Episode
Flipping the Record Label Model, with Don Rodriguez, Music Producer and Founder I&I Music Studio
- Podcast
- Your World of Creativity
- Published
- Jun 1, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1869
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://markstinson.captivate.fm/episode/don-rodriguez-music
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Summary
On Your World of Creativity , we travel around the world talking with creative professionals who turn ideas into impact. Today we’re diving into music and business with Don Rodriguez — a former general contractor who left a 20-year career to pursue his passion for music… and ended up redesigning the record label model itself. Don's Website Don on YouTube Don's Facebook page Introduction Don Rodriguez is an 18-year entrepreneur and general contractor who walked away from a successful construction career after becoming burned out and disillusioned. He pivoted into music — not just as a creative outlet, but as a producer and founder of The I&I Music Studio , a recording studio, record label, and music publisher for independent artists. Drawing on two decades of business and contract experience, Don created a radically different label structure: one where artists own their masters and publishing , while the label generates its own revenue streams and collects points — flipping the traditional industry model on its head. Today, he’s here to talk music, ownership, contracts, publishing, and how independent artists can thrive without giving away their future. 1 — From Construction to Creation Don, you spent nearly two decades as a general contractor before pivoting into music full-time. What happened internally that made you leave that career — and how did music pull you into a new chapter? When you entered the music industry, what did you immediately see that didn’t sit right with you? 2 — Why Artists Still Need a Label There’s a strong narrative right now that independent artists don’t need record labels anymore. From your perspective, why is it still necessary for independent artists to have a label structure around them? What’s the difference between an artist trying…