Why Do We Think There Are Rules In Rock & Roll?

So last night I was reading an article by a moderately successful rock star from the 80s/90s and he was spouting off about how the music industry has changed and the rules don't apply any more. Um what rules? It's fucking ROCK & ROLL!!!

Rules. Yes, somewhere through the course of it all, rock & roll has lost it's rebellious, fuck the establishment, mentality and set up it's own set of rules and guidelines. There's a certain way to approach labels, there's a certain way to book tours, there's a certain way to make videos, there's a certain way to inject the heroin just right to...............oh, too far? Yeah. What's with cookie cutter rock stars? I mean, Disney owns rock & roll now, for god's sake.

Let's face the fact that Rock $ Roll is a big money proposition for the labels and they will, just like they have for years now, chase the trends rather than cultivate the talent. It used to be that the A & R rep would court the talented and cultivate new and exciting things to give their label a leg up over the competition. Anymore, they're just scouting for the next so and so. No money goes into taking chances anymore. That's the downfall of labels being run by corporations. Risks need to be minimized and profits capitalized. Rules come into effect when money becomes the sole objective.

The unfortunate thing is that the Indie music world mimics that mentality, just on a smaller scale. They may be a little more willing to take the chances but they still try to set up those stupid rules. They still try to tell people how it's done. Dammit, it's ROCK & ROLL, there is no way it's done. Real, long term, breakthrough rock stars don't exist anymore, because no one takes chances anymore. New paths are struck by the bold and the rebellious, not the trend chasers.

The difference between diversification and chasing too many rabbits

Have you ever heard the saying "if you chase too many rabbits you won't catch any"? The logic there is pretty sound, no? If you spend too much time chasing odd and varied goals, it becomes really damn hard to accomplish anything with any degree of success.

At the same time, how many times have you been told that diversification is the key to continued success? Sounds like a contradiction, right? The problem with cliche based advice, in any area of your life, is that no one really takes the time to really understand what it means.

There IS a difference between diversification and chasing too many rabbits. A lot of people don't take the time to figure out this difference though.

An example of chasing too many rabbits might be the guy down the street that fixes motorcycles and runs a lawn care/snow removal service. In a situation like that you may have moderate success doing both, but there's no room for growth because there's no room for serious dedication to either one.

Diversification though is a whole other animal. A good example of diversification is the musician who writes, records, and performs music, but finds other ways to make his talent work for him, such as licensing his music to film, tv, or web. He's still working within his field and can fully dedicate to growth and expansion, but is finding other avenues to generate the income he needs to make that growth happen.

It's a fine line between the two, but it's one that we have to find in order to be the best we can be. To grow beyond the normal limitations of our skill or trade.

What can you do to hang up your rabbit chasing ways and diversify?

Active or Passive?

What's up my Heroes?!?!?

Hey, I was doing some new publishing research yesterday and got to wondering, how many Indies take a little bit of time each week to stay on top of the industry topics that can affect all of our careers? It's an easy thing to let slip, for me anyway.

Do you get bored with reading about download trends, or the newest and greatest marketing plans? Does it make you roll your eyes when Trent Reznor starts spouting about his brilliant new way to talk to his fan base, or who's selling advertising space in their cd liner notes, like this?

What do you do, on a weekly basis, to ensure that you're taking advantage of every possible opportunity to get your music in front of the right people? Are you keeping track of how well your current marketing plan is working? Are you distinguishing between natural sales lulls and fading effectiveness?

It's a constantly changing landscape for musicians these days, and staying on top of trends is just as imperative as creating new ones and it certainly is no time to let the guard down, even for a second. It could be the difference between spending your day in the studio or at the fry station.

So, that's what I've been thinking about.

Oh, and if you're interested in being a little more interactive, even if it's just to tell my how full of shit I am, add me on Facebook. Hope to see you there!

What is your value?

Hey Heroes,

So, here's a little something that's becoming quite an issue for me. The issue of personal worth and value.

Musicians, in particular, seem to be really bad about valuing their product. Is it because no one ever told us that our Art has merit? Is it because we've all been told that we can't make a living by making music? Is it because the competition for opportunities is so stiff that we're willing to cut off our own noses to get the chance?

Do we, as musicians, not understand that if we don't place "Value" on our product, we are undervaluing Indie music in general?

Let me ask you this. How many hours did you spend recording your song? 8? 10? More?

Say you ended up with 8 hours invested in writing, arranging and recording your new track. What is that song worth?

You know, I've actually seen my fellow Indies license a fully produced song for $25.

$25 dollars. That's $3.13 an hour. I hate to break this to you, but you could make more working backline at McDonalds.

There are those that say, "Hey it weeds out the chaff so that the experienced musicians can have more opportunity". There are those who say that "you'll make up for it in exposure". There are those who say that "it's just a hobby anyway, I don't expect to make any money".

Let's take a look at each of these, one by one.

- It weeds out the inexperienced and makes more opportunity for others.

That would be awesome, except that it also trains the potential licensee to think that if one person can do it for so little then we all can. I've also actually seen licensees state that "it's only going to be an hour long, you can do it for under $50". I mean, anyone with any experience knows how much time goes into creating 1 hour of finished audio, and I would hope my time is worth more than that.

- You'll make up for it in Exposure.

What does that mean? How many commercials or TV shows (MTV and VH1 excepted)do you see songwriting credits on, I mean unless you want to count the quick rolling, micro print credits at the end of a TV show, that have just gotten shorter over the years. How exactly does that give you "Exposure"? I've actually seen people say "you could promote it on your website". Yep. You give the show/commercial free advertisement and still only reach your mailing list.

- It's just a hobby, I don't expect to make money anyway.

The problem with this attitude is that it's harmful to other Indies. In fact this is the most harmful attitude. It's a case of the bitterness of a few being employed to bring down the rest. If you only consider yourself as a hobbyist, why are you dabbling in areas where people are trying to make their livings? To make a little side money? See the McDonalds reference above.

This brings us back to the mindset of feeling that what we do doesn't have value. If music didn't have value companies wouldn't be searching for it for their adds. If music didn't have value, that kid at the guitar store wouldn't shell out $15 for a Nirvana Tab Book. If music didn't have value, you wouldn't drop $7 to sit in a smokey club and have your eardrums battered every Friday and Saturday night.

It is possible to make a living at music, but we have to value what we do.

What is your time worth?

What is your soul worth?

Later,

The Six Letter, Four Letter Word

Hey Heroes!

This week let's take a look at "Change", and what it really means.

Last week we looked at some of the negative influences that pushed us into our current mindsets and I issued a little bit of homework. Did you really look at what you consider "Success" to be?

The first step of course is to figure out what success is to you. Some Indies I've talked with are happy if they get a decent cut of the door and have a floor to crash on before heading out to the next gig. Some still see that multi-Million dollar contract with a Major Label, complete with the private jets and diamond watches. Then there is, of course, everything in between.

What if I told you that any of it could be achieved? What if I told you that you were the only thing stopping you from achieving anything you want?

I know that some folks would say that I'm delusional. OK. One thing I know for a fact though is that everything that I have ever truly wanted, and refused to let anything or anyone interfere with, has happened. If you have in your head that the best you'll ever do is drag ass from club date to club date for a low guarantee and maybe a meal, then my friend, that is all you'll ever accomplish.

The other side of it's true as well. The Major Labels are full of acts that, talent wise, are nowhere near the caliber of a lot of Indie bands I've seen, but they got exactly where they were going, because they believed that they could and refused to hear anything to the contrary. Think I'm full of shit? OK. Take a look at the next MTV music awards though and tell me how much true talent you see there. What you're seeing isn't the best that music has to offer, what you're seeing are the ones that were the most driven to succeed.

What I'm saying is that only you have the ability to dream your dreams. Only you have the power to achieve those dreams. In contrast, only YOU have the power to kill those dreams, it's up to you.

In Quantum Physics there are two Laws that apply themselves to this situation.

First is the Law Of Relativity. The Law Of Relativity says that your situation is only what it is, as compared to something else. Meaning that, you are only poor as compared to that guy that has thousands of dollars in his account, and likewise, you are rich compared to the guy whose sleeping in a cardboard box under the overpass. Remember this when you're evaluating your situation. Too often we only look at how bad off we are and seldom do we look at our successes.

Second is the Law Of Attraction. The Law Of Attraction says that what you think about most you attract to yourself. This means that if you worry about your money problems, you're attracting more money problems. Likewise, if you're focused in on, and constantly visualizing the success you want, you will start attracting that success to you.

I know, this is where you check out and say "what a bunch of airy-fairy bullshit!". I hear ya, just hear me out.

Let me explain how this works. Have you ever focused on something so hard that you realize that that object suddenly appears everywhere? Example. You've always wanted a goldtop Les Paul. You think about them every day. You can see yourself on stage wailing away on one. It's your greatest goal and your biggest dream. Have you noticed that they keep popping up at shows, in magazines, hanging on the wall at the pawn shop or guitar store you run into a couple of times a week looking? It's not that they've become more plentiful, it's that by focusing so much on them you've retrained your subconscious mind to seek them out.

It works that way for anything, so use it to your advantage. Get a clear mental picture of where you want to go in your musical career. Picture it down to the shirt on your back and sweat on your nose. Hold that image. Visualize it. Love it. Let it go. Don't think about it, just wait for the opportunities to get you heading in the right direction to start appearing and take advantage of them. Repeat the process every morning.

Most importantly, be clear about what you want, and don't let anyone tell you it can't be done. Once you let doubt in, you've got to regroup and get back on track.

It's all on you. It's you're responsibility. Only you can decide to change your mind.

Ah, the 360 to save the day.

So the Majors have a backup plan, good for them. If I'm getting this right, the plan is to wait until all of their acts are contracted under 360 deals and then they will help force the demise of the CD and fully embrace a free file share market, making all of their revenue.........................whatever.

It's plain and simple. For the time being, it's more lucrative for the Majors to sue the innovators than it is to be the innovators. When it gets to the point where it's more lucrative for them to embrace the innovation, then that's what they plan to do. It's business, they go where the money is.

So, what does all this have to do with us Indies? Probably not much. I mean, we're all free. We have the ability to build our own plan, to embrace whatever technology we choose. We can build an entire following in Second Life if we want. We can tour relentlessly, or we can couple with other media. The fact is that true freedom means that no one can change your mind. So, as long as you have a vision and pursue it to it's fullest, you'll be as much of a success as you want to be.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/08/big-music-will-surrender-but-not-until-at-least-2011/

Later,

You got Served! Hopefully.

Let me ask you this. Should it really have to get to this point? The latest on the Joe Satriani v. Coldplay copyright infringement case is that apparently Coldplay has been slinking around trying to avoid being served papers, but good ol'Joe isn't going to let it slide.

He's made it very clear that he's hired an "Army" of process servers to work the Grammy's, with the intent of finally getting those papers in the hands of his adversaries.

You have to admit that it would be awfully sweet if they waited till Chris Martin and the boys were on the podium to accept "Song of the Year" and then rushed the stage in mass. Harsh you say? Not hardly.

I have to say that, as Indie musicians, I feel that our intellectual property is our single greatest product that we offer. It is the foundation of our business plan. It is the flagship of our merch table. It is what makes us who we are, and to have someone else steal your hard work and parade it around the world as their own, and more sickeningly, be nominated for a Grammy for it is just the height of disrespect and elitism.

Coldplay, I'm sure, is just following the advice and direction of their label, EMI, but what does that say about the practices of Major Labels if they are openly advocating the theft of other peoples music. Is it really any wonder that EMI is losing money?

Anyway, I hope that the whole thing erupts into such a big deal that everyone in America sits up and takes notice. We can't make it OK for people to walk all over the Copyright Laws, they're one of the few guarantees we have.

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/coldplay%20to%20get%20served%20at%20the%20grammys_1093915

Later,

Perfect Example Of How The Majors Just Don't Get It.

So, even more on the whole Coldplay plagiarism deal. Apparently, EMI has had some of the comparison videos pulled from YouTube because of copyright infringement. Uh, hello, it's your artist that did the infringing!

That, of course, doesn't stop the arguments from running rampant through the comment sections of videos that have found their way back up. Coldplay fans versus Satriani fans, ripping each other apart as if they're mortal enemies. Stupid really.

The fact of the matter is that the songs are similar enough that you can actually overlay the recording and it's like they're part of the same song.

It's going to be interesting to see how this pans out. What is at stake is the value of Intellectual Property. If EMI pulls this out and wins this law suit then it basically says that Major Label artists can steal any of our music and get away with it, and the legal precedent will have been set.

I saw an ad earlier saying that Coldplay was re-releasing the album with new mixes and new tracks. Twice the insult eh? It will be a sad day when Joe Satriani has to watch Coldplay win a Grammy for a song he wrote.

A couple of posts back I said that there have been times that I've realized that some of my stuff was similar to other artists material. I, of course, wouldn't release something like that intentionally, but if I missed something and wound up involved in a situation like this, I wouldn't hesitate to make it right with the other person. At the very least, Coldplay should give him co-writing credits on future pressings, and cut him in on the publishing so that he can make some money off of the deal.

It's these kinds of dealings that make me glad I'm an Indie.

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/121608coldplay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLE5t1cl7sw

Have a good one!

The One Thing Labels Don't Want You To Know!

If there's one thing the Record Labels around the world do NOT want you to know it's that, YOU DON'T NEED US.

That's right. The Record Label as it's been known is going extinct.

We're living in an exciting time when everyone has access to the same quality of services. We as Indies may still have to work a little harder to get the same kinds of notice, but for the first time in history, you don't have to rely on the Middlemen. Of course, it means that you have to familiarize yourself with so much more information, but each and every one of us has the ability to create our own organizations, and our own futures.

We're artists right? Do we need corporations like Disney, Sony, or Virgin to "create" us. If you're serious about wanting to make the Music Industry your life, then you have to approach it with commitment, and not mere interest. You have to live it like your life depends on it.

I'm shocked at the things the average musician doesn't know. From the working composer that doesn't know how to register his creations with his Performing Rights Organization, to the cover band down the street, plastering their versions of other peoples songs all over the place without the slightest clue as to what a Mechanical License is.

There is a lot that we as Indies should know about the processes our music goes through in order for us to bring in the kind of income that we would all like to see. You have to commit to learning something new every day, and to being the best you can be at what you do. Let's face it, even if you are one of the few that does get signed, you're still responsible to understand what it is you
are legally responsible for and entitled to.

If you are going to build a team to take some of this stuff off of your hands, then make sure that the people you hire to represent you know what they're doing, because if they don't, you may end up paying the price for their incompetence.

Traditionally it is the Label that takes care of the legal and contractual responsibilities for the artist, but with the right information and the right level of Commitment you can go the distance and still retain the control over your own destiny.

Be the Change You Want To See

How do you label success? What does that word mean to you? Is it the diamond encrusted Rolex? Is it the Bentley in the driveway? Maybe you're not that Material. Maybe success for you is having Power or Prestige or Acclaim.

Maybe you're like a lot of Indies who have a really hard time picturing anything more than a van that doesn't leave you stranded on I-70 halfway across Kansas, or even enough money from your gig to put gas is said van.

There are virtually thousands of resources out there that can give you every tip you would ever need to reach the success you want, but they won't help one bit. Why? It's not because it's not good, or even Great advice. It's not because you're too dumb to get it. It's not even because you sleep in too late and drink too much to do the work (my personal, former excuse).

The reason that all that great advice won't help you is because it's incomplete. That's right, it's missing a step. What none of it shows you is how to leap the biggest hurtle in your path to success, yourself.

You see, from an early age we're all programmed with default settings. These settings are programmed into us from sources such as Parents, Teachers, Friends, and that weird uncle you really don't like but who scores pot for you. You get accustomed/programmed to make a certain amount of money, to drive a certain quality of car, to eat a certain type of food (I lived for many years on the Ramen diet). The conditions that you're raised in, and the people you associate with help shape your comfort level/programming.

What does this mean? Well what it means is that all the good intentions, and all the willingness, and all the wanting to change your condition are blocked by you and your own comfort level.

It's not enough to change your mind, you have to change your habits. They say that if you can do something for two weeks straight, then it becomes a habit. So, where do you start? Sorry, there's no one magic change you can make to turn you into a Multi-Million dollar recording artist, but if you take a nice hard look at how you're approaching things daily, and decide daily to change a habit that's leading you nowhere, then daily you will be getting closer to your end goal.

But wait! That's not enough. Before you can do any of that, you have to have a CLEAR goal in mind. Start with the end in mind and work back. Wanting change is a great first step, but it's a daily practice to keep it going and you have to make that commitment to yourself to put in the effort.

In the end it's worth any effort, but keep in mind that, as with all things in life, at the very core is personal responsibility. No one will do the work for you. No one will hand you your dreams. You have to be the agent for your own desires. You have to be the change you want to see.

Really CD Baby?.................Really?

So, the big news today is the surprising sell of CD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/) to Disc Makers.

This comes as quite a shock to a lot of people in the Indie world, as founder, Derek Sivers had once proudly stated that he would "NEVER" sell CD Baby.

I understand that all things in life change, and seeing as Derek says he's not even been involved in the day to day operations of CD Baby since 2002, it's probably a good thing that he's passing it on to someone who can give it the attention needs for it to grow to new levels of success.

My only question is why Disc Makers? They hardly have the best reputation for customer service and reliability, so how are they going to improve upon the existing system? Besides the Face lift they've already given the CD Baby page, what are they going to do to increase sales for their artists?

Ahhh, the times, they are a changing.

Read more about it here:
http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/081508disc

What do THEY know anyway?

I found this to be pretty interesting. It appears that music fans just don't really care what the critics have to say anymore.

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories_old/070808critics

What does this mean for us? Well, it means that nothing has really changed. I believe that most Indies have always held the belief that our music speaks for itself, we don't really need the approval of music critics or reviewers to help move people to listen to us. Leave the pandering to the Major Label acts, we have a better tactic.

As "small time" acts, we have the opportunity to connect with the people who love our music in a way that Major Label artists can't. One on one. As is mentioned in the article above, a grassroots approach can be just what the doctor ordered. Though, with the ability to market via social networking sites, such as Myspace and Facebook, it has become not only easier to build fanbases, but also harder to stand out from the crowd. We need to innovate new and better ways to be noticed, and heard. What will you do to stand apart?

The Power of Everpresence

This week I'd like to talk about one of the greatest marketing tools we as Indies have, Everpresence. I know, it's really not a word, but I think it sums up a great deal. The best way we have of making a name for ourselves is to put ourselves out there and in the spot light as much as possible.

We could definitely take a lesson from the hip hop community on this one. Take the success of Lil' Wayne, in the last couple of weeks. While certainly not the best rapper on the planet, he has saturated the Internet with his name, his songs, and his "brand", and it's garnered him huge success. Shouldn't we then take examples such as this and dissect them and find the formula for our own successes?

In a world that is becoming increasingly media based, why not take advantage of every possibility to put your name, and your face, in the minds of any and every prospective fan available? Buy an inexpensive video camera and create a YouTube account, Start video podcasting from your website, be creative and come up with ways to "be everywhere" that no one else has thought of.

It's a fact that, in this day and age, anyone can be a musician, and anyone has access to all of the same marketing outlets. It's become a game of who can do it most frequently and who can do it the best. What are you willing to do to be the best?