Today we’d like to introduce you to Vince Valholla.
Vince, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood. My interest in music started as a kid but I didn’t realize that I wanted to get into the music business until I was in the 10th-11th grade in high school. I was inspired by Bad Boy Records, Motown, Def Jam and other labels in hip-hop and I felt that I could build a similar legacy by having a Miami based record company.
I knew that in order to be the best, I had to study the best. I worked with local artists and producers, helping to put songs together and with marketing. In 2005, I founded Valholla Entertainment and it took me close to a year to find my first two artists. In just two years, our artists starting receiving press, radio play, and our company started receiving recognition in South Florida.
Our company continued to level up throughout the years eventually becoming one of the top independent labels in the South Atlantic region.
Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. In many cases, we’re competing with companies that have a larger operating budget. As an owner, I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices. I treat myself but mostly, I’m investing back into my company.
I don’t mind the sacrifices because if I look around, we’ve outlasted other companies that had 10X the budget we did. The only difference is, we’re still operating and we’re still thriving.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Valholla Entertainment story. Tell us more about the business.
Our company is a full-service entertainment company with a music label, artist management, and marketing divisions. I oversee all of our businesses within Valholla. I’m a record producer and this means, I oversee our music releases from start to finish. I’m usually involved in the process of recording, marketing, and packaging of albums.
I also manage artists as well. When I started, I would have never imagined managing artists but today, the way the music industry is structured, an independent label has to have a management division. I think my strong suit is executive producing projects and sequencing them.
I’m probably most known for my work with Kirby Maurier. Her album, Doing The Most was one of the highest selling independent R&B albums released in the South Atlantic region in 2015. She has also been recognized by the Recording Academy (2016 GRAMMY Amplifier winner) and has been featured in countless publications. Also, our production team, The Track Burnaz earned platinum and gold plaques for their work on Big Sean’s I Decided. album and Future’s HNDRXX.
One of the things that I’m most proud of is the fact that after 13 years, we’re still elevating.
The thing that sets us apart from others is the fact that we’re always ahead of the game. Our company is usually is among the first independent companies using new technology or applications. For example, our company was among the first labels to use Bitly’s URL shortener with a branded link. The second label in Florida to be verified on Twitter and so much more. We also have a research and development division where we’re coming up with ideas that can be a service to and even change the entertainment industry.
With Valholla, I’m in this for the long haul. I have a great team, talented artists and we’re consistent. The end goal is to be considered one the best labels to have ever existed.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In the next 5 years, I see an increase in subscription models within the music and even entertainment. We might see businesses pop up that sole business model is to bundle other subscription services together.
I also see a new physical audio format in the next 10 years. We like things we can touch and feel. Buying albums won’t go away soon, but do you think you’re going to see CDs in the next 5-10 years? Highly unlikely.
With streaming services, I think Tidal will continue to grow, Apple Music will also grow. I’m interested to see what Spotify does because they’re in a unique position (with their impending IPO).
Contact Info:
- Website: valholla.com
- Email: info@valholla.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/valholla
- Facebook: facebook.com/valholla
- Twitter: twitter.com/valholla
- Other: valhollanow.com
Image Credit:
Daniel “StayLookingOut” Russo
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