Meet Caleb Shreve | CEO Killphonic Rights

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caleb Shreve and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caleb, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
I love this question. I disagree with a lot of conventional advice. One thing I see a lot is people advocating to forego sleep to have more hours of productivity. I once saw a clip of Shark Tank (there is so much terrible advice on this show) where one of the “Sharks” said if you’re starting a new business you shouldn’t be sleeping. This is the opposite of what you should be doing. Science shows that people who are sleep-deprived have trouble learning or absorbing new things, and you usually can’t do more than rote tasks. You often solve problems while you sleep, and need to be rested to actually be able to handle the stresses and problems you encounter as a leader.

I once saw a post from someone that said, “If I was a billionaire, I’d tell all my competitors that the key to success is getting up at 5am every day too”. I loved that. Get your rest and work with a clear head. You’ll get so much more work done.

What should our readers know about your business?
I’ve always wanted to run a company. I think it was always the path I saw from the beginning of my career. That specific goal always gave me a north star in all of the decisions I made, and that in some ways made things a little easier.

Additionally, I always respected leaders who had the experiences and understood what they were asking of the people who worked for them and the clients they worked for. I spent a lot of my career learning and taking on challenges to have these experiences. I think all that time is paying off now. I think it’s the time I spent as a producer, songwriter, and artist that makes it easier for me to garner trust from all of the people I work with.

You just have to be persistent. It is so hard, and you need to stick it out and stay the course. Sometimes I need to have that same trust in myself that I ask from the people I work with.

The biggest challenge is the music industry itself. It’s a combination of so many things that I could write an entire book about it, but it isn’t a place where the best, or most deserving are rewarded. It’s a microcosm or a mirror of our culture, which is interesting in one sense, but also terrible. It’s set up to serve a small group of some of the most narcissistic and ego-driven people in the world. It has gotten so entrenched in this system that isn’t room for new ideas or new creative and talented people to succeed. I fight for these people, and it’s a never-ending struggle. I wish that artists could once again start to lead culture, but we have fallen into simply chasing fame and success, and that plays right into that system that exploits so many vulnerable people. People try to promote the ideas that things are better, or more democratized these days, but they use statistics or issues that don’t tell the real story of what is going on.

Personally, I’ve learned that I have to always keep a bigger picture in perspective. I often get bogged down by an individual person or issue that needs help, but those things can take so much time away from some of the goals I have. I’m not saying that I don’t have time to work on something specific or help someone that needs personal attention, but I just have to be aware of that. I have been burned so many times in my life putting faith in one band, or an artist thinking that that loyalty or commitment would be reciprocated and it wasn’t. I obviously have personal feelings about this, but from a business perspective, I just needed to learn to protect myself and always have a backup plan.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have a funny relationship with LA in this regard. Because music is so subjective, I find a lot more comfort and relaxation in sports. It’s so much more objective in regards to being rewarded for your performance. However, I was born on the east coast, and am not particularly a fan of most LA sports teams. I do find myself rooting for the LAFC (The MLS Soccer team) though, and would HIGHLY recommend going to one of those games. It is an experience for anyone regardless of your level of interest in sports. I also love Dodger Stadium, but can’t love the dodgers. Sorry LA.

For food, I love Langer’s deli in Westlake. Pastrami is a staple for someone born and raised in and around NYC. Masa Bakery in Echo Park is a great experience all around. The food and staff is incredible there. It’s called a bakery, but it’s really a homestyle Italian restaurant.

Besides that, I do love some of the touristy things in LA. The hike up to the Observatory in Griffith Park is amazing, the Getty museum is incredible. And fly in and out of Burbank airport, That’s my best advice for anyone visiting LA!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I would give all the credit to the amazing people I work with. We have the best administration, A&R and sync teams that I could possibly want in a music publishing company. I wouldn’t be doing any of the amazing things we’ve been able to accomplish without them. I’m so grateful to have all of them.

Website: https://killphonicrights.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/killphonicrights

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-shreve-69b181133/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/killphonicmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/killphonicrights

Image Credits
Killphonic Rights