Sam Howard-Spink

Sam Howard-Spink is a Clinical Associate Professor of Music Business at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, within the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions. He joined NYU in 2008 and was honored as Teacher Of The Year in 2009. His work focuses on the political-economic systems of global music and interactive media industries, emphasizing emerging markets in Latin America, Southeast Asia, India, and Africa. He teaches courses such as Emerging Models and Markets for Music and Interactive Internet and Mobile Music, and co-teaches Environment of the Music Industry.

Sam holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Bristol (UK), an MA in Communications from Hunter College CUNY, and a PhD from NYU's Department of Media, Culture and Communication (2012). His doctoral research compared music markets and copyright policies in Brazil, Canada, and the US. His research interests include glocalization theory, music cities, and the role of interactive media in cultural production.

Recent work includes studies on K-pop's role in South Korean soft power (2024) and presentations on glocalization theory in music education at conferences like USC (2024) and Flagler College (2023). He has published in journals like First Monday and Journal of Communication Inquiry, and contributed to outlets such as Music Week and IBM Think Research.

Sam actively engages with professional networks, curating events like CMJ PLAY (2009), and performs as a drummer in Samba New York!. His expertise spans music industry metrics, digital distribution, and the intersection of music with social video, gaming, and holographics.