What It Takes To Manage The World’s Biggest DJs | Will Clarke Podcast

I am honored to welcome legendary manager Matt Colon to the show this week. In this episode, we dive into his incredible journey of navigating the music industry for a little over 30 years. From getting his start in street marketing and building relationships throughout Hollywood, to managing major artists like Steve Aoki, Blink-182 and Take That, Matt has had a front row seat to some incredible moments in music history. He also co-founded Deckstar alongside the late DJ AM, has been involved with Grammy nominated work throughout his career, and is currently behind Travis Barker’s new documentary. We also talk about his longtime friendship and working relationship with Steve Aoki, and the fascinating history behind how Steve built Dim Mak straight out of his college dorm room in Santa Barbara and turned it into the global record label it is today, now going 30 years strong.Beyond the history, we really get into the ins and outs of what being a manager actually entails behind the scenes. Matt shares his expertise on crucial details like making sure credits get distributed properly amongst other artists and managers, which is something a lot of people in the business overlook. He also gives some amazing insight into what the modern role of a manager actually looks like today and exactly what kind of people you need around you when developing an up and coming artist. If you want to know how the biggest DJs in electronic music operate, this is a must listen.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@willclarkedj?sub_confirmation=1This episode is sponsored by the following:Toneframer - Head to https://www.toneframer.com/will and code WILL gets you 50% off your first three months.Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-playlists-promotion⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am so pumped to have Dillon Francis on the podcast this week. In this episode, we dive deep into his wild rise to fame in the music industry. Dillon is known for constantly pushing boundaries, and we talk about how he often finds himself creating the most random music across entirely different genres, almost intentionally steering away from the formulas that are already working for him. It is a fascinating look into a creative mind that completely refuses to be boxed in by expectations and thrives on experimentation.We also get incredibly real about the everyday reality of the struggling artist. We break down what it actually takes to catch that elusive break, get lucky, and have a record go truly viral in today's saturated landscape. On a more personal note, Dillon opens up about the business side of the industry and explains why moving on from a management team you’ve been with for years feels exactly like going through a painful breakup, even when there is absolutely no bad blood between anyone. There are so many valuable gems in this conversation for producers at any stage of their career and I hope you enjoy.This episode is sponsored by the following:Toneframer - Head to https://www.toneframer.com/will and code WILL gets you 50% off your first three months.Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-playlists-promotion⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m stoked to have Kyle Watson on the show this week to talk about the reality of what an artist and producer actually needs to do to build a full album. In this episode, we get right into the weeds of writing against a time crunch and how to tell a genuine story with a record. It is never just about writing music in isolation; it’s about figuring out how to make sure that sonic narrative connects from the first track to the last, even when the clock is ticking.Because making the tracks is only half the battle, we also break down how to tie that story directly into your marketing and branding. Kyle shares some incredible insights on the visual side of the industry and why great social assets can absolutely make or break an album release today. If you are trying to figure out how to cut through the noise online while staying entirely true to your sound, there is a lot to take away from this chat.This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...Toneframer - Head to www.toneframer.com/will and code WILL gets you 50% off your first three months.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode features an absolute pioneer of electronic music: the legendary Etienne de Crécy. Sitting down with the architect of the French House scene was incredibly inspiring, especially as we dive into the raw, early days of the Parisian underground. We talk about his groundbreaking duo Motorbass, formed alongside his partner and friend, the late Philippe Zdar, and what it was actually like laying the foundational blueprint for French house before Daft Punk took the sound global.We also celebrate 30 years of his iconic Super Discount project! But what blew me away the most during our chat was Etienne's relentless drive to create the music of the future. He is a producer who refuses to rely on 90s nostalgia and is constantly searching for the next sonic boundary to push. Whether you are a massive fan of classic French house or just love hearing the passion behind what Etienne took to get here, you are going to love this one.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@willclarkedj?sub_confirmation=1This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s…⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke#WillClarke #ÉtienneDeCrécy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...Mista Jam has been on national radio for 21 years, which makes him one of the few people who can answer this properly: why does everything in dance music sound the same now? His answer isn't that producers got lazy. It's that the music was born from struggle, and the people who can afford to make it now never had any.We get into no new genre in a decade and whether that's even a fair claim, the free community studios that don't exist any more, what a ten grand booking fee actually leaves an artist once everyone else has been paid, why he calls it attention media rather than social media, the difference between integrity and credibility, the record that got ripped from SoundCloud and released as an edit before the original, the health journey behind "operation see my kids get old", getting dropped by a major last year, and the line that reframed his whole career: you can stop begging for a seat at the table and go build your own restaurant.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...Rules has a record with 81 million streams. In this episode we sat down and worked out, live, roughly what a number like that actually pays once the label split, the co-writer split, management and three years of waiting have taken their turn. The answer surprised both of us.We also get into why a sold out London show still lost money, the two producers who both told him not to do a live tour, driving his own van and roping his dad in to help, why he bought a camera and taught himself videography rather than do TikTok dances, the ad lib that became a whole record, why a re-sung sample never has the same soul as the original, whether streaming numbers convert to ticket sales at all, and why artist pages on Spotify should be able to carry sponsors the way podcasts do.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...A country of 27 million people has given dance music Fisher, Rufus Du Sol, Dom Dolla, Sonny Fodera, Cassian and Golden Features. Jesabel grew up in that scene, toured it for a decade, then left it all behind at 28 to move to the UK with no contacts and no plan B. She has a theory about why Australians keep winning, and it is not talent.We get into the Sydney scene before the government killed it, tall poppy syndrome and why nobody there wanted to see you rise, mixing the Ministry of Sound Clubbers Guide CDs, playing commercial sets in open format clubs to survive, and what it actually costs to leave your family and friends behind to chase it. Plus the hole of doubt nobody sees, why she blocked social media the day before we recorded, what a manager is really for now the gatekeepers are gone, and the honest conversation about putting your career ahead of everything else.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...Rossi has had a mad three years.High On Me blew up. He closed the Circoloco Terrace at DC10, played Coachella, sold out an all-night-long at Fabric, built one of the hottest labels in house music, and discovered that success never feels quite the way you imagine it will.In this episode we talk about the sober stints and 75 Hard routine that keep him sane on tour, why he nearly didn’t back High On Me, the fear of “selling out” and the advice that completely changed his perspective, how Acting Tough was discovered on TikTok before becoming a massive record on Homegrown, writing with topliners for the first time, why the six months before a release matter more than release day itself, and what success actually means once you’ve ticked every box.This is one of my favourite conversations in a long time. It’s honest, funny and full of lessons for anyone building a career in music—or chasing any ambitious goal.If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment/review and let me know who you’d like to hear on the podcast next.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...Morgan Seatree heard the Calvin Harris remix of "Say My Name" in the gym, found the original vocal on a Russian website, split it with AI, and made the edit fast. The TikTok did 30K. Then Marlon Hoffstadt closed Creamfields with it, a raw iPhone crowd clip went everywhere, and Florence and the Machine cleared a track for the first time in her life.We get into the full story behind the record: the Radio 1 moment that got it over the line, two major labels fighting with "checkbooks flying", releasing it while the offices were closed, and what nobody tells you about the aftermath, when a song doing half a million streams a day makes everything you release next feel like failure. Plus meeting Calvin Harris, the 6am prison routine, touring with his wife Hayley, Patrick Topping and Warehouse Project, paying it forward on Unfussy, and building an artist-led festival at Gateshead Stadium.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...Fleur Shore posted a reel every single day for five months. Then one video from Destino hit 12 million views, added 250,000 followers in two weeks, doubled her fees overnight, and brought a wave of hate and accusations she never saw coming.We get into what virality actually did to her career and her head, why female DJs get it worse online, the industry whispers that she'd bought it all, losing her manager and her best friend three weeks apart and having to choose sink or swim, the mushroom trip that sparked her For Sure clothing brand, why she builds new avenues before the plateau hits, running Undergrowth, prank calling butchers, and the three wheeler.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuew https://www.instagram.com/djwillclarke https://www.facebook.com/willclarkedj https://twitter.com/djwillclarke https://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.