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Outsider Marketing & The Case Of Willis Earl Beal

Willis Earl Beal didn't set out to be an Internet celebrity. But he's in the process of becoming one, though the next few months label XL Recordings seem focused on making him an offline star as well. As someone who might be pigeonholed an outsider artist, I'm impressed by the insightful treatment of the music publications that are currently featuring this powerful young singer online.

Drip.fm Creates Subscription Revenue Stream for Indie Labels

I spoke yesterday with the founders of Drip.fm, the platform that's powering Stones Throw Records' new digital subscription service. Sam Valenti IV, who founded Ghostly International, and Miguel Senquiz, Ghostly's head of product development and digital strategy, created Drip.fm as music fans who run their own label. Now they're gradually opening Drip.fm to other labels to feed superfans with an ongoing stream of digital releases.

The Civil Wars' Success Formula: Live Shows + Social Media + Music Placements

The Civil Wars, with Grammy nominations in Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Folk Album, are an indie success story built on live performance, social media and music licensing. The February debut of their first album, "Barton Hollow", gave them a #1 on Billboard's Digital Albums chart and the CD is currently #73 on Amazon's Top 100 in Music a year later. But even without the Grammy nomination, which obviously boosted album sales, The Civil Wars show you can do well by combining what are now well-established approaches to marketing and revenue generation.

Occupy Movement Inspires New Compilation Albums & Bruce Springsteen [VIDEO]

A variety of record albums related to the Occupy Movement are set for release including "Occupy This Album" from Music For Occupy with a star-studded list of participants, "Folk the Banks" from the newly formed Occupation Records in London and media claims that Bruce Springsteen's newest work is the voice of the movement though the songs were mostly written before it existed.

YouTube Rejects Matador Records Ad Of 2 Men Embracing As "Non Family Safe" [VIDEO]

A 16 second promotional clip for the latest release by Matador Records act Perfume Genius, that includes two men in a PG-13 embrace, has been rejected by Google and YouTube. Both men are clothed from the waste down as Perfume Genius' Mike Hadreas embraces porn star Arpad Miklos. But Google rejected based on their policy on "Adult Image/Video Content":

Indie Music Trade Group A2IM Offers Different View Of Anti-SOPA Protests

It's not just the RIAA and big music companies that support SOPA. In another example of the divisions within the music and media industries over proposed anti-piracy legislation and today's anti-SOPA protests, the American Association Of Independent Music (A2IM) today offered this statement:

Manchester Orchestra Asks Fans To Sing Along & Why It's Working

Atlanta-based indie rock group Manchester Orchestra has launched a unique and interactive fan experience for their song, “Virgin” - a track that’s been described as “a song to the fans” by the band. In the spirit of the song’s lyrical content, the band has created a campaign for fans to have their voices heard … literally.

Getting "Big in Japan" With Rallye Label

Though getting "big in Japan" was once considered the province of obscure or outdated rock bands, a variety of artists are finding support for their music in Japan as they build their careers. For example, jazz singer Michelle Shaprow's first release was on a Japanese label, P-Vine, that began a process of partnering with labels in other countries. Rallye Label has also been releasing Western acts focused on pop rock and electronica based on the taste and interests of label owner Fumi Chikakoshi.

Musician As Employee: The Parlotones, Raphael Domalik Forge A New Business Model

The Parlotones are a pop rock band that have exceeded all expectations in their native South Africa and are now seeking a global audience with a special focus on the U.S. Manager Raphael Domalik has been working with The Parlotones in a unique business arrangement in which the investors own the overall company and the band is paid a salary as employees. They're also taking a very thorough approach to marketing and monetizing their brand both on and offline.

Rolling Stones & Fugazi Launch Digital Archives with Radically Different Approaches

Musicians have been using the web to amplify and extend their careers in a variety of ways. One still emerging solution is to create digital archives with content ranging from copies of old newspaper clippings to recordings of live concerts. Recently both the Rolling Stones and Fugazi opened online archives with quite different approaches to content and access that reflect their respective approaches to the business of music.

Discover The UK Indie Music Biz via The AIM Journal

The Association of Independent Music is a trade organization established in 1999 that represents all levels of the UK's indie music industry from individuals to large labels. Though AIM does focus on the UK, they also produce material of use to folks in the States, for example, The AIM Journal that currently appears twice a year with articles of interest to any business-oriented indie artist.

Congress May Pave Way For Small Investors To Crowdfund Music Startups

A bill that was recently passed by the House of Representatives opens up the possibility of music startups raising $1 to $2 million annually via social media and crowdfunding platforms without having to meet costly registration requirements. 

MC Lars On DIY Success & Making A Living In Music [VIDEO]

This guest post is by Bob Baker of www.TheBuzzFactor.com

Since 2006, hip-hop artist MC Lars has been a poster boy for indie music success and the DIY work ethic. After a short-lived relationship with Terry McBride and the Canadian record label/management company Nettwerk five years ago, Lars formed his own label, Horris Records. Since then, he has taken his self-described "post-punk laptop rap" and delivered it to a target audience he calls the "iGeneration" -- kids born between 1982 and 2000.

TechDirt Opens New Media Biz-Models Message Board; Offers $10k for Best Case Examples

Last week, media blog TechDirt launched a new message board  designed to pool the ideas and experiences of musicians, filmmakers, and writers experimenting with new ways to monetize and support their work. Additionally, TechDirt founder Mike Masnick is offering $10,000 to those who submit the best case studies and/or experiences they've had in building alternative business models.

UK Independent Music Awards Nominees Announced

UK indie music trade group AIM has announced the 2011 Independent Music Award nominees "after careful deliberation from our esteemed judging panel and public voting which saw more than 14,000 people register their votes".  The winners will be announced at aceremony on November 10th.

30 Top Indie Labels Partner For Music Discovery Site TheNewRecord.com

Community building doesn't only happen on Facebook, and a new indie music discovery site founded by Bill Armstrong of Side One Dummy hopes to build a community of indie music fans more tied to the creators than to Mark Zuckerberg. To help make that happen, Armstrong assembled a unique partnership of 30 top independent music labels to launch TheNewRecord.com.

Scion A/V Starts A Record Label with DAM Funk, A-Trak, The Melvins & Steve Aoki

Scion A/V's artist list for 2011/2012 is a big one with releases due from punk/metal trailblazers The Melvins, DAM Funk, the Ambassador of Boogie Funk, A-Trak and Steve Aoki! But they're also stepping up their game with more support for the artists from production to marketing to touring.

Indie Labels Join To Save Failing Distributor

From the ashes of failed distributor, The Independent Record Collective, three record labels - Frontier Records, Beer City, and Tribunal Records - have launched a new distribution operation for indie labels and bands: Independent Label Distribution (ILD). ILD will handle both physical and digital product and are already handling titles for these indie labels:

Another Indie Label Pulls From Spotify

A third independent metal label Prosthetic Records has pulled it's content from Spotify. "There [does] not appear to be an upside," Prosthetic co-owner E.J. Johantgen told the L.A. Weekly. The income from the streaming music service is just "fractions of pennies," according to the label head. Prosthetic joins Century Media and Metal Blade, two other Los Angeles-area metal labels who recently pulled out of Spotify.

Interview: Darius Van Arman Of : Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans & Secretly Canadian [VIDEO]

(UPDATE 2) On This Week In Music, Ian Rogers interviews Darius Van Arman, co-owner of Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans and Secretly Canadian, three indie labels that have enjoyed incredible organic success with artists like Bon Iver and Antony.  The two discuss how artists and labels can thrive in the current marketplace. It's an inspiring interchange between two men who clearly love music and are building businesses that serve it.