He Booked Zedd For $2,500 (ft. Will Runzel) | EF EP 158

This episode is sponsored by Trackstack: the operating system built for music professionals who invest in each other. Trackstack Pro gives you access to a network of labels, curators, and artists where every connection you make is yours to keep. No algorithms, no platform holding your contacts hostage. Just real professional relationships that can turn into collaborations, bookings, and opportunities that can change the trajectory of your career. Use code ELEVATED for 50% off Pro for 3 months at trackstack.app --------------------------------------------- How do festival lineups actually get built — and what really gets an artist booked, signed, and streamed? Host Olivia Mancuso sits down with Will Runzel, founder of artist management company Prodigy, who came up as a talent buyer and promoter before managing some of dance music's biggest acts. Will breaks down how talent buyers really assemble festival lineups, how he booked now-headlining DJs like Zedd and DJ Snake for almost nothing early on, and how to spot a padded offer. They get into artist branding and vision, audience psychographics, owning a niche instead of chasing everyone, the unglamorous work ethic behind every breakout, and why every release is now an audiovisual project. --------------------------------------------- 👉 Want personalized guidance on your music career? Book a one-on-one consultation with Olivia on GreenRoom where you can get tailored advice on branding, business strategy, and sustainable career growth: https://greenroomnetwork.com/creator/... 👉 Instagram:   / oliviamancuso__   👉 Video Editor/Audio Engineer: James Fixx --------------------------------------------- 0:00 Introduction 1:31 Sponsor – Trackstack 2:17 Who Gets Lied To More? 3:16 Roots As A Talent Buyer 4:22 Building Prodigy With Steven 5:49 The Non-Traditional Path 7:06 Advice For Young Managers 8:06 Signing His First Client 10:13 The Chicago Of It All 11:12 Chicago's Club Roots 12:43 Daft Punk Over Kanye 13:56 Immerse In The Culture 14:57 His Love For House 16:06 What He Looks For 17:54 Stand For Something 19:38 Know Your Audience 20:54 Artist Development, Day One 21:43 His Archetype: The Ruler 23:29 Building Content Buckets 24:43 The Unsexy Skill: Work Ethic 27:11 Build A Long Runway 28:30 Why Trends Aren't A Strategy 29:30 The Streaming Life Cycle 31:53 Only 8% See Your Posts 33:14 Burner Accounts & Blogs 34:09 Every Release Is Audiovisual 36:11 The Oliver Tree Lesson 39:09 How Festival Lineups Get Built 41:58 The DJs He Booked First 44:50 Impact Behind The Scenes 45:30 Artists Owning Their IP 46:21 Private Equity In Dance Music 47:58 What Makes An Artist Unmanageable 48:54 Manifesting & A Can-Do Mindset 50:23 Olivia's Manifesting Journey 51:26 How To Plan For 2028 53:02 Master One Genre First 54:39 The Cafeteria Theory 55:19 Wrap-Up