Dotted Music: The Documentary

TThis is both an announcement and the beginning of one hell of a long project – an adventure. In fact, this might be the sickest Dotted Music adventure to date, and I’m inviting you to join us on the ride: we are filming a documentary on the music business.

“Ear Pleasing Noise” (the project’s working title) will answer a frequently occurring question found upon Dotted Music and countless other music marketing blogs: how can a musician break through the noise of thousands of similar artists, stand out from the crowd, become irresistible and come to thrive in this tough business?

Preparing for the trip

How can we define the ever-changing music industry of the present? It seems that the future is already upon us, with what advances brought to us by technology and Internet becoming perpetual. There is no present to the present day music industry. So how are musicians to earn a living through music in this ever-changing industry? The traditional methods of selling records, touring, attracting a fan base, or licensing songs seems are increasingly challenged by the immediacy of online services, but it seems equally tempting to forget the dream for good and work in Starbucks?

These are just a few of the questions that are to be asked and answered in this film by record label owners, managers, publishers, promoters, entertainment lawyers, bloggers, creators of online services for musicians, music startup owners, and — I bet you never expected to see them here — the musicians themselves.

The Crew

The crew is awesome. And it consists of two people – my wife, Katya, and me: Andrew Apanov. Katya is the professional TV journalist and a rising film / music videos director, and knows her stuff better than I do. So I establish and conduct the interviews, while she films everything (while telling me how to avoid looking overly stupid on film). There are more people to be involved behind-the-scenes, but I wouldn’t want to tell you too much too soon.

And how is this going to work?

At present the project’s financial needs are supported solely by myself, although I hope this to be a temporary state of affairs! There is no intention to make money with the film, primarily because the cost of production and travel aren’t exactly what you would call low even for a team as small as ours.

Train Kaliningrad-Berlin

Berlin!

After a number of initial interviews in our native Kaliningrad, the trip starts with a trip to Germany’s capital, where technology and culture meet. Actually, the trip is already underway, as I’m writing this on a train to Berlin.

Our goal is to visit iconic European cities with rich music history and developed music business, so there are many exciting places marked on our roadmap.

Come back to the this section of the blog next week for exclusive photos and reports straight from the filming process. I will be revealing the names of the interviewees over here as well. If you want instant access to exclusive Dotted Music in Berlin news, why not check out our Twitter page?

How can you contribute?

Right now I simply ask all Europe-based musicians and businesses to feel free to contact me so we might discuss how you can be involved in the documentary. I’m open to all opportunities, and although I can’t guarantee your inclusion in the documentary, I’m sure we’ll find a way to mutually benefit from this project.

PS: Wherever you are located, please answer this poll’s single question.