The Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast with Mark Adams
The Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast, hosted by 28-year music industry veteran Mark Adams, dives into the essential strategies for success in today's music business - with guests including musicians, artist managers, producers, record label executives, and entertainment industry legends. Past guests have included Vanessa Warwick, Simon Jones, Sol Parker, Colin Barlow, and Rich Castillo. Mark Adams is the founder of Blinding Talent, a UK-based artist management and digital marketing consultancy, and a former Director of Music Programming across Channel 4 and Bauer Media, where he worked with brands including 4Music, Kerrang!, Kiss, Q, and Magic. He launched Kerrang TV and The Hits on Freeview, and led Box Network to become the UK's number one music TV network beating MTV in market share. He also created industry-first chart formats with Spotify and YouTube, launching the Official YouTube Chart (2015) and the first ever Spotify-data streaming chart, Box+ (2016). Across his career, Mark has played a pivotal role in breaking and amplifying A-list artists including Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Pink, and Ed Sheeran - whose first ever TV appearance he gave on 4Music. He is a certified Artist Manager (MMF, 2026) and has judged the BRIT Awards, BBC Sound Poll, and Music Week Awards. Find out more about Blinding Talent: Website: www.blindingtalent.com Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blindingtalent Mark's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markadamsai/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlindingTalent Podcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blindingtalentpod Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blindingtalentpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blindingtalentinsta/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blindingtalent Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
This episode, Mark Adams talks to Dr Jo Twist - recognised in the Computer Weekly Hall of Fame, Billboard's Women in Music Power List, and the Top 1000 Most Influential People, with over 25 years across the BBC, Channel 4, and now the BPI.
Jo shares her journey from a 1970s Hong Kong childhood and a PhD in online communities, through pioneering digital roles at BBC Newsround and Channel 4, to leading the trade body behind the BR...
Before it was the world's busiest music venue, it was Britain's biggest public embarrassment. In this episode, Blinding Talent sits down with Paul Samuels, President of AEG Global Partnerships, for the untold story of how the Millennium Dome, a government-funded flop written off by the press, became The O2, now the highest-grossing arena on the planet.
Paul takes us inside the boardroom battles, the naming rights negotiation tha...
Atlanta Cobb - Music Industry Mentor on Artist Development, Social Media & Whether Artists Still Need Record Labels
Atlanta Cobb has spent 15 years in the music industry - from street teaming for Columbia Records as a student to managing artists at major label level. When she left the major label world she found something nobody was talking about: a massive gap between what major label artists have access to and what indepen...
What does it really take to build a rock legend?
In this episode of The Blinding Talent Podcast, Mark Adams sits down with Steve Tannett, Director of Marshall Records, former artist manager, record executive, and one of the music industry's most experienced talent spotters.
Steve's journey began in the heart of the UK punk explosion, playing alongside the era that produced bands such as The Clash, The Damned and the Sex ...
Is radio still the greatest music platform ever created?
In this episode of the Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast, Mark Adams sits down with one of UK radio’s most respected figures - Jo Hart, founder of Hart Media and a radio plugger with over 36 years in the music industry.
Across her career, Jo has helped secure radio success for an incredible list of artists including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Usher, R...
In this episode of the Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast, Mark Adams sits down with Judd Lander - a true industry insider whose career spans over six decades of music history.
From the Cavern Club in Liverpool to working with ABBA, Culture Club, Spice Girls, Annie Lennox, Prince and more, Judd has been part of some of the most iconic moments in music - often by accident, always by instinct.
From creating the harmonica on...
Jacqui Quaife has worked at the heart of the UK music industry for over four decades — from running the Spandau Ballet fan club in the 80s to leading TV promotions at Syco, BMG and Sony Music for artists including One Direction, Westlife, Little Mix, Prince, Beyoncé and Britney Spears.
In this episode, Jacqui shares what really happens behind the scenes of pop stardom.
What was Simon Cowell actually like behind closed d...
In this episode, Stephen Budd — British music executive, artist & producer manager, festival creator, and cultural entrepreneur - shares what he’s learned from four decades inside the music industry, and why the future belongs to artists who build real momentum, real relationships, and real community.
From his first paid gig as a 15-year-old roadie at Motörhead’s first ever gig, to pressing DIY 7” sin...
In this episode, Mental Health Expert Lauren Reading-Gloversmith - former music publicist and artist manager turned person-centred experiential counsellor - shares what she’s learned from a decade on the frontline of alternative music, and why support for creatives shouldn’t begin only when you’re in crisis.
From discovering her local scene as a teenager (“grayscale to colour”), to promoting and man...
In this episode, Jo — PR veteran turned artist manager for Pendulum, Knife Party, TesseracT, TRASH BOAT, Saint Agnes and more - breaks down the truth about modern artist development in a world of burnout, algorithm-chasing, and 200,000 new songs a day.
From gig-obsessed teenager to navigating EDM’s U.S. explosion, to guiding Pendulum’s comeback through a pandemic, to building her own management company UNHOLY -...
Welcome to the Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast – Best of 2025 🎧
This episode rewinds the biggest “did they really just say that?” moments of the year—raw confessions, wild stories, honest truths and practical insights that shaped conversations across the industry.
A full year of legends, disruptors and future-shapers dropping their guard and revealing how the business actually works.
Hosted by M...
Class, NOT Race, is Music’s Biggest Gatekeeper
In this episode, Roman Tagoe - radio producer turned Director of Streaming at Chrysalis - pulls back the curtain on what actually moves the needle in music: audience-first storytelling over vanity metrics, intent over raw streams, and patient community-building over playlist sugar rushes.
From producing shows at BBC Radio 1 & 6 Music, to leading DSP strategy at Deezer a...
The music business loves a shortcut—but real careers are built, not hacked. In this episode, award-winning publicist and manager Simon pulls back the curtain on how pop stars are actually broken: persistence over “promo stunts,” ruthless focus over doing “everything,” and authenticity over algorithm-chasing.
From being a teenage major-label signing to running PR for SMTV/CD:UK, stewarding Ant & ...
⚠️ WARNING: The music industry is chasing TikTok virality and it’s killing real artistry. Jacob Rickard reveals why labels are panicking, how Gen Z really discovers music, and why forcing artists to make content could destroy careers before they start.
Jacob Rickard is one of the most influential figures in music discovery today. Formerly a Music lead at Radio 1 and now a Gen Z strategist, he has worked with the biggest ar...
From singing drunk at the pub to landing 100+ sync deals, a global hit written in under 30 minutes, and major label bidding wars — Sam Jack’s journey is pure music industry magic. 🎶🔥
In this episode, Sam shares his unfiltered story — from his South African musical roots and early gigs, to the unexpected Spotify explosion that changed everything. Packed with insider tips for artists, emotional turning points, ...
Legendary A&R Colin Barlow sits down with Blinding Talent CEO Mark Adams and reveals how he signed Girls Aloud, chased the Yeah Yeah Yeahs across continents, and worked with icons like Beyoncé, Pharrell, and Justin Timberlake. Raw stories, real lessons, and music business gold. “Songs are everything.” A must-listen for artists, managers, and fans.
He discussed:
- The Relentless Importance of the Song
- Gut Instinct...
About this Episode: Join us for an unforgettable conversation with Sol Parker, legendary UK live music agent and major figure in the music industry. Sol has helped shape the careers of The Prodigy, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Take That, Steps, Westlife, and many more. From his early days growing up around nightclubs and arcades in North Wales to representing some of the world's biggest acts, Sol shares incredible behind-the-scenes st...
In this unfiltered, emotional, and wildly insightful episode, Blinding Talent CEO and former Channel 4 Director of Music, Mark Adams sits down with powerhouse manager and label boss Jamie Osman for a deep-dive into his journey from a 15-year-old record store clerk to managing arena-selling bands. They unpack the highs of music industry success, the chaos of self-doubt, substance abuse, and the pressure to "always level up."
From...
Independent Music Industry Insights: Adele, BTS, Super Fans & The Future of Streaming | The Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast 🎧🔥
#MusicIndustry #Adele #BTS #Streaming #IndependentArtists #TuneCore #BlindTalentPodcast
This week on the Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast, host Mark Adams sits down with Sarah Wilson, a powerhouse in the music industry who has worked with Adele, BTS, Radiohead, Jungle, and Hot Chip....
Get ready for an inspiring, no-holds-barred conversation with a seasoned music manager who's seen it all—from humble beginnings in under-18 gigs to shaping iconic acts like N-Dubz, working with Olivia Dean, and navigating the ever-changing world of A&R.
Discover how artists like Tion Wayne, Stefflon Don, and Chase & Status climbed the charts, and hear behind-the-scenes stories of working with legends like Jay-Z, Be...
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