Live Music Blog

Most Music Artist are wonderfully similar in character to Painters or Sculptors or Craftsmen. What I mean is that you are what your description implies and that is you are an Artist and while that is what performances you apart from some guys being in an Air band it likewise is what the Labels have always counted on. Historically Labels have always known that you the Music Artist have been focused on your music. You did not have time to contemplate the details of getting performances or producing a compact disc or even creating your words and music (some of you). Forget about doing Marketing or PR. Not only did you not have time for that but it got to the point that any of those areas you disdained so you hired Managers to handle all of that for you. All you wanted to do was your music.

The Labels came on as being able to handle all of that for you and in some cases they did it well, but as time moved on the Managers, Agents, Labels and others have created an industry that literally feeds off of the Music Artist. Now the CD sales have declined 17 percent in just the this final QUARTER. Assuming that the re is a Label that will sign you they’re now no longer giving the massive advances as before and in fact now because they’re loosing resources prefer water thru a sieve , they actually have the audacity to demand a piece your touring re Clubs. So what could you do?

The answer is quite simple, the same paradigm shift that has caused the music industry to turn upside down (technology) and for performer to make less money, is the same thing that will increase your income. Here it is:

Do not contemplate BRANDING yourself as denigrating your music; it’s the opposite, when you produce yourself as a BRAND you do two things. The 1st is that everywhere your music is played it’s identified with you and the second is. ..guess what…you produce a means of protecting yourself and your music with trademark protection (which fee you all of $250). Look at the Beatles the Grateful Dead and yes even Prince….

So think BRAND…BRAND…BRAND…because brother if you do not then I guarantee an individual ( like a Label) will and then you are screwed when you become huge…so do it now.

Establish a mindset that the Band/Yourself is a Entrepreneurial Company. What does this mean? Think like this, Ken Abdo chair of the Entertainment Law Initiative at the Grammy Foundation, has been quoted at a recent conference telling about “A band called The String Cheese Incident had formed a vertically integrated company to handle management, recording, intellectual property, legal counsel, and all other aspects of the business that’s the band”. The guys took it into their own hands to control their future. No longer could you think of being a Music Artist or a band as just a way to express yourself. You MUST think about it as does any entrepreneur starting something new and cool. Otherwise you will be screwed down the line.

Use Technology; do not let Technology use you: Right now CD sales are not only in the toilet but they’re going threw the sewer system and that won’t stop, for every digital download there are at least 10 copies ripped. But the thing is that the music is being listened to by a person who’s downloading it somewhere, so that means occasion. How? Well for starters create your own damn website. I can’t believe how a lot of performers use MySpace.com to encourage them selves and do not have a website to direct the listeners to. So guess what? MySpace.com makes all the freaking money off the ad space AND they capture YOUR listeners.

When you do make your web site …add in ecommerce …add in your own cool stuff to sell…add in ADVERTISING abilities…add in blogs…chat…forums…backstage videos…videos of you practicing….videos of you select ing your nose, ANYTHING to make them want to go to your web site from the MySpace page you performance up. Make it so they feel special. When a song is downloaded make a 10 second message to your audiences at the end of the song that say “hey putz…come to my web site www.blahblahblah.com and see what other feenominal sh*t I’ve for you”. Now you think this is cheesy or takes away from your song? GUESS WHAT? STEALING YOUR SONG TAKES AWAY FROM YOU!

So try to vary your mindset as the itnertnet has vary d the music business and see what happens, you will live prefer Kings when you make music as opposed to starve prefer Artist.