Episode 40: Jim McDermott of How To Fix The Music Business

After a long break, it's the big 4-0 today, and I'm thrilled to have music industry guru Jim McDermott joining us for our fortieth episode! From Warner to PolyGram to Island to Universal to Sony, Jim's three decades of experience in marketing have seen him at the helm of album campaigns for the likes of David Bowie, New Order, Sheryl Crow, U2, Depeche Mode, Guns N' Roses, The Replacements and more. In July of this year, he began his own podcast -- How To Fix The Music Business -- where he chats with insiders and musicians to find out how the industry can survive and still fuel artists both creatively and financially. In this chat, Jim drops lots of great industry knowledge and we also discuss how ditching his vinyl in the CD era actually led to his career in music, his early and current vinyl obsessions, a funny backstage meeting with The Cure's Robert Smith and why sending fake dog poop in the mail can sometimes work wonders! Check out How To Fix The Music Business however you listen to podcasts or at HowToFixTheMusicBusiness.com, and follow Jim on Twitter @thetrickness. SPONSORS: Pinwheel Records, 1722 W. 18th St. in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood; Vinyl For A Cause, promoting charitable good, one record sale at a time; Table-Turned, a new vinyl subscription service giving you your choice of genre for as low as about $12/album. If you like what you hear on Vinyl Emergency, send us a screenshot of your iTunes review of the show or donate to keep us up and running (either by December 10th) and you'll be entered into the Mint Condition Coalition, giving you entry into a gigantic giveaway at the end of 2016 for records and swag from Vinyl Me Please, Warner Bros., Topshelf, Wax Mage, Hey Mercedes and much more. Visit vinylemergency.com and click 'donate' for more info! Follow @VinylEmergency on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Show questions and feedback are always welcomed at vinylemergency@gmail.com.