I've met Jeff Fenster a few times.
He's an old school A&R man who has had some great success and there's a lot to learn here - at 17 minutes he talks about what it takes to get signed, for example.
Well worth watching the whole thing - I'm sure he wouldn't mind me saying that I was amazed to watch the whole 45 minutes and he managed not to swear at all - something he isn't capable of usually in a ten minute meeting!
Simple post - these TruSound videos are awesome.
And, scary as it is to the true DIY musician, over 70% of artists STILL want to get signed - these very succesful artists and execs talk about how that happens!
I've been posting a lot of these videos from TruSound because they are compiled from interviews with people who've made it in the music biz.
That doesn't mean that what they say is gospel but it does mean you should listen to what they say and give it a chance before deciding whether to act on their advice or discard it.
This one's great - all about getting noticed. A lot of it is old school and not about online profile, but that aside, what they do talk about is really good.
The one thing many of them ARE talking about is how they created their own scene, starting local and building their visibility in that little niche. This creates the start of a following and fanbase which itslf can become the foundation to build from.
Listen to the guy from Godsmack at 4.30 saying that he and his band focused on a 60 mile area around their home town and they would be at every show (local band or national band passing through) that fit their genre and they'd network and flyer like crazy. Old school networking and promotion that works.
Bottom line - get your music straight, then work your ass off, play shows, flyer, network and build a buzz locally. That buzz will be noticed. Go from there!
This is, I think, his best set of rules so far - although I don't agree with them absolutely!
For example, he reckons that you shouldn't bother with Twitter and Facebook until you have traction - I disagree, they can create traction and your most evangelistic fans will want to be there to help you from the start.
Still, it is a great set of rules - I love his emphasis on development and practice before promotion and marketing, which is what we aim to preach as well - and every musician should take them in.
1. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you make.
You build your own audience. There’s an established niche for every genre. From folk to metal. Don’t worry about playing to everybody, just play to somebody.The last thirty years, the MTV era, has been about giving people what they want, which is just like what they’re already consuming. Major labels and major media, most especially radio, had control of a narrow sieve and if you didn’t fit, you couldn’t play. That is not true today. Those powers mean ever less. You can reach your audience easily online. You’ve just got to start.
2. You’ve got to be good.
This is about practice. We’re in a music era, not a marketing era. Ignore those who tweet and Facebook their goings-on instead of focusing on the music. It’d be like Steve Jobs selling Dell. It wouldn’t blow up overnight. Even better, Ferrari selling Smart cars. A great marketer is nothing without a great product, focus on the product.
Play for three or four hours a day. Take lessons. Play in your garage before you play in public.
Image by j_lai
Great guest post on Thorny Bleeder from Jeff Odeja that takes the form of 5 things that Jeff wishhes he had known when he was in a band trying to 'make it'!
1 ) How can I get signed?
Well, How many people are coming out to your live shows on a regular basis? How many 'records' or singles are you selling? Is this generating enough of a buzz to interest industry professionals? How about generating an income? In most cases, to be honest, no one wants to sign you unless you're really worth their while. Are your sales going to amount to paying for some of the marketing costs / salaries associated with hiring a team? Having a label behind you is essentially just having a big team of experienced professionals (in some cases) working your music for you. If you're not making tens of thousands of dollars, why bother?
I have just posted on the main site about a DIY musician who has used all the things we talk about here to set herself up for a successful career.
Just as I posted it, I read in a newspaper this quote from Aloe Blacc (currently having a hit everywhere with a record that his small but cool and well respected indie label posted to YouTube a year ago!) that fits perfectly with my post:
"I never wanted to set foot into a major label until I was completely prepared for the industry".
Wise words.
Sort your act and music out first. Build a fanbase, know what you are about and then, maybe, look for a deal. Although, if you did the first bit right, they'll come looking for you anyway!
Image by Steve Snodgrass
After yesterday's post that wandered around the subject of a major record deal, these two links seemed the natural follow up.
This post from Music on the Make looks at what artists get wrong in their quest to get signed.
Despite all the talk of how getting signed is not going to do you many favors, most artists are still hoping to get signed. And why not, it can help you in many ways, if you are smart about it. However the effort they put into getting signed is often simply a waste of time. I still see this happening a lot. Here’s the typical blueprint:
If you’re lucky you’ll get a decline letter, but most of the time the result is a complete radio silence. All record companies receive dozens of unsolicited demos every day. The majors receive hundreds. Your hard work on that demo is going straight to the big brown box by the receptionist, who picks up the mail every day. (I’ve seen the box, it’s big!)
Instead, your time and money is much better spent on figuring out who you are, creating interesting stuff and making connections.
And it points to this article on Universal's blog written by two A&R men that gives great insight into what they are looking for.
And I was confused!
Despite the fact that I know many artists don't yet understand the sea change that the music industry is going through, I thought that the majority knew things weren't all rosy in the record labels.
So, when I received an email from Taxi that set out why many artists felt this way, I thought I should share their reasoning as it's a dose of realism for those of us who belive that DIY is the answer!
This is some of the Taxi email:
Recently, a very credible survey of 1,800 musicians showed that surprisingly, 75 % of the bands and artists who responded would like to be signed to a Major Record Label. In an era when "Major Label" is practically a dirty word, there's a simple reason that 3 out of 4 musicians would like to be signed to Sony, Universal, Warner Bros., etc.
You already know the answer, don't you?The Internet's "playing field"--although level--has not proved to be the magic bullet most musicians thought it would be.Yes, the opportunities are abundant and equally available to every musician on the planet. But capitalizing on those opportunities takes laser-like focus, a rock solid business plan, twelve-to-eighteen hour workdays, substantial amounts of cash, professional marketing skills, and the relentless dedication it takes to launch any successful entrepreneurial business venture.A successful career in the music business is a business, after all. Oh, I know, it should be enough that you've worked hard to become a great songwriter or artist. You've done your part, haven't you?And if you hit a label's radar and got signed, they put up the money, the marketing machine, the tour support and everything else necessary to break you as an artist. And that's why 75% of you reading this would still like to be signed to a major label--mustering the money, marketing skills, and the business chops is really, really hard to do on your own, especially if you're holding down a job and paying your bills.You can read Billboard's view here.
What I'm always banging on about still remains true though - whether you want to build a career as a DIY musician or want to get signed, you still need to build the fanbase and create the buzz that takes you to the next level - whether that is the elusive deal or the forward thinking self-sufficiency!
This is a piece of a panel from SXSW where the topics include what an artist needs to do to get recognition and interest from the A&R community and a manager.
i.e. what does it take to get noticed?
It's a great idea and a site I'd definitely add to those that you should be aware of and using as a diy musician. It's brand new and needs to get some density to reach its potential, but go and take a look.
Darren who set it up has been around the music biz for a while and is looking to fix a problem of access that all musicians have.
He's also been kind enough to let us give away a free eBook that he's written that tells the story behind how 10 acts (some you know, some you don't) got their break and got noticed. It should inspire you and maybe give you some ideas!
Download - 'So how did they get signed?' here.
These are two great posts that look at what the 360 deal is and what it means for artists. If you get signed or are looking to get signed in today's business, this is 99% likely to be the kind of deal you will get. You need to know about it!
The first one is from the great NPR blog via @BuzzSonic.
"Most deals are about 270, maximum, not 360 degrees," he says. "In theory a 360 deal encompasses all revenue that an artist brings in, and hence the name, '360 degrees.' I'm going back and forth between '360' and 'multi-rights.' Usually in my writing I call it 'multi-rights.'"
And this very considered article is from Jon Ostrow at Mic Control - altough I couldn't find it again on his blog, so this is from somwhere that it was reposted!
Simply put, a 360 deal is a business relationship between an artist and a music industry company. It doesn’t have to be between record label and artist, as seen in the 2007 360 deal signed between Madonna and promoter Live Nation (Jay-Z signed a similar deal in 2008).
This is an insightful piece on whether it's worth it in this day and age jumping through hoops and working like a dog just to get a record deal, when you can, more than likely, achieve nearly as much with a far better income in the burgeoning world of 'direct to fan'.
I'm not saying that it's right for every artist to eschew the option of getting a record deal, but the beauty of the world we now live in is that you as an artist should be doing everything to build a fanbase and speak directly to an audience - whether you want to go it alone or whether you want that beginning of popularity to propel you to a deal. The work required is basically the same.
In traditional agreements- labels recouped their investment through record sales, leaving band’s earnings to be made from touring, merchandise and sponsorship. Now, 360-degree deals are the norm. Warner won’t sign anyone now unless it’s a 360 deal- a package which is more akin to a management deal, whereby the label will take a cut from any future sponsorship, seeding, use of material, touring and merchandise. And while this may remove the need for an ‘immediate hit’, in real terms it means that bands will earn even less, and have less control over their image, presentation and rights.
Labels traditionally made money from the process in which they were involved – ie/ recording and distributing records. Is it coincidence that now that recorded music sales are significantly declining, they change their business model? What gives them the right to impede on touring, merchandise, sponsorship or the use of music in films or adverts? How does this benefit either the artist or the audience?
This is a cynical view of what you need to do to break into the music industry but it masks a horrible truth!
If the be all and end of all of your aim is to 'get a record deal', then playing to the masses and surfing a wave of musical simplicity that is already being consumed is a great way to go. Record companies (even in this day and age) will look for the next this or the next that rather than stick their necks out and sign something new and different.
However, as we espouse on our blog (Make It In Music), that isn't the way it has to be done and now you can create your own following and thereby your own success outside of the old system.
Still - this is a cracking article that should make you laugh and reflect!
According to Lindsay McDougall (triple j’s “The Doctor”, Frenzal Rhomb) breaking into the music industry is easy, anyone can do it, it just requires one small thing of yourself: the complete surrendering of your soul to the parasitic whims of the dull-eyed masses.
If this irritates your puritan indie sensibilities, fear not, these days there’s enough different types of cookie-cutter genre molds to fit even your most oblique electro-fuzz. You just need to squeeze yourself into one of the following song types:
Well, as a place to promote your music, this new site launched by Roadrunner Records has a twist. Roadrunner are a label with a massive rock tradition and credibility. The site allows bands to create a profile and upload music - as you'd expect - but fans also get to 'A&R' the artists and there are weekly charts across many genres.
You can bet that Roadrunner are watching who is appealing to the users - and probably plenty of other labels are too!
If my band suited the genres that the site will gravitate towards then I'd definitely spend the time to build a profile there.
Roadrunner Records has announced the launch of SignMeTo Roadrunner Records, a dynamic new free service that mimics the actual A&R process using social networking tactics.
SignMeTo is a fun and functional way for fans and unsigned bands to participate in the music industry’s A&R process. Users begin by signing up as “scouts,” and unsigned bands create their own profiles, which scouts then rate and tag. The band profiles offer comprehensive functionality, with bands being able to upload photos, video, music and tour dates. For added convenience, artists and managers are able to use one dashboard to control multiple profiles.
Read the article on Dotted Music.
BTW - Dotted Music - an excellent blog!
Pitchfork interview Arcade Fire and they get to muse on a few things that are close to my heart.
They talk about how they realised that they wanted to go their own way rather than be signed to a record label.
But, the thing that makes Arcade Fire great is that they have ambition and they have worked hard at their talent. And, for them, the music comes first. They want to be great and they work at it. The clever ideas that they and their team have come up with are innovative and since they license their music to a label rather than being signed, the choices are made together and aren't restricted by outdated major label models.
I particularly like what they say about the quality of songs on the radio when they were groing up as opposed to now - this is a band that care about quality.
If we were around in the 60s, who would we rip off? Glenn Miller? [laughs] We have some nostalgia about how music and radio used to be, but it's not a deep nostalgia. When you get into it, it was all pretty screwed up the whole time. Then again, there's an AM station in Montreal that re-broadcasts Casey Kasem shows from 30 years ago. I was listening to one from 1972 and the top 10 songs included John Lennon, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones-- like, nine of the 10 were classic, and #2 was some horrible schmaltzy 70s song. I don't think I'll be excited about nine of the top 10 songs on the radio today 35 years from now, partly because I'm an old fogey.
I like this article since it looks at how some acts have used the internet to build a following and then turned that into commercial success - either on their own or with the step to a traditional record label.
An article on our blog looks at exactly what you should do to use the interent to build your fanbase.
But, the key thing for me in this article is at the end where the writer points out that you need to take the time to learn your carft - a theme that we bang on about endlessly.
While you’re waiting for your big break, you need to hone your skills in front of an audience. Getting signed is half the battle, but if you want to be a band that makes a difference, you need to perform consistently and write memorable songs on a tight schedule.
These are two simple yet utterly brilliant articles that explain how to properly tag your mp3 files so that they show up in the recipient's itunes with a title and how best to send people large files.
Loads of musicians don't do this so their tracks end up lost in the itunes folder of the person they sent it to. And, perhaps worse, most musicians try and send massive files to industry folks - which makes them pissed off with big and slow emails before they have even tried to listen to the act's track.
There's a connected post on our blog about sending a demo to record labels.
But, as far as tagging your file and sending it digitally, do it this way - it's the right way.
Part 1 - Get your metadata straight.
Part 2 - Send demos by Dropbox or Soundcloud.
