Industry Insider: Alexa Balint, Vevo Associate Manager of Talent Booking, on Today’s Music Market

The shared online universe of music and video wouldn’t be what it is today without Vevo and its valuable contributors like Alexa Balint. Based in New York City, Balint is an Associate Manager of Talent Booking at Vevo. She plays a vital role in shaping Vevo’s live performance content and ensuring the company is one of the industry leaders in music videos. Balint serves as the primary point of contact for artists at all levels at the Vevo studio in Brooklyn. She is also one of the primary talent bookers for Vevo’s editorial studio in Times Square.

It is through the efforts of team members like Balint that Vevo has established such strong partnerships with record labels such as Island Records, Secretly Group, Beggars Group, Partisan, UMe, Sub Pop, Nettwerk, and Verve. Balint has also played a primary role in helping emerging artists establish a platform to demonstrate their talents. She has booked artists like Hippo Campus, Japanese Breakfast, Mon Rovîa, and Mei Semones.

Alexa Balint knows the industry inside and out, which makes her such a perfect guest for our Industry Insider interview. She shares her views on live performance, artists combating the challenges of streaming, overlooked aspects of artist development, and a whole lot more.

How do you see the role of live performances evolving in a post-pandemic world?

Alexa Balint: “It’s undeniable that there was a hunger for live music throughout the course of the pandemic, especially at the height of the quarantine period. We saw viewers tuning into livestreamed remote ‘concerts’ with stacked bills and ‘Vevo-at-Home’ performances to get their fill.

“In a post-pandemic world, having access to live music IRL again is a true privilege.

“There have been a few instances of an artist’s Vevo live session audio garnering more listens than a track’s original studio version, the most prominent being Gracie Abrams’ ‘Vevo Extended Play’ version of ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry,’ which went viral across social and even won us a People’s Choice Webby. Given moments like Gracie’s, I don’t see the desire for live music ever going away. What I do see evolving is how that collective appetite is satiated in an ever-changing economic landscape.”

Live from Vevo Studios, photo courtesy Vevo

What’s the most valuable long-term professional relationship you’ve built over your career, and how did you maintain it? What advice would you give for cultivating lasting relationships in the industry?

“I began my Vevo journey as the Executive Assistant to Vevo’s SVP of Content, Programming, and Marketing. What I gained from that experience was not only a front-row seat to how the industry works, but a professional relationship that propelled me to carve out my lane in the music world.

“Being myself and having a specialty in indie music was celebrated. I was given the trust to be front-facing with artists and label teams, covering shoots and producing major events like our Grammy parties early on. I learned by doing, with the full support and trust of someone more senior who genuinely believed in my potential. Though I’m no longer his EA, we’ve maintained a strong working relationship. To this day, I know I can turn to him for honest insight, perspective, or simply a gut check, something I don’t take for granted.

“To cultivate lasting relationships in the industry, lead with sincerity, curiosity, and dependability, showing up not just when you need something, but when it matters to others.”

How has your definition of success changed over the years? Is it still about fame and financial rewards, or have other aspects become more important?

“As a former gifted child (IYKYK) who thrived on academic validation throughout my school years, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge how nice it is to have my name in the credits of a project I booked! True success to me, however, is being able to contribute positively to an artist’s story: their vision, project rollout, and creative journey. I derive a major sense of fulfillment in knowing we were key players in an emerging artist’s career.

“It’s particularly rewarding when we get the timing right. Take Mei Semones’ DSCVR for example. Mei is an indie musician fusing bossa nova and J-pop, who has seen tremendous growth since her debut album dropped via Bayonet Records in May. Her world tour is in high demand, and she has received praise online from the likes of SZA and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. I’m so grateful that we were able to shoot sessions with her during a break in her busy tour schedule, ensuring we caught this pivotal moment in her career.

“Another way I gauge success is when artists want to come back after working with us. Our partners at Secretly Group mentioned that Michelle Zauner and the rest of Japanese Breakfast were over the moon about their ‘Live from Vevo Studios’ shoot, sharing it was one of their favourite moments from album release week.

“At the end of the day, our live session videos will outlive us, and they will always serve as a moment frozen in time for future generations to discover. Nothing beats that.”

Live from Vevo Studios, photo courtesy Vevo

The music industry is known for its relentless pace. How do you personally deal with burnout, and what advice would you give to younger artists struggling with it?

“In an industry where so many people are yearning to break into, it can be easy to say ‘yes’ to everything and lose sight of what you need for yourself.

“Digesting media outside of music has become increasingly important to me. Go to art museums, see a film, get outside! As much as I love shows, and I’d still be going all the time even if I didn’t work in music, I’ve realized that variety is a crucial way to keep burnout at bay.

“Whether you’re an artist or a young professional getting your start in the music industry, you owe it to yourself to refill your creative and emotional well. That might mean stepping away from a project, spending time in silence, or confiding in people who ground you.

“Taking care of yourself is productive. You are your own instrument; protect your energy like it’s part of the work.”

Do you think there’s more opportunity today for niche genres, or does the algorithmic nature of streaming platforms limit their reach?

“The algorithmic nature of streaming platforms is a two-sided coin. On one end, there’s more opportunity than ever for niche genres to thrive. Algorithms have become great at recognizing patterns between artists within a particular scene, helping fans discover music that aligns with their tastes.

“On the other end, the algorithm poses the risk of keeping listeners in a loop, pushing them further into one lane without offering exposure to other sounds or genres. A means of counteracting this impact is the wave of cross-genre collaboration happening right now. Artists are pulling from a vast range of influences and breaking down traditional genre barriers, which creates new arenas for previously unpopular subgenres to reach wider audiences.

“While genre is still a helpful starting point, it’s no longer a hard rule. The lines are more fluid, giving artists the freedom to experiment and listeners more opportunities to discover something unexpected. In today’s landscape, ‘niche’ doesn’t automatically equate to ‘small,’ it signifies something unique and meaningful.”

Live from Vevo Studios, photo courtesy Vevo

What’s one hard truth about the music industry that no one prepares you for when you first enter it?

“One hard truth about the music industry is that it is very much a business. While passion and creativity are at the forefront of why many of us get into this work, numbers and strategy play a key role in how music reaches audiences. On a smaller scale, analytics inform my booking decisions.

“Understanding how a project performs, who it connects with and what’s driving that connection is just as important as the art itself. Without that understanding, even the most groundbreaking work can get lost in the ether. The balance between creativity and business isn’t rooted in compromising an artist’s vision; it’s about making sure their hard work has a life beyond the studio.

“For sustainability’s sake, music has to connect with people in a way that’s measurable, be it through streams or engagement. In addition to a project’s depth, measurability contributes a layer of responsibility and strategy to help the music find its audience. Embracing that side of the industry has been instrumental for me in making sure the artists and bands I’m elevating get the chance to be seen and heard.”

What’s the biggest challenge in breaking through the noise of today’s saturated music market?

“You can’t get away with just making great music. As an emerging artist, you have to be a bit of a Swiss Army knife, acting as your own team, knowing how the algorithm works, building a strategy, and putting out releases consistently. Even dropping different versions of the same track can help sustain the momentum.

“Discovery is only a sliver of the pie. In a saturated music market, retention and engagement are just as important. Cultivating a community, listening to your audience, and figuring out what actually sticks is what creates longevity. There’s no singular path to breaking through; it takes a holistic approach.

“There are also opportunities in understanding how to work with platforms like Vevo. For example, emerging artists who go through distributors to deliver their videos to us are eligible for consideration on our ‘Discover New Music’ feature on our social media. When used strategically, it can open up access to new audiences and help cut through the noise.”

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How do you see the relationship between music and visual content evolving in the era of YouTube and TikTok?

“A common misconception is that with the rise of short-form content, full-length music videos have lost their relevance. While streams on audio platforms help to drive views, we’ve also seen the inverse: a strong visual can introduce new audiences to a song and give it an entirely new life.

“Music videos still play a major role in shaping an artist’s visual identity and bringing an album’s story to life. From there, cutdowns from those videos can be repurposed for platforms like TikTok, YT Shorts, and IG Reels, helping the content to travel even further.

“At Vevo, we lean into cross-platform promotion to make that happen, amplifying videos across social media in ways that directly drive engagement on YouTube. Visual content has evolved, but its impact hasn’t diminished.”

What’s the most overlooked aspect of an artist’s development?

“I find the most overlooked aspect of an artist’s development to be time. There is a true reverence to the initial development phase where musicians play to empty bars, honing their sound, and attempting new tactics to connect with the crowd during an unpaid gig. The early days of being your only team member will teach you so much about yourself as an artist and person, equipping you with the tools to be hands-on and intentional with your image when you have a whole crew behind you.

“In such a fast-paced world, it’s understandable to want instant gratification as an artist. The reality is that the most enduring artists are the ones who take the time to really build out their brand for the long term. Instead of solely honing in on virality and trends, focus on building a narrative that shows potential fans who you are, what you stand for and why you’re unique.

“Artist development takes time. While it’s valid for emerging artists to want their moment to happen *now,* I recommend not favouring quick wins over the sustainability a slower build often provides. Take our DSCVR ATW alum Chappell Roan’s ten-year journey to stardom, for example. Safe to say her rise was worth the wait!”

What do you think will be the most significant shift in music consumption over the next decade?

“One of the most significant shifts already in effect is the rise of fandoms as true tastemakers, with UGC playing a huge role. Fans aren’t just consuming music, they’re remixing it, reinterpreting it, and giving it new life across platforms. A song’s success can now hinge on how it moves through fan communities, whether through a TikTok trend, a fan edit, or a moment that sparks conversation across Discord servers and beyond.

“The most successful artists in this next era won’t just chase virality; they’ll build ecosystems of fans feeling seen and empowered to not just advance streams but instill cultural relevance. That kind of human engagement is far more valuable than a fleeting algorithmic boost.”