Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on Building a Company Around the Artist
Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on Building a Company Around the Artist  
Podcast: The Manager's Playbook
Published On: Sat Jun 06 2026
Description: Tems’ manager Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down how to build a real company around an artist.In this clip, Muyiwa explains why Tems’ long-term vision goes beyond music into business, philanthropy, investing, ownership, and company-building. He also shares how non-transactional relationships, delegation, team structure, artist development, admin deals, distribution, YouTube Foundry, and smart JV strategy helped Tems’ team build independence and long-term leverage.A must-listen for artists, managers, music executives, and anyone serious about building a sustainable music business.Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/Listen to the full episode here -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1duk4mJxoVF7D9G5Whhjqk?si=mI5dFiQAT7uwrOUXtFLlHAWatch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook⁠In this episode:00:00 Tems’ North Star and Long-Term Growth00:47 Real Relationships, Not Transactions01:15 Weaknesses, Patience, and Team Support02:28 Delegating Emails and Staying Focused04:17 Inbox Systems and Daily Syncs06:15 Vision Map and North Star Strategy07:27 Mentorship Over Generic Industry Talk10:21 Toronto Talent and Executive Leadership Gap14:12 Building Global Teams and The Weeknd Model15:50 Tems’ Admin Deal vs Publishing Deal16:51 Funding Independence With Distribution and YouTube Foundry18:38 Structuring JVs for Company Expansion19:34 Why Artists Become Executives