Ben started his music career as the guitar player and songwriter of a Seattle based band in the mid-90s. After 2 independent album releases and four years with the band, he headed to Los Angeles to accept a financial analyst position with the Walt Disney Company.
Ben worked as an analyst with Disney’s Corporate Operations and Real Estate team, responsible for multiple lines of business’ financial reporting and analysis, annual operating budgets, and five year plans. From Disney, Ben transitioned into a creative role at BMG Music Publishing. At BMG, Ben quickly moved from an assistant to Manager of A&R proving his talent for artist discovery and copyright exploitation. He was an integral part in building BMG’s Rock roster, developing new talent, and placing songs with recording artists; one of which received a Grammy award nomination. Ben successfully provided the guidance and insight that led 3 unknown acts to major label record deals. Passionate about artists’ careers and noticing a void in their development, Ben left BMG in 2004 to form Brannen Creative Management and Ares Records. BCM/Ares was built as an artist development company that invests in, manages, distributes, and markets artists and their content by combining both management and record label resources and responsibilities.
While growing BCM/Ares Ben worked intimately with companies like RCA Records, Island Records, Universal Publishing, SONGS, SONY/ATV, Trustkill Records, Revelation Records & Distribution, and Epitaph Records, among other. He negotiated favorable merchandise deals, secured national tours and sponsorships, coordinated independent publicity and radio campaigns, and created sustainable business models for independent artists.
Ben took his operation on the road while managing tours throughout the US, Canada, Europe, UK, and Japan. His bands participated on tours both large and small including Social Distortion, Flogging Molly, Stone Sour, Avenged Sevenfold, Family Values Tour, Warped Tour, and many more.
At the start of 2008 Ben founded IndieBandAdvice.com, an online source of industry related information and a means for artists to engage him in Q&A sessions focused on music business fundamentals. With a steadily increasing readership, Indie Band Advice has become a trusted source of honest information and feedback.
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