Founder Max Bernstein Urges Music Companies to Modernize Immediately — 'It's Intoxicating'

The Music Industry’s Systemic Overhaul

Max Bernstein, the founder and CEO of Relationl, a rapidly growing firm specializing in music industry systems development, is a strong advocate for using Airtable. He believes that traditional spreadsheets and outdated workflows are holding back music companies. In fact, he argues that disconnected systems are making it increasingly difficult to develop and break artists at scale.

For years, Relationl has been working to revamp systems for labels like Atlantic Records UK. However, when Bernstein talks about systems, spreadsheets, and relational databases, creative professionals often respond with skepticism. “‘Stop with the apps and find me the hits,’” he says is a typical reaction from industry insiders. But this is exactly the problem: overwhelming and data-redundant systems are causing inefficiencies that frustrate the entire industry.

According to Bernstein, one of the main issues is an overemphasis on releasing breakout hits. While this is important, it often comes at the expense of developing core systems. For decades, the music industry has suffered from what Bernstein calls the “hit record panacea” — the belief that a single hit or a string of hits can solve all problems for a label, publisher, management agency, or any artist-driven company.

There's some truth to this theory. A label or artist that consistently produces hits has already solved the most challenging part of the business. But imagine if a great company could increase its chances of landing hits while also maximizing returns once songs take off. This is where systems come into play.

“I get it, nobody wants to think about systems,” Bernstein said. “But as an industry, we’re completely lost when it comes to setting them up. It’s a culture of chaos, and why people are constantly feeling behind and trying to catch up.”

At the heart of this issue lies the traditional spreadsheet. While it organizes data on one level, it is typically outdated, redundant, and fails to communicate with other parts of the company. Replacing these setups with a relational database can be a game-changer. Using Airtable, Bernstein helps companies manage thousands of associated release dates, touring schedules, clearances, DSP stream totals, collaborators, and social media accounts. This creates a “single source of truth” that other systems can connect to.

The immediate impact of this transformation is significant. Workflow interruptions, meetings, check-ins, internal email threads, and fires rooted in the need to confirm redundant information are all reduced or eliminated. The term “single source of truth” might sound overly dramatic, but it refers to an authoritative, dynamic, and up-to-date relational database structure upon which all company systems are built.

Interacting with Bernstein feels transformative due to his firm’s ability to quickly set up relational systems that simplify and automate complex workflows. However, there’s a downside: traditional spreadsheet-based approaches are becoming obsolete, leaving their adherents behind. “We’re in the middle of a systems renaissance,” Bernstein explained.

The upside is that both simple and complex processes can now be managed with greater control and oversight — and far less effort. This includes the endless tasks that underpin an artist or writer’s success, such as release or composition management, budget approvals, rights clearances, digital campaigns, and artist timelines.

Why Airtable?

Bernstein, whose firm is a top Airtable services partner, believes there’s no comparison between Airtable and other popular project management tools. “Airtable is the most accessible software development platform in history,” he says. “Your company can have a custom software system that otherwise would take years to develop, in a matter of hours.” This has proven to be the right choice for many Relationl partners, including Warner Music Group, RCA, Spirit, Big Machine, Spinnin’, Reservoir, and Jacobs Law Group.

Relationl is so committed to Airtable that they’ve adopted a fun tagline: “Airtable for music moguls.” “We take companies to a totally different place very quickly,” Bernstein said. “Business culture is evolving fast, and it’s our mission to make sure the music industry gets ahead of it.”