Weston McGowen is the VP of Music Industry Partnerships at SourceAudio, where he leads strategic growth and helped launch Amplify, a sync licensing marketplace connecting independent artists and labels to top clients like Netflix, CBS, and iHeartMedia.
He also co-founded Equal Songs, an independent publisher and label, where he oversees major catalog interests including works by Harry Styles and Amy Winehouse. With over 15 years of experience, Weston operates at the crossroads of artist development, rights management, and music infrastructure.
Tell us about what inspired you to work in the music industry, and how did it lead to the work you do today?
I got my start on the artist side of the business — as a concert promoter, tour manager, and later in artist management, A&R, and sync — driven by a deep love of live music and storytelling. That hands-on foundation gave me a visceral understanding of what artists need, which eventually led me into the distribution supply chain and commercial partnerships space, working with DSPs, metadata platforms, and global rights infrastructures.
Today, through my work with SourceAudio and Equal Songs, I bring a unique blend of creative sensibility and technical fluency to build tools, partnerships, and systems that bridge creators and infrastructure, unlocking new value for rightsholders across the industry.
Is there a success story or career milestone that you are most proud of?
Helping build and launch Amplify, SourceAudio’s new licensing marketplace, is a huge milestone. It’s designed to streamline how music supervisors discover and license independent music. We’ve created a clean, transparent system that connects high-volume media buyers directly with rightsholders, giving indie catalogs access to opportunities that were traditionally hard to reach.
Getting buy-in from major agencies, broadcasters, and tech partners has been incredibly validating. Seeing how fast it’s gaining traction makes me proud not just of the product, but of what it represents: meaningful infrastructure that actually helps independent music compete on a global level.
Are there any projects you're working on or company updates that you're most excited about?
Right now, it’s all about Amplify. It’s not just another music licensing portal — it’s a sync marketplace built from the ground up with scalability and ease-of-use in mind for both the music buyer and the rights owner. With over 1,600 music companies on SourceAudio and growing interest from networks, agencies, and studios, Amplify is poised to shift how sync is accessed, especially for independent creators.
We’re also integrating new AI-powered search tools and broadcast automation tie-ins that will make SourceAudio an even more powerful backbone for modern media licensing. It’s an exciting time.
What's a lesson that you learned early on in the music biz?
Relationships open doors, but infrastructure keeps them open. Early in my career, I relied heavily on hustle and personal connection — booking shows, managing tours, building things from scratch. But I’ve learned that real scale happens when you create systems that work whether you’re in the room or not.
That philosophy informs everything I do at SourceAudio: we’re building tools that make discovery, licensing, and reporting seamless so that the right music reaches the right opportunity at speed and at scale.
What's your favorite part of working at SourceAudio?
My favorite part is helping build something that’s actually working for the independent sector. SourceAudio is behind the scenes of so much content we consume daily — radio, TV, streaming, sports — and yet our tech is often invisible by design.
Being part of a company that’s leveling the playing field for indies in the sync space, and doing it through elegant tech and smart partnerships, is incredibly fulfilling. I also love that our team is small but mighty. We move fast, solve real problems, and get results.
What does being independent mean to you/your label?
To me, being independent means owning your data, owning your assets, and staying in the driver’s seat of where your music goes — on your schedule, not someone else’s. Independent labels and rightsholders should be able to move quickly, send their catalog in standardized formats like DDEX, and plug into new platforms without waiting on traditional distributors to catch up.
At SourceAudio, we build tools that empower that kind of agility, giving independent companies full control over how, where, and when their music is discovered and licensed. And as a label owner at Equal Songs, I live that reality daily. We use the same systems we help build — ones designed to make catalog delivery, rights management, and sync activation seamless, scalable, and truly independent.
Favorite song at the moment?
Right now, I’m hooked on “Small Men” by Mikky & The Doom, my latest signing to Equal Songs. It’s a razor-sharp, genre-bending debut that fuses post-punk energy with cinematic swagger. Think Blondie meets Nick Cave, with a fierce, modern edge. Mikky’s voice cuts like a blade, and the lyrics pull no punches. It’s the kind of track that feels instantly sync-ready but refuses to be background music. Proud to be helping bring this one into the world. Listen live here!
Outside of your work in music, what are you into?
I’m a dog dad, an analog synth nerd, and a big believer in merging tech, art, and sustainability in unexpected ways. I’ve been developing immersive experiences and climate-themed installations, one of which involves music created entirely from ocean trash instruments.
Lately, I’ve been splitting my time between New Orleans and Los Angeles, which has deepened my appreciation for food culture. Whether it’s a late-night po’ boy in the Bywater or a Koreatown chef’s tasting menu in LA, the culinary worlds in both cities constantly inspire me. There’s something deeply musical about a perfectly crafted meal.
Any words of advise for rising music industry professionals?
Learn the system, especially the law. Take the time to study landmark cases and understand how rights, royalties, and ownership really work. In a fast-moving era shaped by AI, streaming, and platform shifts, your knowledge of how the legal foundation of the industry works will give you a serious edge.
That said, don’t wait around for someone to hand you a playbook. If anyone tells you they know exactly where the industry is headed, they’re guessing too. We’re all figuring it out. So be inventive, stay curious, and bring a creative mindset to everything you do. The ones who win are the ones building things that don’t exist yet — but doing it with respect for the history that got us here.
Keep up with Weston!
Keep up with SourceAudio!
