Sam Thomason Email & Phone Number

Netherlands

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

Founder and sole operator of Ambientologist, a label dedicated to the emotional complexity of music, covering ambient, classical and experimental.Founded in 2019, it has seen more than two dozen releases, with glowing press coverage, film & TV syncs, Bandcamp bestsellers and releases on CD, cassette and vinyl.Bandcamp: https://ambientologist.bandcamp.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambientologist_yt/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ambientologist_

Amsterdam Area, Netherlands

• Jointly set up the data team within Armada, spearheading the data literacy of the label.• Now product manage the data of Armada, in proactively and macroscopically understanding the most pressing needs of key decision makers, and discern where the team’s time and resources are best placed to optimise value.• Set up engaging, easy-to-understand performance reports, with an emphasis on useable insights.• Provide a range of large scale, business development analyses, to inform top level business decisions.• Regularly provide genre, sublabel, artist and track-specific analyses to aid the early stages of a campaign.• Create intuitive Tableau dashboards to allow self-service data visibility around the company, and improve efficiency of analysis.• Continue to explore new ways to harness additional sources of data, beyond sales, to provide new insights and help give a rounded impression of the performance of the label, and its releases.• Explore the applications of machine learning to more reliably aid business decisions, going beyond the capabilities of human analysis.• Use Excel (formulas) and Tableau (automation, mailouts) to reduce time taken on both one’s own tasks and employees around the company – freeing up time for additional projects.• Digest external reports, articles, webinars/conferences and news updates to cultivate a ‘knowledge base’ for easy, understandable, intuitive access by any around the label, providing valuable context for a broad range of decisions.• Train new employees, when appropriate, in using our wealth of data to best suit their particular role and duties.• Act as go-to consultant on all things pertaining to data-driven insights, strategy, and new developments in industry practices and platforms.

• Hired to Global Streaming team due to extra work carried out during International Sales Operations role.• Carried over reports from previous role and developed new ones, but mainly responsible for providing ad-hoc analysis on track, artist and playlist level.• Devised 'hot picks' company-wide report, using streaming data and complex Excel functionality to point out spikes across all Sony repertoire, highlight promising new releases, and create a relevant narratives around the performance. Further use this to develop and disseminate insights on artists, genres, markets and other useful areas.• Work with markets worldwide to develop understanding of their audience and streaming environment in relation to the global space.• Create deep-dive analysis for labels to uncover opportunities for particular priority tracks, to help them reach their full potential.• Carry out analysis on playlists to improve company-wide understanding of the environment, and how these playlists can be best targeted and exploited for the benefit of Sony artists.• Input on the various innovation projects of the team, searching for ways to keep the label relevant, innovative and adaptive.• Provide support to employees across the company with data and streaming queries, helping cultivate a data-savvy culture.

• Provided operational and sales support to all Sony labels and markets around the world, ensuring flawless and efficient progress throughout the digital supply chain.• Oversaw pricing for dozens of releases per week, suggesting pricing, managing progress and swiftly dealing with any operational issues.• Educated labels in pricing practices, allowing them to eventually handle pricing themselves with minimal guidance from myself.• Developed the delivery checking process, using Sony's digital systems and complex Excel formulas to quickly organise a huge amount of data, and clearly display which partners and markets digital delivery issues had been encountered. Enhanced Excel skills to reduce the time taken for this task from over half a day to under an hour.• Worked with labels and markets worldwide to teach best practices in digital distribution, to both avoid operational issues and maximise international download revenue.• Provided ad-hoc support for various teams including reports relating to pricing, delivery and live catalogue reports.• Developed Excel tools to aid myself and others with operational and pricing tasks.• Cut down the time taken to perform the role to about half a week, using the free time to develop skills further and to incorporate data analysis into the role.• Created download and streaming analysis reports for various teams, allowing myself to hone analytics and insight skills for Sony's wide-ranging artists across all markets around the world.• Learned the nuances of different markets, and gained insight into their individual music scenes.

• Contributor for site, providing reviews and full-length features• Developed audience-engaging tone of voice, remaining enthusiastic yet objective when commenting on music• Advised on editorial strategy, site features and social reach

• Managed the digital download project for the 12th series of the X Factor—recording finalists’ songs and making them available on iTunes and Apple Music• Acted as sole director and central point person across digital operations, A&R, marketing and legal, working with full autonomy in a busy environment, on a project low on others’ priority lists • Responsible for full digital delivery (within only a week’s window) and subsequent marketing strategy to maximise sales and grow contestants’ fanbases• Sought creative ways to market singles and grow contestants’ reach, through CRM strategy, mail outs, social media and in-show advertising• Devised social media rollout plan for contestant and X Factor official channels• Analysed weekly demographic insight information to direct CRM and social content (including tone of voice and post timings)• Worked every weekend in the studio under large pressure, arranging recording engineers, managing the busy contestants and delivering the downloads—always developing my aptitude for making quick decisions when faced with frequent last-minute changes• Secured and managed the Apple Music Curator page, and created numerous playlists to appeal to the show’s demographic and keep engagement high during the week• Developed digital legal knowledge through overseeing the contract between Sony and iTunes(temporary contract)

• Responsible for managing all online shop orders, and their physical or digital delivery• Observed marketing and social strategies for Lex’s unique, alternative family of artists(part time)

• Promotion to Digital Production Coordinator, taking over all digital production responsibilities in a paid role for the period before returning to university.• In charge of digital release management: gathering release plan and assets from labels, scheduling them, uploading and processing through various systems and ensuring everything hit release date without issue• Responsible for handling all system errors, plus any problems with metadata or assets• Learned to be fully conversant with metadata, as well as both Warner-specific and global systems• Greatly improved interpersonal and relationship management skills in dealing directly with labels, handling their urgent issues and concerns• Became comfortable with a vast range of digital platforms and their unique requirements• Sharpened ability to be meticulous, particularly when scheduling complex priority releases• Honed prioritising, organisational and time management skills under a large, uncompromising workload• Improved analytical and problem-solving skills from dealing with unique issues, calling on my creativity and prior knowledge of the digital processes

London, United Kingdom

Intern at ADA/Warner Music during an industry placement year• Assisted each department in the team, including digital production, digital marketing, product management and physical distribution• Learned the various facets of independent distribution from both a distributor and label perspective• Observed trends in sales, chart positions, marketing tactics and promotional placements• Product-managed a 2CD Metal compilation, as part of a wider global Warner campaign, later becoming one of the key inputters and taking a more involved role in the campaign as a whole• Became fully confident in helping out wherever needed, continually switching between different departments’ tasks, managing competing workloads• Gained valuable experience in working in a tightly-knit team, as well as forging relationships with countless people within, and outside of, Warner

• Promoting artists from the Ninja Tune label across the internet and in public• Learned the best ways to promote artists, new and old• Gained experience in to finding new, exciting opportunities for artists

Olympic Park, London

Communications Operator at the London 2012 Olympic Games, after receiving an SIA qualification. Acted as central point of contact for guards on the ground, the emergency services and various other parties. Worked days and nights ensuring efficient communication during routine and emergency situations.

Bachelor'S Degree, Music, 1St

Activities and Societies: Volunteer at Nightline listening service, Meditation society Studying BA (Hons) Popular and World Musics.

High School, Physics (A*); Maths (A); Psychology (A); Music (B)

Activities and Societies: Admitted with Art scholarship, drumming grade 8 (distinction), member of rugby A teams (2004-2008) and 2nd team.