Habbi is an Icelandic music executive, strategist and writer interested in exceptional creative work — how it's made, how it reaches people, and the business and technology that help it last.
some highlights
As the value of doing the work plummets, the most valuable skill in the economy becomes clarity of thought. My notes on Tyler Cowen’s 2013 Average Is Over and how his prediction reads like our present.
Elín Hall’s Iceland Airwaves 2024 showcase introduced her new English-language material to international press and industry, with coverage across PAPER, American Songwriter, Paste, The Line of Best Fit and more.
At Iceland Airwaves 2022, I moderated a fireside chat with Laufey and her manager, Max Gredinger, about the artistic vision and strategy behind her rapidly growing international career.
At Iceland Music, I turned a manually maintained database of Icelandic artists’ international concerts into an automated discovery platform using technology from my former colleagues at Mobilitus.
I was brought in to manage communications around Avo’s $3M seed round, running the Icelandic press launch and coordinating with the investor team on the international announcement.
Fans were already taking and sharing thousands of photos from live shows, but hashtags were messy and inconsistent, and many didn't tag their photos at all.
So we built another way to find them.
For 15+ years, I’ve worked across music, media and technology from Reykjavík to London to Nashville – turning complex ideas into clear stories, systems and work that can travel.
browse the latest
a running archive of things I’ve made, written, built and worked on — from campaigns and essays to talks, products and even the villain origin story of how and where it all started.
Viðskiptablaðið spoke to me about building GLITSKÝ Management and why Iceland needs stronger professional infrastructure around its internationally successful music industry.
Playlist: Your Reykjavík soundtrack — a city-chic, cozy introduction to Icelandic music, from our world-famous icons to locally beloved favourites.
I was asked to talk about ‘a day in my life as an AI user’, and it turns out I use it mostly as thinking infrastructure, meaning a place to work through ideas, solve problems, write, plan, strategise and keep four interconnected businesses moving.
Produced a video series for KLAK – Icelandic Startups and Landsbankinn marking the anniversary of Gulleggið, Iceland's largest entrepreneurship competition.
As the value of doing the work plummets, the most valuable skill in the economy becomes clarity of thought. My notes on Tyler Cowen’s 2013 Average Is Over and how his prediction reads like our present.
Panelist for Dinosaurs or Digital Pioneers? The Future of Collective Rights Management, discussing the future of CMOs, artist rights, AI and changing royalty models alongside representatives from STEF and Tier Music Publishing.
I was invited to give Á bakvið tjöldin, a guest lecture for students on the new Tónlist, nýsköpun, tækni programme at the Iceland University of the Arts, about the role of artist management and the business infrastructure behind an international music career.
GLITSKÝ Management was awarded ISK 1,500,000 from Iceland’s Music Fund in its second allocation of 2025.
I wrote for Vísbending about a missing piece in Iceland’s music economy: we invest heavily in creating world-class artists, but much of the economic infrastructure surrounding their international success is built, and importantly owned, elsewhere.
An artist bio isn't a biography of everything you've ever done. Using Björk as an example, here's how I think about positioning an artist, establishing credibility and directing attention towards what matters now.
The 2024 GRAMMYs confirmed it: we're living in an era where excellence in music is defined by artistry, execution, and intention.
Big Issue on Iceland’s music industry, music export and the infrastructure supporting Icelandic artists.
Playlist: The taste of a professional fan-girl — 100 of the best songs of 2024, deliberately sequenced and designed for a full listen from track 1 through track 100.
Elín Hall’s Iceland Airwaves 2024 showcase introduced her new English-language material to international press and industry, with coverage across PAPER, American Songwriter, Paste, The Line of Best Fit and more.
I worked with Icelandic golf-tech company ELVA Golf on the launch of its first training facility in Iceland, organising its launch event at GKG and securing national coverage on Stöð 2.
I was getting around 100 messages a day across email and social platforms. Instead of trying to work harder, I invested in building a system to contain them, and finally committed to Inbox Zero.
I was invited to speak to the Music Business class at Tónlistarskóli FÍH about my work at ÚTÓN / Iceland Music and the business behind building careers in music.
As part of my work at Iceland Music, I co-programmed the industry conference at Iceland Airwaves, bringing international music professionals to Reykjavík for a programme of panels, talks and industry events.
Ahead of Bransaveisla 2023 – Iceland Music’s annual industry event ahead of Iceland Airwaves, I spoke with RÚV Rás 1 and Bylgjan about Iceland’s evolving music industry and taking Icelandic music international.
StrengthsFinder articulated parts of me I’d recognised for a while but never had language for: strategic thinking on one side, and the relentless drive to put things in motion on the other.
I moderated a panel at Nordic Folk Alliance in Roskilde exploring how music finds its way into film, television, advertising and video games — and the opportunities sync creates for artists.
I’ve always resisted goals: they either feel arbitrary or make promises about things we can’t control. Yearly themes gave me another way, turning abstract intentions into something I can actually act on.
At Iceland Airwaves 2022, I moderated a fireside chat with Laufey and her manager, Max Gredinger, about the artistic vision and strategy behind her rapidly growing international career.
Ahead of Iceland Airwaves 2022, I spoke to Fréttablaðið about the festival, its international industry programme, and our work bringing music professionals and press to Reykjavík.
Sending an email intro isn't technically complicated. What's tricky is navigating the social dynamics.
At Iceland Music, I turned a manually maintained database of Icelandic artists’ international concerts into an automated discovery platform using technology from my former colleagues at Mobilitus.
While presenting Record in Iceland at Westway LAB in Portugal, I was interviewed by Observador about Iceland’s approach to music as an industry and the role of government investment in supporting its growth.
As part of my work at Iceland Music, I supported Ösp Eldjárn’s participation in Global Music Match, securing coverage in RÚV, Morgunblaðið and Vísir. The project went on to win the WOMEX Professional Excellence Award in 2021.
As part of a podcast series hosted by Myke Hurley, I was invited to host an episode about a personal hero, so I of course picked Taylor Swift.
Recorded before the re-recordings and record-breaking tour took center stage, the episode explores what I believe to be her true superpower: turning emotional intelligence into smart, impactful business strategy. The full episode is transcribed here.
• top 1% of Spotify users in Iceland (2021)
• in Ariana Grande’s first 2% of listeners on Spotify (2017)
• won “The Britney” category on QuizUp in Iceland (2014)
• top 1% of Spotify users in Iceland (2021) • in Ariana Grande’s first 2% of listeners on Spotify (2017) • won “The Britney” category on QuizUp in Iceland (2014)
real career highlights
I wrote for Vísbending about a missing piece in Iceland’s music economy: we invest heavily in creating world-class artists, but much of the economic infrastructure surrounding their international success is built, and importantly owned, elsewhere.