Music Map

2012 Music

2012-01-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and there are lots of new musicians coming through the process of either being a musician for life or hanging it up and taking on another life path. It's interesting to watch that process and wonder who will survive it. 2011 narrowed an already slim field and we lost some good bands. 2012 promises to do the same. I was talking to Turley Richards yesterday about how many musicians who have paid no dues wind up in high places. He commented that music is fractured. I agree. The coming and going of some music contest winners has no place in the overall measure of the music industry. I only want to write about real musicians and real music. The product of X Factor and American Idol sometimes looks more like glorified clowns with microphones than it looks like musicians. There are some exceptions but those are few and far between.

So what will Jamestown Revival do in 2012? They are working on a new album. LOL is supposed to some out in April (fingers crossed). The residency at The Hotel Cafe starts on January 11th and a tour will follow.

Love, luck and laughter to all who bother to read. Happy 2012.

Technology in the future

2011-10-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

I saw this youtube vid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQdGvfV4WnU
It seems like changes are coming to technolgy and we need to be ready.
Check it out and see what you think.

MySpace is Growing!

2011-09-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

I have been promoting music online since 1994. This year I thought MySpace was done for. At the last second Justin Timberlake, Tim and Chris Vanderhook bought it. I was still promoting on MySpace on the day they bought it. People were still using it. But it was kind of empty. Lately however in the last few weeks things are starting to turn around. I see more people there. I have more communication from users. And our song plays are starting to grow. What ever Tim and Chris Vanderhook and Justin Timberlake are doing over there I hope they keep doing it. Tom Anderson designed the best place online to share artists with fans when he and others built MySpace. I think it's fitting that a pop star now owns part of it.

Sheepdogs won the Cover of the Rollingstone contest

2011-08-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

Jamestown Revival got press in Rolling Stone magazine in the first 6 months of their bands existence because of a contest. The Cover of the Rollingstone contest was held to determine which of 16 unsigned bands would be the first to have their picture on the cover of a once signed only publication. It's sort of a mis-communication though. The winner is now signed to Atlantic records. The Sheepdogs, a Canadian rock band won. Jamestown Revival was eliminated. But this blog is really to tell the story of what great press the contest brought to all the contestants. As a rule Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance steer clear of contests. Most music contests are a waste of time and money. This was very different. Everyone involved was professional and had the right intentions. It was a great experience to be involved. Rolling Stone magazine and Atlantic records hired a media company to help promote the contest. The magazine is still running links to the bands that were eliminated. Fans found Jamestown as a result. And at the end a really deserving band won. Sheepdogs is not just some old indie band. The musicians in the band have been working it for 15 years. I would just like to say it's about time they got signed and good luck to them and Atlantic in their new business ventures. And thank you to everyone for helping Jamestown Revival have a GREAT first year!

Why Marijuana and Music don't mix

2011-07-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

Many musicians use pot. Let's talk about why this is a bad idea. Tetrahydrocannibol is an active ingredient in marijuana. In the human brain this cannabinoid causes the human neuron to act in a way that is unnatural. The end result is inability to remember short term. So a musician who uses regularly has short term memory issues. Pot also has the adverse effect of making the user think he or she is doing a good job. Bottom line is the pot smoking musician thinks she/he is playing a song better, writing better, etc. In reality the performance and writing are getting worse after each use. Many musicians are great examples but I will leave you to do that research.

Booking Agents, Managers and Labels

2011-07-02T14:14:00.001-07:00

Recently a young musician asked me how to book his shows. I said, "Why don't you hire a booking agent?" He said he didn't see why he should hire someone who would do what he could do himself. This is the wrong attitude. Clearly if he could have done it himself he would not be asking me how to do it. Booking agents, music managers and labels all play a part in the music business. You should hire a good booking agent from the start. A manager will find you as soon as you start making decent money. Then the manager will take your music to a label or at least find distribution like that of a label. There's no reason to be afraid of booking agents and managers. They do lots of work for you.

Music and Money

2011-06-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

A word to the wise. Never back someone else's music project with your money. There are two reasons for this. First it's more likely you'll be struck by lightening than you'll ever see your money back. Second, most musicians aren't very good business men and women. Now I know that's not always true. A few musicians are great business men and women. However the majority are better at music than finance. So it will be in everyone's best interest if the debt on recording is in the name of the musicians.

I have been the financier of music projects. For some reason the musicians I worked with did not think it was their responsibility to pay back the debt on music projects. Some of them have paid it back. But most of them have not. So this advice comes from experience.

If you want to financially help a musician, buy the music they already have recorded. It's the best way to stimulate a sluggish music economy.

Memorial Day music

2011-05-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

I visited the Lebanon KY National Cemetery today. Memorial Day at a national cemetery is special. Everyone there had a loved one who served in the military and died. Some were very recent losses. Some were a long time ago and everything in between. The music was patriotic. The graces all had a flag flying. It made me proud of our country. It made me happy to know so many people care about those who lost their life for us. And I was very amazed at how almost every marker bore a cross. The symbol of a Christian soldier. I counted 2 that had another symbol. 2 out of more than 1000 were Christian. The next time you have a few minutes to spare visit a national cemetery. I highly recommend the experience.

Finite comparisons in an seemingly infinite world

2011-05-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

"That's like comparing apples to oranges." Have you ever heard that? I heard it when I told an artist how to guage his music against other artists in the main stream. The sad truth is all artists are in competition for music dollars. It doesn't matter that your fans like your genre. The average music enthusiast likes more than one genre. 19% of the money teens spent in 2010 went to music across all genres. http://www.magazine.org/content/files/teenprofile04.pdf
Why is that important to you as an artist? You have to compete with signed bands, indie bands, and every genre under the sun to get your piece of that pie. Artist who sign with a label get a smaller percent of the money that comes in because labels spend money to attract sales. You don't have a bag of money to spend attracting sales. You have to find a way to compete and still stay afloat.
Here are a few guidelines.
Know how much money you have.
Keep track of the real profit. (Just because you sold a CD/download at a show/online it doesn't mean you made profit. How much did it cost to make the CD/recording?)
Calculate the percentages. (If your music is only earning a 3% profit over what you have invested then you might as well stay home. The worst savings account will earn 3% and you don't have to do a thing.)
Because you're still reading I'll assume you are making over 3% and say this. It's time to increase profits.
Online sales are a tricky biz. You have to find a way to tell people about your music and not piss them off. Don't plaster the feed on your Facebook account with links to your iTunes.
Videos are a GREAT way to get your music out there. Make a video and put it on YouTube. Get people to watch it with Facebook and Twitter. If it's good they will look for the link to buy it. The playing field is more level there than any other place in music competition. People still prefer home made videos to slick professional smoke and mirrors. Make sure you are original and have all your copyrights and publishing ironed out before posting.
Apples and oranges are different but music isn't. Get out there and compete!

Lady Gaga worships demons

2011-05-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

I hate Lady Gaga. Not the person. It's impossible for me to hate a person. I hate what the whole circus stands for. The Lady Gaga movement is an embracing of evil. It's disgusting. The songs are lame. The movement is intended to get young people to be evil. The lyrics of Judas are obvious. There is not even the slightest attempt made to disguise the fact that Lady Gaga worships demons. And adults are allowing children to buy this crap. I don't think we should censor Lady Gaga. However, if your children are listening to this, do yourself a favor and check it out. There have been many musicians in the past 50 years who traveled this road and corrupted the youths minds. I don't have time to list them. They come and go like toilet paper, flushed down the toilet where they belong. But Gaga is the worst I have ever seen. And the media, the talk show hosts and your children are all under the spell she casts. I brought her up in a college class last week and the students had nothing good to say about her. They laughed at how she dresses and said she needs to grow up and get a life. One of them said her menopause drugs have effected her sense of reality. Another called her a grandma with a terrible case of cougar itis. It's not college age students who support this hack. It's little children. Middle school age students should not be given a choice of what music they listen to. You, the parents and grand parents are responsible for the child. Pull the wool off your eyes people. Look at what is obvious.

Honesty?

2011-04-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

What ever happened to honesty? I remember a time when it was valued and sought. Today I hear bands talking about tricking fans with loops and audio tricks at live performances. It seems that fans can't tell the difference between real musicians and fake Milly Vanilly wanna-bes. So what. Musicians still need to pour heart and soul into performances. Honesty is still important. Ask yourself this question. After spending a couple years using these tricks are you a better musician? Practice only makes perfect if you are really practicing. It's not just musicians either. Go to Wal-mart. Look on the shelf where the dish soap is located. Notice anything? Well of course you do. The bottles are not filled up. Hmmm. Now go the the cloting stores. Look at the new shirt and pants styles. Yes those pants are supposed to be that HIGH WATER. Why? It takes less fabric to make those. Is it cheaper? No. Honesty is failing everywhere. Be one of the few who values it. When you see it, reward it.

Claims vs Reality

2011-03-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

It's Mar. 2011. The Internet is an abundant source of information. Yet, with a plethora of resources I still hear people making claims, with no facts involved. You can think and describe something that is not reality. You can live in a place and time that is only real to you. Reality has some defined musts.
1. A real bus, if it hits you, will hurt or kill you.
2. Real time goes by and never comes back.
3. Your real age is obvious, even when you lie about it.
4. You real weight can be measured by a scale no matter how big you are.
5. A real relationship has ups and downs and both parties know they are in it.
I keep hearing people say, "When I win the lottery..." When I tell them the odds they get mad. In the real world your probably not going to win.
Bankruptcy is real. Starvation, AIDS and HIV are real. Pretending these things don't exist does not change the fact that they do exist.
Now for the big one. God is real.
Based on facts, proven by reality, no question in my mind, I have iron clad proof, God is real.

Japan, Anchovies and The end of the world

2011-03-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked if I think all the signs happening around us mean the end of the world is coming. Yes I do. At some point, and only God knows when, the world as we know it will end. What does it mean to you? Get your house in order. After that listen to some good music.
Lately I've been listening to lots of indie bands. Nothing new there.
Jamestown Revival is good. If you haven't listened to them yet here's a link.
http://www.myspace.com/jamestownrevival
I particularly like Runaway if you only have time for one song.
Let me know what you think.

The History of Jonathan Clay

2011-03-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

2006 Whole New Me
2007 Back to Good
2008 This Ones for Me
2008 Love At War
2009 Acoustic Sessions
2010 Everything She Wants
2011 Knives and Pipes
Singer Songwriter Jonathan Clay grew up in Magnolia, TX. He writes Folk Rock Indie songs. His music has been used on MTV in The Hills, Real World, and Newport Harbor. Clay's songs have also been used in Lincoln Heights on ABC Family, Sons of Anarchy on FX, and a TBS movie. Levis and True Anthem helped Clay give away 140,000 downloads of Acoustic Sessions. iTunes has sold over 100,000 downloads of Jonathan Clays songs. Recently Clay has teamed up with his friend Zach Chance to create a new band called Jamestown Revival. The duo was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine this month. (Mar. 2011) Be sure to check out Jamestown Revival on Facebook, MySpace, and Youtube.

Off Key Vocals and Online Vids

2010-11-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving and beginning of the Christmas season. Let's talk about vocals in online video.
Vocals should always be on key. If you can't man up, auto tune. It sounds like crap to hear online performances that are off key. If it's bad, don't post it online to remind everyone that it was bad. Everyone has a bad performance now and then. No one will remember it if you don't keep reminding them.

Online Music Promotions 101

2010-11-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

I have been promoting music online since 1994. There has never been a better time than now to get the word out about new music. MySpace is by far the best music promotion tool on the Internet. Compare in person promotion to online promotion. In person I have to walk up to people and try to get them to take some literature from me. I don't know them, they don't know me. It's awkward. Online I friend request people and they either hit delete or take a look. No pressure is involved. So a high percentage of people take a look. It just works. If you are sitting back and waiting for money to fall out of the sky, maybe you should give my way a try.

Microsoft to give away FREE virus scan software

2010-11-15T06:06:00.000-08:00

In a world filled with costs it's refreshing to see Microsoft come forward and offer FREE virus scan software. Does that mean you should give your music away for FREE? Well let's look at this. Do you have some music laying around that you could offer for FREE? If so, go for it. I have found it's pretty hard to give stuff away these days. People are SUSPICIOUS. They think you are trying to trick them. Microsoft might have the same problem. If you try the FREE music route and have problems let me know.

The Fine Line

2010-10-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

There is a fine line in music. Criticism of the industry is not taken well. I don't care. Criticism is how change starts. Numbers show the truth. Music industry professionals are wrong 92% of the time. Most of the acts they sign lose money. And yet those same losers are employed over and over to pick acts. Hmm what's wrong with this picture? Well once they got it right. So one act they stumbled upon made money. How? Luck.
Our society are not a group of statisticians. If they were the reality would change the face of music. Losers would be let go at the first sign of failure. Instead the investors money is squandered away as the act spirals, sometimes for years, into oblivion. All the while other acts who could sell more are ignored in order to bolster the ego of the wrong choice.
So why do we keep people on who can't pick an act? I believe the answer is charisma. Some people are good at bullshit and everyone likes them. After many years it's obvious no profit is coming from them but it's too late. To admit they are worthless is to say we made a mistake. So the system stays broken and time marches on. Sounds just like politics because it is.
Pointing fingers is easy. What's the solution?
Go to the real numbers. Don't look at fake audience (bands invite everyone they know to a showcase and all the girls scream) look at sales figures. How much product have they really moved? And look at the under the table sales. Bands sell merch for cash. Look at real chart position or real plays. Bands can pay people to run up fake traffic on websites. Look at real quality in writing. Did they write it? Was it given TV, movie, commercial placement? More than once? Gee this all sounds pretty easy to do. That's because it is. Once you find that type of reality talk to the act. Those are the bands who will make money for a label. Hard working musicians are out there. Find them. Quit signing pansy ass morons whose music sounds like last decades has beens.

The Speed of Music

2010-10-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

MySpace ran a feature on Jonathan Clay this week under the title New Around Here. I appreciate the press and loved the article. However it really struck me as odd that they called him New. Jonathan Clay has been on MySpace at the top of the charts since 2005. I guess 5 years is new in music years. It must be some odd math where one year equals one month? Unlike dogs where one year equals seven years.

Tech Support compared to music

2010-08-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

Today I helped someone who needed tech support. We called a 1-800 number and reached India. We asked for help on how to get a computer that is still under warranty fixed. After a long time we realized that the person on the other end of the phone was trying to tell us how to repair the computer. Compare this to a live music event.
You walk in expecting a band to play and someone points to a stage and instruments and says, you want a show. Here are directions on how to play and sing. Go for it. Would you walk out?
Outsourcing tech support to people who barely speak English and who could care less about your product is not smart.

Good Music vs Lots of attention

2010-08-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder why you are doing everything right and NO one is paying attention? Good music does not mean you will get attention. Someone significant has to point out the good music in order for people to sit up and pay attention. Now the question is, who is that someone?
I will begin to post interviews here soon from some amazing unsigned artists. Keep in touch for more, very soon.

Global Warming and Music Sales

2010-08-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Is the planet warming up? Some scientists say it is. Are music sales slowing down? Some labels claim this is so. So why did I shovel so much snow in the winter and why do I see so many people carrying mobile computing devices brimming with music? The problem isn't global warming and music sales, it's perception. The Secret works because people believe it. The principle is written in to the fabric of who we are. People see what they believe. Because the media knows that, they simply feed off of it. It I plant the seed in your mind and enough of you believe it we will all see it. We are becoming victims of a power we all share. As the planet fills up with billions of people shared consciousness will be studied and discovered. But right now a hand full of people are manipulating it with tools like MySpace, Twitter and Facebook. I don't think they are aware how exactly it works. Inception touches on it, but in such a vague, obscure way it is too buried. The average dull mind is too bogged down in everyday crap to explore philosophy and what is science fiction at this point. So we will remain victims until someone who can grasp the concept comes along.

Hard Work

2010-07-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

When I work all week sometimes all I want to do is take a nap. Hard work should make you tired. Sleep is one of those things we all understand. When you sleep because you're tired from hard work it just feels right. I get so mad when I hear people say I stayed up all night playing a game and now I'm too tired to work. If games are more important to you than your music career, perhaps a different career path might be a better choice. Good music is hard work. You don't have time to play games if you really want to compete.

Make the economy better

2010-07-16T04:42:00.001-07:00

Stop complaining about the economy and get back to work making it better. I am so sick and tired of hearing everyone's cry stories. Economies get bad and bounce back. Get over it. You might lose everything several times in your life. It's just money people. Look at the birds. They don't even have a house or car and yet they survive. You are so spoiled it makes you think you have to have things to be happy. The American sense of entitlement is crazy. Pay what you owe even if you have to work two jobs. If you're on unemployment get off unemployment and GET A JOB! Shame on all of you slackers. Musicians are supposed to make us all feel better. You are not supposed to sit around all day playing Call of Duty!!!

Can a good thing lose?

2010-07-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

Bill Gates said, "Success is a menace, it fools smart people in to thinking they can't lose." He's right. A great product, top notch customer service, location to die for and no sales. It can happen that you did everything right and yet you lose. Or maybe you did nothing right and you win. But you have to be realistic. Do the best you can. Make sure you have everyones best interest in mind. Then if it doesn't work out, cut your losses and start again. Don't beat a dead horse. I remember lots of lean times and we always came through. Worry and despair will get you no where.

It's all up to us

2010-07-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Everything She Wants Jonathan Clay's new album is out. And just as soon as it came out pirates began to steal it. I have spent the last week notifying bit torrent servers to remove free download links to the project. Why do I have to do that? http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2365795,00.asp This article explains that YouTube, and other online sources have to take links down when they are notified that the file infringes copyright. That means it's up to us to find all the offending content and notify them to remove it. So now record labels, indies and artist have to dedicate time to finding this content. It's like telling the thief, until you get caught it's all good. And then when you get caught just stop it. There is no prosecution involved in this process. And oh by the way, the offenders don't have to let us know who put the content up or who stole the songs. Two nice men who run bit torrent servers bothered to call with numbers but they would not discuss names. If these pirates were stealing books from a brick and mortar book store everyone would be up at arms, but there is no difference. Stealing is wrong.

Music in 2010

2010-06-26T21:14:00.001-07:00

I guess I look at music different than the average run of the mill fan. Music to me is a perfect combination of communication, art, and spiritual awareness. I live, eat, and breathe for music. I don't own an iPod, or any DMP for that matter. I prefer my music live. I do enjoy YouTube music excursions, listening here and there to find new gems, and jewels. So what about that is different? In 2008 3% of Americans owned an iPod. According to ITFacts.com 34% of Americans owned some form of digital music player by 2010. I just got a cell phone in 2009. It has music storage but I don't know how it works. BUT I work full time in the music business. So when people ask me to listen to music, I ask for a link. I don't think that is unusual. And while I listen, I look at whatever visual goodies are included. So you need to make sure:
1) Your most current music is online in some streaming format.
2) You include visual, accurate, pictures or video with your music.
EPK is another way to put it. A MySpace or ReverbNation site will do.
Now how can you get someone to look at it?
Do not shove it in their face. I found all the acts I ever worked with myself. No one ever showed them to me. I found them because they were good. Improve your game and people will find you.

Summer Vacation Online

2010-06-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been part of the team on an album release? Man Murphy's Law is so true in this area. Everything seemed to be lined up and then one thing after another went haywire for a bit. But all in all I think it went pretty well. Let me just say this. Have a plan, a backup plan and then a backup plan for the backup plan. Be ready for it to get crazy for about 5 days and then it calms down. Whew! Online marketing is good.

Google AntiTrust Issues? What about the major record labels?

2010-06-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

I keep reading about anti trust issues with Google. Maybe someone
needs to look at the conflict of interest going on with the market
manipulation that the major record lables are doing with MySpace
Music and iTunes. I predict a justice department investigation of
all the parties who won MySpace music in a lawsuit. They can't
expect to walk all over the rights of independent musicians and not
have someone bring them to task. How is it any different than what
they claim MySpace did to them?

Memorial Day and Music

2010-05-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

I listened to all the patriotic music today as we paid tribute to the fallen soldiers who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I wonder as I hear some of it how it feels to make money on songs that pay tribute to them. I wondered if those writers and record labels share that profit with the widows and children of those soldiers. If anyone know, email me. I would like to know.

Smiling faces

2010-05-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Music is business to some people. They wine you and dine you. Look at those smiling faces. What are they thinking? Well I'll tell you it's not how much they like your music. Nope. They are thinking how much of your money they can take. They will wine you and dine you at your expense my friend. Make sure you understand that it's somebodies money. I watch the same deals go down year after year. Hype drives a market where new guys sell big for one song and then fall by the way side only to be swept off for a new crop of young talent. Musicians should never fall for this. Write good songs. Perform those songs for people who will listen. Sell your own music. If someone else wants to come on board, ask them to get involved for a while before you sign anything. Legit record labels will give you a development deal and pay for everything, no strings attached. If it works out, awesome, if not, keep playing for people who like your stuff. It's a simple formula. Hard work and steady growth equal decent earnings.

Dependence

2010-05-10T07:46:00.000-07:00

It's never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket, however too much dependence in the music business is always a bad thing. Musicians are a different
kind of business men than car dealerships. They create music. They are not selling what someone else created. So the fewer hands in the pot the better. Utilize the whole Internet, not just one site. Market in a variety of media. Diversify the audience.

Band Names

2010-05-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

Why would anyone call a band As I Lay Dying. I believe a
bands name should be memorable and leave you feeling good.
Bands with hooky names like Dashboard Confessional and
Saving Jane are easy to remember. Bands with informative
names like Mayday Parade and LifeHouse tell us what the
band is all about. Not. I guess there are just too many
bands and all the names are taken. I think we should
just number all the bands and start with a high number
so no one is confused in to thinking they are number one.
Start with 1024 and go up. How many bands do you think there
are. Would we ever get to a trillion like the deficit did?

You can buy fame

2010-05-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have watched desperate bands purchase fame. Fake press,
websites with reviews, magazine articles, radio spots, even TV are all for
sale for a price. Purchase your fame. Line up and lay down money for your
15 seconds of fame. What do they have in the end? Who are they trying to
impress? These pathetic fools sell their friends out, chase the wind
and end up alone in the end.

If you really want your music to mean something, you can't contrive fame.
Justin Beiber is a made act. He is nothing more than his manager's need
for attention. It's all dust in the wind. Look what happens to old fake fame.
Just ask your self where the Bay City Rollers are now.

Write good songs. Sing to fans who want to hear you. Don't walk all over those
who really care about you. You won't get real friends in the fake fame line.

The Internet Numbers Game

2010-04-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Selling music on the Internet is not an Internet numbers game.
Fans want to support musicians they love. In most cases this
means you have to get to know them. You can't just leave them
to find everything for themselves. Lead the fans to the music.
And keep the music coming. Make video, live performance video,
slide show video, and audio over other video to post online.
Use the wide range of FREE video streaming sites. Make sure the
fans find the video. Lead them to it. A song has not saturated
a market until every possible fan is tired of it. Your market on
the Internet is over 1 billion. If you only sold 10,000 you're
not finished promoting that song.

Morals, Ethics, Values and Easter

2010-04-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

Easter is a hard time for me. My mom died on Easter. But music can help me through most hard times. I find that in 2010 when I talk to the makers of the music, morals, ethics, and values are becoming an issue for them. Presented with a tough economy, rising piracy and lower attendance in concerts many acts find themselves having to make tough decisions. Songs to cheer me up are on the decline and songs that really add to my sad mood are on the increase. Lady Gaga is having to one up Madonna to make a living. Any semblance of good is being left on the side of the road as acts scramble to find a way to compete in an ever shrinking market place. A word of advice from an old lady, stay the course. Right will never steer you wrong. Love always wins.

iTunes Redeemed

2010-03-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

Recently I trashed iTunes for taking independent music off the front page of the main store and hiding it in the back in a hard to find closet. Well, Steve Means released an album and iTunes had it mixed right in with the major signed acts on the pop charts. Bravo iTunes! You are redeemed.

Shrinkage

2010-03-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

If you don't maintain your fan base it will shrink! Just look at an unkempt MySpace site. The number of fans decreases over time. So your job gets bigger as your fan base gets bigger. At first you are answering 5 fan mails a day. Then 10 and more, after years of social networking you are answering 100's of fan mails a day. There is no way around this. You can't just ignore your fans. They are real people and you should take the time to respond. So how does anyone get it all done? Time management. You don't get to watch TV and play video games if you're serious about a career in music. You need to keep up with the little details that keep everyone happy. Put down that Popsicle and pick up that laptop.

Leads

2010-03-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

Music is all about sales. Is that true? Well it's nice to make a living
at music right. Can you make a living without selling the recorded version
of your songs? Probably not the best living. So some sales have to happen.
And in order to get those sales you need leads. How do you move the music
from your online store in to the hands of your fans? I believe that is best
done one fan at a time. Online connections are great if you cultivate and
grown those connections. Talk to the fans. Communicate. Get in touch.
Be the band that knows the fans. Don't get personal. Just be congenial.

No I can't listen to your songs

2009-12-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

On any given day I get asked to listen to 150-200 songs. A song averages 3 minutes. If I listened to all those songs I would be spending at least 450 minutes just listening. That is 7.5 hours a day. That does not even take into consideration that you want to know what I think about your song. So with about 3 minutes per song to write a review of what I think I would be spending 15 hours a day. There are over a million bands on MySpace. Add to that all the bands who hate MySpace and use iLike, PureVolume, ReverbNation, Bebo, and the like and there are in the millions of bands in competition with you. It doesn't matter what I think about your song. It matters what the fans think about your song. It matters what you think about your song. Odds are someone is going to like it. Find the people who are going to buy it and ask them. Stop wasting your time messaging anyone and everyone who has a tie to the music business and asking them to listen. Your time is better spent building your fan base. Music business professionals are looking for money making bands. Make money first and then someone will want to listen to your song.