Rising Star is our monthly column in which we meet the industry’s brightest new talents. Here, Tia Lewis, streaming & digital manager, EGA, talks us through her music business journey so far…
How did you get your first break in the music business?
“I grew up in a musical household but didn’t realise music could become a career, so I thought a business degree was a safer option. I found a love for digital marketing and wanted to apply it to music, but I didn’t know if this job existed so I then did a master’s degree in digital marketing. At the time, I wanted to bring the music industry closer to me so I used my free time for events, started a music blog and joined an R&B platform. Eventually, I secured an assistant digital marketing role at Capitol Records [later merging with EMI Records], worked my way up and recently I joined the team at EGA Distro to manage streaming and digital marketing.”
Your roster at EGA Distro includes Digga D, D-Block Europe, M Huncho, K-Trap, Sharna Bass and Skrapz. What does EGA Distro offer your artists that other distribution platforms don’t?
“EGA Distro is Europe’s first Black and woman-owned artist and label services company dedicated to Black music. Our incredible leadership team has hand-picked every member of staff and each person is incredibly talented at what they do, so together we’re a winning team! We are passionate about the music and culture that our artists represent, and we provide artists flexibility in distribution, licensing deals and custom release schedules.”
Digital marketing is constantly changing, how do you keep up to date with the latest trends and innovative ways to promote campaigns?
“At EGA Distro, we regularly bounce ideas off each other and I always ask myself, ‘What could we do differently?’ I make time every day to read the latest music industry and tech news, together with looking on social media and identifying how culture is moving. Although I work in Black music now, I look at the trends of other genres, countries and artists to find any opportunity to learn something new and apply it to my roster.”
Is there one project that you are most proud of?
“At Capitol, I worked on successful campaigns with artists like Sam Smith, Mae Muller, Zoe Wees and Aitch, who had the first UK charting album with an NFT component and whose TikTok-voted BRIT Award win was a very memorable moment. I’m passionate about Black music, so I’m thankful that through EGA Distro I get to focus on that, and it’s a dream come true to work on my first R&B act. My very first rap campaign with Arz’s single Alone With You was also really exciting.”
Looking ahead, what do you expect to see from breaking acts? What will be the next big sound?
“Great campaigns come from artists who are experts in talking to their fans, so knowing your ‘online brand’ is key for breaking acts as it lets you create the most authentic campaigns. Many artists build communities by sharing music online and I love that social media brings in fans from across the world. Sound-wise, I love mash-ups because you see fans reimagining music, and even if they start on social media, we’re seeing artists acknowledge them with releases in collaboration with fans and in performances.”
Recommended track: Essy Maliya – Same Way
