Tagged: Facebook
Video Introduction of the NEW MySpace
It looks like MySpace is trying to now get its swagger back. In a Vimeo video that was recently released to the public, the owners of MySpace previewed a roll out of the newer, slicker format that has more of a focus on music and entertainment and not just social media. Many of us remember that at one point, MySpace was the go-to place for everything social media based, but was quickly taken over by Facebook in that respect. But now, this new and seemingly improved MySpace does look like it has some potential. But the main question is, with a bigger focus on music, as well as having to compete with sites like Facebook and Twitter being integrated into everything, as well as tools like Instagram and Pinterest gaining momentum everyday, where will MySpace fit in? Well, at least there seems to be some sort of plan. We’ll just have to see how this pans out. Take a look at the video and judge for yourself.
This Week In Music – Michael Schneider, CEO of Mobile Roadie
It’s again been a while since I’ve been able to post for “This Week In Music”, but here we are again with another informative session with Ian Rogers! This time, Rogers sits down with Michael Schneider, CEO of a company called Mobile Roadie. The company specializes in the ability for people to build their own apps and has about 30% of its business coming from the music industry. Rogers and Schneider talk about all that Mobile Roadie does for its clients, as well as Schneider’s experience as an entrepreneur in the wed design and tech spaces, as well as his thoughts on the current state of the music industry.
From Prefix Magazine – Closer To Home: Music Community In The Internet’s Wake
You’ve gotta admit, sometimes it’s pretty easy to become a Debbie Downer about music and the way that it used to be. And that’s especially true if you’re an artist these days, because there has been so much change and so many shifts in the last 5 years alone, save the new millennium as a whole. First there was Napster, then came iTunes, then Facebook and the idea of music on social network sites, and things haven’t been the same since. But there’s also lots of hope to boot, and that’s because of the fact that many times, we forget to look at one main fact: there’s more music now than there ever was before, more variety, more of a chance to step outside of a comfort zone and do something different.
This fact is played up in stark and honest detail by Prefix Magazine music writer Sasha Geffen in her article “Closer To Home: Music Community In The Internet’s Wake”, which first appeared on prefix.com just two days ago. What I love about this article is how Ms. Geffen gives a brief but telling history of how music and the Internet have converged in the past decade plus, and how many elements of the old model and beginning to fall away. What’s even better is that she doesn’t take the role of a bleeding-heart anti-consumerist and gets down to the real deal with the reality of what labels, were, are, and will become. Finally, Geffen does an excellent job of talking about how music communities have been formed and molded even more so since the Internet has taken over, and how “making your own making it” is pretty much the new normal for artists and bands.
Anyone that calls themselves trying to “make it” in music would be foolish not to dive into this opinion piece. Kudos to Sasha Geffen and to Prefix Magazine for such a stirring and timely piece. and be sure to visit Prefixmag.com for some of the latest and greatest in all things music.
LOVE CRUSHED VELVET AND THE BUSINESS OF BROOKLYN ALT ROCK
Brooklyn’s independent music scene has always been something to see. But in the past few years, the indie rock movement has engulfed Brooklyn like it never has before, with many a band moving to and claiming Brooklyn as their place of habitat and inspiration. But, as with many times in any genre of music, one thing that gets forgotten about is that the music business is essentially that: a BUSINESS. Whether you’re a mainstream phenomenon or an indie rocker playing coffee houses and other intimate gatherings, you’ve gotta have your business affairs in order if you want to be successful, from the financial to the legal to the promotional to the managerial, and everything else that falls under the umbrella of business.
Enter Love Crushed Velvet, a Brooklyn-based, independent rock music outfit fronted by solo artist and indie/alt rock veteran A.L.X. But Love Crushed Velvet is more than just your average band: it’s an entire concept that’s been over two years in the making, which includes the creation of the band, and both the song and album of the same name, all of which is the original brainchild of A.L.X. With the continuing growth and evolution of the band, Love Crushed Velvet is now beginning to find its feet in terms of style and sound. But more importantly, A.L.X. and his crew are taking hold of the sense that the music business isn’t JUST about the music: in this day and age, it’s about how to properly present a music product, using as many tools as possible to be successful, and how to build valued relationships so that you can continue to do what you love.
I had the chance to catch up with A.L.X. to get a better sense of how business is conducted within Love Crushed Velvet and what direction the band, and the brand, is taking in the future:
How did Love Crushed Velvet come together initially?
The core of musicians that made the record were veteran players and friends of A.L.X. that he’d worked with in various projects, including some of his solo work. After playing with them for some years, he decided to start writing around their playing style rather than having them work around his writing style. The result was Love Crushed Velvet. Since then, a new set of musicians joined the band, so our style continues to evolve. It’s exciting in that we feel that we are continuing to grow rather than being stuck in a narrow genre.
In what ways does Love Crushed Velvet use the Internet to make itself relevant as a band and a brand? Are there certain strategies or tactics employed?
Up until very recently, we were very laid back as far as Internet strategies go. We released content and posted something online only when we felt we had something to say. It never really dawned on us that anyone was really interested in what Jay was having for breakfast, or whether Max liked his coffee with cream or sugar. We’ve learned, however, that people do take an interest in those things and are trying to remind ourselves that a band’s connection with its fans isn’t exclusively about the music alone. So we’ll be putting out a lot more content in the near future that doesn’t just relate to the music, but to the band members as people.
How important is networking (be it with other bands or music business experts and professionals) to the success of Love Crushed Velvet?
Very. One of the things you learn pretty quickly is how important relationships are in the music business. Relationships with other bands, with bookers, with the media. Having said that, we still try to surround ourselves with people that we like, which has sometimes held us back as a band, but made the day-to-day experience more fulfilling. We all really wish that there was an imaginary world out there where you could just focus on making music and not have to deal with a lot of the business issues, but the only way to really do that is to be a hobbyist in your own basement. And that takes away the interactive aspect of the experience, which is one of the best parts about being a musician—bringing it to people.
Playing at festivals has become very important to many indie music acts. How important have they been to you as a solo artist and to Love Crushed Velvet? Have you been able to perform at any major music festivals in the past?
Funny enough, we just played a festival last weekend, but a bit of an unconventional one: A Beatles tribute festival. If you give a listen to our music, the Beatles aren’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind, so we had a lot of fun learning those songs but still trying to keep the Love Crushed Velvet feel alive within those songs. Overall, though, we haven’t played in a ton of festivals, so it’s something we’d definitely like to do more of as a way to interact with broader audiences. We’re known at the moment as very much of a club band, so we like the challenge of hitting the larger stage.
What are some of the most important music business issues you think are facing indie artists these days?
The revenue and exposure models of old have been turned upside down. You used to count on CD sales to a certain degree, which would help drive bookings. Nowadays, CD sales have fallen off a cliff, and music fans are saturated from every angle by a gazillion different acts being transmitted by scores of different media outlets. It’s overwhelming to a musician, so I can only imagine what a music fan must go through every day after being assaulted from multiple angles. It’s certainly become a harder business to earn a living at, so it’s really the love of doing it that keeps you going. But there’s no doubt that you have to stay on your toes because things are changing so quickly that what was true 9 months ago may no longer be the case today.
Do you use any resources and references (books, websites, blogs, consumer and trade magazines) to stay on top of music business and music industry news and trends? If so, what are some of them?
One of us will often attend one of the major music conferences each year and bring back a slew of ideas, magazines, blog links, etc. that we will then digest. A few of us subscribe to Bob Lefsetz’s blog, which is often very insightful. But there isn’t a single source that we use as gospel—it really comes from a pretty broad range of outlets. As well as personal interactions; New York is still one of the world’s major music hubs, so music business issues come up in conversation all the time.
Some of Love Crushed Velvet’s influences include U2, Blondie and David Bowie. How has naming these bands as major influences helped the band in terms of booking gigs and gaining a bigger fan base?
When people haven’t heard your music, they need something to compare it to. Describing it as “melodic alt rock” doesn’t really help anyone get a true handle on the sound, so naming some influences is sometimes an easier way into peoples’ imaginations. Then again, it’s debatable how much we really sound like our influences.
Does Love Crushed Velvet have a standard Band agreement between its members?
No, we’ve made all of our internal agreements on a handshake up to this point. A healthy band relationship is based on trust, and we only deal with written agreements if the outside world demands it. An agreement is only as good as the goodwill of the people who sign it anyway.
(Specifically to ALX) In your time as an artist, what are some of the most important things you’ve learned about the business side of music?
I heard someone recently compare being in a successful band to a start-up company, and that made a lot of sense. It’s important to be able to shift from left brain to right brain, which takes some of the romanticism out of the process, but you have to face the reality that making a living at music requires treating it like a business—yet blocking out that fact while you are in the process of actually making music or performing. And just like start-ups burn cash, be prepared to not make much—or any—money in the beginning. Be in it for the long haul, but more importantly, be in it for the music. Which is not to say that one should be foolish in their business decisions or leave money on the table, but when all is said and done, it’s the music alone that you’re left with. When you’re by yourself in a faraway place with only your instrument at your side, you can always make music. It’s the one part of the process that’s free, and you know what they say about the best things in life…
What are some of the things that Love Crushed Velvet plans to do to strengthen itself as a band, as a brand and as a business in the future?
We’ve been self-managed up to this point, and while it’s worked fine, we realize that it’s now time to take the next step and get proper representation. The more time you put into the business side of things, the less time is left for you to play and create, so we feel that it’s appropriate to make that move in order to free us up more creatively and make it easier to generate more music and content overall. So stay tuned!
Be sure to visit Love Crushed Velvet online at their official webpage and on the Love Crushed Velvet Facebook fan page. You can also listen to the digital album on Bandcamp.
FACEBOOK MUSIC: IS IT SO???
So, there have been a lot of recent reports on sites like Mashable.com and PCWorld.com that Facebook is planning on launching it’s own music service come September 22 (just a few days from now!) I’m sure that this announcement has lots of people excited. There’s just one big issue with the announcement so far…it hasn’t come from Facebook.
A spokesperson for the world’s most well-known and followed social network (750 million users worldwide at press time) recently said that the company would not rule out the possibility of a music service. and judging from Facebook by the numbers (worldwide users, time spent online each day, activities done on Facebook daily, number of different services already offered), it would seem like Facebook has everything going for it to offer a new music service. If it were to do so, it wouldn’t actually host it’s own content, but users would be able to connect with music services such as Spotify and Rdio, thereby being able to offer exclusive music access to its users.
And no, this would not be the first time the network offered a music service, evidenced by iLike, the MySpace music service that had previously been offered on Facebook. I will say that there was a time that I really enjoyed iLike on Facebook and couldn’t wait to dig deeper into. But, unfortunately, it was taken away, much to the shagrin of lots of Facebook users, including myself.
From a business standpoint, there are a few questions that should be asked of Facebook should they take on this endeavor: Who will Facebook be competing with if they actually introduce Facebook Music? (Off the bat, I’m thinking iTunes, Rhapsody, Grooveshark and Pandora). Will this resonate with Facebooks’ base? Will delving deeper into the music game be good for the company as a whole, or is this a matter of Facebook trying to be all things to all people? Will Facebook go the route of MySpace if they’re not successful with this new product?
In today’s music world, there’s more uncertainty than ever. And personally, I don’t really see Facebook introducing a substantial music service that will resonate with people. It may be best to leave this one up to the Apples and Googles of the world. But hey, as always, I could be dead wrong about this. Only time will truly tell.
Full Speed Ahead: Navigating The 21st Century Music Biz
I decided to put an article I did for brooklynbodega.com on THE MUSIC BUSINESS REVISIONIST in it’s entirety. It outlines just a few of the things 21st Century artists can do to begin working towards success independently. Feel free to pass it along and spread the word. Thanks!
Business is never so healthy as when, like a chicken, it must do a certain amount of scratching around for what it gets.”–- Henry Ford
In a recent survey conducted by VIBE Magazine entitled The VIBE Ultimate Music Survey, the current landscape of the brave new music world that engulfs us was placed in crystal clear perspective. VIBE surveyed a pool of music fans and asked them about their listening, purchasing, downloading and sharing habits. Some of the key statistics go as follows, so take note:
-On an average day, 34.8 percent of respondents spend between 2 and 3 hours listening to and consuming music.
-28.4 percent of participants claimed to discover new music exclusively from music blogs.
-Nearly 30 percent of participants felt a sense of indifference to free music service LimeWire being shut down in 2010.
-33.2 percent responded that the purchase price of $1.29 for a song on iTunes is “very reasonable”.
-Over 25 percent of respondents said that they would not at all feel guilty downloading music that was unknowingly leaked and unauthorized by an artist.
Now, don’t get too down in the dumps, all you aspiring and seasoned artists out there. None of this is to say that there aren’t still rays of sunshine and glimmers of hope. The very same study reveals a few facts that may be interesting and surprising about today’s music consumer. For example, 71.3 percent of respondents still own some type of CD-playing device that is not a computer. And 34.2 percent still swap music via physical compact discs. So hey, this whole making-a-career-as-an-artist might just work out pretty sweet after all, right?
Well, hold your horses. Because even with these surprising and eye-popping results, the honest-to-God truth remains: it’s getting harder and harder to make a decent living, let alone a buck, as an artist. And that truth is only magnified if you’re gonna claim Hip-Hop as your bread and butter. Physical CD sales continue to crumble, technology is moving at break-neck speed, potential fans are bombarded with a ka-trillion marketing messages per day, more and more entertainment outlets are competing with each other for consumer dollars, and music has become a disposable good. And to top it all off, the economy STILL sucks. Hell, even VIBE itself has created a new mobile music app for aspiring DJs! The times they are a-changin’, and a-transformin’, and a-morphin’…
So what’s an artist to do these days? Let’s face it: these are, at best, very questionable economic times for many people, and artists seem to be feeling the affects like no other group. Which begs the question: how does one navigate such a pessimistic sales landscape in the music and entertainment industry, while still doing all they can to keep their integrity and make good money in the process?
It’s important to realize a few things from jump street about today’s Internet-drenched, 24-hour news channel, digital-driven Hip-Hop and music game, no matter what stage you’re at in your career. First, when it all comes down to it, this is a business. If you’re an artist in the 21st century, you’re automatically an entrepreneur/businessperson. You are your own brand and your own entity. Second, you can’t do it alone. Every great talent needs an even greater team around them of people that are dedicated to their success. And that means in all areas, especially the ones you may not necessarily want to deal with or feel you shouldn’t have to: management, legal, marketing and PR, promotions, publicity, operations, sales, press, communications, design, distribution, social media, retail, the list goes on. Third (and arguably most important, as well as my favorite consideration), the music business is about a whole lot more than just music. Meaning that, eventually, it’s necessary for an artist to look beyond just CD, Mp3 and iTunes sales and do whatever possible to branch out.
True, it’s a lot to swallow. And yes, it’s easier said than done. But hey, like many have opined before, challenging times also present great opportunities. And there are many a music industry expert out there that continue to hold fast to the idea that this is actually one of the best times to be an artist or musician in the industry. Sounds kinda crazy right? But there may actually be some method to their madness. So, with all of that to chew on, here’s a list of a few of things that today’s Hip-Hop artist can do to wade through all the muck, mire, damage, desolation and craziness that is the 21st century music biz, while actually making some money and keeping that all-important sanity thing that we all need to get through life. And away we go:
Look beyond the standard record label model
It’s a standard practice, especially when it comes to Hip-Hop. Wanna go indie? Fine, just start your own label. Unfortunately, it’s quite obvious that the label model isn’t the most profitable anymore, be it indie or major. So how about taking a good, long look at some of the areas of the business that might not be as glamorous, but might still put some extra change in your pocket over the long haul? Among them, music publishing and music licensing. How about forming your own publishing company for between $25 and $100 if your music is already released on a recording? Or, possibly licensing your song for a commercial, website or mobile game app? It takes a little research, but yes, it can be done.
Sell your music and merchandise on a tier system
A few years ago, there was a pretty popular story on an indie singer/songwriter named Jill Sobule. A struggling artist that was looking for a way to fund her next music project, she eventually created the website Jillsnextrecord.com, where she gave fans the opportunity to make donations of as little as $10 to her cause. In return, she offered goodies such as free digital downloads, free admission to her shows, and even executive production credit on her album. Now, how about taking that idea and adapting it to the music you already have? The more of your music and merchandise your fans buy, the more they get in return. It’s important to know that today’s music fans loves to feel as if they’re part of something and had a hand in helping you get to where you want to be as an artist, on top of the fact that people always like getting stuff. Has the little light bulb gone off in your head yet?
Think like a fundraiser
When the word ‘fundraiser’ comes up, many folks either think immediately of an elementary school contest or a handout to a non-profit organization. But the definition has changed in the new age music industry. In the past few years, there have been a great number of websites/companies that specialize in this very practice. Over here in the states, one of the most popular is KickStarter.com, which bills itself as the largest platform for creative project in the world. Over in the U.K., there’s SlicethePie.com, which specializes in artists raising funds for their own projects and fans getting paid to review new music and support emerging talent. Even Hip-Hop veterans Public Enemy raised a reported $75,000 through the website SellABand.com for their next project. Many of these sites and companies have come into existence in response to record labels cutting costs, jobs, artists and whatever else they can to save a buck. So take advantage if you haven’t already.
Stay educated, informed and adaptable
Yes, I understand, it’s such a cliché. But there’s so much importance in staying informed in this day and age. This is mainly because there is so much information out there! To be honest, there’s not much of an excuse to not educate oneself as an artist about how the industry continues to change. From free eBooks that you can download to new music business websites that are created day-by-day, you’ve gotta take advantage of all that’s being offered to you, many times for little or no money.
How about we start with a few websites? ArtistHouseMusic.com’s tagline is, “helping musicians and music entrepreneurs create sustainable career.” The site has a series of videos, articles, case studies and strategies that many artists have taken advantage of throughout the years. ProHipHop.com actually has it’s own Music Business News section that focuses specifically on Hip-Hop. And Music Business Solutions (or mbsolutions.com) has tons of articles, books, consulting information and even a resource directory for any artist looking to take that next step.
It’s probably a good idea to grab some physical books, too. A few of the best that have come out in the last few years include This Business of Urban Music by James L. Walker, Esq., I Don’t Need A Record Deal by Danyelle Deanna Schwartz and Music Marketing: Press, Promotion, Distribution and Retail by Mike King.
Seek out sponsorships
Truth be told, the economy really isn’t anyone’s’ friend right now. But there are still companies that are either just getting off the ground and make a name for them or are going through a period of reinvention. As an artist, you may be able to take advantage of this. The key is to seek out a sponsorship from the right company. And the easiest way to do that is to get with a company whose products or services you already support on a regular basis. Be forewarned: not as many businesses are willing to let go of actual dollars. So your next step is a product sponsorship. Who knows? Maybe it could lead to some money from that very same company in the future.
Tap into other talents
Be it graphic design, journalism, teaching an instrument, having a radio voice, or just about anything, you might just have a hidden talent that others don’t know about. Maybe you don’t know about it yourself. The point is, as an artist, you might have to make due with some pretty slender pockets these days. So, if you aren’t already, why not supplement your income? There’s no time like the present.
Take a closer look at what’s happening in other genres and see if you can apply it
Hip-Hop has always been a genre where those that succeed have a hustler’s mentality. And as opposed to other kinds of music, at least to some extent, Hip-Hop has bred success while simultaneously enduring some of the greatest resistance and criticism as an art form. That being said, there are many artists from many genres that have taken cues from Hip-Hop to breed their own success stories.
Well, maybe now it’s time to turn the tables. There are advances happening all over the music industry from Indie rock to Electronica to World music. It might be a good idea to keep your eyes and ears to the street wherever you can. Yes, you definitely want to keep up with websites like HipHopDX.com, AllHipHop.com, Vibe.com, TheSource.com and Brooklynbodega.com, among others. But hey, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being wired in to publications like Rolling Stone, The Fader, Paste, XLR8R, SPIN, Blender and Complex. You’ve also got a plethora of alternative music blogs at your disposal right now, like Obscure Sound and Gorilla Vs. Bear, and online music charts like WeAreHunted.com.
The bottom line? The music industry is a big, wide-open space where cross-collaboration is happening more than ever before. You never know where your next great idea is going to come from, so it’s important to be open-minded and willing to seek out success from resources you hadn’t thought to consider before.
Create your own community
Some people would say that social networking is the best thing that ever happened to the independent music artist. Others contest that it opens up the doors for more crap to come crashing through. But whatever your position may be, it’s an understood fact that if you don’t have any type of social networking tool at your disposal in this day and age, you’re pretty much screwed.
But understand, the whole social networking thing goes far beyond, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace (or whatever it’s called these days), Reverbnation, and all of the standard tools that everybody’s using. For example, Talib Kweli and 50 Cent are two artists that have done great at taking advantage of creating their own social networking sites, Kweli with his YearoftheBlacksmith.com and 50 with ThisIs50.com, of course. If you didn’t already know, you too can create your own social community of fans where you can sell your music, update fans on upcoming shows, have people comment on your music, connect with other artists, and so on. The two main sites that folks use to do this are SocialGo.com and Ning.com. And there are plenty of specialized social sites specifically for artists where you can build a profile, connect with fans and artists, sell your music, create contests and potentially secure more funding, including IndabaMusic.com, Amie Street, JamGlue, MOG.com and Buzznet.com.
In the end, making it as an artist in music and entertainment takes what it always has and always will: determination, sacrifice, adaptability, networking, knowing the right people, and a bit of stubbornness, among many other attributes. And the times we’re living in have magnified this fact tenfold. So it’s more important to seek out advantages in whatever form they might come. It’s just a matter of taking that first step. Hopefully, these tips can start you in the right direction.
