Thank you for checking out ‘The Industry According To’. This series runs each Tuesday, and features radio and record industry executives, managers, programmers, talent, artists, and professionals from all areas of the business world. To be considered as a future guest, email me at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com.
Today we hear from Nick Attaway, VP of Radio Promotion at BMG. Only a veteran with decades of experience can handle so many projects and the pressures that come from being at one of the world’s biggest music companies, promoting some of the biggest artists. Nick is a multi-genre problem solver who brings a lived-through-it POV of the music industry.
So, let’s dive in.
The Label’s Job Now
Keith: If an artist can record, distribute, market, and build an audience without a label, what is the non-negotiable value a modern label still brings in 2026?
Nick: A modern label is a true brain trust. It’s a coordinated team that sets and executes long-term strategy across production, marketing, digital, sync, radio, and beyond. Yes, we use Platforms and data to help us identify and reach audiences—but the real differentiator is expertise and long-standing relationships.
At BMG, we operate globally, without territorial limitations. As an independent, privately held company, we can take a long-term view, investing strategically and moving decisively.
You’re seeing management companies build internal teams—and that makes sense. But many still seek label partners for greater reach, scale, and impact.
Your Job Then & Now
Keith: If artist promotion were the military, your uniform would be covered in pins and medals — how is the job different today vs. “back then,” and which is more challenging?
Nick: What hasn’t changed is that trust, and relationships still drive everything—especially in radio promotion. And the most important thing an artist can do remains the same: tour relentlessly and work the record. Meet and greets, interviews, sessions, quality social content….it all matters.
What has changed is capacity. Programmers are doing more with less—less staff, less budget. Labels are leaner too. That makes partnership essential.
Today, it’s less about being buddies and more about delivering value that supports their brand.
We have access to more data than ever before. It’s powerful, but the key is distilling it into a clear story and vision. And now AI is entering the picture. Its impact will be significant, but how it reshapes promotion and discovery is still unfolding.
The BMG Difference
Keith: Your job requires balancing art and ROI, yet BMG prides itself on being “artist first.” In the real world of promotion, does that change your day-to-day compared to other labels you’ve worked for?
Does that change your day-to-day?
Nick: I operate with full transparency. Managers can ask me anything—budgets, strategy, timing.
In the past, communication was often filtered through multiple layers. Today, real-time clarity makes everyone a stronger partner. When artists and managers understand the strategy, they engage at a higher level.
Spending Success
Keith: Chart positions used to be something labels could engineer with the right spending strategy. Now that consumption is so fragmented, is it still possible to “buy” a hit?
Nick: Ultimately, a hit can’t be bought. The audience decides. A No. 1 at radio doesn’t automatically make a song a hit. A real hit researches, drives streams and sales, and grows the live business.
Daily radio listenership among younger audiences continues to decline as streaming offers endless alternatives. So instead of creating hits from scratch, radio often amplifies songs that are already resonating on streaming and extends their lifespan.
How Important Is Image in 2026?
Keith: In 2026, can a great song still break an artist without a great or unique image, or has the visual brand become a deal-breaking-or-making part of the equation?
Nick: Absolutely. Last year’s No. 1 streaming single for BMG was “Blue” by Yung Kai—his first hit. Over 2 billion global streams and more than 100 billion short-form views. That translated into global touring and album consumption.
This was a song that emotionally connected without a traditional big-budget rollout. It was lightening in a bottle-but it proves a great songcan still be enough
Today’s Skills
Keith: If promoted and forced to find the next “Nick,” what skills matter most when hiring your replacement? relationships, data proficiency, creative instinct, or something else altogether?
Nick: Relationships, data fluency, creative instinct—they’re all part of the toolkit.
But the most important skill is critical thinking. The ability to see the big picture, anticipate outcomes, and build a plan to win. Pair that with confidence and competitive drive and you have the right hire.
Radio’s Strength
Keith: Platforms like IG or TikTok are good at creating flash-point moments, but what’s radio’s biggest strength in launching artists?
Nick: The human connection. At their best, jocks are trusted filters—friends, storytellers, influencers. When they champion a song or interview an artist, it creates real mindshare. That drives streams and ticket sales.
In a world full of content, radio can still cut through when it spotlights something new.
Artist Control
Keith: BMG artists have some control in the overall process — where does artist control help and where can it hurt?
Nick: Artists controlling their own socials is huge. Authenticity can’t be outsourced. They should tell their own story. Every artist should have a videographer on tour.
Where it gets tricky is single selection. Artists often gravitate toward the newest, most complex, or most personal track. Often, the biggest hit is the simplest one-the song that feels effortless.
That’s why fresh, trusted ears matter. It should always be a discussion.
AI
Keith: How would you take a fully AI-developed record to rock radio?
Nick: AI can serve as a tool, rather than a replacement. If a record were developed entirely by AI, I’d want to see clear evidence that it connects emotionally with real audiences before considering it for radio.
Also, iHeart has adapted a “Guaranteed Human” pledge, which currently excludes fully AI created songs… so there’s that.
Politics & Music
Keith: How does a label navigate strong political statements from artists?
Nick: Artists are human. They have the innate creative license to speak their minds. Is it always strategically wise? Not necessarily—especially if it alienates a large segment of the audience. Labels typically step in only if a statement creates legal, safety or brand risks.
Your Advice
Keith: When it comes to having a positive, healthy and fair ecosystem for all, what does the music industry need to do to become a 10 out of 10?
Nick: A strong start would be artists owning their music, having access to healthcare and mental health resources, and being supported in long-term development and financial planning.
Your Best Story
Keith: You’ve been doing this for a long time and have worked with dozens of superstar artists, what’s the one story you love to tell – success, flop, pure mayhem — that we should hear?
Nick: In 1996, I took Mark and Tom of Blink-182 on a helicopter ride after a club show. While hovering over the Luxor, Mark asked me if they would be big. I told them they would be HUGE! In Mark’s book, he wrote that I was a label head trying to get them to re-sign.
In reality, I was the college radio rep who was told to spend my T&E budget so it wouldn’t get cut.
Twenty years later, I’m on a call with Mark, Travis, management, and the team planning the California album. I told him I’d deliver two No. 1s at Alternative—something they’d never had. Then I reminded him about the helicopter ride around Vegas before they broke.
He said, “Oh my God! I remember you. That was my first helicopter ride.”
You never forget your first helicopter ride. Later that year, Blink-182 had two No. 1’s at Alternative radio.
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Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.
