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Will Hughes
Head of Sales and Business Development , International at Audible Magic
Professional Background
Will Hughes is an accomplished professional in the realm of music and technology, boasting a career that spans over a decade across various significant roles. He has honed his expertise in sales, business development, and licensing within the music industry, showcasing a unique blend of artistic passion and business acumen. Currently serving as the Head of Sales and Business Development, International at Audible Magic, Will plays a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth and expanding its footprint in the global market. His adeptness in identifying opportunities and formulating strategic partnerships has been instrumental in his success across multiple organizations.
Throughout his career, Will has held several prominent positions, including Strategic Partner Development Manager at Audible Magic, where he was responsible for forging key alliances and ensuring sustainable growth in a competitive landscape. Prior to this, he excelled as a Senior Client Partner at Songtradr, Inc., overseeing major client accounts and optimizing their licensing strategies. His tenure as Licensing Manager UK at Songtradr equipped him with critical insights into the intricacies of music licensing, positioning him as a respected authority in the field.
Will’s journey began with a deep-rooted passion for music that led him to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Popular Music Studies at Goldsmiths College, University of London. His dedication to mastering the craft further culminated in a BTEC Level 5 Professional Diploma in Music Performance from The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. This artistic foundation serves as a driving force behind his innovative approaches to business development within the music industry.
Moreover, Will’s contributions extend beyond the corporate realm; he has been recognized for his thought leadership as a Fellow at The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce). This honorary position underscores his commitment to advancing industry standards and sharing insights that empower fellow professionals.
Education and Achievements
Will Hughes’s educational background is as diverse as his professional experience. He began his studies at Longsands College, from where he developed his early interests in music and business. He later pursued a Bachelor of Music in Popular Music Studies at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Here, he immersed himself in the academic study of music, learning about contemporary trends, cultural impacts, and performance techniques that would later inform his professional journey.
Furthering his expertise, Will obtained a BTEC Level 5 Professional Diploma in Music Performance from The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. This program not only refined his skills as a musician but also instilled in him a strong understanding of the performance landscape, which he would leverage in his subsequent roles.
In pursuit of broader business knowledge and strategic thinking, Will completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Cranfield University. This prestigious institution is renowned for its focus on practical business applications and leadership development, equipping Will with essential skills that have propelled his career forward.
Achievements
Will Hughes’s impressive array of achievements reflects his dedication to excellence in both music and business. As Head of Sales and Business Development, International at Audible Magic, he has successfully implemented strategies that have significantly increased revenue and market penetration. His ability to navigate complex negotiations and leverage partnerships has positioned Audible Magic as a leader in digital rights management.
His previous role as Senior Client Partner at Songtradr, Inc. saw him drive key client relationships, enhancing brand recognition and growth through innovative licensing models. Will’s knack for identifying and capitalizing on market trends has consistently separated him from his peers, allowing him to create impactful solutions that resonate with clients.
His experience as Licensing Manager UK at Songtradr was pivotal in refining his understanding of music rights and copyright laws. This valuable experience has solidified his reputation as a trusted advisor in licensing strategies, making him a sought-after expert in the industry.
In addition to his corporate achievements, Will’s involvement with The RSA as a Fellow highlights his commitment to social responsibility within the arts. This role allows him to collaborate with other influential thought leaders, promoting new ideas and initiatives that benefit creative industries. Will’s contributions to the field extend beyond mere profits; he actively engages in shaping a sustainable future for art, music, and technology.
Conclusion
Will Hughes is a multifaceted professional whose journey intertwines deep musical expertise with strong business leadership. His educational pursuits and extensive career in the music industry have uniquely equipped him with the knowledge and experience to make meaningful contributions. As he continues to lead in his current role, Will remains committed to fostering innovation and collaboration in music and technology. His passion for music, combined with his exceptional business skills, positions him as a valuable asset in the evolving landscape of the music industry.
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.