The Ins & Outs of Signing a Record Deal

In Conversation with Renao: On Growing Up Between Worlds, Music, and Belonging

In celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Bridgette Kontner, A&R, sat down with Renao to chat about their mutual

Read More

What We Look for in an AWAL Artist

With a selective, curated roster, we’re able to give our artists a higher quality of service that goes far beyond

Read More

The REPRESENT Brunch

This past March, in honor of Women’s History Month and our continuous effort to celebrate underrepresented communities, we hosted the

Read More

The Ins & Outs of Signing a Record Deal

The almighty record deal — sought after, vilified, ever-evolving — boils down to words on a page, and those words

Read More

AWAL Renews Global Deal with Spacey Jane

We’re excited to announce the renewal of our global recordings deal with Australian indie rock foursome Spacey Jane. The deal

Read More

AWAL Signs Tora-i to Global Recordings Deal

We are excited to announced a worldwide deal with rising R&B artist, Tora-i. The AWAL Recordings deal offers Tora-i a

Read More

AWAL Signs Tom Misch for Forthcoming Album

We’re excited to announce we have extended our existing agreement with Tom Misch, as he gears up for his next

Read More

AWAL Signs Jungle to Global Recordings Deal

We’re excited to announce a worldwide deal with the UK Electronic producer duo, Jungle. The AWAL recordings deal offers the duo

Read More

AWAL Signs Worldwide Recordings Deal with Payton Moormeier

We are excited to announce a global deal with singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Payton.  AWAL will provide Payton a full

Read More

Top 10 Uncommon Secrets For Uploading, Marketing & Releasing Your Music

Today, we’re featuring a guest post from Benjamin Groff. Benjamin is a music executive who’s worked over 25 years in

Read More

AWAL Signs Global Deal With Joesef

We’re excited to announce a global deal with Joesef. AWAL will provide Joesef and his team a full range of

Read More

AWAL Artists Earning Over $100,000 In Annual Streaming Revenue Grows By Over 40%.

Today we’ve announced findings from an analysis of streaming royalty data for our AWAL artists. From the year-over-year analysis, we

Read More

AWAL Extends Deal With The Wombats For Upcoming Fifth Album

We’re excited to announce a renewed partnership with English indie rock band, The Wombats. The deal for the new album

Read More

AWAL and Little Simz Team Up Again For Highly Anticipated Album

We’re excited to announce a renewed partnership with Simbi Ajikawo, the British rapper,  songwriter and actor, better known as Little

Read More

AWAL Teams Up With Zoom To Support United Nations COVID-19 Response

We’re excited to announce that we have teamed up with Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM), and select AWAL artists

Read More

Welcoming Alaina Castillo & Chosen People to AWAL

We’re happy to announce a global deal with Mexican-American artist Alaina Castillo via Chosen People. The AWAL Recordings deal offers

Read More

Crisis (Tour) Management: A Road Warrior’s Battle With COVID Fallout

Things fall apart. Just ask your neighborhood tour manager.

Read More

Managing Up: From Shopping Carts to “Sicko Mode”

You miss 100% of the moonshots you don’t take. 

Read More

Augment THIS: The Social Power of Pink Balaclava AR

#nofilter hasn’t aged so hot. 

Read More

Welcoming mxmtoon to AWAL

We’re happy to announce a global deal with singer, songwriter, and producer, mxmtoon. The AWAL Recordings deal offers mxmtoon a

Read More

400M+ Sold: Uncut Gems From A Music Supermanager

Lucas Keller’s serving world domination with a smile : )

Read More

Welcoming Pete Giberga as Head of A&R

Happy to announcee the hiring of Pete Giberga as Head of A&R, North America. Based in Kobalt’s New York office,

Read More

New Decade, New Reads: 2020 Music Industry Stories

Who gon’ see the future first? 

Read More

Welcoming Australian Indie Band, Spacey Jane

We’re happy to announce a global deal with indie rock band, Spacey Jane. The AWAL Recordings deal offers Spacey Jane

Read More

How The Youth Moves: Music Media Through A Teen’s Eyes

Something miraculous happened between 1.5 and 2.8 million years ago. Scientists swear it. 2001: A Space Odyssey swears it, too.

Read More

53M Fans: Group Chats Power The Nations’ Internet Empire

“Think like a fish, not a fisherman.” 

Read More

1000 New Fans: Close Talker’s 3D Audio Tour Experiment

Close Talker like to say f*ck it. 

Read More

Welcoming girl in red to the AWAL Family

We’re happy to announce an exclusive worldwide recordings deal with indie pop producer and songwriter, girl in red. The AWAL

Read More

Iceland’s Music Scene Is (Still) Punching Above Its Weight

Jet to Reykjavik, mythical Iceland’s coastal hub, and your first airport music encounter will in all likelihood involve some timely

Read More

AWAL Hires Jennifer Kirell as Vice President, Catalog Marketing

We’re happy to announce the hire of Jennifer Kirell as VP, Catalog Marketing. Based in Kobalt’s New York office, Jennifer

Read More

Welcoming RaeLynn to the AWAL Family

Platinum recording artist RaeLynn has inked a worldwide recording deal with Round Here Records – the newly-formed label created by

Read More

What Happens When You Drop Rising UK Artists In Music City, USA

What’s an ocean to a kid with an internet connection? Still an awful lot of water to cross.

Read More

SPACES: girl in red Hit 150M Streams With Inclusive Self-Love And A $150 Mic

  Marie Ulven reads minds. 

Read More

Nicki Shamel Promoted to VP, Digital Sales & Account Management, NA

We’re happy to announce the promotion of Nicki Shamel to the position of Vice President, Digital Sales & Account Management,

Read More

The Other Nashville Society And Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp Announce London AWAL Artist Immersion Week

UK Artists Millie Turner, Litany, Iyamah and MAX RAD Set for a Week of Global Collaborations with Prominent Nashville Songwriters

Read More

Aaron Bogucki Promoted to Vice President, Marketing

We’re happy to announce the promotion of Aaron Bogucki to Vice President, Marketing. Based in Kobalt’s London office, Bogucki will

Read More

Please Tour Responsibly: Managing Chaos on the Road

This is the second piece featuring tour manager Stacy Wiseman. Click here for the first read. 

Read More

How FEWOCiOUS Turned Old Artwork Into Her Own Business

Several years ago, before 10s of 1000s of people shared her design work, when “FEWOCiOUS” was just a tough-love chat

Read More

AWAL & Icelandair Team Up for Iceland Airwaves Music Festival Showcase

We’re excited to announce that AWAL and Icelandair have reached a partnership to support a showcase of amazing Icelandic, Nordic

Read More

2019 Autumn Reading List: Music Industry Edition

The AWAL Reading List is a quarterly installment that aggregates noteworthy articles for rising artists and managers to sink their

Read More

Welcoming Sam Potts as Vice President of Promotions

We’re happy to announce the hiring of Sam Potts as vice president, promotion. Based in Kobalt’s London office, Potts will

Read More

Views May Vary: How Formats Impact Music Marketing

Formats rule everything around us. 

Read More

Welcoming Simon Fuller’s Global Pop Group Now United to AWAL

We’re happy to announce an exclusive worldwide deal, with Simon Fuller’s new global pop group, Now United. The AWAL recordings

Read More

So You Think You Can #Ad Spend?

An advertisement is an attempt to purchase attention.

Read More

I’ve Got A Synch: How Songs Land UK’s Hit Series ‘Love Island’

Appointment viewing is back in style in England. Synchs? En vogue. 

Read More

A Globetrotting Tour Manager On Nerf Guns, Dead Phones, 24/7 Hustle

Stacy Wiseman has devoted her last decade to learning the ins and outs of the live music business. She has

Read More

Past Due: The Rise & Fall of Album Delays

Once upon a time in hip-hop, release dates felt like empty promises, and bated breath became the default setting for

Read More

Welcoming Juicebox Recordings, Franc Moody, & Joe Hertz to AWAL

AWAL, Kobalt’s recording company, today announced worldwide recordings deals with artists Franc Moody and Joe Hertz formalising AWAL’s partnership with

Read More

Welcoming Round Here Records to the AWAL Family

We’re happy to announce a worldwide partnership with Round Here Records, a newly-formed label created by trailblazing Florida Georgia Line

Read More

AWAL and PRS Foundation Partner for Women Make Music Fund

AWAL, Kobalt’s recording company, today announced a year-long partnership with PRS Foundation for its flagship fund, Women Make Music, which

Read More

Shay Lia Wants to Tell You What It Really Takes

Our hard drives and servers fold under the weight of what we’ve forgotten: buried downloads, ancient playlists, all the photos

Read More

How Sustainable Is Your Streaming Income?

This article provides a series of thought experiments to think about basic income forecasting from streaming a bit differently. It

Read More

How This Viral IG Visual Artist Makes Magic From Scraps

Obstacles crumble when you know how to stretch a dollar. 

Read More

How An Old Game Amplified A 2019 Streaming Hit

We recommend playing Billy Meets World for at least 30 seconds before continuing. Godspeed.

Read More

Welcoming Bianca Bhagat as SVP of Synch & Brand Partnerships

AWAL, Kobalt’s recorded music company, announced the hiring of Bianca Bhagat as senior vice president, synch & brand partnerships, AWAL.

Read More

Browser History: Best Industry Reads 2019 (So Far)

2019’s hardly half over and it’s already delivered some of the best music journalism in recent memory. We’ve got deep

Read More

Welcoming R&B/Soul Artist Snoh Aalegra to AWAL

AWAL, Kobalt’s recording company, today announced an exclusive, worldwide partnership  deal with Snoh Aalegra and Artium Recordings. The AWAL deal

Read More

The Ups & Downs Of Live LIfe

Touring’s been a thing since our ancient ancestors wandered from cave to cave in search of the kind of naturally

Read More

Welcoming Indie Rock Band Cold War Kids to AWAL

We’re happy to announce a worldwide deal with indie rock band, Cold War Kids. The AWAL recordings deal offers the

Read More

Survival of the Optimized: YouTube On YouTube

If you’re anything like us, you’ve spent many nights submarining through YouTube’s oceanic depths, downing related video after related video

Read More

Op-Ed: The Sounds That Shaped My Life ft. Simon Curtis

Singer. Songwriter. Actor. Author. Over the last decade, Simon Curtis has flipped just about every medium he can find into

Read More

Music Is Looking Less Top-Heavy Than Ever Before

Records are breaking left and right.

Read More

AWAL Signs Upstream Deal with Australian Musician Angie McMahon

We’re happy to announce an upstream deal with musician, Angie McMahon. The AWAL Recordings deal offers McMahon a full range of

Read More

When We Sleep Where Do Royalties Go?

You can Venmo your friend money before you finish this sentence. 

Read More

Jessica Johnson Named Director of Promotion, Rock Formats at in2une

in2une, AWAL’s radio promotion business, today announced the hiring of Jessica Johnson as Director of Promotion, Rock Formats.  Based on

Read More

Steve Lacy & 3QTR Join AWAL

We’re happy to announce a new recordings deal with artist and producer, Steve Lacy via 3QTR. The AWAL recordings deal offers

Read More

10 Career Lessons from a Bipolar, Schizophrenic Music Journalist

To close mental health awareness month on a powerful note, Kiana Fitzgerald (FADER, Complex, NPR, Rolling Stone) pens a guest

Read More

11 Artists On Safeguarding Their Headspace During Tour

It’s too easy to let what matters most slip away.

Read More

Welcoming Daniel Stuart as Senior Vice President of US Business Affairs

We’re happy to announce the hiring of Daniel Stuart as senior vice president, business affairs, United States. Based in AWAL’s

Read More

A Brief Inquiry Into Building Music Empires With 1975 Manager Jamie Oborne

“How Did You Manage That” is a new podcast created by the MMF focused on getting inside the minds of

Read More

Bringing ‘A World Artists Love’ to The Great Escape 2019

We’re happy to announce our “A World Artists Love” programming and stage at this year’s The Great Escape, which is taking place

Read More

Imran Ahmed’s In Real Life Joins the AWAL Fam

We’re happy to announce an exclusive worldwide recordings partnership with LA-based independent label In Real Life. The deal will leverage AWAL

Read More

Decoded: The History of Record Deals

Artists have always shaped music’s future, and tech has always shaped how they do it. When you retrace our industry’s steps, macro

Read More

SideOne Dummy Records Joins the AWAL Fam

We’re happy to announce an exclusive worldwide deal with the established LA-based independent label, SideOne Dummy Records. The worldwide deal will

Read More

AWAL Launches Radio Show Residency on foundation.fm

We’re excited to announce that AWAL will take to the airwaves with the launch of a biweekly residency, ‘A World

Read More

Welcoming Thomas Fiss to Foster Brand Partnerships for AWAL Artists & Labels

We’re thrilled to announce the hiring of Thomas Fiss as Vice President, Strategic Marketing, North America. Based in AWAL’s Los

Read More

Building Your Dream Team: The Creative Director

Creative directors help convert audible messages and emotions into stimuli for the eyes, and they do it while adhering to

Read More

Building Your Dream Team: The Music Publisher

Matchmaker. Money hunter. Happy to help. Music publishers are our industry’s backbone. Without them, many special songs would never get

Read More

Welcoming Delphine Ferre to Oversee International Marketing at AWAL

We’re happy to announce the recent hiring of Delphine Ferre as Marketing Director, France. Based in Paris, Delphine will oversee

Read More

Masters of Scale: The Music Producer

Building Your Dream Team breaks down the fundamental members of an artist’s operation through the 5Ws lens: Who, What, When,

Read More

The Tiny Bedroom Where FINNEAS & Billie Eilish Are Redefining Pop Music

Tucked away in a modest East LA neighborhood, among trinkets, sketches, Murakami pillows, and a sweetheart dog named Pepper, there’s

Read More

[Mis]Conceptions: Women In The Mix

Read More

Welcoming Leading Independent Label, B-Unique, to the AWAL Fam

We’re happy to announce an exclusive worldwide recording deal with UK-based independent label, B-Unique. The worldwide deal will leverage AWAL

Read More

AWAL Signs Upstream Deal With Alt-Pop Artist Millie Turner

We’re happy to announce an exclusive worldwide recording deal with singer-songwriter, Millie Turner. The AWAL recordings deal offers Turner a

Read More

Beyond the Playlist: Artist Marketing Tools

Luck favors the self-reliant.

Read More

Radio’s Place In A Streaming World

You know the narrative. Once upon a time, when terrestrial radio reigned supreme, jockeys, DJs, and programmers handpicked which artists

Read More

What to Know Before You Drop A Dime On Music (1 of 5)

Dollars can only do so much damage without the right strategy. Managers, artists, and marketers discuss what to think through

Read More

Decoded: Another Smart Artist Talks Smart Artist Marketing

It’s tough to talk about Fadil El Ghoul without running out of breath. The DJ / producer / remixer /

Read More

This Visual Framework Makes Smart Spending Easier (2 of 5)

We made a wonderful, colorful infographic to help you put your eggs in the proper baskets. This is the second

Read More

How Artist Development Powers Artist Marketing (3 of 5)

Content kings and queens discuss the key component of music marketing: artistry itself.  This is the third piece in a

Read More

Setting Up Music Marketing Campaigns for Success (4 of 5)

Dig into the different ways constant feedback and early fans can lead to better music marketing campaigns. This is the

Read More

The Art of Making Smart Music Marketing Ideas Happen (5 of 5)

Bold billboard campaigns, clever digital ad hacks, and hall of fame music marketing ideas await you. This is the fifth

Read More

Blake Rose On In-N-Out, Big Nipples, Industry Nonsense

Welcome to #nofilter, a recurring interview series that gives standout artists room to breathe.

Read More

Welcoming the New Head of Canadian Operations Chris Hardy to AWAL

We’re happy to welcome Chris Hardy to the AWAL family as Head of Operations, Canada. Based in AWAL’s newly announced

Read More

Soulful R&B Singer-Songwriter Omar Apollo Joins AWAL

We’re happy to announce an exclusive, long-term worldwide recordings deal with artist, Omar Apollo. AWAL recordings deal offers Apollo a full

Read More

AWAL Takes Over Antone’s at SXSW to Create “A World Artists Love”

We’re happy to unveil our plans to take over legendary Austin music venue, Antone’s at this year’s SXSW on March

Read More

Building Your Dream Team: The Music Publicist

It’s not easy to write your story the right way. Enter music publicists, battle-tested word warriors with an eagle eye view

Read More

Here’s What Six Elite Producers Taught Us About Making It Big

If you’re reading this, it’s time to learn. AWAL’s parent company, Kobalt, invited some of the world’s best and brightest producers

Read More

Building Your Dream Team: The Booking Agent

Few achievements validate (or accelerate) an artist’s impact more than a packed room—from 100-cap basement shows to a headlining bid

Read More

Acclaimed Danish Singer-Songwriter Hugo Helmig Joins AWAL

We’re happy to announce a new worldwide recordings deal with Danish label The Bank for singer-songwriter, Hugo Helmig, having already

Read More