An X Factor Italy finalist, signed to a major record deal and even a Netflix actress — on paper, it would seem chanson-style singer-songwriter Violetta Zironi was absolutely thriving in the traditional music industry. But after the traumatic experience of a reality music show followed by the heavy restrictions of being signed to Sony Music Italy took their toll, she faced the choice of quitting music or finding a new path. Now, Zironi is one of the leading voices selling her music as NFTs using blockchain technology, generating tens of thousands of dollars for her music that she couldn’t have dreamed of from streaming and record labels.
Italian-born Zironi is speaking from Berlin, her home after leaving London some years ago. When she describes the early part of her career, it sounds like a fairytale on the face of it. That is, until you hear the gritty details.
“I started in 2013 when I entered the Italian X Factor,” she says, her accent now a hotchpotch of different dialects after an international life. “Before that I was playing shows at town fairs, small bars and small festivals. And then at 18, I entered the competition and it went really well. I got to the final and I was third in the end.
"I signed a major label deal with Sony Music Italy and I was with them for a couple of years. It was a really terrible deal that I had no idea I had gotten myself into. But I learned a lot from that experience. After that, we managed to part peacefully with the label, thankfully.
“I became independent, and started playing shows all over Italy, up and down all the time. Then I met singer songwriter, Jack Savoretti – we shared the same Italian management. He asked me to go on tour with him around Italy, the UK and Germany. That pushed me to move to London, and that's when I really started developing my songwriting skills and being faced with the international music industry.”
Unpleasant record label experience aside, the music industry seemed to open up for Zironi, particularly as she moved to Germany. Commercial opportunities came knocking, as well as a certain film and series streaming company
“I started writing songs for other artists, for commercials, for movies – and movies that I was in! I was just tapping into every aspect of the entertainment industry. I was lucky enough to have the chance to act in a couple of movies.
"One of them is called Rose Island, which is on Netflix. At the time it was the biggest European Netflix production ever made, which was really cool.”