I sat down with Dani Thompson of DNT Entertainment Agency to ask her some music industry related questions submitted by artists of the Ultimate Entertainer program.
Dani wears many hats as an A&R, Artist Manager, Photographer, Executive Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Publicist, Booking Agent, Talent Buyer, Host, and Artist Development Specialist.
I owe much of my early success in music to Dani. She is one of the most knowledgeable, straight shooting, career boosting, no fluff people you will ever meet. She has saved me from so many newbie mistakes and has pointed me in all the right directions. I’m so thankful to have her in my corner and I CANNOT recommend her enough.
VIDEO QUESTIONS
ORIGINAL MUSIC:
Question 1: First steps towards getting an EP done
Question 2 – 1:18 – How can you become a great song writer? Workshops? Collabs? Online training? How can we exercise this skill?
BUSINESS:
Question 3 – 3:23 – How much does it usually cost to have a manager, at what point should you get one and how do I get connected with a good manager in order to get bookings?
Question 4 – 7:04 – Can I get connected with an A/R person without signing with a label?
Question 5 – 9:46 – What other things are available to artists even though they’re not signed with a label, etc.?
Question 6 – 12:37 – Is it generally true what Taylor Swift said, that “one of the first things an up and coming artist needs is a good lawyer”?
Question 7 – 15:50 – What is the current industry norm regarding contracts with labels? Are they mostly long-term contracts or are there some short-term contracts also.
Question 8 – 17:36 – How do placements work? For instance if someone wanted be selected as the vocalist for a movie or television show.
Question 9 – 21:27 – How do you get to go to the Grammys
GIGS AND PERFORMING LIVE:
Question 10 – 22:08 – Is it better to do covers or should we be doing original songs when performing at gigs? What if you only have 2 original songs is that enough to start with as far as doing open mics and creating a mini show?
Question 11 – 25:19 – Do you have to have a band back you at gigs if you dont play an instrument? Or can you use instrumentals? If a band is better, how do you go about finding band mates to accompany you during live performances?
Question 12 – 27:40 – How do you go about getting gigs? And also landing an opening act type of gig with a more famous group.
MARKETING:
Question 13 – 31:21 – If you’re in a cover band is it a good idea to try to sell your music when you’re out doing cover songs?
Question 14 – 32:19 – How do I get many more views on YouTube for the cover songs that I upload there?
Question 15 – 33:46 – What are some ways to gain more of a following/ audience on social media? How often should we post content and what are some tricks besides using hash tags for people to follow you?
Question 16 – 36:07 – What are some good music release ideas?
