Interview by Carol Wright | Photos Courtesy of Robert Rositano
Robert Rositano created Fan Pass to address the difficulties and setbacks emerging artists face when it comes to revenue, recognition and more. Rositano talked to NYOTA about giving artists more control through Fan Pass, working in the music industry, and his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Did you always envision yourself working in the music industry in some form?
Yes, and thinking back to my early teenage years it’s easy to understand why…other than my obvious love for music and discovering new artists in general. Just a quick background, my brother (and now business partner) formed a band when he was in Jr. High, which included having our cousin as the lead singer. I was about 15 years old at the time and had the luxury of being involved in small productions, performances and eventually watching their band perform at some very well-known spots on Sunset Strip in Hollywood “The Roxy” and “Whiskey” and the entire band were all under 18! This experience led me to know I/we would always have music or entertainment of some kind in our careers, no matter what.
Tell our readers about Fan Pass Live and what motivated you to create it?
Fan Pass or Fan Pass Live is more than just a website or an app, it’s a Livestream platform that is also a true artist partner. Fan Pass has wrapped our platform with a service that embraces, supports and focuses on all aspects of what independent artists need as they seek recognition and success, without the confinements of being signed by a label. It allows both the artist and their fans to interact, perform, earn, and truly engage, whether they are an up-and-coming talent or seasoned/successful artist with a mass following in authentic ways. Not only that, but its features are tailored to both the artist and the fan based on their individual needs and wants. For example, fans can follow the specific artists and genres they love, while artists can provide behind-the-scenes access to their most loyal supporters.
Fan Pass Live gives artists a level of control that they don’t often get within the industry. Do you think that artists having control over the distribution of their music, merchandise, and other areas is a big reason they’re eager to get involved?
Yes, I believe this is exactly one of the pain points artists have and sometimes don’t even understand why. Most of them spend a great deal of time dreaming of their big break and feeling like they need to be signed by a label to do so, yet the label can’t wait to take ownership of their talent…front loading and advancing payments to build the promotions, tours etc., leaving the artist with an uphill battle to obtain any control or sense of the life they set out to create as a music artist. Of course, not every story is like this, but as the pandemic certainly had most of us putting our thinking caps on, it also shined a bright light on the need for livestream platforms, virtual venues and general turnkey solutions that will embrace these needs for EVERY ARTIST. And that’s what Fan Pass is all about. We are also expanding our services to include music distribution services and even custom curated artist playlists of which we will be offering placement in these playlists as another form of distribution for our artist. Think the “Anti-Label – Label” allowing all artists to maintain control yet leverage the services of Fan Pass to develop and launch their careers!
Read the full interview in issue 26 here!