Thank you for checking out The Industry According To. Every Wednesday, we speak with a different expert or leader from somewhere in the vast music industry — label executives, artist managers, programmers, talent, artists, consultants and beyond. To be considered as a future guest, email me at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com.
Today we sit down with Bill McGathy, one of the most influential figures in rock promotion and artist management over the past four decades.
Bill began his career in national rock promotion at Polydor/PolyGram and RCA before founding McGathy Promotions in 1982. The company became a dominant force in independent rock promotion, helping labels, managers and artists navigate radio and turn records into hits. In 1998, he expanded into artist management with In De Goot Entertainment.
Today, Bill is founder, president and owner of In De Goot, whose artists have accumulated more than 50 number-one songs across Active Rock, Alternative and Hot AC. Its roster has included mega acts such as Shinedown, Halestorm, Theory of a Deadman, Black Stone Cherry, Biffy Clyro, GWAR and others.
That combination gives Bill a perspective few others possess. He experienced an era when relationships and independent promoters could move records, and he now helps artists compete in a business driven by streaming, touring, social platforms, data and direct relationships with fans.
So, let’s dive in.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
The Rock Health Check
Keith: You’ve spent more than four decades working across labels, independent promotion, artist development and management. From that unusually broad vantage point, what does the rock business really look like today? Where is it healthy, and where is it genuinely challenged?
Bill: The kids want to rock. You can see it across genres, as “electronic,” country and hip-hop artists are all bringing real instruments and rock riffs back into their music and live shows. It never went away, just like me! It’s not just nostalgia around established artists, but the excitement around the next generation of artists. We’ve even felt a resurgence around heavy rock — the kids are coming out for it! The challenge isn’t so much the music, but how much great music there is released every day. It’s finding a way to cut through the noise.
Promotion Then & Now
Keith: When you founded McGathy Promotions in 1982, we know what the goal was. Get adds and build hits. With radio airplay now only one part of a much larger ecosystem, what are the new priorities and marching orders for an independent record promoter, and what success do you measure them on?
Bill: The goal is absolutely the same, and it isn’t just about ringing the bell at number one. It’s about making sure the music genuinely connects with the audience, and that is about creating enough impressions for recognition … whether at radio, online, touring … it takes all of the pieces in lockstep to create a hit.
The Question No One Wants to Ask … or Answer
Keith: Rock radio says it backed away from currents because of audience demand, research and the quality of the music. But did it also lose interest when changes to independent promotion meant there was no longer as much money, access or promotional value attached to playing new records?
Bill: As you know, Keith, it has never been about the money with IDG. There is a sign on our door that says, “It’s the Music, Stupid!” That’s for me, because as a promoter, if you are true to your clients on both sides of the desk, the money will come.
On the artist side, you never ask your artist to compromise their aesthetics. And on the label side, you must make sure that what marketing money does exist is effective.
The ROI of a Hit
Keith: In an earlier era, enough label money and promotional muscle could help drive a decent-enough record up the chart. Even if that were still possible today, would the return justify the investment? Is a radio chart hit worth what it once was?
Bill: Charts could and still can bring attention to an artist’s work, but today chart movement is one of many pieces to artist development. We all are guilty of using “catchphrases,” but not to oversimplify — if you don’t take a risk on an artist you believe in, there will be no reward.
A big return on the investment for a touring band is the awareness, impressions and discovery in the market with that radio station. You can look at it like an amazing DSP PLAYLIST to promote your artist when they come to town. It 100% brings people to the show to enjoy what the artist does and buy merch on the way out. Now times that by 100+ markets!
The First Dollar
Keith: A developing rock band has a great song and a limited budget. You can make one serious initial investment: radio promotion, touring, streaming, social content or somewhere else. Where does the first dollar go, and why?
Bill: Keith, what an excellent question! You know, we have built so many of our artists over the years from the ground up by using all of the aforementioned elements. I promise I’m not dodging your question when I say at IDG, we use all of those elements depending on the artist’s music and their goals.
In the “good old days,” there was a budget for all of those elements. The paradigm used to change every 10 years. It now changes every 10 minutes! So I guess my final answer is whichever element is strongest for the individual artist in terms of the first move.
Wearing All the Hats
Keith: Here’s a hypothetical: The In De Goot management team swears Track 2 needs to be the single. The McGathy Promotions team working directly with radio insists it’s Track 4. The artist has always wanted Track 1. Who wins, and what ultimately settles the argument?
Bill: The IDG management team stands shoulder to shoulder with the artist, and all parties get their day in court, but ultimately the final vote is the artist.
Are Managers the New Labels?
Keith: As labels narrow their responsibilities and artists are expected to arrive with music and an audience already attached, have management companies like yours effectively become the new artist-development departments? Looking into 2027 and beyond, does the average band still need a record label?
Bill: Yes, but it needs to be the right home that will champion the artist. And at the right time.
Bands Are Brands
Keith: Brand partnerships were once only ancillary to an artist’s career. Today, sponsorship, merchandise, branded products and creative partnerships are becoming vital revenue streams. How much emphasis does In De Goot place on developing those opportunities, and how involved should management get?
Bill: In 2027, when there is instability in the domestic economy and the worldwide economy, artists having independent revenue streams have become paramount. Us as managers are heavily involved in helping them secure the right opportunities.
Building Longevity
Keith: You helped guide acts such as Shinedown and Halestorm through long careers spanning multiple albums and industry cycles. Talent alone clearly isn’t enough. What separates artists who build 20-year careers from equally talented acts that fizzle out early?
Bill: Before IDG got into management, the best manager I ever met was Elliot Roberts. Elliot taught me more about managing artists than anybody ever did. The best thing he did was introduce me to Neil Young! But after that, he told me, “Hey, if it ever isn’t fun anymore, stop.” Number two, “Your artist is never wrong. You need to find a way to see it his or her way.” If your artist calls you and says, “I need you,” you don’t say when, where, what day — you go to the airport and get on an airplane.
Our artists are able to build long careers because we have given them the tools necessary to accomplish their goals globally.
Are Festivals the New Radio?
Keith: Aftershock can feature more than 130 bands, only a fraction of which receive regular airplay, and still draw roughly 150,000 people over four days. We see similar results from Louder Than Life, Welcome to Rockville and other festivals. Outside of streaming, have festivals become rock’s most important discovery platform?
Bill: First of all, Danny Wimmer and his team are the best! They don’t choose their lineup based strictly on radio airplay. They look at all of the elements to decide what’s hot and what’s not.
Is the Next Explosion Coming?
Keith: Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, Metallica and Nirvana weren’t just successful bands — they became pop culture. Do you see another wave coming that’s capable of breaking through at that level, or has the business and audience splintered so dramatically that becoming a household name is now almost impossible?
Bill: The artists that you mentioned would be considered generational talent. There will definitely be that “new wave” that you speak of. There are currently artists on our roster that have achieved that goal (Shinedown), and we have several more coming. Watch out!
AI, Rock & Radio
Keith: What would it take for you to allow McGathy Promotions to work a fully AI-created rock record to radio — and would In De Goot ever manage a fully AI-created artist?
Bill: Nope.
That Really Happened
Keith: After decades in rock, radio promotion, labels, management and life on the road, you’ve seen more “I can’t believe this is happening” moments than most rock stars. Mayhem, illegality, enormous success — whatever direction you want to take it — what’s the story you love to tell that people have to hear to believe?
Bill: There are so many I would love to tell you, but unfortunately you’d need to sign an NDA! But just so everyone who is reading this knows: I’m writing a book (if I haven’t already signed an NDA regarding the artist these stories are about).
Bill’s Rule Book
Keith: Give one rule to every record promoter, one to every artist manager and one to every new artist. What are they?
Bill: 1) Record Promoter: Do what it takes (legally)
2) Artist Manager: It’s the music, stupid!
3) New Artist: Put together the right team
The Blank Slate
Keith: Last question — blank slate. Say anything you want to any sector of the industry. What do you want them to hear?
Bill: My mom lived to be 97. I not only have great “jeans,” I have great DNA! I’m not going anywhere! Thank you, Keith! This interview made me think.
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