He Decides Which Artists Get Brand Deals at VaynerX, with Mike Boyd

Mike Boyd runs the music department at VaynerX, the agency he helped start with Gary Vaynerchuk when it had eight people. He decides which artists get brand money, and he once signed a country artist with 300 monthly listeners on Spotify. In this episode, he explains what he actually looks for, why content often matters more than streams, and why most independent artists rule themselves out too early. We also cover local brand partnerships, free gear, why niche artists are becoming more valuable than famous ones, and what separates an artist from an artist brand.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro
(01:04) Who Mike Boyd is and what VaynerX does
(03:10) Sitting on the side that decides
(04:35) The artist with 300 monthly listeners
(05:57) What brands look for beyond streams
(07:41) Budgets from 5,000 to 5 million
(08:02) Content versus music
(09:55) Why post about things unrelated to your music
(12:01) Being liked before being heard
(14:06) The biggest misconception about brand deals
(16:53) Small brands and local partnerships
(18:25) Free gear and knowing your value
(21:54) Why niche beats famous
(24:32) Why dance music is missing this
(26:22) NFTs, utility, and what survived
(29:44) What separates an artist from an artist brand
(34:00) A question for the next guest
(37:04) Posting for free is not a mistake
(38:30) Choosing the right platform