We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angel Soto a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Angel, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I went to a house party in the late 1980s with some friends. There was a DJ there who was really good. I was intrigued and watched him all night. Shortly after that, I started collecting records. In the early 1990s, a friend was having a house party and said, “We should hire a DJ.” I told him I could do it, and we pieced together a DJ system. That was my first gig. Going to the record store was my happy place. Digging for records and finding rare gems was exhilarating. So in the early 2000’s I decided to open my own record store: Benton Records.

Angel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Benton Records became a hub for local musicians, producers, and record labels. Over time, I realized that there was a lot of misinformation and lack of information about the music industry. This led to the birth of the Tampa Music Conference (TMC). TMC was an annual gathering where up-and-coming musicians and those already in the industry could network, learn, and exchange ideas.

About a decade later, the birth of digital music prompted Benton Records, the record store, to become Benton Records, the label. This rebirth was a vehicle to help our friends distribute their music. In fact, we were acting more as a distributor than a label. With this in mind, we took the leap and launched Distro by Benton, our own distribution platform, accompanied by a Publishing Administration firm.

Distro by Benton and Benton Records has slowly grown over the years. About a year and a half ago, the opportunity to open a record studio presented itself. So, Benton Media Lounge came to be. Benton Medial Lounge, is a vocal recording, podcasting, photography and content creation studio. With the ability to distribute and publish, the Benton brand is truly a one-stop shop.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I definitely had to pivot when DJs stopped buying records and we had to embrace new forms of music consumption. This change was not easy, seamless, or automatic. In fact, there were a few years in between when the record store closed and when the record label was launched. The important part is that the lesson was learned, and now with AI emerging, we are embracing the technology and using it to grow.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

I thought the closing of Benton Records would spell the end of our involvement in the music industry. I also decided not to continue with the Tampa Music Conference. However, friends encouraged me to bring the TMC back, and I’m glad I did. Without their encouragement, I don’t think we would still be involved in the entertainment world today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bentonentertainment.com/