"Our client relationships come from acting as a trusted partner, not just a vendor. We want to understand the business, anticipate what's coming, and make sure the audio experience keeps supporting the property year after year."

Before New Level Radio had a client roster spanning 23 states, it had Marianna Cutter.

Marianna has been with NLR for more than 20 years, dating back to its earliest days, and today serves as the account manager for most of New Level Radio's clients. Her career in audio started long before that, working in traffic and promotions at a radio station and coordinating live programming, experience that shaped how she manages client campaigns today.

In the premier edition of NLR Mixtape, Marianna talks about watching the company grow from a brand-new idea into an industry leader, what it takes to keep clients happy for a decade or more, and the music that might surprise you.

You've been with New Level Radio for more than 20 years, going back to its earliest days. What did the company look like when you started, and what's surprised you most about how it's grown?

New Level Radio was one of the first fully customizable in-house services of its kind. In the beginning, many properties were unfamiliar with our offerings and eager to hear more.

Technology has come a long way since then. Some of the first clients we visited were still loading their music on cartridges, the same way we did back in the '80s when I worked in radio. The sound quality was nowhere near what it is today, and the whole process required a lot of manual labor from the property's staff. Today, New Level Radio does the heavy lifting for our clients.

Before New Level Radio, you worked in live radio. How did that path lead you to the music-for-business world?

At the radio station, my role focused on traffic and promotions rather than music programming. I scheduled commercial spots, coordinated and attended promotional campaigns, and made sure advertising and promotional content ran as planned. I also recorded spots for local businesses and athletic teams.

That gave me experience with scheduling, client needs, campaign execution, and the business side of broadcasting. The common thread is that both roles involve supporting business clients through audio. Even though I wasn't selecting music at the station, radio operations and client coordination gave me a strong foundation for this world.

You're the account manager for most of New Level Radio's clients, many of them casinos and resorts. What does that job actually look like day to day?

A typical day involves responding to client emails and calls about changes, new requests, or scheduling questions; coordinating with our internal team to ensure all promotional content is ready; and verifying that each client's messaging is assigned to the correct locations and plays at the agreed-upon frequency. I also troubleshoot anything that comes up, whether it's a promotion not playing correctly or a client requesting a last-minute update, and then follow up to confirm everything was implemented successfully.

Most of my client conversations involve confirming promotion dates and times, discussing personnel changes on their end, and making requested changes quickly and accurately. And I can honestly say that nothing I've been asked surprises me anymore!

Although I don't select the background music itself, I help our clients get the most out of their in-house audio by ensuring their promotional messaging is delivered accurately and on schedule. My role is a mix of organization, attention to detail, and customer service, making sure every campaign runs smoothly from start to finish.

Client relationships in this business can last a decade or more, and New Level Radio has a client retention rate of over 90%. What does it take to keep a casino or hotel happy year after year, especially as their brand and their customers change?

It starts with reliability. The music and messaging need to perform consistently every day because downtime affects the guest experience, events, and the gaming floor. When issues arise, clients expect fast support, and because we know their property inside and out, we can resolve problems quickly.

It's also about understanding the brand. Hotels and casinos regularly refresh their identity, renovate spaces, and update amenities, and the audio experience should evolve right alongside those changes. As venues expand and add restaurants, entertainment spaces, or meeting rooms, we add new zones that can accommodate additional genres without starting from scratch. And rather than waiting for something to fail, we recommend upgrades and new technologies that improve performance over time.

Ultimately, our relationships come from acting as a trusted partner, not just a vendor. The goal is to understand the client's business, anticipate changing needs, and ensure the audio experience continues to support the property's brand and guest experience year after year.

And, I must say, without our CEO, Nathan Green, and our amazing team, none of this would be possible.

When a new property signs on, what happens between the handshake and the day the music starts playing? Walk us through your side of getting a program off the ground.

Every successful program starts with understanding how the property operates. We spend time learning about the brand, the guest demographic, and how each space is meant to feel, from the lobby and casino floor to the restaurants, bars, spa, and outdoor areas.

From there, we design a customized audio strategy and coordinate closely with the client's team to make sure the system is configured correctly and everything is ready before launch. Before the first song ever plays, we test the system, our curators fine-tune the playlists and scheduling, and we verify that every zone is performing as intended.

Once the program goes live, the work doesn't stop. We monitor performance, make adjustments based on client feedback, and provide ongoing support so the music evolves alongside the property. That's also when I meet the client's team I'll work with every month on the promos we voice and mix into their music. The whole process is extremely well coordinated.

What's in your personal rotation right now, and is there an artist or genre that would surprise people?

My taste is all over the map. I like everything from classical to country to rap to yacht rock!