Michelle Jubelirer and Arjun Pulijal Launch Soft Shock

Michelle Jubelirer and Arjun Pulijal have launched Soft Shock, “a management and media collective that reimagines how talent is developed and empowered across the entertainment landscape.”

The company:

• As per Music Business Worldwide, Soft Shock offers “talent management, creative marketing services, brand creation, and creative development/production/distribution across all mediums.”

• As well as operating in music, Soft Shock also represents comedians, filmmakers, actors, creators, athletes, visual artists, designers, chefs, makers, and “generative talent with a distinct creative POV and an ambition to challenge convention.”

The main players:

• Jubelirer is the former Chair and CEO of Capitol Music Group (CMG), where she was named Billboard’s 2024 ‘Women in Music’ Executive of the Year.

• Prior she was a partner at entertainment law firm King, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner, representing clients such as Tyler, the Creator, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pharrell Williams, Nas and more.

• Pulijal was previously the President of CMG, overseeing all aspects of artist development.

• Prior he headed marketing for the label group, working on campaigns for artists such as Paul McCartney, Beck, Halsey, Nine Inch Nails and more.

• During their tenure, Jubelirer and Pulijal represented artists who have collectively sold more than 400 million albums globally.

What they said:

• Michelle Jubelirer: “It’s a volatile time for the creative psyche – that applies to talent as well as those on the business side trying to build careers – these are people’s lives. We believe creative intention, personal fulfillment, and commercial success can all co-exist. It just takes curation and bravery, or as we say, ‘a soft touch with the courage to shock.’”

• Arjun Pulijal: “It may not always feel like it, but artists have the power now and it’s never going back. Telling talent ‘go viral and then we’ll care’ is a race to the bottom. We combat that by building scale on the side of talent through a diverse network that offers thought partnership and collaboration. All artists are creators and Soft Shock is ready to provide them with the tools, resources, and creative freedom they need to build sustainable, multi-faceted careers.”