Ian Rogers’s Digital Music Marketing Factory

Ian Rogers got into the music business in a roundabout way. While working on a PhD in computer science at Indiana University in 1993, he created a fan site devoted to the Beastie Boys, one of his favorite bands. The Beastie Boys’ manager was so impressed that he recruited Rogers to manage the rowdy hip-hop act’s digital outreach efforts. Starting salary: $8.50 an hour.

Rogers, 38, is now chief executive of Topspin Media, a Los Angeles company whose software helps musicians market and sell to fans online. It’s used by industry luminaries such as Paul McCartney, David Byrne, Eminem, and, Rogers’s old bosses, the Beastie Boys. Topspin provides bands with a suite of technologies. One helps them stream songs and videos on websites and Facebook pages. Bands can offer listeners a free song in exchange for an e-mail address—a way to build a database of potential customers. Through a Topspin dashboard, musicians connect with fans via e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter. The company also creates customized e-commerce sites to help bands sell albums and merchandise. Topspin processes the orders and handles shipping.