The Manager’s Playbook 062: Mike Caren - A&R, Artist Development, Hit Songs & Executive Leadership in Music Business
The Manager’s Playbook 062: Mike Caren - A&R, Artist Development, Hit Songs & Executive Leadership in Music Business  
Podcast: The Manager's Playbook
Published On: Sun Apr 12 2026
Description: Mike Caren is one of the most respected music executives of his generation.From his early years at Atlantic Records to building Artist Publishing Group and Artist Partner Group, Mike has played a major role in the careers of artists, songwriters, producers, and executives across the modern music business. In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz sits down with Mike for a wide-ranging conversation on A&R, artist development, music industry leadership, publishing, record labels, management, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.Mike breaks down why great creative executives need strong opinions, why long-term thinking beats short-term hype, and how the best artists and executives separate themselves through discipline, consistency, communication, curiosity, and self-awareness. He also shares his perspective on identifying hit songs, building sustainable careers, filtering distractions in the age of social media, and creating teams that challenge artists instead of simply validating them.This episode is a masterclass for anyone serious about artist management, music executive leadership, independent artist growth, A&R development, career longevity, and the inner workings of the music business.Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.If you’re earning publishing income, make sure you’re collecting all of it.KOSIGN, powered by Kobalt, offers direct global publishing collections and real-time royalty transparency in a flexible, artist-friendly format. It’s highly selective, but free to apply here: https://bit.ly/4b438pjWatch the full episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠New episodes drop Sundays @ 10am ETTimestamps:00:00 Why opinions matter00:27 Mike Caren career breakdown03:40 Giving back with facts07:22 Service over extraction08:09 Longevity mindset17:00 Mentorship, not commands19:10 A&R taste test routine20:29 Time management and boundaries23:11 Elite artist habits26:30 Collaboration and trust31:42 Optimism and embracing change36:18 Focus versus distractions39:29 Consistency and catalog growth44:01 Tough conversations early47:00 Feedback over complaints48:12 Why hard conversations matter50:53 Learning from mistakes52:16 Overcommunicate to win57:22 Teamwork and opinions59:09 What makes a hit01:03:20 Defining hits today01:05:57 Getting ahead as an executive01:10:04 Hiring and scaling slowly01:14:54 Building around artists01:17:59 Consistency for artists01:22:57 Hiring passionate talent01:27:23 Long-term career patience01:28:28 Closing thoughts