A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

WHEN WE SIT DOWN every year to rank the most powerful people in the music business, we often start by looking at the highest-grossing tours, the most-streamed songs and albums, the top deals and the biggest cultural moments — and then we identify the masterminds behind them. Usually, these people are executives, who toil in offices and keep their minds on the money, so that the creators they serve can focus on their art.

This year, though, the mastermind behind most of the industry’s record-breaking achievements — from a historic stadium run that fueled an unprecedented rule atop the Billboard 200 albums chart to the most profitable concert film of all time — was an artist herself. Taylor Swift doesn’t refer to herself publicly as an executive, but she designed and executed one of the most ambitious, innovative and successful business plans the music industry has ever seen.

Sure, she has a team behind her — a killer one at that. By all accounts, though, she makes the bets and calls the shots — so there’s no one else we can credit for her brilliant chess moves.

That’s why you’ll find an artist atop this year’s list of the industry’s most powerful executives. Her message to her fellow Power Players (see page 56) is mission critical in the face of challenges like artificial intelligence, streaming fraud and an uncertain economy. As music companies reimagine themselves for the future, we welcome her visionary leadership advice. Anyone hoping to wrest the No. 1 spot from her next year is certainly going to need it.