Freestyle Blogs

If you couldn’t tell, I am very interested in the state of the music/recording business these days. Mostly because I have gotten “in the game” myself as a manager (for Jonelle), and as a remixer and producer.

The mindset has always been that the goal of an independent recording artist was to “get signed” by a major label. With the current state of the music industry (less people buying physical CDs, labels signing fewer artists, singles deals instead of multi-album deals, etc) and the absence of the many indy labels that were instrumental in getting dance acts their exposure, it has become a double edged sword for the artist wishing to release his or her own music.

Yes, the tools are there. It is easier to record music these days. That is the part that most artists can do/handle. But what happens next? There’s alot of great music being made that isn’t seeing the light of day. Not because it is BAD music (we’ll talk about quality control/mixdowns in another article), but because in the current environment in the music industry, even the majors are scrambling to adjust to the same challenges that independant musicians are facing.

So … with that in mind … here is another article that I want to share. It gives good insight on the mindset needed in the current music market.

“1. Who Is The Leader Of The Tribe?

What got messed up in the nineties was that the label became the tribe leader,
the label made the decisions.  The true leader of the tribe is the act.  Everything
flows from the act.  As Jim Guerinot told me, it’s the act’s name on the
marquee.  If an act has a feeling in its gut, that feeling has to be obeyed.
Jim can always get a new client, whereas a misstep by a musician usually ends
his career.

The label doesn’t need your record to make it.  It just needs a record to make
it.  The label head’s priorities may be completely different from the act’s.
The label executive may be coming up on a contract renewal.  He may be angling
for a bonus.  What’s expedient for the label may be positively awful for the
act.  If your deal doesn’t give you a modicum of control, you’re at the mercy of
the label’s whims.  Sure, you could go on strike, but now you can’t even work on
the road, the label gets a piece of that too via the 360 deal.

Furthermore, a label doesn’t know how to work the road, never mind merch.  A
label specializes in selling music.  In an era where more people steal it than
pay for it, where it’s almost impossible to get exposed and there’s a thin line
between getting the word out and overexposure, which negatively impacts your
longevity.  So, sign with a label at your peril.  Or insist on a lot of control.

In any event, although the act is the true leader (“the Mafia Don”), the manager is
the consigliere.  You must be able to trust your manager.  You must be able to
get his attention.  You must share mutual interests.  But the act must have the
last word.

2. The Key

It’s the music, stupid.

Radio stations don’t buy music.  Fans do.  Don’t worry about appealing to
gatekeepers, worry about appealing to fans.

I once heard a Widespread Panic song on Sirius, but generally speaking the
band’s music is never played on the radio.  It tends to be long, it stretches
out, the vocals are not Top Forty friendly.  But the audience loves it.  A core
audience that keeps the band working year after year, long after Top Forty
wonders are through scrounging around for TV guest appearances and are
contemplating entering the family business.  Hell, the audience treasures live
Widespread Panic music more than the recorded stuff!

In other words, forget about the rules.  Just focus on how you can turn someone
not on the payroll, not related to you, on to your music.  Because if they’re
turned on, they’ll tell people.  If nobody wants to tell anybody about your
music, give up or change it or be resigned to a marginal “career”.  Doesn’t
matter if you like it, doesn’t matter if the label likes it, doesn’t matter if
MTV likes it, it only matters if independent sources like it.  A turntable hit
generates no career.  Your mother can’t buy enough albums to keep you in
business.  Sure, catchy infects people, but to truly get people talking,
spreading the word, you must sound unique, unlike anybody else.  People want
music to call their own.  If you provide this, they’ll tell everybody about it,
you’ll have a career.

3. The Format

Deliver what the fan wants.  Which is always more music.  An album may be good,
but not if there’s only one every four years.  Let people record you live, sell
live files.  You’re giving people the tools to build your career.  Don’t limit
them, enable them!

Fans will support you.  Buy CDs even though they’ve already stolen the files.

If you get really big, you can sell CDs with books, special packages, but that’s
way down the road.  First, just make tunes that people want to hear.  A good
number of them.  Don’t worry about defects, your imperfections make you lovable.
Pro Tools and Auto-Tune have removed the soul from music.  Stop trying for
perfection, no one can relate to that.  No one’s that good-looking, no one hits
every note perfectly.  One false note may be enough to endear you to fans.

4. Tools For Spreading The Word

You don’t solicit, you make tools available.

You deliver widgets, you utilize Eventful.  If you’re beating your fans over the
head to spread the word you’re doing it wrong.  Sure, it’s okay to manage your
fans’ efforts, in the beginning anyway.  Even better is when a fan takes up the
reins himself.  This fan will listen to you, won’t cross you, he wants access.
But by coming up with his own ideas, he gains credibility.  You can’t control
everybody.  Give up on that.  Inspire people.  With your music.  With your
accessibility.  Let them take you to places unknown.  You’re nothing without
them.  You don’t have to accede to their every wish.  Give up some control.
You’ve got none in today’s online world anyway.

5. Establish Community

You’ve got to have a forum online.  And a place for fans to meet live.  Maybe a
sign where all your diehard fans can meet before the show.  You want that party
in the parking lot, but in the Internet era, you can own it, utilize it to your
own advantage.  Maybe inspire people to bring instruments and cover your songs,
play their own in the parking lot.  You’ve got to make people feel like they
belong.  We all want to belong, it’s human nature.  We can’t connect to the
overhyped priorities, but we can relate to what’s just starting out, that we
own.

6. Play Live

Anywhere and everywhere at first.

Do not play with anybody else unless you share an audience.

You may open for a superstar, but no one’s going to care about you, you’re
wasting your time, your agent just doesn’t know what else to do, your label is
forcing you.  Better off to drive around in a van and play clubs.  If you’re
good, people will talk about you and your career will grow.  If your career
isn’t growing, and you’re working 24/7, face it, people don’t want you.

It’s best to open for no one.  To own the show yourself, if possible.

Better to create your own gig than open for someone with incompatible music.

You’re just going to piss off your fans if they want to see you and not the
headliner.  As for the reverse…  You’ll be lucky if people even show up to
hear you, and many will probably talk while you’re playing or boo.

7. Make It Affordable

Value.  Not only is it the mantra of 2008/9, it’s the key to all success.

Toyota knows value.  As does Lexus.  You want people to believe they got a
bargain, more than they paid for.

If you’re going after every last dollar, you aren’t going to have a career when
the radio hits dry up.

Look at the Dave Matthews Band.  Phenomenal road business, tickets closer to
fifty dollars than a hundred.  You can take a friend, expose someone to your
favorite act’s music.

A gig should not be a show, it should be an experience, a celebration of your
music.  If people don’t feel involved, you messed up.

Unless your gig is about production, don’t focus on it.  No one ever said I
liked the concert because the production was great, even though the music
sucked.  But I’ve heard the reverse zillions of times.  We are not in the TV
business.  Our product enters the ears.  Focus on what is heard.  Have a great
sound system.  Practice really hard.  Have great tunes.  You don’t need a
backdrop, you don’t need a light show, all of that is superfluous.

8. Tie-ins/Sponsors

I’m categorically against them.  But if you must do them, make sure it’s clear
that your fans own you, not the corporation/sponsor.  You can’t do anything your
fan wouldn’t.  You can never kiss butt.  You can say sponsorship kept tickets
cheap.  But not if you’re hawking the product from the stage, not if you’ve got
banners on stage.  Not if you’re flying around in a private jet.

Corporations don’t give a shit about you.  They only care about your audience.
They want to reach your audience.  They’re going to use you, emphasis on “use”,
to extract attention and money from your fans.  How do you feel about being used
as a customer?  How do you feel about being manipulated?  Keep this in mind when
you tie in with any third party entity.

9. Innovation

The cherry on top.

Examples are the Phish festivals.  100,000 people show up even though most of
the country has no idea who you are.  Special events are rewards for your fans.
They work best when you’re on the way up, when rich fat cats can’t game the
system.

Lollapalooza was a great idea, the original Perry Farrell traveling one.  Killed
by having Metallica headline.  You’ve got to stay true to your roots.  If you
don’t have an appropriate headliner this year, don’t do the festival!

Anything you can dream up that rewards the fans is worth investigating.  Don’t
worry about monetization.  It’s okay to charge, but know that you’re investing
in your future.

Conclusion

Railing against P2P, complaining that your music is being stolen, putting FBI
stickers on your CDs, none of this enhances your bond with your fans, none of it
adds members to your tribe.  Think about the tribe first!  The label’s tribe is
the stockholders, not the music listeners.  Do not associate your interests with
theirs.

If it doesn’t bring people closer, if it doesn’t satiate and inspire your fans,
forget about it.

Example.  Playing the “American Music Awards”.  You think you’re reaching a
whole new audience.  But maybe your fans think you’re selling out.  Don’t worry
about the untold masses.  If they’re interested in you, it will only be briefly.
If you’re good, your fans will spread the word and convert those who might watch
the AMAs who are interested.

Just because there’s a paycheck involved, that doesn’t excuse you.  You must
think how your fans will react.

You must lead the fans.  You do this by constantly creating great music, and
playing it live.  These are the core precepts.  Everything else is gravy.  If
people can’t get it by hearing your music, via a recording or live, then you’ve
got to go back into development.

Start with a little.  Blow on the flame to ignite the kindling.  Then put
progressively bigger logs on the fire.  Once you’ve got a bonfire going, it
won’t go out overnight.”