The Manager’s Playbook 047: Theron Thomas - GRAMMY Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter Rights, Music Industry Inequality, Publishing Realities & Hitmaking Strategy
The Manager's Playbook2 Dec 2025

The Manager’s Playbook 047: Theron Thomas - GRAMMY Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter Rights, Music Industry Inequality, Publishing Realities & Hitmaking Strategy

Most people talk about hit songs.
Theron Thomas writes the ones that define entire eras.

In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, I sit down with one of the most influential songwriters in modern music, Theron Thomas, the 2nd recipient ever to win GRAMMY Songwriter of the Year and the pen behind hits for Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Lizzo, Usher, Nicki Minaj, Justin Timberlake, and so many more.

This isn’t a highlight reel.
This is the part of the music industry the public rarely hears: the truth from the person who actually writes the songs the whole business is built on.

Theron breaks down the real economics of songwriting, how hit records follow patterns, why so-called “bad music” still wins, how marketing shapes culture, and why topliners remain the most undervalued creators in the entire system.

We explore the realities of publishing, royalties, producer vs. songwriter splits, the myth of “genre limitations,” the role of artist development, and the emotional and cultural weight that comes with writing for the world’s biggest artists.

This conversation is a masterclass in:

• how to think about hitmaking
• how to build a sustainable career in music
• how to stay grounded as a creative
• and why artists, managers, and executives must rethink how they treat the people who create the product everyone profits from

If you’re an artist, songwriter, producer, A&R, manager, or anyone building a real career in music, this episode offers clarity, strategy, and perspective you won’t hear anywhere else.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.


Watch the full episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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