Dario Zampetti (Veenue) – Interview (Part 1)

Dario Zampetti from Veenue (just featured on MusicKO) is today’s interviewee. We talk about his startup (one of the most original I’ve seen in a while, actually), and then about the music he loves.

Thanks a bunch, Dario!

Full Name:
Dario Zampetti Age: 32
Startup: Veenue ltd
Position: founder & CEO

PART I

THE STARTUP

Tell us a little about your startup. How was it conceived? What are its most distinctive features in your opinion?  

The veenue idea was born after a rehearsal with my friend and business partner Massimo. We were always surprised about how hard it was to find people to play music with.

“How can we find them?”, we thought.

And after a little while, the idea was clear: to build a search engine for musicians (what they play, how they look, what they like) and try to let them to play music together even if they’re far away from each other.  I believe the most distinctive aspect of Veenue is the way everything’s approached. The idea to be free to search for people without any border, and to be free to play real music with them.

What was the original launch date?  

3rd of October 2011

What has been the response so far? In which countries has it been more successful?   

It’s still too early to say. Veenue is a simple idea, but the adoption of the whole system is not. It’s not like when you ask someone to write a text or email, we’re telling musicians that they can play together if they record a video.  As it’s not a very common approach, we need time, marketing and good reviews to spread it : )  

What features can we expect to see implemented in future revisions?

A mobile app is the first step. That makes it easier to upload files on musician’s profile. I would also like to make the sync tool available on mobiles, too.

There is a certain tendency to demonize the Internet in the music industry. I think it is all a matter of perspective – it all depends on the uses it is put to. What is your opinion? In which areas has the Internet left an unquestionably positive mark?    

Crowd is power.

Not far ago we were shooting the Veenue mood video and we needed a band and a song. We asked some guys with a good track to use it, of course they were so excited. The only “little” problem was the agreement they have with a record label (no need to say which one, let’s say it’s one of the biggest). They asked us for so much money, we were forced to step back.

To sum up, the record label which is supposed to help young musicians to grow was the reason why we decided not to go on with them.

Do I need to add anything else?

What advice could you give to anybody who is launching a music-related startup in the future? What are the obvious mistakes that should be avoided? 

I am not old enough to really advise anybody. I can only tell other people to keep their feet on the ground. Be focused, believe in your idea until you fall in love, but keep the eyes open. Check numbers and revenue lines, many aspects gets not so obvious when you are online.

Continue to Part 2 of this interview (Music & You)