Interview with Paul Scaturro Founder of Webcds.com
by Barbara Bales


Q. Why did you create webcds.com?

A. Like any business, I’m fulfilling a need. Webcds.com is a music portal for independent artists as well as for emerging major artists. On the site you're not going to see Britney or Justin Timberlake, but you will see new artists from major labels along side the independents. Both types of artists need exposure and promotion, which is where webcds.com comes in. Most artists have websites where they spend between $10 to $20 per month on webhosting. For the most part their web page sits dormant in cyberspace waiting for visitors to stumble in. It is simply not enough to have a website if no one knows that it exists. For free webcds.com generates traffic to your website for as long as you have a website!

Q. How is it different from other web portals like MP3.com?

A. We are unique is that we work with every other internet CD distributor. We push the sale of the artist's CD to the website of choice of the artist. Essentially we are not competing with other music portals we promote other music portals by working with them.

Q. You also play videos, correct?

A. Yes and they range from professionally produced music videos to hand held video cameras recording a live, unplugged performance. I really like candid videos and I wish all the artists would post them. Candid videos allow the audience to get a feel for the artist rather quickly. It’s kind of like reality TV for musicians.

Q. What does it cost to join webcds.com?

A. Free. You can't get a better deal than that! We make our money on ad revenue. We really help out the independent artist by promoting them for free. Additionally, there is a counter on the artist management page that lets them know how many visitors they've had. We take no commission on the sale of the CD. All we do is point the sale back to the artist's web site or to a third party distributor like CDbaby.

Q. How did you get started in the music business?

A. When I was 17 I used to hang out with my cousin who was a few years older. He had a recording studio in his mother's house. He actually had Neve console in his bedroom! I used to stop by after school and watch some incredible talent. When I was about 19, I drove to the City to pick up world renown drummer Steve Gadd (Steely Dan, Paul Simon) and bass player (Letterman) to do a session. Another time we booked a session in the old A&R recording studios. That is where Billy Joel and Paul Simon recorded. The session players for the day were [keyboardist] Paul Schaefer and [bass player] Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel). It was great watching those guys at work. Earlier that day, Paul Schaefer had just taped his first Letterman show and Tony Levin had just finished a tour with Peter Gabriel. So needless to say, my first experience with professional musicians was unforgettable.

Q. Where did your career go from there?

A. Well, it just got better. I eventually went into the recording business and had the opportunity to work with really amazing artists such as Public Enemy, Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes. You can read the whole story on the web site: ( http://www.webcds.com/aboutus.asp ).

Q. What is the difference between a professional and a non-professional artist? What separates the big boys from the small potatoes?

A. It starts with talent. The artist must be honest and ask himself or herself, “was I blessed with some talent?” However, even if the answer is 'yes', what separates the pros from everyone else is a combination of talent plus other ingredients. I look at the music making process like baking a cake. If a cake is missing one critical ingredient the whole cake is a failure. It is just like a musical production. All the ingredients have to be of a high standard. Any one ingredient will not make up for the lack of another. For instance, extra flour can’t make up for lack of sugar. Just like a really great artist can’t make up for a bad song.

Q. What advice would you give someone who is having trouble breaking through?

A. Check your ingredients and ask yourself: "Is the music as good as what I hear on the radio? Does the recording sound as good as my favorite CD? Are the vocals as entertaining as a major artist? Is the song really good? Is it original or do I sound like yesterday’s music?" There is no room for mediocrity when you are trying to break through. You have to be great. Every component has to be there. Being honest with yourself is also very important. If you know something is weak, fix it or hide it. Do not show your weaknesses in the finished product. Get all the ingredients as close to perfection as you can. Then you’ll have a shot.

Once you have the ingredients then you need promotion. Intially major record companies usually spend at least one hundred thousand dollars on promotion for each artist to see if they are going to stick in the market place. That's tough to compete with as an independent but if you are able to create a local buzz on your own you can get picked up by a record company or production company that has more money. Everything is a stepping stone and one thing leads to another.

The other thing is that being an independent artist can be quite rewarding. You don't need a record deal with a major record company to have a career in music. There are plenty of artists who make a career out of touring and selling their own records who do quite well. Though the independent artist may not have the promotion of a major artist, he or she does get to keep the all the profits from CD sales.

Q. How do you promote now?

A. Essentially I promote webcds.com through print and internet media, press releases and internet advertising. This brings the traffic to the site an in turn gives exposure to the artists on the site.