Pod 25 – NITO leaders discuss co-existing with promoters, consolidation, the majors, and the future of NITO – Wayne Forte & Nathaniel Marro

May 15, 2025

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We had an extremely fun and informative industry deep dive with this one. From the origin story and future of NITO to epic tales from the independent agent world, we covered it all.

We kicked things off exploring how the pandemic helped galvanize agents to work together, and why that collaboration still matters. Then we dug into what it truly means to be independent—both in spirit and in practice—with some unforgettable booking stories (shoutout to Derek Trucks).

We also unpacked the pressures and realities of working in a landscape increasingly dominated by consolidation, weighing the pros and cons of major vs. indie and asking: who’s really better equipped to support artists?

From there, we examined the elusive path to stardom, broke down the economics behind agent-promoter relationships, and debated a big question—who should carry the most risk in today’s live music deals, promoters, venues or agents?

This one’s full of insight, laughs, and a ton of real talk from deep inside the live music trenches.

(00:15) Origin story, and future of NITO + a silver lining of the pandemic & the value of agents working together.

(18:08) What does it mean to be an independent promoter or independent agent? The spirit + the letter of the law. Some epic stories including booking Derick Trucks.

(41:16) The NITO perspective on cohexisiting/battling with the forces of consolidation. The pros and cons with going with the majors vs staying independent. Who is better setup to help artists?

(53:31) The ascension of artists, is there a formula to achieving stardom

(01:06:34) The agent and promoter relationship & co-existence, the economics of striking fair deals, escalating fees to combat higher guarantees, and a debate on who should carry the most risk. Is there room for a new type of deal?

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