Interviews with Bloggers: Tony Aiex from I Have More Records Than Friends!
Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2024 9:53 am
22 June, 2018 @ 3:37 pmby Gonçalo Sousain Interviews , Digital Strategy , Digital Journalism , Digital Marketing , WebsitesLeave a comment
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Following other interviews with bloggers already published on the Digital Strategy Blog, today our guest is Tony Aiex from the music website Tenho Mais Discos Que Amigos! which started as a blog about vinyl records but has hong kong email list become one of the most important music portals in Brazil , currently reaching more than 600 thousand people per month!
The first thing I feel obliged to confess is this: Tenho Mais Discos do que Amigos! has a perfect name! I even feel a little envious of the choice of my companion Tony Aiex , the founder of this sensational music portal, who I had the pleasure of interviewing remotely via the Internet.
In fact, the phrase that gives the blog its title is very true for the vast majority of music lovers. And it simply demonstrates the spirit that this digital project about music and culture assumes in the blogosphere.
Founded in 2009 by Tony Aiex , Tenho Mais Discos do que Amigos! is passionate about music in its various forms, as is easily demonstrated by the pace of publications on this music portal: there are 10 posts per day with news, interviews, reviews, lists, editorials and much more!
In addition to the excellent work on content and social media, the site has extremely good taste in its editorial choices, reflecting all of this in a set of truly useful and informative texts for music lovers. And the numbers prove the success of this Brazilian digital project.
Making an important connection between alternative and mainstream music, TMDQA! covers international and Brazilian music , including coverage, interviews, editorials and exclusives on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and a video show . In 2016, the site celebrated its seventh anniversary with a new and exclusive Chico Rei t-shirt collection !
For all these reasons, it was with great satisfaction that I was able to conduct the interview that you can read below with Tony Aiex , the main person responsible for this original and unique space, where he reveals that he has an “intense dedication, practically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week”. To conclude this introduction, I end by saying that I am a great admirer of the work of Tony Aiex and his team of collaborators and not only recommend it, but I consider it a must to check out this sensational music portal right now!
Full interview with Tony Aiex from the blog Tenho Mais Discos do que Amigos!
Mundo de Músicas (MM): What was the main reason for the creation of the blog?
Tony Aiex (TA): There were two reasons, actually. The first one was that I listened to a lot of good music and I always saw people saying that they didn't know what to listen to because everything was bad. Besides, here in Brazil , we only had music sections on big Internet portals, which always talked about the same things, or very specific sites, which talked only about Punk, only Indie, only Heavy Metal and so on. I wanted to build a bridge between these two worlds.
The second reason was quite personal. I wasn't happy with my professional life and needed to do something else with my life. I graduated in Computer Science, I was a network administrator and a programmer, but I hated doing all of that, so I started writing.
(MM): What is the mission of the project?
(TA): Promote Brazilian and international music, of all sizes, from independent to mainstream, to the largest number of people and fans possible.
(MM): How often are new posts published?
(TA): We are a music portal, so we publish at least 10 posts a day including news, interviews, reviews, lists, editorials, etc.
(MM): Is there a team behind the project? How many are there?
(TA): I do most of the content, about 60-70%, plus the sales, social media, partnerships, and everything else that involves the blog. I also have a team of contributors of about 10 people who publish articles weekly.
(MM): Do you do this work as an amateur or professional?
(TA): I started as an amateur in 2009 and have been doing it professionally since 2013. It is my formal job and the way I have supported myself for the last five years.
(MM): Does the survival of the project depend on the monetization of the blog (advertising, affiliate programs, sponsored posts)?
(TA): Of course. It would be impossible to continue without it making money, since the dedication is intense, practically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
(MM): Are there any partnerships with other blogs or brands? If so, which ones and what is their scope?
(TA): We are partners with music companies, such as record labels, agencies, publishers and more. We have already done actions with brands but we do not have any type of fixed partnership.
(MM): Is the blog open to receiving new contributors or is it a closed project in that regard?
(TA): Yes, there is an opening. It happens frequently, both with me inviting new collaborators and with others being recommended by people who already write with us.
(MM): How important are social networks for the project?
(TA): They are essential. When I started in 2009, Twitter was the social network of the moment. Since I started the blog from scratch and didn't have anyone I knew supporting me, I had to start promoting it somehow to be heard. I did a lot of promotions giving away vinyl records, CDs, t-shirts and various music-related items. I asked people to follow us on Twitter and mention us, so the word started to spread.
Nowadays, Facebook is essential for reaching and disseminating articles, and other social networks like Instagram are complementary to keep things happening.
(MM): Would you like or do you intend for this blog to one day evolve from the Internet to become a business, brand, service or company?
(TA): We have some actions in the “real world”, such as a music festival that we held in Brasília this year. Other than that, I have no intention of taking on other fronts, at least for now.
(MM): What assessment (in light of the objectives, results and user feedback) can be made of this project today?
(TA): I'm very satisfied with everything I've achieved in these 8 and a half years of blogging. Since the beginning of the project, I had it in my head that it would be the most important thing in my life and that I would earn money doing what I love, so I went after it and now I see it all happening. It was a lot of work, I went through terrible times trying to balance work, study and blogging, but it was worth it.
(MM): There are many different opinions about the changes that have occurred in the music industry in recent years. What do you think? Has music in general benefited from the Internet?
(TA): Music has become more democratic, that's a fact. Before, we listened to what was playing on the radio and watched what was on TV. Today, we have blogs, social networks, paid and free streaming platforms, and an impressive number of options where we can discover bands of all different styles and sizes. That's great.
I don't know how things are in Portugal , but here in Brazil we're going through one of the most incredible phases in independent music in recent years, with festivals happening all over the country, always packed, and bands that aren't linked to major record labels carrying legions of fans around. A lot of this is directly influenced by the Internet.
(MM): And now, to finish, what advice or tips can you give to bloggers who are just starting out in this type of online project?
(TA): The main tip I give is to take your work seriously. Really. I know a lot of people who gave up on their projects because they didn't work out, but I've also seen that they didn't take it seriously. I usually compare blogs that are just starting out to bands that are just starting out. Many bands want to be successful but they don't do shows, they don't promote their work, they don't pursue it and they hope that someone will listen to their music. I see a lot of people starting blogs, writing a few texts and then giving up quickly. They start writing once a month and think that's enough to make it work one day. Commitment is the key word here, especially because it's something you love to do. As I said before, it's very difficult, it's painful, it took me four years to turn my hobby into a job, but I wouldn't forgive myself if I had given up.
Share this article
Following other interviews with bloggers already published on the Digital Strategy Blog, today our guest is Tony Aiex from the music website Tenho Mais Discos Que Amigos! which started as a blog about vinyl records but has hong kong email list become one of the most important music portals in Brazil , currently reaching more than 600 thousand people per month!
The first thing I feel obliged to confess is this: Tenho Mais Discos do que Amigos! has a perfect name! I even feel a little envious of the choice of my companion Tony Aiex , the founder of this sensational music portal, who I had the pleasure of interviewing remotely via the Internet.
In fact, the phrase that gives the blog its title is very true for the vast majority of music lovers. And it simply demonstrates the spirit that this digital project about music and culture assumes in the blogosphere.
Founded in 2009 by Tony Aiex , Tenho Mais Discos do que Amigos! is passionate about music in its various forms, as is easily demonstrated by the pace of publications on this music portal: there are 10 posts per day with news, interviews, reviews, lists, editorials and much more!
In addition to the excellent work on content and social media, the site has extremely good taste in its editorial choices, reflecting all of this in a set of truly useful and informative texts for music lovers. And the numbers prove the success of this Brazilian digital project.
Making an important connection between alternative and mainstream music, TMDQA! covers international and Brazilian music , including coverage, interviews, editorials and exclusives on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and a video show . In 2016, the site celebrated its seventh anniversary with a new and exclusive Chico Rei t-shirt collection !
For all these reasons, it was with great satisfaction that I was able to conduct the interview that you can read below with Tony Aiex , the main person responsible for this original and unique space, where he reveals that he has an “intense dedication, practically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week”. To conclude this introduction, I end by saying that I am a great admirer of the work of Tony Aiex and his team of collaborators and not only recommend it, but I consider it a must to check out this sensational music portal right now!
Full interview with Tony Aiex from the blog Tenho Mais Discos do que Amigos!
Mundo de Músicas (MM): What was the main reason for the creation of the blog?
Tony Aiex (TA): There were two reasons, actually. The first one was that I listened to a lot of good music and I always saw people saying that they didn't know what to listen to because everything was bad. Besides, here in Brazil , we only had music sections on big Internet portals, which always talked about the same things, or very specific sites, which talked only about Punk, only Indie, only Heavy Metal and so on. I wanted to build a bridge between these two worlds.
The second reason was quite personal. I wasn't happy with my professional life and needed to do something else with my life. I graduated in Computer Science, I was a network administrator and a programmer, but I hated doing all of that, so I started writing.
(MM): What is the mission of the project?
(TA): Promote Brazilian and international music, of all sizes, from independent to mainstream, to the largest number of people and fans possible.
(MM): How often are new posts published?
(TA): We are a music portal, so we publish at least 10 posts a day including news, interviews, reviews, lists, editorials, etc.
(MM): Is there a team behind the project? How many are there?
(TA): I do most of the content, about 60-70%, plus the sales, social media, partnerships, and everything else that involves the blog. I also have a team of contributors of about 10 people who publish articles weekly.
(MM): Do you do this work as an amateur or professional?
(TA): I started as an amateur in 2009 and have been doing it professionally since 2013. It is my formal job and the way I have supported myself for the last five years.
(MM): Does the survival of the project depend on the monetization of the blog (advertising, affiliate programs, sponsored posts)?
(TA): Of course. It would be impossible to continue without it making money, since the dedication is intense, practically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
(MM): Are there any partnerships with other blogs or brands? If so, which ones and what is their scope?
(TA): We are partners with music companies, such as record labels, agencies, publishers and more. We have already done actions with brands but we do not have any type of fixed partnership.
(MM): Is the blog open to receiving new contributors or is it a closed project in that regard?
(TA): Yes, there is an opening. It happens frequently, both with me inviting new collaborators and with others being recommended by people who already write with us.
(MM): How important are social networks for the project?
(TA): They are essential. When I started in 2009, Twitter was the social network of the moment. Since I started the blog from scratch and didn't have anyone I knew supporting me, I had to start promoting it somehow to be heard. I did a lot of promotions giving away vinyl records, CDs, t-shirts and various music-related items. I asked people to follow us on Twitter and mention us, so the word started to spread.
Nowadays, Facebook is essential for reaching and disseminating articles, and other social networks like Instagram are complementary to keep things happening.
(MM): Would you like or do you intend for this blog to one day evolve from the Internet to become a business, brand, service or company?
(TA): We have some actions in the “real world”, such as a music festival that we held in Brasília this year. Other than that, I have no intention of taking on other fronts, at least for now.
(MM): What assessment (in light of the objectives, results and user feedback) can be made of this project today?
(TA): I'm very satisfied with everything I've achieved in these 8 and a half years of blogging. Since the beginning of the project, I had it in my head that it would be the most important thing in my life and that I would earn money doing what I love, so I went after it and now I see it all happening. It was a lot of work, I went through terrible times trying to balance work, study and blogging, but it was worth it.
(MM): There are many different opinions about the changes that have occurred in the music industry in recent years. What do you think? Has music in general benefited from the Internet?
(TA): Music has become more democratic, that's a fact. Before, we listened to what was playing on the radio and watched what was on TV. Today, we have blogs, social networks, paid and free streaming platforms, and an impressive number of options where we can discover bands of all different styles and sizes. That's great.
I don't know how things are in Portugal , but here in Brazil we're going through one of the most incredible phases in independent music in recent years, with festivals happening all over the country, always packed, and bands that aren't linked to major record labels carrying legions of fans around. A lot of this is directly influenced by the Internet.
(MM): And now, to finish, what advice or tips can you give to bloggers who are just starting out in this type of online project?
(TA): The main tip I give is to take your work seriously. Really. I know a lot of people who gave up on their projects because they didn't work out, but I've also seen that they didn't take it seriously. I usually compare blogs that are just starting out to bands that are just starting out. Many bands want to be successful but they don't do shows, they don't promote their work, they don't pursue it and they hope that someone will listen to their music. I see a lot of people starting blogs, writing a few texts and then giving up quickly. They start writing once a month and think that's enough to make it work one day. Commitment is the key word here, especially because it's something you love to do. As I said before, it's very difficult, it's painful, it took me four years to turn my hobby into a job, but I wouldn't forgive myself if I had given up.