Hello! I am Alex Gospodin, I am 29 years old and an Aries. Now that I have caught your attention, I can begin stating some details about me. I was born in Urziceni, Ialomița, got to Bucharest 11 years ago and was introduced to the music industry 10 years ago, with no clear intention. Just like any successful provincial, I came to Bucharest to earn a higher education but it wasn’t before 2018 that I began understanding what I truly want to do and started actually dedicating myself 100% to that goal, since it was then that I faced my first real challenge.
I learned management and online marketing in order to be actively involved in the careers of the artists I collaborated with, and gained international experience. After all these activities, I learned to do booking, which became my main job. In 2022, I fully understood that I was on the right path and doing what I was supposed to be doing. It was the year I was offered the chance to work with one of the most hard-working, talented artists I have ever met until now.
Q: How does the music industry look like to you in 2024?
A: I believe the music industry is in a continuous process of expansion and reinvention. The music industry in Romania seems to have been reborn in 2023, somehow in full bloom due to the “new wave” of artists. Festivals hold an important role in this expansion, allowing even Romanian DJs to have a bigger exposure. Yes, it is a revived industry lately, due to internal factors.
Q: What are the main challenges that a young person faces when starting out in the current music industry (in Romania)?
A: Firstly, competition is harsh in the music industry in Romania and therefore, no one is teaching you how to do anything. If you are not self-taught, you risk having a cumbersome evolution which, in time, can be discouraging. I set out to change this mindset with time and to try to share all the earned knowledge with people that want to follow the same path. Sharing is caring, and sharing is the best way to be stronger than others.
Secondly, it is very hard to grow a team because those who want to partake do not see all the work behind the evolution, everybody sees the fun, but behind these fun moments are years of work and dedication.
Q: What is the professional achievement of which you are most proud?
A: The fact that after 10 years of work I managed to become the booking manager to one of Romania’s biggest artists is my biggest achievement. I will soon lay the foundation of a booking agency that will develop in an atypical manner as opposed to how the music industry in Romania is educated to be.
Q: How does the future of the music industry (in Romania) look like to you?
A: Diverse, that is how I picture the music industry in the future. The fact that we are slowly dropping barriers is pretty encouraging for everybody. Therefore, I congratulate everyone who is actively contributing to a transparent, boundary-free industry.
Q: How did you break into the music industry?
A: Without intending to, without planning on, simply by doing what I love and believing in myself. It is a long, beautiful story that I will share at some point. For the moment, I am enjoying the process and the fact that I get to do what I wished for ever since I was a kid, unaware in the past but currently more aware than ever.
Q: What piece of advice would you give to a young person dreaming of working in the music industry?
A: To believe in their work, first and foremost. There is no recipe for success, hard work and dedication are the key. For me, that worked. Why wouldn’t it work for somebody else too?! Believe, work, and be present, nothing is impossible.
