ATLANTA — ATLANTA —Daniela Rivera has spent more than 15 years building one of the most decorated careers in Atlanta's music industry — and this fall, she joins Georgia State's music industry faculty as Professor of Practice. The Georgia State School of Music is pleased to welcome Rivera, whose discography spans over 40 billion streams and includes work with Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Coldplay and Wiz Khalifa, to a program committed to connecting students with the real-world industry they're about to enter.
The numbers alone are striking: a discography with over 40 billion streams, multiple Platinum and Diamond certifications and credits alongside Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Coldplay and Wiz Khalifa. Rivera is also a four-time technical award nominee, an EMMY nominee and the recipient of the 2025 Avidity Award for Best Mixing Engineer for her work as the Dolby Atmos engineer on Rudy Currence’s Billboard No. 1 single. In 2023, the Atlanta Business Chronicle named her to its “40 Under 40” class, formally recognizing her leadership in the entertainment industry. Director Dr. Julia Bullard welcomed the appointment with enthusiasm: “Daniela Rivera is a wonderful musician, arranger, entrepreneur and audio engineer with deep connections to the Atlanta music community. She will bring a unique energy and range of experiences to our music industry program, and we are very excited to have her on our School of Music team.”
Rivera’s path into the industry was forged in Atlanta’s premier studio environments. After earning an Associate degree in Audio Technology from SAE Institute and a Bachelor’s in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University, she trained under legendary engineers including Thom “TK” Kidd at the famed Silent Sound Studios and Grammy-winning mixer Phil Tan — a foundation that shaped both her technical precision and her professional standards.
Beyond the studio, Rivera is one of Atlanta’s most visible advocates for music industry professionals. She currently serves as an elected officer for the Recording Academy’s Atlanta Chapter, holding the positions of Chapter Secretary and Chair of the Producers & Engineers Wing through 2027. She is a frequent panelist at industry events and has been involved in multiple mentorship programs, consistently developing music education initiatives for both nonprofit and commercial organizations.
Ben Yonas, head of Georgia State’s Music Production and Audio Recording area, pointed to Rivera’s rare combination of active industry standing and genuine investment in students as what sets her appointment apart. “Daniela is that rare combination: a working engineer at the very top of the field who is also a natural teacher, deeply invested in her students’ success,” he said. “Her track record speaks for itself — Emmy-nominated, Grammy-credited, tens of billions of streams — but what excites me most is what she’ll pour into the next generation of music production students here at Georgia State.”
Rivera sees an opportunity to close the gap between classroom learning and professional reality — a mission she has been working toward for years. “What truly sets GSU apart is that it’s an extension of the professional environment,” she said. “Between the active studio work programs and MTM Standard, students are graduating with real-world experience and a resume, not just theory. I’m eager to take my professional network and experience and infuse it into the program, strengthening the pipeline between our students and the high-level professional world they’re about to enter.”
Her approach to teaching is grounded in a conviction that longevity — not overnight success — is the true measure of a career. “In an era where we all have access to the same software and hardware, the competitive edge doesn’t come from the tools,” she said. “It comes from the refinement of your craft.” Rivera centers her instruction around three pillars: mindset, networking and work ethic — principles she describes as the architecture of a sustainable career in music.
“My students aren’t just leaving with a degree. They’re leaving with the professional endurance and business savvy they need to launch and sustain their own freelance careers.”
Rivera also maintains an active consulting practice, offering deep-dive song critiques and one-on-one coaching to music makers ready to transition from emerging to full-time professional. She sees that work and her teaching as two sides of the same coin: staying in the trenches of the industry ensures that what she brings into the classroom is current, specific and hard-won. Rivera joins the School of Music this fall.