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James Diener

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James Diener
NationalityAmerican
Alma materJohns Hopkins University
OccupationEntertainment & Music Executive

James Diener is an American entertainment and music executive.

He is the co-founder of Freesolo Entertainment;[1] an entertainment company comprising Freesolo Music, a record label joint venture with Interscope Records/Universal Music Group; Freesolo Publishing, a joint venture with Sony/ATV Music Publishing; and Freesolo Management, a joint venture with Vector Management. Freesolo has represented artists such as Avril Lavigne, Gavin DeGraw, The Struts, Jazmin Bean, Hailee Steinfeld, Jharrel Jerome, Rachel Platten and Pitbull.

He was the founder, CEO, and President of A&M Octone Records, which signed and developed platinum artists including Maroon 5, K'naan Hollywood Undead and Flyleaf.[2][3][4][5]

He conceived and formed, as1one,[6][7] the first mixed Israeli Palestinian pop group and subject of a 2024 Paramount+ 4-part docu-series.[8][9]

He was the co-founder of Alignment Artist Capital,[10] a New York–based specialty finance company created specifically for the entertainment industry[11] in partnership with BlackRock.[12][13]

He was the Executive Music Producer for Netflix's 2018 unscripted music series Westside.[14]

Early life

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Diener grew up in New York and attended The Fieldston School. His father, Steve Diener, was the president of ABC Records in the 1970s. He attended Johns Hopkins University and graduated in 1991 with honors.[15]

Career

[edit]

Diener was the founder, CEO, and President of A&M Octone Records,[16] a joint venture between Octone Records and Universal Music Group. A&M/Octone Records signed and developed platinum artists including Maroon 5, Hollywood Undead, Flyleaf and K'naan.[2][3][4][5] After six years of operation, in September 2013, Octone initiated its buy/sell rights in the joint venture, resulting in Universal Music Group purchasing Octone Records' 50% interest in A&M Octone Records.[17][18]

In 2000, Diener founded Octone Records, while simultaneously serving as Senior Vice President of A&R Marketing[19] for Clive Davis[20] and the RCA Music Group.[15] As part of that relationship, Diener negotiated a joint venture with Sony Music that gave Octone the ability to upstream successful acts in partnership with the RCA Music Group for further international marketing and promotion. While at RCA, Diener signed and developed singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw.[20][21]

Octone was also noted in the music industry for its private-equity financing model and is the subject of a 2007 Harvard Business School case study.[19] Upon Octone's original launch, Diener raised $5 million of private equity investment from BlackRock,[22][23] The Blackstone Group,[24] Lazard Freres, Credit Suisse First Boston, MacAndrews & Forbes, Kelso & Company and Soros Fund Management.

Prior to Octone Records and RCA Music Group, Diener was Vice President of A&R and Marketing at Columbia Records,[25] working with Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, Roger Waters, Black Crowes, New Kids On The Block, Iron Maiden, The Jayhawks, Tony Bennett, Jesse Malin, Clutch, Chris Whitley and Terence Trent D'Arby, among others.[26]

Diener is a record producer and member of both NARAS and the Academy of Magical Arts.[27]

He has been an invited guest speaker at New York University, Harvard Business School, Wharton School of Business, Berklee College of Music,[28] and the Benjamin N. Cordoza School of Law. Diener was also featured in Blockbusters, a 2013 book on the business of entertainment[29] and a 2002 New York Times Magazine cover story on the pop music industry.[30] He delivered the Keynote Speech at the 2010 NARM Convention in Chicago.[31]

References

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  1. ^ "Former A&M/Octone Execs Launch Hybrid Company Freesolo; Gavin DeGraw, Hunter Hunted Among First Signings". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  2. ^ a b Kimes, Mina. "A&M/Octone returns to music's roots - nurturing artists - Jan. 12, 2010". money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  3. ^ a b "Portrait Of A Rapper..." Fast Company. 2010-11-01.
  4. ^ a b Brady, Shirley (2011-01-27). "Coke, K'naan & 2010 FIFA World Cup Campaign". BrandChannel.
  5. ^ a b James Diener's Downtown Club History 101, retrieved 2018-08-13
  6. ^ Halprin, Shirley (2022-07-29). "Israel's Music Business Has the Ears of the Majors". Variety.
  7. ^ דור מאיר מועלם (2022-10-26). "האיש שגילה את מארון משקיע עכשיו בשישה ישראלים: "המטרה להיות הרכב הפופ הגדול ביותר" [Follow us:The man who discovered Maroon 5 is now investing in six Israelis: "The goal is to be the biggest pop group in the world"]. Mako (in Hebrew).
  8. ^ Flam, Charna; Franklin, McKinley; Scorziello, Sophia (2023-05-26). "Apple TV+ 'Hijack' Starring Idris Elba Receives First Official Trailer (TV News Roundup)". Variety.
  9. ^ Wang, Jenna (3 September 2024). "as1one on How They 'Lift Each Other Up' as World's First Israeli-Palestinian Boy Band with Debut Single (Exclusive)". People.
  10. ^ Robehmed, Natalie. "BlackRock Investing In Musicians Through Alignment Artist Capital". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  11. ^ Christman, Ed (2015-04-06). "Industry Vets Launch Alignment..." Billboard Magazine.
  12. ^ Schneider, Laura (2015-04-07). "Music Industry Veterans Launch Alignment Artist Capital". Hypebot.
  13. ^ Newman, Melinda (2015-12-03). "Why This New Form Of Funding..." Entrepreneur Magazine.
  14. ^ Herman, James Partrick (2018-10-11). "Netflix's 'Westside' Flips the Script on Music Reality". Variety.
  15. ^ a b Kornbluth, Jesse (7 June 2009). "Sounds Like a Long-Term Plan". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  16. ^ "Music Industry's New Biz Model". CNN. 2010-08-20.
  17. ^ "Interscope Geffen A&M Acquires Full Ownership of Label Home to Maroon 5". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  18. ^ Leeds, Jeff (21 May 2007). "Maroon 5 Record Deal". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  19. ^ a b Elberse, Anita; Ofek, Elie (2007-06-29). "Octone Records". Harvard Business School Case Study.
  20. ^ a b Davis, Clive; DeCurtis, Anthony (2013-02-12). The Soundtrack Of My Life. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1476714783.
  21. ^ "6 Questions". Billboard. 2007-04-28.
  22. ^ Schatzker, Erik (2017-04-18). "Larry Fink Q&A". Bloomberg Magazine.
  23. ^ Thomas, Lauren (2017-04-18). "Blackrock's Larry Fink Helped Create..." CNBC.
  24. ^ Meoli, Daria. "Music To Their Ears". NY Enterprise Report. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  25. ^ "Executive Turntable". Billboard. 1999-09-25.
  26. ^ Elberse, Anita; Ofek, Elie (2007-06-29). "Octone Records". Harvard Business School Review.
  27. ^ Reinartz, Joe (2019-05-31). "The Secret Magicians Of The Music Industry". Celebrity Access.
  28. ^ Fee, Kerry; Verdoorn, Mia (2012-03-13). "A&R In The Digital Age". Berklee.
  29. ^ Elberse, Anita (2013-10-15). Blockbusters. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 9780805094336.
  30. ^ Hirschberg, Lynn (2002-08-04). "Who's That Girl?". New York Times Magazine.
  31. ^ "HITS Daily Double: Rumor Mill - James Diener at NARM". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
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