C. Michael Brae

Biography

Mr. Brae As a native New Yorker, Mr. Brae began his career on NYC’s Wall Street after graduating with a double Bachelor's degree in Marketing in advertising from the University of San Francisco. He currently also holds a Master’s Degree from Full Sail University and currently is working towards a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Organizational Leadership at California Coast University. Mr. Brae began Hitman Records in 1991 and solidified a joint venture with SOLAR (Sounds of Los Angeles Records - “A Division of RCA Records”). Later in 1997, Mr. Brae obtained and secured "exclusive distribution" through corporate Tower Records distribution arm Bayside Distribution. Hitman Records then began a period of artist acquisition and development, which focused on Hip-Hop, Rap, R&B and Gospel genres. During this period, Mr. Brae represented well-known and established artists, such as Samuelle (double-platinum and Grammy award-winning singer from the R&B group Club Nouveau) Mac Dash Mone (former member of the double-platinum group Digital Underground) and Johnny Paycheck who produced 6 gold albums, 1 platinum album, 1 double platinum and 33 hits. Currently, Mr. Brae has closed several major partnerships and distribution deals, as MVD Entertainment, Baker & Taylor, with partnerships and distribution partners Universal Music Canada, HMV Canada, Sugo Music, to name a few. Hitman has evolved as a major “indie” distributor, as it now also distributes TV shows and films on DVD worlwide. Mr. Brae business entrepreneurship savviness has been harnessed in the academic world as has taught over 15 years of business courses in the Music Industry as an adjunct professor at several prestigious universities and colleges as UCLA (Entertainment Studies), San Francisco State University (MRI), University of the Pacific (Music Business), Los Angeles Film School, Dominican University of California, MediaTech Institute and has conducted music business seminars at SAE (Nashville) to name a few. He has authored several editions of "Music Distribution: Selling Music in the New Entertainment Marketplace, which is used as a music business course book throughout colleges and universities. Mr. Brae has recently released “Totally Packaged” a new music reality TV show which aired 13-weeks on CHN Network and is now available on Amazon and other retailers. Mr. Brae has been featured in Billboard Magazine, Music Connection Magazine, College Music Journal, SF Weekly, Black Enterprise Magazine, Atlas Plugged, UCLA Bruins Newspaper, Nashville Pride to name a few. Currently he is Chairman on the Board of Hitman Records, Inc., Youth Vision Inc. a non profit 501(c)(3) organization, SAE Institute (Academic Advisory Board Member), and board member for AADA (American Asian Development Association) based in San Francisco and Hong Kong.

Education

A.S. Degree, Pacific Union College, CA, 1985
B.F.A. Degree, University of San Francisco, SF, CA, 1989
B.F.A. Degree, Academy of Art University, SF, CA 1990
M.S. Degree, Full Sail University, Winter Park, FL, 2015

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

>   music distribution
​>   music publishing & licensing
​>   music business
​>   entertainment distribution channels
​>   current music industry & trends
​>   business & entrepreneurship
​>   strategy marketing in the music industry
​>   radio & retail support strategies
​>   music industry global positioning
​>   brand positioning & strategy

Personal Interests

Writing, Music, Investing in the Stock Market, Travelling,

Websites

• C. Michael Brae

• Hitman Records, Inc.

Books

Articles