Paul Sinclair and Daniel Glass: Comparing Atlantic and Glassnote Records

This week I listened to two MusicBiz 101 & More podcasts, hosted by Dr. Stephen Marcone and Professor David Philp.  The guests on these episodes were Paul Sinclair, General Manager of Atlantic Records, and Daniel Glass, Founder of Glassnote Records.  These podcasts offered intriguingly similar yet opposite perspectives, as Atlantic remains one of the largest labels today, and Glassnote is among the most successful independent labels on the scene.

Most notably, these interviews occurred several months apart; Sinclair spoke just a few weeks into the initial closures due to COVID-19, while Glass spoke several months into the pandemic- as vaccines were becoming available.  Sinclair predicts the industry effects of the pandemic: increased live-streaming, and additional views for “lean-in” content (10:02).  He explains that lean-in content, on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, will come at the expense of lean-back material, such as commuter radio and audio streaming.  By contrast, Glass expresses optimism for touring and festivals in the summer, saying “my excitement really is live” (5:03).  He does not mention streaming from his artists, but he does assert that Glassnote does not produce one-off pop hits (5:30).  This implies that Glassnote will not produce content for the sake of having something to release, even amidst pressures of the pandemic.  

This aligns with his single signing of an act during the entire pandemic- Glassnote is an intentionally smaller company (5:54).  Glass emphasizes the importance of his family, and that the values of his company attracts certain artists (20:20). This intimate mentality again contradicts the structure of Atlantic, as Sinclair describes the structure as “flat” as opposed to a “funnel” (23:40).  He says there are numerous employees across the company equipped to handle managers’ and artists’ needs, so he personally is not involved in every relationship.  

Glass and Sinclair are particularly similar, however, in their versatility.  Sinclair oversees all aspects of Atlantic marketing, and is heavily involved in product releases and artist signings, as well as business operations (21:05).  Glass, as founder of his company, is also heavily involved in artist signings, oversight of the publishing branch, and their relationship with their distributing partner, AWAL (22:50).  A key difference is Glass’ view on marketing.  He did not want to spend anything on marketing Glassnote by the third year; he says that if word of mouth between artists and managers was not sufficient, then they were not doing their job (18:18).  

Listening to these two industry executives speak, I learned that there is no one way to a successful label.  Additionally, I observed that each Sinclair and Glass had prior experience that informed their current positions; any experience is good experience.  They each demonstrated a willingness to adapt to pandemic circumstances, which is essential in the music industry.  These podcasts are well worth the listen.

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Patrick Gannon is an intern at MINT Talent Agency, who has experience working in nonprofits and in performance production.  He will graduate from William Paterson University in 2022 with a degree in Jazz Performance, and is working towards an MBA which will be earned in 2023.