We had the good fortune of connecting with Dylan Berry and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Dylan, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
99% of the music business is run by middle-men that are not creators. They block the gate. My opinion is that most of these businesses are unnecessary now with the transparency and communication avenues we now enjoy. It is a very exciting time to be a musicians or film maker and I am hell bent to lead the charge and facilitate a better way of doing business that benefits the creative teams not middlemen.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work surrounds the music production and content business and activating that content in media and entertainment.
I was a drummer in bands, worked in TV in the Art Dept. then got a TV series as a composer which led to hundreds of hours of composing for visual media… I started SmashHaus, a tech company to access a global talent pool in 2008 as a means to scale my workforce which led our team to create thousands of hours of music for TV. We did everything under the sun production music wise from custom to catalog to network branding over 30+ TV Networks. We empowered Indie music makers to make collective millions over the years. Very proud of that.
In 2020, when the pandemic hit and in response to what I feel is a lot of abuse by middlemen in the business right now, I removed myself as middleman and pivoted to a SAAS tool allowing music makers to directly access my global network of media companies seeking content and expand on it.
In short, I no longer believe in the need for gatekeepers in the content business at all (music, video or images). Creators should build their own value networks and scale their own businesses, not middlemen and I am working hard to facilitate that disruption and my company is fueled but a community of leaders in the entertainment business helping me do so.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Off the top of my head and with a lagging lockdowned Rona brain.
For bars I’d hit A Simple Bar during NoizSociety to catch some music royalty and industry heavies making noise.
In Hollywood, Mothers Kitchen rooftop then float Arclight for a film. Downtown, The Perch on Hills St. is a fav, Break Room 86 downtown is my 80’s fix.
Valley, If you love vegan food Hope on Cahuenga in the Valley is not to be missed!
Hit Los Feliz for breakfast at Figaro (Eggs Benedict with Bacon! Cronut, done) or Lil Doms (for the Mimosa pitcher, good times).
Hit Highland Park Bowl! A classic and L.A.s oldest, beautifully restored bowling alley.
I cant not love Universal City Walk and The Grove or Farmers Market if you lean more mainstream.
Ya gotta hit Malibu Beaches, peep Surfrider Beach. Grab a martini at the Sunset Restaurant in Zuma. Best walks are El Matador, El Pescador, I dig Leo Carrillo. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jamie Weissenborn, Noah Lifschey
Website: www.smashhaus.com
Instagram: @dylanberryofficial
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealdylanberry/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedylanberry?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dylan.berry.792
Image Credits
Red images. Alexander Sworik