.
What began as music marketing, mixtape promotion, CD street-team strategy, and fan-building quickly turned into something bigger. Charlie explains how they kept showing up with value: bringing a 30/60/90-day artist development plan, investing in physical promo, lining up opportunities, and creating momentum around the artist until the role naturally became theirs.
The clip also gets into a deeper idea that matters across the music business: the tension between being “smart” and being willing to move before the proof is there. Charlie argues that in artist management, A&R, artist development, and hip-hop marketing, conviction and action often create opportunities that logic alone never will.
At the centre of it all is a simple truth: sometimes you recognize superstar potential before the rest of the industry does. And if you believe strongly enough, you move accordingly.
A strong listen for independent artists, managers, A&Rs, music executives, and anyone serious about breaking artists, building momentum, and understanding how artist careers really get shaped behind the scenes.
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://bit.ly/4b438pj

Listen to the full episode here -
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rJBuPhpk34kdSw9Dc2MCX?si=OIqpw0t1R5KHv2Qa1GAnig

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie Rocket breaks down why so many artists in today’s music industry are too focused on virality and not focused enough on building real momentum.
He shares a sharper approach to music marketing, artist development, fan-building, and independent artist growth: run the play, stay consistent, and boil a pot of water before trying to heat up the whole world. Using Travis Porter’s early run in East Atlanta as an example, Charlie explains how repeated club appearances, street marketing, direct fan engagement, flyers, CDs, and weekly presence helped turn strangers into loyal fans.
He also introduces his idea of “mom-ology” - the process of building superfans through connection, consistency, vulnerability, authenticity, and time spent. The clip goes further into why time spent has become one of the most important drivers of audience loyalty, and why the loss of mixtape culture changed the way hip-hop artists build fanbases, release music, and stay connected between projects.
A strong listen for independent artists, managers, A&Rs, and music executives thinking seriously about artist promotion, fan engagement, direct-to-fan strategy, and long-term music career growth.
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://bit.ly/4b438pj

Listen to the full episode here -
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rJBuPhpk34kdSw9Dc2MCX?si=OIqpw0t1R5KHv2Qa1GAnig

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie Rocket breaks down his “Blitzkrieg” approach to music marketing; a focused 30-day sprint built around urgency, consistency, and strategic execution.
Instead of glorifying burnout or everyday hustle culture, Charlie explains why artists, managers, and music executives often get better results from short, high-intensity bursts of artist promotion, fan-building, local market strategy, content creation, and release momentum.
He walks through how to build a 30-day promo campaign, from radio stops, DJ outreach, city runs, local collaborations, street marketing, and video drops, to creating enough touchpoints for an artist to feel impossible to ignore. He also shares a sharp lesson for managers on how to get artist buy-in: don’t pitch small asks. Pitch the bigger vision and the upside attached to it.
The clip also touches on early Travis Porter growth, using manual MySpace outreach, direct fan engagement, and zero-budget marketing to become the platform’s top unsigned act.
A strong listen for independent artists, managers, A&Rs, and anyone serious about artist development, music marketing, and building momentum in the music business.
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://bit.ly/4b438pj

Listen to the full episode here -
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rJBuPhpk34kdSw9Dc2MCX?si=OIqpw0t1R5KHv2Qa1GAnig

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook