3Q Episode One: Jacob Fain

No matter where you are in your career, you’ll benefit from listening to 3Q. 3Q provides a window into the careers of some of the best in the music business. Every episode is an insider's view of the realities of life as a music executive. Topics include issues of empowerment, uncertainty, trust, finances, etc; issues that will impact you both personally and professionally. The executives we interview represent every aspect of the industry including but not limited to A&R, Marketing, Music Supervision, Artist Management, Promotion, and more. The best part? Every executive answers the same three questions and 3Q never takes more than 15 minutes of your time. Learn more about Jacob Fain: Following receiving a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, Fain began his extensive music journey at RCA Records and Republic Records where he then transitioned to a 13 year stay at Sony/ATV. Fain developed some of the company’s top songwriters and producers, signing Grammy-winning artists such as The Chainsmokers and Leon Bridges, as well as Of Monsters and Men, Russ, Powfu, Princess Nokia, and others. As SVP, A&R, and Research/Analytics, he also conceptualized and oversaw the development of an innovative data & analytics platform, which became the cornerstone of A&R functionality globally at Sony/ATV. Since joining Elektra as a seasoned executive, Fain has signed and is currently developing artists from the chart-topping Masked Wolf to an up-and-coming country sensation, Bailey Zimmerman. Fain was named to Billboard’s prestigious 40 Under 40 Power Players list in 2017 as well as the magazine’s inaugural Pride List of industry-shaping LGBTQ executives in 2019. More recently, his ability to marry creativity and data analytics landed himself in Variety’s 2021 Hitmakers and Hitbreakers publication, further cementing his influence on breaking influential and culture-moving artists.