Elevated Frequencies
Elevated Frequencies
Olivia Mancuso
How Festival Lineups Get Picked with Will Runzel (Prodigy Artists) | EF EP 158
56 minutes Posted Jul 2, 2026 at 12:00 pm.
Introduction
Sponsor – Trackstack
Who Gets Lied To More?
Roots As A Talent Buyer
Building Prodigy With Steven
The Non-Traditional Path
Advice For Young Managers
Signing His First Client
The Chicago Of It All
Chicago's Club Roots
Daft Punk Over Kanye
Immerse In The Culture
His Love For House
What He Looks For
Stand For Something
Know Your Audience
Artist Development, Day One
His Archetype: The Ruler
Building Content Buckets
The Unsexy Skill: Work Ethic
Build A Long Runway
Why Trends Aren't A Strategy
The Streaming Life Cycle
Only 8% See Your Posts
Burner Accounts & Blogs
Every Release Is Audiovisual
The Oliver Tree Lesson
How Festival Lineups Get Built
The DJs He Booked First
Impact Behind The Scenes
Artists Owning Their IP
Private Equity In Dance Music
What Makes An Artist Unmanageable
Manifesting & A Can-Do Mindset
Olivia's Manifesting Journey
How To Plan For 2028
Master One Genre First
The Cafeteria Theory
Wrap-Up
0:00
56:18
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Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Trackstack: the operating system built for music professionals who invest in each other. Trackstack Pro gives you access to a network of labels, curators, and artists where every connection you make is yours to keep. No algorithms, no platform holding your contacts hostage. Just real professional relationships that can turn into collaborations, bookings, and opportunities that can change the trajectory of your career.

Use code ELEVATED for 50% off Pro for 3 months at trackstack.app

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How do festival lineups actually get built — and what really gets an artist booked, signed, and streamed? Host Olivia Mancuso sits down with Will Runzel, founder of artist management company Prodigy, who came up as a talent buyer and promoter before managing some of dance music's biggest acts.

Will breaks down how talent buyers really assemble festival lineups, how he booked now-headlining DJs like Zedd and DJ Snake for almost nothing early on, and how to spot a padded offer. They get into artist branding and vision, audience psychographics, owning a niche instead of chasing everyone, the unglamorous work ethic behind every breakout, and why every release is now an audiovisual project.

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Want personalized guidance on your music career? Book a one-on-one consultation with Olivia on GreenRoom where you can get tailored advice on branding, business strategy, and sustainable career growth

Instagram: oliviamancuso__

Video Editor/Audio Engineer: James Fixx