Riccitelli and the Road to RCA Records

Joe Riccitelli never thought that one day he would be the Co-president of RCA Records. Joe began his career in the music industry as a DJ in the 1980's, and 35 years later, he achieved the unfathomable role of top executive at one of the biggest labels in the world.

I had a chance to listen to an interview with Joe Riccitelli as he was invited onto the Music Biz 101 Podcast hosted by David Philp. In this article, I want to discuss some of the most important topics that were talked about, and break down how Riccitelli's words of advice landed him the role that he has today.

Beginning with a question that I think really opens the door for conversation - What are the two biggest challenges that a president of a major label faces today? At around 13:20 of the interview, Riccitelli goes on to share that the music industry is going to be facing saturation issues when it comes to platform and services. He goes on to say that activation of DSP's are are high in the U.S., but we most continue to find new ways to grow. Activations essentially refer to those users who are paying for the premium services that a provider has. The other challenge deals with fragmentation, and that labels must be cognizant of the amount of time that consumers spend listening to music.

Another important topic that I felt was important from the interview was in regard to radio hits. While it may not seem like many people are still listening to the radio, it is still a sure way to capture a certain audience. Artists like Post Malone, Ariana Grande and Khalid are all musicians who have seen major success come from the radio. Riccitelli makes a great point when he says that "Younger crowds are the type to want to create their own playlists, while there is still an older generation that wants to get in their car and be played to" (Riccitelli Interview, 31:30).

The importance of a good management team really piqued my interest about half way through the interview. Many people may not understand the role that managers play, but essentially they have their hand in a little piece of everything. It is also important to note that a management teams role is really to see what works best for an artist. Relationships with promoters, connections to DSP's are all important factors.A good example of this is when Riccitelli mentions the backstreet boys manager and said "The relationship that Ron had with the backstreet boys allowed them to have a successful comeback tour and make more money than they ever did with their records" (Riccitelli Interview, 51:30).

Another takeaway from the interview came with the importance of influencers in today's generation of music promotion and building an artist. A lot of the times, if an artist is able to pair up or find the right influencers to help promote their music, it can really go a long way. This is especially relevant for low and independent artists that are trying to emerge. (Riccitelli Interview, 55:50)

The last thing of this interview that made a lot of sense covering dealt with the conversation of artists continuing to release singles rather than a whole album. Riccitelli goes on to mention how we are trending towards an era that no longer is attracted to an entire album. Consumers build connections with individual songs. Nowadays, it seems more obvious to release singles and an EP album that gives the consumers just a little bit at a time, so that when a studio album does release, it is highly anticipated. (Riccitelli Interview, 1:04:50)

This was a great podcast to learn from and really understand some key topics from such a high executive at one of the most respected labels in the world.

Nathaniel Meyerowitz is an MBA student at William Paterson University with a concentration in Music and Entertainment Industries - ranked one of the best music biz schools in America by Billboard Magazine in 2020. Nathaniel is passionate about music and is a member of the New York City GrammyU chapter that works alongside the Recording Academy to network with and foster the next generation of music industry professionals. Nathaniel has some experience in label work and festival operations and loves to play guitar on the side. View Nathaniel's profile and connect with him on LinkedIn, as he is always looking to expand his network.