Russell Gaskins

Senior Director, Film, TV, Commercials

Chrysalis Music Group, L.A.

Interviewed by Bryan Bell

First thing I do that may be different than most is I look up the history on the artist. Not what most describe as history, but how they got into music, what influenced them, why they do what they do. That way I may be able to see a correlation to our roster to people that artist already respects and use that in the negotiation.

Secondly, I look at the cold hard facts. People lie all the time, but numbers don’t. No advance is even discussed unless I can prove it  could be covered by past releases and record sales.

In a newbie, I look for at least 10,000 sales in a time from of about 3 months from release date. If I see that then at least there is a chance in my opinion of re-couping money. In an established artist with marketing, you gotta at least give me 50,000. Otherwise, what is the point of continuing your career with the major label.

Number one, do they have a gem! If I hear an album, I have to see marketing potential in at least 1 song, just 1 song people! Can I get a Verizon ad or film trailer or something! That is key for me in particular, but like I have told people for a long time publishing is where it’s at man…remember when we spoke about things years ago? I told you back then Bryan that things were shifting and they have continued to shift in my favor lol.

Another problem as I see is not what should be given out in advance money cause that’s all easily solved by looking at the numbers, but the underlying issue from our perspective is marketing the material. Does the artist have enough fan appeal to get the machine behind him or her. Once that machine revs up the rest is easy as pie.

To be honest early in my career I was cut throat as I could be and it served me well. However, the way things are now and the people I speak with its unnecessary. What I mean by that is that things have changed to such a degree that peole understand you have to prove what you get where as before it was based more on feel what was given and what was accepted. So, yeah I definitely search for win-win situations much more now and help out as much as I can.

Hell yeah! And didn’t even know I had lost! But the company made it clear to me how I lost, what I lost, and how to stop it from happening again. I had good mentorship and people around me that didn’t pull the plug on me at the first sign of a mistake.

To be honest it hasn’t. It will be over years that our name would even change. Plus, my department is more relevant than it has ever been, so as far as job security, I’m fine.