Tuesday, June 24, 2024. Roc Nation LIU Brooklyn Campus. Brooklyn, New York. —Clayton Durant, a New York‑based music, entertainment entrepreneur and Adjunct Professor of Artist Management and Music Business at Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment, facilitated a free class to the public, Management Strategy: How Artists Can Use Data to Land Brand Deals. in honor of New York City’s Music Month in June.
Every year since 2017, the New York City Mayor’s Office has amplified New York City Music Month (NYMM). NYMM is an initiative aimed at energizing NYC’s music ecosystem. Launched by the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME), “…to champion the city’s music industry, a vital part of New York’s economy, culture and identity.” Since New York City has historically been the hub of global music, the initiative of MOME centers on this central idea. Free classes, such as the one hosted by Durant at Roc Nation LIU Brooklyn, offered during NYMM, bridge the gaps between forward-facing music icons and influencers, expanding the landscape of the music industry. New York City Music Month also offers free conferences, workshops, concerts, and talks as a means of promoting equal accessibility and supporting NYC’s creative economy. Roc Nation LIU Brooklyn has boosted their visibility in the NYMM circuits, hosting a Fireside Chat with Grammy Award-winning audio engineer, producer, and Director of the Music Technology, Entrepreneurship & Production program at the Roc Nation School, Young Guru and Roc Nation A&R Manager and adjunct professor at the Roc Nation School, Anthony Cruz, a week before Clayton’s Management Strategy class.
Doors opened to the highly anticipated class, led by Clayton Durant, at Roc Nation School – LIU Brooklyn, drawing students, aspiring creatives, and industry hopefuls into Pratt Hall for a candid conversation about artist management in today’s digital age. The event kicked off promptly at 5:30 PM and concluded at 7:00 PM, offering attendees a rare opportunity to glean first-hand industry knowledge from a strategist deeply embedded in the intersection of branding, culture, and commerce. The discussion was part of the ongoing mission to demystify the music business for the next generation of talent.
Applying real-time industry experience, Durant emphasized the importance of storytelling in artist development and grasping the fundamentals of data (specifically data analytics) and how learning to analyze data, while incorporating tools such as scheduled posting across platforms, aids in sharing the brand and the story it tells the world. He broke down how artists must craft narratives that align with both their ‘lived-truth’ and their market positioning— as the “dual lens of brand identity,” a concept in marketing that allows for two distinct brands to co-exist and collaborate to promote the other. Durant stated that success in today’s saturated music landscape depends not just on talent but on a consistent and strategic message across platforms. From developing tone and aesthetic as brand identifiers, to understanding audience psychology, Durant framed the artist as both creator and curator—someone who must not only produce but also package their work in a way that’s both authentic and commercially viable.
Throughout the lecture, Durant highlighted the shift from traditional gatekeeping models toward a direct-to-audience approach, made possible by digital tools and platforms. He urged emerging managers and artists alike to treat data as a creative partner, not just a metric. By paying attention to audience behavior and engagement trends, artists can refine their strategies without compromising artistic integrity. As the event came to a close, it was clear that attendees walked away with more than just tips—they left with a framework. One that balances vision with visibility, and creativity with clarity in an industry that is constantly evolving. The most sobering takeaway was Durant encouraging the artists in training to build a team.
Clayton, who is popularly known as the founder and CEO of CAD Management, his consulting firm launched in 2016, has proven his genius, confidently standing at the intersection of artist development, brand partnerships, event management, and strategic planning. Under his leadership, the firm has represented 30+ artists and partnered with 20+ brands. More notably, CAD developed an A&R partnership with SoundCloud’s Repost in 2021, one of the platform’s first such collaborations.
It’s no wonder that his expertise found its way to Roc Nation LIU, and Clayton utilizes this advantageous platform to get candid and break down what really goes into successful brand partnership deals and what heightens the likelihood of brand placement for the artists who can generate and maintain visibility to their audience. He discussed how artists can use their own data to identify the ideal brands, craft better pitches, and secure mutually beneficial brand deals that help to establish the longevity of their careers.
Clayton Durant bridges the worlds of artist representation, brand integration, digital strategy, and academia, making him a respected voice and leader in today’s evolving music business landscape and a perfect component to the Academic staff that makes up Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment.
