encouragement

Why You Should NOT Do Music for the Money

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There’s a paradox that many young musicians must come to grips with, especially those who want to make a living at it:

If you want to be successful as a musician, you can’t be doing it for the money.

That’s right. The best way to make money doing music is not to care whether you’re making money or not. No matter how broke or hungry you might be at the moment.

Now, there are folks who might get the wrong idea from this, thinking that the reason for this paradox is that you probably won’t make money at doing music, so you shouldn’t get your hopes up. But that’s not what this is about at all. For one thing, I personally don’t believe you have to take a vow of poverty as a musician. Even in today’s transitional music market, there are many creative ways to make a living at this. You can make money as a musician, and it’s okay to want to make money at it.

But to be successful, it can’t be why you do it.

I was reminded of this paradox this week during a conversation with a musician in my local area. He’s had a wide range of experiences as a musician, including having a record deal with a former band. He plays guitar now in several acts, plus is working up a solo act–but he still works full-time as a barista. His take on it? “It’s great if you can make money at music, but I have to do music no matter what. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Now, maybe he’ll make it big sometime, maybe he won’t. But he’s got the right idea.

So why is this so important? Why should you NOT do music for the money?

I suppose there are multiple dynamics involved, but mainly I think it boils down to attitude. If you are into music strictly as a money-making venture, then you’ll base most (if not all) your decisions on whether money is involved. You’ll likely turn down low-paying or free gigs that might give you some good exposure to fans, for example. And if the money gets tight, or if some wise-ass venue screws you over (which happens from time to time), or something else starts affecting the money, it’s much easier to get a bad attitude–and that will affect your creativity and inspiration, the very things that make your music worth listening to. You’re also more apt to start trying to power-sell your music to your fans, trying to pressure them to support you financially–and that’s a huge turn-off. The more the money is an issue, the worse this cycle can become. It’s kind of like trying to run an engine without motor oil–it gets hotter and hotter until it burns out.

On the other hand, it’s very easy to see when someone is doing music because they love the music–and it’s contagious. These are the folks who will do what they can to play their music in front of people, whether or not they get paid for it. When this is the case, it’s much more easy to be creative, to actually enjoy what you’re doing. And when it’s obvious that you enjoy it, chances are the audience will, too.

It seems this paradox works in a lot of professions, not just music. One day, years ago, I found myself in the office of the owner of a very successful auto dealership–a wealthy businessman with friends all over the world. He told me the story of how he got where he was. I paraphrase here, but this was the gist:

“I didn’t actually get into automobile sales to try and make money. I started selling cars because I loved cars, and because I enjoyed helping people. So I started selling cars. And one day I looked, and I saw that all this money was following me.”

After 20 years in business, while other car dealerships normally experienced alternating months of profit and loss, this guy had never had a month where his business was not in the black. He was hugely successful at what he did–mainly because he did not care whether he made money or not. It was a spontaneous, life-altering lesson about doing what you love to do. I’ve never forgotten it.

I think this story really illustrates well what I’m trying to say about not doing music for the money. There is something about loving what you do that makes it attractive to others, which in turn makes it more likely that money will follow what you do. There are no guarantees in this business, but let’s just say you’re far more likely to succeed as a professional musician if your main reason for doing music is just because you love it–in other words, as my musician friend said this week, doing it because you can’t imagine doing anything else.

So if you’re an indie musician trying to make a living at this, and you’ve found yourself getting bitter or angry, I can certainly empathize; I have been there. (For many people, being “broke” means having $2000 stashed away in savings; for me, being “broke” means I just sold my CD collection to feed my family, and I’m looking around for what I can sell off tomorrow.) But that doesn’t change the fact that becoming bitter will not help your cause as a musician. It’s time to remember why you started doing this in the first place. If you need to find an alternate source of income for awhile to reclaim a good attitude, it’s better than trying to run your engine with no oil. If you want to succeed in music, you should do music because you love it–not for the money. Not only are you more likely to make money that way, but even if you don’t–at the very least, it will make you a much happier person, because your sense of fulfillment won’t be based on your wallet. 🙂

advice

Picking the Right Songs for Your Demo

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As a working musician, you probably already know that a solid demo recording is your ticket to just about any music opportunity out there. Our demo is our calling card, our resume, so to speak; we use demos for everything from booking a gig in a local pub to landing a record deal with a major label. That’s why it’s so important to pick the right song(s) to use as a demo. Those two or three songs can make an awesome first impression, or a terrible one. The right demo can open many doors for you, and the wrong one can close more doors than it opens.

Really, choosing the right songs for your demo is more a matter of common sense than anything else. But let’s just assume you have no common sense, and therefore you need my help. 🙂 That said, here are a few tips for preparing and submitting the best demo possible.

  1.  Your demo recording doesn’t have to be perfect, but should be the highest quality you can afford. Your best bet these days is to treat your demo as though you’d be putting it on a record and selling it to the public. This is especially true if you’re pitching to record labels, because due to the competition out there, they need to be convinced not only that you write good songs, but that you can produce a quality product. (It’s common nowadays for an indie artist to choose some of the best songs from a recording he/she already has available for sale.)
  2. Keep it short and sweet. The people you’ll be sending this demo to are busy individuals with no time to listen to your 2-hour-long double CD, no matter how good the album art is. They need to know in a few minutes whether you’re a good fit for their venue, or their publishing company, or whatever. Keep your demo to 1-3 of your best songs. (If you have a completed full-length record, feel free to include it in the packet, in case the person wants to hear more. But make your demo brief and to the point, and make sure the person can tell which is which.)
  3. Pick songs that hook them at the beginning. Now is not the time to present your epic, 10-minute rock opera overture that starts with a slow instrumental section and builds to the finish. Pick songs that cut to the chase, songs that get to the chorus quickly. Just to illustrate–as a music blogger myself, I weed through lots of submissions; if you haven’t hooked me within the first 30 seconds or so, I simply don’t have time to listen to the rest. Assume this is true for any music professional you’re trying to impress. Pick songs that grab our attention early, and keep us interested for the duration.
  4. Pick songs that are good examples of your range, and who you are as a band/artist. If you’re doing a one-song demo, pick the hookiest tune you have; if you’re doing 3 songs, try to include at least one good downtempo, if you have one–but I suggest putting toward the end of the playlist. The idea is to show what you can do–again, in as little time as possible.
  5. Your “favorite” songs aren’t necessarily the best songs for your demo. This is an important point to remember, because we gravitate to our own tunes for a variety of reasons, and third parties won’t share our sentimental attachments to our songs. Now isn’t the time to be self-indulgent. Try to approach your song list from a neutral standpoint, and pick songs based on the impression they will make, even if they aren’t your personal faves. (If you need help with this step, try involving a neutral third party whose opinion you trust in your song selection.)

Hopefully, these tips will provide a road map that will help you pick the best songs to use for your demo, and help you put your best foot forward with others in the music business. You don’t have to be told that there are no guarantees for success (even the Beatles got rejected by labels before hitting it big), but putting together a solid demo can certainly improve your chances, at the very least.

encouragement

“When Are You Gonna Grow Up?”

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I’m always intrigued to hear artists and musicians tell their personal stories. With many of them, there is a common thread within their story–a bit of resistance they feel, especially as they get older, usually from family or significant others. The words may vary slightly, but the sentiment behind the words is pretty much the same:

“When are you gonna grow up?”

“When are you going to get a life?”

“When are you going to get a ‘real’ job?”

The implications, of course, are that pursuing a career in art or music is not a ‘real’ job; that “getting a life” has to do more with financial stability than personal fulfillment; that pursuing one’s dreams is childish; and that being creative is for kids, and that eventually you should outgrow it. Many of these kinds of remarks are well-intentioned, but when you really boil it down, it’s the classic battle between the left brain and the right brain–the logical side attacking the creative side.

I know a talented musician in my local area who is in her 30s, and dealing with this very issue. She’s actually a brilliant mathematician, and has the potential to make money hand over fist in science and research-type of careers. Instead, she’s chosen to walk a different direction, to pursue what she loves: music. So she teaches music to pay the bills, and plays around town whenever she can, barely getting by, in pursuit of her dreams (much to the chagrin of her family, who feel like she’s refusing to “grow up”).

Rather than kick off this year with more advice about how to get gigs, how to promote your music, and all that stuff (there’s plenty of time for that), I thought it would be a good idea for the first post of 2012 to deal with some of the heart and soul issues that developing artists and musicians face–and this is probably one of the biggest. I don’t know how many people have been wounded and had their creativity squelched over these kinds of questions, but I know it’s more than we can count. As creative people, these words usually hurt us, not because we disagree with them, but because we DO. Even the most right-brained people have some sense of logic, and many times our logic is waging war internally with the part of us that insists on remaining in creative, childlike wonder. So when someone asks, “When are you gonna grow up?”, it’s usually a question we’ve been asking ourselves for some time–and that’s why the words go deep. We feel guilty, we feel “less than,” we feel immature. We feel like we are children–and most importantly, we feel like being a child is wrong. We ought to be grown up by now. Right?

For some, this kind of criticism is enough to shut them down creatively, put away their brushes or their mandolin, get a “real” job and make an honest attempt to join the rat race. For others, while they are hurt and guilt-ridden, it’s not enough; they simply have to create in order to live. So they press through it.

Well, in my opinion, it’s high time artists answered the question, “When are you gonna grow up?” with some questions of their own.

Let’s start with, “Who decided that creativity and childishness were the same thing?”

Or perhaps, “Who says that growing up means losing your sense of childlike wonder and inspiration?”

Or, “Who came up with the idea that pursuing a dream was childish, or that dreams are only for children?”

You can put your own words in; these are just a few ideas. 🙂

Now, I understand where some people come from when they criticize artists near and dear to them–and you know, we could probably all cite some examples of very creative people who act as though they never grew up. But I think we should start by saying that being childISH and being childLIKE are two very different things.

Being child-ISH has to do with the behaviors we have as children that we should outgrow as we get older. As children, we tend to be selfish, thinking the universe revolves around us–and as we grow, we get a better perspective on all that. And we should. But I think we are all born with a child-LIKE sense of wonder about the world around us, and the ability to dream. Those are things that we’re not really meant to outgrow, although unfortunately, we do. The element of child-LIKE-ness that we find in artists, within ourselves, is the very thing that enables us to be inspired, to dream, and ultimately, to create. Yes, some of us are also child-ISH, but if you take away the child-LIKE ability to dream, you kill creativity.

And make no mistake: as a culture, we NEED creativity. Without inspiration and art, we would all die–even the ones who are criticizing from the sidelines.

Think about the irony of that for a moment: the people who are asking you when you’re going to grow up and get a life are actually dependent on people like you for their mental/emotional survival. Hmmm….. 🙂

The point is, you can be an adult without forfeiting your dreams or losing your childlike sense of wonder. You can be child-LIKE without being child-ISH. And pursuing your dreams does not make you “less than” someone else. In fact, the progress we’ve made as a race is as a result of dreamers, not people who gave up on their dreams in the name of “getting a life.” Granted, some people have dreams that are obviously unrealistic (you can find many of these people during the American Idol auditions), but that does not make it okay to discourage dreams in general, or to squelch the creativity of another. In my view, I think it’s actually better to dream and to fail than not to dream at all.

So if you’re an artist who has been wounded by the question, “When are you gonna grow up?”, take heart, shake it off, do what you need to do to be free of that stigma. We need your creativity; don’t shut it down over someone’s else’s ignorance.

And if you’re someone who’s asking an artist, “When are you gonna grow up?”, maybe you should try holding your tongue and listening to that person, for a change. You might actually learn something about what life is really about.

Just saying.

 

link love

Some Linkage Love To Get You Through In the Meantime

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Sorry for the void of regular posts in recent weeks…a combination of holidays and heavy work loads. (Hey, they don’t pay me to write this stuff.)

Meanwhile, while I haven’t been posting much, some other places have been putting out some good info for DIY musicians. So to get you through in the meantime, check out some of the links below. And watch for more good stuff here in 2012.

Hypebot lists 15 revenue opportunities for indie artists in 2012.

Live Unsigned tells you how to connect to 10,000 fans.

A roundtable discussion on the CD Baby Podcast about how much you should charge for gigs.

Want to get more fans to show up at your gigs? Indie Connect Magazine has some ideas.

Another CD Baby Podcast–this one’s a few months old, but Seth Godin gives some awesome advice for indie musicians. Worth checking out.

And finally…DIYMusicians.com offers hundreds of links to important resources. You could prob’ly spend all day at this one.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Insider Insights

An Insider’s Look (part 2-Mike Lavelle)

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(Read part 1 here.)

In the previous post, singer/songwriter Angie Stevens gave an independent artist’s take on the music business. Today, we continue with the same Q&A from a manager’s perspective, with Angie’s manager and Boss Koala Records co-owner, Mike Lavelle.

Q: What’s happening in the music industry these days?

MIKE: That’s pretty much the million dollar question. The industry is clearly changing, but where it is headed is anyone’s guess. There is an abundance of music, with most available free in some form. Pandora, Spotify and the like are making almost all music available to everyone, for free. And with the ability for practically anyone to record music, there’s virtually more than any one person can take in.

The challenge these days is where to start, and what sources will provide you with the best new music that you will like. More than ever before I find myself relying on the suggestions of friends whose taste I respect. Lanny, a good friend of mine, will occasionally sends an email to a small group of like-minded music fans with the latest on who he is listening to. He doesn’t do it all the time, but when he does, I know I’ll like them.

Q: What should musicians be doing?

MIKE: As cliché as it might sound, it remains critical to keep making the best music you can, and remain true to who you are. I think Adele is a great example. She is rocking the charts, but not too long ago, had you described the style of music she makes, many wouldn’t have given her a second thought. But once you’ve heard her, the pure talent and authenticity shines through. Sure, there will always be the unexplainable pop sensations, but pursuing that path results in very few success stories.

Q: What is Boss Koala Records doing?

MIKE: We started as a way to run the business side of Angie’s career, a combination of record label and management in the old school model. Now, while we continue to work with artists directly, we are also continually looking for ways to support the overall music scene, the community and others who can be reached by music. A great example is Project Acoustic. This year we became involved with the event, working with a great team out of New Mexico, where it started last year. In addition to expanding the show to Denver this year, we added a New Talent Showcase the week before the main event. We had numerous submissions and had the enviable task of sifting through some amazing “new” talent. As part of the program, one showcase performer, Micki McNie, won the chance to open the main event at The Soiled Dove [in Denver]. What an opportunity for up and coming musicians.

In addition, we are able to work with wonderful community organizations like Youth On Record, that operates music programs in residential treatment facilities. YOR is using music to make a very real, life changing impact for these kids. As musicians and music fans I think we all believe in the power of music – YOR is putting this into action.

Q: What can fans do?

MIKE: It really does come down to the fans. If you like a musician, support them. As Angie said, go to the shows and if possible buy the music. That really does make all the difference in the world to an artist. As important, share it with friends. I have long believed that while we are in the business to sell music, I’d rather have someone leave with music in their hands for free than leave empty handed. With so much music out there today one of the biggest challenges is getting people to listen to you music. Become the “trusted advisor” to your friends that Lanny is to me.

Insider Insights

An Insider’s Look (part 1–Angie Stevens)

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Photo: Shelby McQuilkin

For this post and the next, we have the opportunity to get an insider’s look at the state of the music business, from two distinct viewpoints: artist and management.

Angie Stevens is a veteran Denver-based singer/songwriter with firsthand experience in making a go of it as an independent artist. (I’ve actually been after Angie for some time to write a guest post on this blog, because I believe she’s got some good things to say to indie musicians in general.) Mike Lavelle is Angie’s manager, handling the business side of Angie’s music. Together, Angie and Mike are co-founders of Boss Koala Records, an indie company originally intended as a vehicle for Angie, but now expanding its horizons in other ways. One of those expansions includes getting involved with Project Acoustic, an initiative begun last year in Albuquerque (and expanding this year into Denver) for the purpose of showcasing quality local acoustic talent. Denver’s Project Acoustic showcase takes place this Friday, Nov. 11 at the Soiled Dove Underground.

Angie and Mike each have a different take on the current musical landscape, and have shared their thoughts separately in a Q&A format as a precursor to the Project Acoustic show, each of them answering the same questions. Today, we’ll hear from Angie; tomorrow we’ll hear from Mike Lavelle.

Q: What’s happening in the music industry these days?

ANGIE: It’s a crazy and somewhat difficult time for musicians these days. A lot of former business models are crumbling. At the same time of the downfall of the industry, there is an upturn in opportunities for independent artists to creatively reach their fans. The power seems to be back to the fan with the ability to find music in every facet.

Q: What should musicians be doing?

ANGIE: I’m a true believer that even with YouTube and live feeds everywhere, musicians should still be out there playing. It’s not just about the fans- it’s about the personal growth as a musician and a performer. I think without the human connection of your audience, you’ll never truly conquer your craft. After 12 years of playing, I still find myself growing and learning from every show I play. Audiences long for that real connection, and after the factory-produced music falls away, they will still long for those raw performances.

Musicians should also be creating constantly. It’s not as important to try and write the perfect song for your audience as it is just keep writing. It’s better to have fifteen songs to choose from than one song that you are hoping somebody somewhere will someday call your big hit.

The most important piece for me is to practice humility and community. This isn’t just something you earn by being a musician but is something to constantly work towards. It’s about giving back, creating a positive message and making a difference. It’s our community of support that helps us become better musicians, reach new audiences and become better people. I don’t think you can skip any of these steps in the big picture.

Q: What is Boss Koala Records doing?

ANGIE: BKR is busy creating unique ways to contribute to the music world. We are trying to think outside the box of what labels have historically done to more innovative ways that pertain to what we want to accomplish. We are looking to support what we believe in- not only good music but also good people and a healthy community.

Q: What can fans do?

ANGIE: Fans can support what moves them. Go to shows, buy CD’s, support the Kickstart project of a musician you love. Put money (and effort) where your mouth is. The only way we get where we’re going is from the community around us. I am eternally grateful for my supportive fan base that I’ve had through the years. I think they are a true example of what it means to be “good fans!”

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Finding Fresh Ways to Get Your Music Noticed

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With all the self-promotion tools available to DIY artists, the bottom-line goal with all of them is simple: get your music noticed. Get your act on the radar with as many people as possible, both consumers and industry professionals. The question is how to do it–and despite what anyone might tell you, there’s no single formula to get it done.

I was having a conversation yesterday with a screenwriter who was sharing with me (laughingly, I might add) about some of the information he’d read about how to get a screenplay picked up for production. It was this formula of sending out 100 query letters at a time, and by the time you hit 1000 query letters, statistically you’d have five responses out of which one would possibly be willing just to read the full script. An awful lot of work for a little bit of attention, wouldn’t you say? It simply underscored how hard it is to get attention within the film industry.

As I was talking with this guy, I couldn’t help but draw a relation between that and the music business, because the music industry is also admittedly a tough field in which to get noticed. And I thought about all the people trying to strategize how to break through the barriers, and all the products for sale out there to help aspiring musicians get their music noticed. And I had to make two very important observations about it all:

1. If someone is out there promoting 1000-query-letter strategies as THE PLAN to get something noticed, then chances are the field is already saturated by everyone who is already doing that. (If 1000 people are sending out 1000 query letters each, that’s one million letters–and you can bet it’s much more than that.) The point is, by the time you come across a formula to get your music noticed, chances are that formula has already been overused–especially if you bought some book that told you the formula.

2. If you read the bios of successful artists you wish to emulate, you’ll probably find that none of them used those formulas to get where they are. In fact, every story of discovery is going to be different, and most of them will involve a combination of hard work, being in the right place at the right time, and taking advantage of a unique opportunity that presented itself.

So here’s what mainly comes of these formulas: you end up in a sort of club with a lot of other wannabes who all hang out together while competing with each other for attention, and bemoaning how hard it is to get a break–and the only people who are actually making money from the experience are the people who are selling the formula ideas, in the form of books, software, workshops and the like.

I don’t mean to be jaded. Just realistic. Statistically speaking, there just has to be a better way to get your music noticed, especially by industry pros. And chances are it’s going to be a way that a million other people haven’t already tried. As my new screenwriter friend put it: “I don’t need 1000 people to read my script; I just need the right one.” 🙂

Now don’t get me wrong; there are a lot of great common-sense ideas out there for how to get your music out there to the public, and some great books that can help you. With hard work and some basic understanding of networking and marketing, it is possible these days for DIY musicians to build a solid fan base and make at least some money without ever getting “discovered.” What I’m talking about here is the desire many musicians have to “break the barrier” into a wider audience by getting their music noticed by the industry bigwigs–and the people who try to make money by unfairly exploiting that desire, filling people with false hope by presenting formulas that might work for a few, but WON’T work for the many. You need to be aware of that kind of thing.

So what is the right way to get your music noticed? I honestly wish I could tell you. Heck, if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you here on the blog: I’d do it myself FIRST, then write a book about it and sell it to you. 😀

Just kidding.

My point (if you haven’t figured it out already) is that from what I see of the musical landscape, by the time anyone packages a formulaic approach to getting noticed, it is obsolete by the time it hits the shelves. It’s okay to read books, go to workshops, etc. Just do it with your eyes open. It’s okay to find out what others are doing, and what has worked, and what hasn’t worked–but the best way for you to get your music noticed is just to use your own noggin. You’re a creative person–so be creative in your approach to this problem, as well.

That being said, I do have a few tips to offer–but they are NOT a formula for success. 🙂 These are just some ideas for how to be creative in your thinking, so that you can see opportunities when they arise:

  1. Believe that your gift will make room for itself. I don’t mean to sound esoteric or anything. It’s simply understood that when you believe something, you will take steps toward it that you wouldn’t take otherwise. That alone can make all the difference.
  2. Make the most of opportunities. Share your music whenever possible, both recorded and in live performance. You never know when the right person will hear it.
  3. Be diligent with what is in front of you. Keep building your fan base little by little, not to get noticed by the industry, but for the purpose of building your fan base. It’s the tortoise approach, rather than the hare approach (which we mentioned in the previous post). Make it your goal to be as successful as you can, regardless of whether the larger music industry ever picks you up on the radar.
  4. Don’t lose your love for the music. Do what you do because you love it, not because you’re trying (desperately) to make a living at it. People with the passion for the music itself are more apt to get their music noticed than people who just have their noses to the grindstone.
Finally–just keep your eyes open to the possibilities. Chances are the opportunity you’re looking for is not going to come in the form of a formula you read in a book. Your perfect opportunity could come and go while you are busy working the formula. Remember that most of the success stories came from a combination of hard work and recognizing the right moment–then seizing that moment. You’re more apt to seize the moment if you are actively looking for it.
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Tips for Improving Your Music Sales

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Photo: Jenny Rollo.

Let’s cut to the chase: as a DIY musician, you want to make money from your music. That doesn’t just mean paid gigs; it also means music sales. If you’ve recorded anything (which you should, if you’re serious), you want to sell records. (Unless, of course, you’re some richy-rich heir doing this as a hobby.)

Despite what digital technology and illegal downloading have done to record sales overall, it is still possible for you to make at least some money by selling your music, even if you’ve given lots of it away on the front end to build name recognition. I know of at least one guy who draws in thousands of dollars a month in digital downloads, just from instrumental piano music. It’s not easy, but it can be done.

The thing is, selling a product for money is all about perceived value. This is especially true when it comes to music, because music is not a tangible product like a mop or a box of cereal. When your music is on CD or vinyl it can feel a little more tangible, but when you’re talking digital downloads, you’re basically selling access to computer data. That doesn’t mean people won’t buy it; if you find creative ways to make people believe your music is worth buying, they will buy it. Perceived value. Plain and simple.

That being said, if you have music up for sale, here are a few ideas and tips for improving your music sales as a DIY musician.

  1. Make sure you’re selling a good product. You can be a master at marketing, but the best publicity and marketing techniques won’t help you sell a sub-par piece of music. Your music itself creates its own perceived value, and if you’re selling crap, people won’t buy it, no matter how much you hype it up. This is why I keep repeating it: be an excellent artist FIRST. Write and/or play great songs, with the best production value your budget will allow. Putting out great music is your top priority.
  2. Have your record available on multiple outlets. It’s great if you can get your hard-copy CDs and vinyl records into some independent record stores, but you’ll probably have more visibility with Internet downloads. That being the case, there’s a simple principle that drives Internet traffic: the more links you have online, the more people will see you. Don’t just put your stuff up at iTunes; put your record up for sale on CD Baby, Bandcamp, your own website (obviously), and anywhere else where it makes sense. This gives you more visibility, and can lead to more sales.
  3. Put up lots of product. This doesn’t mean print 10,000 copies of your debut CD; it means record and make available as much quality music as you can. With digital downloading, this process is very simple–you can even release a single at a time, if you like. Again, it’s a simple principle: more products = more sales.
  4. Give away some of your best songs. You read that right–give it away, and often. Your music isn’t just your product–it’s also your calling card. The idea is that if people like what they hear for free, they will spend money to hear more of it. (That’s what radio has been doing for years–even though you get paid royalties for airplay, your audience hears it for free.) Your best songs will build perceived value for the rest of your music, so make sure lots of people hear those songs.
  5. Hold your product loosely. This ties in with the previous point, but is worth expanding on–this means don’t get your panties in a wad about things like free downloads or even pirating. It’s a psychological issue, and it’s not exactly fair–but people who give off the vibe that they are angry about “stolen” music tend to sell less of it. People who are desperate sell less; people who are relaxed and confident sell more. C-Lo Green’s “F**k You” went viral as a free video long before people could even buy the track. I don’t think that hurt his sales one bit, do you?
  6. Consider alternative sales strategies. One big strategy right now is the “pay what you like” strategy. Lots of musicians are finding they actually get more money by letting people name their own price for the music. This strategy not only adds perceived value to your music, but it also adds perceived value to you as an artist. If you make great music that people will believe in, they will want to support you. This also serves the purpose of giving your music more exposure, since people who can’t necessarily afford your music will have access to it–and then share it with others.
  7. Don’t overdo it on the social networks. If all you do on Facebook and Twitter is promote your own music, it’s a turnoff to your followers. Some experts promote the 80/20 rule when it comes to the social networks: direct promotion only 20 percent of the time.

Finally, here’s a general tip to cover not only improving your sales, but also growing as an artist in general: take the tortoise approach, rather than the hare approach.

Remember the Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare?”

I might devote a separate blog post to this one principle, actually, but for now, think of the “hare” approach as the mythical fast-track to success, and the “tortoise” approach as being about consistency. For example, Point 3 above (putting up lots of product) is based on the tortoise approach. Lots of artists are looking for that one hit song that puts them over the top, but that’s the hare approach, and it only happens for a handful of people. Chances are, you’re going to improve your music sales by having more music available–not by pinning all your hopes on one good song and promoting the hell out of it. Be patient, and be consistent, and you will grow. For DIY musicians, slow and steady wins the race. Just saying.

resources

Durango Songwriters Expo, Oct. 6-8

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One of the biggest challenges songwriters face nowadays is how to get their music in front of people. Not just any people–people who can help take the music further. If you’re a songwriter at any level, novice to expert, I’d like to share a unique resource with you: the Durango Songwriters Expo.

The DSE holds two major events per year–one in Colorado and one in Santa Barbara, California. The next one is October 6-8 at Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield, Colorado, just north of Denver.

The Durango Songwriters Expo is uniquely geared for songwriters because it’s all about connecting them to music industry professionals. At least 40 of these professionals will be at this event–people from ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, record labels, music publishing companies, and so on. Of particular note: there will also be a lot of music supervisors from various companies who license music for film and television. (Music licensing is rapidly becoming one of the primary ways professional musicians can make real money.)

There will be workshops, panel discussions, and plenty of helpful instruction and information. There will also be opportunities to get your music listened to and critiqued in a helpful manner. But for serious songwriters, one of the biggest benefits of the DSE is that the industry professionals attending the event aren’t just there to teach you–they are looking for music. You don’t have to spend half your time trying to get your foot in the door. These people are in the market for what you have–songs, in just about any genre–and if you have what they are looking for, the potential is there for you to make a deal.

If you’re just getting started in songwriting and feel a little intimidated by this–don’t be. The Durango Songwriters Expo is beneficial for songwriters at any level, even those whose music isn’t market-ready. The three goals of the DSE, according to their website, are inspiration, education and motivation. Whether you’re just getting started in songwriting or have been writing for years, you’ll get something out of this conference.

So here’s the thing. Because of the intensive nature of the DSE, and because of all the time devoted to listening to and critiquing material, etc., each event is limited to 200 people. The Broomfield event is a few days out, but at the present time there are still openings. It costs $299 to attend (plus food, lodging and travel if you’re coming from out of town), but it is worth the money if you can swing it. You can print out a schedule and registration form directly from the DSE website.

The Durango Songwriters Expo. Be sure to check it out.

advice

The “WOW” Factor: Standing Out from the Mediocrity

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There’s something rather intangible that we look for in musicians, that thing that gives them their “star quality.” Sometimes we call it the “X-Factor” (which is the name of Simon Cowell’s new talent show); I sometimes refer to it as the “oomph” (which is what I’ve named my other blog). But whether or not you think you possess this intangible quality, there are things you can do to stand out from the throng of mediocrity. For lack of a better term, I’m calling this the “WOW” Factor.

While in recent years the indie/DIY music scene has really taken off, there are a couple of potentially negative dynamics involved with it. While it’s really cool that pretty much ANYONE can put their music out there, the drawbacks are two-fold:

  1. There’s a vast amount of music out there for public consumption–more than anyone could ever listen to; and
  2. A lot of that music is mediocre at best, and just plain crap at worst.

While the music industry institutions no longer dictate what music is available to the public, the other side of that coin is that do-it-yourselfers often have little or no coaching, no voice in their life to help them polish their songwriting, or their musicianship, or their image. They just do what they do and put it out there, and all too often, it’s just not that good. But be that as it may, they are still putting out a product, and that product adds to an already over-saturated market, making it that much more difficult for bands/artists who are really good to be heard over the noise.

This is why you need a “WOW” Factor–something that makes you stand out. Something that grabs people’s attention in a good way, and makes them say, “WOW.”

The good news is, you probably already possess this “WOW” Factor in some way, or at least have the potential to develop it. You just need to figure out what separates you from the throng, and work on ways to make that aspect of your music stand out even further. While this will look different for every musical artist (and so it should), here are some general ideas to help you look for the “WOW” Factor in your act.

  • Become very, very good at what you do. As an indie musician, your number one obstacle to being heard is simply the abundance of mediocrity out there on the market. That’s not an easy obstacle to overcome, but it starts by producing something better than your competition. This is why, above all else, you’ll find me repeating the mantra over and over on this blog: be an artist FIRST. Hone your skills so that it becomes easy for any audience to recognize the excellence in your music. If necessary, get some more music lessons, or hire a vocal coach. Don’t settle. Make it your aim to be the cure for mediocrity, and you’ll be well on your way to standing out from it.
  • Identify and develop your best qualities. There is something about your music and your gift that is different than anyone else. Find it, and work on it. What is the best thing about what you do? Is it your voice, your songwriting? Perhaps there’s a certain inflection in the way you sing a phrase that is different than what you hear in other people. It will be different for everyone, but find that element (or those elements) in your music that naturally make you different, and work on making those aspects shine.
  • Surround yourself with honest people. We all need encouragement, but we also need people who will tell us the truth, with the intention of helping us improve. You have weak spots, and if left unaddressed, those weak spots will stop you from becoming all you can be as an artist. I’m not talking about surrounding yourself with nay-sayers–that’s a different issue entirely. I’m talking about having people in your life who can tell you what you’re doing wrong, and help you to do them right. The absence of constructive criticism is the fast track to mediocrity. Avoid that path. Get over your hurt feelings, and embrace constructive criticism. There are people who can be both honest AND encouraging, and you’ll find that these people are your greatest assets.
  • Don’t take shortcuts; avoid gimmicks and cheap attention-grabbers. The “WOW” Factor isn’t about hype; it’s something that occurs naturally within your gifts, something that carries its own weight and will carry you for a long time. By contrast, finding some sort of gimmick to get attention might work for awhile, but eventually the public will see the shallowness of it and move on. The use of gimmicks is one of the quickest ways to become an also-ran. The way I figure it, a long, productive career at the bottom of the charts is better than a short career at the top. Whatever your “WOW” Factor is, it will be able to generate its own interest without the help of gimmicks. Don’t be afraid to self-promote, but always make sure there is substance behind your style.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when looking for the “WOW” Factor in your act is that whatever it is, you already have it. It isn’t something foreign to you, or something you don’t have that you need to acquire; it’s something that you already possess that just needs to be nurtured and developed. That’s why it never works to try and copy someone else–their “WOW” Factor isn’t going to work for you. Find what you have that makes you unique, and let it become your own “WOW” Factor. That’s what will help you stand out from the mediocrity around you.

Advice and Encouragement for Musicians