RECORD COMPANY

NEAL SPIELBERG, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF COUNTRY MUSIC SALES AND MARKETING, WEA

The night that 13-year-old Neal Spielberg saw the Temptations perform changed his life. “I was just mesmerized, both by their performance and songs—everything. I was already into music, but when I went to that show and saw them perform, at that moment I knew I needed to be in the music business.” He learned the retail side of the trade selling eight-track tapes in his father's music stores, and from his uncle, a Warner Elektra Atlantic (WEA&Rpar; sales manager. While majoring in radio and television at the University of Arizona at Tucson, he established the campus’ student chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and served several internships, including writing ad copy at a local radio station. The station's sales manager became a mentor, and taught him about sales and special promotions through work on a Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus account.

After graduation in 1978, Spielberg landed a job at WEA's Los Angeles office and relocated to southern California. Before he could even begin work, he was laid off due to an industry downturn. With no jobs available in the record industry, he took a department store sales position and taught ice hockey lessons at a local rink while he planned his next move. Tapping the relationship he had earlier established while working on the circus account, he landed a job in 1979 as regional marketing director for Ringling Brothers, Holiday on Ice, and Ice Follies, based out of Florida. After two years, he took a job as area sales representative for a company that supplied videos and Atari video game accessories to rental outlets. “It was all mom and pop owned stores back then. I traveled in my car up and down the state of Florida, picking up leads from the company and other video store owners.” Through a company buyout, he ended up working for Warner Home Video, who in 1983 transferred him to their Nashville office as a WEA sales representative to handle both video and music sales.

Finally involved in the music business, Spielberg was the perfect candidate when Warner Records’ Nashville office created a full time sales and marketing position. Hired in 1984 as national sales coordinator, he initially oversaw video and music sales for just the Warner Brothers label, but over time, the Atlantic, Asylum, Giant, and Curb labels were also added. In 1999, Spielberg was made vice president of sales for Warner Brothers’ Nashville division, including the Reprise and Asylum labels. His title later became vice president of country music sales and marketing, WEA (the parent company of Warner Brothers).

The Internet has afforded opportunities to market independent artists and labels in a way that was not possible prior to the early 2000s. Seeing the possibilities to carve out his own niche, Spielberg departed WEA in 2003, after 21 years with the label. He opened Spielberg Consulting, a marketing and sales company. The firm's clients include Equity Music Group, Compendia Records, and Lolton Creek Records.