Musicpress

The Heretic’s Comment: The Independent Blog posted a nice piece describing the fact that Facebook and Twitter have replaced Myspace toward artists/musical groups/bands efforts to generate fans for their music. This in itself is not news (we have all witnessed the slow and agonizing death Myspace is unfortunately going through), but the reason we wanted to share this particular post on the Heretic is the fact  that it allows us to ask our readers and subscribers the following question:

Do you feel that building your popularity through Facebook and Twitter translates into positioning you to book more shows, sell more product and thus make more money????

We will have a Part 2 to this post where we will provide you with our input and opinion on the question, but for now,  we want you to read through the posted article (the link appears below) and then provide us with your commentary concerning whether or not you believe that grinding to gain popularity through Facebook and Twitter translates into you making more money from your musical product. You can respond here on the Heretic or on any of the LinkedIn Groups we post in. Thanks for your participation in advance.

Closing Comment:

One thing to keep in mind when coming up with strategies to connect a fan-base around your music is how demographics and generation gaps impact the way fans desire best to interact with your product offerings. We will get into this issue in much greater detail in Part 2 of this Post, but for now we want to plant the seed in your mind.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/facebook-twitter-oust-myspace-for-music-fans-experts-2194971.html

The Music Business Heretic © 2011 Cross Live Media All RIGHTS RESERVED For the MAKE YOUR OWN MONEY Movement……..

The Heretic’s Comment: We want to thank our client Carlos Garza a/k/a DJ Styles for turning us on to the video series dealing with the last days of Rocafella Records. The particular segment that we are sharing for you to view (the link appears below)  involves a major confrontation between Damon Dash (Former CEO RocaFella Records) and Kevin Liles (Former CEO Def Jam) concerning Rocafella artist Jay Z which comes very close to turning into blows.

Unfortunately, we have witnessed confrontations between major labels and indie labels/production companies for years, but we decided to share this particular video because it gives us an opportunity to point out to our readers and subscribers how important it is to never let a conglomerate devalue what you bring to the table as an independent label or production company. Let us repeat the above for emphasis: Never Let a Major Label devalue what you bring to the table as an independent label or production company.

Now everyone who reads the Heretic, clearly have had it pounded into their heads that we don’t advocate you signing the major label deal unless you can work out terms which allow you to maintain at least a partial equity stake and control over your project. With that being said, we realize that in some instances, a indie label/production company has the great future of having a artist or band become so hot enough that Major Labels are stepping up to the plate to get your label to sign a deal with them for your artist. Well if you decide to take the deal, then we want you to do the same thing that Dash is doing in this Video if the Major Label tries to do a end around you and cut your label or production company out of decisions impacting your artist.

Unfortunately, again we have witnessed time and time again circumstances where personnel working for the major label have little regard and/or respect for the team (your team) that was responsible for bringing the artist to the level of success that was obtained before signing the major deal.

It is almost like the Major Label says…Okay you guys have done alright to this point…but it is time for y’all to sit on the bench from here on out and let the starters take the floor. Well, don’t let it happen. We are not telling you to be as explosive as Damon Dash was in this video, but we are telling you to come close to being explosive if the personnel for the Major Label tries to punk you out and/or worst yet…completely cut you out of decisions connected with your artist.

Closing Comment #1:

There are a thousand different opinions on Damon Dash, but one thing that no one seems to have any disagreement about is the fact that he fought to never let the RocaFella Brand be swallowed up by Def Jam. That is the same attitude we want you to have. Just because your label/production company opted to sign the major label deal with your artist, does not mean that your Record Label/Production Company should disappear. Don’t let it happen!!!!

Closing Comment #2

When Dash felt Def Jam was attempting to drive a wedge between RocaFella and Jay Z he confronted the situation urgently and aggressively. Now for those of you familiar with the RocaFella/Jay Z story, you know that in the end Damon Dash lost the war because of maneuvers Jay Z put into play that greatly weakened Dash’s leverage. But the emphasis of this particular post is to illustrate that after this confrontation, Def Jam was well aware that RocaFella was prepared to go to war if it felt it was being cut out of the equation.  In other words, don’t let the Major Label Throw Rocks and then Hide Their Hands.

Closing Comment #3:

We want to warn you that the video contains very strong language so keep that in mind as you view it.

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh5Y5vi1K60u26e589

The Music Business Heretic © 2011 Cross Live Media All RIGHTS RESERVED For the MAKE YOUR OWN MONEY Movement……..

The Heretic’s Comment: We can’t tell you how many industry types and music establishment people get upset or offended by the post we share with our readers and subscribers here in the Heretic. We are accused of giving people false hope… Of SELLING DREAMS…of hyping artist to crash and burn. Essentially it boils down to them saying something similar to the following:

Because you guys operate an entertainment law practice,  you know how the real music game works and y’all know that most of these artist will never have the capacity to be businessmen and/or businesswomen enough to operate effectively without us. They go on to say that Without us, they (the artist) are no more than what they have always been and always will be…just artists. So stop trying to convince them (the artist) that they can do or be something they are not. Just stop misleading people.

What is most sad is the fact that individuals who will make statements similar to the above, will swear up and down that they are supportive of artist empowerment and independence, but as is true with all forms of latent prejudice, once these same individuals get around people they feel comfortable with, then their true nature comes out.

Well we have a news flash for all our critics. We are not stopping. We have been spreading this message since the year 2000, and we would be hypocrites to stop now just because the music establishment and the multi-national conglomerates have become even more desperate to find a way to control the music.  We are far from finished. As such, for the year 2011, we will continue our efforts to provide you (our readers and subscribers) with the EMPOWERMENT through KNOWLEDGE to be FREE. We will continue to provide you with weapons, tactics, strategies, wisdom and insight that will position you to successfully cash-flow your musical projects.  We will also do our best not to post fluff topics or compose post that will be a waste of your time to read. In short, we will do our best to expand the “Make Your Own Money Movement”.  So stick with us throughout the year as much as your time will allow. We know that you won’t be able to read every post, but we are hopeful that if you have time to do some research or need to get a boost of artist empowerment, you will stop by and hang out with us for a while.

Closing Comment

We are not SELLING DREAMS…We are eliminating NIGHTMARES

Wisdom Key

Define your reality based on your purpose, not on your limitations!!!

The Music Business Heretic © 2010 Cross Live Media All RIGHTS RESERVED For the MAKE YOUR OWN MONEY Movement……..

The Heretic’s Comment: We found a great article from columnist Angelina Chapin providing strategies regarding turning page views into Album Sales. We highly recommend you read the entire article for yourself, but we have provided some of the article’s direct quotes for your convenience. The following is commentary centered around the band Arcade Fire’s you-tube video release entitled “The Wilderness Downtown“. Okay, enough setup, let’s check out the quotes:

“Last month, the band (Arcade Fire) released an online interactive video titled The Wilderness Downtown, a collaboration with Google and American music video director Chris Milk that uses the latest in HTML5 web technology to evoke the feeling of nostalgia expressed in the band’s song “We Used To Wait.” Viewers enter their childhood street address and the video takes them on a virtual tour of their old neighbourhood. Multiple browser windows simultaneously show close-ups of your street via Google Street View, footage of a man running, and an invitation to write a postcard to your childhood self.”

“When you see something like that, it’s an example of ‘Wow, I guess everything hasn’t been done yet,’” says Alan Cross, host of syndicated Canadian radio show The Ongoing History of New Music, adding he’s not a diehard Arcade Fire fan. “It changed my opinion of them, and I passed it on to everyone because I think it’s so damn cool.”

“With more than four million visitors to the site so far, the video has surely helped get attention for the band’s new album The Suburbs, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts prior to the video’s release. Sixty-two per cent of sales of The Suburbs have come from digital downloads, compared with half that number for their previous album. And though the band’s management declined to comment on whether there was a direct correlation between the online project and sales, Jordan says it’s not about the short sell anyway. “It’s key to super-serve your core audience,” he says. “By giving things for free, it creates a culture of support where fans don’t mind buying tickets for your show or your album because they know they’re getting more value.”

Adding value to a product or service strengthens your clients’ loyalty to your company, explains Nova Scotia-based new media and design consultant Brad Smith, but it has to be done in a way that makes them feel rewarded rather than accosted. Smith advises that his clients always give fans a little extra to help create a sense of exclusivity around a brand. “Social media is intimate,” he says. “When you leak details, it feels to fans that you’re leaking secrets.” For example, he encourages the varsity hockey teams he works with to leak shots of new features on their jerseys so fans can blog about it and create buzz.

Closing Comments:

We want to commend columnist Angelina Chapin again for putting together a very informative article. One of the things to pull away from reading this information is to always stay conscious of the need to reward your Fans with value in exchange for their association with your music. In terms of giving music away for free in order to build fan support, Unfortunately, we have witnessed numerous examples in our law practice where clients feel justified in thinking that free music means SONG REJECTS (music that I don’t  want to release commercially). We have witnessed clients giving away free music consisting of poorly recorded songs as well as (in some cases) songs that are not even fully produced. This is a terrible mistake, because it doesn’t build value between your music and a possible Fanbase building around your music and brand. If you make the decision to give away music for free, then don’t give your potential Fans “SLOP“. In other words, Free should not mean SONG REJECTS. Instead, Free should be viewed as an opportunity to showcase quality material (yes, let us repeat…your commercial, high quality material), so that both established Fans as well as potential new Fans have a low risk way to fall in love with your music and brand.

One last time….never, ever, ever….shortchange your Fans!!! Give them quality with all that you do (and by consistently doing so) you maximize opportunities to turn page views into Album Sales, Merchandise Sales, Live Performance Sales, Sponsorship Sales, Endorsements Sales, Special Appearance Sales, etc…!!!!!!  (you get the picture)

Give us your thoughts

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/after_hours/lifestyle_activities/article.jsp?content=20101011_10030_10030

The Music Business Heretic © 2010 Cross Live Media All RIGHTS RESERVED For the MAKE YOUR OWN MONEY Movement……..

The Heretic’s Comment: Jingle Punks is a great application for Indie songwriters and composers to land opportunities for Synchronization Deals for their original Music. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a Synchronization License is (you will also see denoted as a “Sync License”) let’s give you a simple definition. A Sync License occurs whenever original music is combined with another type of media (videos, photos, games) for the purposes of advertising, background music, theme music, etc.

Now related to Sync Licenses, there is a ever growing need for background music and other musical uses to go with the literally hundreds of cable channels producing original television programming (reality shows, sitcoms, talk shows, etc) as well as commercials for all sorts of advertisers. Normally, each television show or commercial will have  a Music Coordinator whose job it is to seek out and secure musical material to be used as part of the show’s programming. This is where Jingle Punks steps in. Check out a more complete description of the services offered by Jingle Punks below:

“This New York start-up offers video producers and advertisers a deep, well-organized catalog of high-quality indie music that has been pre-cleared for licensing. Instead of sifting through piles of unsolicited promo CDs, or dealing with the relentless push of hired PR guns and agents, music coordinators can use the Jingle Punks site to quickly search, sort, save, and share playlists of songs that are all ready to sync at a moment’s notice.”

“On the artist side, they take submissions from any musician at no cost; however they are picky about what music they accept. If your music is approved, it gets tagged using a specially developed categorization system that favors a “Mad Men” mentality over traditional genre tags. For example, an MTV music supervisor can search the Jingle Punks library for “Juno” and be presented with a selection of songs that sound similar to the quirky pop from the “Juno” movie soundtrack, instead of, say, a listing of songs by the electro-industrial band Juno Reactor“

“Now, here’s where we get to the iPad tie-in. Up until now, the Jingle Punks database has been accessible only through the company’s Web site, using a Flash-based media player. The company now offers a second way to access all the features of their music catalog, using a free iPad app. More than just an app clone of the Web-based Jingle Player, the iPad app links users to their account, where they can create playlists for their projects, bookmark songs, and even download songs to the internal memory or send them via e-mail. In a sense, it’s an improvement over the Web-based player, since cached content can still be played and organized offline. Because the app is linked to your individual account, any changes made within the app will be reflected on the Web-based player, as well.”

Closing Comments:

We are living in amazing times. In fact, what a great time to be an indie artist/band/musical group/songwriter/composer/producer…because technology advances have leveled the playing field greatly in a number of areas whereby not only do you get an opportunity to expose your music to the world, but you also have the opportunity to achieve song placements and music licensing possibilities without need of selling your soul or stripping naked to do so.

P.S. The iPad continues to look better and better as a war machine for the indie music professional.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31747_7-20018357-243.html

Let us know your thoughts.

The Heretic’s Comment: We love featuring stories like the following because prayerfully it will give you the motivation to know that all things are possible if you believe and line your actions up accordingly. Turbowolf an independent British rock band has secured major brand Relentless Energy Drink to fund an extensive European tour with massive American rock band Korn.

Along side Tour Support, Relentless Energy Drink is also supplying  Turbowolf with a Relentless Energy Drink branded Tour Bus and also funding the making of a short film discussing the band’s experiences out on the road.

“Turbowolf have been well supported by the UK rock media and earlier this year completed recording of their self-funded, as-yet-untitled debut album. The first tracks from these sessions will be self-released as an EP entitled ‘The Big Cut’ available only at the shows.”

Closing Comment #1:

As we mentioned earlier, we love sharing real life stories that confirm that Indies can reach for the stars if they use the right imagination, have solid music, a great performance, and the courage to believe in themselves. Recently, we did a post entitled UNPLUG YOURSELF which discussed the importance of eliminating negative brainwashing that attempts to hold you and your music hostage. We highly recommend you read that post when time permits.

Closing Comment #2:

If you have developed a fan-base around your music, then it is time for you to approach businesses and/or brands which might be interested in attaching their products or services to your music!!! Don’t Let Fear Stop You!!!

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=133830

The Heretic’s Comment: As a reminder to our readers and subscribers, whenever we post music placement opportunities, it is your responsibility to make sure your work is properly protected and that you perform your own personal due diligence before making the submissions. Here at the Heretic, we try our best to provide song placements postings from reliable sources, but as stated above, always keep in mind…its your music and therefore your responsibility. That being said, please note the song place offer below as provided by Media Magik. Happy Hunting:

Media Magik is looking for Your Original Music Now For Film/TV/Game Promotions and Placement!

If you have original music that you are ready to promote, we have immediate need. We produce literally hundreds of promos and trailers for Feature Films, Television, Gaming and more, and can have your music used in these promos as soon as next week! Not only are these promos used worldwide to promote the project and your music, but you will earn money when they are played! Some of our recent clients have earned thousands of dollars from these promos, and millions of hits online. YES, we can provide client refs of labels and artists who have made money and garnered lots of attention using this method! We take ZERO of your earnings, and charge only a small upfront fee to place your music to the project and get the promos cut and out to the world..For more info, feel free to contact us at:

promotions@media-magik.com

The Heretic’s Comments:  Voting is now active through September 13th for various categories connected with the Ohio HipHop Music scene. Voting categories include some of the following: 1) Best Night Club; 2) Best Retail Outlet; 3) Best Media Outlet; 4) Best Clothing Designer; 5) Best Graphic Designer; 6) Best Mix-Tape Artist; 7) Best College Radio Show; 8) Best Commercial Mixshow DJ; 9) Best Turntablist; 10) Best Promoter/Promotion Company;  11) Lyricist of the Year; 12) Best Holy Hip Hop Artists; 12) Best Live Performer; 13) Best Producer and the list goes on and on.  We have provided a link to the Ohio Awards website below.

The Awards show is only one component of the event which will also include a 3-day music conference. The Conference dates are September 17th, 18th and 19th and will be taking place in various venues throughout the city of Cleveland, Ohio. Again for more information, please see the direct link below.

Closing Comments:

Here at the Heretic, we always like to feature Music Conferences and Award shows because traveling to various events still remains  one of the most effective methods for expanding your network of contacts and resources. That being said…never forget that you are there to be met just as much as you hope to meet others. In other words, when you make the effort to go through the time and expense to travel to other places make sure you arrive at the event with your gameface on…that you have a game-plan…that you have specific contacts you want to connect with…that you have a interesting story to tell (not a fairy tale and not make-believe) but a story that is concrete and that you can back up. Why is the above important…because no one wants to network with someone that does not have much going on and is basically at the event looking for a short-cut to success. Don’t do this to yourself. I am sure you have attended conferences in the past and have witnessed guys and girls moving around trying to shove their CD into everybody’s hand that they can corner and then ask the individual if they can get them a deal. Again, don’t play yourself like that, because people attending the conference will place you in a category and label you when they witness behavior similar to the behavior described above, but you and your music are much too valuable than to have to resort to begging someone who has contempt for you to listen to your music (even if you get the person to listen to your music…in most cases you will not achieve a good result, because the person has already formed an opinion against you). Forget that…instead, have your gameplan together and walk around and conduct yourself with your success swagger so that individuals at the conference will perceive that you can bring as much to the table as you might ask them to bring to the table!!! Always remember, everybody likes networking with winners…nobody likes networking with losers…harsh, maybe overly simplistic…but true!!!

Let us know your thoughts.

http://www.ohiohiphopawards.com/main/

The Music Business Heretic © 2010 Cross Live Media All RIGHTS RESERVED For the MAKE YOUR OWN MONEY Movement…….

The Heretic’s Comment: T.I. and his wife Tiny have been reportedly arrested in Hollywood, California for reported drug possession. Details are not definite at this stage, but we will keep you posted as news develops.

Closing comment:

As you know, our focus at the Heretic, is to provide you information, resources, illustrations, and inspiration to pursue your musical career with both calculation and courage. However, it must be noted that when you are pursing a musical career, in whatever capacity, it only takes a second to get caught up!!! As, Artists/Bands/Musical Groups/Performers you have to remember that there are traps in place  which are designed specifically to force you off the road or worst yet…force you off the side of the cliff. Therefore, use wisdom…think your actions through…don’t make decisions in a vacuum or without counting the consequences. One mistake of the sort described in the T.I./Tiny story mentioned above can derail an entire career.

The Final point we want to make regarding the T.I/Tiny story: When an artist goes down, he/she/they never go down by themselves…they also take down the inner circle of individuals who have been working, grinding and sweating with the artist. So keep this in mind, when you engage in risky behavior. Therefore, don’t be selfish!!!! When you are an artist…it is never, ever only about you!!! There are always people around you, working for you, partnering with you, investing in you, who are depending on you to make quality choices.

Let us know your thoughts and comments regarding the above.

The Music Business Heretic © 2010 Cross Live Media All RIGHTS RESERVED For the MAKE YOUR OWN MONEY Movement…….

The Heretic’s Comment: Blogger Mike McCready delivers an excellent post asking and answering the following question: What Does It Take To Break An Artist? McCready’s short and dirty answer to the above is to say an Artist needs a solid team and cold hard cash. We generally agree with McCready’s comments. With the above in mind, we highly recommend that you invest the time to read Mr. McCready’s article….it will be a great investment of your time.

One of the best observations McCready makes within the article is the following:

“Those who tout all the DIY strategies are seeing the tide turn on them simply due to the lack of success cases. It’s been years now that artists can have their music cheaply distributed to fans and even to all the digital retailers. Promotion widgets and tools have been spreading like wildfire across the web. But where are all the artists who have broken doing it on their own?”

The above comment is something we want to discuss a little further. It’s true, there are a number of  so-called industry experts (The Heretic included) who do tout DIY strategies to the Indie community. But we want to caution you to recognize a great truth that you must always account for when discussing any industry that is going through a lot of change and flux: Industry people (both experts and wannabe experts) will try to come up with solutions as to what you should do next in order to survive the changes. The above is why it is so critical for you as an artist/band/musical group/production company/artist-development company/label to do your research. In other words, don’t do something  just because you see everybody else doing it…Remember Lead Trends…Don’t Follow.

One last comment on the above point, don’t spend money on industry experts who do not have a proven track record that confirms the success of what they are trying to convince you to do. And we don’t mean success from 10 years ago…you need to see recent success along with positive cashflow estimates connected with the recommendations they are giving you to implement concerning your project. If the industry expert cannot provide the above…keep your money in your pocket and keep doing your research and making your own moves.

Okay, we want to pull out a couple of quotes and action points provided by Mr. McCready. Check out the following:

“Don’t get me wrong. I think the entrepreneurs who are making music and acts easier to promote, distribute and find are doing a HUGE and much needed service. I recommend using them and really like many of the people behind these companies. The thing is, artists aren’t directly benefiting – at least not much. Do you know who is? Other entrepreneurs and the business people who are interested in getting behind acts to give them a big push. These new services have made it possible for smaller teams with fewer resources to compete against the big boys and get real results. But don’t let anyone fool you into believing it can be done by the artist themselves and for no money at all.”

“What does this mean? Mostly it means that if as an artist you want to stand out (and in addition to great music) you need a team. You need differentiating factors that will help you rise above the noise of every other artist out there trying to gain traction. It’s not unlike the challenges that are faced by a new company trying to enter a crowded market. You have to have marketing know-how, smart people who can execute a well-thought-out plan and you have to have the resources (read “money”) to make it happen.”

McCready makes excellent points above. Now let’s check out some action steps McCready recommends in the article. Please note: we are only providing the subtitles, please read the article to get the additional commentary provided by Mr. McCready:

1. First and Foremost you have to have great music;

2. Professionally record your music;

3. As you’re working on points one and two be performing live;

4. Get the right people to hear your music

Closing Comment:

As we stated earlier, for the most part, the Heretic feels that McCready’s commentary and recommendation are right on the money for indies to think about and follow. Additionally, never, ever, never, ever, ever, never (you get the picture)  forget the importance of putting a team together to support what you do as an artists/band/songwriter/performer. As is often pointed out Kobe Bryant is a great individual basketball player, but not even Kobe Bryant can defeat a team of 5 professional players by himself. Always look for opportunities to partner up with individuals who believe in your music and your ideas for spreading it…growing it…and cashflowing it…..

Let us know your comments to the above? Also let us know of additional steps you feel are important for indie artist to pursue in gaining success?

Closing Comment #2:

Make sure you come up with your own definition of success. This is a very important point. You have to come up with your own determination of what success means specifically to you and your project. As we all know, success can mean different things to different people. So as a result, don’t let someone else’s definition of success become your own definition by default. Never do this!!! Figure out what level of success is acceptable and achievable by you…and then go out there and make it happen.

http://www.mikemccready.com/2010/05/11/what-does-it-take-to-break-an-artist-a-solid-team-cold-hard-cash/

The Music Business Heretic © 2010 Cross Live Media All RIGHTS RESERVED For the MAKE YOUR OWN MONEY Movement…….