New Daily D.I.Y. Feature For Musicians & Labels
Every weekday, I’ll be sharing a simple actionable tip or a piece of advice called the Daily D.I.Y. to help artists release and market their music, get gigs, build a fan base and develop a lasting career.
As I begin writing the series, what topics would you like me to write about or what tips are working for you that you’d like to share?
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We would love to see advice on how to tour cheaply and easily, as well as how to market your music best online across as many platforms as possible – how do you get people writing about you?
Would like to see thoughts and advice on licensing of music from independent artists for Film, TV, advertising etc. Do you see this as a viable strategy for independent artists and labels for generating operating cash?
Thanks – love your site -tons of great info!
Josh
LOL, I had just placed in my myspace blog something similar to this I wonder if 2009 is the year of daily tips. I am looking forward to seeing what you put out there I may even have some thoughts at that time.
I know for my own idea I plan to focus on community building and fan interaction.
This sounds great Bruce! I’d like to hear your thoughts on new and innovative album release strategies. For example, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Coldplay etc. The industry is changing from an event-driven economic model (single album release) to an continuous economic model whereby artists always have an opportunity to monetize their music and merchandise if they are creative…
Thanks. I’ll be reading them.
I’d like some advice about how to grow my team. How to delegate and use time efficiently especially online and choosing what the most important things to do are. And how be in control of what I do and not Vice Versa.
What are the core jobs of a new record label?
If I can’t afford to pay anyone at the moment, what ways are around this?
Enda
First of all, thank you all for participating. It is quite obvious, yet again, that there are people everywhere who are serious about their art and and committed to the commerce therein. A simple suggestion is to keep it local. Sure, it’s great to have “friends” all over the country/world but if you can make a real world connection to a fan or prospective fan within a days driving distance…that fan can feel truly connected to you and your art. Once you’ve made that fan..he/she/they are yours forever because they can relate to you on a musical/artistic and geographic basis. As to all of the other DIY ideas…keep ’em coming…the music is.
Mitchell Fox
My suggestion is whatever tips you put out there, do not ‘sugar coat’ them. Most artist or at leas the ones I communicate with frequently do not understand the amount of time & work one must commit to to become successful. And it’s sad that most of them are seeking what they think is a that ‘golden parachute’, a label deal, which really tells us, how uninformed they are about where the state of the music business is heading. The internet & technology are making it possible to be successful without having to deal with what labels are now offering when they do offer they now want the “360 Deal”. Label deals, today, must be a WIN/WIN for all parties involved, or they should be passed on. Most artist have no ideal about what’s going on, in the business side of music.
Many of the artist on My Space don’t have bands; they have no idea how many songs they need to do a 1,2,3,4,5 hour gig; they don’t have a standardized play list; they don’t know enough songs that will enable them to customize their play list according to what the venue owners expect for their clientele; they don’t have a following; they don’t understand most venue owners could care less about how great they can sing, instead the venue owners want to see how many fans dance to each song you play, which leads to more sales; so on and on.
Sorry this is so long, but, it’s time every artist understand the music business, both the art & the business side. It can be very rewarding as long as each artist & their band understands the amount of work they must do each day to keep the wheels of their music turning in the direction of success.
One final tip: No matter how great a musician you have if they are not willing to do their fair share of work to promote you & your music, cut them, they are not team members & have no right to any of the successes you achieve through you hard work.
Success equals:
1. Good Singer
2. Great Entertainer
3. Good/Great Songs
3.1 Songs must make a connection
3.2 Songs must creates moments
4. Fans that support & show up (having 20,000 fans on My Space that don’t show up or buy your tunes, equals very little success, it does however waste a lot of your creative time)
5. Great team around you…this includes your band.
and
Don’t forget how important it is to have a knowledge sound person/engineer….acknowledge them, thank them, they are one of the unsung people in the music business that are so important to putting on a successful show.
and
Don’t forget to experiment with mics. Yes the Shure 58’s have been the workhorses of the industry for many years, but, great workhorses need to be retired at some point…that is if you want your sound person/engineer to deliver the best sound possible to your audiences/fans.
—-The End
KSE
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I promise to use many of them.
Please keep ’em coming!
Please discuss whether physical distribution is worth the cost for artists with primarily a youth audience or one that seems like it could do without CDs altogether. Is it worth it to an independent artist or label having one or two copies of a couple titles in the big box stores anymore?
Hypebot is my bible to the digital music revolution. Thank you Bruce for your commitment.
Matt
Hi
One topic that might be of independent artists is the world of synchronisation licences for film, tv and advertising.
Not so much the legal ins and outs, but the practicalities of landing these opportuntities.
Are the same forces at work – luck, perseverence, superior access by the major label/publishers to music supervisors – that tend to apply in the music industry generally?
Are some methods of seeking synch license opportuntities better than others? – or is it all really a crap shoot – finding someone who likes you at the right time – a microcosm of getting “A&R’d”?.
Regards
Bryce Wilson