Scooter Braun On Creating Stars, Innovation In Popular Culture

The SALT conference is a gathering of the most well-known executives in finance, policy, economics and beyond.

As executive editor of Recode, the host of Recode Decode Podcast and co-executive producer of the Code Conference, SALT moderator Kara Swisher knows all about hosting content.

On Wednesday, Swisher sat down with Scooter Braun, the founder of SB Projects, to discuss his work in the celebrity space and details about the music industry.

How Braun Looks At The Landscape

When working with well-known artists like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, Braun said he must always consider the rise of entertainment advancements like Spotify Technology S.A. SPOT, Apple Inc. AAPL Music and more.

“Touring is a grind,” Braun said. Because of that, big influencers in entertainment have pivoted to start pushing more consumer products, he said. 

“When I look at it, it’s how I am going to create an environment where the clients can do what they love, but they don’t necessarily need to think of the financials of that moment,” he said.

“They should be in a position, financially, where they tour because they love it and because they want to be on stage.”

Differentiating Between Social Media-Based Artists

“There’s a big difference between stuff you want to consume and stuff you want to listen to,” Braun said.

Generational advancements have made it incredibly easy for younger kids to access millions of songs and albums, as opposed to listeners from older generations.

Music Industry Economics 

Swisher said a change has occurred in the music industry in that a larger amount of money is earned by small artists through streaming.

It's a consumer-driven change, Braun said. 

"They’re choosing to stream those artists more than anyone else and love that music more than anyone else," he said. 

“People love to be a part of something. When you have a wave of momentum with that much content, everyone is talking about it and we look to each other for curation.”

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