Times they are a changing

With the recent news that yet another band has quit EMI to go it alone: http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?storycode=1040369 the writing is well and truly on the wall for the old recording paradigm.

Also check out Bob Lefsetz's blog re blogged below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/opinion/20kulash.html?th&emc=th

I hate the way he bends over backwards to give EMI props, but you should read this for the statistic embedded deep within.

Yes, embedding is the point.  When EMI disabled this feature, forced everyone to watch OK Go's videos on YouTube, viewings of the famous (pre-embedding embargo) treadmill video dropped from 10,000 to 1,000 a day.

Whew.

The Internet and the cacophony of information has turned the promotion of art upside down.  It used to be about getting tastemaker filters like radio and television to approve of your product, whereupon it got exposed to the public and got a good shot at sticking and becoming financially viable.  Now, it's the reverse.  No one outlet provides all the eyeballs, few provide many, and your main goal is to get attention.  You want nothing to stand in the way.  In other words, if people don't know about you, they can't like you, they can't buy your music or come to your show, it's like you don't even exist.

They used to say no act ever broke on the Internet.  That no longer seems true.  We can dissect everyone from Jonathan Coulton to Justin Bieber to Ingrid Michaelson to even Lily Allen, making note of where labels/handlers manipulated the system for acts that truly were not independent, but there's no denying that an online groundswell contributes more and more to the breaking of acts today.  Even if you get a bit of traction in the traditional media, it's the Net that spreads the word.  We ultimately listen to our friends most, whether real life or Net-only.  We're immune to advertising, to hype.  We pay attention to the links of those we know.  This is how we get turned on to stuff.

So you don't want to short circuit the process.

Save me the hate mail.  Wherein you protest that the walls should be rebuilt and it's just not fair.  Did Smith-Corona complain that the Apple II was unfair?

Damian Kulash says a band needs money to make it.  Ingrid Michaelson would argue with that, but the question is, does that money have to come from a traditional record label, one of the Big Four?

Think about it.  Do you really want to sign with EMI?  Which is struggling for its very existence?

The fight in the sixties was for artistic freedom.  Ironically, that seems to take a back seat to marketing freedom today.  Possibly you'll listen to the label tell you what to record, the companies regained this power in the eighties and nineties, unfortunately, but you don't want your hands tied behind your back when it comes to selling your music.  Because now, more than ever, you're selling your music yourself, even if you've got a major label deal.  There are fewer people working at the label than ever before.  And they tend to be in traditional areas.  Great if you can get on the radio.  As for the new media department, that's usually one person...your friends from college can do a better job for free than this employee who may not even be a geek.  You're responsible for the buzz, for getting traction.  At best, the label seems to be able to build upon your efforts, crossing you over to the mainstream after you've done the hard work.

But the hard work is done by the band.  And its management.  And possibly the agent.

Which is why, unless you're a pretty face working with a name producer, major labels only want you if you've got a track record.  But after doing all that work, why should you sign over control to these doofuses?  Who specialize in saying no as opposed to yes?

And believe me, yes is what you want.  It's as simple as, "Will you listen to my music?"

You'd be surprised how often the answer is no.

Getting to yes is hard.  Damian Kulash found a way.  Through sheer creativity.  You don't see this creativity at a major label.


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I've been away but now I'm back

It's been a while but I have returned with strengthened resolve and an army at my back... well it will be an army, one day, soon. I am recruiting at the moment so if you fancy helping carve out a niche in the musical new world order, hop along to www.simplygreatmusic.ning.com and share your thoughts and experiences for the benefit of all man (and woman) kind. See you there. T

The TV dividend

Sorry I have been too caught up to post for a couple of days but in my sted please enjoy the wisdom of Set Godin, on line marketing genius.... back on Monday!

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/07/the-tv-dividend.html

Where did Wikipedia come from?

All those hours, all that work. Where did the time and effort come from?

Clay Shirky points out that it comes from the TV we're not watching.

Take a look at Netroidcomics, courtesy of Bert. Sure, some of these folks were at work, goofing off, but the real influx of time and energy we're seeing online comes from TV. Three, four or even six hours a day not spent doing virtually nothing. Multiply it by 800 million people online and suddenly, there's a huge influx of hours just waiting to be put to good use.

I don't watch TV and I don't go to meetings. You'd be amazed at the difference it makes.

While the last few years have been devoted to mostly trivial pursuits, I would imagine we're going to see a rapid acceleration in the quality and meaning of things we manage to create with our new-found time. At least I hope so.

Seth Godin.

Are you only as good as your last gig?

In the eyes of your audience, yes you are only as good as your last gig. However viewing yourself from this standpoint is a very dangerous thing.

So you f***ed up, the session didn’t go as planned, the drummer passed out half way through the second song. At the time these may seem like disasters but like all things, with time they fade. In the face of any adversity the main thing is to hold true to your vision. You may have to work a little harder to convince your audience you’ve got your game back, but as long as you never lose faith in yourself, it will all work out.

As Wayne Dyer says “The wake cannot drive the boat.” What he means by this is that your past (the wake) cannot impact your present moment (the boat). The only way your past can have any bearing on your present is if you allow your mind to make decisions based on old events. Every moment is a re-birth, when you know better you do better.

Level Playing Fields

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. – Gandalf the Grey

It does not matter who you are, Bono or the busker on the subway there is something I guarantee we all have in common; 24hours per day, that’s it, not a nanosecond more. How is it then that the Bono’s of the world tour the globe, make amazing records while ending poverty and the buskers… well, busk!

What do you choose to do with your time? Exactly how much you get laid out end to end is unknown yet we carry on assuming we will see another sunrise. The key difference for the Bono’s is that they have figured out their priorities, how to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to action. This is not to say that they make work more important than play or family, a conscious super star knows the equal importance of all dimensions of a life. They understand that scheduling exclusive time out of their allotted 24hours to undertake a particular task is vital to success. Make time for your family and friends, make time for your work and make time for your dreams. Plan it in advance and plan it consciously. Then pursue your happiness with commitment and consistency. If everything is left until the last minute then one minute is all you have.

For a great insight to time management check out First Things First by A. Roger Merrill & Rebecca A. Merrill

Want better answers? Ask better questions.

For the benefit of those who are not fortunate enough to be married to a brilliant success coach, I am going to share with you a gem of a riff I’ve cribbed from my missus that is so universally applicable, it drops into that sacred category of require reading.

Ok, you’re a struggling muso, producer, engineer, or songwriter, whatever. You need some direction and some constructive answers as to where to go next. What questions are you asking yourself? Are they why, what, how or who questions?

Why is my career going nowhere? Why can’t I land a deal? Why are there no studio clients? All why question beget because answers and all that follows a because answer is a string of adjectives painting a picture of your situation. You are drowning and describing the water! Reframe those questions to what, how or who questions.

What do I need to do to get my career on track? How do I land a deal? Who are my clients and where do I find them? All of these questions fire verbs back at you, doing words. They ultimately promote action and if you take consistent action things will move for you. Remember over a long enough timeline a course correction of one degree will radically change your destination. As Einstein said “…nothing happens until something moves.” So ask the questions that promote motion.

Amp up your bullshit detector

Personally I can smell bullshit like a shark smells blood in the water, so can my wife and she’s even sharper than I am at spotting fakery. If you want to make truly great music or anything for that matter, raise your game and only give your best.

I was recently handed a CD by a young guy trying to launch a small hip/hop label, he asked me what I thought of his material. The act was a fella by the name of Jay C… mmm what’s that I smell? Come on, you might as well launch an up and coming guitarist by the name of Cedric Clapton! While the backing tracks had been reasonably well put together, the vocals where awful. Now I’m not judging the rap and rhyme but the recording quality was dire. More crap, this time the lie was in the presentation. Do you love your art, are you doing anything less than what you are called to do. If you answer no to any of these question, you are more than likely doing it for fame or money. Stop now, you are poisoning the water hole and adding to the sea of pap that has become the popular music scene. Clearly this guy’s motives where questionable. He was either very naïve or … I don’t know what. What I do know is he will never achieve any success unless he starts loving his work.

Do you love your work? Have you considered what that means? Have you spent years, months, weeks, days, hours or minutes honing your craft? Back in the day we called this paying your dues, a concept that seems hard to grasp for Generation X Box. There is no substitute for time put in, either as a writer, a player, a singer, rapper or technician. This is the crucible in which great metal is formed. If you survive the process you will learn patience and wisdom, taste and restraint. You will also develop a keen sense of bullshit.

My advice to any aspiring artist is this.

1) Listen to as much music as possible; you’d be amazed how much goes in by osmosis.

2) Don’t just listen to the music you know you like, start to appreciate other genres.

3) Explore the history of the music you love and follow the historic breadcrumbs. Seeking your influences, influences can spark fresh thinking.

4) Don’t try to copy the styles of others. Find your own voice by creative cooking (e.g. a little of this… a little of that…)

5) Put as much time into you instrument as you can, only those that make it a priority will succeed.

6) Get knocked down 5 times get up 6. Never give up, never surrender.

7) Always, I mean always be truthful to your craft.