Throughout his more than 20 years career in music, Ryan Vaughn has had a hand in nearly every vertical in the music industry. Ryan has worked as a percussionist and drummer in both the studio and live on stage with artists of myriad genres. In addition to touring the world as a musician, Ryan has experience working in tour management, artist management, label management, production, consulting, A&R, digital distribution, marketing, publishing, and more. Currently, Ryan works as a manager for independent artists at his company Backline Creative, and he is the Chief Financial Officer of Head Bitch Music, where he oversees all operations, including project management, digital distribution, publishing, and licensing services to brands and independent artists.
Before Backline Creative and Head Bitch Music, Ryan joined BMG Music Publishing imprint Fieldhouse Music in 2012 as their head of A&R. While at Fieldhouse, Ryan was exposed to licensing music to and creating custom music for brands and corporations. He also served as an Executive Producer on the licensing companion album for the 2015 live action film and global brand reboot for Jem and the Holograms (aptly called Truly Outrageous: A Jem And The Holograms Tribute). After leaving Fieldhouse in 2016, Vaughn moved to LA where he joined Marshall Arts USA and Merrill Artists Group as a Business Development Manager and Booking Agent. In 2017, after receiving requests from various colleagues, Vaughn decided to try his hand at artist management and development. In the wake of Marshall Arts, Ryan founded Backline Creative, his boutique management company that specializes in working with and developing independent artists. Then in 2019, Vaughn helped launch the custom music and digital distribution company, Head Bitch Music, with his wife and business partner, Jessica Vaughn.
Prior to working as a manager, Ryan worked as a professional drummer for more than 16 years, spending 12 of them in NYC making a name for himself by performing in some of the best indie music venues in the country, including The Living Room and Rockwood Music Hall, where he would sometimes play 4-5 shows a night. Playing professionally from the age of 16, Ryan has performed with more than 1000 artists including John Forté, Anna Nalick, Aloe Blacc, Dave Monks (from Tokyo Police Club), Joshua Radin, Rachel Platten, Jeffrey Gaines, Teddy Geiger, Tyler Hilton, Natasha Bedingfield, Rita Wilson, Hugh Jackman, Ben Taylor, and Carly Simon. He has also performed on various TV shows including being the bandleader for the daytime talk show Katie in 2013, the first seasons of The Masked Singer and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and The Bachelor Presents: Listen To Your Heart. In addition to his TV credits, Ryan was involved in the development of the music for Fox 20th Century’s hit movie, The Greatest Showman, earning him a credit on all songs on the soundtrack. Additionally, in 2012, Vaughn was featured in John Forté’s groundbreaking documentary entitled The Russian Winter, which premiered at the TriBeCa Film Festival.
In addition to his work in the music industry, Ryan has been featured in several publications and podcasts including Voyage LA, Voyage Phoenix, and the Discussions in Percussion podcast (#236). Ryan has also spoken at the 2023 Metadata Summit at the Music Biz Conference in Nashville, TN and at multiple Universities including NYU and Mercy College.
Ryan is a part of A2IM, the Music Managers Forum (MMF), and the Artist Managers Connect group. He also offers consultations to indie artists, advocates on behalf of artists for hearing protection as well as artist healthcare, and participates in events with MusiCares.
Ryan received his Associate of Arts degree in Jazz Performance and a second Associates in General Business from Mesa Community College in 2004, and he received his Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Performance from William Patterson University of New Jersey in 2006. When he’s not releasing new music weekly for his clients (365 releases in 2022!), you can find him spending far too much money on concert tickets, cooking a new and exciting recipe he found on TikTok, or listening to his extensive vinyl collection. Ryan currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with his wife and business partner, Jessica Vaughn, and their cat, Giles.
