3Q Episode Sixty: Nick Gordon

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. About Nick: Nick Gordon is a senior music executive, brand strategist and public speaker with over 20 years of diverse experience working at the intersection of media distribution, retail, and social commerce, developing influential B2B and consumer brands and leading multimillion dollar, global companies through rapid growth and radical change. As an innovation-focused operating executive, Nick has served in executive roles at Symphonic, The Orchard, and Caroline Distribution and has guided his firms through challenging marketplaces by using advanced technology, optimally targeted brand strategy, and engaging user experiences to create inventive and scalable approaches to connecting rights holders with customers. Currently, Nick is Chief Partnership Officer of music distributor and label services company Symphonic Distribution. Prior to Symphonic, Nick was Vice President, Client Services at The Orchard, a $2billion market leader in the music distribution industry. He joined the company in the early stages of a critical turnaround as its 28th employee. Over his 8-year tenure, he served on the executive management team that grew the firm from $5 million in revenue to an acquisition by Sony. Nick served as general manager of multiple business units and served as a key operator during the acquisitions of TVT Records, IRIS Distribution, and their sector-defining, $65 million merger with IODA and Sony Music, which created the single largest music distributor in history. He also guided record label clients through seismic marketplace changes and helmed the build and launch of The Orchard Workstation, a first-of-its-kind digital asset distribution platform now ubiquitous in the music and film world. Earlier in his career, Nick spent five years as Distributed Labels Manager at EMI-owned Caroline Distribution (now Virgin), working with labels including Astralwerks, Blue Note, Warp, Def Jux, Arts & Crafts, Stones Throw and Ultra. He was also the founder of early direct-to-fan commerce engine Artist Workshop, ultimately sold