The Manager's Playbook

In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Charlie Rocket joins us for a powerful conversation on artist development, music marketing, fan building, independent artist strategy, and the mindset required to win in the music business.
Best known for helping build 2 Chainz and for his evolution from music executive to public speaker and entrepreneur, Charlie breaks down why he believes success often requires a level of intentional “delusion,” the kind of belief that allows artists, managers, and executives to move before the proof is there. We talk about what it really means to chase purpose over money, why overthinking kills momentum, and how some of the best careers in music are built through conviction, consistency, and action.
Charlie also shares practical gems on breaking artists without money, building authentic fanbases, local market strategy, mixtape culture, release strategy, manager leadership, publishing, label relationships, streaming growth, and audience development. From 30-day blitz campaigns and “boiling a pot of water” in one city, to winning over 2 Chainz and navigating a life-changing brain tumour diagnosis, this episode is full of hard-earned lessons on music industry strategy, artist growth, and long-term career building.
Whether you’re an independent artist, manager, A&R, music executive, or creative entrepreneur, this is a conversation about belief, leverage, execution, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.
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
New episodes drop Tuesdays @ 10am ET

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Tommy Brown breaks down why K-pop continues to win at artist development, and why its system still looks a lot closer to Motown than what much of the American music industry is doing today.
We get into Tommy’s work in Korea, the session that led to BLACKPINK’s “Ice Cream” featuring Selena Gomez, the group’s studio discipline, and what that level of perfectionism taught him about greatness, standards, and building global artists.
Tommy also talks about fan culture, physical album sales, team structure, and why moving fast, experimenting, and “rushing to get to no” can be a real advantage in the music business.
This one is for artists, managers, producers, songwriters, and music execs trying to understand K-pop, BLACKPINK, artist development, global music strategy, and how real systems create real stars.
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/71unpLmCSi3VjbieeOMiUy?si=KmFi8zCgTqmYpznq5UdhqQ

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

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Tommy Brown reflects on his experience filming Netflix’s Hitmakers, the pressure of creating on camera, and why the show did not go deep enough into the real lives of songwriters and producers.
We get into leadership, acceptance, collaboration, and the financial reality behind the music business, including why so many creatives are not making the money people assume. Tommy also shares how he would rather show the real process through songwriting camps, daily content, building in public, and honest storytelling around what it actually takes to build a career.
This one is for artists, managers, producers, songwriters, and music execs who care about the real work 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/71unpLmCSi3VjbieeOMiUy?si=KmFi8zCgTqmYpznq5UdhqQ

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

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Tommy Brown breaks down one of the hardest truths in the music business: huge streaming numbers do not always mean real money for songwriters and producers. We get into producer points, publishing royalties, master royalties, label negotiations, and why so many creators are still underpaid.
Tommy also talks about learning under Rodney Jerkins, the difference between making beats and making records, and the kind of discipline it takes to build a real career in the music industry.
This one is for artists, managers, producers, songwriters, and music execs who want a clearer understanding of producer pay, publishing, music contracts, and long-term leverage.
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/71unpLmCSi3VjbieeOMiUy?si=KmFi8zCgTqmYpznq5UdhqQ

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

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Tommy Brown breaks down why visibility and content strategy are now part of the job for artists, producers, and songwriters. We talk about why posting consistently matters, how even simple beat videos can drive massive audience growth, and why being seen is now directly tied to opportunity in the music business.
The conversation also gets into streaming economics, songwriter and producer pay, music publishing, Spotify, AI, user-generated remixes, catalog sales, and why publishing may be heading into a much bigger era.
This one is for artists, managers, producers, songwriters, and music execs trying to understand where the business is going next.
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/71unpLmCSi3VjbieeOMiUy?si=KmFi8zCgTqmYpznq5UdhqQ

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