A former record label executive with extensive branding experience, Tom Sarig has built and maintained the creative directions of dozens of high-profile musical acts. He founded Esther Creative Group, a musical talent management and consulting company, in 2003. The company began humbly, with just Tom and one intern working out of an apartment, but its rapid growth is a testament to Tom’s ample experience in project management and creative strategy: in just a few short years, it became a premier resource for top-tier musical talent. It is now located in an office the heart of Manhattan.
Offering unique, comprehensive career steering and guidance strategy services which, Esther Creative Group leads artists to genuine success in the music industry and beyond. Esther Creative Group also focuses on the alignment of entertainment with consumer brands. ECG works with top talent in multiple industries in order to create dynamic, mutually beneficial marketing platforms. Tom Sarig later founded E-Branded (now rebranded as Evident Branding) to ramp up direct branding opportunities for Esther Creative Group’s musical talent including licensing and endorsements, as well as to develop entertainment solutions directly for brands and their agencies.
Since founding Esther Creative Group, which is based in New York City, Tom Sarig has worked with some of the most exciting musical artists in contemporary history, including Lou Reed, The Gaslight Anthem, Bryan Ferry, CAKE, the Violent Femmes, Miranda Cosgrove, Twin Atlantic, Blonde Redhead, Bebel Gilberto, and Against Me!, among others.
Before branching out on his own, Tom perfected his knowledge of music talent management and marketing through a series of Artist & Repertoire executive positions. Tom Sarig previously worked with A&M Records, MCA Records, TVT Records, and Arista Records. Over the years he was responsible for decisions both big and small: from acquiring new talent and outlining promotional strategies to choosing which songs made the cut on album track lists, Tom provided the comprehensive, insightful paths that artists needed.
In addition to his work for Esther Creative Group, which includes music licensing, recording, publishing and touring, Tom Sarig is the president and founder of SarigSongs and the founder of the Shortlist Music Prize. He also founded Crowdbands, a startup which was a crowdsourced record label run by the decisions of its online community.