Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Matthew Kratz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Matthew thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?
In the trailer music business, the newest trend that has been happening for a while is the use of popular songs from different eras that have been “trailerized” or “remixed”, to fit the movie trailer structure. This trend has touched on music from all eras, from Frank Sinatra to Drake, from Nirvana to the Bee Gees – the list goes on and on. There are several reasons for this trend. Over the past several years many of the large movie studios have turned to their own music catalogs, to promote music they already own and thus promote the music they already own. Also, with the rise of streaming there is so much more competition for media. In order to grab people’s attention in the marketing of movies, TV and video games, studios have leaned more and more on music that is already familiar to people.
As a person with a background as a DJ and producer, remixing and refashioning songs to fit a different format is second nature to me. Custom remixes of popular songs are the wheelhouse of our company.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started as a DJ and producer, under the name Kraddy. DJing and producing electronic music was how I entered the music world. As my name grew I work on a variety of projects including tv commercials and movies. I began to get into production music and I found that the intense dramatic stylings of trailer music really suited me. As a DJ I was trained to grab an audience’s attention and keep them intrigued. This is exactly what trailers need to do – they need to grab your attention and not let go. I was a freelance trailer composer for about five years when I decided to start Dastardly Sounds. I felt that as an experienced composer myself, I was in a better position to relay to other composers what is needed to for any particular project. As a DJ, I understand the editing techniques and sounds that are needed to really grab attention. I also understand remixes, which are a primary sector of our industry. This new endeavor has put me in a position where I am directing and producing more music from other composers. I enjoy this new role and I look forward to creating more ear grabbing custom music.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Going to lunch and having face to face conversations has been key for us. Email is great for getting things done, but nothing replaces regular face to face meetings with or clients. It puts us on their radar as well as creates a personal connection. We have people who like us and will help us get placements because we’ve all hung out and enjoyed each other’s company. Also, we have gotten many jobs while we’ve been planning these meetings – we’re already in someones inbox and we’re familiar and dependable, so they will hit us up on whatever they have on their desk at that moment. Many times we’ve been able to get them exactly what they need and we all get a placement out of it.
If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?
One supplemental revenue stream for us has been music for realty tv shows. The realty tv business has been booming for a while but with streaming, it has gone nuclear. They’re always looking for hip background music and sound design that they can drop in. We provide them with thousands of instrumental musical tracks in a variety of popular current genres. This music works it’s way into all kinds of tv shows and has become a growing source of “mailbox money”.
Contact Info:
- Website: dastardlysounds.com
- Instagram: @dastardlysounds
- Facebook: @DastardlySounds
- Linkedin: Dastardly Sounds