Dan Hodges, Jr.

Biography

Dr. Dan Hodges is an Associate Professor in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University. He is an accomplished music publisher with 30 years of experience in the music industry.

Dan earned his Doctor of Business Administration/International Business degree from Liberty University in 2021 and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Alabama in 2018. Dan previously served as Chair of the University of Colorado Denver’s Music and Entertainment Studies Program from 2024-2025 and as an adjunct and lecturer at Belmont University from 2016-2022.

Dan has owned and managed his own music publishing/consulting firm, DHM, since 2008. DHM has enjoyed the #1 songs "Good Directions" by Billy Currington and "Dibs" by Kelsea Ballerini along with many songs recorded on Gold and Platinum records, such as Chris Young, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, and Keith Urban, to name a few. "Good Directions" was named ASCAP's country song of the year in 2008.

In addition to publishing, DHM consults for companies and individuals for advice on songs and navigating the music industry in the US and abroad. DHM opened a virtual branch of the company, DHM Endeavour, in Australia in 2015 and has negotiated contracts with publishers from most markets around the world as a regular attendee of the music conference MIDEM in Cannes, France.

As an educator, Hodges is a member of the board for the Music and Entertainment Industry Eductators Association’s (MEIEA) board and is currently serving as the president of the organization for a term from 2025 to 2027. He has had his research published in the College Music Symposium, The Journal of Business Diversity, The International Journal of Music Business Research, and MEIEA Journal as well as presented his research at the annual MEIEA Summit in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 and was the keynote speaker for the 2024 SØRVEIV conference in Kristiansand, Norway.