HISHAM DAHUD
Artist. Educator. Music INDUSTRY Entrepreneur.
HISHAM DAHUD has spent nearly 20 years in music — building companies, working with artists, exploring new technology, teaching, and eventually becoming an artist himself.
He helped build Fame House from its early days through its acquisition by Universal Music Group, working at the intersection of artist strategy, marketing, technology, and audience development. He’s worked closely with electronic music icons including Richie Hawtin, DJ Shadow, and Junkie XL. Later, he founded ArtistPro to help independent artists navigate both the creative and business sides of building a career.
Today, Hisham creates and performs as RIŽIK, teaches Artist Entrepreneurship at UCLA Extension, and works with music and technology companies across artist relations, partnerships, and creator strategy.
His career has given him a perspective from multiple sides of the music industry — as an executive, entrepreneur, educator, strategist, and artist. He is particularly interested in the evolving relationship between artists and technology: how technology changes the way artists create and build careers, and how companies can better understand, support, and earn the trust of the creative people they serve.
He also writes The Zag, his personal letter about music, technology, artists, and where this whole thing is going.
Nearly two decades of conversations at the intersection of artists, music, technology, entrepreneurship, and culture.
Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
Artist development & music industry workshops
ASCAP EXPO
Artist marketing and fan engagement
S.F. MusicTech Summit
Digital marketing and streaming dynamics
SXSW
Artist development & digital strategy
International Music Summit (IMS)
Artist development & digital strategy
CNTRL: Beyond EDM
Educational tour with Richie Hawtin — music technology, performance & electronic music culture
UCLA Extension
Artist Entrepreneurship — Instructor
Musicians Institute
Music business & artist development — Instructor
ICON Collective
Music business & artist development — Instructor
ArtistPro
Founder — artist development workshops, talks & educational programming
…AND MANY MORE.
HISHAM’S WORK AS AN ARTIST.
RIŽIK is HISHAM’S live electronic music project — built around physical performance, human musicianship, and the tension between artist and machine.
No backing tracks.
No hiding behind the laptop.
Electronic music, made physical.
MEDIA
KEYNOTE ADDRESS - ARTISTPRO SOUND CONNECTIONS
LIVE PERFORMANCE (RIŽIK)
HARDWARE SETUP (RIŽIK)
ARTIST ADVICE
CONVERSATION TOPICS
The Independent Artist as Headliner — building a career without waiting for permission
Human Performance in the Age of AI — why musicianship, risk and physicality matter more as creation gets easier
Artist Entrepreneurship — treating the artist project as both creative practice and enterprise
Beyond the DJ Booth — where live electronic performance goes next
Building an Artist Brand Without Becoming Content — marketing the work without letting marketing become the work
From Music Executive to Artist — what 15+ years behind other artists taught me about becoming one