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ourINTERVIEWS

Mb: Yo Paradise
Paradise: What's up?
Mb says: Ready for your interview?
Paradise: Depends on the questions
Mb: OK... so tell me about your job at mp3.com.
Paradise: Last month (June) was my 3 year anniversary at MP3.com. I started as a musicologist, then genre manager, then Label relations representative. I have accepted a position as Label relations rep for EMusic. My primary responsibilities are managing relations with labels that are in EMusic's online music subscription service. And identifying and signing new labels.
Mb: And monitoring the BB at mp3.com?
Paradise: I was recruited right off the messageboards. That's how I came to work here. Moderating the messageboards was one of my original tasks as a Genre Manager. I got to know many of the artists so I felt obligated to help out when I can. I love the artists community, so it's a pleasure to volunteer my time when possible.
Mb: So what does identifying and signing new labels entail?
Paradise: I have to keep my ears to the street, read all of the industry rags, make lots of phone calls so that I can find active independent labels that put out hot material to keep our subscription service current and in demand.
Mb: Are these virtual labels or "hard copy"?
Paradise: Hard copy labels: (hold on let me get you a link to our label link so that you can see what I mean. http://www.emusic.com/labels_alpha/a/ There you go
Mb: Checking it out… and how does it work? Do they provide the library?
Paradise: Yes, they give us access to their entire catalogs. They send us the CDs, we rip and encode them.
Mb: How do they get paid, basically a portion of the subscription fee?
Paradise: We do a fifty fifty split with the labels after we pay bills/ mechanicals/ publishing.
Mb: How is it being received.... traditional labels reluctant?
Paradise: We currently have over 900 of the best independent labels out there. The majors have been resistant as we use 100% downloadable/ Burnable/ Do what you want MP3's with none of that DRM nonsense.
Mb: So let's talk a bit about "gaming" at mp3.com . Has it been a big problem?
Paradise: Yes, it has.
Mb: And without giving away the farm, how have you dealt with it?
Paradise: We have a team that dedicates time to keeping it fair. It includes employees from many aspects of our business: Content, Customer service, engineering, analytics, Marketing .....
Mb: And is it a subjective call or a blanket policy, as to what is "gaming"?
Paradise: We enforce a policy and we also have many checks and balances in our system. SOPHIE has posted the rules and they are clearly stated in our terms and services agreement that every artist signs when signing up for our site. Please also make a note that my statements are unofficial, as I'm not an "Official" spokesman for MP3.com nor VUNet USA, so I don't speak for the company in any official capacity.
Mb: You just did... interviews are posted verbatim. OK over to the mp3.com BB for a question. Dino Romanelli wants to know "Has MP3 considered using unsigned acts from this site as opening acts for live shows by signed artists, and then using that opportunity to promote the site's unknown sector to the masses?"
Paradise: We have no signed artists of our own to have artists open up live for. However sometimes we get calls from promoters looking for opening acts and our content managers make suggestions (Sally Anthony got a few shows that way). F.o.N. Is playing the live in July due to us suggesting them. At other times in the past we had sponsored tours such as TLC, The Music & Tech Tour, The Lyricist Lounge Tour. We will occasionally do promotions that will give unsigned artists great opportunities. One of our sister sites "Insidesessions.com" is sponsoring a tour (Locobazooka Tour) right now and have officially booked over 7 MP3.com artists to perform.
Mb: Are there ways for artists to apply for your attention?
Paradise: PAS artists are always considered first for every promotion and placement.
Mb: What attracts you to an artist?
Paradise: Good music (which is subjective).
Mb: That's all?
Paradise: Personally or as a content manager?
Mb: To get the attention of mp3.com and be included in promos etc...
Paradise: Good sounding, well produced music. Hard working artists, People who believe in themselves, promote themselves, perform good live. But it all basically starts and ends with good music. We are also impressed with folks who use the tools and services that we provide to their advantage. Such as create great looking artists pages. Fill out their artist calendars etc...
Mb: Here's a question from thewireweb BB...Sintz wants to know "How has your vision of OMD's been affected by your work at MP3.com? "
Paradise: Very much YES! Working at MP3.com is an indescribable experience! It is a very diverse environment with people from all walks of life coming together to create something unlike any other place on the planet. It also let me know first hand what it takes to create such a large undertaking. It takes serious intelligence, dedication, passion and most of all MONEY to create what we have been able to.
Mb: While we're on that topic...from our BB.. Satch Norton wants to know " Why do they not pay a reasonable rate for streams?" ... a bit antagonistic, but how has the rate been set?
Paradise: When I look around the web at so-called competitors I see no one who has created the opportunities for independent and unsigned artists that we have. Our tools and services have yet to be matched. The bar has been set very high by my coworkers, I respect some of the people that I have met that worked for other OMD's such as Bobby, and soon Paris AKA "No Fee Sophie" but as a whole no real competition for MP3.com has emerged.
Mb: Well the question on everyone's mind today... from the mp3.com BB...MichaelMichael wants to know "What are his hopes and fears for MP3.com and the vunet sites in the aftermath of Mr Messier? ".. there must be quite a buzz about the office ...
Paradise: No comment...
Mb: lol.. It's always "the" question that stops us dead! Let's talk a bit about your own music. Back to thewireweb BB..MP3Chuck wants to know "Does he plan on getting back into (or more involved in, if he never left) the rap/hip hop industry? "
Paradise: I continue to create Hip hop/R&B music. I'm currently working on an album for my son "Jahruba" and I'm helping my step son "Tahir Jahi" to add the finishing to touches to his. I plan on starting a production team to create some new sounds, add something real back to the artform. "Jahruba" is 12 (by the way).
Mb: Steve Leblanc and Zap both want to know "If you're having fun at your job and have you used the company's gym?
Paradise: Zap Master has visited us here (even though he was jet-lagged). So he should know how much fun this job is, anytime that you can do what you love and work with such incredible people as I do, it is a dream come true and the only "GYM" that I frequent is a Slim-"Jim"