Life & Work with John Cate of Malibu

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Cate.

John, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started life as a musician and detoured into business where I pioneered digital music distribution and rights collections, as a founding principal of eMusic, Tunecore, and Audiam, as an early advosor to Distrokid, and now as Chairman of RF Venue and Advisor to Amplifyd, before retirning to music as a songwriter. I now create music used in film and television while also creating businesses that serve the music industry.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It felt like a fight but it really worked out splendidly once I accepted the fact that I was a right brain/left brain creative!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I started life as a jazz musician and played the Newport Jazz Festival at 18. After leaving to study business, I returned as a songwriter in the (then undefined) Americana genre where I found publishing success, along with success in enterprise building in the digital music space. After 17 albums, I am now focused on infusing my work with the jazz elements that started my career. My music is beginning to sound like the soundtrack in my mind, or as Stevie Wonder once termed it, “music of my mind.”

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Growing up in Boston, I used to draw pictures of what I thought California looked like. I literally found the picture when I discovered Point Dume in Malibu.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.johncate.com
• Instagram: @vangoghbrother
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johncatemusic
• LinkedIn: John Cate
• Soundcloud: John Cate