By José Gandue @Gandour
We have decided at Zonagirante.com establish a new section within our interview field, dedicated to those individuals and companies related to the Latin American music scene that They develop "extramusical" material that contributes to the growth of the cultural landscape. In this space we will talk with producers, video artists, personnel dedicated to finding digital solutions and other types of professionals who are involved in this world, whom we rarely see on stage showing their art, but definitely They are an important part of the progress of this business. We will simply call this section «"Creatives.".
We start these kinds of conversations with Carolina Castilla, CEO and founder of Massive Act, a digital platform that aims to change the relationships between the parties involved in the music industry worldwide, for the growth of all parties, especially from the musicians. Castilla is a Colombian professional who, for almost two decades, worked in various professional roles within her country's music scene, including, among others, manager of bands such as El Sin Sentido, Sexy Lucy, Ciegos SordoMudos, Telebit and Doctor Krapula. Since 2013 he has lived in California, where he has gone to develop his company, in the company of a group of professionals from Silicon Valley, the iconic place where many of the world's largest technology corporations are headquartered. and thousands of small businesses in formation or Start-ups. In a few days, Massive Act will officially launch its project in its beta phase. and will be available to all interested parties. Therefore, we have decided to talk to Castilla, so that he can detail his work and tell us about this new tool.
What is Massive Act about?
Massive Act is a digital platform that helps users, artists, venues for performances, festivals, brands and media outlets to organize themselves in terms of operations and logistics, with the aim of reaching larger audiences.
Where did the idea come from?
The idea arises after working for more than 15 years in the industry and analyze what the most frequent problems were when I was a band manager. From there, I started thinking about how those problems could be solved., especially in the way of optimizing tours.
What problems are we talking about?
The technical rider always had last-minute changes or there were several versions (acoustic show, full band, DJ set). That process was slow. It was also very difficult to find venues for performances when the band was touring in another country or city. Those databases are hard to obtain. The staff is also important: If we're going to play in Mexico (for example), we need to know how to get a radio and press promoter for the tour, or how to hire roadies or additional musicians if needed. For musicians without management, it's difficult to get contracts and schedule gigs., all that type of operations and logistics.
Let's get into the details, how does the platform work?
The platform It has features designed for artists, venues, festivals, brands, and media outlets. The features designed for artists are the most important part: They can create a profile with all the necessary information for talent buyers and us. We integrate with your social media statistics We add their music, photos, press mentions, and highlights from their most relevant shows. After creating their profile, they can design their technical rider using a drag-and-drop feature that allows them to visually display their instrument setup on stage. We also have menus for their input list, backline, and their needs for accommodation, food, transportation, dressing rooms, and other related details. This information is available for direct download or to share via link. And the same applies to the profile. Also, through the platform, groups can manage their finances and track their projects, such as recordings, releases, and all those kinds of activities. Another important feature included in our platform is that the ability to create and send press releases, all in one place.
For festivals and venues for presentations, we have a format so that They can receive applications from artists who want to play with them or search for artists by genre and location. They can manage the talent database, communicate with them, view their rider and profile. They will also be able to handle show logistics, budgets, and staff. They will be able to connect with brands and the press for coverage and sponsorships.. The media will get content., They will have direct access to the artists And they will be able to finalize the schedule with festivals, venues, and brands. Brands will manage their budgets, and they will also be able to participate. in contact with talent, festivals and venues to control their sponsorships.
Basically, the more complete the artist's profile and rider are, The system will send you more opportunities for shows, contests with brands, or interview possibilities.
It also functions as a giant database of people in the music industry. If your band wants to play in another city and needs a roadie, photographer, or promoter, The system will help you. We have a 3-year development plan, and for now these are the most important features of Massive Act.
How does an interested party join the platform?
We'll be releasing a Beta version soon. Those interested simply go to www.massiveact.com, they click on Join as, and we sent him an email when the platform is ready to use.
Will there be a cost to join?
For now, only for the Beta version The features will be free for a while.. Some will remain free forever. Other features of the platform will have a cost after a while, but Prices for Latin America will be much cheaper.
Let's talk about Latin America. The platform is based in the United States and will likely have a large majority of North American clients. Will the platform be effective for those interested in this part of the world?
Yes, that was the initial idea., to create a tool for all the Latin American talent that the world needs to know about. Many of the offices for these types of platforms are in Silicon Valley, but as the product grows, Offices will begin to open around the world, Just like Facebook, Google, or Spotify did. We have regional managers; we currently have people in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile. The idea is to have our own stage at local festivals and exchange artists with international festivals based on genre., to give artists the opportunity to visit other countries.