MBW’s Inspiring Girls collection profiles feminine executives who’ve risen through the ranks of the enterprise, highlighting their profession journey – from their skilled breakthrough to the senior tasks they now fulfill. Inspiring Girls is supported by Virgin Music Group.
Michele Ballantyne has spent a powerful 20 years on the Recording Trade Affiliation of America (RIAA), throughout which period she’s witnessed the music trade grapple with the transition from unlawful downloading to streaming, and now has a front-row seat within the battle to keep up the worth of human-created music within the age of AI.
As President & COO of the group, Ballantyne now runs each day operations and manages a 56-person workforce. Her work has additionally centered on social justice advocacy, together with mobilizing RIAA members to help police reform payments, guiding the implementation of members’ social change commitments and managing probably the most various board of administrators in its historical past.
Born on the tiny Caribbean island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ballantyne, who later grew up in Montreal, was a self-confessed music nerd as a child however by no means envisaged with the ability to work within the trade.
As a substitute, she first pursued a profession in legislation and politics. After graduating from the Georgetown College Regulation Heart, Ballantyne landed authorities roles resembling Normal Counsel for Senator Tom Daschle, Particular Assistant for President Invoice Clinton and Particular Counsel for former White Home Chief of Employees John Podesta.
After engaged on mental property points with Daschle, a good friend really useful her for a task at RIAA and Ballantyne began the music enterprise a part of her profession in 2004.
When requested how her historical past in Capitol Hill informs what she does at the moment, Ballantyne solutions: “In my public service jobs, I used to be a generalist, an individual who would step again and take a look at to have a look at the massive image and ensure the puzzle items are all linked in order that we may get issues over the end line.
“you’ll be able to’t simply take into consideration what’s proper in entrance of you, you must assume three steps forward.”
“I used to fret that maybe I ought to be extra steeped within the intricacies of the small print. I do take note of the small print, you must, however within the jobs that I’ve labored at, you’ll be able to’t simply take into consideration what’s proper in entrance of you, you must assume three steps forward. I spend numerous time puzzling these issues out and people are the abilities I introduced with me.”
Right here, we chat to Ballantyne about her profession so far, social justice and variety within the music trade, and the 2 lawsuits the RIAA has not too long ago filed towards AI startups Suno and Udio.
Do you’ve any habits or rituals that make sure you deliver your greatest self to work?
I really like yoga. I by no means actually did a lot yoga earlier than however I spotted, proper earlier than the pandemic, that I battle with stability. I all the time really feel like I’ve to tick by means of my to-do listing and may get very stressed and overwhelmed.
One of many methods I deal with that’s by doing yoga. I do it virtually every single day. Additionally, chilly brew espresso, which I can’t dwell with out.
What’s your definition of fine management?
It’s being listener, being considerate, bringing totally different views to the desk and ensuring that you just hear these. I work actually onerous and I push folks to work onerous, however I additionally hear them and validate them.
It’s essential to have the ability to put your self within the footwear of your workforce members. Additionally, being type, respectful {and professional} and having a humorousness about issues. Issues go unsuitable and typically we will’t management these.
I imagine in being very direct, which [RIAA CEO] Mitch Glazier (pictured) is on the receiving finish of most instances. However he likes it, so it’s nice. I imagine in giving suggestions virtually instantly, if doable, I don’t like to take a seat on issues. I believe that helps folks perceive the place and the way they’ll enhance.
I additionally imagine in giving constructive suggestions usually, as a result of I believe folks really want that. You need to know that you just’ve achieved job or that you just’re getting into the suitable route. It’s horrible in case you are wandering round at midnight and don’t know the place you stand. I prefer to let folks know the place they stand.
What are the largest classes that you just’ve realized throughout your profession?
When issues get robust, put your head down, concentrate on what’s in entrance of you and put one foot in entrance of the opposite. And that it’s actually essential to attempt issues, even when they scare you.
After I was a younger staffer on The Hill, we used to have a gathering with the legislative administrators of each Democratic senator, which was round 50 folks at the moment, and one in all my colleagues mentioned, ‘You’re going to guide this assembly each week.’
I used to be like, ‘Oh, I’m new and I don’t actually know all these items.’ I all the time really feel like I’ve to know every thing earlier than I can speak about it. He was like, ‘You truly know greater than you assume so that you’re going to take a seat right here each week and also you’re going to run this assembly.’
I used to be actually frightened about it however I ran the assembly and it taught me find out how to communicate in entrance of a gaggle. I’m very nervous about public talking, which isn’t unusual, however the extra you follow it, the higher you change into. And I spotted, ‘Effectively, I can do it.’ Yet one more factor: belief your intestine.
What’s one of the best career-related recommendation you’ve ever been given?
I’ve had a few mentors and one in all them is all the time pushing me to not get caught up within the day-to-day, to consider the massive image and find out how to get issues achieved.
Round 20 years in the past, he additionally instructed me, ‘Simply be your self. There are expertise you’ve that you just don’t notice are expertise.’ I saved saying, ‘I’m not the knowledgeable on this and I’m not the knowledgeable on that. What am I going to do in my subsequent job? I’ve to know one thing particularly.’
He mentioned, ‘You’re studying find out how to be boss.’ That increase of confidence was what I wanted at the moment. I spotted that you just do have to be taught, it is advisable perceive the panorama and the substance however you additionally need to learn to use logic. That helped me to change into a greater chief.
In regard to the lawsuits the RIAA has filed towards AI firms Suno and Udio. What’s the group’s ultimate end result?
That we’ll go to court docket and we are going to win. That they must pay damages and deal with what they’re doing. It’s not OK to make use of the supplies of artists as inputs and with out permission. We would like them to grasp that they’re doing one thing unsuitable and deal with it.
What do you make of the honest use argument and that the event of those firms, and music startups basically, is being constrained and restricted by licensing offers?
We don’t imagine it’s honest use. On the constraints within the market [argument], I don’t imagine that’s true. There are constructs arrange for a cause, there are firms which have confirmed, over the course of the time I’ve been on the RIAA, that they’re prepared to pivot, they’re prepared to be revolutionary, they’re prepared to license and work with different firms. There are moral gamers within the market already which have been licensed.
Our firms have used AI in a accountable and moral method to provide these nice songs that you just’ve heard from artists like The Beatles, which is wonderful. Lately, Randy Travis, the singer-songwriter from Nashville, was on the town. He had a stroke in 2013 and he used AI to provide music.
“I don’t assume it’s OK for firms like Suno and Udio to take supplies and use them for their very own functions to generate profits. Human creativity must be protected.”
I don’t assume it’s OK for firms like Suno and Udio to take supplies and use them for their very own functions to generate profits. Human creativity must be protected. There are offers being achieved on a regular basis. Every little thing is transferring so quick and we’ve to determine some guidelines of the street earlier than it will get manner too far out, creativity is suppressed and {the marketplace} is flooded with AI generated music.
The factor about music that’s so nice, that makes us all so keen about it, is that it comes from inside somebody. It’s honest and natural and it expresses their lived expertise or their creativeness. It’s not honest to take that away.
Greg Bulla by way of Unsplash
What’s the standing of laws that may higher shield copyrighted works within the age of AI?
It doesn’t exist, in fact. The factor you be taught in a short time when you find yourself working in Authorities, particularly within the US, is there’s a time lag behind every thing.
Proper now, we’re working in each the Home of Representatives and within the Senate to get them to handle a few of these points. They acknowledge that issues aren’t transferring as shortly as they want, and so they acknowledge that expertise strikes extra shortly than the legislative course of. The primary piece of laws we hope will make it by means of addresses the problem of deep fakes.
A giant a part of your work on the RIAA has centered on social justice and variety. Have you ever witnessed efficient change in these areas throughout the trade throughout your 20 years on the group?
Sure, I’ve. I see extra various faces on the desk. I additionally assume there’s all the time room for enchancment and there’s way more work to be achieved. We will’t take our foot off the gasoline.
There have been these main shifts after the police reform payments, George Floyd’s loss of life and the RAP Act [a bill to protect artists from having their lyrics used against them in court]. Your complete trade coalesced round this stuff, not simply folks of colour. It’s a must to hold speaking about it. The work has to proceed and you must be intentional about it. We will’t let up as a result of it’s too essential.
Are there any particular adjustments you want to see throughout the music enterprise that might enhance entry to equal alternatives and variety at the moment?
It’s a few issues. We companion with the Black Music Motion Coalition to do a music accelerator programme at a traditionally black faculty in Tennessee, TSU.
One of many issues that’s so essential about that’s getting younger folks into the enterprise, ensuring that they’re set as much as succeed and progress and so they have the publicity, the understanding and the data to maneuver ahead.
To increase the horizons of the place you search for expertise can be essential. And ensuring there’s extra and totally different views. For example, for our board, it’s about growing the variety of folks of colour but in addition style range, regional range, gender range and racial range. It’s not only one factor and I believe folks get caught there.
It’s a must to go searching. Are we listening to from girls? Are we listening to from the LGBTQ neighborhood? Are we listening to from younger people and extra skilled people, in addition to black folks, Latin folks and Asian folks? We now have to guarantee that we’re getting all the views.
What are probably the most thrilling developments taking place within the music enterprise at the moment, out of your perspective?
Within the time that I’ve labored at RIAA, the way in which that report labels have advanced has been fascinating. At first, they had been nonetheless coping with the repercussions of Napster, Grokster and unlawful downloading. The long run was very unsure and there was a resistance to alter.
“Labels have gone from being seen as gatekeepers to extra like gateways into the music enterprise and into better success for artists. We’ve labored onerous to indicate that we’re good companions.”
Over time, I’ve seen a number of thrilling, revolutionary views, totally different, youthful folks coming in with totally different concepts about find out how to do issues, find out how to shake issues up. Labels have gone from being seen as gatekeepers to extra like gateways into the music enterprise and into better success for artists. We’ve labored onerous to indicate that we’re good companions.
It’s a troublesome enterprise and it’s onerous to interrupt by means of. There’s a lot music on the market, lots of of hundreds of tracks being uploaded every single day. How do you attain the individuals who need to hear what you must inform them? I really feel actually proud and grateful to be a part of the group of parents who assist make that occur.
When you may return to the start of your profession and inform your self one factor, what wouldn’t it be?
Hold pushing. I by no means imagined I might have a job in music. I additionally by no means imagined I may go to among the best legislation colleges. I by no means imagined I might work for the President of america.
I by no means imagined I might discover myself in a few of the rooms the place essential selections are being made, however one way or the other I did, by means of a mix of onerous work, nice mentors, a little bit of luck, seizing alternatives and doing the issues that had been scary typically. One foot in entrance of the opposite actually does get you locations if you happen to’re dedicated to doing the work.
Virgin Music Group is the worldwide impartial music division of Common Music Group, which brings collectively UMG’s label and artist service companies together with Virgin and Ingrooves.Music Enterprise Worldwide
