Holt has long been at the forefront of music industry innovation and is now leading the way in shaping music's digital future. From his early days playing in bands and producing music videos and commercials to his current post with MySpace Music, Holt has merged his intense love of music with his determined commitment to using new technologies to increase the power and potential of music's scope.
During the Fall semester, Holt will work closely with an undergraduate student working group, exploring the changing face of the music industry and the rapidly changing demands of music consumption, branding, marketing, distribution, and cultural identity in the digital age. In the Spring semester, he will participate in a large USC public event that examines the challenges and promises of music's digital horizon.
About Courtney Holt:
The President of MySpace Music (a landmark joint venture among MySpace, The EMI Group, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony ATV), Holt oversees the growth and development of the MySpace Music brand. Prior to joining MySpace Music, Holt served as Executive Vice President of Digital Music for the MTV Networks Music and Logo Group where he oversaw all digital initiatives for the company’s MTV, VH1 and CMT music brands, as well as for Logo. In this role, Holt also helped broker the creation of Rhapsody America, a joint venture between MTV Networks and RealNetworks and worked to develop the partnership between Rhapsody America
and Verizon. Previously, Holt was Senior Vice President of New Media, Creative and Strategic Marketing at Interscope Geffen A&M.
Read more about Holt and MySpace Music in this CNet article.
About the Popular Music Project:
The PMP is a one-stop home for the interdisciplinary study and analysis of popular music. Bringing together faculty and students from across the USC campus with musicians, critics, and industry innovators, the PMP takes pop music seriously as an object of sustained critical inquiry through a mix of public events, research projects, and Los Angeles campus residencies. The project's goal is to treat the making of pop music as a key site for education and pedagogy and for re-thinking questions of society, culture, history, and communication. For more information on the Popular Music Project, please visit www.usc.edu/PMP.
About The Norman Lear Center:
The Norman Lear Center is a multidisciplinary research and public policy center studying and shaping the impact of entertainment and media on society. From its base in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the Lear Center builds bridges between faculty who study aspects of entertainment, media and culture. Beyond campus, it bridges the gap between entertainment industry and academia, and between them and the public. For more information, visit www.learcenter.org.
