Mark Quail has been a lawyer in the music business since 1990. His current practice includes work for artists, composers, record companies, digital download websites and music streaming companies. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mark worked as a band roadie and music journalist.
Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meaningful to you?
I’ve always been a music lover; it’s been the guiding force in my life since I was a kid. I’ve been in the middle of a few genres: punk rock, metal, hip-hop and they all filled the need at the time, which was my desire to be at the cutting edge of newly developing music. I had heard house music in the late 80s because I was writing music criticism for a few magazines but it never really “hit” me until July, 1994. I was in Detroit for an event called the “Detroit Regional Music Conference” and I heard the late Ken Collier DJ at a club called “Heaven” on Woodward Ave. They had one of those mind-blowing sound systems in there –all bass bins stacked up high and it was one of those nights where the music all made perfect sense. From there, I met musicians like Mike “Agent X” Clark, Mad Mike Banks, Derrick May, Richie Hawtin, John Acquaviva and Juan Atkins. It was a community on the cutting edge, making music for the ages that hit me in my soul.
Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?
I make it a point to build “fun” into my life on a regular basis. As the saying goes, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. So, at least a few times a winter, I go on a big ski trip where the runs are technical and challenging. There’s nothing like looking down a steep line and not really being able to see what is coming up. That type of fear and focus is refreshing and great to clear my head of the music business issues that fill the rest my days.
Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?
Well, that has to be my family. What else can I say?
Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?
It is hard to name one moment because the last two and a half decades have been full of them. I’m lucky to work with a progressive, ground breaking group of clients who are always pushing boundaries, whether it was the early days of the rave scene in North America, starting digital download sites, developing new music technology, building music streaming businesses or simply releasing great music. I have been lucky to have been front and center in regards to some of the biggest developments in dance music over the last 25 years and I hope that continues for many more years.
Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?
This is not so much a “music” answer but it is what I see trending for record labels: Right now I’m seeing a lot of record labels look for alternate ways to handle their administration. It’s too expensive to employ one of more people to handle bringing in the tracks, promotion, releases and then dealing with the royalty and copyright administration afterwards. There’s a movement to consolidate all this work in the hands of a single administrator that handles a few labels. Not a surprise really when you consider the effects of digital piracy. Since few pay for the music, there’s little income to support the individual label. Miniscule payments from streaming companies don't help here either.
Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?
Well, it’s clear it isn’t going to be record sales and music publishing income that will be the big earners for music companies in the future. What I do see is an opening in the market for products and tools that enhance the listening experience or the live event experience. So few people pay for music any more, but those products that enhance music listening could do well. Beats by Dre was just the start. The haptic technology you see in products like The Sub-Pac bring a whole new dimension to the feel of music. When you tie this in with the Oculus Rift, there’s a great upside here.
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