NONPOINT's ELIAS SORIANO: 'The Value Of Music Is What Has Really Changed' In Streaming Era

In a new interview with Flying The Metal Flag, NONPOINT singer Elias Soriano spoke about the band's decision to launch its independent record label 361 Degrees Records LLC nearly five years ago. He explained (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've found ourselves on the tail end of the major label machine. When we started, there was many major labels, and during the Napster years that really started to taper, and especially with the introduction of Spotify and Apple Music, it really flipped the model of distribution. So, we were on the tail end of that, just like most new metal bands were. And a lot of them either just have unfinished contracts with their labels, and some of those labels happened to either continue to exist or got absorbed into other labels. But we literally saw it go from, like, 12 majors to, like, nine, to six to three in our career. So it's something that after being parts of so many different teams and so many different ideas, seeing what works and seeing what doesn't work, we had an idea of what we wanted to build around us so that way we could continue to release music and continue to be successful at it."

Asked if he thinks music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have been a positive thing for artists, Elias said: "Financially, I would say it's made things a little bit tougher. But when it comes to speed of getting the product into people's hands, it definitely is a lot less hoops to jump through in order to get the music into their hands. But, unfortunately, the value of music is what has really changed, through whether it be consumption versus traffic, especially with A.I. now. It's become artists starting to become a part of social media, but also, too, it's becoming an afterthought to the feed, it almost seems, where you can see the writing in certain kinds of songs and certain kinds of song lengths and, I guess, actual content in the music, it becomes something that you have to understand people will be listening to it while they're watching their phone or watching a movie at home while they're also to scrolling through their phone. So, missing sections of the movie becomes a little bit less important. So it's a lot of filler and things to bring you in and to just hold your attention long enough to just get your art across. And juggling that is what the industry is having to deal with because of things like streaming and social media and stuff like that. The days of wanting to sit down for an entire record from beginning to end and listening to it over and over again, those kind of listeners don't exist as much as the other type of listener these days. Because you gotta remember, when it comes to music discovery, you gotta think about age groups and when your frequency of discovery as you got older started to taper because of other things, like life and children and life insurance and health insurance and all these things, fixing the car, and all of these things that you juggle. I feel like that's when discovery starts to taper as you get older. Well, the youth, they're the main consumers of discovery where they're just looking for the next thing, and that is up against the feed more now than ever."

Back in January 2022, Soriano told "HRH Metal With Dan Chan" that NONPOINT's decision to go it alone when it comes to record labels has resulted in "less anxiety and more anxiety," adding that he has "a team" of "people that are professionals in place" to run the business for him and his bandmates.

"I'm not a neophyte when it comes to the overall scope and understanding of the music industry, but I know when to get the hell out of the way and let someone else steer the ship," he said.

Asked what he missed about having a bigger label behind his band, Soriano said at the time: "The relationships and the friendships. It's fun working with a team that you know everyone around the corner is a professional. That definitely gives less anxiety. But you see, even the staff, they feel the same kind of restriction. They wanna go harder; they wanna spend more money — you know they want to — but they have people to answer to."

As for how he balanced the business and the creative side of being in a band, Elias said: "It's not easy but we're doing it, and that's what matters. And the product that's coming out is better than ever. It's a lot of fun. It really is. I'm having fun doing this."

Soriano also discussed the challenges of running a label like 361 Degrees Records LLC in a March interview with DJ Force X. He said at the time: "Yeah, it's a workload. It's definitely a workload. You got the creative side and the administrative side and juggling it both is about putting people that you trust and putting at least some sort of plan and even a small team behind things that need to be recirculated back into the brand and checked on and nurtured, like our socials or like our merch store and things like that. So, we definitely try to get some sort of administrative plan and team behind those certain things so that way they're kind of running on autopilot. So that way, when we wanna do grand things within the label plan, it's easy for us to do and take on those projects within the label."

After DJ Force X applauded the "DIY" nature of running an independent record label with no external pressure, Elias clarified: "There's definitely really no outside influence, but I wouldn't call it just DIY, because I have to give credit where credit's due. We have people that we've brought on that we work together. We see the value in the NONPOINT brand. And where we see that we can grow and we wanna scale, we lean on professionals and get advice and get plans and get things calendared so that way we have a finish line that we try to aim at. And I think that, being smart with your team, being smart with your plan is paramount to surviving, especially today."

When NONPOINT first launched 361 Degrees Records, the band filmed the process, along with documenting the making of new music, in a docu-series titled "A Path To Independence" that can be seen on the band's YouTube and official web site.

NONPOINT has been captivating audiences with its energetic sound and passionate performances for over two decades. Formed in 1997, the band has consistently pushed the boundaries of what modern rock can be, combining heavy metal, nu-metal, and hard rock into a unique and powerful musical force. Over the course of its 28-year career, NONPOINT has released several critically acclaimed albums and garnered a reputation as one of the most exciting live acts in the industry.

Throughout its career, NONPOINT has been celebrated for their signature sound and powerful lyrics, which often tackle social and political issues. Their hard-hitting sound and emotional live performances have earned them a dedicated fanbase, as well as recognition from the music industry. NONPOINT has received multiple award nominations and has been praised by publications such as Rolling Stone, Revolver and Alternative Press.

NONPOINT is:

Elias Soriano (Lead Vocals)
Robb Rivera (Drums)
Rasheed Thomas (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
Adam Woloszyn (Bass)
Jason Zeilstra (Lead Guitar)