ABOUT

What we're trying to do,
why we're trying to do it,
and who we are

THE MISSION

THE MISSION

Create a more connected & collaborative global music industry
Create a more connected & collaborative global music industry

Over the past decade+ the music industry has gone from around 15,000 professional recording artists to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, today.


But, while there has been a lot of innovation in how music is made, marketed, and distributed around the world; the way the industry collaborates is often still very analog.


This worked fine when the industry was small & concentrated in a few "music cities." But now it's truly global, more independent & faster moving than ever?


Not so fine.


ROSTR was founded to build technology that changes this. We're making it easier for artists and professionals to discover and work with each other.


And as a result, we hope to…

Over the past decade+ the music industry has gone from around 15,000 professional recording artists to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, today.


But, while there has been a lot of innovation in how music is made, marketed, and distributed around the world; the way the industry collaborates is often still very analog.


This worked fine when the industry was small & concentrated in a few "music cities." But now it's truly global, more independent & faster moving than ever?


Not so fine.


ROSTR was founded to build technology that changes this. We're making it easier for artists and professionals to discover and work with each other.


And as a result, we hope to…

THE VISION

THE VISION

Unlock the creative & economic potential of a more connected music industry 
Unlock the creative & economic potential of a more connected music industry 

A more connected industry is a more prosperous industry.

Too often it's too hard to find the right people. To make connections. To break through.

We want to help change that.

A more connected industry is a more prosperous industry.

Too often it's too hard to find the right people. To make connections. To break through.

We want to help change that.

"ROSTR levels the playing field for young professionals. With Rostr anybody can connect directly with the right industry personnel."
Maxwell Flohr
General Manager
Terrible
"ROSTR gives an independent artist like myself a chance to navigate the complexities of the music industry. It's helped me work smart and make sure I am talking to the right people in the right places."
Forsyth
Hip hop artist, songwriter, producer
Forsyth Music
"ROSTR gives an independent artist like myself a chance to navigate the complexities of the music industry. It's helped me work smart and make sure I am talking to the right people in the right places."
Forsyth
Hip hop artist, songwriter, producer
Forsyth Music

But it's not just about the newcomers. There are millions of artists in the world, and countless opportunities for those artists. Even if you're established, better connectivity will help you do more business.

But it's not just about the newcomers. There are millions of artists in the world, and countless opportunities for those artists. Even if you're established, better connectivity will help you do more business.

"We use ROSTR constantly. It’s the best resource in the music business."
Marc Geiger
Chairman and CEO
SAVELIVE

Also, think about these "new" markets. Alikoto runs a company "dedicated to growth of music in Africa". A market that's growing rapidly. How do we connect Africa, LATAM, Asia with the traditional music markets and vice versa?

Also, think about these "new" markets. Alikoto runs a company "dedicated to growth of music in Africa". A market that's growing rapidly. How do we connect Africa, LATAM, Asia with the traditional music markets and vice versa?

"I love ROSTR, I gain a lot industry insight regularly. I get access to directly contact industry professionals and companies."
Alikoto
Alikoto
Alikoto Music Consult
"I love ROSTR, I gain a lot industry insight regularly. I get access to directly contact industry professionals and companies."
Alikoto
Alikoto
Alikoto Music Consult

Ultimately, we believe that the industry needs to be connected digitally and globally. It's getting too big to rely on printed books and iMessages.


By connecting the industry we will create more value.


If we create more value in music, we help create more culture.


That feels worthwhile.

Ultimately, we believe that the industry needs to be connected digitally and globally. It's getting too big to rely on printed books and iMessages.


By connecting the industry we will create more value.


If we create more value in music, we help create more culture.


That feels worthwhile.

GENESIS

GENESIS

What's the backstory?
What's the backstory?

Mark (one of ROSTR's co-founders) helped start the artist services team at Spotify back in like 2011.


Sometime in 2012 he started building a Salesforce CRM for Spotify's industry relations teams to track artists and managers without having to use a spreadsheet.


Fast-forward a few years and he found that it was still really difficult even just knowing who worked with who in the core music industry.


He figured that if Spotify was having this problem, despite having teams of people whose job it was, then there was a big problem here.


So he left Spotify and co-founded ROSTR with Adam Watson (another former Spotifier) in 2018.


In October 2019 ROSTR launched in Alpha and then in Beta about a week before the pandemic hit (great timing, guys).


At the end of 2021 we were acquired by some company who shall not be named…


… A year later we bought it back.


ROSTR is now once again independent and fully owned by its founders Adam and Mark.

Mark (one of ROSTR's co-founders) helped start the artist services team at Spotify back in like 2011.


Sometime in 2012 he started building a Salesforce CRM for Spotify's industry relations teams to track artists and managers without having to use a spreadsheet.


Fast-forward a few years and he found that it was still really difficult even just knowing who worked with who in the core music industry.


He figured that if Spotify was having this problem, despite having teams of people whose job it was, then there was a big problem here.


So he left Spotify and co-founded ROSTR with Adam Watson (another former Spotifier) in 2018.


In October 2019 ROSTR launched in Alpha and then in Beta about a week before the pandemic hit (great timing, guys).


At the end of 2021 we were acquired by some company who shall not be named…


… A year later we bought it back.


ROSTR is now once again independent and fully owned by its founders Adam and Mark.

THE TEAM

THE TEAM

Who's behind this?
Who's behind this?

ROSTR was founded by Mark Williamson & Adam Watson.


But they are nothing without the rest of the team.


ROSTR is a remote company but everybody is based in California.

ROSTR was founded by Mark Williamson & Adam Watson.


But they are nothing without the rest of the team.


ROSTR is a remote company but everybody is based in California.

Mark Williamson

Mark is the CEO & Co-Founder.


Before co-founding ROSTR, he ran the artist services team at Spotify for almost a decade. He likes to "joke" that he spent the first 5 years getting shouted at about per-stream rates & the last few years getting shouted at about New Music Friday.


Mark is from Mombasa but lives in L.A. with his wife, 2 sons & his favorite son Jimi (the dog).

Mark is the CEO & Co-Founder.


Before co-founding ROSTR, he ran the artist services team at Spotify for almost a decade. He likes to "joke" that he spent the first 5 years getting shouted at about per-stream rates & the last few years getting shouted at about New Music Friday.


Mark is from Mombasa but lives in L.A. with his wife, 2 sons & his favorite son Jimi (the dog).

Adam Watson

Adam Watson is the Chief Technical Officer (basically, he built it all) and Co-Founder.


Before co-founding ROSTR, Adam was also at Spotify as a senior engineer. He was also previously CTO at CrowdAlbum, a startup that was acquired by Spotify.


Adam lives in Palm Springs & has something like 47 pugs. It's difficult to get an accurate count on Zoom, but it often sounds like 47.

Adam Watson is the Chief Technical Officer (basically, he built it all) and Co-Founder.


Before co-founding ROSTR, Adam was also at Spotify as a senior engineer. He was also previously CTO at CrowdAlbum, a startup that was acquired by Spotify.


Adam lives in Palm Springs & has something like 47 pugs. It's difficult to get an accurate count on Zoom, but it often sounds like 47.

George Hanson

George joined ROSTR not long after it was founded and has quite literally had a hand in absolutely everything we've done since.


George does a lot of everything here. He also cares a lot about every little thing.

We would not be the ROSTR you know without him.


George is from Minneapolis but lives in L.A.

George joined ROSTR not long after it was founded and has quite literally had a hand in absolutely everything we've done since.


George does a lot of everything here. He also cares a lot about every little thing.

We would not be the ROSTR you know without him.


George is from Minneapolis but lives in L.A.

James Cullen

You prob know James from such emails as "From James @ ROSTR".


James also joined ROSTR another lifetime ago and has been instrumental in making ROSTR what it is today.


James also does a bit of everything here, not least picking great songs to go with our IG posts.


James is from Boston, M.A. but lives in L.A.

You prob know James from such emails as "From James @ ROSTR".


James also joined ROSTR another lifetime ago and has been instrumental in making ROSTR what it is today.


James also does a bit of everything here, not least picking great songs to go with our IG posts.


James is from Boston, M.A. but lives in L.A.

Sunny Malhotra

Sunny joined ROSTR in 2022 straight out of school (USC, if you must know).


Like G&J, he also does a bit of everything here including being our 💯 go-to when we need the right words to sound cool.

p.s. Sunny is so on the pulse that his alter ego Pretty Friendly wrote a song called Tetris which he happened to release the same week Apple TV released the movie Tetris leading to a bunch of Tetris playlist adds (+ a Fresh Find).


Sunny is from L.A. & lives in L.A.

Sunny joined ROSTR in 2022 straight out of school (USC, if you must know).


Like G&J, he also does a bit of everything here including being our 💯 go-to when we need the right words to sound cool.

p.s. Sunny is so on the pulse that his alter ego Pretty Friendly wrote a song called Tetris which he happened to release the same week Apple TV released the movie Tetris leading to a bunch of Tetris playlist adds (+ a Fresh Find).


Sunny is from L.A. & lives in L.A.

Corey Crossfield

Corey also joined ROSTR in 2022.


Corey leads all of ROSTR's sales, account management, partnerships, jobs, commercial… and a hundred other things that involve keeping our customers happy + getting more of them.

For all the people who are reading this who have started an email to Corey with "hey dude"… it's ok… Corey says she doesn't mind.


Corey is from L.A. & lives in L.A.

Lucas Homer

Lucas joined ROSTR last week.


Lucas is an awesome engineer working on everything from the stuff you see in the front, to the stuff nobody should ever have to see in the back.


A lot of improvements you're going to see over the next few months will be from Lucas' hand.


Lucas is from Missouri but lives in Ojai. Lucky Lucas.

Katie Holmes

Chief Operating Officer

​Katie joined the ROSTR team in January of 2024 after 10+ years working in music and sports in Nashville, Chicago and LA.


Katie is the COO leads operations and special projects across the group. You've probably seen her name on MANY Jobs emails along with Kaylee - they're real people!


Her dog Koda also likes to make an appearance on most calls. Katie is from STL, but lives outside of LA.

Kaylee Swope

Coordinator, Operations

​Kaylee joined the ROSTR team in April of 2024, just two weeks before her wedding—a memorable month to say the least!


​​She helps run Jobs and Stack by ROSTR while also crafting much of our social media content for both. Every day feels like a Friday 'when you land the dream job' moment for her.


​​Originally from Philly, Kaylee is now enjoying life in sunny San Diego with her husband Eric and their German Shepherd, Aspen and either on the beach or indulging in wine.

GET STARTED - FREE

Join thousands of music industry professionals using ROSTR

Sign-up today for free to start saving time, building your network & discovering new artists & companies to work with.

Get started now, for free

GET STARTED - FREE

Join thousands of music industry professionals using ROSTR

Sign-up today for free to start saving time, building your network & discovering new artists & companies to work with.

Get started now, for free