Exclusive Interview with Joel Joseph
Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Joseph.
It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. How did you get to where you are today?
Music is my life. I started touring nationally after my first year of college, playing keys and tenor sax and soon landed the international Nelly Furtado Loose tour. After years of touring I started working in music production, mainly TV and a few upcoming major label artists. I became frustrated with how the major labels subjugate artists (and producers). I started (Company Name) my own production company. I create remixes and original music that we distribute through all digital aggregators, as well as our own proprietary digital networks. We focus on keeping production and marketing costs low, by keeping them in-house, while maximizing revenues from publishing resources. Our first releases: Silent Night, A Beautiful Christmas and Christmas Spirit are all out for the holidays and streaming well. They are also available to download for free from our site www.joeljosephmusic.com, as a Christmas gift to the world. There’s so much going on right now in the world, this is our way of spreading a little joy to the world.
I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?
Great question. Well, I’ve started a music company after the international pandemic. To be honest, that really was the impetus. During the lockdowns I had realized how important music was in my life, but funding was always an issue. We created a new business model, we needed to have our own studio to work from, as well as capital to invest in our proprietary digital networks. Through my own savings and some investment from a small group of investors who believe in our model, we have been able to secure our studio/office and a relatively small digital network. Building my team was the easiest part as I have built great relationships over the years. I’d have to say the greatest challenge in music today is marketing. Finding creative cost effective means of marketing music has always been challenging, however, with all competition for online traffic, it sometimes seems impossible to get in front of real music supporters. Personally, I also find that striking the right balance between musical fulfillment and commercial viability is a struggle that never seems to go away. It’s kinda always there, lurking in the shadows, making problems. My team is there to balance me out, which I lean on a lot.
Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?
We specialize in making a wide range of jazz infused urban music, Hip-Hop, R&B, Instrumental, Funk, Reggae and Soca. We write, record, mix and master all in house, a one stop shop for high quality records. Also, as I’ve stated before, we have our own proprietary digital distribution network, which is expanding steadily. We market and promote our releases as well, so we can take an artist off the street, write and produce a finished record, distribute and market the song and generate publishing revenue. This is why we are very selective in the artists we choose to work with. Having everything in house gives us full creative control, and because our business model doesn’t rely on album sales to turn a profit, we can save quite a bit on marketing. It is a lot of work, but we are musicians, this is what we do. And we do it well.
What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?
Never give up. Keep working on your skills, improving. Success will come eventually. For me, I also needed to keep an open mind. The business landscape has been changing so quickly, that businesses are forced to adapt quickly, or become obsolete, like Blockbuster. I had to learn that there are many other ways to monetize recordings, as the advent of streaming turned the music industry on its head, drying up record sales virtually overnight. I’m still Ol Skool, as a musician, I still play instruments, write chord changes, etc, but technology has changed how music is made and consumed. Be open to change, because it brings opportunity. Now anyone with a laptop can have a “studio”, with virtual instruments and “outboard gear”. Technology has allowed me to build a fully functional studio for at least ¼ of what it would have cost 3 years ago.
Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?
Success for me is making great music, with great artists for awesome music fans! Making music that we are proud to share, growing our roster and network. Essentially all we are doing now, just more of it.
What’s next for you?
2023 is going to be a busy year for us. We have a bunch of finished EP’s slated for release January to February next year. We also have remixes in the works. We are currently looking for talented artists to work with as well as to collaborate with producers on projects. We are always looking to expand our network so if you are an institution needing/using music, get in touch!
Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more?
www.joeljosephmusic.com
info@joeljosephmusic.com
joeljosephmusic@gmail.com