Andreea Magdalina

What is it like being a woman in the music industry?

This is a very complex question with a complex answer. To sum it up, I’ll refer to Bjork’s statement from a while ago – “Everything that a guy says once, you have to say five times.”

How did shesaid.so come about?

The concept of bringing exceptional women together had been lurking on my mind for some time before shesaid.so had actually materialized. The catalyst was a frus-trating meeting I had with a well respected media conglomerate in the UK – as the only woman in the room, as well as the youngest person at the table, I felt voiceless and intimidated. shesaid.so was born the evening after that meeting.

Tell us a bit about your members. How many do you have now, what back-grounds do they come from?

There are over 1900 members in our community at the moment, with a few more on the waiting list. Their backgrounds are extremely varied, covering all areas of the music industry – from management, record labels, PR agencies through to sync & licensing, creative directors, composers, agencies and more. In terms of territories, our largest communities are in London and LA (largely due to the fact that I spent a lot of time in these cities), but we have growing communities in Berlin, Paris, Barce-lona, NYC, Toronto and hoping to expand in growing markets as well.

What are your views on the current music scene all around?

What’s happening in the music industry at the moment is very exciting. On one hand, you have an increasing number of tech companies impacting the way we consume and sell music (such as Spotify and Kobalt). On the other, there are older industry forces that are resistant to these changes but we see their power visibly decrease day by day. The fact that Chance The Rapper won so many Grammys this year as an independent artist is proof to that. This is daunting for some but exciting in so many ways.

How do the advancements in technology affect the way we experience, pick or choose music? Does it take away from its uniqueness?

This conversation is not new. Streaming has finally been welcomed with open arms by the industry at large, and each new technological breakthrough will likely have to undergo a similar scrutiny. Us humans are reluctant to change because it forces out of our comfort zones, and that’s exactly where innovation happens. We’re having to come up with new ways to make music, distribute it, experience it and so on. It’s a great challenge to have, and one that doesn’t have to take away from the authentic way of experiencing music in its purest form but rather enrich it.

What’s next for you?

In my day-to-day life I’m a consultant for large and medium-sized tech companies as part of an agency called Transatlantic. I really enjoy this aspect of my career because it helps me understand brands better, and how to integrate music into their marketing efforts efficiently. In my spare time I run a creative agency together with my husband – as part of IAMJT we offer artist management services, digital marketing, branding and production consulting. Other than that, hoping to make shesaid.so the largest network of women in music business, one step at a time!

Any advice for a young woman stepping into the world of music?

Find mentors. I really wish I had found these earlier in my life. There is not set for-mula for achieving success, as much as those self-help books are trying to convince us. With hard work and dedication anyone can achieve dreams. What really helps is having someone (or a few) with experience guide you along the way and minimize the number of mistakes in the process.