Why One Day Is Betting on Artist Development in the Streaming Era

When One Day launched as an artist collective over a decade ago, becoming a record label wasn't the immediate goal. Building artists was.

Today, after evolving into one of Australia's most respected management companies, One Day is entering a new era. Alongside a bold new brand identity created by R/GA, the company is expanding its ambitions through One Day Recordings, its joint venture label with EMI Music Australia, with the signing of Sydney singer-songwriter Alli Kate and a partnership with Perth alternative pop visionary Ethan French.

For co-founders Adit Gauchan and Nick Lupi, however, the rebrand isn't about a new logo or a fresh website. It's about putting a visual identity behind a philosophy that's guided the business from the very beginning.

"Having our own record label was always part of the vision," Gauchan tells The Music Network. "But we never acted on it until much later."

"Being a manager or label owner starts with one key thing: finding the right artist to partner with. That's also grounding because we're always in service of the artist. Our own dreams and ambitions have to align with theirs."

That philosophy began taking shape in 2018 when One Day started working with artists including Chillinit and ARIA Award-winning producer 18YOMAN, before going on to helping guide the careers of tiffi, ONEFOUR, Triple One, LEN20 and more. 

"Chillinit was always on a distribution model, so much of the label work naturally fell to management," Gauchan explains. "That experience ultimately laid the foundations for the joint venture label we have today with EMI Music Australia."

While the music industry has changed dramatically over the past decade, One Day believes the fundamentals of developing artists remain the same.

"Artist development is giving people the time and space to figure out who they are and what they want to say," Lupi says.

"It involves countless studio sessions, workshops, trial and error, patience. It's everything from building a live show to developing a visual identity, supporting artists beyond their first idea to their best one, and surrounding them with the right collaborators."

"There are no shortcuts. But that's what it takes to perform at an elite, world-class level."

What has changed, Gauchan says, is the expectation that artists arrive with an audience already built.

"Ten years ago you would largely develop artists behind closed doors. Today, artists are building an audience while they're still figuring out their music and identity."

"The ability to cultivate a genuine connection with your audience has never been more important. You want fans to connect with you and your music through every stage of your career."

That thinking is reflected in One Day's latest signings.

Ethan French has become one of Australia's breakout stories of 2026, amassing more than 700,000 Instagram followers through his viral Idea A Day songwriting series while attracting praise from artists including SZA, John Mayer, Questlove, Jacob Collier, Justin Timberlake and Anderson .Paak.

For Gauchan, though, the numbers were never the story.

"I grew up listening to artists like J Dilla, A Tribe Called Quest and Robert Glasper," he says. "Hearing those influences in Ethan's music brought a wave of nostalgia, but also excitement because he interprets them in such a fresh, original way."

"What impressed me most was how he was able to package incredibly sophisticated music into bite-sized moments that still capture genuine emotion. His rise has been incredibly fast, but we see him building a long career as a groundbreaking artist, songwriter and producer for others."

The same artist-first philosophy led One Day to Alli Kate, who had already built an impressive catalogue before the label came knocking.

"When we discovered Alli she'd independently released 26 songs that she'd written and produced herself, she was posting six times a day on Instagram!" Gauchan says.

"It wasn't just the work ethic. The songwriting had real depth, and the melodies were undeniable. The music felt universal, but it also had personality and heart."

One Day introduced her to producers and creatives within its network.

"She took to the studio immediately. She genuinely loves the creative process, and that's something you can't teach. We believe she has the talent, determination and work ethic to build an incredible career."

The launch of One Day's new visual identity represents another important milestone for the company, but Lupi says the process ran much deeper than aesthetics.

Working with R/GA involved much more than just a new logo or website. They really pushed us to put into words and practice the thing that's been driving us from the beginning, and we came out of the process with a new clarity on what we're building at One Day.”

That ambition is underpinned by One Day's partnership with EMI Music Australia.

"From J Emz, Jimmy Nice & The Know and Jet Walker, to our newest signings Alli Kate and Ethan French, our artists get an incredibly hands-on team. When momentum starts building, our partnerships with EMI Music Australia and Universal Music Australia give us the resources and global expertise to help scale those careers far beyond what we'd be capable of on our own."

For Gauchan, Australian artists have never had greater access to international audiences.

"If you zoom out, we're seeing more Australian artists finding audiences overseas much earlier in their careers."

"Geography isn't the barrier it once was. If artists are creating music that connects with international audiences from day one, there are more opportunities than ever to build those careers globally."

Asked where he hopes One Day will be three years from now, Gauchan doesn't hesitate.

"We want One Day to be the place Australian artists aspire to join," he says.

"We want to partner with people who make meaningful art, build lasting audiences and impact culture - not just in Australia, but around the world."

With a new identity, a growing roster and an artist-first philosophy that remains firmly intact, One Day appears well positioned to do exactly that.