BIGSOUND 2012: Benji Rogers

How did you first become involved in the music business?

I come from a family of managers and artists. I was an artist myself and built PledgeMusic as something initially that I wanted to use. Then it all got bigger and I ended up doing this full time.

What do you perceive to be your area of expertise, and how did you gain experience in this field?

Luck and perseverance I'd say. I got all the experience I could ever need by just diving in head first. What I saw in my head had to be built and it had to go beyond what was out there already.

What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the BIGSOUND conference?

I like to let the people that I am speaking with lead the conversation as a rule and so it could be anything. Primarily I'm focusing on the digital space, with marketing, de-risking, funding and pre-release as my specialty.

What are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel/interview?

I'm excited to share the successes that we have had in this new model of direct-to-fan that we have created. I'm excited to share with artists, managers and labels what has worked and what has not worked. I'm really optimistic from the data that I have seen from within the system and so I look forward to sharing this as well as what's coming up.

What are you expecting to take away yourself from your visit to BIGSOUND?

The last time I attended I met some great people and heard some amazing music. So more of that would be fantastic! That, and coffee!