The following is an outline for Part III of the book titled “How to Succeed in the New Music Business.” I am looking for comments on the overall approach. Did I leave anything important out? Also, notice the interviews that I list in Chapter 14. I already conducted an interview with Terry McBride. But the others (Iovine and Medina) are a wish list, and if anyone can help me get in touch with them or other executive “stars” in the business, please let me know! All the best, and I look forward to hearing from you.
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Part III: How to Succeed in the New Music Business
Chapters 11-12 of this Part present strategies to harness the power of the Internet to promote, market and sell your music. These chapters are primarily geared to guide artists who want to make it in the indie world, and make enough money to leave their day gig.
Chapters 13-14 discuss more traditional models of succeeding which still prevail in the pop, R&B and hip hop worlds, because no matter how adept you are in using social networks and how cool your website is, you are probably never going to become the next Usher, Beyoncé, or Coldplay without a huge marketing budget. In Part B we explore how to get your hands on the money.
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Chapter 11: Social Networking and DIY Success
What is social networking? The essentials of creating online presence
Is MySpace dead? Other and better sites to utilize: Soundcloud, Bandcamp & Last-FM
YouTube, or, how to go viral: the Justin Bieber story, CSS and iPod commercial success, OK Go becomes a household name from making a $20 video, and other stories of viral success
Staying in touch: Facebook and Twitter
Blogs: What are blogs? Who are bloggers? Hypem and other blog aggregators, how to attract bloggers to your music, how to market your online presence in a DIY fashion, what to send and what to say (mp3s, mixtapes, videos, etc.), how to develop relationships with bloggers
Your Website: Why your own website is essential in crafting your online presence, methods to easily create your own website, content – what to include on your website and why
Ways to Sell Your Music Online: CDBaby, TuneCore, BigCartel, DIY - Create a PayPal account and keep almost all the $
Other ways to connect with fans online
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Chapter 12: Insights by on-line marketing guru Jason Speivak, President of
marketing company, Rockridge Music (clients include Twisted Sister,
Run DMC, RCA Records, Arista, and Atlantic)
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Chapter 13: How to Get the Big Money & Mainstream Success: Labels, Investors and New Business ModelsBig Label Deals: Who gets them & how, and how many are left?
Typical Big Label Deals: Then (Big Advances for Records only), and Now (A Bit of Cash for an EP in exchange for 20% of anything you make during your career)
Are Indies any better?
How Not To Be Entirely Screwed?
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Chapter 14. Insights from Music Industry Professionals
Terry McBride of Nettwerk Music, original home of Coldplay, Avril Levigne & Sarah McLachlan, and creator of Polyphonic, a new investment business model founded in partnership with the MAMA Group (Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs) and ATC (Radiohead)will invest directly into artist businesses, offering an alternative to the traditional label-driven investment model of the music industry.
Benny Medina, best known for managing actress/singer/dancer Jennifer Lopez. Other clients were also managed by Medina including Tyra Banks, whom Medina helped to create a largely successful television and fashion career. Medina also managed Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and aided in the launch of the Sean John apparel and fragrance empire. He has also managed singer Mariah Carey, Brandy and R&B singer Usher.
Bruce Lundvall, President Blue Note Records, a division of EMI. Lundvall signed a wide array of artists, including Willie Nelson, Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon, James Taylor, Stan Getz, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Richard Marx, Natalie Cole, Cassandra Wilson, Anita Baker and Norah Jones. In addition to Blue Note, he heads Angel Records (classical), and Manhattan Records (adult pop).
Jimmy Iovine began his career as a recording engineer in the mid-1970s, working with John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen. He went on to produce albums for U2 (Rattle & Hum), Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Stevie Nicks, Simple Minds, Dire Straits and Patti Smith. Iovine co-founded Interscope Records in 1990. It went on to become Interscope-Geffen-A&M following Universal's acquisition of PolyGram when Iovine was named co-chairman; in 2001, he became chairman, now home of such artists as Eminem, No Doubt and Black Eyed Peas.
Congratulations - very excited for you on the third edition. Glanced at the blog, couple thoughts - Chapter 11 - Social networking, you go on to outline very important issues regarding online presence and the internet, but what about the good old fashioned face-to-face social networking? (for instance, open mics - creating a "real time/real life" fan base
ReplyDeletein addition to the internet presence - or performing on the subway or in a park to increase exposure). Of course the two feed each other (internet/real time), but maybe that should also be a bullet in the outline.
Also would love for you to get at Ashford and Simpson - they really do a lot for up and coming artists through their club, Sugar Bar and their events - Thursday nights is the hottest open mic in town, and they have started a Blues Night on Tuesdays - Nick and Val are there both evenings, Tuesdays are more intimate, and should provide a chance for you to approach them on the topic. Just a thought!
Amy, I agree that face to face may be the best form of networking. But the Internet gives you the opportunity to connect to potentially millions of people. That said, artists should always pursue opportunities to perform live, open mike or otherwise, in order to hone their performance skills and expand their fan base.
ReplyDeleteI agree Ashford & Simson’s Sugarland club provides performers a really nice place to showcase, and I usually go on the weekends when my friend “Dirty Red” plays with Piers Lawrence. But thanks for the tip about Tuesdays.
Steve
I'm a japanese musician's manager, and not pro yet. I'm going to read your blog on in Japan.
ReplyDeleteEarning money has online never been this easy and transparent. You would find great tips on how to make that dream amount every month. So go ahead and click here for more details and open floodgates to your online income. All the best
ReplyDeleteNaoaky, Just received offer to have the 3rd edition translated into Japanese and distributed by a publisher there!
ReplyDeleteHave a release date yet? LOL!
ReplyDeleteThe 2nd edition inspired me to launch a music entertainment tech start-up. Thank You! Can't wait for this one.
I'd like to here your thoughts about entrepreneurs staying current and pushing innovation by attending Music Tech conferences, reading news sources like Digital Music News, Digital Media Wire, following music sources on twitter, which ones are worth it? How do or can these spark innovation? Are they worth attending & following? I know my answers but would love to here yours...
It's nice to know the future of the music business. I like how you described it. Thanks for sharing.
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