Keynote
Keynote Speaker:
Steve Greenberg - Founder & CEO, S-Curve Music/Manager, AJR
Managing Humans in an Age of Algorithms and AI
Longtime manager, producer, and label executive Steve Greenberg traces his nearly 40 year journey in the music business with an eye towards thinking about what has changed, what has stayed the same, and what’s to come.
Steve Greenberg is Founder and CEO of S-Curve Records, based in New York, and manager of the alt-pop band AJR.
Since 2013, AJR has released five hit albums, which feature such multi-platinum tracks as “Bang”, “World’s Smallest Violin”, “Weak”, “Burn the House Down”, “Sober Up”, and many others. In 2024, the band embarked on a 47-city US arena tour, which included two sold-out nights at NY’s Madison Square Garden.
S-Curve Records has had great success with a wide range of projects, including releases from such artists as Baha Men, Joss Stone, Yola, Maxi Priest, Tom Jones, Andy Grammer, AJR, Duran Duran, Eurovision winner Netta, Fountains of Wayne and Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr.
S-Curve’s very first release, “Who Let The Dogs Out” by Baha Men, sold over four million albums worldwide and earned Steve a 2001 Grammy Award in the '”Best Dance Recording” category as producer. He also won a 2020 Grammy Award in the Best Album Notes category for his essay featured in the “Stax ‘68” box-sed. Steve was a 2005 Grammy nominee in the 'Best Pop Vocal Album' category as producer of Joss Stone’s “Mind, Body and Soul.” He also produced Stone’s acclaimed debut album, “The Soul Sessions.”
From 2004-2006, Steve served as President of Columbia Records. There, he discovered the Jonas Brothers and produced their debut album, “It’s About Time,” which launched their career.
Steve produced Andy Grammer’s 2015 platinum-certified S-Curve release “Honey, I’m Good” which was one of that year’s Top 10 best-selling singles in the US. He also produced Andy Grammer’s debut platinum-certified single “Keep Your Head Up” as well as Joss Stone’s 2012 Top 10 album “The Soul Sessions Vol. 2”, and Betty Wright & The Roots’ album “The Movie,” which was nominated for a 2011 Grammy in the Best Traditional R&B Performance category.
Prior to founding S-Curve, Steve was Senior Vice-President/Head of A&R for Mercury Records from 1996 to 1999. While at Mercury, he discovered the pop/rock group Hanson and served as executive producer of their debut album, “Middle of Nowhere,” featuring the #1 single “Mmmbop”.
Steve previously held positions as an A&R executive at Atlantic Records, where he was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1995 for his work al album notes writer on “Otis! The Essential Otis Redding”; and at Warner Music International, during which time he was nominated for a Grammy Award as producer of “The Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1959-1968” 9-CD boxed set.
Prior to his start in the music industry, Steve worked as a radio and print journalist, based first in Washington, D.C. and subsequently in Tel Aviv. In 1981 he served a stint as a disc jockey on the legendary Voice of Peace pirate radio station, which broadcast from a ship in the Mediterranean to all nations in the region in the name of peace.
Steve writes and hosts the pop music history podcast Speed of Sound..