Get the latest gossip

Milana Rabkin Lewis Gives Closing Remarks | Billboard Indie Power Players 2024

Milana Rabkin Lewis, founder of STEM gives closing remarks at Billboard's Indie Power Players 2024 event.

Milana Rabkin Lewis, founder of Stem, gives closing remarks at Billboard’s Indie Power Players 2024 event. And the theme of what I want to say as we close out this wonderful evening and celebration is really around being able to take calculated risks, as all of you know, life in the music business as an independent artist or an executive demands tenacity and courage, and it’s really the true pulse of innovation in this industry that beats the most strongly within the hearts of the independent artists, managers, entrepreneurs and executives, individuals like those honored here tonight and those tirelessly working around the globe, the risk that we have taken to build something that does not fit within a mold is really worth celebrating, and together, we’re up against a lot of the themes that we’ve talked about the behemoths of the majors and their indie offshoots, who sometimes masquerade as independents themselves, and artists and labels who really face a tough decision around whether or not they maintain their autonomy or succumb to the allure of the biggest paycheck available. And it’s a delicate balance between creative freedom and financial security, each with presenting its path and its own set of challenges and opportunities across the spectrum of risk.

Get the Android app