Music Tech Veteran Hazel Savage: A Deep Dive Into the Industry
We had the great joy of interviewing music tech industry trailblazer Hazel Savage - she shares her 15+ years of expertise on navigating the world of music tech and how artists can break into the music industry.
Can you share a bit about yourself, just an introduction and what you do?
Sure thing, I’m Hazel Savage, I was the co-founder and CEO of Musiio before selling the company in 2022 to SoundCloud and now I sit on the board of several other startups in the music tech space and I am an angel investor. I have worked in Music Tech for about 20 years, at companies such as Shazam, Pandora and Universal Music.
What inspired you to pursue a journey in the music industry?
I was an artist first, I got my first guitar at 13, so I am a failed rockstar basically, I was just a musician and a fan who worked relentlessly in the sector playing shows and helping mates bands and then figured out I was better at the business side of things. My first job was at HMV stacking shelves, so we all start somewhere.
"I totally understand that a lot of artists are wary of AI, the media especially loves to encourage this divide with headlines such as “robots taking your job”
What current trends in the music tech industry excite you the most?
I am obviously excited by AI technologies, I think it’s important how the tech is applied, but it can do some really fascinating things. I am also excited by the next generation of creators, Gen Z are growing up in a very different environment to the one I started in, there is no 9-5 in the office anymore and how they build their careers and communities is fascinating to me.
I think AI is such a useful tool but I know a lot of artists are wary of it - Can you share a bit about your thoughts surrounding that?
I totally understand that a lot of artists are wary of AI, the media especially loves to encourage this divide with headlines such as “robots taking your job” and including stories about music AI illustrated with images of human-like robots, which is very misleading and alarmist, the reality is most AI is large computer programmes and sets of code, in fact Musiio which was a AI designed to tag music (bpm, key, genre etc) doesn’t make decisions on it’s own and can only really learn what it has been taught, but that doesn’t make for a very exciting story, the reality is a lot of AI in the assistive space is essentially high-level data processing, which is as glamorous as it sounds. I think generative AI and AI that creates new or derivative works by learning from old works, well that is the controversial area and we are living history right now as that story unfolds. I’d love a crystal ball to see 5 years down the road, it would make me a very successful investor!
"I think the trends I am most excited about are community (online and IRL) and connection (between artist and fans)"
How do you see the role of music tech evolving over the next decade, particularly in terms of artist empowerment and ownership of their work?
I think artists owning more of their work has been evolving since the internet grew, we see less 360 label deals and more artists creating their own holistic approach to the industry and making sure they can carve a career out in a multi-faceted way. Hopefully apps like un:hurd and Audioshake (full disclosure I am an investor in both) allow artists to take more control of their works and career.
What emerging industry trends do you believe artists should leverage or look out for in the coming months?
I’m not sure months is a long enough time frame to make a drastic change, I feel we tend to see cycles of innovation can happen over years and generations, millennials famously were the generation of authenticity and not ‘selling-out’ now brand deals and sync for TV is the backbone of a solid career. I think the trends I am most excited about are community (online and IRL) and connection (between artist and fans).
"At an early stage, you have to really dive in and do everything yourself (which not every artist loves). Those who do it well really excel."
You’ve worked for some of the world’s largest music brands - could you share any advice that you think might be useful to new artists?
I guess you have to work hard and you have to be a good person. I think these apply in all industries but in my experience these things have never been a bad starting position. Actually check out the podcast I recorded with Charlie Ogbechie about how to get noticed as an artist!
From your experience, what are the most common mistakes independent artists make when navigating the tech side of the music business?
Common mistakes I think are leaving your admin and online presence to someone else. At an early stage, you have to really dive in and do everything yourself (which not every artist loves). Those who do it well really excel. I did a really cool panel once with Balthazar Aguirre from the band BALTHVS, and his approach to Linkedin and direct messaging fans means the band has built a highly engaged and stable career filling out venues and gigs with fans who feel really connected to the band.
Do you have any tips for artists looking to get their music noticed?
I think at an early stage, you have to really dive in and do everything yourself (which not every artist loves). Those who do it well really excel, ahead of that making sure your social pages and streaming pages are in good order is a great place to start. Making sure links, images and headers up to date is key. Also when building the audience, take it a step further, think about where your audience is, it could be discord or tiktok, and think about whether you are you engaging with your listeners in chats or comments (if appropriate). It can also be helpful to connect with other artists in your scene to share opportunities. I’m a big fan of apps that help artists get started such as indieknow.app get the basics right then focus on community engagement.
As a woman in the music tech industry you’ve paved the way for others looking to make a difference in the music business - what advice would you give to those starting that journey?
I guess I don’t really feel I have paved the way, there aren’t that many women in music tech, especially AI but hopefully if I have done anything it’s just prove that it can be done and if you have an idea and you want to do your own thing you can. Ideas are cheap, execution is everything.
Looking back, what has been the most rewarding moment of your career?
Tough one, because there are so many. I like to look back on the regular days in the office with Musiio in Singapore just having a laugh with the team, those were the good old days, but also winning the Entrepreneur of The Year Award with Music Week in 2022 was a highlight. And also I have a photo from when I worked at Shazam in about 2006, and I am playing the CEO Andrew Fisher at wii in the breakroom… all highlights and very fond memory, it’s the journey, less so the destination that matters.
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