Callum Amor ’19, Founder of China Music Audit
Hometown: Hastings, England
Major: Interactive Media & Business
Minors: Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Cultural Studies
For Callum Amor ’19, being an NYU Shanghai student meant breaking out of his comfort zone, immersing himself in the city, and saying yes to every opportunity. Amor sought opportunities to intern at China’s first and biggest music festivals like Budweiser STORM Festival Shanghai, and collaborate alongside international artists like French grammy-nominated, multi-platinum record producer DJ Snake.
Now based among Rio de Janeiro, Capetown, and China, Amor shares how his experience bridging cultures and communities inspired China Music Audit, the startup he created to empower global artists, labels, and distributors to manage their music catalog in the China market.
Why did you choose NYU Shanghai?
I wanted to get as far away from a breakup as possible, so I thought, “Why not go to China?” It didn't really seem like there was anything to lose. Worst case scenario, I’d go back home. Best case, I’d enjoy it and have a good time. I had a great time! Besides university, it was really the experiences I had outside of school and the relationships I built with different people that made the biggest impact on me.
There's sort of a bubble that NYU operates in, and it's very easy to stay in that bubble—and a lot of people do, as it's a comfy one, especially when you’re in a foreign place. But I found so much joy in interning in local companies and exploring the city outside of the relationship I have with NYU Shanghai.
What was it like to immerse yourself in Shanghai’s nightlife scene?
When I got to Shanghai, I started interning with SHFT, a leading hard-ticket promoter for international electronic and hip-hop artists in China that has toured over 400 artists including Skrillex, Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky, Russ, etc. Nightlife often brings out a completely different group of people than your daytime crowd, so it was rewarding to have those experiences and find a community of people who all share the same love for bass and rap music!
I learned alot from interning at SHFT all four years of college, providing insight into areas like marketing, strategy, touring, management, licensing, visas, etc. You name it, I said yes to learning anything and everything.
This thirst to learn and explore everything, inspired my first company Menlu 门路, a social media agency I founded in sophmore year which was based in the US, but served some of the biggest nightclubs in the world, including TAXX Shanghai, Space Chengdu, Galame, and more.
Once I graduated, those relationships led me to move to Chengdu to start my own joint-venture with a leading music label called Pillz Music and it’s been quite the journey since then!
What’s the story behind your current startup, China Music Audit?
China Music Audit is a music rights startup focused on as you can probably guess, the Chinese market. China is the fifth largest market for music in the world, yet no one [outside]has a single clue what's going on due to the firewall and that often results in international artists not being paid for their music.
This really upset me! Music is one of the backbones of cultural exchange (soft-diplomacy), and when an artist doesn't get paid for the usage of music, it creates a domino effect. The artist quits making music as they can’t afford to live, their fans now no longer hear any new songs, and this moment of cultural exchange ends simply because these companies want to make an extra few hundred million on top of the billions they’re generating.
Having traveled to almost 70 countries, I recognized how fortunate I am to simply have a bed, food, safety, etc. It also came with the realization that what motivates me most in life is helping other people, and I’m grateful I can do that in music.
We have some of the biggest international artists in the world working with us to ensure they’re collecting all revenues due to them in China and numerous landmark legal cases expected this year to address the systemic issues that cheat Chinese and international artists of their revenues.
Any realizations while forging your own path?
For me, having more of a work-life balance has been really helpful. Traveling changed my life and shaped how I see the world, and what I want to do.
Coming from NYU Shanghai and having that experience, I feel like NYU students are the people who are in the position to go and make a difference in the world. You have very diverse students who possess a unique experience, and those experiences put us in situations where we have opportunities to bridge cultures in ways few can understand.
What did you gain from your academic life and study away experiences at NYU Shanghai?
Interactive Media and Business (IMB) was a great mix between coding and media while also allowing me to focus more on the business side of things. There were some great professors and some of my favorite classes were Organizational Communication and its Social Context with Professor Brian Hanssen and Negotiation and Consensus Building by Professor David Hunsaker.
I actually reflect back on Global Perspectives on Society (GPS) a lot, and I value it very much now, especially this concept of global cosmopolitanism. Looking at GPS’ long-term effects on me, it very much shaped how I think, how I try to do things, how I see the world, and what can be improved.
I didn't make academics my life. I knew I was going to try my best, but I was still going to travel and explore, and I had a great time studying away. Prague was amazing with great professors, and you get to travel all through Europe. They have buses everywhere for you to go. Classes ended Wednesday for me, so I had Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to travel around Europe.
My second study away site was Tel Aviv, which was incredible. Tel Aviv was beautiful, but I also got to do important things like run in the Freedom of Movement Palestine Marathon in Bethlehem, as well as explore the Middle East, gaining exposure to all different groups of people. My advice to Americans is don't go to New York. It's easy to forget where in the world you are and just how special this moment is.
Any advice for current and future NYU Shanghai students?
My advice is recognize how unique of a situation you're in. You're in China, and there’s hundreds of thousands of inefficiencies between China and the rest of the world. Find one you’re interested in and go explore it and see where it takes you.
How can you make China a part of your career versus just a place you went to college? The purpose of NYU Shanghai as I see it is to bridge cultures, share experiences, and build a more connected world—we as students are the vessels through which that is achieved.
School is not life, and life is not school. Enjoy your days in college, go out on a Monday, take that weekend trip, and more importantly, enjoy Shanghai! It’s one of the best cities in the world.