Dotted Music» inspiration

Why Direct 2 Fan?

Andrew Apanov — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:48:56 +0000

Here’s a cool crowdsourced video we received from MIDEM reps. Features Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, solo artist Zoe Keating, manager Emily White and more artists, managers and experts talking on why direct-to-fan is the way forward. Below are the timecodes for each person (the original list is available here), watch the YouTube video blow.

Artists

Ed O’Brien, Radiohead: The key relationship is the one between the band and the people who like that band. And we have this wonderful means to achieve that now: through the web.
00:21 Zoe Keating, solo artist: It’s probably the only way an experimental artist like me could succeed. Becasue there is nobody between me and the fans, the only decisions are artistic ones.
00:57 Gold Motel (Greta Morgan & Dan Duszynski): As music lovers, we all know how much you appreciate it when you get to meet somebody you love. So now we’re actually in a band, it’s nice to be able to reach out that way whenever somebody is interested.
01:19 Michelle Phelan, Carosel: I like to have quite a personal relationship with fans. I do talk to them, I respond to every message. People seem to want a very authentic experience; I’m happy to do that. My (personal) Facebook page is open to everybody.
01:40 Sydney Wayser, solo artist: More and more artists are going to be figuring out what they want to say and how they want to present it to their fans, and I’m just excited to see what everyone comes up with!

Managers

02:25 Emily Gonneau, Unicum Music (OK Go (EU), Carosel, Emilie Chick): It’s about time artists took centre stage of the music business. So many artists have been empowered by D2F to decide what, when and how they want express themselves, so that we their partners can just focus on serving that vision and getting the job done.
02:56 Emily White, Whitesmith Entertainment (Brendan Benson, Gold Motel, Sydney Wayser, Urge Overkill): D2F is crucial, as the number one way to get music from the artists to the fans. So instead of relying on expensive radio promo teams or publicists… we can email fans, and ask for a tweet or a like for free tracks. That way we retain their info and they keep coming back, hopefully for the artist’s entire career.

Experts

03:30 Sam McGregor, Good Lizard Media: D2F allows artists to customise their retail model directly and specifically to their own fans, which means that experience is better suited to them, leading to a longer-lasting and more profitable relationship.
03:52 David Riley, Good Lizard Media: D2F is more then just another revenue model for artists. It’s a model that both engages and develops fanbase at the same time. So you can give products to a fanbase that actually want to buy them; and by doing so creating a greater connection between artists and their fans. That way artists build a cottage industry rather than just selling one CD through a retailer.
04:19 Martin Frascogna, DIY Artist lawyer: Fans don’t necessarily need the old marketing plan that is designed to permeate the masses. D2F has not only allowed artists to bypass any old system of conformity; it allows them to organically develop a business plan that taps into their needs, and their fans’ needs as well.

To learn how you can come to MIDEM 2012 for just €295 as an artist here.

Expanding The Reach Of Shadow On Star’s Music Video And Leveraging Resources Through Collaborations

Andrew Apanov — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:31:08 +0000

A musician’s marketing strategy typically limits itself to the music community because, well, it’s seems to be the no-brainer plan of action. Music fanatics spend their time idling away on music blogs and Internet radio services bobbing their heads to the rising acts of today and tomorrow, so you can argue that the highest chance of converting listeners to your music lies in the demographic comprised of music fans, and you’d be right. But among your non-musically inclined friends, can you name one who has never enjoyed music?

Music is pervasive in society, appreciated by the young and old to the fashionable, religious and sporty. So it’s not surprising that labels license musician’s tracks to high profile programs and recognized brands as a near guarantee to boost the band’s profile in the mainstream eye. But more so, the importance for such deals are paramount for musicians. For example, Michael Grubbs, the face of Wakey!Wakey! has One Tree Hill to thank for launching his career and placing his name in front of the public eye and into the public ears.

But of course, unless you’re lucky to have met the right person at the right time, as Grubbs had done, or you’ve signed to a music licensing service that happened to catch a producer’s or company’s eye, you’re stuck in a waiting game.

What appears to be an in-house traditional music video typified by the collaborative effort of bands and friends, “Punk Kids,” the latest hip hop and rock single by Portland duo Shadows on Stars, is in fact a strategic partnership with L.A. based womenswear designer Hellz Bellz, and indie menswear label, Gentleman by Day. Philosopher by Night. Pervert by Choice. Rebel by Fate. A third collaborator, Crooked Engine, directed the music video. In doing so, SoS is able to leverage the collaboration in two ways.

Resources

SoS’s decision to choose clothing labels to work with is based on the vision for “Punk Kids,” starring a rebellious teenage antagonist in his anticlimax. What best exemplified Crooked Engine’s artistry was Hellz Bellz and GPPR’s sassy and subversive personality, embodied in their collections, but what SoS had also gained was the styling expertise of these fashion inclined labels to hit the video’s message home.

Cross-cultural marketing

More importantly, from a marketing perspective, short of having your music featured on high profiled outlets including Grey’s Anatomy and Apple’s commercials, the cross industry collaboration with the fashion labels provides Shadows on Stars with an opportunity to reach out to a non-music demographic in addition to those that have Spinner and Pigeons and Planes bookmarked. Shadows on Stars saw its brand cross promoted through Hellz Bellz and GPPR’s respective social networks and blogs, that typically sees a fashion-centric demographic, but one that, like music, tends to have dedicated fans.

Shadows on Stars’ Reach

The recently formed Shadows on Stars, with 358 likes and 477 Twitter followers indirectly encompassed a secondary circle through their collaborator’s promotion of “Punk Kids” on their respective social media accounts – Hellz Bellz’s 3.6K Facebook fans and 6.8K Twitter fans and blog readers, GPPR’s 1.3K Facebook fans, blog readers and its founder’s 832 Twitter followers. So when you haven’t yet had your music tacked to a Ford or Starbucks commercial, but are considering filming just another music video, think about how you can leverage your resources and expand your band’s reach, outside of your own closed circle of fans.

Chris Martin Paint Splatter DIY [Weekend Fun]

Andrew Apanov — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:00:27 +0000

DIY never looked so cool. Okay, truth be told, I doubt Chris Martin added the plaint splatter to his wardrobe. He’s a big-time musician with stylists and “peons” to do things like that. But, this project is too easy not to copy.

Guys, DIY projects aren’t just for ladies. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to paint-splatter your own digs!

Coldplay

Here’s what you’ll need:

Army-style jacket
Pants – jeans, chinos, khakis… it could be anything really
A regular old tee shirt
Funky blue shoes – Chris’ aren’t new high top Nikes, but I liked the crazy pop of color.
Fabric paint – I think the neon variety works well for this look, but you can choose whichever you like.
Paint brush
A paper plate
Cup of water

Obviously this DIY project can be done to any outfit, but I’m copying Chris’ look as closely as we can.

Here’s what you’ll do:

Find an area where you’ll be able to fling paint without worrying about it splattering on furniture or walls – the garage, open space in a basement, or outside probably works best.
Spread newspaper over a flat surface to protect it from the paint and then lay clothing out flat.
Put a dollop of paint on the paper plate and pour a small amount of water on top of the dollop – about a teaspoon. This will thin out the paint a bit and give it that drippy/sloppy look you’re going for.
Use the paint brush to mix together the paint and the water. There are several techniques for paint application. You can fling the paint on the clothing to make small paint splats all over, or you can messily paint it on in a few spots, clustering colors together like the photo. There’s no need to be exact (or have any kind of painting skills); this looks better done haphazardly.
Lay it out to dry and voila! You’ve got an instant, one-of-a-kind piece with a funky flair.

You can go crazy with paint or leave it as a small detail. It’s all a matter of preference! Who said the paint splatter look got left in the 90s? Psh…

And, how apropos would it be to listen to this song, while you are crafting your outfit?

Author Bio: When I’m not accessorizing with zebra print handbags in my day job, or schooling people on the importance of solid travel adapters, I enjoy discovering new artists and music genres. My current favorites range from Coldplay (natch), to Sam Cooke, to mah girl Beyonce.

10 Commandments Of Independent Music Making

Andrew Apanov — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:08:34 +0000

I have worked 9-5 in audio for 7 years (and sometimes 5 PM to 9 AM). When I studied recording engineering and production in 1996 at Fanshawe College in Canada, it was all about big studios, getting signed to a record label, and getting radio play. We learned to use magnetic tape, but we leaned toward digital. They taught me how to get clean sound through being methodical, but also to respect the crazy girl that tries anything and everything to make her mix radical.

But now I have a “real job” and I’m producing and marketing an album from home in my “free time.” It’s really reinventing the wheel since a big record deal and mainstream radio play are a longshot and physical stores are disappearing. So I thought I’d share with Dotted Music readers what I have learned over the last year from my own experience and from leaders and pioneers of this new internet music scene such as John Oszajca, Tunecore, Jango radio, Reverbnation, and Indie Bible. Here are my current 10 Commandments to reach the goal: Getting Known and Being Paid through the Internet.

X Thou shalt make of thyself a graven image
IX Thou shalt love thy fan base as thyself
VIII Thou shalt have thy songs mastered
VII Thous shalt focus thine efforts on the few most powerful websites
VI Thou shalt give away free stuff
V Thou shalt make a video
IV Thou shalt not put thy music on a streaming cloud without reading the fine silver print
III Thou shalt not neglect thy copyright
II Thou shalt not dishonour thy timetable
I Thou shalt GET it in WRITING

X. Image

Image credit: eatshitmotherfucker on Tumblr

Create your band image and do all your bio, design and photos to emphasize that. Be consistent. As Vanessa Carlton said, “Be Not Nobody.” Not everyone will like you, will they. Let them go… But some will love you! So be what you are, and do it HARD!

Remember, the only way a journalist is going to want to do a story on you is if you HAVE a story, something unique. So define it and then play it up. And if you have snagged a radio interview, excellent! So have some predefined answers to work from, that cement your image to listeners.

Also, radio stations and record companies/distributors want a press kit. That will include a bio that is well-written and creates a mental image, 8×10 photo(s) and of course your CD with its album art and liner notes. Having all of this ready and shiny creates the image that you are professional and serious. Moreso, that you understand the industry you are entering and you want to help THEM do THEIR job. If they have your well-crafted 8×10 to pull out again later, then they’ll shudder each time (which is good), if you’re an evo death metal band, or if you were a fun-loving and upbeat dance band then look and be reminded “yeah, he was a riot.”

IX. Fan Base

Image credit: crsan on Flickr

Try to start dialogue with your fans on Twitter and Facebook. Ask them questions, demonstrate care about their lives. The most engaged fan will probably turn around and buy the interactive CD, buy the video boxed set, SHARE you, tell two friends. After all, they discovered you. On Jango internet radio, for example, if someone clicks to become a fan, the site lets you write individually to one fan, or do 2 mass emails a week. Make it personal and grateful, not just pushing your gigs or product. Reward them. Once I wrote some musical suggestions to singer on a big label. She didn’t write back. I would have liked that. I would have thought she was cool.

Speaking of Twitter, if someone follows you, you might want to follow them back. Check them out first of course. I tend not to follow anyone who tweets to their b*ches since that will be reflected on my page. If you follow back they say, hey she’s real, and maybe is even interested in me. You can always unfollow later.

VIII. Mastering

Image credit: bartku on Flickr

You’re good, youre studio’s good, your recordist is good. But you need to sound equivalent to what’s on the radio. A professional mastering engineer listens all day to new songs, shaving off the annoying peaks, increasing clarity, beefing up the bass, making your songs as loud as the world’s songs. No you don’t want to compromise or flatten your mix, but if each of your songs has the same deficiency, because of your speakers, the mastering engineer will pick it up. It doesn’t mean that anybody sucks. It just means that not all rectangular rooms and not all speakers and amps were created equal.

VII. Websites

VibeDeck

Commandment VII is probably the core commandment. Websites will help build your fan base. Twitter, Facebook, streaming radio, your videos on Youtube, Blogs. But choose maybe 3 or 4 to which you can commit to a schedule of adding content and interacting, while people’s attention is still intact. One writer commented that 4 times a day is too many tweets and one a month is too few. Have a good mix of promo and being personal with fans.

Yes, they’ll discover you on those public sites, but you need to SQUEEZE them to your PURCHASE page, perhaps to your band’s website. Consider that you got them there and they might lose interest quickly. So tell them “get my new single” or “share my player on your page” so that they’ll come to your money engine and act.

About your own personal band website: I was worried that I had to contact Moneris or somebody to give me credit processing on my page, and a web host that could set me up with adequate band width for viral downloads… and I was intimidated. Enter the WIDGET! No, not the Bruce Lee movie. The widget is enough computer code to paste into your html page so that the selling machine that someone else already created can be placed on your personal page AND handle downloads and payment! My band Max Jam is able to sell MP3s on Reverbnation, Bandcamp, Vibedeck, The Sixtyone, AmazonMP3, iTunes etc. etc.

Now, iTunes does reportedly 80% of internet music sales in the world. So you want to be there. To be there you must pay Tunecore to launch your music, and then they collectively keep 30% of your sales. Enter Vibedeck! They have decided that they will always host for free and will always pass 100%, of sales collected, straight to you through Paypal, without touching any money! When I regained consciousness…

I tried to embed just the player/selling engine on my page. Was only able so far to embed the whole Vibedeck artist page. In the interest of time, I instead embedded just my Reverbnation player (2 inches square) and created a link which opens Vibedeck/Max Jam into my own page’s lower frame when the visitor clicks “Buy MP3.” Here is my temporary website if you want to read the source code.

VI. Free Stuff!

Image credit: brendanmills on Flickr

Napster pioneered free stuff. Unfortunately. Now it’s expected. Yes, do give away a song, but I would do it as a reward for what you need: more fans, more exposure. I personally wouldn’t give away the song that I expect to gross the most money in sales, unless it’s to the hardcore fans that have true respect and have shown loyalty. You share stuff in order to reach more people, to foster gratitude, and once they know how cool you are, to attract them to the paid stuff and concerts. Saying “come and download my single for free” might bring lots of people to your page, so maybe make them earn the single by sharing your link or your player somewhere else.

Also, here’s a sort of Digital Copyright Management that I think I invented: If you’re giving away CDs to strangers, that you made from wave files, you’re basically giving away your master. No, no, no. Only for paying customers. Instead, use iTunes to convert to a 256 or 320 kbps MP3 file, then use iTunes AGAIN to convert that MP3 back to WAVE!! Now you can burn, basically, a 256 quality CD which sounds as good the net, probably quite good, but if they rip it to put it on torrents… ooo… what’s that nasty warbling? I heard of a DJ who lowers his mixes to about -50 dB on his CDs, so people can turn them up to hear them, but not enough to DJ with them! And if you now Normalize that, you’re going to be the proud heir of artifacts from heck.

V. Video

Image credit: sko11ie on Flickr

A music video is like a ribbon on a gift, or value-added packaging. It makes the music sound better than it is. Even if it’s just home-movie of your band playing the song through once, it’s more content to enjoy and to get to know the musicians and build your image (see commandment X). Yes, do a pro video if you can afford it, yes, submit it to MTV. But if you can’t, you can still do a great job with a high-end Nikon or Canon photo camera and a TRIPOD and free software. The critics are saying that even MTV is dying slowly.

When you put it on Youtube, make sure you fill out the tags, and make most of the tags for all of your videos identical, so that all of them come up together. There is another cool idea out there: do a cover and tag it to resemble the original hit singer. This could be your first big exposure on the coattails of someone who has guaranteed traffic.

As for editing programs, I have torn out more hair using Windows Movie Maker, but Cyberlink DVD PowerDirector rocks my world. It has effects, picture in picture, titles, the list goes on.

IV. Cloud

Soundcloud

I think “the cloud” is designed to steal revenue from CD sales and even iTunes. It’s more like “the smokescreen.” Apparently people want it. So you’ll consider putting your music there but: READ THE FINE PRINT. Do they say that they have the right to “copy, distribute, use your music in any medium existing now or in the future, without restriction, in perpetuity?” What do they mean? Is that what you want? You can’t remove it?

Should you click AGREE?? Maybe just not your hit, eh? And do read your options carefully, because you may be able to set your song as preview-only, or hidden except to invitees. This is the case on Soundcloud where technically you could create a private listening room to which you “invite” DJs or A&R reps but no one else can enter. Incidentally, those scary rights paraphrased above are from Soundcloud!

III. Copyright

Learn what forms of copyright you will own. Performance Rights (to broadcast, perform, or stream the composition), Mechanical Rights (to reproduce and sell copies of the master recording), Synchronization Rights (to grant a licence and be paid if someone uses the song in a radio ad or a movie).

You will only have performance right if you wrote the song, and you will only have all of it for sure if you get it in writing with your band who wrote what, and how much. Lyrics are 50%, music is 50%. The owner of mechanical rights and sync rights will be the person who paid to record the album, who recorded it, who bought or licenced the rights. But only one of those people, and only the one who made it clear. You should deposit your recordings with the U.S. Library of Congress to prove your copyright in composition and prior use, and register your songs with a collector of performance royalties, such as SOCAN in Canada, BMI in the U.S.

Collectors of mechanical royalties such as the CMRRA (Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency) and AMRA (American Mechanical Rights Agency) will police your physical master use if you register your work with them. Then if someone wants to reproduce your song on an anthology, for eg., they will have to negotiate the licence with CMRRA/AMRA if you’re in N.A.

II. Timetable

Image credit: webbr on Flickr

Dude, if you’re going to create hype for your album, your album better be ready for paid download or shipping when you release it. If you’re going to get local radio play, your album better be on consignment in the local CD store the next day. If not, what did you just hype? Either leave yourself enough time for snags to occur, or scale back your goals when you realize that you’re behind. You are creating DEMAND, so you had better have the SUPPLY ready, or you just lost your chance.

You might find it easier to do one single at a time, therefore, which has the benefit of keeping the hype flowing. You might want to hold off on getting a review or interview until the 4th song of your 4-song EP is mastered (somewhat autobiographical :)

I. Get It In Writing

Image credit: mr.curtispope on Flickr

And the corrollary: get it in writing. Did I mention getting it in writing? This includes…

The Split: of what band member is responsible for what percentage of lyrics and what percentage of music composition.

The Deliverables: your manager or PR firm will do what for you, how often, for what total fee or percent of GROSS? or NET?

Usually you want it net, because you know the costs are going to come from your pocket.

Any licensing deal: where they’re going to use your song as a theme, or a background, make sure they’re going have the right to use it only for a defined period, only the length and number of times specified and only in that medium. Run like heck if the contract says they can use it “in any medium, existing now or in the future, and in perpetuity.”

I say get it in writing, but it should be proactive, so PUT IT in writing and get them to sign. Sure they might disagree, and sure you might renegotiate the split, but hey, at least you’re still TALKING, and you haven’t lost any money yet! If you feel guilty because you want to take the contract to a lawyer to have them read it over, then you must be Canadian. Take it to a lawyer. You can’t afford the $100 bucks visit, nor can you afford to give away the $100, 000 because you were sued for 50% copyright. But don’t take it to your cousin the labour lawyer, take it to an Entertainment Lawyer. Search online for one.

These ten commandments for independent music making were presented in a top-ten list format, not just to confuse the church, but moreso to focus attention on Commandment I, Get it in Writing. You can do all those things, but if it’s not in writing, all you have is 99% of the good will, while your bass player only has 1% of it :) In summary, if you know who you are, and what you are trying to sell, and when, then coordinate all of your media to support each other, you will have a reference point for fine tuning your plan, and you will maximize your success.

By Christopher Dicks, Recording engineer, Producer, Co-writer of Max Jam.

Being An Artist In The 21st Century

Andrew Apanov — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:40:29 +0000

I want to talk about art.

You, the artist, have been born into a cultural sludge I like to call the ‘post-noughties 21st Century’; critics everywhere call it a cultural oblivion – music is dead.

This all comes down to a simple misunderstanding about where the music world is headed.

The sludge is this gloop of all the music created now; there is more than ever. The way to avoid this gloop is not to stop making music or to upload your music to every social network available, indeed; social networks are not the answer either. The answer is developing an audience focused on YOU. In a world where attention is scarce, it is artists who have built something that intrigues, and who have the attention of an audience that will win.

This doesn’t happen with your average rainy tuesday afternoon music, it happens with the exceptional; through the chill, the slow, the heavy, the soft. As musicians reveal themselves through their art, so listeners make their love of the artist known through investing in their world – because it’s something they’ve come to associate with.

Image credit: ache.tumblr.com

Know that a record deal is zero now. You don’t NEED the established gatekeeper. You’re aiming for Oxford or Harvard when in reality you need neither right now. What you need is the drive to do what no-one else is. The only territory worth exploring as an artist is the area without the map – the place where you need to lead the way.

Art is about the new, the fresh, the exciting.

To be an artist becomes; why me? Waiting to be picked is effectively doing nothing at all. Novelists can’t afford to spend their lives waiting for a publisher to choose them anymore so they build an audience, collaborate with other writers and build connections globally.

Everyday should be a trial by fire exercise in seeing what works and what really doesn’t. Artists are really bad with rejection, because art is one of those things, that it hurts when you’re speared in the side. Know that being scared of rejection means you are doing something really close to the bone – something that matters to you, and that matters more than anything.

You innovate and change. There’s no such thing as failing. You don’t get ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than those guys over there. There is no better or worse in music, only ‘listened to’ and ‘not listened to’.

Music is not a neutral exercise – some people will always be pissed off with everything.

There is a future to music, of course. Yours starts when the clock hand reaches the next minute; what are you going to start today?

Marco writes at behyped.com on the the new way of doing things. For the artists, entrepreneurs and creative geniuses of the digital generation who are exploiting the internet to start their own stuff.

Keith Olsen On Success In Music: ‘Being Good Isn’t Good Enough. You Have To Be Great’

Andrew Apanov — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:27:07 +0000

Below is one inspirational quote I found in this Keith Olsen interview Ultimate Guitar writer Joe Matera did not so long ago… If you do not know who Olsen is: he has worked with some of the biggest names in rock and metal of the past such as The Scorpions, Fleetwood Mac, Whitesnake, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Keith Olsen

Keith Olsen continues to work in the industry today and has seen the changes the recording industry has undergone over the ensuing decades.

When asked, “What’s the best advice you can offer about the music business?“, Olsen said:

It is dog eat dog business and remember that nothing is over-night and you have to be great at what you do. I gave a talk once in Amsterdam for musicians’ day Europe, and there were thousands of people in the audience and I asked them, “how many of you are professional musicians?” and they all raised their hands. And then I asked, “how many of you practice eight hours a day?” And it went to dead silence.

Then finally one guy in a corner raised his hand and replied, “I do”. And I pointed to him and looked at him and said, I’ll see you on the charts”. And that is what it takes, it takes dedication, it is not a part-time, software driven career. It is all about knowledge, art, and expertise. And being good just isn’t good enough. You have to be great.

While I don’t agree that all you need to succeed is practicing, this is a very powerful advice for sure. It is too often forgotten how important and how difficult it is getting “through the dip” (as Seth Godin calls it).

You can read the full interview at this location.

An Unlikely Collaboration: Album Launches, Live Streams, And Florence And The Machine

Samuel Agini — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:42:10 +0000

Florence and the Machine’s second album, Ceremonials, has been launched at a sold-out gig at Hackney Empire, London.

Launching an album in a live setting is a fairly standard approach to things, but don’t misconstrue this as an argument for traditional promotional techniques: this is very much a launch moulded by new media.

While writing this post, the gig (sold-out) is streaming live on the London Guardian’s website for a fee of $6.38 (£3.99). We, at Dotted Music, are only too pleased to witness this sort of development in the music world (yes, we know it’s been done before), but for a band as ‘in’ as Florence and the Machine to do it is good news and can only help to establish what has been a trend as a precedent.

So, who is behind the stream (besides Florence and the Machine)?

The London Guardian, as most of you will know, is the left of centre newspaper in the UK, with a lively and efficacious music section that has been recognised by Dotted Music before now. The London Guardian provided the online medium where Florence and the Machine’s Ceremonials launch was broadcast worldwide;
LoveLive, founded by CEO Richard Cohen in 2008, is the self-styled, self-described “leading source of music content and associated services for brands, broadcasters, channels, digital platforms and labels” on the net. LoveLive was responsible for the HD audio and video of the London Guardian’s live stream;
CrowdSurge, founded in 2008, specialises in using both software and hardware to enable artists, brands, promoters and venues to sell tickets directly to fans worldwide. CrowdSurge managed the online payment for access to the London Guardian’s live stream;
Sky Arts, owned by BSkyB, sponsored the London Guardian’s live stream.

You have the traditional news outlet in the London Guardian, the mysterious new digital media companies who have been both been in existence for just three years, and the media heavyweight: BSkyB (News Corporation owns close to a 40 percent stake in the company).

It’s strange to think that after the London Guardian’s exposition of the phone hacking scandal that it might be so closely involved with Sky Arts, a brand with huge ties to News Corporation.

It is possible, of course, that such collaboration is one reason the London Guardian is so opposed to News Corporation’s proposed take over of BSkyB, but the fact that such a diverse cocktail of media groups could come to put on such an event is bizarre in itself.

Whatever you make of this unlikely collaboration, the real winner in all of this is Florence.

Samuel Agini is the Editor of Andrew Apanov’s Dotted Music.

Darren Hayes On Special Promotions For Latest Album

Andrew Apanov — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:08:12 +0000

To promote the issue of Secret Codes & Battleships – which arrives in standard format on October 24th in the UK through Powdered Sugar Records (with distribution from EMI Records) – multi-platinum artist and erstwhile vocalist of Savage Garden Darren Hayes launched a special promotion: a scavenger hunt. Each code had been divided into four parts, with each part placed in a bottle and scattered around the globe. Those who discovered the codes within the bottles each received a limited edition collector’s edition version of Secret Codes & Battleships – and a personal phone call from Darren.

“I’ve actually been doing stuff like that for a year,” Darren points out. “It began with me doing video blogs about making the record, and then I started using Morse code and sending out secret messages via Twitter. We then had a competition where there was a treasure hunt, and fans had to work out a code and find a password and enter a competition to be flown from anywhere in the world to London to hear the record for the first time ever. That happened, and we then put clues in bottles and hid them in Rome, New York, London and Sydney. Fans had to find them and they’d win a collector’s edition of the album, but when they combined the four clues it unlocked a part of the record – it’s a ten-minute video preview of all the music on the record. It’s been incredible, and it’s been a year-long journey to get to this point.”

Darren Hayes

Generally speaking, within the digital age it’s arguably more important to communicate with the fans and encourage their involvement. “I think it’s always been important,” the singer feels. “I just think it’s easier today with social media, but I’ve always embraced that. I used to go into IRC chatrooms and message on message boards back in the day, and 15-20 years on Twitter and Facebook are obviously the tools of today, and who knows what they’ll be next week. But yeah, it’s definitely important. I think it’s important to communicate really. I don’t come from a generation of performers where I feel like a celebrity, and I certainly don’t feel above my audience. I am a fan. I’m a fan of other artists, and I find it difficult to even refer to the people that buy my music as fans. I find it a bit degrading, except they know what I mean by that because I was the kid who waited outside Michael Jackson’s hotel for an autograph. I totally understand it, and I try to break down those walls a bit. That’s why I try to use social media to do that.”

Darren is the owner of a uStream account, a service whereby you can stream live videos to fans. “I’ve only just started video streaming actually – I enjoy it,” he admits. “To be honest nothing really beats the live show, but uStream’s great for people who live in places where you will probably never be able to get to. They get to see you live essentially, so I’m going to be doing more and more uStream stuff for sure.”

How effective has your foray into social media been Darren? “To be honest, I couldn’t tell you. I don’t know. All I know is… to be honest, I’ve only just really focused on my Facebook page six months ago; we went from 2,000 followers to 110,000 followers, and it’s just slowly grown over time. Twitter has been a similar thing; I started with one follower, and I think I’ve got about 45,000 or something. To me it’s not necessarily about an immediate spike, or about something that a marketing person would tell you – to me it’s just about having a presence there. For me, when I think of an artist… If I wanna check out their latest release, I’ll probably go to Twitter and YouTube. I’ll go to a separate YouTube page and then I’ll check out what they’re like on Twitter, and that’s a lot different to the way that I used to check out music, which is I’d just go to a record store and flick through albums.”

ReThink Music, A Global Dialogue For Change

Andrew Apanov — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:01:10 +0000

Dear Music,

You have suffered. How? Why? What is the culprit at the core that started it all? A thought pattern, “music is free”. We at the Restoring Music Foundation believe the key to valuing you lies where it all began, a thought. The battle ground is in the mind. There is no going back and old thoughts will no longer do. It is time to reThink everything.

We would like to invite everyone in music to become a part of a global conversation for the restoration of music. The crisis has been defined, help us now talk of solutions. Many issues must be addressed, yet the true key to restoration lies in our perception of worth. Give music value once more and we have found our great and elusive tipping point.

Join the Global Twitter Dialogue

#RMFProblems (or #RMFP) – Are problems missing from The Crisis Document? 
#RMFSolutions (or #RMFS) – How can we solve the problems listed on The Crisis Document?

This is our chance to rethink EVERYTHING.
THOUGHT LEADERS steer the discussion,
The SOCIAL MEDIA mind participates.

By the Restoring Music Foundation, an LA & Nashville based 501(c)3, and part of a crowdsourced research project for the restoration of the music industry. Since the start of the project in 2007, the issues have been discussed all across Linkedin and in numerous professional music industry circles (most notably within the well respected Music and Entertainment Professionals group). Our intention with this Treatise is to let everyone in on the conversation. Get involved: #RMFSolutions.

Defining The Music Industry Crisis

Andrew Apanov — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:50:09 +0000

When a crisis occurs a council of thought leaders are appointed to define the problems, develop a recovery strategy, and carry out a comprehensive action plan for restoration. The Restoring Music Foundation (RMF) was created for this very purpose. The RMF’s mission is to restore the value of music all across the supply chain.

With that in mind, let us identify the main problems that have threatened to destroy the vision that was born on the streets of Tin Pan Alley. Here they are, finally all in one place and in no particular order.

Image credit: jessrosas on Tumblr

1. Internet Radio

Internet radio providers can not sustain growth due to the growing licensing fees for streaming music and a lack of clear revenue models. New distribution outlets could provide a new paradigm in radio as a whole if revenue models could be clearly defined.

2. 360 Deals

Music industry sales are down more than 50% from 1999’s record breaking year. Labels, publishers, managers, and other funding partners have adopted a new model of business, The 360 Deal. With this new model, one partner does the job of many, most of which only have experience in one field. The result is less money for growth and less focus for individual partners. In the end, 360 deals strain everything and everyone causing countless problems, yet they are a necessary evil for struggling funding partners.

3. Web 2.0

Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, ReverbNation, Myspace, Ping, and other web 2.0 outlets provide easy and personal access to fans, yet the growing number of networks dilutes the overall marketing message and dramatically increases the time spent marketing.

4. Apple

Apple has been an incredible innovator in the quest to a brighter music industry. We owe them a great debt. For the sake of being thorough however, their unprecedented market share in digital music sales mixed with their unwavering business models leave no bargaining room for funding partners (labels, publishers, etc..). Growth and innovation in this important industry sector (digital music retail) is therefore stifled without the ability for competitive trials. In addition, Apple’s 30% take on each track sold leaves little for artists and songwriters.

5. Physical Music Sales

Physical Retail stores have lost the ability to turn a profit unless attached to a one stop business model (i.e Walmart, Hastings, Best Buy, etc.). As a result the true music pushers, independent music retail stores, are almost extinct.

Image credit: bricolage.108 on Flickr

6. Traditional Radio

Traditional radio, though still an important promotional front, has lost much of its glory to the on demand world of iPads, iPods, satellite radio, and Internet radio. It has therefore become increasingly more difficult for music marketers to predict buying trends without a standard radio format to follow. The result is a much higher risk/return ratio for funding partners (Labels, Publishers, etc..), which in turn limits the number of acts that ever see a major market entry.

7. Live Music

The recent merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster has once and for all centralized the live music industry into what could become a monopolizing empire. This kind of power is usually never a good thing, as it limits the market’s growth potential and provides the opportunity to gouge prices due to the simple science of supply and demand. If they account for 90 per cent of the live music business revenue, they control the market. We are not pointing fingers yet, but this music juggernaut could prove to be a problem if left unchecked by a lack of competition.

8. Lawsuits

The RIAA in an attempt to combat the growing number of music pirates, proclaimed war on piracy by means of civil suits with individual copyright infringers. Many average American citizens were made an example of with outrageous and bizarre settlements. The music industries’ minds were in the right place. They had intended to create the perception of risk for stealing music and in turn, change consumer thinking. In the end however, it only generated the image of a “Greedy Recording Industry”. This wall between the consumer and the industry has instead furthered the cause for this viral pirating trend.

9. Media Sharing

Video and audio sharing networks act as a breeding ground for the spread of illegal music in the form of audio and videos. These new networks cut into the profits of funding partners (labels, publishers, etc.), yet act as a wonderful way for independent artists and major artists alike to receive viral promotion. In addition, simple mathematics states that all of the illegal media sharing portals can not be shut down. Lawsuits cost money and the recording industry doesn’t have much. Instead, the industry goes after the major outlets one at a time. But for every 1 that is shut down, 7 more are built in its place. Let us just say that this fire is out of control.

Pirate Bay logo

10. Piracy & Value

Let us not forget that stealing music is still more convenient to the average consumer than buying music. A Twitter search for “pirating music” will result in hundreds of tweets (from just the past week or so), broadcasting their illegal violation to the world. People simply DO NOT think music has any value, they DO NOT feel bad about stealing, and they DO NOT care that it is illegal. The true battle lies in this dilemma.

In addition, the only way to fully shut down music piracy would be to turn on “Big Brother” and violate very important privacy privileges. Therefore, it can never truly be stopped as long as we live in a democratic society. The solution must lie in the consumer’s thought process. Though it may appear that the RIAA is doing more harm then good, they have it right. The battleground is in the mind.

11. An Unclear Future

The music industry is now intimately and infinitely tied to digital and to the Internet. The systems that govern digital music across the web are not yet fully realized by the core of the music industry. A clear vision for the future of these newlyweds (music and Internet), has not yet been defined. The marriage is still rocky and working out its kinks. Without a clear understanding of this it is hard for any organization in music to effectively plan for the future.

12. The Product Of Music

Music has evolved in the US from the Jubilee singers at the turn of the 20th century, to the discovery of jazz and blues across the southern US, to the Rock and Roll King at the center of the century, to the British invasion in the 70’s, to MJ’s invention of the pop machine, to U2’s purification of LOVE from the 80’s till today. In 1999 the pop machine was FULLY realized with record high sales by N’Sync, Britney Spears, and the lot.

Maybe the majors simply lost sight of this rich history of music. They began generating factory made pop revenue vehicles out of highly conditioned Mickey Mouse Club alumni. The industry hit a record high and the system simply broke. “But alas, to err is human.” Let us not make the same mistakes again and remember that music is art before it is a pay check. 1999 is also the same year the market was freed by Napster. Ironic? Maybe…

Also, the masses need to be educated on our country’s rich history of musical genius. The average listener has very little knowledge of what GOOD music sounds like. Help us educate them!

Conclusion

We in the music industry are battling consumer thought. The public opinion has shifted to a place where music simply has no value. The average Joe feels no fear or remorse for breaking copyright laws. People buy bottled water, even though they can get it for free, because there is a value proposition; it’s clean, cold, and portable. We aim to rebuild the value proposition for buying music. At the Restoring Music Foundation, we are not disillusioned by the loftiness of our goal, but rather reconcile with the notion that for every problem there is already a solution. They say it takes 8% of the public to agree on something new to shift the entire pubic opinion in a new direction. We intend to be the catalyst.

Now that the crisis has been defined, let us no longer talk about the problems; let us instead talk of solutions.

By Chris Purifoy, Co-founder of the Restoring Music Foundation, and based upon a crowdsourced research document titled, “Defining the Music Industry Crisis“. Since the start of the project in 2007, the issues have been discussed all across Linkedin in numerous professional music industry circles (most notably within the well respected Music and Entertainment Professionals group). In the end, after thousands of comments and 6 subsequent editions, this article represents the 7th and Semi-Final edition.