Meet the Team: Ben Stauffer

We’d like you to meet some of the talented people who have joined SongVest. Meet Ben Stauffer!

We’d like you to meet some of the talented people who have joined SongVest. Meet Ben Stauffer!

We’d like you to meet some of the talented people who have joined SongVest to help build a community of fans, investors, and artists. First up, we’d like to introduce you to Ben Stauffer, SongVest’s experienced Royalty Analyst. 

We’d also like to remind you that SongVest is raising capital. Learn more about the terms on our campaign page

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Where do you currently live?
Nashville, TN

What is your job title and what does your job entail? 
Hi, I'm Ben, the Royalty Analyst for SongVest. In addition to analyzing the data which artists and songwriters send to us and providing a valuation of the catalogs, I also write the auction listings you see on the SongVest website and, among other things, prepare and execute purchase and sale agreements for auctions after they've closed. 

How many years experience do you have in your field? 
I have twelve years of experience in the music business and a total of 22 years of experience in finance and accounting-related work. I was Vice President of Finance & Analytics for Centricity Music, an independent Record Label and Music Publisher in the Nashville area for seven years. 

How did you get started in the music industry? 
I moved to Nashville in 2010 to pursue my MBA in Leadership through an Entertainment Business Fellowship program, during which I assisted various departments at Centricity Music. This was following educating myself on the particulars of the music business by attending music conferences and reading relevant books and magazines. 

Do you have any accolades or career highlights?
I have two Platinum records from my time as a member of the executive team at Centricity Music. 

Why did you join SongVest? What originally drew you to SongVest?
I joined SongVest in March 2022 because I saw that the SongShares fractional shares model is a great way for musicians to engage fans at a reasonable price while generating sales profits for themselves. I also like my SongVest teammates, whom I get to communicate with on a daily basis! 

What are some of your favorite things about working at SongVest? 
I enjoy working on a small team of people who are dedicated to doing their jobs and know how to get things done. I also enjoy the times I get to communicate with musicians about selling their royalty streams as well as discovering new music when people submit catalog valuation requests for music I haven't heard yet! 

What do you love most about the music industry?
I love working with artists and songwriters to help them grow their earnings, whether through increasing their royalty payments by properly monetizing their assets or selling their royalty streams outright. Music discovery is really important to me (I had a podcast dedicated to it), and I like being able to make that part of my workday. 

What is the best advice you can give to someone who wants to pursue a career in the music industry? 
You have to be willing to work hard, probably for little money when you first get into the industry, unless you have a lot of related experience from some other industry. However, it's an exciting, growing time in the business, so it's a great time to be in it. 

What is the first concert you ever attended? 
Gloria Estefan and The Miami Sound Machine 

What's something about you that not many people know?
I have a twin sister.

What is your favorite hobby? 
Listening to music! 

Top 5 Favorite Songs and artists who recorded them 
In My Life - The Beatles
Father And Son - Cat Stevens
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
Midnight City - M83