Skip to main content

Posts

A Beginner’s Guide to How Holding Companies Work

A   holding company can sound complicated at first, but the concept behind it is very straightforward. A holding company is a business that holds assets of another business. It does not sell products or provide services on its own. Its main role is to hold ownership of one or more operating companies that do the daily work. This kind of structure helps keep responsibilities clear as the group grows over time. A helpful way to understand this is to think about how different companies can sit under one main structure. Each operating company has its own staff, its own responsibilities, and its own goals. The holding company oversees them from a distance. This setup gives each business space to grow while keeping the overall direction steady. It also makes it easier to understand which company is responsible for which part of the work. There are a couple of reasons why people choose this structure. One reason is clarity. When several companies sit under one holding company, each...
Recent posts

How AI and Automation Are Transforming Recording Studios

Recording studios in Canada and the U.S are changing faster than ever. Artificial intelligence and automation are no longer future concepts. They have become everyday tools that change how music is created, recorded, and shared. For studios, this transformation is mostly about finding ways to let technology handle repetitive work so that artists and engineers can focus on creativity. AI software is now being used to analyze mixes, suggest EQ adjustments, fix background noise, and even generate harmonies or instrumental layers. Automation has also become a reliable way to manage the repetitive parts of production, like session labelling and gain staging. These tools can complete in minutes what used to take hours, but their value lies in freeing engineers to focus their energy where it matters most: helping artists express their ideas.  At DiaDan Holdings, we see this as an opportunity to improve studio workflows. By integrating smart systems into the studios we invest in, we give...

The Making of Higher Elevation Studio

Higher Elevation Studio is a multi-media production facility located in Nova Scotia. It was built with precision and care and offers a fully functional space for audio recording, video production, and post-production work. Every room was designed with intention, combining function with atmosphere to support a wide range of creative needs. The project began under the guidance of Kevin Hughes of Design Technik in Texas and James Salter from California. Both had previously worked in Los Angeles with Eileen Richardson of DiaDan Holdings Ltd. Richardson introduced Hughes and Salter to Royce Harris, who became instrumental in bringing the studio to life. Construction started in 2020, during a time when most industries were facing setbacks. Despite the global challenges, Richardson and Harris moved forward. Supply shortages and construction delays slowed the timeline, but progress continued steadily.  Local tradespeople contributed their skill and commitment throughout the build. Their ...

Eileen Richardson from DiaDan Holdings Helps Bring A Transformative Music Project to Nova Scotia

Higher Elevation Studio is the culmination of Royce Harris’s vision for ministry. A former recording artist himself, he founded Daybreak Prison Ministry over thirty years ago. He dreamed of being able to broadcast interviews and music into the prison system. His wife has been active in this arena for many years, producing an album partially written by female inmates and launched inside the women’s prison responsible for the songwriting, a first in Canada and possibly in the entire prison ministry world.  Early in 2024, James Salter, Eileen Richardson (DiaDan Holdings), and Scotty Wilbanks put their heads together and came up with an idea to help put Higher Elevation Studio on the map. Wilbanks put together several dozen questions for Royce to put to both inmates and former inmates. The idea was to get ten to fifteen-minute audio or video interviews and then take the answers to the questions and write them as songs. The trio spent a lot of time collaborating, ironing out all of the ...

The Impact of Music Venues on Creating Culture and Community Engagement

Music venues usually sit at the heart of local culture, giving artists places to showcase their talent and giving everyone a place to come together for live music. For many communities, music venues become cultural symbols, helping to shape city and neighbourhood identities.  At DiaDan Holdings , we recognize that these spaces are vital for supporting artists in local communities. They create connections for emerging talent and enrich the cultural lives of local citizens. A large part of the cultural identity of any community, big or small, stems from the kinds of acts and artists playing at the local theatre. The entertainment on offer ideally mirrors the diversity of tastes and cultures that contribute to making the community what it is.  Concerts also bring in tourists, giving a huge boost to the local economy. Music venues contribute to job creation while building a common sense of community pride. Live music has a way of uniting people, crossing boundaries and generationa...

The Impact of Sustainability and Green Investments on the Entertainment Industry

At DiaDan Holdings, we are constantly searching for new opportunities that align with changes in the market and society. A big trend in entertainment now is the focus on sustainability. More companies and people are taking measures to protect the environment, and the entertainment industry is a leader in moving toward greener practices. This creates many investment opportunities for private equity firms like ours. Sustainability in Film and Music Production The entertainment industry affects the environment in several specific ways. Film production consumes a large amount of energy, while live concerts have high carbon emissions. There is considerable room for change and improvement. More creators and production companies are responding to this challenge by using sustainable methods that cut waste, consume less energy, and reduce carbon emissions. In film, sustainable production means using fewer disposable items, saving energy while filming, and balancing emissions with environmental ...

Jordan Smith Tapes PBS-TV Special at L.A.’s Evergreen Stage

Four years ago, in December 2015, Jordan Smith won season nine of NBC-TV’s popular vocal competition “The Voice.” The Harlan, Kentucky native and Lee University graduate would become the show's biggest-selling singer, selling more than 1.5 million singles and placing eight songs into the Top 10 on iTunes' singles chart, three of which went to number one. When you enjoy that kind of success on such a highly viewed television show, lots of wonderful career opportunities often come you way. In Smith’s case, one of those opportunities brought him to the Evergreen Stage in Burbank, where he taped his first hour-long Christmas program, the 2016 PBS special “Jordan Smith: ‘Tis the Season,” which aired on KET-TV in Kentucky. The show, which presented a concert of holiday music from Smith's 2016 Christmas album of the same name, brought together the talents of a number of top musicians and industry luminaries. It seemed almost a given that Smith would record a holiday a...