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Founder, Vice President of Artist Development, ReverbNation.com

When Lou Plaia, one of the founders of ReverbNation.com, helped launch the company in October 2006, he knew that it would it be big. Formerly an executive at Atlantic Records for 15 years, Plaia saw the writing on the wall. He decided to launch ReverbNation.com as an answer to a struggling industry. “We weren’t selling enough units to recoup the marketing investment that we were making, even on the superstar records,” he says. “You’d sell a million records and still lose money.” So, the veteran executive helped build ReverbNation.com, a company that’s invested in propelling the careers of independent artists. “I think we expected it to be this big to be honest,” says Plaia, who is based in New York. “It took awhile, the first year was a little slow, but now people love it. Almost 1,000 artists a day are signing up.”

Plaia says that although the company was built with indie and unsigned artists in mind; major labels, publicity firms and marketing firms are now utilizing the company’s unique features. Currently the vice president of artist development, he refers to himself as the music guy of the company, and deals with the labels, artists, managers and marketing companies. He acknowledges that the industry has changed drastically, and thus, artists and executives have to think differently about marketing. That’s where ReverbNation comes in.

“It’s about online marketing and you have to get out and play live shows,” he advises. “It’s definitely tough, but there are some free [opportunities] out here to help out every artist.” –j.h.

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