Beatport's 'Decoding the Music Industry' Series - L.A. Recap

On Wednesday, Aug 21st, Beatport’s “Decoding the Music Industry” series returned, this time to Downtown Los Angeles Proper Hotel. Hosted by Billboard’s Taylor Mims, a panel of industry experts gathered to discuss the live sector in L.A. from the perspective of promotion, event production and event PR. 

Following some impressive introductions, Perry Gilman, music agent at leading global talent company, UTA, shed light on the process of discovering and signing new talent. Personally boasting a stacked roster of artists such as will.i.am, Paris Hilton, Lupe Fiasco and Major League, Gilman’s insights were eagerly absorbed by the audience.

Cyril Bitar of renowned event production company, Underrated Presents, then lifted the lid on clubs’ curation methods, divulging the factors that clubs consider when organizing artists to play at their venue. He explained that a great indicator of event success for him has been listenership across digital streaming platforms. Having access to this data has allowed him to understand how many tickets they might convert, as listeners often convert better than social media followers.

Sara Hartzell, Senior Publicist of Events at INFAMOUS PR, outlined the key elements that contribute to successfully promoting an event, including an artist’s personal brand. INFAMOUS PR is an agency rooted in independent music culture that specializes in multi-platform content-driven storytelling.

Each guest agreed that a well-rounded digital presence is crucial for upcoming artists to build their profile and secure live performances. One of the most important aspects of social media is genuine authenticity and connection with your audience. The experts also shared that different social platforms resonate in different regions, so as an artist, you should have a presence across each platform available to you for maximum exposure.

As the sun began to set across the downtown skyline, DJ SEEPS kicked into action on the roof with her signature energetic sound. Influenced by her Nuyorican upbringing in the Bronx, SEEPS sets draw inspiration from heavyweight icons such as Masters At Work and Deee-lite, as well as her family's vibrant basement parties growing up.

The rooftop continued to fill as SEEPS passed DJ duties over to Michael Donte, founder of Black House Radio. Dubbed “South L.A.’s hottest dance party” by the L.A. Times, Black House Music is a YouTube show and event series highlighting Black DJs specializing in house music.

Next up for the Beatport community team is a Black History Month UK celebration in London, and another L.A. event to round off the year. Watch this space!