Hans Schafer has been at the forefront of turning Latino recording artists into global powerhouses for years. The second-generation music-biz exec—his stepfather is Jesús López, the chairman/CEO of Universal Music Latin America & Iberian Peninsula, while his mother was once a label manager at BMG Latin—is in a unique position: He understands this musical phenomenon not only as a music-business trailblazer but also as a prototypical Hispanic music fan who straddles two distinct cultures. Schafer’s career is marked by his ability to foster strong relationships with artists, managers and industry stakeholders, which has been crucial in securing high-profile tours and enhancing Live Nation’s global footprint. As the company’s SVP of global touring, Schafer continues to drive its mission to connect artists with their fans worldwide, solidifying his status as a key influencer in the live-music sector.
You were born into a music business family. Did you always know this was something you wanted to do as well, or did you come around to the business later in your life?
From a really young age, I’d do things like hang out at the warehouse and put CDs together. My family always had artists coming in and out of the house, and I was constantly going to concerts. I always knew that music was where I ultimately wanted to be.
What music moved you during your formative years?
I was born in Miami and raised between Miami and Spain. Consequently, I had a wide appreciation for different styles of music. Even in high school, my tastes didn’t fall into a box where there was only one genre of music that I enjoyed. I listened to rock, flamenco and hip-hop, as well as a lot of jazz. But when I was about 15, I first heard Paco De Lucía and Al Di Meola play “Mediterranean Sundance,” and that was a pivotal song for me. It really caused a shift in the kind of music I was listening to.
What was your first job in the music business?
I did an internship at Universal, and I spent some time with the press and publicity department, the marketing department and the radio-promotions department. I always thought it was important to have a strong foundation of understanding the industry from a lot of different areas. For example, you’re a better promoter if you think like a marketer, and you’re a better marketer if you think like a promoter.
Where did you end up after your internship?
Once I graduated college, I went to Spain for a few months during the summer and traveled a bit before coming back, and then I started working at Mun2.
Schafer (2nd from right) with Noel Rodriguez, Luis Villamizar, Max Cacciotti, Angel Kaminsky, Schafer and Team Feid’s Veronica Velez
Mun2 was probably the first major media outlet to recognize kids who were equally at home listening to music in Spanish and mainstream pop and rock. What was it like building a network around this burgeoning Latino youth culture?
Mun2 was this bilingual, bicultural, music-lifestyle channel, which is something I related to. It was an interesting space because nobody was in it at that moment. There were no radio stations that were programming English and Spanish; everything was single format. Mun2 was really the precursor to the world we live in today, and I was passionate speaking about what we were doing at the channel. We would go and sit with non-Latin labels and try to explain this opportunity, and the immediate sort of reaction was, “But you’re a Latin channel.” It really hit me to my core. I thought, Wait a minute, if you don’t understand, then let me explain to you who I am so that you can understand what the channel is.”
Your time at Mun2 definitely sounds like it gave you the freedom to try a lot of things, since there wasn’t a defined playbook. What was the big takeaway from your time there?
The audience is always the most important conversation. You have to understand where the audience is, how they consume music and who they are. I was able to take that expertise with me into a brand-partnerships role with Universal where you needed to be the expert on the artist and understand how to reach the audiences the brands are targeting.
How did the opportunity arise to work with brand partnerships at UMG?
This was a transitional period for the labels—the business models were changing. This was the beginning of singles on iTunes, and ringtones were a big part of that business as well. There was a big push across the industry to find other business models and sources of revenue. Brand partnerships was one of those areas and I thought it was interesting, even though I didn’t come from a sales background.
With Marco Antonio Solis, Christy Solis, Joaquin Vodanovich, Hector Kron, Jorge Garcia and other colleagues
What were some of your career highlights during your tenure at UMG?
We did some deals with MasterCard that were special. One of those deals ended up being the bridge to the next iteration of my career. We did a priceless experience with Juanes, who at that time had just finished his MTV Unplugged album. We did an album launch with a private performance for about 400 winners in Puerto Rico. It was great for MasterCard, great for the label, great for the artist and great for the manager.
At the time, Juanes was managed by Rebeca León, who was also at AEG. Rebeca and I sat down, and she thought I’d be someone that would work well in the live business. She asked if I had ever considered making the move. I was definitely interested. I stayed on with Universal for about another year until the time was right for me to make the move to Goldenvoice/AEG.
When you arrived at Goldenvoice/AEG, the entire Latin Team was only six to 10 people. Today, Latin music is a juggernaut, a seemingly overnight sensation but in reality, something that was years in the making. What made you realize that Latin music was well on its way to achieving ubiquity?
I’m glad you mentioned this because it is a constant conversation. Today people say, “Wow, Latin music has exploded!” Everybody wants to get in now. I’ve been seeing the momentum and growth for over 15 years, and I’m also the product of that music. I am the audience. The other conversation that comes to mind is that Latin is crossing over. That’s not actually true. Latin isn’t crossing over. There’s still singing in Spanish; the artists are still doing what they’ve always been doing. It’s quite the opposite. It’s the audience that is crossing over.
What led you to your current role at Live Nation?
Live Nation approached me, and they had very ambitious goals that were aligned with what I ultimately wanted to do. The company has as an incredible global platform and reach. It was just the right relationship, and I thought there were some great things to be done using the platform the company had built over the years. Emily Simonitsch had already been with the company for many years, and she is an incredible promoter with very deep relationships. We were building a team around that foundation, and when I came in it became a bit more official in terms of a growth strategy that we wanted to execute.
What are you most proud of in your present-day role?
When I think about the accomplishments in my career, I’m proud of the team we’ve built. They are my unsung heroes. It’s not necessarily because we are a large team, it’s that we are a large Hispanic team. It’s a team that contributes to the diversity in a company as big as Live Nation. Our growth isn’t treated separately or independently from the rest of the company; quite the opposite. We are a part of the foundation. Our integration into Live Nation and having the support of the company on a global basis is incredibly fulfilling.
