The sound tech and artist, Davide Spinato, is proof that studying music can open doors to unexpected and rewarding careers. Davide now helps musicians connect with fans, sell merch, and grow their brands using the custom app MySeat. He opened up about how his RAC experience shaped his career, why it’s crucial to think beyond traditional roles, and advice for those ready to thrive in this competitive industry. Let’s dive into his vision of what revolutionizes the artist’s fan community.
Rapid-fire questions:
An important quality an artist (and/or sound tech) should have in today’s industry: A good ear and the ability to make yes or no decisions regarding creative and technical choices.
Gear you cannot live without: My Macbook Pro is my greatest musical tool.
One thing about your job you’ll never get tired of: Connecting with different artists and learning about their world.
Most-played artist in your 2024 Spotify Wrapped: Bladee.
RAC: Can you share the journey that led you to pursue a career in the music industry?
Davide: I initially wanted to be a full-time producer. I then realized that my style was quite experimental and unpolished, so I couldn’t start making a living off of that just yet. I wanted to focus on my project, Davada. The industry can feel long, hopeless and sometimes demoralizing. Networking and reaching out helped me work with producers with credits from Trippie Reid and some of Montreal’s highest-streaming artists. Straight out of RAC, I started a venture called Dotwave with some classmates. It’s a collective of independent artists that offer label services to musicians and multimedia services. We focus on grant writing, project management, audio services, and graphic design.
This led to me landing a position at MySeat Media. Though it is a technology company, my responsibilities lay in connecting with artists and collaborating on creative content, fan engagement and monetization. MySeat develops white-label apps for creators and is specifically tailored for artists in the music industry. Through features like push notifications, selling memberships, live streaming, auctions, and meet & greets, we help artists – big and small – take back the revenue they deserve. The service offers so much bang-for-your-buck with Spotify and Apple Music integration, Shopify or URL integration, and full-time support from one of our Talent Relations Managers – like myself.
RAC: Any key lessons or experiences from your time at RAC that helped prepare you for a career in music tech and now, MySeat?
Davide: The Music Business class stuck with me the most. Nearly everyone knows how to EQ a snare but not many know how to make a livelihood out of it. Unless you land a job, it’s all on you to be an entrepreneur and make sales. The main project in this class was to mock up a business idea and present it. My submission was Dotwave. A teacher once explained the importance of showcasing your strengths and masking your weaknesses. Identifying those two variables will help cement your identity, skills and purpose. At MySeat, I need to make video and audio content, so I depend on skills like voiceover recording, video editing, and ad creation in general.
RAC: The creative industry offers many career paths beyond performing or producing. What drew you to work with MySeat and how did you discover this could be a fulfilling career option?
Davide: My experience in artist management and customer service is what led me there. I knew it would be a fulfilling career option when I realized the need for this type of service in the industry, and the calibre of artists I could work with. We currently work with artists such as G Herbo, Souldia, Ruben Studdard and Yori Sport, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
RAC: Can you walk us through how MySeat’s custom audience apps help musicians grow their brands?
With features such as Exclusive Content for Members, as well as the Member’s Chat, artists can foster a community that is unique to them, and interact directly with fans. We’ve seen fans turn into superfans in real-time by hosting Meet & Greets for artists and by guiding them through the process of livestreaming and attracting an audience. We help artists grow their brands by getting them the revenue they deserve. Although the app is free to use and download, every feature has the potential to be monetized. We’ve seen artists such as Sharkey make more from the app within the first month of launching than they had in the previous year through streams.
RAC: MySeat started as a sports social network community app and then became a “direct-to-fans exclusive app & experiences” for any creator. What challenges does MySeat aim to solve for artists?
Davide: Apart from monetization, the other big piece is having control over their own platform. Social media giants such as Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter have artists at their mercy with their stringent algorithms and sometimes arbitrary banning of content. Though we don’t seek to replace social media, having a personalized branded app that truly belongs to the artist is something the industry hasn’t seen before.
RAC: How do you envision creators using MySeat in their day-to-day work?
Davide: Everyone uses it differently. In general, anything that has to do with new releases, tours, merch drops, and fan interactions should go through the app first. Hosting exclusivity for your content and product creates more demand and will hype up your audience. Making short videos or vlogs directed at fans is something I encourage at least weekly. Events like auctions or livestreams are also a top priority for us. I always try to keep artists aware of the next monetization or superfan opportunity.
RAC: Well-known artists like Souldia and Marieme use the MySeat app. Are there certain career elements an artist should have to get the most out of the app?
Anyone with the hunger to keep growing and building an audience can make use of having their own platform. Knowing how to build and maintain your brand is creative 101 when it comes to success and longevity. Of course, it’s much easier to see results if you already have an audience, but my actual role is to work with smaller, independent artists and give them the support they need to thrive. We feature all of our artists on weekly Spotlight email blasts, and make social media teasers promoting upcoming releases or tours alongside the app.
RAC: What trends in community engagement and digital platforms excite you the most?
Anything that allows you to interact directly with your favourite artists is so cool! During the pandemic, I interacted with Charli XCX as she made a fully collaborative album via livestream, and had my questions answered by Umru and Petal Supply. Some of my favourite artists have followed me back just because I interacted in the chat at their virtual shows. The trend of breaking the barrier between the star and the fan is what I find most exciting.
RAC: Which first steps would you recommend to someone studying music who might not see themselves as an artist or engineer, but still wants to make an impact in the industry?
Davide: There is an over-saturation of artists and creative output, so any way you can differentiate yourself from that is going to be bread-winning. Whether it’s marketing, technology, graphic design, management, merchandising… there is a place for you.
The first step is to identify your strengths and mask your weaknesses. Your strengths will sustain your lifestyle, and you can work on your weaknesses in the meantime. In my case, I have strong negotiation and decision-making skills, while my artistic side is still a work in progress. So I work in sales, and apply what I learn to my work as an artist. The next step is to find people to work with. Whether it’s with friends or a new job, collaborate and network as much as possible. If you put yourself out there, opportunities will come!
Don’t miss our other articles like: How to Grow Your Music Brand This Holiday Season: Marketing Tips for Artists and Featured Creator: Caleigh Barker.
Written by Caroline Boivin
Illustration by Holly Li
