We recently sat down with one of the most prominent rising stars in the world of music promotion. I’ve spent my time here on EDMTunes talking to the creators of our beloved art: the musicians, vocalists, and overall artists who make what goes to our ears and soothes us. And, of course, it’s easy to focus on the person on stage, the one with the spotlight. But have you ever stopped to think there could be architects and trampolines behind that spotlight? That the one building the hype, telling the story, and ensuring the music finds its people may not always be the artist themselves? Introducing Bradley Berkman, the founder of the boutique promotions agency brain in a vat. Bradley is one of those figures who work tirelessly behind the scenes, receiving A-class music, and spreading it around in such a way that every piece of music he receives can find its A-class crowd. And even if the name doesn’t sound familiar to you, his results certainly do. Citing a few, SIDEPIECE, WhoMadeWho, Notre Dame, and Arodes, are just a few of his clients, who’ve most likely popped up on your radar, thanks to brain’s behind-the-scenes machinery. In its first year, brain in a vat has effectively worked on over 100 releases, amassing a massive 21 million streams on Spotify. Berkman’s extensive background in the electronic music business — from working with Live Nation to running campaigns at INFAMOUS PR — gave him a unique perspective. He saw that thoughtful, tailored strategies always beat a generic, one-size-fits-all approach. This is exactly what drove him to start his own firm, where he could work more closely with clients and dig deeper into creative strategy. So now, one exact year since the agency was built, we sat down with Bradley for an insightful interview to really try to grasp and understand a concept that often flies over people’s heads: music promotion. From learning what an agency actually does, to the importance of a bespoke strategy, and how to get noticed in a saturated market, here’s the view from the expert himself, Bradley Berkman. A music promotions agency works with artists and record labels to support the rollout of their new music. At its core, music promo is about influencing where, when, and how people discover music. At brain in a vat, we connect our clients’ music with the tastemakers and gatekeepers who shape real-world discovery and fandom — playlist curators, journalists, touring DJs, radio programmers, music-focused social media accounts, and more. A music promotions agency exists to do exactly that — promote music. And doing it well means getting obsessive with every element of strategy, research, outreach, follow-through, and recording successful placements. I’ve led over 400 dance and electronic music promo campaigns to date. For each release, I dig into the music’s micro-niche and map out the tastemakers who matter most in that space. Over time, I’ve developed a strong network of trusted relationships across streaming services, radio, press, and DJs — and while doing so, have built systems that help me find new tastemakers, pitch more effectively, and keep clients in the loop with detailed reporting. Artists and labels can absolutely run their own promo — and many should, especially early on. It’s a great way to build meaningful relationships and stretch a tight budget. But doing promo well requires a serious investment of time, focus, and persistence. My job is to take that workload off my clients’ plate and bring structure and strong results to something that’s often approached sporadically or haphazardly. No, not at all. But in the right situation, it can be a powerful investment. The payoff isn’t just in campaign results, but in the time, energy, and mental bandwidth it frees up for the artist or label. Plenty of artists and labels self-promote effectively, especially when they’re willing to put in the work. But for those juggling a full plate, a strong promo partner can tap into established tastemaker relationships to land high-impact placements while letting the artist or label stay focused on the creative. brain in a vat was built to be deliberately small and hands-on. We take on fewer clients so we can go deeper — crafting customized strategies for each release based on its sound, audience, and goals. It’s an all-too-common tale in the music industry — we’ve all seen what happens when quantity takes priority over care; there’s a tipping point where quality slips. We keep the brain in a vat roster lean by design to stay well below that point. I’d rather offer best-in-class support to a small number of artists than be stretched thin across too many releases. That same mindset carries over into how we decide which targets to pitch for each campaign. Our wins don’t come from blasting every playlist curator, radio programmer, journalist, and DJ on the planet — they come from knowing who to reach, and how to actually get them to listen. There have been some exciting wins this year, but one that really sticks with me is STRAWBRY’s debut single, ‘U Know That‘, released on her own Studio 5400 imprint. STRAWBRY is a brilliant LA-based DJ and producer — and also a close friend. Seeing her first track come to life and gain real traction was incredibly special. She earned the cover photo and top slot in Spotify’s Fresh Finds Dance editorial playlist, which was a huge moment and really fun to watch unfold. It’s always fulfilling to support an artist’s work — but getting to help launch a career, especially for someone you believe in and care about, was very meaningful. I’m genuinely thrilled to have found a career where I can provide value to the community and culture I care about so deeply. brain in a vat is the culmination of everything I’ve learned in music — and it’s also a creative outlet. I’ve always loved art, but never had a medium of my own. The business has become that for me. I care about each detail, from the logo design to the wording of every pitch. Of course, running my own shop has its highs and lows. But I recently heard a wise man, Naval, describe entrepreneurship as a paradox: “When you truly work for yourself, you won’t have hobbies, you won’t have weekends, and you won’t have vacations, but you won’t have work either. You sacrifice this work-life distinction. There’s no more nine-to-five. There’s no more office. There’s no one who’s telling you what to do. There’s no playbook to follow. At the same time, there’s nothing to turn off. You can’t turn it off. You are the business. You are the product. You are the work. You are the entity, and you care. If you’re doing something that’s truly yours, you care very deeply so you can’t turn it off. And that’s the curse of the entrepreneur. But the benefit of the entrepreneur is that if you’re doing it right, if you’re doing it for the right reasons or the right people in the right way, and if you can set aside the stress of not hitting your goals, which is real and hard to set aside, then it doesn’t feel like work. And that’s when you’re most productive. You are basically only measured on your output. And you’re only held up to the bar that you raised for yourself. So it can be extremely exhilarating and freeing.” This quote strongly resonates with my experience running brain in a vat. One thing I feel really grateful for is just how genuine and kind most of the people I’ve met in this industry are. There’s a stereotype that the music business is full of shady, transactional, ego-driven people — and sure, those people certainly exist in some corners of the industry. But my personal experience, especially in the dance and electronic space, has been the opposite. The artists, managers, label folks, and colleagues I’ve worked with are thoughtful, generous, funny, and grounded. People are passionate. People show up. People help each other. I’ve made many incredible friendships that I value far beyond the work we do together. When it comes to music promotion, unfortunately there’s no single formula that guarantees a track will take off. You never know where a release could gain traction, so my philosophy is to not put all of your eggs in one basket. It’s best to put yourself in a position to earn high quality placements wherever and whenever you can, over and over again. That means identifying the right tastemakers in your niche — whether that’s a playlist curator, radio show host, blog editor, or DJ — and reaching out to start building a relationship. Don’t spray and pray, focus on real connection. Find the tastemakers your audience actually trusts, and gain theirs. Every release is a chance to improve your positioning — even if it doesn’t “go viral,” every co-sign and connection adds up. And when the big release does come along, the infrastructure of support you’ve built will amplify it even further. It’s not often you get to sit down with someone who truly understands the delicate balance of art and commerce. Thank you so much Bradley for your time and for offering such an insightful look at your little (big) corner of the Dance world. You can bet we’ll be watching closely as brain in a vat continues to shape the industry — one dedicated campaign at a time. You can learn more about Bradley’s brain in a vat by visiting their website, and also following their journey on Instagram.[INTERVIEW] Bradley Berkman From brain in a vat Talks Music Promo, Achieving Success, And Moving The Needle
How does brain in a vat differ from your average agency? What makes you special?
What’s the most fulfilling, or satisfying, result you remember having at a campaign during this first year of brain in a vat?
As the owner of brain in a vat, what fuels you and motivates you to run the agency day after day?
What’s one thing that has come to you while working in music, you didn’t expect would happen and surprised you for the good?
For up-and-coming artists, what’s one key piece of advice you’d give them for their songs to stand out in the saturated market of today? What would you say actually moves the needle and makes a difference?
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