Culminating Experience:
Disrupción Records - Label Manager
Nicole Casino
Outcome Paper
Berklee College Of Music

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I. Summary
The selection for my Culminating Experience of my Master’s degree in Global
Entertainment and Music Business was the undertaking of the role of Label Manager for
Disrupción Records. Disrupción Records acts as the student-run independent record label of
Berklee College of Music’s Valencia Campus. It is primarily used to operate as a record label
that serves Berklee artists as they begin to distribute and promote their musical projects as well
as give the Global Entertainment and Music Business students hand-on experience in running a
record label. Alongside my position are the following: a Product Manager, two A&R
Representatives, a Marketing Manager, an Events and Promotions Manager and a Sync
Manager. With an increased number of staff and a wider range of goals for the record label in
2018-2019, the opportunities we were accessing eventually aided in the projection of
legitimizing the label as not just one that is “student-run” but one that is respected and seen as
a real and credible resource for both non-Berklee artists and regular independent artists, alike.
Throughout the year I was tasked with not only managing the label’s day-to-day
operations, but also the rebranding and re-structure of the label, the team’s dynamics and
workflow, and the overall success of the projects that were signed to Disrupción Records. A few
of the highlighted accomplishments that I was able to lead for the team was the rebirth of a
distribution deal with The Orchard (a high-end distributor) for the label, the signing of an
international non-Berklee artist, and opening up of a Synchronization department.
Although there existed some trials and errors throughout the year, I am confident in
saying that myself and the Team at Disrupción Records completed a successful growth period

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for the record label and for the projects a part of it. Please see the following explanations of my
term as the Label Manager.

II. Objectives
In starting as the Label Manger for Disrupción Records, there were pre-set objectives by
my advisor in which I was to focus on during my term. Among them were:
1. Create a longer and more revenue-generating licensing deal for our projects
2. Build a structure for the label that would foster a smoother in-house staff turn-around from
year to year.
3. Involve a non-Berklee artist in the resources of the record label.
To start, perhaps the most important objective was to create not only longevity for the
projects, but longevity for the record label. In creating a licensing deal that was for a longer
term and existing on a “rolling” basis, the record label would be able to sustain itself with more
revenue coming in consistently. The old contract, although very artist friendly, existed on an
extremely short term, usually no more than 6 months. This meant that Disrupción Records was
only receiving money for 6 months out of the year. This was a strict problem of sustainability. As
mentioned before, the new licensing deal that was introduced to our artists was still friendly for
the ownership of their rights, but introduced a “rolling” period in that, unless the artist notified
Disrupción of their want to terminate the licensing, the licensing will continue. This creates an
option for Disrupción to show why it is beneficial for the artist to continue licensing with
Disrupción should the track do really well.

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The second pre-set objective involved the smooth and efficient transition from team
members after the year ended and a new staff took over the roles. In years past, the graduating
team would leave in July and the record label would have no staff until the new team was
chosen in October. Experiencing this first hand, led to this becoming possibly the most
important objective of the year. Not only does this lack of transition create a stunt in growth for
the label, it creates confusion and inefficiency for label projects and new label staff. In
combating this confusion and “dead time” for the label and its staff, the building of a Google
Drive and a “How-To” guide to run the label came from this objective.
The most straight forward objective created involved signing an artist that was not a
Berklee student and not previously affiliated with the record label. This would ultimately
legitimize Disrupción Records and continue to contribute to the “real-world” experience that I
was able to get as a Label Manager.
Aside from the pre-set objectives that I was given by my advisor, I had my own set of
objectives that I set out to achieve:
1. Rebrand and Restructure the record for a higher visibility and efficiency rate
2. Learn how to successfully lead a team through several simultaneous projects
3. Create synchronization opportunities through a Sync Department of Disruption Records.
These objectives, later explained in more detail, parallel not only the idea of creating
legitimacy for the label but also the opportunity for personal growth . Through rebranding and
growing the staff, I am able to see what strategies work on the internal level and the external
level. These strategies then lead to the successful implementation of good managerial skills as I

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guided the team through our project releases. Finally, the creation of the Sync department is
the culmination of identifying a gap in the system and creating a solution to fill it.

III. Resources
The resources of Disrupción Records varied in relation to both the growth of the label
over the year and the specific tasks of each department. Perhaps the most important label wide
resource was the use of the gmail account and Trello boards. Trello boards allowed us to
communicate and funnel information into an easily readable account of tasks that were done or
in progress. It simplified our workflow and allowed for referencing who was responsible for
different assets.

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Figure 3.1 Swave and Nathan Dies Trello Board from Disrupción Records
In Figure 3.1, you may observe that the Trello Board shows the cards broken down into
Resources, To-Dos, Doing, and Done. Furthermore, the color labeling dictated which
department or staff member was in charge of a specific task. Some tasks that you could see put
on these cards include album artwork, masters delivered, and release/promotion plan. It
became even more helpful with the “Resources” card so that the contract could be referenced
from time to time.
From the perspective of the Label Manager, the obvious resource of money played a
big part in the success of the record label. From the rebranding of the website which created a
need for a new domain to the marketing efforts of each release, money was always the physical
resource we needed most. We were given a grant of 1,000 euros for the year in which we could
spend however we deemed fit. As Label Manager, I decided to split the allotment 25/75 and
give 250 euros to the Events and Promotions Department and 750 euros to the Marketing
Department. Since the success of the label depends on how well our releases due and the
revenue that they generate from streaming, it only made sense to allocate the majority of that
money to Marketing.

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Among other departmental resources such recording studios for the A&R Department,
and smaller event specific needs for the Events and Promotions Department, was the formal
presentation deck about Disrupción, Fusión and its offerings for showcasing to other students
and other clients. Having a deck that could break down what Disrupción Records was and what
we offered was a simple way to communicate and do more outreach for the label itself.

IV. Tasks
Tasks as a Label Manager ebb and flow with the needs of the record label. Disrupción
Records was no different in that I needed to, first and foremost, be managing the day-to-day
operations as well as be thinking big picture and continue to grow awareness around the
brand. My tasks, directly aligned with the set objectives of my role and for the label, exemplify
the many needs of a business manager and a successful entrepreneur.
Growing Disrupción’s Brand
1. Divide Disrupción Records into 3 imprints: Common Chord, EVLVE, and Fusión
In order for Disrupción to continue as a serious brand and record label, there needed to be
a clear line between the type of project and the message of the project that was being
distributed. In turn, Common Chord was created in order to serve the jazz and instrumental
works that were to be distributed. EVLVE was created to serve as an emerging artist
platform in which artists in need of career foundations like an EPK or set up on socials,
DSPs and press related activities could be incubated. Fusión was again, created in order to

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serve as the Sync agency that was to be a part of Disrupción and serve not only the
Disrupción catalogue, but also the Scoring for Film and TV students on the Berklee Valencia
campus. Maintaining a clear distinction between all three of these platforms became a task
of mine and ensuring that the Disrupción Records releases were coordinated as such as
well.
2. Create a Sync Department and conduct selection process for the individual supervision
In noting that the Disrupción label had an opportunity to work with every other program on
campus aside from the Scoring for Film and Television students, it made sense to open a
Sync department where film and television composers can submit their work into the
database for possible placements or work-for-hire film scores. It was also a way for our
current catalogue to be used for sync purposes as well. The objective was to create a space
for Disrupción to successfully enter that field with the growing catalogue that we were
acquiring.

3. Create a dynamic presentation for the use of promotional and explanatory efforts among
other stakeholders of Disrupción Records.
This task involved the consolidation of information surrounding Disrupción Records so that
it could be used by any team member or sent to any stakeholder to receive more details
about all that we offer. Used as a pitching deck to students, to other artists across the globe
and to possible sync agents, the promotional deck allowed for again, a more legitimate
approach to pitching Disrupción Records worldwide.

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Aside from these tasks, were another set of tasks that involved the daily operations of
the record label and the team itself.
Weekly tasks: (Managerial)
1. Weekly Update Email to Disrupción Records Staff

Figure 4.1 Email Update from Nicole sent 2 November 2018
The Weekly Email Updates was a way to communicate all the immediate needs and
suggestions that each department was to be focusing on for that week. It also included major
topics such as branding direction and potential artists to sign. This was also a way to continue
communication even if there was no physical meeting that week.

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2. Monitor Trello Boards for potential tasks
This became a weekly task as more artist began to come onto Disrupción Records and
checking the Trello boards for progress and resources was a way to access all the
management that needed to be done for each project.

3. Communicate with Department Managers to ensure everything is being done
This was a “by need” task that was done sometimes multiple times a day or sometimes
once a week depending on the status or need of the department. As a Label Manager, I
realized that my line of communication should be open as close to 24 hours a day as
possible in order to not have a backup in a project should a department need an answer or
approval on something.

4. Construct and administer Licensing Contracts in the on boarding of Artists/Projects
Each time an artist was going through the on boarding process, a contract was in need in
order to proceed. I made sure that the contract was inclusive of all the standard licensing
features including the licensing rights for the project on all digital and physical platforms,
the rights to use and promote the project using the artist’s image, the opportunity of a
“rolling” term, a communication clause stating that there would be an agreed upon amount
of communication each week between both parties, and a termination clause should the
artist or Disrupción feel the need terminate the contract if there was a breach on either
side.

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5. Hold regular team meetings to discuss current projects
These team meetings were scheduled and used as an update and progress report for each
department and often followed an agenda which I would send out prior to the meeting
time/date.

Figure 4.2 Disrupción Records Meeting Agenda from Nicole

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V. Chart Metrics & Data
The success of the Disrupción Records can be seen and measured over the success of
the rebranding and the success of the Projects that were signed to the label. First starting with
the timeline of the year and how Disrupción progressed it is important to structure a proper
graphic displaying this.

Sign first Berklee Artist

Release Projects

Sign first 3rd Party Artist

Rebrand of Label and Online Presence

Structure Label Staff

5 Year Anniversary Event

Creation of Fusión

Release First Project on DSPs

Build Volunteer Team

As noted before, each next step in the process could not come without the existence of
the other. In order to accomplish the signing of the third party artist, Disrupción Records
needed to be rebranded and prepared in a way that looked like a legitimate independent
label. Further, the label could not release projects or collect statistics on our strategies until
there were projects being released. And finally, in order to celebrate the label’s successes over
its five year existence, there needed to, put simply, be something to celebrate.

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Looking further at the success of our releases comes from using the program Tableau to
identify the data behind the compilation of our project.

Figure 5.1Total Audio Streams broken down by Subscription and Ad-Supported Streams

In Figure 5.1 you can notice that the total audio streams were broken into the division of
streams from subscription audio and ad-supported streams. With this data, Disrupción Records
can take note that our listeners are paid subscribers and create strategies around that fact.

Figure 5.2 Total Project Method of Listening Statistic

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Figure 5.2 Shows that our projects were heavily founded by ways of discovery either by
active or passive. This means that it is more likely for a genre specific lover or a listener more
interested in music discovery is attracted to our projects. It is also important to note that the
projects only have a 32.3% skip rate. This number potentially comes from the fact that almost
half of our streams come from the addition of the track to a listener’s collection and therefore
there is already a want for it to be listened to and less likely to skip. There is a connection
between listener and project once they are discovered and that is an important takeaway for
the quality of music that Disrupción continues to release.

Figure 5.3 Total Project Method of Listening Statistic

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Figure 5.3 displays the important marketing information that Disrupción can use to
target more listeners as well as the initial fan base. Heavily women, and in the age range of
18-34, both the label marketing side and the project marketing side can use this information to
correctly create campaigns. The Label Manager should be knowledgeable of these statistics so
that I am aware of what kind strategy the teams should be implementing.

Figure 5.4 Total Project By Geographical Location
Figure 5.4 displays the finding that, although Disrupción Records was based in Valencia,
Spain, there were listeners worldwide. This is a pure correlation to the notion that streaming
has made music more accessible and reachable across the globe. For small, independent
record labels like Disrupción Records, it means that we too now have a piece of the pie.

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VI. Risks
Managing Disrupción Records came with risks that were most involved with the success
and interaction with artists themselves. Two of the most endangering risks for the Label
Manager at Disrupción Records in dealing with the artist was the risk of breaching a contract
through a mismanaged project, and a project being released without a clearance of a
copyright.
First, there are many ways that the Disrupción Team could potentially be in breach of
contract. Some reasons could be the lack of communication for a period of time about the
status of a project or the project not being released on time or at all. My job as a Label
Manager, trying to reduce these risks is to make sure that everything is flowing smoothly from
department to department as the project is underway. Should a certain department be held up
with something or not follow through on a task that has a deadline, especially in terms of
release dates, it could be not only detrimental to the project but put the record label in breach
of the contract itself. The relationship with the artist is something that a record label must
prioritize and make sure the needs of the project are being met.
The second major risk comes from the trust form the artist themselves. The contract
administered to them must represent that they have full authority to use everything that is
embodied in their master recordings. If they use a sample that is not cleared and don’t notify
us, the track will be released and potentially claimed on our behalf which could put Disrupción
in a legal dispute as the licensee of the Master recording. As the Label Manager, there needed

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to be complete clarity in the risks of this occurrence towards the artist and taking extra steps to
make sure that they know the consequences of not getting potential copyright issues cleared.
A final risk that comes with being the Label Manager of Disrupción Records stems from
the ability to manage a team with several personalities and individual goals. The risk of having
internal issues of communication can ultimately affect how the projects that the label licenses
are successful or not successful. It is important to create strategies of team building and trust
among team members so that the internal conflicts remain at a minimum.

VII. Outcomes
The Outcomes of the Culminating Experience of the Label Manager for Disrupción
Records were not only successful for the label but successful for my personal growth and real
life experience. Looking at where the team began from the initial building phase to how many
projects were able to be released in something that shows a large amount of growth and
accomplishment.
First, in the restructuring and rebranding of the label, the team was able to create a
more efficient way of dividing up the types of projects that are licensed and distributed through
Disrupción Records.

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Common Chord enabled Disrupción Records to continue to foster the heavily jazz and
instrumental projects that were fostered by the fellow Berklee students. Although we only had
one project released through Common Chord this year, I foresee there being more in the future
as an increasing amount of Berklee students begin to use the record label.
EVLVE, also having one artist a part of its program, was designed to create an in depth
learning opportunity for emerging artists to gain a bigger understanding of how they can be
successful and what they need to create a solid foundation for their artist careers. Through
EVLVE, the team was able to create EPK’s, A&R certain master recordings, suggest
collaborations, and even gain a chance to talk through contracts and live performance
standards. Nathan Dies was our “longest project of the year in terms of working through
creating a solid foundation for his career. From his signing in December, to his final release in
June, the team encountered a number of different trials and successes including a lyric
copyright issue, several versions of the instrumentation on the masters, a successful marketing
campaign on WhatsApp in his home country of Brazil and his successful set up of his Artist
page and identity across all social media.

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Fusión, the Sync Department, was officially opened at the end of 2018 and was staffed
with a Head of Sync and a Sync Administrator. One was in charge of the organization of the
catalogue and the other was in charge of outreach to potential clientele. From this, the team
was able to not only create a catalogue among the SFTV students, but also the projects
licensed for more commercial use from the Disrupción catalogue. In addition, the team was
able to solidify a film sync with a Chapman University student and her short film. As the
catalogue grows, I believe Fusión will set apart the Disrupción Team from all other school label
as well as independent labels.
Among the outcomes from the outreach as the Label Manager, I was able to speak to
both individual students and groups of students in promoting the services of the Disrupción
brand. From these presentations, we gained huge interest in the Fusión opportunity, but not so
much interest in the record label. The outreach for the Disrupción record label part of the
brand came from one-on-one interactions and a push for outreach from the A&R Department.
It is important to note that the outreach to certain artists should continue on a one-to-one
basis, but should also be practiced in more of a presentation setting to the general student
body, especially to the most immediate “clients” of the students of Berklee.
In terms of completing the original objectives, stated previously, the team was able to
accomplish a multitude of them. In creating a new license deal to create longevity for the label,
the artists that were a part of those deals, did not seem to mind and were happy to oblige. This
resulted in a majority of our contracts reaching a full year with the inclusion of the “rolling”
term. It is too early to tell what kind of revenue difference this will make for Disrupción as the

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revenue generated is dependent on the projects doing well on the DSPs, but it is an
accomplishment for furthering the longevity of the label’s existence in the artist’s career.
As the Label Manager, I also oversaw the signing of the international artist, Mayani
Swave from the Dominican Republic. This was another huge accomplishment for the Disrupción
brand as it was the first non-Berklee artist that was incorporated into the label. The process
with Swave resulted in the process of remixing and remastering the EP as well as releasing a
new single. Throughout his time working with the A&R’s and a mixing engineer, the team found
it best to simply re-master the project only and re-release the EP on all major platforms. In
addition, we were able to create a successful marketing plan and work hand in hand with the
artist and artist team. As the Label Manager, I experienced the difficulties in communication
with an artist team, understanding the vision of the artist team, and the length of time that is
often underestimated to get the project right. Artists are very sensitive to their projects, and
the label team should always keep that in mind when working with them.
Disrupción Records was also given a slot for Musaico, the music festival held by Berklee
College of Music in which we could have 20 minutes to showcase one of our artists. We
thought it best to use this as a spotlight on Swave, our international artist, and continue to
promote the legitimacy of the record label. Logistics were created to fly him to Spain, book him
a radio interview, and perform at the festival itself. The radio interview was then used for
promotional content and reached an audience of over 7,000 people at Musaico.
In the 2018-2019 year for Disrupción Records, the team was able to release an record
high of projects. This spanned genres of R&B, Hip Hop, Jazz, Electronic, Alternative,
Reggaeton, Indie Pop, and Latin. It proved the skills and the diversity of the team in working

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with each project and making sure that it got the attention it needed for the audience it was
proposed to. Our projects and their success is shown below.

As the Label Manager for Disrupción Records, the brand’s success will attribute to my
success, but more importantly, the level of learning and personal growth and a business
manager in general was the greatest outcome of the experience. In dealing with team
dynamics, I learned how to use interpersonal communication skills to solve problems or
conflict. With some teams disagreeing on projects, I was often the final say and had to gauge
when to be firm about a decision for the label’s benefit and success. The combination of being

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both a leader and a follower was something that I tried to implement during my year as
thought it created a well-rounded outcome of the team feeling like they always had a say in the
success of the projects. I often held meetings in a democratic style and made sure that all the
members had time to express thoughts, concerns and ideas. I was able to create an
environment where respect was achieved and a common goal was established. The outcome of
this Culminating Experience largely relied on each other and therefore the accomplishment of
sticking together and achieving all that we set out to do, was a testament to the commitment
and hard work of each and every member of the team.
Lastly, from our experience in having to rebuild the label from the ground up and
recreate the internal functioning of the record label itself, there is now a place where each new
team can access passwords, logins, contracts, catalogue and useful information to help run the
Disrupción Records. The first three months of the our time at the record label was spent
searching for passwords, logins and all the information noted prior. It seriously hindered our
ability to sign projects right away and ultimately led us to have to “recreate” Disrupcón
Records and the infrastructure that should have already been in place. Therefore, with this new,
updated folder and “How To” guide, the resource can be used from team to team, revised,
edited, and moldable with each new staff. This perhaps, will create the most longevity for the
label as the issue of the new teams coming in year to year ultimately stunted its growth. By
using this Google Folder, resources will be shared and progress of the label can transition with
the projects and staff themselves.

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VIII. Conclusion
As the Label Manager for Disrupción Records, I was able to foster growth for the label
internally and externally, manage a team successfully through a multitude of projects and
releases, and obtain the skills needed to manage a business and know the ins and outs of the
label sector of the industry. Among the many outcomes that were achieved, the most notable
are the restructuring and rebranding of the record label itself, signing a third party artist and
experiencing a full experience of label services around that artist, and bringing in the most
revenue to date from streams and releases. These achievements are seen as the fundamental
result of a commitment to trial and error and problem solving and a commitment to seeing the
art and the vision come to life. Through managing the day-to-day operations to controlling the
big picture decisions, the role of Label Manager gives you the full range of skills needed to
enter the music industry.
Disrupción Records is now, more than ever positioned in a way to succeed as not only a
student-run record label, but as a legitimate independent record label that any artist can feel
comfortable and encouraged to license with. I am proud to have been a part of Disrupción
Records and look forward to its future success and helping out with the next teams in place.

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