ThemaTakt Podcast: Wie Artist-Unternehmen heute gebaut werden
Dominique Casimir, Tobias Wilinski (Mod.)
For a long time, artist management was considered the central hub of a musician’s career. Increasingly, however, new models are emerging in which management, record labels, music publishing, and brand strategy operate as interconnected structures. Artists are becoming entrepreneurs, teams are becoming long-term partners, and control over rights, repertoire, and identity is becoming a defining factor. In a live edition of his podcast »ThemaTakt«, Tobias Wilinski speaks with Dominique Casimir about the emergence of these artist companies and the ways in which traditional management structures are evolving into entrepreneurial infrastructures. Their conversation explores trust and long-term collaboration, but also capital, contractual expertise, and strategic control – and asks what European music companies might look like in the age of global platforms.
For many years, Tobias Wilinski has examined the tectonic shifts reshaping the music business. In 2017, he launched »ThemaTakt«, which has since grown to more than 140 episodes exploring the people, ideas, and power structures behind the music industry. In 2024, he received the Listen to Berlin Award in the Music Journalism and Podcasts category for his work. Previously, he hosted the podcast »Talk This Way«, began his career as Head of Germany at Genius.com, and now also works as a platform manager for rbb. His conversations consistently succeed in making complex economic developments accessible without losing sight of the cultural and political dimensions of the pop business.
Dominique Casimir is one of the most influential strategists in the European music industry. After many years in senior leadership roles at BMG, most recently as Chief Content Officer, she oversaw international repertoire operations and developed new models for artist and rights partnerships. In 2024, she co-founded the Berlin-based company umn Entertainment with Maximilian Kolb and Justus Haerder. Conceived as a long-term partner for artists and their teams, the company combines artist management, recorded music, music publishing, and name, image, and likeness strategies within an integrated approach. Today, umn Entertainment works with artists including Kontra K, Elif, Max Giesinger, KAMRAD, and Turkish superstar Edis.
