Ritch Esra (born in December 1959) is a pioneering publisher and music-industry expert, co-founder in 2012 of MubuTV. Esra began working with promotion for A&M Records in 1980 in Los Angeles. For six years from 1981 he headed A&R there at Arista Records, during that period setting up The Thompson Twins in the USA. He acquired songs for Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and several other notable female stars. Working independently for three years from 1988 he created an award-winning video How to Get a Record Deal for aspiring music people. Several music directories and their continual updates have been his main contribution internationally since 1992. Leaders of music businesses and enterprises all over the world subscribe to them. BMI has sponsored Esra in organizing The Independent Music Conference in Los Angeles. Since 2002 he also teaches at Musicians Institute, UCLA Extension and by video at SAE Institute in Australia. [1]
Esra is often interviewed in his trade by established organizations about trends in the music industry, shifting prerequisites for artists to succeed, international markets, his catalogues, his well-known YouTube streaming channel and how to conduct successful podcasts. [2] [3] [4] He has come to be called a music-business "insider" on such occasions, [5] with some of his own podcasts listed at Player FM. [6]
His most noted conversations include interviews with Martin Page [7] [8] and Bobby Owsinski. [9]
Contributions he has made as a recognized supporter of international music projects have had continual impact. His publications provide detailed contact information for leading music companies and their executives. [10]
Esra and his co-founder Eric Knight have described their personal motives on the MubuTV website. [11] The channel was relaunched in 2023. [12] [13]
Ritch Esra's long professional association and close friendship with Clive Davis culminated in a thorough interview in 2024 with the 92-year-old producer. [14]
