Degy Entertainment

Degy Management Services, Inc. made its entrance into the music industry in 1996. Ari Nisman joined forces with Josh Degenstein to create a company that was designed around their passion for the entertainment industry and their love for music. Originally based out of Ann Arbor, MI where both owners were college students, Nisman and Degenstein moved the company to Richmond, VA at a time when Dave Matthews, Pat McGee, Jimmie's Chicken Shack, and many others were launching their careers. After two years in Richmond, and the signings of nearly a dozen groups to their management roster, it was time for the company to firmly plant itself closer to their homes and the center of the music business, New York.

Over the years, DMS has sealed numerous record label and publishing company signings with groups like the Hero Pattern (Fabtone/Japan), The Parlor Mob (Capitol), The Booda Velvets (Gotham/Warner), Faceplant (EMI), Brother Rabbit (Sony), Leon Milmore (Altergressive), All Hail Me (Overture), Ball in the House (MacoMusic/Sony Korea) and more. Licensing deals have included accounts such as Disney, VH1, Discovery Channel, MTV, Sony Pictures, Dawson's Creek (Fox), ESPN, NBC, "The Fog" (which hit #1 box office in '05), and so on. The company also inked major endorsement and sponsorship deals including Ball in the House becoming the Kraft Foods/Cool Whip campaign voices for TV and Radio, Cider signing with Klipsch Audio (pa systems) and Bulmers Ciders (promo endorsement for CiderJack, Woodchuck Cider, Strongbow Cider). Other various endorsement deals completed and current relationships include Mountain Dew/AMP Energy Drink, Rockstar Energy Drink, Orange Amps, Fender, Gretch, Jagermeister, Budweiser, Coors Light, Red Bull, Modulous Guitars, Ernie Ball, D'Addario, Remo, UFO Jeans, and more.

Ari Nisman (President/CEO)
Ari Nisman is the company's President and CEO. He obtained a degree from the University of Michigan in Communications with a concentration in business in 1997. Though always interested in the music and the arts, it wasn't until the early 1990's when Nisman developed a passion for the industry. After working as a marketing representative with Polydor/Atlas Records, he decided to broaden his knowledge of the business. After a short stint as A&R for a small indie label, Nisman joined up with Capitol Records as a field-marketing representative for the Michigan region. Working with major artists such as George Clinton, John Spencer, Eric Johnson, and Stir, Nisman built a strong working knowledge for marketing and promoting big bands. But it was his work with the newer, developing acts which gave Nisman more pleasure. In their early days, he helped run marketing campaigns and develop such acts as Jimmy Eat World, Lucious Jackson, Mazzy Star, and Nil Lara.