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our story

How it started

A subsidiary of Starita Music, Starita Label Services was founded by producer, artist, and songwriter, Michael Starita and creative director and marketing veteran, Tam Akiko. Both have deep experience in their respective disciplines, and a long history of successfully meeting the challenges of creating and selling art in a commercial world.

With nearly 25 years in the industry working with numerous major and independent artists, running a record label and publishing company, and contributing to thought leadership initiatives through the Recording Academy and others, it was clear that independent artists and small labels deserve as much attention and support as the majors. To further reinforce this need, fellow musicians and artists were continuously seeking advice and counsel from Starita and Tam on how to achieve their goals in the music marketplace.  Starita and Tam immediately recognized the need for artists to have trusted advisors to navigate the complex process of finding and connecting with an audience for their music. And so, Starita Label Services was born.

At the same time, the music industry was in a dramatic state of change.  The shift to all-digital distribution created new opportunities but offered many challenges and pitfalls.  Suddenly, artists could self publish and prosper outside of the traditional, hidebound channels of label-based music publishing.  But with that freedom came new challenges. Independent artists were faced with a new reality where the importance of an artist’s brand, their social media footprint, their following, and their content strategy, among other things, became necessary components of success. This is where Starita Label Services comes in. We provide top-notch creative and marketing expertise of a major label paired with the personalized, high-touch engagement of an intimate boutique agency (again, the best of two worlds)!

creative team

The Starita Label Services Team is small yet mighty! This structure allows for every member of our team to be personally engaged with each artist every step of the way.

TAM AKIKO

Creative & Marketing Director

Tam is a natural when it comes to visually creating brands of distinction. Her role as Creative Director allows Tam to utilize her multi-industry experience in marketing strategy, branding, identity design, creative direction, photography, image consulting, and content creation to help artist brands connect to their fan-base. Tam draws upon her 20+ years of knowledge leading top Fortune 100 companies including Apple, HP, Cisco Systems, Intel, and other lifestyle brands.

IRENE YU

Content Creator/Graphic Designer

An accomplished Graphic Designer and UC Berkeley School of Business graduate, Irene combines a passion for design with a keen understanding of marketing and business fundamentals. A lover of music, fashion, and fine wine, Irene takes design cues from multiple creative disciplines and translates them into successful campaigns. She exemplifies a generation of content creators with the tools to generate breakthrough, compelling work that holds true to a brand narrative.

PAT GARVEY

Digital/Branding/Copywriter

Pat is a creative executive who approaches most marketing challenges from a storytelling perspective. As a brand strategist, he taps into a long history of helping prominent brands (e.g. Disney, Electronic Arts, Mattel, etc.) bring successful campaigns to market. His creative resume includes professional copywriting, web design, numerous photography & video assignments, and an FAA drone pilot certification. He is insatiably curious and nurtures a lifelong love of learning.

STARITA

Music Strategy/Artist Relations

With nearly 25 years in the industry – working with numerous major and independent artists as a producer and mix engineer, owning a commercial recording studio, running an independent record label and publishing company, marketing his own artist releases, and contributing to thought leadership initiatives through The Recording Academy and others – Starita has had his hand in every facet of the music business. This broad skill set uniquely positions him as a visionary and strategist who dares to push the boundaries.