Interview with Dominik Schmidt - Founder of ROLA MUSIC

photo: ©  Jaquelyn Cruz

In this VMI Spotlight, our Music Business students, Luisa Pfeifer, Marlene Schaetz, Denise Götz, and Nicolas Wall, had the opportunity to interview Dominik Schmidt, founder of ROLA MUSIC. ROLA MUSIC is a globally operating music agency with a strong focus on tour booking, public relations, digital marketing, promotion, music management, and artist development. During his guest lecture at VMI – Vienna Music Institute, Dominik Schmidt provided broad insights into marketing, PR, and booking, focusing not only on the business side of the music industry but also on the perspective and development of the artists themselves.

While building ROLA MUSIC, what motivated you to expand internationally so early on, and why did you choose Portland as your initial location?

Choosing Portland was more of an accident. Sometimes the best things in life happen when you don’t plan them. That’s kind of the magic of life, I would say. I was on a West Coast road trip - I had just turned 30 years old - and, long story short, Portland was our third destination. On my second night there, I met my future wife, now ex-wife. She was the reason why I initially moved there.

She had connections to several musicians, and once I started living there, word spread really fast that there was this European guy in town who had an agency. I had started ROLA MUSIC in Vienna three years earlier, and it was just meant to be. Artists started reaching out to me, and I quickly got introduced to the music scene in Portland. Suddenly, I was the guy in town who was able to do what no one else there could do: get those artists to Europe.

I had no idea that, for Americans, it is a dream to tour Europe. So, for me, it was like I could really choose the best artists. Once I started doing tours with them, word spread even more, and from there on, one thing led to the next. I’ve generally always had more of an international attitude.

I never really grew up with Austrian music. I grew up with music from England and America. So for me, moving there felt natural, and it felt like a new home. I like the spirit there. It’s just bigger, you know - America is huge. There is a different attitude. 

In Austria, we only really have Vienna, the “Wasserkopf,” like the big city. And in Austria, so much is black and white for me. You have FM4 and Ö3. They either love you or hate you. In some ways, it’s way too narrow-minded for me. Meanwhile, in America, you have multiple radio stations in every city, and you have so many different genres and bands. It’s just more my vibe, I would say.

What does your process of selecting artists look like? Are there different stages involved, and do you ever work with trial periods to ensure a good fit? Additionally, how do you approach ending collaborations with artists?

I will start with the first question. I have two people in my company who are actively scouting artists and sending me a list of new artists every week. I also do some scouting when I have the time, but there are many ways we find artists. We get newsletters from colleagues, or we research on Spotify and Instagram. A lot of times, bands reach out to us as well. There are many ways in which we collect artists.

Then it’s all about looking at and checking out their profiles, Spotify, Instagram, and their website, if they even have one. Especially their videos and content, just to get a feel for where they are in their development. How many fans do they have? Do they tour already, et cetera. Ideally, the type of musician that we would love to sign is someone who has already toured in their home country. Territory-wise, we have a lot of Australian artists. They all previously toured there (Australia) before coming to Europe, Canada, or the US.

It is really important that we work with an artist who is not new to what we do with them, like touring, PR, and digital marketing. It helps a lot because when they have already done that in their home territory, we understand that there is someone behind it who really wants to do it. Because there are many bands out there, but there is only a small amount that I have found who really want it. What I mean by that is putting in investments like time and money.

A lot goes into it. And I think if you want to be a band that cuts through, the most important part isn’t only your music, because there is a lot of great music out there. But why do some of those great musicians never make it? Because they don’t have the correct mindset.

I look at the mindset, and they just need to show me their attitude and show me that they really want it. If they do not shy away from our fees, if they understand, yeah, ROLA MUSIC already did all that, they can do that for me, that has value and worth. It is a good sign of partnership.

Regarding the second question (is there a trial period?), we really go right into it. The worst thing that can happen is that we decide to work with an artist, and the interest is just really low, but that can happen sometimes. In those instances, we need to decide and ask ourselves: Is it really worth continuing to push and finishing their tour and making it happen? And a lot of times, we do that because many of those bands don’t have the strongest numbers. The people who attended my guest lecture may remember that I told you I do not shy away from numbers. If there is an artist who only has 2,000 monthly listeners and I think this artist is awesome, we will find a way to help them because we believe in them.

With artists who have smaller numbers, it sometimes happens that it is harder to get the great venues. You may not have the top league, but you are still able to get a tour.

Maybe you do not get as many shows as you wish, but then it’s all about getting the band into the territories where people can experience and see how good they are. And once we start telling a story, once we have some data that we can look back at and be like, look, this guy/band is small, we know that, but on their first tour, they already sold out two shows, then we start to tell a story, and then we can bring them back and grow them.

So, a trial period is not really something we do, but I would say a first tour quickly shows where it’s going. With some bands, the booking process goes super easily and fast, so we see, wow, there is an interest in the market. And there are some bands where it is just a hustle in the beginning, but it can also lead from hustle to something great.

Answering the last part of that question, ending a collaboration is normally a natural process. If one of the parties is not happy with the other, there will be a conversation, and you will figure out what is best for both of you.

What are your main priorities when developing artists? Are there any qualities or factors that would be immediate dealbreakers for you?

Let’s start with the last question: Are there any dealbreakers? Okay, assuming I like an artist, I want to work with them, and I’m like, holy shit, great video, great concept, let’s go. If I’m then on a phone call with them and I get the understanding that they are not really serious about it, or they are just really good and talented but do not want it enough, that will be an absolute dealbreaker for me. Because by now, after doing this for 16 years, I know that if someone doesn’t have the mindset and attitude - regardless of whether they’re Michael Jackson or someone else - it is going to be hard.

That would be dealbreaker number one. Another dealbreaker would be if they are too “space cat,” not getting stuff done, and hurting us in the process. If we ask for content and the communication is slow, my red flags are on. Waiting five days for an answer - and this does happen - means it is our job to be very clear and set boundaries and say, “Hey guys, we work for you, you are paying us, and we want to do a great job, but this communication is not working.” You do not have to answer the same day, but sometimes there are really pressing things. For example, there is a radio show, and you are on tour. My team needs to be on a call with you today. We need to make a decision right now. So, if you do not have the right attitude and mindset around your personal and work life, then it is going to be hard.

My main priorities are getting them a good tour, finding fans for them, and ideally getting the media involved - all three things that ROLA MUSIC does.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced so far, and is there a goal you have set for yourself that you have not yet achieved?

A goal I haven’t achieved yet is having an artist with whom we can sell a thousand tickets across Europe every night. That is my goal. Right now, my biggest artists are around the 400- to 500-ticket mark.

The biggest challenge is finding artists who can afford to invest in their project. There are thousands of artists out there, but I have never met one who came to me saying, “Dominik, we are swimming in money and don’t know where to put it.” It is always the same story. They want to do this and that, but they do not have any money. It then comes down to their determination to find a way.

I was just in Switzerland a week ago, producing a record with a band there. The band was a perfect example of how to do it. They are not only super talented, but they also have a great work ethic, and they do not shy away from finding sponsors. They found four different sponsors who basically paid for the record. It is possible, and that is why Kickstarter and other platforms like it work. People actually want to help if you are a good human being, genuine, and trying to do something cool.

Most of the time, the biggest challenge - besides the money issue - is that people are in their own way.

In working with large companies such as Meta, how do you view issues of social and environmental sustainability? How do you navigate these ethical considerations both personally and professionally?

Trust me, if it were up to me, we would do much less with Meta. It is kind of the devil that we still have to use in order to help our little bands find fans. Meta is such a strong powerhouse. We always see that the number one reason why our bands, who have never toured Europe before, sell out venues on their first tour is because of ads. That is a fact. I still believe that it is a “Meta world,” but I also believe that change is happening. For instance, what we are doing to work around this more is creating new collaborations.

As you might know, the whole media game has changed. When I started in music, there was no digital marketing. We sent out CDs to music publications and radio stations, but many of those have died out. Most people in their early 20s have never bought a physical music magazine. I discovered bands through those channels or MTV back then. There was no Spotify or Instagram when I grew up.

My dream would be that there is a platform where you can upload your band’s content, and anyone who loves going to shows and is into music has this app. You could discover new music without being pitched ads and commercials. You could set filters, almost like a dating app, and find new music on your own. That would be awesome. But marketing has always been part of the game.

Back in the day, marketing meant posters on walls and getting your record to radio stations so DJs would play it. You know, in the 60s, being played on a radio station was your breakthrough. Now everyone has a phone. With Meta, we have access to everyone who has an Instagram or Spotify account. Using those tools gets us directly to people in the most streamlined way. There is no barrier or radio station in between. The consumer chooses, and when they see an ad, they can think, “Cool, what is that band? Cool, they are playing in Vienna, I want to go to the show.” Do we support everything Mark Zuckerberg is doing? No, we don’t. But we have a business and artists with a dream. Until there are other solutions, you have to do what you have to do. 

What key differences have you observed between Portland and Vienna, and what should people keep in mind when navigating these environments?

On many levels, they could not be more different. Portland is one of the most progressive cities in the United States. You can be anything there. There are many gender-neutral restrooms, and it has a very modern approach with a huge LGBTQ+ scene. It is very modern and open, and way smaller than Vienna. Vienna feels like an old city with a lot of tradition, whereas the whole West Coast is very young. Portland was only founded in 1864, so there is not much history, but it is very young and open. You have big companies like Nike and Columbia that are originally from there, and Adidas has its American headquarters there. There is a lot going on in Portland.

The people are very hippie-esque and are into all kinds of music, and it is very musically open. You see artists performing everywhere. There is a lot of folk music going on in the Pacific Northwest. It is where all those grunge bands came from in the 90s. Handmade music is very big there. Compared to its size, you can probably see more shows in Portland than in Vienna. It is young, progressive, very vegan, and outdoorsy.

In Austria, Vienna is the major city where all the main media and the music scene are located. In America, it is divided. Portland is not a main music hub like New York, L.A., or Nashville. That is why Portland does not have a lot of mainstream music. People there grew up on David Bowie and more eclectic, indie music. It is not the pop universe of L.A. or New York. Portland is more of the indie scene.

What do you consider most important when building a professional network, and how well-connected were you before founding ROLA MUSIC?

The most important thing is socialising and being out there meeting people. It is all about contacts and who you know. You have to be brave, start with an idea, start small, and see how it works. Don’t be afraid to meet people because one person always led me to the next. You live, you learn, and you grow. Socialising, being out there, and creating connections are huge. Then you need to find a business model that works for you, meaning you can make a living while creating value for the artist. If you find that, you have a win-win.

Before I founded Rola, I was playing in my own bands. I finished my studies in Sociology and then did a postgraduate program at IKM for Cultural Management.

My connections then were mostly within the Viennese music scene among musicians. After IKM, I started working for a semi-small label in Vienna. There, I really learned how to do PR and got into the music scene and industry in Austria. I collected a lot of connections there and later worked for another label. Then I started Rola Music and was always out and about, going to the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, going to showcases, and meeting people in Switzerland. Before I moved to the States, I was well-connected in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. When I moved and realised all those bands wanted to go to Europe, I had to expand my research to book tours outside of just Austria.

Looking back at the early stages of your company, what was your biggest struggle? Is there anything you wish you had known earlier?

I do not know if I would say that was my biggest struggle, but building the company on my own with no investor behind me was really hard. I had no money. So for the first couple of years, I could not make a living just from ROLA MUSIC. I was teaching guitar on the side. I could not do ROLA MUSIC full-time from the get-go, but I would not consider this a struggle; I see it as a learning phase. Eventually, when more started happening with ROLA MUSIC, I was able to do it full-time. But maybe my biggest struggle in the beginning was that I lived in Vienna and not in the US.

To answer the second part of the question, something I wish I had known earlier is the importance of marketing, and also being pickier with artists earlier on, and understanding sooner how important it is to have a team.

Finally, what advice would you give students entering the music industry? Do you have any tips on how to build connections and find opportunities?

My greatest advice to you would be to be brave and have fun. If this is what you want, be out there and meet people. Even with AI, it is still really about the people. You are working with humans, and they are paying you, not AI. Make a name for yourself, be out there, and socialise. I put in the extra mile; when other people went to sleep, I went to another event. I knew I wanted to build something and that I had to work for it because it would not just happen to me.

Being humble, disciplined, and just doing your work will get you far. Everyone cooks with water, they say, so no one is necessarily more special than the next person. The difference is that one person wants it more than the other. I wanted it more than many others who started agencies at the same time, and that is why ROLA MUSIC is still here.

LINKS - ROLA MUSIC

Website: https://rolamusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rola_music