Q & A with TMC's President: Keys to a Successful Music Startup
"Q & A with TMC's President" is a new feature on this blog where we ask questions to Donna Ross-Jones, TMC's founder and president, about current topics swirling around the digital music industry. Jones is an expert in publishing and the management of music IP, from repurposing to administration to monetization. She has a history of developing and implementing solutions in the ever-changing world of music in entertainment and technology.
How has Transition Music Corporation, a successful music startup, managed to thrive in the business for so long when so many others have failed?
A: There are several reasons, and I have three main thoughts for anyone starting out in this business.
l. Know who you are. We didn't try to compete head on with companies who were better staffed and better funded. Instead, we focused on finding a niche in the market, and we went about filling the need.
2. Make mistakes. There is no doubt we are still here because of our ability to change course at any point in the process if we see something is not working. A theme in our office is "Break It," which serves as a reminder that we can change anything at anytime to create something better. We don't have to stick with any idea or process, no matter whose idea it was or how well it once worked.
3. Know your business. Know your business. Know your business. Too many people start entertainment ventures with three cups of excitement and passion, two cups of vision, one cup of possibility, and only a teaspoon of knowledge about what has worked historically in the business and why.
l. Know who you are. We didn't try to compete head on with companies who were better staffed and better funded. Instead, we focused on finding a niche in the market, and we went about filling the need.
2. Make mistakes. There is no doubt we are still here because of our ability to change course at any point in the process if we see something is not working. A theme in our office is "Break It," which serves as a reminder that we can change anything at anytime to create something better. We don't have to stick with any idea or process, no matter whose idea it was or how well it once worked.
3. Know your business. Know your business. Know your business. Too many people start entertainment ventures with three cups of excitement and passion, two cups of vision, one cup of possibility, and only a teaspoon of knowledge about what has worked historically in the business and why.
To read Donna's previous Q & A on the Universal-EMI merger, go here: http://transitionmusiccorp.blogspot.com/2012/09/q-with-tmcs-president.html.
