Beat-Play Press Machine

Today while perusing my Alltop page, I found a post titled: What will be the successor of the current user profile in online networks? by Eric Mariacher. In the post he stated:

My answer is: I guess LinkedIn is pioneering the "successor of user profile" with 3 specific features:
1. who you know - your network
2. recommendations from current and past colleagues
3. LinkedIn Q&A feature where you can advertize your skills by asking and answering question. from what I understand this is what you call "software usage".

When I read this, I needed to make a comment. LinkedIn is pioneering the successor of the user profile? If that's what pioneering is, then what is Beat-Play? These three features are cool, and very useful from a professional standpoint. They add reasons to have a profile, other than telling everyone that you're at the ski lodge for the week so robbers will have open access to your house.

Adding practical functionality is always good, but these uses alone are not enough. Not only should the profile represent you professionally and personally, but imagine if your profile information was tied to the content you view online, and your web use in general. Imagine if you accessed all of your favorite stored content through your profile. Imagine if you only needed one profile!

The future of profiles online will lie in the browser. It seems like a strange concept at first, but given a closer look, it just seems practical. There's literally millions of websites out there, and every one pretty much does something different, and useful. This goes back to my Toolbox post from last week. We need a place to keep all of these great tools, and the browser is the place to do it.



Browsers like Safari, and now Chrome, are beginning to offer quicker ways to access your favorite sites, by offering a function that shows you screens shots of your favorite websites upon launch, so you can easily 1-click and be off. However this is only a very small way browsers can save us time.

Many websites I use require me to sign up, register, and usually create a profile. For many people, this is a big deterrent from actually using some sites. There have been attempts by companies to create universal profile systems such as Open ID, and many others. However this also requires a person to create a profile, and then not all websites support these forms of identification, or they support one, but not another.

A better solution would be for the browser to house the user's profile information. Think about it. There are about 5 major browsers on the market today. Compared with the number of websites, which is the more universal medium? If even the top 3 browsers had systems to store profile info, the websites would have a much easier time integrating their logins with those browsers. Many websites already make Firefox Add-ons and widgets. It's become extremely easy, especially with the open source browsers, to integrate websites into them. Also, it wouldn't be too hard to sync a user's Twitter, Myspace and/or Facebook profile with a profile stored on a browser - the ultimate solution!

I cannot wait for the day when I go to sign up to a new website and it asks me to agree to the terms, and then I get a little box that says "Syncing to Browser Profile Data." That would sure save me a headache, and it could be an amazing thing for websites as well.

But hey, if the big browsers wait to long, then shit, I'll just have to do it myself. Browsers are for sure the future of profiles, and in my opinion, computing in general, even over OS's, just ask Google.

Written by: Dante Cullari Founder & President Beat-Play, LLC

Whenever I go to a music store or website, I always see Hip hop and Rap in the same section, and many times the terms are used interchangeably.

When you bring up this subject to people, there are many different responses. Most of the time people equate Hip hop to being the older of the two, as the real foundation for the genre. People also say that Hip hop has more of a Jazzy, upbeat feel. Rap, according to most people, is anything made after 1994. Most of what came before is considered Old school hip hop.

Some people say Hip hop is Dead. "Rapper" Nas claimed this a while back. I disagree..and I also don't consider Nas a "Rapper," though he is commonly referred to a one.

You may or may not know but I'm an independent artist myself. I actually happen to be a lyricist that mostly writes hip hop lyrics, but I also do some Rock and R&B. I would never classify myself as a rapper though, simply because of the bad connotations that the word is associated with. When I say connotations, I mean the subject matter that is in the songs.

The REAL difference between the two categories is lyrical content. Rap, I classify, as being a genre that focuses on particular concepts over and over again. The subject matter never really changes very much. It is almost like Rap is a mass produced form of music, and the artistic dynamic to the music is often lost.

However Hip hop on the other hand, which is still very much alive (overshadowed, but alive), has a greater value to the listener. It offers poetic and often insightful lyrics that give you a second reason to want to listen. Take a look at one of my favorite Hip hop lyricists, Emmanuel Jackson in the video below. He's unknown right now, but look out for him in the next couple years. Hip hop will be making a huge comeback. His style is also the closest to my own that I have ever seen and I have tremendous respect for his art.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA8jnNts4ms]

I hope this post cleared this issue up for a lot of people. Rap is a mainstream pop genre that goes through fads faster than an elementary school, and Hip hop is a fundamentally pure art form who's roots are so deep that it will never really die. In fact, I think Rap may be in danger pretty soon, especially with people like Emmanuel Jackson emerging, who happens to feel the exact same way as me on the subject. The REAL difference is all about the REAL.

P.S. I should have a EP out by the end of the year ;)

Written by: Dante Cullari (aka ilL principe) Found and President Beat-Play, LLC

The key to success is knowing something nobody else knows. It seems to me that too many of the people in the web or tech fields are strictly focused on what everybody else does know, and they don't take this information and use it to create the next big evolution, but instead, they try to create something that fits into what everybody else is already talking about, or are focused on at the moment, in order to fit into a perceived market trend.
There also always seems to be much speculation about what the next big trend will will be, but usually we end up being very wrong. For example, many people are betting on the tablet PC to be the next BIG innovation, however, I will suggest something later in this post that could make the tablet PC obsolete, and even if it isn't realized now, the chances are that someone will realize it eventually, and it will then take the place of the tab. I will give you a very recent example of why this issue occurs.

Currently, and widely because of this years CES Convention, the web is buzzing about tablet PC's and iSlate speculation, and eReaders. It seems to me that in both categories, there are many competitors with extremely similar products. At least all of the big brands out there seem to be following a trend. There aren't very many different solutions in terms of features and technologies.

How could they all have come out with similar products at the same time? The future of eReaders and portable PCs is so uncertain.. How could they all have come up with the same answers to the same questions, and especially when there are many different directions left unexplored by any of them?

It seems to me something fishy is going on, like they're all talking to one another.. However, the fishy big companies aren't the only causes of the problem. There just doesn't seem to be any push from new companies to completely out-do their bigger competitors and introduce an innovation that makes their competitor's products obsolete. Maybe it's lack of resources, but I know if I'm a venture capitalist, I'm going to invest in innovation*.

The one hardware example of a new company at least slightly distinguishing themselves from their competitors has to be Plastic Logic with their Que proReader (shown at top) that is designed specifically for business solutions. But as luck would have it, eReaders may be in danger of becoming obsolete all together due to evolving portable PCs that can do almost infinitely more.

I think the winner of this debate for the hardware would be Light Blue Optic's Light Touch 10 inch touchscreen projector; but even this has many problems, or holes, in functionality that could prevent this particular model from going to the next level. Imagine if this product was also a mini PC, but the screen expanded to Microsoft Surface proportions. It could potentially make the Surface obsolete, and in the process maybe the tablet PC as well, due to no limitations on screen size, with much less hardware, therefor less price, and the same capabilities. Why hasn't Light Blue Optics figured this out?

It's the same story with websites and apps. There's about 182,000 (not accurate) music websites out there, all with extremely similar models, and if not, with similar problems. For independent artists, they either charge you too much upfront without you being guaranteed results, or they're free but offer you no way to actually promote your music other than spamming people, or you need to use more than one site because one provides a tool that you need that the other doesn't have, and vice versa. There's many similar problems from a fan's perspective as well. Why can't someone come up with a website that solves ALL of these problems for everybody!?! (Beat-Play)

It seems that even with all of the amazing possibilities that the web is capable of providing, with a market place driven by poor competition, still, nothing is easy.

You might say "But Dante, it's not so easy to innovate in a field these days. Where do you even start?" And I'd say to you "But it really is! And you start with your competitor's products." An innovation doesn't have to be some huge evolutionary leap, like morse code right to Telephone, it just has to solve a problem that is currently put up with by society. Be the person to solve that problem, and your company should be off to a great start.

Try using your competitor's products. Put yourself in the shoes of the consumer. If you don't know what industry to start with, chances are you're a consumer of something..what problems do you face with products? I once saw a great TED Talk by Charles Leadbeater, about the occurrence of innovation. He talked about how the invention of the mountain bike didn't come from the R&D labs of major companies, but they came from the consumers. Avid bikers became fed up with the restrictions placed on them by the big companies, and they began modifying, and eventually selling their modified bikes. The mountain bike industry today accounts for 65% of all bike sales in America

By looking at all of the slate computers, and finding the fundamental problems, creating an alternative to these problems becomes a lot easier, instead of creating something that poses the same problems. It seems that many times the major company's definition of "compete" is to create a product with almost identical features as the other company's products, so when you're in the store staring at both of them on the shelf, you're so confused that hopefully you'll end up picking their product. This is either lunacy, stupidity, or treachery towards the consumers. I have a feeling there's a little bit of all three floating around in this marketplace somewhere.

People only pay attention to the products of existing companies when it comes to hardware. The web is the only medium where mass mainstream media advertising can have absolutely no effect on the success of a website. In other words, a website can completely explode, seemingly overnight, with no TV commercials or billboards up initially whatsoever.

For almost every other major industry, advertising could make or break you, which is why new competitors don't arise very often. But, it turns out that the internet and social-ecommerce could very well offer a solution to this problem as well, especially with the massive networks of people being created by the Web 2.0 revolution. However, how the internet can make advertising obsolete is a subject for another blog.

For now, if you're a consumer who wishes they weren't constrained by company or brand restrictions, then now is the time to do something about it, and come up with the solutions to those problems. You might as well, the big companies aren't going to solve them. The key to success is knowing something nobody else knows...or admits..

Written by: Dante Cullari, Founder & President Beat-Play, LLC

*However it is worth noting that most venture capitalists are probably in their 50's-70's and they've seen so much innovation in their lifetimes, that to them, they kind of have the outlook that enough is enough. They may even resent the fact that the world will continue to advance without them. At least this is my theory. I also happen to think the world would be a much better place if run by intelligent people in their 20's. I should also note that I'm 21 :).

I thought I'd talk a little bit today about song recommendation engines, as far as where we are currently with the technology online, and how it can get any better.

First of all, we've all heard about Pandora's Music Genome Project. They actually have a very dedicated staff that goes through each song for about 10-15 minutes and reports on a list of many different musical variables. The results get fed into the algorithm and BAM, there's your playlist.

Last.fm does something very similar, but they use different variables, and many sites, like thesixtyone.com, use a "similar" function that introduces you to music with similar variables.

So how do you tell which one works the best? You'd almost have to go through and look at the variables they use to tie music together. It would be almost impossible to tell if the site could have played you a better song than the one it did. Streaming music seems to be the way to go, but right now I believe the biggest factor in people's choices between these different websites may be the design appeal and ease of use. That, and the lack of anything better.

There are several problems I see with this picture. Number one is that it never seems like a good idea to use a tool that has no clear distinction between it's competitors. There's gotta be one that's better, but in this case it's too hard to tell, or would take too much effort. This most likely has a lot to do with the fact that these concepts are no new, and no one has really settled on one ultimate solution, yet people do have their favorites of the moment.

That brings me to the second problem with this picture, which is a fundamental one. The current song recommendation engines all use the song's variables to tie the songs together, and then tie you to the songs by entering a song or artist you like. This a pretty cool, but your control over your music ends after you enter your favorite artist or song.

Music is such a social thing. It seems to me that our playlists shouldn't be controlled by similarities between songs, but similarities between people.

There needs to be a system where I can follow people that I share a taste in music with(my friends, favorite band members, ect). Then anything in those people's playlists will get sent to my radio player, at random, or at my control. This not only ensures that you'll hear only the best music, but also it will automatically update you when new songs are out, and it doesn't bind you to one genre, or one sound.

If you're like me you could listen to 4 or 5 different genres, back to back. This system would also allow for filters on things like genres, moods, tags, ect, and could create a much more custom listening experience.

Also for new bands, this would almost take the place of promotion, because it is basically automated word of mouth and is the epitome of viral. With this model, who knows, you could be the one to discover a band for your whole generation.

I don't know about you, but I think that sounds a lot better than trusting variables and algorithms. This model will actually be out soon. It will be included in my website, Beat-Play, coming out in beta this April, 2010. It will be undergoing many changes early on in the beta process, but we hope to get it all fleshed out by June.

When it comes to the internet and all of the crazy, complex, and really cool tools out there, it's best to keep this thought in the back of your mind: "Is this the experience I want?" If the answer is "I don't know", then there's usually a problem somewhere, and also a void waiting to be filled.

For more info about the Beat-Play beta check out the BeatPlay Beta Overview

And to sign up to beta test, visit: http://MusicWithoutLabels.com

Written by: Dante Cullari Founder & President, Beat-Play, LLC

For any independent business owner, even if you're an independent artist, being your own boss is tough. How do you stay on top of everything when you're being pulled in a million different directions? Especially when there's so many different responsibilities to keep track of? Here's a couple tricks I've used to stop my own anxiety.

First, when I felt that the list of things I was in charge of was too big to even remember off hand, I made a spreadsheet. At the top left I wrote "Action Items:" Then below I listed all of the actions I go through(or should) almost daily, such as Blogging, Research, Drafting, Email, ect. Then every day I check off the categories I did and list the specific projects I worked on.

It helps me in a couple of different ways. It lets me know which areas I'm hitting the hardest and which ones need work. It also lets me track how much is actually getting done daily, and it gives me something to be proud of. Also it pushes me to be more productive so I can have the simple joy of checking off those boxes.

There's just one other crucial step in this process: Get a clipboard. For some reason, there's something official about having a clipboard with information regarding the productivity of your business. It is reassuring, and especially when your office is your living room or your basement, and your environment might not be so "official" looking, having something that represents that order to your business is important, and having things organized like that goes a long way for your peace of mind.

One more AWESOME and similar organizational tool for any business owner, that can sky rocket your productivity, is called the Mini Day Method. Check out that blog post for more info, it is REALLY worth looking into.

Today's Advice: Don't stress, buy a clipboard!

Written by: Dante Cullari, Founder & President Beat-Play, LLC

Sounds like not much would get done..but it could be more fun. In today's smart phone social culture, information is more readily available than ever before. As of now, no one really knows the full repercussions of this on our society, but some signs have already begun to pop up.

Probably the most obvious is Mark Zuckerberg who is now 25 going on 26, and was only 20 when he started Facebook in 2004. 6 years later his website has over 350 million members and even old lame people are forced to jump on. Why is this? Because Mark came up with a better way to use the web as a tool to communicate than was previously in place. In my opinion, this could have only come from a younger person.

Being born in 1984, the exact year 29 year old Steve Jobs and Apple Computers launched their most famous product ever, the Macintosh, Mark Zuckerberg had grown up with computers. He was even programming in middle school; something which a decade before would have been reserved for only the most experienced hardware and tech nerds, and something which may not have happened if it wasn't for people like Jobs and Woz.

For my father(58), to have seen the transformation from black & white photos and TV to all of the ridiculous gadgets made available today, like 3d printing and color multi-touch phones, just to have had email would have been sufficient. Email works soo much better than what he was used to growing up, that imagining better is made much harder, and seemingly useless in his eyes.

The bar with the younger generation is being set way higher, and we can expect this trend to continue exponentially. Another point to make is the rate at which change and innovation in business online can occur. Computers and the internet make everything amazingly easier to edit, update, change, delete, recover, and so on. This new medium has the potential to implement changes on a society scale much faster than was ever possible in the past, and increase our societal advancements exponentially as well, to follow along with the trend of doubling microchip capacity every 1-2 years.

Another reason for the breakthrough successes of many younger entrepreneurs may very well be their "naive" outlooks on the world. They seem misaligned with reality's crushing sting and unfazed by thoughts of the many hopeless boundaries awaiting. However they're amazingly successful..how could this be? Check out this excerpt from an AOL Small Business Blog titled A Teen Millionaire's Three Principles to Success

"I’ve been fortunate enough to make my first million before graduating from high school and buy my own house at 20. At 21, I’ve now put away enough in savings and other investments that I could practically retire today . . . if I wanted to. But of course, that’s the last thing on earth I’d want to do. I just enjoy it all too much. Not to say the money isn’t important, but frankly, it’s not why I do what I do. I do it because I love it." - Cameron Johnson

I can hear the passion in his voice just reading his words. Is this naive, or relevant? Actually, the answer to this question is a bit peculiar.

We are in the middle of a strange paradigm shift where the technology created by the older generation has effected society so much, that most of the problems that they faced in the past can be solved by this new technology. This doesn't mean however, that the problems have been solved, because the older generation has somewhat failed, or has been slower to realize, that this is possible. Now though, It does mean that many members of the younger generation are beginning to realize these solutions that the internet and computers provide, and we're beginning to implement them at tremendous paces.

Here's a great analogy:
It's like if the inventor of the light bulb was blind, and couldn't really see the potential for his invention, so it sat idle; until one day another thinker with sight comes along, sees the potential, and installs telephone poles to carry the light around the globe. Now with this first invention of the light bulb, any innovator after will be able to see and work much longer, increasing the productivity for these potentially younger generations, solving potentially many problems at once, that would not have been solved if the potential of the lightbulb had not been realized. It wasn't enough just for the invention to be created, but the potential had to be reached. Younger generations will always find new applications for great inventions. Thomas Edison would have never imagined 3D Imax Movie Projectors, or LEDs.

The internet's progress has almost been put on hold compared to how fast it could be moving, because of the failure of the older generations to realize the true potential of computers, and especially the net. The main problem right now is that all of the best innovators are mostly too young to afford to maintain a start up, and only the most savvy, or lucky ones, actually make it.

This reminds me of a story. I've actually had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Doug Herzog, the President of Viacom. This is the same Doug Herzog who was president of Fox a while back and decided to cancel Family Guy..a mistake which the younger generation would haunt him with until he eventually left a year later. He was also featured in an episode of South Park that wanted to show a picture of the Prophet Muhammad, but Doug decided to censor it, which earned him a place in the show.

We met to discuss my business plan for Beat-Play. (BeatPlay Beta Overview) I won't get into that right now, but one of the first things he told me was that he really had no idea what was going on at MTV on the "ground level." He said he was just "so far separated from it." After explaining my model to him, he couldn't understand how Beat-Play was any different than iTunes. He couldn't see how a completely free website that could solve piracy, promotion, and revenue problems for independent artists all over the world, was different than paying 99 cents for mostly artists heard on the radio. Me being 19 at the time, and him being unwilling to be schooled by a "kid", I thanked Doug for his time, and strolled out.

This was one of the first signs of this "Senior blindness" that I had encountered. The truth is, iTunes doesn't even begin to solve the problems the music business is still plagued with, but I guess being able to download music onto a mobile device you fit in your pocket is far enough away from old 45's and 8-tracks that it's easier to settle for the current circumstances. It may be better than before, but that doesn't make it good! Also, a problem that still occurs to this day is that the problems with the music industry have been around so long that it's not even feasible for many people that they could actually be solved..probably because before the internet, they couldn't be..

This is a great quote from Inc Magazine blog titled A Portfolio of Young Business Owners

"Only five years ago, two enterprising teens might have mowed lawns to earn spending money. Today they can start a company on the Web. That's how it worked for the co-founders of Switchpod, Weina Scott and Jake Fisher. And, oh yeah, they live 1,440 miles apart--she's in Miami, and he's in Rochester, Minnesota."

Now wait until the younger generation reaches the full potential of the internet. Imagine how many other problems will be solved by more efficient organizational structure embedded into our societies.

Dare I say this is the first time in history that the younger generation may actually know better than the ones before it. Well..isn't that what you would hope for? Things have changed..now it's just up to people to realize it.

Written by: Dante Cullari, Founder & President Beat-Play, LLC

What came first, the toolbox or the tool? This is not a trick question, it's obviously the tool, and we have proof. However, with the emergence of more tools, and more applications for these tools, it became apparent that another tool, a tool's tool, was needed: the Toolbox.

It is no different for the current state of the music industry and all of it's awesome web tools. I see the future of music going in one distinct direction in order for it to flourish the way it naturally should. It may sound cliche, but the only way true, good music(like the old days) will live on, is if the surviving community of great music decides to unite as one. This may sound like an empty gesture, but with today's standards, uniting is as easy as selecting and supporting ONE universal music social network online. It's almost as simple as a mouse click these days to organize collectively toward a common goal.

Once a single platform is established, the possibilities for collaboration and integration of all of the awesome sites and tools that are out there are opened up increasingly, and can benefit the users way more than the current set up. Third party apps can be integrated with the social network to expand the capabilities of the site and its users.

Also, a huge part of this platform should include an effective ad model, that is unobtrusive and that sponsors the content. Artists can track ALL of their plays, vid views, profile views, merchandise page views, shares, ect, and if they give their music away for free, they could then gain ad revenues based on popularity. The downloads on this network would also be very safe, putting an end to crashing computers and lawsuits.

Bands could be able to perform live streaming concerts and sell tickets on this platform, as well as their merchandise, and they can have their updates sent directly to their fan’s profiles. Band members could even eventually practice with each other from across the world if this system is created, leaving even the opportunity for new bands to form, where it would have been impossible before.

Having one music platform would open up the doors to a more efficient way of artist promotion as well. There could be a system where users follow people they share a taste in music with, and then the user's radio pulls songs from their friend's playlists when they press play. There could be many ways for users to control this. What this really means is the best free promotion an artist could get (and currently can't). For example, if my friend likes a song enough to playlist it, then it will get sent to me, and if I like it enough to playlist it, it gets sent to everyone who's following me, creating an automated word of mouth system that makes the music itself completely viral, as long as it's good.

There's currently no term for this, but it can be described almost as a 2-way status update, where a user not only receives the content, but passes on the content that they like. This amazingly simple, but innovative system. will have incredible implications, not just for the promotion of music, but eventually for any product.

Basically, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t have ONE platform online for music, and a million and one reasons why we should. It doesn't mean the end of all of the current music sites, it would just mean the integration of them all together, performing the role of a toolbox for all of the cool web tools out there. Imagine, before tool boxes, people only had access to a limited amount of tools at a given time; but with the toolbox, the options became almost limitless, given the tools. I see the future of this spreading generously throughout many facets of our lives.

Also in the future, along these same lines, could eventually be mobile hardware, as well as mobile apps that are universally accepted for music distribution. Then, of course, I hope we would do the same thing for TV and Movies, which would be to essentially free the industries, in almost every sense of the term. This system is inevitable and I am certain it will happen in this decade, just as sure as the invention of the toolbox was after the introduction of numerous tools. Organization is key!

Written by: Dante Cullari, Founder & President, Beat-Play, LLC

We will soon be releasing the Beat-Play beta version to independent artists and fans everywhere. They will be among the first to EVER use this revolutionary new technology designed to completely break independent artists free from the plagues of the current music industry. The beta will include the following:

The Audio Component Auction -

This tool is designed to provide a fair and efficient way for artists to sell licenses of their work without paying for anything upfront. The auction creates an environment that will reveal the true value of the music, and will also be competitive. This makes the best situation for both artists and consumers.

The Music Social Network -

Beat-Play allows users to have their own profile and control panel to keep track of all of their favorite music and share it with friends. Beat-Play will soon become the ultimate music social network with the addition of the viral radio, where users will follow other users with similar tastes in music and anything in a user's playlist will automatically get sent to their follower's radios, at random, or by a user's control. This creates a situation where if the music is good, it will spread extremely fast through a network of playlists all connected by users with common interests.

The 3D Music Store -

This section intends to recreate the experience of browsing through a real music store. Users will be able to choose from a selection of avatars to navigate around within this 3D virtual store, full of racks of music able to be previewed and purchased effortlessly.

Credit System -

Beat-Play will use a currency system of credits, which can be added to a user's account using a credit or debit card. Users cannot purchase anything without adding credits to their account. This is to save users on transaction fees that Beat-Play would have to charge every time a user makes a purchase with their card. Once the credits are transferred into an account, the user can make purchases without entering any additional information or getting extra charges per each of their purchases. Just another way Beat-Play saves the users money.

Beat-Play Beta Promotions to Get Involved In:

Vibe-rater Widget -

The Vibe-rater is a widget consisting of a selection of "vibes" which are actually playlists related to a particular mood or vibe. A user will select their vibe and each song in that playlist will then be displayed and can be rated, with links back to the artist's information. The Widget is viral and embeddable on many different social networks and blogs. The Vibe-rater will not exclude any genres and can therefore be very effective at introducing people to types of music that they don't normally listen to. It will also be linked to a user's Beat-Play profile. The music selected for the Vibe-rater playlists will be among the best on Beat-Play, and it will be rotated monthly.

To start, the music will be selected by a group within the Beat-Play team, but in the future, amendments will be made to let the users decide what music goes best with each vibe, and we will also accept suggestions for new vibes. The Vibe-rater will undergo many additions and enhancements, as Beat-Play does the same, such as getting users engaged and involved in sharing the widget between friends and giving them incentive to do so using things like personalized "vibes."

What is Beat-Play?:

It's like iTunes without paying

It's like iTunes for independent artists

It's like Pandora but with your friend's playlists

It's like Pandora without obtrusive ads

It's like Ebay for music

It's like FYE but online

It's like Virgin without the long lines

It's like TheSixtyOne.com - the games, + way more functionality

It's like SoundClick.com plus innovative free promotion

It's like SoundClick.com without the fees

It's like Facebook for All of Music

It's like your dream, but it's reality...your reality.

It's the Revolution!

Give us some background. Where are you from originally, where are you now, how did you get there?

I am originally from Long Island, NY.  I am now living in Georgetown, MA.  After high school, I received a Vocal Scholarship to Rollins College in Winter Park, FL.  After graduating from Rollins, I then continued my life in Mansfield, Texas. Texas and I didn't mix, so I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my dream of getting discovered as an artist.  I lived in L.A. for 8 years performing, writing / co-writing and teaching.  I made countless connections and played a great amount of shows.  I had my own funk band that made everyone dance all night when we played!  The changing of times and goals moved me out of L.A. into Massachusetts this past October.  I thought that being a big fish in a smaller pond would help things, and it has. 

What Genre would you classify yourself as?

I would classify my music as Funky Pop.

What is it that drove you to pursue a career in music, along with what drives you individually as a musician?

I have always been in front of crowds singing and performing, and I am extremely comfortable in that setting, and love it.  When I started writing music, I realized that it was what I was "supposed to be doing"!

What struggles have you faced with having your music heard and getting your name recognized by outside markets? 

I think that I have gotten more positive feedback rather than bad but it seems that the higher ups, that could make my music heard WORLD WIDE, don't want to take a chance on something new and different even though it's good.  

What kinds of things do you do to promote yourself? 

Performing live shows as much as possible while promoting online via Myspace, Facebook, Bebo, Imeam and email Blast lists.  I’ve also recently joined the New England Songwriters guild.  

Is there a predominant message you hope to get across in your songs?  

I preach the law of attraction, visualizing what you want and bringing it to your self through this law.  I also write about LOVE a lot because I am very fortunate to have found it.  Six out of the eleven tracks on my album VISUALIZE ('09) are about the love of my life.

What are your thoughts on the future of the music industry and where it’s going?

I know it will be harder for us musicians to get noticed, but I think that if you want it bad enough, and are good enough, YOU WILL SHINE THROUGH.  Music is needed in this crazy world and I can't think of anything I would rather do than write music to make people feel better, or DANCE!

Are you currently unsigned, and do you plan on staying independent?

I had been signed by GoDigital Media Group, based out of Santa Monica, CA.  They put my album online ONLY, on about 8 online music stores. (iTUNES, Napster, Amazon mp3, Aimey Street, Rhapsody... etc.)  This group has done very little else besides putting my songs online.  Virtually NO promotion.  The songs are online but won't sell because I don't know how to promote!  I am not really with them anymore since I moved, but my songs are still online represented by them.

What are your reasons for being an independent artist?

Mainly because there was no label interest.  

Who are some of your favorite artists?

Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson.

Do you ever feel that people will be missing out on your music because you are not signed to a major record label?

ABSOLUTELY.  All I want to do is be heard, and do it for a living.  I don't need "Bling"!

Your art can be very experimental. Do you ever wish there was an easier way to access the music you sample from, or wish that you had access to a huge library of undiscovered music, which is updated everyday by itself?

I don't sample music but a huge library of music would be nice.

What would you say if I told you that there’s a new force in Independent Music that will give you all of the power of the Major Labels and more, while at the same time giving you complete control over all aspects of your musical career, and you will never have to sign a thing? 

Sounds too good to be true!

And you would have access to the worlds first ever audio component auction, where pieces of songs are sold off at auction prices to be repurposed in other songs.  What kind of impact do you think that would have on your music?

It could be very interesting.

The only catch is you have to choose to use it to your benefit, or not.

It’s called Beat-Play.

There has recently been talk of iTunes’ potential purchase of the music streaming website, lala.com. Currently iTunes is using the old model of paying for songs individually rather than buying entire albums. From this initial model, which iTunes had perfected, LaLa came along with a similar idea, with lower prices for the individual songs. Along with the purchasing of music, LaLa offers a streaming system in which you can listen to a song at anytime for the cost of 10 cents a song.

Currently this is all iTunes has to go for right now, being as their model has become outdated. They need something to keep them at the top of the music industry, so it’s understandable to see this being a potential investment.

The main issue lies within the model itself. There is not enough change being brought the table here. Beat-Play will dominate this model, offering more to the artists and fans through free promotion, social network media player, free online auction, and virtual estore. This will be the change that everyone had been searching for, where you will then be able to purchase your music for an extremely low price because the artists will also be receiving a piece of the ad-revenue based on the traffic to their page on Beat-Play. Upon the release of the site we will gladly welcome all of you to THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.

Founder and President of Music Without Labels, Dante Cullari, has been blessed with the pleasure to speak at this year’s Independent Music Conference in Northampton this Saturday at the Clarion Hotel in Northampton, MA, in which, he will be one of a select expert group of panelists, mentors, and workshop presenters, gathered to discuss empowering ideas for indie musicians to achieve success. The four day long IMC, offers many influential opportunities for independent artists, thanks to the educational and internetworking platform provided by the event’s coordinator, InterMixx.

            Featured panelist, Dante Cullari, has been invited to discuss the underlying issues within the current music industry, while providing clear and insightful solutions to its impending transformation. Along with the ideas, Mr. Cullari has founded Music Without Labels to provide an effective, yet free, promotional outlet to the musicians experiencing the repercussion exerted by the current industry. Mr. Cullari states, “Artists should take advantage of the real promotional opportunities the Internet provides, in an effective way,” and suggests several tools to do so – INDEPENDENTLY.

            The Independent Music Conference is known for offering a resourcefully valuable learning experience for producers, musicians, industry professionals, students, and a dedicated online fan base of over 7000 supporters. Music Without Labels serves as an educational platform to discuss the issues, share, the solutions, and promote the organic evolution of the music industry.

COME OUT AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!!!

            For additional information and/or tickets to the IMC, please contact them at 203.606.4649, or visit www.imc09.com. For further information on MWL, catch them at www.musicwithoutlabels.com, or call 717.412.0341.

Give us some background where are you originally from?

I am originally from Colorado.  I was born in Littleton, Colorado.  When I was a year old, my family and I moved to California.  I lived in Orange County until I was six years old, then we relocated to Dallas, Texas.  After Dallas, we moved to St. Louis, MO and I lived there from fourth grade until I graduated from high school.  I normally tell people I am from four states.  Each state I have lived in is a deep part of my psyche and has formed my perception of the world.  The easy answer would be St. Louis because that is where I spent the majority of my life, but like I previously stated, I consider the other three states a very important part of my life. 

 

You are currently attending the Musicians Institute in Hollywood Correct?

Yes, that is correct.

Tell us why you decided to attend the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.

I just graduated from Colorado State University, and I wanted to further my education.  Music has been my passion ever since I can remember, so I decided that there was no better way to continue my education than through a music school.  I wasn’t ready to go into the corporate world like my brother and father, (because that’s not my style), so I decided to attend the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.  For one, I am an artist and I produce and mix my own music.  I realized that the best option for me to pursue my dreams would be to come to Hollywood (the epicenter of entertainment), and learn how to become a sound engineer so I could engineer my own music while learning the other components that make up the music industry.  They teach you a wide range of the skills needed to be successful in the industry such as; how to hear sound correctly, recognize frequencies and understand how to conduct a session and run a studio, along with a lot more valuable information.  

What do you expect to gain as an independent artist by attending the Musicians Institute?

I expect to gain a multitude of things by attending M.I. as an independent artist.  For one, M.I. is an incredible place for networking and getting your name “out there”.  All of the teachers that teach at M.I. are extremely qualified and proven in the industry.  They all have connections and they all know their trade to the smallest details.  Some have received Grammy’s for their work; most if not all have worked and still work with famous and established musicians.  For example, one of my engineer instructors has worked with 311, Brian McKnight, Bone Thugs, and Def Leppard.  In fact, that particular engineer is so good at his job that McKnight pays him just to be in the studio when he’s recording to make sure nothing goes wrong and everything is exactly like Brian wants it.  He isn’t even his sound engineer anymore; he is just paid to be there.  Another great thing that I have already gained through M.I. are the connections that you make with your peers.  I have already started collaborating with my boy V.I. (Vic) who I met at M.I., and we have formed a band called Two $cholars $hort.  I have met a plethora of musicians who I also intend to collaborate with: guitarists, violinists, pianists, drummers, keyboard players, vocalists, etc., all at different talent levels from pro to beginner. 

Tell us about some of your experiences at school and how they have motivated you to become a better artist.

The school has clinics every week that feature various musicians or prominent producers/people in the industry who come and speak at the school.  Scientist will be coming to give a clinic soon and that should be a very influential and informal lesson.  These clinics give additional information that we might not learn in class or elsewhere.  There are often live shows occurring as well and that is inspirational to see because it makes you realize how talented your fellow students and teachers are. 

Do you think your choice to go to a music school is going to give you a better advantage in the music industry and if so, why do you think that is?

Absolutely.  In the small amount of time I have been attending M.I. I have already learned twice as much about the industry than I previously knew.  They provide a large amount of information that you can’t read in books, and that I feel a lot of people don’t know.  They tell you the mistakes they made so you can learn from them.  Also, it won’t hurt to have a college degree and an education from one of the best music schools in the world.

Now that you have attended the Musicians Institute in Hollywood for a little while, is music school something you would suggest to fellow indie artists and producers and why?

Definitely, you should never stop learning and challenging yourself, and as cliché as the saying is “knowledge is power”, it’s true.  There is a lot to learn from the teaching staff at M.I., and the equipment at the school is world class.  In Studio A, there is a beautiful SSL 4000G console with forty-eight channels, top of the line monitors, and a solid acoustic room for recording.  The networking and connections that you can make at this school is unbelievable, and the location is perfect.  The information that you receive at the school will only further your level of expertise, and you will have more control over your sound and vision.

Do you find yourself more focused on your career in the music industry than you did prior to attending music school and if so, why do you think that is?

I am more focused that I have ever been.  I finally have the tools to further my career and education in the music industry.  At the school all of the top of the line equipment is at my fingertips and I am being taught how to use it all.  It is very exciting and I can’t wait until I have my own studio.  I am more focused because, unlike other places I have lived, Hollywood is all about entertainment, and that is my passion.  Every type of music that you want to explore is located here, and the amount of musicians and artists that come here is astronomical. 

Tell us about some of your favorite teachers and how they affect your creativity and development as an artist.

It’s hard to single out a single instructor that I have at M.I. because they are all so talented and cool.  A couple would be David Hewitt, Ted Greenberg, TJ Helmerch, and Otto (superotto.com).  Dave is very relaxed and chill individual who has a lot to teach because he’s seen it all and experienced it too.  TJ is one of the founders of the RIT program at M.I. and a very talented musician.  Ted has received multiple Grammy’s for his work in “Standing in the Shadow of Motown”, and is a very intelligent man.  Otto is a certified master of both Pro tools 8 LE and HD, and Logic 9.  I almost forgot Nels Jensen who is a bad ass with pro-tool, production, mixing, and post-production. He has worked with Flight of the Concords, (he engineered their last season), Jamie Foxx, and other successful musicians and artists.

You are originally from the mid west and now you are on the west coast. Tell us, have you noticed any differences in the struggles of being an independent artist in St. Louis vs. Hollywood?

No, not really.  I would say that everything is working out better if anything out on the West Coast.  Even though there is a massive over-saturation on the music market right now, especially for hip-hop, the networking and capabilities here are far more substantial than the Midwest.  Don’t get me wrong; St. Louis has it on lockdown. I just wasn’t able to make the connections that I am here. 

Do you have any new projects you are currently working on that we should keep an eye out for?

Always.  Especially right now.  My buddy V.I. and I just created a new band called Two $cholars $hort.  We’re working on our first album, and we’ll hopefully have it out in a couple of months.  In the meantime, you can go to my website on myspace, myspace.com/lokeiistl, and check out some of the tracks.  I’m going to put up some of the new tracks we’ve been pouring our heart and soul into, but only just a taste.  I got to keep you hungry so I can feed you later.

We want to thank you for taking the time out to speak with us today and for your support of MWL and Beat-Play.

www.musicwithoutlabels.com

Every independent artist in today’s music business has the same question. When will the right person hear my music? The problem with this way of thinking is the fact that you have now set your focus on pleasing someone that could ‘potentially’ help you out, rather than focusing on the creation and production of new music. Musicians are supposed to create new music to stimulate the fans interest, but in today’s market every band and record label has the focus set towards publicizing the already created music.

If fans want to hear the old music you had made then they will obviously go back and do that based on a song they had enjoyed of yours. Too much time and money is put into the promotion of music these days that you only see new music from a band maybe twice a year if you’re lucky. What the artists need to realize is that they will make more money, create a larger backing, and promotion becomes free through the fan base.

Here at Music Without Labels, we offer that same FREE promotion idea discussed to help the artist get their name out there so fans buy the music. With Beat-Play comes the first social network radio, in which users will login, activating the radio. Each user will have their own playlist where the friends that they make on Beat-Play will pull new music from to play on their radios. With this, the user has the ability to hear a new song every time you hit next. Once you hear something you like, you then save it to your playlist, to help spread the music. The radio system truly is a great innovation to the business of music promotion, all free.

With a model like this, it is proven that all the artists will need to do is create new music to spread on the site. This will give the artists more traffic on their site for ad revenue along with the ability to sell their music. Once it is on the site, the rest is up to Beat-Play, allowing the musicians to be musicians. Then, finally pull in the amount of money that is being made off their music, rather than having it taken from them because of promotional costs made by the labels.

Keep Makin’ Music

By: Mark G. Valente

www.musicwithoutlabels.com