Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Alcobia.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born into the music industry, there are four generations of music industry professionals in my family, so there’s music in my blood. A couple of my biggest influences are my Uncle; he has been actively working in the live music scene in San Diego for a long time. Also, my Dad was a professional Jazz musician and bandleader. From the age of five years old, I took music lessons from the musicians he worked with. I first learnt how to play the piano and then played trumpet for eight years. I took music classes all through school learning music theory as well as learning Guitar and Drums. One day I went through my dad’s garage and pulled out some old equipment he never used and built my first DJ set up with a mixer, two turntables, and a dual tape deck. Eventually, my dad booked me my first solo gig when I was 16 years old, that kicked off my career.
I moved to Australia for College and started my first business, which was a DJ booking agency. Weekdays I would work as a concreter, and Thursday through Sunday nights I spent as a resident DJ in a lot of clubs in South East Queensland. I travelled to other countries and learnt about the differences in the music scene, which would help inspire ideas, so I started producing my own music. After 13 years of extensive work as a performing artist, I came to realize the industry was tainted with crooked people trying to control and take advantage of artists who don’t understand the business. It was having a bad impact on society. Music is such an important part of people’s lives; it does so much for people. A good song can change a person’s mood and emotions, it can help us get through our day, help us get through difficult situations in our lives, it can make us move, music impacts our lives from the time we are growing in our mommas’ bellies until the day we die, music does so much for us!
As an artist with a passion for music, fortunate to have worked with award-winning producers and artists who helped me understand the music industry, I saw an opportunity to benefit the industry by helping other artists have access to the knowledge and resources they needed, and enable them to put some decent music in the market that actually made a positive impact on people. I decided to create a record label that helped artists with the resources they needed to succeed entirely independently. I officially launched Noize Cartel Records start of 2014; A few months later, I saw an opportunity to establish the label internationally in America as well, so I returned to San Diego. I have met so many awesome people that do such great things for the music scene in San Diego.
I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had to work with so many supportive people. This is a family operated business, so we treat everyone we work with like family. Noize Cartel Records isn’t your ordinary label. It’s created as a platform artist can utilize to take themselves as far as they want to go in their music careers, backed by the NCR Family, always willing to mentor and support you along the way. It’s really awesome to see artists working together and the opportunities that open up for them as a result of that. We put our hearts and souls into what we do and the music reflects that, so we hope music fans worldwide enjoy it and continue to support independent music!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Is anything in life a smooth road? It’s certainly been a long road, with more turns and detours than expected, but at the end of the day, no matter what the journey was that day, as the driver, it’s up to you how you decide to look at it. Focusing on how hard something is only makes it that much worse next time you’re faced with the same thing. It’s totally dependent on how determined you are to make it to your destination. For me, I want to provide my kids with a future and continue doing positive things in a fun unique industry that is like no other, so failure is not an option.
I look forward to what every day has in store when I encounter a setback. I figure out how to overcome it as quickly as possible. Once I do, I re-analyze what could have been done to avoid it, how I overcame it, and create systems and procedures so it doesn’t happen again, or it’s easy to deal with if it does. Rough roads happen for a reason. It means there’s something you need to learn in order for you to make it to your destination successfully. Worrying about hitting those rough patches is pointless, it will get you nowhere, trust in your abilities because you know you have what it takes to make your destination. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have embarked on the journey in the first place. Maintain focus, remember why you’re doing what you’re doing, and know there’s always a way around those rough roads, you just need to find it.
Noize Cartel Records – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Noize Cartel Records is an International Independent Record Label created to help artists succeed in the music industry independently. We offer worldwide digital distribution to over 400 platforms, which gives independent artists the ability to release music at a major label level. We have a fair structure where artists retain 100% of the rights to their music and ensure we cater to their best interests. We are established internationally with solid business relationships in place, giving artists the opportunity to tour internationally. We provide artists with as much, or as little help as they need, whether they are just looking for distribution, or wanting to further their career, we work one on one with them to ensure they have the knowledge, and resources to achieve their goals. We work with industry leaders to ensure we stay at the forefront of the industry with music technology and high-quality standards.
Our studios are fitted out with high-quality equipment and experienced engineers who ensure our artist’s music quality exceeds industry standards for broadcast. We can help artists structure their whole career path according to what they want to achieve, provide them with the resources and systems to grow their fan-base and sustain a full-time career as an independent artist. We manufacture retail-ready hard-copy CDs and Vinyl records. We organize events and take part in Music Festivals, as well as supply sound systems and sound engineers who run sound at live shows. We offer studio services and engineering services, as well as music production and session work. We have an internship program and work with schools to offer students course credits while gaining valuable industry experience working on real projects alongside our artists.
What sets us apart from others is we are designed for the benefit of the independent artist. We encourage their creativity and support their decisions and desires. Where many labels will want to control aspects of their artists, we instead provide guidance and help them understand the risks and benefits of the decisions they make in their business and how that impacts their image in the market. We are here to develop an artist’s business so they can truly operate independently and uniquely to what works best for them. We are totally against artists being taken advantage of, so many of them are and don’t realize it. Independent artists are targets for labels or companies offering DIY distribution (aka ‘service providers’) who are going to charge them fees to release their music. If you’re an artist paying a monthly, or yearly amount per each single, EP, or Album you release in order for you to have your music available on 150 or so platforms, why are you burdening yourself with an ongoing expense only to give you less than half of the opportunities to get your music out there? It’s a fine way for an artist who doesn’t know how to market themselves to lose a lot of money.
I understand labels have developed a bad reputation among artists in the music scene, rightfully so, but there are still many labels out there who can legitimately help an artist have a successful career. It’s not easy to maintain a career in the music industry, it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of dedication, and a lot of love for what you do. Aligning yourself with the right people, like-minded artists, and a working system that suits your specific objective is going to benefit you immensely. The Noize Cartel Records family is always open to helping fellow artists looking for industry help. Don’t hesitate to contact us whether it’s one of our artists, myself, or anyone else who is a part of the fam. We are always happy to help artists and do what it takes to support independent music!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Well, put it this way, there have been some pretty crazy situations I have experienced in my life, so I guess I can say I am lucky to be alive! But as far as luck goes, I believe how much time and energy you put into what you do directly reflects on what you will get out of it. Relying on ‘luck’ to get you where you want in life is a high-risk decision. One thing I will say is that for me, following my passion and doing what I feel called to do, has helped open many doors and provided me with a clear path and everything I needed to successfully continue growing this business. That still takes work and awareness of following the signs that guide me down the right path. Many sacrifices were made to make it happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.noizecartelrecords.com
- Email: noizecartelrecords@gmail.com
Image Credit:
J.Sutton Photo
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