Three years in, Joie Manda’s indie ventures Platinum Grammar Publishing and Encore Recordings have firmly established their identities as boutique, A&R-driven companies capable of supporting global aspirations. Manda has used his decades of experience as a pre-eminent major-label exec with an expertise in hip-hop to continue to sign and develop new talent in the space, while also putting an emphasis on R&B, Latin and Afrobeats.
This year, PGP writer-producers are behind R&B smashes “MUTT” (Leon Thomas) and “Folded” (Kehlani). The company also has a piece of global sensation “Shake It to the Max,” and Encore inked deals with Puerto Rican breakout Dei V and soul singer Khamari.
Here, Manda lets us in on his global vision, why he partnered with The Orchard and Sony and what he’s most excited about for 2026.
Platinum Grammar Publishing and Encore Recordings are still young companies but already competing at a global level. How do you account for your early success?
Platinum Grammar Publishing is independent and self-funded, which gives us full control over how we move. PGP is less than three years old, and its early success is really a testament to the strength of our relationships, our willingness to work across multiple genres and our strategic partnerships. We’ve built a diverse catalog that cuts across pop, R&B, hip-hop and Latin. Some of the biggest copyrights in our catalog include J. Cole’s “No Role Modelz” (4.3b global streams), Stellar’s “Ashes” (2b), Lil Uzi Vert’s “Just Wanna Rock” (2.2b), Dasha’s “Austin” (1.5b), Chappell Roan’s “Casual” (650m) and Eladio Carrión’s “Si La Calle Llama” (500m).
Encore, which released its first song in early 2022, operates with the same spirit—independent, entrepreneurial and global. Encore is built on the idea that the next wave of global music will come from emerging genres and multinational artists. Latin music has been one of our biggest focuses. Dei V is featured on “Velda” with Omar Courtz on Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. Dei V’s own album Underwater is currently #4 on Apple Music’s Latin Chart and he just sold out three nights at Puerto Rico’s famed Coliseo.
We’re also all-in on Afrobeats, the fastest-growing genre in the world, and one of its breakout stars, Victony, from Lagos, is part of the Encore family. His song “Soweto” just passed 1b global streams. So even though both companies are still early in their journey, the foundation is strong—it’s all about great people, great music and long-term belief in our artists.
Even though both companies are still early in their journey, the foundation is strong—it’s all about great people, great music and long-term belief in our artists.
What’s the “value proposition” of Encore and PGP when they seek to sign talent?
Encore and PGP are separate companies with different teams, but we share the same philosophy when it comes to supporting our artists, writers and producers. We work tirelessly to develop and protect our creative partners and have experienced executives who know how to add real value to an artist’s strategy and long-term goals. Every artist’s path is different, and we tailor everything to fit their vision. We keep our rosters small so we can stay hands-on, constantly planning and pushing things forward. We’re in go mode all the time.
Run through the companies’ highlights from 2025 and what has you most excited about 2026?
PGP has had an incredible 2025. We signed D. Phelps, who co-produced Leon Thomas’ “MUTT” along with 11 other songs on Leon’s acclaimed album. Sterling Simms and LPZ, who manage Phelps, have been great partners.
Bryant Jacques on our team recently signed Silent Addy and D.K. the Punisher. Addy co-produced the global hit “Shake It to the Max.” We’re already working on more music with him and his manager, Brandon Kessler. D.K. co-produced Kehlani’s “Folded,” which is one of the year’s biggest records in any genre. We met him through Chukwudi Obi at Range Music and have been working closely with him and Cory Litwin.
Over at Encore, we released successful albums from Dei V and Khamari. We’re also gearing up to release a new project from Girlfriend, an R&B artist we’ve been developing since 2022. Watching her growth has been one of the things I’m most proud of.
Left, Range Music's Chukwudi Obi, Manda, D.K. the Punisher and PGP's Bryant Jacques; right, producer D. Phelps and Manda
Describe your typical workday.
My day starts around 6 a.m. I get my kids to school, then head to the office while listening to music in the car. Once I’m there, I read the news, check my list for the day and usually call Matt Spiller, PGP’s GM in New York, to go over deals in progress. Then I meet with Ned Monahan, Encore’s president. Ned’s incredible—he does most of the heavy lifting. After that, I do an A&R check-in. The market moves fast, and you have to stay on top of what’s happening. Our roster is a mix of artists we’ve found through research, relationships and gut instinct. Sometime in the afternoon, I’ll go for a long walk to clear my head and make calls while listening to more music. Then it’s meetings with artists, writers and producers—either people on our roster or new folks we’re getting to know. Toward the end of the day, I’ll catch up with staff again. If I don’t have a dinner meeting, I go home to eat with my family. Before bed, I go through emails and make a list for the next day (and, yeah, scroll social a bit too).
Describe the deal Encore made with Sony and The Orchard? Why did you choose them?
For the first couple of years, Encore handled its own distribution, which was a huge learning experience. I’d spent almost two decades at major labels like UMG and WMG, but I’d never been this deep in the weeds of distribution. It gave me a better sense of where the business is headed—and it helped us quickly build a self-sustaining operation.
We had early support from Jeremy Erlich at Spotify, as well as from Merlin and FUGA, which was great. But things really came together when my friend and business partner Todd Moscowitz, who is partnered at Sony, introduced me to Rob Stringer. Rob liked that Encore was focused on being a boutique label that goes deep on artist development. Every time we meet, we mostly just talk about music, which is rare these days. Then I met Brad Navin and Denis Siek at The Orchard, and I was impressed. Their setup is perfect for independent entrepreneurs. They understand where we’re trying to take Encore—and they’ve been true partners in helping us get there.