Austin Daboh OBE: He Backed Stormzy. Then Central Cee. Then Burna Boy.

Before Stormzy was Stormzy, Austin Daboh backed him. Before Central Cee went global, Austin was already in the room. Before Burna Boy's supernova, Austin played a key part in making it happen from the UK.

Austin Daboh OBE is one of the most significant figures in the modern UK music industry - former Head of Music at BBC 1Xtra, Global Head of Editorial at Spotify and President of Black Music and EVP at Atlantic Records UK. He received an OBE for services to music. He is now co-founder of Titan Music, a publishing joint venture with Kobalt and One Song.

In this episode he tells the full story. From a South London council estate to OBE. Managing a rapper friend at school without realising it was management. The job interview where one question on the way out the door changed everything. The freedom to fail at 1Xtra and what he built with it. Joining Spotify when it still ran on Gmail. Walking into Atlantic Records UK one week after the murder of George Floyd. Why data is a lagging indicator. Whether virality is the most dangerous thing that can happen to an artist. What he would do with £100 million. And what he sees coming for the music industry in the next ten years.

Hosted by Mark Adams - founder of Blinding Talent, former Director of Music Programming at Channel 4 and previously supported and helped to break global A list talent.

IN THIS EPISODE: Growing up in South London, an older sister in media, and the fascination with what happens behind the camera Managing a rapper friend at school without realising it was management The job interview where one question on the way out the door changed everything "Store information. You never know when you'll need to pull it out of your pocket. BBC 1Xtra, the freedom to fail, and backing Stormzy, Dave and AJ Tracey before the world caught up Being the first person on the planet to playlist Ed Sheeran before anyone in the media industry had decided he was going to be a superstar Running The Hub Entertainment — artists, BBC presenters, two London 2012 Olympic medallists, and the cash flow lesson every entrepreneur needs to hear George Ergatoudis poaching Austin from the BBC to a Spotify start-up still running on Gmail account Pre-GDPR data that was almost household-level specific — and why it felt like a cheat code Joining Atlantic Records UK one week after the murder of George Floyd — as the most senior Black executive in the UK Warner business Central Cee, Burna Boy, Mahalia and Kojey Radical — what it means to truly back an artist The Christmas tree of corporate structures and why diversity dilutes as you climb Why data is a lagging indicator — and what humans should be worrying about instead Is virality the most dangerous thing that can happen to an artist? AI, royalties, blockchain and where Austin is investing now Titan Music, Kobalt and what is coming next "You win by creating the atmosphere and environment that allows talent to flourish." What does the music industry look like in ten years?

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