Exclusive Chat with Ron Burman, SVP A&R of Roadrunner Records

The industry is shifting. We all know that. I'd rather not talk about how the labels are falling apart and the music industry is in complete disarray - it's been talked about over and over...

So, let's talk about something positive! There are still labels that are indeed going strong. One of them is Roadrunner Records - and being that I'm an avid rock/metal fan, I couldn't be happier when The Music Void gave me the chance to sit down and have a friendly chat with SVP A&R, Ron Burman.

We discussed what makes Roadrunner a success, plans for the future, and tips for up-and-coming artists on getting noticed. Check it out for yourself below!

Watch live streaming video from themusicvoid at livestream.com

Are you a fan of hard rock/metal? Check out these sites:

Roadrunner Records - United States
Roadrunner Records - Canada
Blabbermouth
Sign Me To Roadrunner Records

There's More than YouTube: An Interview with Blastro (Without the distractions)

I find that YouTube triggers the A.D.D. in me...one minute I'm searching for an old school Corrosion of Conformity video, and the next thing I know I'm watching every single "Fail Blog" video to every remake of  Jimmy McMillan's "The Rent is Too Damn High"... followed by every other stupid thing I can think of that there might be a video of.  After a couple hours, any memories of my original idea are nothing more than a fleeting memory much like the winners on American Idol.

Now, when I'm searching out music videos I usually take a peek on Blastro.com - a site that's catered to flightly music lovers like me.  And even cooler - not too long ago, I got to sit down with the founder of Blastro Networks, Rob Campanell, as part of a series of interviews for the Music Void.  I knew I would be checking out their events at SXSW in Texas, so getting some face time with the guy that started it all was icing on the cake.

Blastro Networks runs three on-demand, genre-specific websites (blastro.com, roxwel.com and yallwire.com ) and had a pretty stellar year - growing to the largest music video (including artist interviews, performance & festival coverage) network just behind Youtube and Google. 

Check out the chat below (btw, I hate my voice in this one):

The Music Void - Rob Campanell Interview

So if you're in a band, and you have a video...think about us folks that have non-existant attentions spans.  It's easy to upload it to Youtube and lump it in with millions of other videos, but then you have to count on people like me finding it.

Interview with Jay Frank, SVP Music Strategy - CMT

A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Jay Frank, Senior Vice President of Music Strategy for CMT for The Music Void at Canadian Music Week 2010.  Jay discussed his new book, FutureHit.DNA as well as the direction of the changing music industry.  How should artists adapt? How should they build a fan base?  Are micro-payments the way to go to sustain the industry?  We also chatted about the 3-strike legislation, consumer wants, as well various revenue streams in today’s evolving music industry.

Before I give it all away…check out the full video below courtesy of The Music Void…

The Music Void - Jay Frank on MUZU 

About CMT: Owned and operated by MTV Networks, and serves as an integral part of today’s pop culture.  Launched in 1983, CMT is the #1 place for Country Music.

About FutureHit.DNA :  Delivering inside tips and tricks from both the perspective of the music listener and the industry itself, FutureHit.DNA covers everything including: The history of techology's involvment in past hits, embracing new technology and using it to result in higher royalties, 15 tips for artists wanting a chart topping hit, and more. 

Thanks Jay!

TM

CMW Interview with Rio Caraeff, VEVO

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to represent The Music Void at Canadian Music Week 2010.  During this time, I had the chance to sit down with Rio Caraeff, President & CEO of VEVO. 

In conversation, I had the opportunity to discuss the upcoming strategies for VEVO as well as the shift of the consumer ownership of music to simply accessing music.  Also discussed are those consumers who are willing to by music versus those who are not, and the combination of a hybrid business model that combines both ownership and access of music over the course of the changing music industry.

Check out the full video below, courtesy of The Music Void.

The Music Void - Rio Caraeff on MUZU.

About VEVO:  VEVO has become one of the prime music/entertainment services for consumers, advertisers and more.  Created in partnership Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and the Abu Dhabi Media company, VEVO features one of the most elaborate music cataloges found on the web.  VEVO has a powerful user community powered by Youtube and blends musical content with cutting edge video technology.  A main goal of VEVO is to bring more revenue to the songwriters and artists creating the music.

Stay tuned for more interviews to be posted over the coming weeks!

TM