music Indstry

Do Music Industry Books Written by Executives Offer Better Insights?

Anyone who’s ever tried to figure out how the music industry actually works knows the feeling: you read a few pieces, hear an artist rant on a podcast, maybe flip through a couple of interviews, and somehow everything still feels fuzzy. The business side is messy. Half of it happens behind closed doors, and the other half is buried in jargon nobody explains.

 

Naturally, people start wondering if the folks at the top, the executives, are the ones who can finally make sense of it all. And then the next question pops up: are the books they write actually better at explaining the music business than the ones written by artists or journalists?

 

That’s what this piece jumps into. Right from the start, you’ll know where this is headed: why exec-written books might help, where they slip, how they compare with artist and journalist versions, and how all of this ties into picking the best books about the music industry or even the best-selling music industry books that keep showing up on “must-read” lists.

 

Why Executive Perspectives Can Help

Executives live in a different world from artists. They sit at tables where contracts are negotiated, budgets approved, stories reshaped, and careers redirected. When they choose to talk about it in a book, the curtain lifts at least a bit.

Money flow, strategic decisions, label behavior, how distribution really operates, these are things fans rarely see. Artists don’t always understand it either. Executives, though? They’ve watched these gears grind for years.

That’s why many readers lean toward these books when they want to go deeper than emotional stories or surface-level industry summaries. If someone is searching for the best books about the music industry, this type of insight can feel like the missing puzzle piece.

What Execs Usually Explain Well

Most executive-written titles are built around short, direct sections: revenue slices, label evolution, the politics of releasing music, the drama behind catalog ownership, hand ow streaming changed the entire business model.

They often have a calm, matter-of-fact tone because these authors have lived through mergers, lawsuits, marketing failures, viral explosions, and everything in between. They know how things have changed, and they often connect past systems to today’s streaming world.

This is one reason so many best-selling music industry books come from executives: they bring a bird’s-eye history that outsiders just don’t have.

How Executive Books Compare to Artist and Journalist Views

  • Artist books explain how things feel. Journalists explain how things look from the outside.
  • Executives explain why things happen. Those are three different angles on the same building.
  • Reading only one gives a tilted view. Combining all three? That’s when the whole industry starts to make sense.

So, Are Executive Books “Better”?

Well, better for what?

  • If someone wants honesty about fame and burnout, artists are the way to go.
  • If someone wants charts, structures, deal logic, and career-shaping decisions, executives usually win.

But the richest understanding comes when you mix voices. Many of the most respected and best books about the music industry succeed because they blend personal truth with hard business reality.

Conclusion:

Executive-written books open doors into parts of the music industry most people never get to see, and that alone makes them incredibly valuable. But they’re one slice of the full story, not the entire meal.

If you’re building a reading list, don’t just chase hype or bestseller tags. Look for books that mix experience with honesty and practical guidance with Logan Westbrooks.

In today’s complex music landscape, I, Logan Westbrooks, stand with executive insight, legacy, and cultural impact, exactly the perspective readers seek when exploring the best-selling music industry books. My work embodies the strategic depth discussed, proving why executive-written industry books offer unmatched clarity for artists, educators, and businesses striving to navigate and understand the evolving music ecosystem.

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Larita Shelby
LaRita Shelby is Tennessee native whose family hails from Memphis, Tennessee on Carnegie Street. Shelby is also the owner of SB Media & Marketing and Shall Be Productions. She has worked with Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks for over a decade as a creative consultant and project manager. Additionally, LaRita is VP of Business Development at Lee Bailey’s EURweb.com. LaRita is the author of On My Father’s Side and The Brand Beside the Brand. She is a screenwriter, former military broadcaster, singer and actress. LaRita is especially proud to contribute to the Lauderdale Sub book project which unfolds the rich history of faith and excellence that fueled her family’s neighborhood. Miss Shelby is an undergraduate of Loyola Marymount and she holds a Master of Media and Communication Psychology degree from Touro University. Most recent accolades include: 2025 NAWBO Nominee for Community Business Leader of the Year, 2024 President's Volunteer Service Award, 2024 Certificate of Recognition City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, 2023 Leadership Award from the Regional Cal Black Chamber of Commerce of SFV and 2020 Certificate of Recognition City of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. It’s business by day and jazz by night, LaRita also performs as “Jazzy Rita” and she is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Her music can be heard on all digital outlets under Jazzy Rita Shelby.
For info: ContactUs@SBMediaandMarketing.com
https://www.sbmediaandmarketing.com/
Larita Shelby
LaRita Shelby is Tennessee native whose family hails from Memphis, Tennessee on Carnegie Street. Shelby is also the owner of SB Media & Marketing and Shall Be Productions. She has worked with Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks for over a decade as a creative consultant and project manager. Additionally, LaRita is VP of Business Development at Lee Bailey’s EURweb.com. LaRita is the author of On My Father’s Side and The Brand Beside the Brand. She is a screenwriter, former military broadcaster, singer and actress. LaRita is especially proud to contribute to the Lauderdale Sub book project which unfolds the rich history of faith and excellence that fueled her family’s neighborhood. Miss Shelby is an undergraduate of Loyola Marymount and she holds a Master of Media and Communication Psychology degree from Touro University. Most recent accolades include: 2025 NAWBO Nominee for Community Business Leader of the Year, 2024 President's Volunteer Service Award, 2024 Certificate of Recognition City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, 2023 Leadership Award from the Regional Cal Black Chamber of Commerce of SFV and 2020 Certificate of Recognition City of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. It’s business by day and jazz by night, LaRita also performs as “Jazzy Rita” and she is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Her music can be heard on all digital outlets under Jazzy Rita Shelby.
For info: ContactUs@SBMediaandMarketing.com https://www.sbmediaandmarketing.com/
Dr. Justin D. Key
Dr. Justin D. Key is a business strategist, entrepreneur, and consultant with over 15 years of experience across the entertainment, education, and corporate sectors. As a trusted advisor to Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks, he provides strategic counsel on business development, contract review, and technology integration. A mathematician by training and a creative entrepreneur by passion, Dr. Key bridges innovation, structure, and vision to help advance Dr. Westbrooks’ ongoing ventures.
For info: Justin@JustinDKey.com
Dr. Justin D. Key
Dr. Justin D. Key is a business strategist, entrepreneur, and consultant with over 15 years of experience across the entertainment, education, and corporate sectors. As a trusted advisor to Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks, he provides strategic counsel on business development, contract review, and technology integration. A mathematician by training and a creative entrepreneur by passion, Dr. Key bridges innovation, structure, and vision to help advance Dr. Westbrooks’ ongoing ventures.
For info: Justin@JustinDKey.com
Dee Robinson
Dee Robinson is a creative poet and the founder of Dee Robinson, the Right Writer Professional Writing Service. For over twenty years, she has helped clients elevate their stories as a speech writer, ghost writer, editor, consultant, and idea maven. After helping many others, Dee has written her own book titled The Capricious & Anecdotal Sojourn of a Woman who Sometimes Processes Information in a Peculiar Fashion.
In 1998, Dee established Mentaltainment, an entertainment production company with an emphasis on creating enlightening and uplifting live entertainment. Dee is also an indie filmmaker who has produced two short films—It’s Never too Late and The Healing House.
In 2005, through Mentaltainment, she produced an all-night jam session called The People Café that had the vibe of a modern-day juke joint. It was inspired by a song she wrote called The People Café. The jam session was the talk of the town and ran for 15 years.
As a poet, Dee produced a critically-acclaimed spoken word CD called WomanFlower and she released two CDs—Grown & Sexy Lullabies: Music to Love By and Let There be Love. She also released several other Singles. Dee Robinson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Georgia State University. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is a valuable asset to Dr. Westbrooks’ team.
Dee Robinson
Dee Robinson is a creative poet and the founder of Dee Robinson, the Right Writer Professional Writing Service. For over twenty years, she has helped clients elevate their stories as a speech writer, ghost writer, editor, consultant, and idea maven. After helping many others, Dee has written her own book titled The Capricious & Anecdotal Sojourn of a Woman who Sometimes Processes Information in a Peculiar Fashion.
In 1998, Dee established Mentaltainment, an entertainment production company with an emphasis on creating enlightening and uplifting live entertainment. Dee is also an indie filmmaker who has produced two short films—It’s Never too Late and The Healing House.
In 2005, through Mentaltainment, she produced an all-night jam session called The People Café that had the vibe of a modern-day juke joint. It was inspired by a song she wrote called The People Café. The jam session was the talk of the town and ran for 15 years.
As a poet, Dee produced a critically-acclaimed spoken word CD called WomanFlower and she released two CDs—Grown & Sexy Lullabies: Music to Love By and Let There be Love. She also released several other Singles. Dee Robinson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Georgia State University. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is a valuable asset to Dr. Westbrooks’ team.