When Running A Record Label, Don’t Forget To Budget For Recoveries

Nothing is more fulfilling than opening your record label, getting your artist in the studio, laying down some tracks and mastering your final project. You’ve gotten investors involved who really believe in your project as much as you do and they’re putting a significant amount of money behind your company for both production and marketing. The only uncomfortable part about the whole process is that they have accountants, business managers and financial gurus working for them behind the scenes and they need you to put together a budget

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And the award goes to…….

Celebrating the small wins

All artists want to be recognized for their craft/art. And recognition can come in many forms. The main forms of recognition, that artists often go after, generally falls under the categories of awards, high sales, popular media exposure, and other opportunities/offers within the entertainment industry. However, some artists will not get these on large scales.  If you find yourself in the latter scenario then don’t hesitate to celebrate the small wins/recognitions. Since the world isn’t making a big deal about it….YOU should make a big deal about it. Get people involved and get them to care about what you’ve accomplished. Hey you worked hard to earn it….why not brag about it?!?!

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A Look at the Music Industry

Contrary to popular belief, file-sharing didn’t destroy the music industry.  It didn’t even change the industry.  It was people’s assumptions about the industry that changed the industry.  All file-sharing did was allow for these assumptions to become more apparent.

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Is Real Country Music Dead, Or Just Sleeping?

Yes, the face of country music has changed.

Yes, at the moment that face may be 16 years old. And, yes, maybe adolescent dollars have been waging a battle for control of country-music airwaves and concert-tour bookings.

Still, is this proud genre — which probably would try to reject George Jones and Loretta Lynn if they were coming up today — IS traditional country music doomed?

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Artistic Misinterpretation

I was inspired to write this post because I had recently done a performance that went well, but artistically didn’t translate as well as it could due to various factors directly related to the performance such as vocal effects, song tempo, and song choice to some extent.

It reminded me of a music conference I attended where some famous producers told someone in the audience that they should take any and all opportunities that they get.  Well, I disagree with this wholeheartedly, and as an independent artist it is important to remember that only you know your artistic vision, and if you are at a point in your career where that is not clear to the public, then you could very well make a decision where you misrepresent yourself, and cause damage and/or confusion that may not be so easy to repair.

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I'm your #1 Fan....what would you call me?

We’ve all heard of the “Beliebers”, “Barbies”, “Armies”, “Angels”, and “Navies”, if you haven’t, these names represent a musician’s fans/fan club. Have you ever thought about putting a fan club or group together? If not, then maybe you should start. Nothing will get your fans more riled up to come out and support than placing a “brand” on them as well. This will also help you to stand out and continue the awareness for yourself in this industry.

When looking to name the brand of your fans, find something that is creative and that coincides with your image and/or stage name. This will make it easier for media, potential fans, and industry professionals connect you with your fan club/group. Also, look for a logo that is similar to your own (if you have one) to place on merchandise, social media pages, and your website. Start creating the buzz about your group by reaching out to your fans first. Thank them for their support and congratulate them on being the first members of your fan group.

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Creative Allies Launches BandArt App and Announces Major Partnerships

Creative Allies, a music service and design community, known for producing high-quality graphics and merchandise for rock stars, announces the public availability of its coveted platform through the launch of BandArt – a fan engagement contest and community building Facebook application at www.creativeallies.com/bandart.

With the launch of BandArt, Creative Allies also announces cross-marketing partnerships with music industry leaders including InGrooves, OfficialFM, College Battle, Music Player Network titles including Guitar Player Magazine.  

According to Founder and CEO Sean O’Connell, “BandArt opens up our once invite-only platform to give all musicians the opportunity to host design contests, engage their fanbase, generate incredible artwork and sell merchandise directly to fans. We have been honing our internal tools for the last two years by serving hundreds of clients, from pop stars like MIA and LMFAO, to favorites like String Cheese Incident, Peter Tosh and even brands like The Warped Tour.”

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Music Without Labels Live Tour 2012

At Music Without Labels & Beat-Play we know you want, and deserve, exclusive coverage of all of the best summer festivals and concerts; which is why MWL Live is embarking on journey across the United States! MWL spokesperson, Katie McVeay, and leading videographer, Shane Suski, are crossing state lines to showcase musical acts at festivals, small town concerts and everywhere in between, providing up-to-date photos, video interviews, and giving you the opportunity to interact with today’s top artists and musicians.

During Shane’s first year with MWL, he has had the opportunity to photograph over 75 artists including big names like Immortal Technique, GZA, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Young the Giant, and more! Katie McVeay started her MWL work in NYC where she interviewed numerous up-and-coming bands such as Caged Animals, Dustin Wong, The Beets and Canon Logic. In February, Katie relocated to MWL Headquarters in San Diego and has had the chance to interview talented acts such as Puscifer, Lost in the Trees, Rachael Yamagata, Talkdemonic and many more!

MWL Live will be traveling approximately 11,000 miles in 108 days featuring popular musicians at Sasquatch, Free Press, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Lollapalooza, Bumbershoot Music Festival and everywhere in between! We also know that not all of your favorite musicians are located near hub cities where their music can be properly showcased, reviewed or featured. Are you one of these artists? Do you know a great band in your location? We are reaching out to artists and fans! We want to visit you during the MWL Live Tour!

A trip like this takes funding! How much? $10,000! Right now we have $5,749 towards the project, but it’s not enough! Our Kickstarter goal of $6,000 helps cover the (high) price of gas, food, accommodations, tolls, festival fees, equipment and other expenses that we need to make the MWL Live Tour 2012 a reality!

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Bad Press...Take It of Leave It (from BRASH! - A Music Marketing Blog)

“People gonna talk about you ’til the day you die; and there ain’t nothing you can do about it.” This is one of my favorite Madea movie quotes because this is true.  Especially in the entertainment industry where artists are constantly being watched, attacked, and ridiculed for making life’s mistakes or even for things that are blown out of the water by the press. A few artists escape the daily bashing by flying under the radar and keeping a simple private life.  While others feed on the bad press to stay relevant and/or capture attention towards their latest project.  But is exposure for your music REALLY worth the negative press?

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What the Ek? Music Metaphors and Meaning

How do you place a measurable value on music? Thanks to a tweet from Hypebot I came across an interview with Spotify’s Daniel Ek on Grammy.com, posted in early February. Aiming to keep this post shorter than my last; I won’t dwell beyond this paragraph on how awkward it is for Grammy, the self-appointed standard bearer for artistic expression in music, to be asking anything of Ek. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Representatives of music distribution services should interview Grammy insiders about trends in popular music - to gain insight into the creative forces behind music. Or not. Anyway, the interview was pretty typical Ek; Too focused on technology and consumption for my tastes. He is the future as he sees it. Best to read it for yourself though.

I’m trying not to be a Spotify hater. It has done a lot to innovate in the music space - especially on the consumption side. The social integration part is well-executed, though it too has its detractors. I have met some of Spotify’s developers, ran into them at an industry conference hosted by Amazon. They are nice folks, very enthusiastic about advances in local network caching and reduced edge-server latency. They are also particularly fond of that “bringing the pirates into the light” narrative. The story about how people do not need to torrent/file-share/steal music anymore, thanks to Spotify. It seems to come up a lot. It is probably in their welcome packet for new employees. Whether or not they are misguided is debatable, but they certainly aren’t all bad. Spotify is not the “Death Star”, back to destroy what’s left of the music industry. It also isn’t the industry’s savior, it is no Luke Skywalker, if you will.

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EDM: How It Can Benefit The Music Industry

Swedish House Mafia sold out Madison Square Garden in less than 10 minutes. Ultra Music Festival sold out within 20 minutes of pre-ticket sales. It’s more than safe to say djs are this generation’s rock stars sending EDM barreling through this world in the same manner as a freight train lacking brakes- full steam ahead with no stopping in sight. In a recent interview, Diplo said “I know one thing — the major labels, the A&Rs, are very frightened now.” This info comes as no surprise since executives are the first to cry injustice, music and otherwise. Rather than create an imaginary war or take on the ever so popular victim role, music executives should think, “What can EDM do for me?”.

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BRASH! Presents Artists With A Chance To Shine

New addition to Music Marketing Blog highlighting artists

(ATLANTA, GA), Jan 31, 2012 - BRASH! – A Music Marketing Blog, developed by Paina B Music Marketing, has now added a new element highlighting artists. The “Artist Spotlight” will give established as well as up and coming talent an opportunity to gain exposure to expand their brand. Each month, BRASH! will post, highlight, and give positive reviews for 1-2 artists. The goal of this new element is to provide a platform for quality artists.

Since this new addition to BRASH! was announced earlier this month, artists have been flooding Paina B Music Marketing’s email and social media sites to find out how they can have a chance to be on the site’s artist spotlight section. “The purpose of Paina B Music Marketing is to get quality artist to the forefront. Instead of making other media outlets take notice and provide features, why not take that step as well and give an additional outlet for exposure.”, says Paina B Music Marketing CEO/Founder, E. Alexcina Brown.

To sign up to be considered to be featured on BRASH! – A Music Marketing Blog “Artist Spotlight”, send music links, bio, YouTube link to PBMusicMarketing@gmail.com.

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Neuroscience Vs Talent?

I am a big advocate of the notion that anything is possible. I honestly believe that if I fully understanding what needs to be done and if I desperately want to achieve it, I will. 

But, unlike most “self help” doctrine that promotes a quick fix for almost everything, my belief is that real and lasting change requires time for repeated action, time for the brain to rewire for the job!

Many will retort sharply at this notion claiming that they are a product of their inherited genes and that they can no more change their brain as change their eye colour. But we may not be completely at the mercy of our biological make-up after all.

Neuroscientists have challenged the ‘hard-wired brain’ theory, suggesting instead that the human brain is extraordinarily plastic - a rather astute philosopher known as Buddha said the same many years before! It has been known for some time that in exceptional cases, victims of extreme brain trauma have regained function as a result of the brain “rewiring” and reallocating neurons.

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5 Simple Steps to a Great Sounding Drum Mix

When I record drum or percussion tracks for clients, 9 times out of 10 I’m sending the RAW wav files straight from Pro Tools. Of course, my goal is to always get the best sounds that I can possibly get in the studio and at the source. However, mixing and processing the drum kit is inevitable.

In general, mixing audio is a personal art form. Everything from the style of music to the instruments chosen will determine how the mixing session will go. Because the drums are typically recorded first, it makes sense to mix the drum tracks within the context of the remaining instruments later verses starting with a processed drum mix. Of course, there are no rules here. This is just what I have found to be the most effective way to work.

That being said, I get a lot of questions from clients asking for my advice on mixing the drum kit. My only goal when mixing drums is to attempt to highlight the sounds as I hear them in the studio. Meaning, my approach is simple:

Get rid of what’s not necessary and keep what is. I know, really deep stuff right?

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