Every artist needs the right team behind them, especially when it comes to building long-term growth, navigating release strategy, and finding opportunities that actually align with their goals. From developing relationships to identifying new ways to support artists in their market, A&R and client development play a key role in helping talent move with intention. 🎶 ✨
Here at Symphonic, Twinky D. Lagdameo helps lead that work as part of our A&R & Client Development team in the Philippines. Through her role, she supports artists, labels, and music professionals across the region by helping them connect with the tools, resources, and strategic guidance they need to grow their careers and reach new audiences.
Twinky plays an important role in strengthening Symphonic’s presence in the Philippines, building meaningful relationships with local talent, supporting client growth, and helping artists better understand how to make the most of their releases. In this spotlight, we’re excited to shine a light on the work she does, her perspective on the Philippine music market, and the ways independent artists can continue building momentum in today’s industry. Get to know her below…
Meet The Team: Twinky D. Lagdameo
What’s one service or tool at Symphonic that you think more artists should take advantage of?
“TransferTrack. TransferTrack helps Symphonic clients migrate their past releases into the Symphonic system very easily. It is an extremely user-friendly tool, so as long as the artist has all their assets ready, moving over is a painless process!
Honorary mention here: SplitShare. I’ve seen a lot of disagreements between artists come down to royalties. Who’s supposed to get paid, and how much. Ideally, that’s something everyone agrees on from the beginning, but even then, messy accounting or a lack of clear processes can still create friction. SplitShare helps by giving everyone full transparency and paying each person directly, cleanly, and clearly.
That alone can help prevent a lot of problems.”
What’s one thing you wish more artists knew before reaching out for support?
“One thing I wish more artists knew… how important planning really is.
A lot of artists focus only on the tactical side, like getting the song uploaded, posting content, or running a campaign, but they don’t always have a bigger strategy behind it. That can make everything feel rushed or all over the place. When you plan ahead, you give yourself time to build a real timeline, get your assets ready, and figure out what kind of support you actually need before you’re in panic mode.
Once you know the plan, it’s much easier to take advantage of tools like Symphonic’s Client Offerings, our how-to videos and blogs, and even the new AI-powered Marketing Plan to help guide the campaign.”
What’s one of the most common support questions you get? Could you answer it here?
“The question I get asked the most is, “How do I get on a Spotify playlist?”
The first thing I tell artists is to give themselves enough time. Submit the music early, make sure all your marketing plans and materials are ready, and double-check that the release meets DSP requirements.
Playlist pitching is important, but it’s only one piece of the bigger picture. Spotify has other tools artists can use to help support a release, and things like staying active on social media and playing live shows are just as important when it comes to building real momentum.”
What’s a common mistake artists make that’s easy to avoid with the right prep?
“Not having a plan or a proper timeline!
Posting exciting content on social media, putting music out on Spotify, and sharing engaging videos on YouTube are all standard parts of what can be a good release plan. But without a framework and timeline, a song or album can feel haphazard and miss the mark.
Planning is the first step, but artists also need to make sure they execute it properly.
With 100k+ songs uploaded daily, the key is still being creative in the thinking and innovative in the execution to spark interest. A good example is BTS’s use of very creative pre-release strategies for “ARIRANG,” which wove together lyrics and new songs with hidden messages from the group. That got fans excited and active before the release.”
Can you share a moment when you felt you really made a difference for an artist?
“Sometimes an independent artist can feel discouraged or out of place in the bigger industry. One example is that English-language music is considered a niche market in Malaysia. I once had a long conversation with an artist in that space, but once they realized someone was willing to fully champion them, even at the emerging stage of their career, it gave them assurance that they were being heard.
I’ve found that sometimes artists just need guidance and insight into how the music industry works.
Once they have a better understanding of what they can do, they often come out more driven than ever to push themselves.”
What’s been the most rewarding part of working at Symphonic?
“The corporate culture is amazing…
One of the most rewarding parts is being listened to and heard even by the higher-ups. In a big corporate structure, that tends to be a rare occurrence. The leadership here is very encouraging and supportive, which is normally half the challenge when working in any company.”
Who are you listening to/loving right now?
“I really like Novocrane from the Philippines and Blue Nan*Young from Malaysia. Very indie pop.
Of course, I am also actively listening to BTS’ new album, “ARIRANG”, which is a big departure from their old sound, so it’s been interesting too.”
It’s time to take your music career to the next level… and we can help you get there.
Here at Symphonic, we pride ourselves on providing established and thriving artists, record labels, managers, and distributors with the team, music marketing, and business intelligence they need to grow revenue and brand awareness through music promotion and distribution to over 200+ digital music stores and streaming services.
Whether you’re just starting out or an established act, we have a plan tailored to your specific needs. Click the links below to check out our two available plans for artists at every level below…
Starter 🤝 Partner
