Before Elvis there was swing music which got the greatest generation through WWII during which the antiquarian record business died for lack of shellac. Plastics gave us a new music industry. Fueled by rock & roll and the marriage of AM radio and 45s the modern record business was born.
The King drove MUSIC to a very high place and the infrastructure was further exploded by the talents of The Beatles. When 331/3 married FM radio the postmodern record business became big business. The symbiotic relationship between concerts and records blew it up even bigger. All of this was MUSIC driven.
It is culturally impossible for the old infrastructure to survive without an artist geometrically more appealing than Elvis or The Beatles. Even in this era of FREE MUSIC and niche markets, such an avatar could draw an ubiquitous audience. Lacking a superstar to attract their interest the people will go back to the street and start over. The exodus has already begun.
Showing posts with label the holodigm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the holodigm. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Reflectacles @ Dakota Lounge - Wednesday, May 26, 2010
HolodigmMusic.comHolodigm artists The Reflectacles will be performing live at Dakota Lounge this Wednesday.
4 GREAT BANDS STARTING at 8:30 PM
The Refelctacles Showtime: 10:30 PM
Location: 1026 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica
Unless something goes terribly wrong with the United States Postal Service, we will have our debut, "The Wiley Post EP," available for sale!
Please help support your local Rock 'n' Roll movement. Music, herself, needs you!
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Digital Music Business FAQ - Stairway To Heaven - March 5, 2010
HolodigmMusic.com
The Stairway To Heaven
amarti76 asks:
In a recent lecture you talked about how an artist can make it to the big top through an alternative means, through climbing "the stairway to heaven". What are the advantages of taking this route as opposed to other more "conventional" methods. Is one way more preferable over others in order to ensure an artist long run success?
Hartmann responds:
The ancient music industry has evolved a system of mechanics and protocols that govern its traditional activities. The performance of live music in front of paying audiences can be as simple as one person singing in the street, for donations, and as complicated as tens of thousands crowding into sports arenas for major music events. The singular difference is measured by gross box-office potential. The dollar bills and loose change that land in the troubadour's guitar case are just as vital to his survival as the million dollar pay days that superstars take from larger venues.
The street musician is providing the very same service, from rock bottom, as the major artists provide from the big top. The primary difference is how many zeroes follow the number of dollars earned from the performance. The concert production business is the primary activity of the music industry and provides the core infrastructure around which the rest of the game is conducted. Every performing artist is in competition with all the other artists great and small.
Singers, musicians and bands seeking fame and fortune in showbiz must overcome the gravity in the elevator to the big top. There is a natural resistance from those in power to relinquish the rewards to the new contender. The baby band is competing for the same entertainment dollars as the established artist. Those earning the most, at any given time, fiercely resist the emerging artist's success by holding on to their spot in the ever changing music market place.
The competition is conducted by entrepreneurs and the creators of music through the traditional relationship between artists and personal mangers. Regardless of the nature of their financial arrangement this marriage of careers makes the manager the CEO of the artist's corporation.
The pursuit of their shared goals creates the commercial activity that generates box-office receipts and ancillary income streams through marketing of branded merchandise and recorded music.
Although every management team faces the same challenges in overcoming the circumstantial resistance to their success, each career has its own unique set of characteristics. Some are enabled by extraordinary talent, beauty and charisma. Often fledgling artists are supported by circumstances that have nothing to do with their inherent talent. They have access to the big top through one of the pathways on the stairway to heaven. Accessing these alternate routes is more about luck and natural selection than the artistic or entrepreneurial skills of the core team.
There are five paths on the stairway to heaven. The most powerful is "nepotism." If your father is an established star with proven talent and popularity, you as his offspring will be given an opportunity to demonstrate your craft. If you reveal prodigious creative and technical ability the public may embrace you as a star not having fallen far from the parental tree. Such public appreciation can lead to instant access to the star making machinery and insure your success.
A second route to the big top is "personal wealth." If you are a trust fund baby with deep pockets, you can invest your capital in the development and maintenance of your career. During the postmodern era the costs of mounting a live act were traditionally born by the record companies. With the advent of digital downloading the major labels can no longer justify huge investment in new artists. The loss of this financial source does not effect an artist who can fund his enterprise.
Corporate "sponsorship" can also provide an alternate route to the big top. As the digital convergence continues to erode the traditional systems for marketing and promotion, more and more business enterprises are seeking a direct connection to their customer base. By providing vehicles, cash and equipment to musical attractions many companies are actively engaged in the growth and development of new artists. This will increase as Internet advertising proliferates.
The fourth pathway is the slippery slope of "talent TV." There is no question that the talent contest television format has catapulted a handful of artists to the top of the charts. A few of them have even built what appears to be enduring careers. Conversely, it has brought the dreams and aspirations of many thousands of aspirants to a dead halt. Regardless of how far into the process one evolves, the careers produced are more about celebrity than talent. The notoriety accumulated in a few television exposures does not form the basis of an enduring career in music.
There is a long established tradition in showbiz that performers can sometimes "sleep" their way to the top. This is probably the riskiest and most painful method of building executive access to the people, systems and mechanics of the music industry. However, its efficacy cannot be denied. If you are an artist married to the president of the record company, it is reasonable to assume that you will get productive attention from the vice-presidents and staff, thus ensuring a concerted effort. There is a recent case that proves even in divorce such an artist can come out well ahead.
Regardless of how one gains a place in the elite fraternity that occupies the top ten percent of the music industry, surviving there is a daunting process. There are no guarantees in showbiz and in a game where duration is the primary goal, very few careers last a lifetime. The ones that endure are built one performance at a time by establishing a personal rapport with their fans through the concert arena. Artists starting their careers on the stairway to heaven must build the same management team, to stay on top, that would have been required to get there in the first place.
The Stairway To Heaven
amarti76 asks:
In a recent lecture you talked about how an artist can make it to the big top through an alternative means, through climbing "the stairway to heaven". What are the advantages of taking this route as opposed to other more "conventional" methods. Is one way more preferable over others in order to ensure an artist long run success?
Hartmann responds:
The ancient music industry has evolved a system of mechanics and protocols that govern its traditional activities. The performance of live music in front of paying audiences can be as simple as one person singing in the street, for donations, and as complicated as tens of thousands crowding into sports arenas for major music events. The singular difference is measured by gross box-office potential. The dollar bills and loose change that land in the troubadour's guitar case are just as vital to his survival as the million dollar pay days that superstars take from larger venues.
The street musician is providing the very same service, from rock bottom, as the major artists provide from the big top. The primary difference is how many zeroes follow the number of dollars earned from the performance. The concert production business is the primary activity of the music industry and provides the core infrastructure around which the rest of the game is conducted. Every performing artist is in competition with all the other artists great and small.
Singers, musicians and bands seeking fame and fortune in showbiz must overcome the gravity in the elevator to the big top. There is a natural resistance from those in power to relinquish the rewards to the new contender. The baby band is competing for the same entertainment dollars as the established artist. Those earning the most, at any given time, fiercely resist the emerging artist's success by holding on to their spot in the ever changing music market place.
The competition is conducted by entrepreneurs and the creators of music through the traditional relationship between artists and personal mangers. Regardless of the nature of their financial arrangement this marriage of careers makes the manager the CEO of the artist's corporation.
The pursuit of their shared goals creates the commercial activity that generates box-office receipts and ancillary income streams through marketing of branded merchandise and recorded music.
Although every management team faces the same challenges in overcoming the circumstantial resistance to their success, each career has its own unique set of characteristics. Some are enabled by extraordinary talent, beauty and charisma. Often fledgling artists are supported by circumstances that have nothing to do with their inherent talent. They have access to the big top through one of the pathways on the stairway to heaven. Accessing these alternate routes is more about luck and natural selection than the artistic or entrepreneurial skills of the core team.
There are five paths on the stairway to heaven. The most powerful is "nepotism." If your father is an established star with proven talent and popularity, you as his offspring will be given an opportunity to demonstrate your craft. If you reveal prodigious creative and technical ability the public may embrace you as a star not having fallen far from the parental tree. Such public appreciation can lead to instant access to the star making machinery and insure your success.
A second route to the big top is "personal wealth." If you are a trust fund baby with deep pockets, you can invest your capital in the development and maintenance of your career. During the postmodern era the costs of mounting a live act were traditionally born by the record companies. With the advent of digital downloading the major labels can no longer justify huge investment in new artists. The loss of this financial source does not effect an artist who can fund his enterprise.
Corporate "sponsorship" can also provide an alternate route to the big top. As the digital convergence continues to erode the traditional systems for marketing and promotion, more and more business enterprises are seeking a direct connection to their customer base. By providing vehicles, cash and equipment to musical attractions many companies are actively engaged in the growth and development of new artists. This will increase as Internet advertising proliferates.
The fourth pathway is the slippery slope of "talent TV." There is no question that the talent contest television format has catapulted a handful of artists to the top of the charts. A few of them have even built what appears to be enduring careers. Conversely, it has brought the dreams and aspirations of many thousands of aspirants to a dead halt. Regardless of how far into the process one evolves, the careers produced are more about celebrity than talent. The notoriety accumulated in a few television exposures does not form the basis of an enduring career in music.
There is a long established tradition in showbiz that performers can sometimes "sleep" their way to the top. This is probably the riskiest and most painful method of building executive access to the people, systems and mechanics of the music industry. However, its efficacy cannot be denied. If you are an artist married to the president of the record company, it is reasonable to assume that you will get productive attention from the vice-presidents and staff, thus ensuring a concerted effort. There is a recent case that proves even in divorce such an artist can come out well ahead.
Regardless of how one gains a place in the elite fraternity that occupies the top ten percent of the music industry, surviving there is a daunting process. There are no guarantees in showbiz and in a game where duration is the primary goal, very few careers last a lifetime. The ones that endure are built one performance at a time by establishing a personal rapport with their fans through the concert arena. Artists starting their careers on the stairway to heaven must build the same management team, to stay on top, that would have been required to get there in the first place.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The Reflectacles @ The Mint - TONIGHT - February 27, 2010
HolodigmMusic.com
THE REFLECTACLES - Tribal Stomp - Put on your dancing shoes and come on down.
The Reflectacles in concert. Get out of the rain and into The Mint at 10:30 PM:
THE REFLECTACLES - Tribal Stomp - Put on your dancing shoes and come on down.
The Reflectacles in concert. Get out of the rain and into The Mint at 10:30 PM:
The Reflectacles will be performing at THE MINT in Hollywood tonight. 6010 W. Pico Blvd. L.A. CA 90055. Hope to see you there. Hartmann
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Digital Music Business FAQ - The Mainstream - February 18, 2010
HolodigmMusic.com
The Mainstream
George Gavin asks:
Do you believe that as the recording industry continues to lose money, and may eventually fold, that a popular mainstream will be able to survive in the face of millions of bands and no superstar to represent them? I know you say that the music world is waiting for a superstar, but there is no guarantee it will come (I think).
Hartmann responds:
The postmodern record business is in a state of explosion. All the pieces of shrapnel are flying toward the perimeter at the speed of light. As the old reliable systems and mechanics break down confusion remains for the survivors. Massive staff cuts at the big four labels are justified by the revenues lost to peer-to-peer file sharing, a cultural phenomenon that is not going to go away.
The label A&R, publicity, promotion, video and marketing divisions barely exist. Most remaining employees are at the executive level. They are charged with "saving" the record business. But they don't know what to do and it cannot be salvaged by trying to revive the compact disk. The CD will be sold by artists to their fans and it will be more of a souvenir than a music source. Most hard copy record sales will occur as a gesture of support generated by fans at the band's live events.
When no genre is ubiquitous all genres become viable. There is no mainstream music market. Every artist must project his music and live act toward the core audience that follows his particular style and musical niche. If a band cannot dominate its genre, it will never generate crossover appeal to fans of other styles. This is actually a good thing. It means that if you are truly talented, you can market to the group most likely to embrace your music and build a following.
The record companies had their day and they abused their power. Now, neither the fans nor the bands care much about what happens to them. They will continue to shrink and eventually become licensing and downloading systems with very little infrastructure. The labels will continue to push the few artists they do sign into the radio system but as the buyers disappear selling CDs will not be a profitable enough venture to survive. Bands will sell directly to the fans.
Perhaps the digital sword will cut even deeper into the record business and all the catalogs of masters will be sold or licensed to the phone companies, ISPs or new ventures formed specifically to exploit mid level artists and old product. The superstars will probably avoid the big four labels altogether and deal directly with the distribution systems. The high cost of developing baby bands will make the labels second stage players who will try to buy acts that can succeed on their own.
Every major historical advance in the music business has revolved around a superstar emerging in synch with changes in technology. Nobody is debating that the influence of dgimodernization has had a profound effect on the music industry. The loss of a primary income stream has forced artists back to the drawing board. They must now survive the old fashioned way, by excelling at the symbiotic art and science of performing and recording. A universal star could still emerge.
It is reasonable to assume that many of the Guitar Hero fans will graduate to real instruments. With sophisticated music programs available at most universities it is logical that college kids will learn many more chords than the three Elvis Presley used to generate his career. These young musicians are not going to graduate from college and give up. Music business curricula will teach them how to market and brand their product. The realistic progression for the next era in music is that quality would rise to previously unimagined heights. From this collegiate rock movement a new universal star could rise, or not. Perhaps music itself is THE superstar of the digital age.
The Mainstream
George Gavin asks:
Do you believe that as the recording industry continues to lose money, and may eventually fold, that a popular mainstream will be able to survive in the face of millions of bands and no superstar to represent them? I know you say that the music world is waiting for a superstar, but there is no guarantee it will come (I think).
Hartmann responds:
The postmodern record business is in a state of explosion. All the pieces of shrapnel are flying toward the perimeter at the speed of light. As the old reliable systems and mechanics break down confusion remains for the survivors. Massive staff cuts at the big four labels are justified by the revenues lost to peer-to-peer file sharing, a cultural phenomenon that is not going to go away.
The label A&R, publicity, promotion, video and marketing divisions barely exist. Most remaining employees are at the executive level. They are charged with "saving" the record business. But they don't know what to do and it cannot be salvaged by trying to revive the compact disk. The CD will be sold by artists to their fans and it will be more of a souvenir than a music source. Most hard copy record sales will occur as a gesture of support generated by fans at the band's live events.
When no genre is ubiquitous all genres become viable. There is no mainstream music market. Every artist must project his music and live act toward the core audience that follows his particular style and musical niche. If a band cannot dominate its genre, it will never generate crossover appeal to fans of other styles. This is actually a good thing. It means that if you are truly talented, you can market to the group most likely to embrace your music and build a following.
The record companies had their day and they abused their power. Now, neither the fans nor the bands care much about what happens to them. They will continue to shrink and eventually become licensing and downloading systems with very little infrastructure. The labels will continue to push the few artists they do sign into the radio system but as the buyers disappear selling CDs will not be a profitable enough venture to survive. Bands will sell directly to the fans.
Perhaps the digital sword will cut even deeper into the record business and all the catalogs of masters will be sold or licensed to the phone companies, ISPs or new ventures formed specifically to exploit mid level artists and old product. The superstars will probably avoid the big four labels altogether and deal directly with the distribution systems. The high cost of developing baby bands will make the labels second stage players who will try to buy acts that can succeed on their own.
Every major historical advance in the music business has revolved around a superstar emerging in synch with changes in technology. Nobody is debating that the influence of dgimodernization has had a profound effect on the music industry. The loss of a primary income stream has forced artists back to the drawing board. They must now survive the old fashioned way, by excelling at the symbiotic art and science of performing and recording. A universal star could still emerge.
It is reasonable to assume that many of the Guitar Hero fans will graduate to real instruments. With sophisticated music programs available at most universities it is logical that college kids will learn many more chords than the three Elvis Presley used to generate his career. These young musicians are not going to graduate from college and give up. Music business curricula will teach them how to market and brand their product. The realistic progression for the next era in music is that quality would rise to previously unimagined heights. From this collegiate rock movement a new universal star could rise, or not. Perhaps music itself is THE superstar of the digital age.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Music Business FAQ - February 9, 2010
HolodigmMusic.com
Cyber-Bucks
L. Grandy asks:
You mentioned in your blog in 12/10/09 that, "The big four stalled at Napster and allowed download distribution to be developed by others. By trying to preserve the highly lucrative CD market they let the big cyber-bucks get away." Do you think there is any way for the 'big four' to regain the cyber market? or are they doomed to control the less lucrative CD market?
Hartmann responds:
The Big Four record companies attempted to destroy Napster before they understood what it was truly all about. The governing executive corps of the postmodern label system lacked the long term vision to imagine a music world without plastic and paper. RIAA lobbyists attached the appellation "theft" to the file "sharing" process and sued their customers. The backlash from this futile tactic ensured their eventual demise. By the time the dust settled, Napster was a shadow of its former self and various similar systems took up the slack and made music free for the taking.
The old paradigm could only have been preserved if the global fan base embraced the idea that sharing was stealing. However, that did not resonate with the cyber-youth culture that simply and irrevocably considers the information super highway their indomitable domain. If it is on the web, its free for the taking. This is demonstrated millions of times a day, as music lovers explore the myriad of genres and styles instantly accessible and forward their discoveries to their friends.
Never in recording history has so much music been available to so many people at such a low cost. The obligation to pay lays between the mind set of the consumers and their affection for the act. Everybody under thirty knows how to load a song on their iPod or install it on their computer. They can stream it any time they want and pass it on at will. There is no guilt or hesitation involved in the exchange. The participants recognize that they are supporting the artist by distributing their music to a wider audience and no power on Earth can stop this practice.
This places the advantage clearly in the hands of the musicians and bands that are willing to recognize the Internet as the new radio. Except the airplay is free and record companies have no control over the system. The power now belongs to the artists who accept the challenge to create their own business enterprises, without investment from third parties. In the end, ownership of their masters and copyrights will far outweigh the value of a label's contribution to a band's career development. A tight bond with the fan base is all their survival will recquire.
The artist + fan connection is forged in the crucible of concert performance. Without a strong and entertaining live show an enduring relationship between the two will never form. When it does happen, it must be nourished and maintained through direct communication on the Internet. A band's fans are the lifeline to their survival. Once acquired a fan must be invited to join the act's support mechanism. Membership should be valued and specific. Symbols of partnership and specific identification of status and priority must be awarded to the most ardent supporters.
No major paradigm shift happens in a vacuum. The transition out of the postmodern era into the music renaissance will not be accomplished by the flip of a switch. The major labels will endure for another decade as digimodernization slowly swallows their extant catalogs. The older generation might repurchase their favorites for awhile longer, but in the end downloads will be the only delivery system for music. The artists will market their CDs and ancillary products directly to their fans from self owned and operated web sites and at live events. Only the most talented will make a profit and survive. The less talented will give up and join the army.
Thousands of laid-off record company employees will lead the vanguard of entrepreneurs who will attempt to revive the old way or try to invent the new paradigm. The Big Four have the most incentive to create a new system, but are not likely to accept the loss of high profit CDs as part of their formula. This lack of imagination will precipitate their downfall. The concept of 360 degree participation is a good idea, but an act doesn't really need a label to establish such a program.
The artists will be better served to create their own record companies dedicated to their success. New bands will be built one at a time by managers in partnership with the act. If the CEO's survival depends on the artist's success a band's business will be assured of full time attention.
The labels are the traditional enemy of the artist and they are not going to have a long term place at the table. The subscription and advertising based distribution models being devised today will slip away and artist direct streaming will dominate. The labels will die off because of their failure to engage in artist development and the participation of big business will fall to the ISPs and telephone companies. The big winner is the music fan who will decide where it all goes form here.
Cyber-Bucks
L. Grandy asks:
You mentioned in your blog in 12/10/09 that, "The big four stalled at Napster and allowed download distribution to be developed by others. By trying to preserve the highly lucrative CD market they let the big cyber-bucks get away." Do you think there is any way for the 'big four' to regain the cyber market? or are they doomed to control the less lucrative CD market?
Hartmann responds:
The Big Four record companies attempted to destroy Napster before they understood what it was truly all about. The governing executive corps of the postmodern label system lacked the long term vision to imagine a music world without plastic and paper. RIAA lobbyists attached the appellation "theft" to the file "sharing" process and sued their customers. The backlash from this futile tactic ensured their eventual demise. By the time the dust settled, Napster was a shadow of its former self and various similar systems took up the slack and made music free for the taking.
The old paradigm could only have been preserved if the global fan base embraced the idea that sharing was stealing. However, that did not resonate with the cyber-youth culture that simply and irrevocably considers the information super highway their indomitable domain. If it is on the web, its free for the taking. This is demonstrated millions of times a day, as music lovers explore the myriad of genres and styles instantly accessible and forward their discoveries to their friends.
Never in recording history has so much music been available to so many people at such a low cost. The obligation to pay lays between the mind set of the consumers and their affection for the act. Everybody under thirty knows how to load a song on their iPod or install it on their computer. They can stream it any time they want and pass it on at will. There is no guilt or hesitation involved in the exchange. The participants recognize that they are supporting the artist by distributing their music to a wider audience and no power on Earth can stop this practice.
This places the advantage clearly in the hands of the musicians and bands that are willing to recognize the Internet as the new radio. Except the airplay is free and record companies have no control over the system. The power now belongs to the artists who accept the challenge to create their own business enterprises, without investment from third parties. In the end, ownership of their masters and copyrights will far outweigh the value of a label's contribution to a band's career development. A tight bond with the fan base is all their survival will recquire.
The artist + fan connection is forged in the crucible of concert performance. Without a strong and entertaining live show an enduring relationship between the two will never form. When it does happen, it must be nourished and maintained through direct communication on the Internet. A band's fans are the lifeline to their survival. Once acquired a fan must be invited to join the act's support mechanism. Membership should be valued and specific. Symbols of partnership and specific identification of status and priority must be awarded to the most ardent supporters.
No major paradigm shift happens in a vacuum. The transition out of the postmodern era into the music renaissance will not be accomplished by the flip of a switch. The major labels will endure for another decade as digimodernization slowly swallows their extant catalogs. The older generation might repurchase their favorites for awhile longer, but in the end downloads will be the only delivery system for music. The artists will market their CDs and ancillary products directly to their fans from self owned and operated web sites and at live events. Only the most talented will make a profit and survive. The less talented will give up and join the army.
Thousands of laid-off record company employees will lead the vanguard of entrepreneurs who will attempt to revive the old way or try to invent the new paradigm. The Big Four have the most incentive to create a new system, but are not likely to accept the loss of high profit CDs as part of their formula. This lack of imagination will precipitate their downfall. The concept of 360 degree participation is a good idea, but an act doesn't really need a label to establish such a program.
The artists will be better served to create their own record companies dedicated to their success. New bands will be built one at a time by managers in partnership with the act. If the CEO's survival depends on the artist's success a band's business will be assured of full time attention.
The labels are the traditional enemy of the artist and they are not going to have a long term place at the table. The subscription and advertising based distribution models being devised today will slip away and artist direct streaming will dominate. The labels will die off because of their failure to engage in artist development and the participation of big business will fall to the ISPs and telephone companies. The big winner is the music fan who will decide where it all goes form here.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
New Music Seminar - Tommy Silverman - February 3, 2010
HolodigmMusic.com
An Open Invitation to Tommy Silverman:
The New Music Industry Paradigm
Dear Tommy:
Thank you for a very interesting day at the New Music Seminar. In our brief conversation, I was somewhat shocked that, for as long as you have been pursuing this concept, that you seem to have totally missed the target. I suspect it is due to your RIAA affiliation.
I have been exploring the new music industry paradigm concept for over seven years and my 2500 students and I have debated every aspect of how the stars of the music renaissance will be born. They will NOT be dictated from record company board rooms down; the superstars of tomorrow will rise from the cyber-grass-roots up. The last to know what is happening will be the major labels. When an act creates a significant enough following through live performing and web integration the majors will try to throw money at them but it will be too late. No self respecting artist will enslave himself to the old paradigm.
You profess that a band needs an investor; but the labels are not investing in new artists. In fact, what can a label really offer an act today? Certainly they aren't going to give them any significant money to record, and fortunately for the artists, they don't need it. Record companies will promise them radio airplay but will fail to deliver it. The radio game is way to expensive and even if they did buy some spins, who is listening? Not the kids in a world where iPods rule. Furthermore, the oldsters don't buy records anymore because they already own the soundtrack to their lives and couldn't care less about new acts.
Just what do the labels have to offer, tour support? Forget it. There is no value in going into debt to play for 200 people in Chicago. In fact, a band does not need an investor if it has a great live act and a modicum of talent. What new artists need is to become the dominant musical force in their local region. If a band cannot make it at home, it can't make it anywhere. If it can make it at home, it can make it everywhere.
From San Diego to Santa Barbara there are hundreds of venues playing live music every night. If a band starts at the bottom of the food change and works its way up, they will accomplish Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours of practice and they will build their 1000 true fans. If they develop an efficient merch system, nourish their fan base with "personal" attention and play each regional market monthly within a 100 mile radius of their homes, they will build a following.
All talent being considered equal, this system will not put their earnings into long distance travel, over-priced fuel, over-weight baggage and hotel rooms. Controlling all income streams and channeling the earnings into expansion of their product line and the extension of their performance radius will allow them to grow. If this doesn't work, they should reconsider their act, perhaps it isn't as good as they think it is. This is the TALENT business and only the talented succeed.
Bands today must own their own masters and publishing and create a booking mechanism that allows them to develop their business one fan at a time. If they can sell 1000 tickets in any given market they will be added to the big shows that don't sell out. They will connect with the headliners who will take them on tour at a profit. And the world will come to there door. This is how the postmodern record business was born and this is how the music industry will be regenerated in the music renaissance.
The first level of success is survival. Of the millions of acts on http://www.myspace.com/ only ten percent of the competitors will reach that plateau, and they will earn ninety-nine percent of the money. Survival means, I make my living from music without a day job. The other ninety percent will never make a profit and will eventually be sucked down the black hole of broken dreams.
As you pointed out several times, nobody actually has to buy music. They will pay for it only if they love the act like we loved Elvis and The Beatles. This affection is most likely to occur at live events where the bonding is most intense. The fan probably already has "shared" the music or why is he there in the first place. They all saw MTV and they know when the buy the band's products they are putting food on the table and contributing to the act's survival. Fans will only purchase CDs and merch after they have already joined the act's support team.
Where is the place for three-sixty deals in this scenario? What can a label do for an act, today? Even if they could deliver the always dangled airplay, who is listening? There are no brick & mortar stores and anybody can access digital distribution without a middle-man. Radio is a default source for music and this generation does not want to be told what they like; they want to tell you. To them it is not "stealing" from the act; it is free record promotion. The connotation of "sharing" has no immoral quotient and the cyber-youth will not adapt to the RIAA standard.
I would love to have you visit my class at LMU some Wednesday evening to present your point of view on this subject. I have seventy-five students who would like to hear what you have to say. And I must admit I too am curious to hear someone try to defend the label's justification for their continued existence. I hope you can find the time to take up this debate. I enjoyed your speakers, but failed to see a new paradigm within the conversation. Pax. John Hartmann
An Open Invitation to Tommy Silverman:
The New Music Industry Paradigm
Dear Tommy:
Thank you for a very interesting day at the New Music Seminar. In our brief conversation, I was somewhat shocked that, for as long as you have been pursuing this concept, that you seem to have totally missed the target. I suspect it is due to your RIAA affiliation.
I have been exploring the new music industry paradigm concept for over seven years and my 2500 students and I have debated every aspect of how the stars of the music renaissance will be born. They will NOT be dictated from record company board rooms down; the superstars of tomorrow will rise from the cyber-grass-roots up. The last to know what is happening will be the major labels. When an act creates a significant enough following through live performing and web integration the majors will try to throw money at them but it will be too late. No self respecting artist will enslave himself to the old paradigm.
You profess that a band needs an investor; but the labels are not investing in new artists. In fact, what can a label really offer an act today? Certainly they aren't going to give them any significant money to record, and fortunately for the artists, they don't need it. Record companies will promise them radio airplay but will fail to deliver it. The radio game is way to expensive and even if they did buy some spins, who is listening? Not the kids in a world where iPods rule. Furthermore, the oldsters don't buy records anymore because they already own the soundtrack to their lives and couldn't care less about new acts.
Just what do the labels have to offer, tour support? Forget it. There is no value in going into debt to play for 200 people in Chicago. In fact, a band does not need an investor if it has a great live act and a modicum of talent. What new artists need is to become the dominant musical force in their local region. If a band cannot make it at home, it can't make it anywhere. If it can make it at home, it can make it everywhere.
From San Diego to Santa Barbara there are hundreds of venues playing live music every night. If a band starts at the bottom of the food change and works its way up, they will accomplish Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours of practice and they will build their 1000 true fans. If they develop an efficient merch system, nourish their fan base with "personal" attention and play each regional market monthly within a 100 mile radius of their homes, they will build a following.
All talent being considered equal, this system will not put their earnings into long distance travel, over-priced fuel, over-weight baggage and hotel rooms. Controlling all income streams and channeling the earnings into expansion of their product line and the extension of their performance radius will allow them to grow. If this doesn't work, they should reconsider their act, perhaps it isn't as good as they think it is. This is the TALENT business and only the talented succeed.
Bands today must own their own masters and publishing and create a booking mechanism that allows them to develop their business one fan at a time. If they can sell 1000 tickets in any given market they will be added to the big shows that don't sell out. They will connect with the headliners who will take them on tour at a profit. And the world will come to there door. This is how the postmodern record business was born and this is how the music industry will be regenerated in the music renaissance.
The first level of success is survival. Of the millions of acts on http://www.myspace.com/ only ten percent of the competitors will reach that plateau, and they will earn ninety-nine percent of the money. Survival means, I make my living from music without a day job. The other ninety percent will never make a profit and will eventually be sucked down the black hole of broken dreams.
As you pointed out several times, nobody actually has to buy music. They will pay for it only if they love the act like we loved Elvis and The Beatles. This affection is most likely to occur at live events where the bonding is most intense. The fan probably already has "shared" the music or why is he there in the first place. They all saw MTV and they know when the buy the band's products they are putting food on the table and contributing to the act's survival. Fans will only purchase CDs and merch after they have already joined the act's support team.
Where is the place for three-sixty deals in this scenario? What can a label do for an act, today? Even if they could deliver the always dangled airplay, who is listening? There are no brick & mortar stores and anybody can access digital distribution without a middle-man. Radio is a default source for music and this generation does not want to be told what they like; they want to tell you. To them it is not "stealing" from the act; it is free record promotion. The connotation of "sharing" has no immoral quotient and the cyber-youth will not adapt to the RIAA standard.
I would love to have you visit my class at LMU some Wednesday evening to present your point of view on this subject. I have seventy-five students who would like to hear what you have to say. And I must admit I too am curious to hear someone try to defend the label's justification for their continued existence. I hope you can find the time to take up this debate. I enjoyed your speakers, but failed to see a new paradigm within the conversation. Pax. John Hartmann
Saturday, January 23, 2010
MUSIC BUSINESS Q&A - January 23, 2009
HolodigmMusic.com
MUSIC BUSINESS Q&A:
Kaitlin Curtin asks:
In terms of the Big Top you said that about 10% make it and they make 99% of the money. The music industry has changed so much over the last few years in terms of how money is being made -- has that changed the percent of profit that the Big Top musicians are making? In other words, are the musicians who are not considered to be at the Big Top making more money these days because of things such as MySpace, Facebook, and other such technologies, or is the division of profit still about the same?
Hartmann responds:
If an artist lacks ambition and wants to sit around and wait for the business to come to him, find another act. This is the most competitive environment on the planet and with the easy entry provided by digimodernization only the most aggressive and inspired artists will reach the survival plateau.
Only 10% of the bands competing will make a living from music without having to have a day job. They will share 99% of the money spent on music. The other 1% will be earned by the remaining 90% who will compete for a time and then get sucked down the black hole of broken dreams. Bands marketing themselves on MySpace, Facebook, will split that 1% without record company support. The ones who are truly talented will grow there fanbase and reach the survival level.
The tough part about this equation is that the top 1% of artists will split 90% of all money spent on concerts and recordings. This is a core principal that does not change. It is a very small, elite group who battle their way to The Big Top, and to whom most of the fame and fortune accrues.
We are experiencing the emergence of an entire generation of musicians who have received an extraordinary amount of musical training. They start younger with "toys" like Guitar Hero and Rock Band and many, experiencing the thrill of performing are inspired to take up "real" instruments. These fledgling artists enter the competition early and grow faster.
With thousands of colleges and universities around the country presenting majors in songwriting, recording and performing curricula, these musicians are learning more than the few chords utilized by the originators of rock & roll. These students are also being taught the systems, mechanics, protocols and politics of the every evolving music industry.
After graduation, college educated musicians will combine their musical talents with their accumulated knowledge of how to execute business strategies. They will create a new, sophisticated quality of music that will inspire their peer groups to support their favorite bands. It is even possible that the bonding experience created at live performances might inspire the public top pay for the music.
They may already have "shared" the artist's music, or why are they at your show in the first place. However, the connection between artist and audience is strengthened at live events and the fans saw MTV, they know when they buy the CDs and T-shirts at your gig that they are contributing to your survival. The artist's survival will depend on their ability to attract, nourish and maintain a relationship with the fans who respond to their music and are willing to come back for more.
MUSIC BUSINESS Q&A:
Kaitlin Curtin asks:
In terms of the Big Top you said that about 10% make it and they make 99% of the money. The music industry has changed so much over the last few years in terms of how money is being made -- has that changed the percent of profit that the Big Top musicians are making? In other words, are the musicians who are not considered to be at the Big Top making more money these days because of things such as MySpace, Facebook, and other such technologies, or is the division of profit still about the same?
Hartmann responds:
If an artist lacks ambition and wants to sit around and wait for the business to come to him, find another act. This is the most competitive environment on the planet and with the easy entry provided by digimodernization only the most aggressive and inspired artists will reach the survival plateau.
Only 10% of the bands competing will make a living from music without having to have a day job. They will share 99% of the money spent on music. The other 1% will be earned by the remaining 90% who will compete for a time and then get sucked down the black hole of broken dreams. Bands marketing themselves on MySpace, Facebook, will split that 1% without record company support. The ones who are truly talented will grow there fanbase and reach the survival level.
The tough part about this equation is that the top 1% of artists will split 90% of all money spent on concerts and recordings. This is a core principal that does not change. It is a very small, elite group who battle their way to The Big Top, and to whom most of the fame and fortune accrues.
We are experiencing the emergence of an entire generation of musicians who have received an extraordinary amount of musical training. They start younger with "toys" like Guitar Hero and Rock Band and many, experiencing the thrill of performing are inspired to take up "real" instruments. These fledgling artists enter the competition early and grow faster.
With thousands of colleges and universities around the country presenting majors in songwriting, recording and performing curricula, these musicians are learning more than the few chords utilized by the originators of rock & roll. These students are also being taught the systems, mechanics, protocols and politics of the every evolving music industry.
After graduation, college educated musicians will combine their musical talents with their accumulated knowledge of how to execute business strategies. They will create a new, sophisticated quality of music that will inspire their peer groups to support their favorite bands. It is even possible that the bonding experience created at live performances might inspire the public top pay for the music.
They may already have "shared" the artist's music, or why are they at your show in the first place. However, the connection between artist and audience is strengthened at live events and the fans saw MTV, they know when they buy the CDs and T-shirts at your gig that they are contributing to your survival. The artist's survival will depend on their ability to attract, nourish and maintain a relationship with the fans who respond to their music and are willing to come back for more.
Friday, December 18, 2009
MUSIC BUSINESS QUESTION OF THE DAY - December 18, 2009
HolodigmMusic.com
Trust In The Artist + Manager Relationship
KDonoho9 asks:
What is the best way to gain the trust of your client? It seems to me that always being straight with your client, sometimes telling them what they don't want to hear, would develop a trusting relationship, but as we've gone over in class some artists are very easily upset when it comes to information they don't want to hear. From your experience, are there any sure-fire ways to develop a strong trust between yourself and a client? If I am the manager I want my client to bring any problem they have to me, regardless of that problem's nature.
Hartmann responds:
Trust is not assigned, or awarded, it is purchased by action, earned through achievement and reinforced over time. Honesty and integrity are vital components of any business relationship and they are requisite ingredients between partners. Performers come to the music industry lost in the fog of showbiz, blinded by self-confidence and driven to succeed. They quickly learn that building a career in music is a team sport. Their first marriage is to a Personal Manager.
The person to whom one entrusts all of his hopes and dreams must demonstrate a myriad of qualities to a potential client. Business acumen is at the forefront of the manager's contribution to the career building process. A combination of social skills, power personality and accumulated knowledge of the historical trajectory prepares managers to conduct the business of music. A clear understanding of the systems and mechanics of the entertainment industry accelerates the growth and development of any commercial enterprise. Most musicians need a business partner.
Personal values define who we are to our friends, associates and fiduciaries. Our behavior and conversation create the perception of who we are as people. An artist wants his manager to be honest, charming, intelligent, creative, flexible and visionary. If a potential manager advocates honesty, it can be presumed that he values the truth; and that he will be honest in his dealings. If he suggests that you lie , cheat and steal, it should be presumed that he might do that to you.
It is the manager's sacred obligation to always tell his client/partner the facts as he perceives them. Protecting clients from the hard stuff is not doing them a favor. No human enterprise ever goes perfectly well and the best laid plans always go awry. Success accrues to those who can adapt to the changes. When a manager presents the newest problem with the same grace as the last glory, he is preparing the artist to deal with the adversities they will surely face in the future.
Errors and blunders provide opportunities for managers to prove their integrity and honesty to their clients. By claiming responsibility for his mistakes, rather than shifting blame to others, a manager can demonstrate his strength, security and character to his partners. Empathy and caring backed by a twenty-four-seven commitment to the artist's business and personal concerns reinforces the strength of the artist + manager bond. The job is of "personal" service and nothing is off limits. Meticulous care and constant attention are the cornerstones of their relationship.
The trusting is the hard part; everything else needed to build a business around a body of music, can be learned. When choosing business partners, trust carefully, and when you do, trust totally.
Trust In The Artist + Manager Relationship
KDonoho9 asks:
What is the best way to gain the trust of your client? It seems to me that always being straight with your client, sometimes telling them what they don't want to hear, would develop a trusting relationship, but as we've gone over in class some artists are very easily upset when it comes to information they don't want to hear. From your experience, are there any sure-fire ways to develop a strong trust between yourself and a client? If I am the manager I want my client to bring any problem they have to me, regardless of that problem's nature.
Hartmann responds:
Trust is not assigned, or awarded, it is purchased by action, earned through achievement and reinforced over time. Honesty and integrity are vital components of any business relationship and they are requisite ingredients between partners. Performers come to the music industry lost in the fog of showbiz, blinded by self-confidence and driven to succeed. They quickly learn that building a career in music is a team sport. Their first marriage is to a Personal Manager.
The person to whom one entrusts all of his hopes and dreams must demonstrate a myriad of qualities to a potential client. Business acumen is at the forefront of the manager's contribution to the career building process. A combination of social skills, power personality and accumulated knowledge of the historical trajectory prepares managers to conduct the business of music. A clear understanding of the systems and mechanics of the entertainment industry accelerates the growth and development of any commercial enterprise. Most musicians need a business partner.
Personal values define who we are to our friends, associates and fiduciaries. Our behavior and conversation create the perception of who we are as people. An artist wants his manager to be honest, charming, intelligent, creative, flexible and visionary. If a potential manager advocates honesty, it can be presumed that he values the truth; and that he will be honest in his dealings. If he suggests that you lie , cheat and steal, it should be presumed that he might do that to you.
It is the manager's sacred obligation to always tell his client/partner the facts as he perceives them. Protecting clients from the hard stuff is not doing them a favor. No human enterprise ever goes perfectly well and the best laid plans always go awry. Success accrues to those who can adapt to the changes. When a manager presents the newest problem with the same grace as the last glory, he is preparing the artist to deal with the adversities they will surely face in the future.
Errors and blunders provide opportunities for managers to prove their integrity and honesty to their clients. By claiming responsibility for his mistakes, rather than shifting blame to others, a manager can demonstrate his strength, security and character to his partners. Empathy and caring backed by a twenty-four-seven commitment to the artist's business and personal concerns reinforces the strength of the artist + manager bond. The job is of "personal" service and nothing is off limits. Meticulous care and constant attention are the cornerstones of their relationship.
The trusting is the hard part; everything else needed to build a business around a body of music, can be learned. When choosing business partners, trust carefully, and when you do, trust totally.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Branding Your Band - How To Build A Fan Base - November 12, 2009
TheHolodigm.com
BRANDING YOUR BAND
How To Build A Fan Base
Performing artists pursue specific paths through a myriad of creative and entrepreneurial career options in The Music Renaissance. Competing musicians, singers and bands face the same set of obstacles and function within well defined parameters. There are two primary activities to be addressed: Recording & Performing. The skilfull balancing of these functions combined with the business of songwriting and music publishing form the cornerstones of the music industry.
In a reality programming and social networked era of hyper communication, digimodernism is not just about geeks and super tech. There is a prevailing mind set among the cyber-youth as they stream into their futures. They see the powers that control the health of the planet are in conflict with their very survival. It has shaken a generation's survival instinct and inspired an artistic and cultural movement to self preserve. The clearest evidence of that is a core militancy to fix what is broken. Artists seeking to enroll high school and college age fans better have their acts together because they will be required to endure a continuous and unmerciful scrutiny of their chracter.
Considering that I've never met a group that didn't think it was going all the way to The Big Top, I assume that you and your friends believe its time to turn your campus band into a business. You are ready to trade those music lessons, that equipment you hustled out of Mom, and the garage space you converted to a studio, for fame and fortune. You have built a repertoire and performed it extensively in front of live audiences. You've recorded it on your MAC and have CDs for sale.
Your band is your marketing force. The product is the recorded music, and packaging, as well as acceptable merchandise. There is a threshold of dignity attached to what is an appropriate product line for any given artist. Downloads, CDs, T-shirts and caps are more or less acceptable as grass roots marketing and are generally perceived as promotional items. Exploitation into key chains and bobble-dolls is definitely crossing a line. Band jackets and other logo related, insider items and symbols might be leaked to the merch table if there is a demand from the fan base.
The starting point is the Internet and viral marketing. A clear definition of your target audience is imperative. In The Music Renaissance it would be assumed that everyone under thirty has total access to all music ever recorded twenty four seven for free. Because of ubiquitous access the available fan-pool has splintered into a myriad of niche markets. Music fans are free to select a specific color from the rainbow of choices. Focus on the existing audience for your genre or style.
The people who are most likely to focus on you are your peer group. This is an age and culture thing. If you can't make it at home, you can't make it anywhere. If you can make it at home, you can make it everywhere. Start your career in your home town with your friends and school mates. If you become a dominant musical force within a one hundred mile radius of your home you can survive and make a profit. If you can accomplish that a universe of opportunities will follow.
The postmodern record business is in a state of decline for a variety of reason none of which is relevant to branding your band and building your fan base. Forget chasing a record deal. The big four record companies are frozen like dear in the head lights. They aren't going to sign you. The good news is you don't need them. If you are going to survive in the digital music industry you will have to control and nurture all income streams just to pay your bills and keep the band alive.
AM and FM radio are obsolete. Nobody is listening. In the wake of the demise of broadcast radio also expiring is the long playing album as an artistic body of music. The primary distribution mechanism for music on the Intenet is peer-to-peer file sharing. Previously music fans were forced to buy ten songs or more to get the one they wanted. However, when music is free for the taking, with no moral integrity at stake, it beomes a one song at a time business. Nobody steals anything that he doesn't want and every song written is not a crystal tear from the eye of Zeus.
Remember the values and integrity of your core audience and design your music, image and product line to attract their interest. The fan's investment of his emotional identity, entertainment time and disposable income is your life line. Every band has an evolving purity factor that is continuously evaluated by the fan base. Building a following is about inspiring people to enroll their friends in your tribal community. If the band maintains the purity that attracts a fan base in the first place their following will continue to grow. A continuous flow of product is imperative.
A band that can hold its most ardent fans over the long term has the best chance of building a viable personal appearance career. Artistic and personal integrity dictate the effect of the music and the artist's lifestyle on the fan-pool. No two careers endure the same precise circumstances. And, its not so much what you do as how you handle what you get caught doing that holds the affection of your followers. The magnetism is strengthened by constant maintenance of the artist + fan bond. Build an online, interactive relationship with your fans that enlists their support.
An arist's music should be released in a string of individual records that are streamed one at a time into the Internet in a linear fashion. They should be radiated into the web by free downloads and permanently available. Present one song a month and work each as deeply into cyber-space as possible. When you have four songs in play package your first extended play record (EP) and sell it at gigs and online. Feed the next four records into the system in the same manner and add another EP to your catalog. Release a third EP and a compilation album of all three a month later. Offer the EPs at five dollars each and ask fifteen for the compact disc on your own record label.
The skillful marketing of these four products and a T-shirt will create a vital income stream and system for exposing your brand and furthering your enterprise. The primary tool is the live event. This is where the bonding experience is most intense. The energy and excitement of electric instruments and amplification, combined with a party atmosphere, can create a permanent attachment between audience and artist. Fans probably already have your music, or why are they there in the first place? However, they took it from the Internet when they didn't care about you.
Through the live experience the fans fall in love with the act, maybe its the music or the beer, or the one you came with, but it happens. They saw MTV and know that buying your CD and merch keeps you alive. If they love you they'll pay and that is where your business machinery starts to generate a profit. Promoting and marketing your band, gigs and merchandise online puts the responsibility directly on you. Direct your energy at your age group and younger. Offer free downloads for email addresses at your shows. Get them to join your club and treat them well.
BRANDING YOUR BAND
How To Build A Fan Base
Performing artists pursue specific paths through a myriad of creative and entrepreneurial career options in The Music Renaissance. Competing musicians, singers and bands face the same set of obstacles and function within well defined parameters. There are two primary activities to be addressed: Recording & Performing. The skilfull balancing of these functions combined with the business of songwriting and music publishing form the cornerstones of the music industry.
In a reality programming and social networked era of hyper communication, digimodernism is not just about geeks and super tech. There is a prevailing mind set among the cyber-youth as they stream into their futures. They see the powers that control the health of the planet are in conflict with their very survival. It has shaken a generation's survival instinct and inspired an artistic and cultural movement to self preserve. The clearest evidence of that is a core militancy to fix what is broken. Artists seeking to enroll high school and college age fans better have their acts together because they will be required to endure a continuous and unmerciful scrutiny of their chracter.
Considering that I've never met a group that didn't think it was going all the way to The Big Top, I assume that you and your friends believe its time to turn your campus band into a business. You are ready to trade those music lessons, that equipment you hustled out of Mom, and the garage space you converted to a studio, for fame and fortune. You have built a repertoire and performed it extensively in front of live audiences. You've recorded it on your MAC and have CDs for sale.
Your band is your marketing force. The product is the recorded music, and packaging, as well as acceptable merchandise. There is a threshold of dignity attached to what is an appropriate product line for any given artist. Downloads, CDs, T-shirts and caps are more or less acceptable as grass roots marketing and are generally perceived as promotional items. Exploitation into key chains and bobble-dolls is definitely crossing a line. Band jackets and other logo related, insider items and symbols might be leaked to the merch table if there is a demand from the fan base.
The starting point is the Internet and viral marketing. A clear definition of your target audience is imperative. In The Music Renaissance it would be assumed that everyone under thirty has total access to all music ever recorded twenty four seven for free. Because of ubiquitous access the available fan-pool has splintered into a myriad of niche markets. Music fans are free to select a specific color from the rainbow of choices. Focus on the existing audience for your genre or style.
The people who are most likely to focus on you are your peer group. This is an age and culture thing. If you can't make it at home, you can't make it anywhere. If you can make it at home, you can make it everywhere. Start your career in your home town with your friends and school mates. If you become a dominant musical force within a one hundred mile radius of your home you can survive and make a profit. If you can accomplish that a universe of opportunities will follow.
The postmodern record business is in a state of decline for a variety of reason none of which is relevant to branding your band and building your fan base. Forget chasing a record deal. The big four record companies are frozen like dear in the head lights. They aren't going to sign you. The good news is you don't need them. If you are going to survive in the digital music industry you will have to control and nurture all income streams just to pay your bills and keep the band alive.
AM and FM radio are obsolete. Nobody is listening. In the wake of the demise of broadcast radio also expiring is the long playing album as an artistic body of music. The primary distribution mechanism for music on the Intenet is peer-to-peer file sharing. Previously music fans were forced to buy ten songs or more to get the one they wanted. However, when music is free for the taking, with no moral integrity at stake, it beomes a one song at a time business. Nobody steals anything that he doesn't want and every song written is not a crystal tear from the eye of Zeus.
Remember the values and integrity of your core audience and design your music, image and product line to attract their interest. The fan's investment of his emotional identity, entertainment time and disposable income is your life line. Every band has an evolving purity factor that is continuously evaluated by the fan base. Building a following is about inspiring people to enroll their friends in your tribal community. If the band maintains the purity that attracts a fan base in the first place their following will continue to grow. A continuous flow of product is imperative.
A band that can hold its most ardent fans over the long term has the best chance of building a viable personal appearance career. Artistic and personal integrity dictate the effect of the music and the artist's lifestyle on the fan-pool. No two careers endure the same precise circumstances. And, its not so much what you do as how you handle what you get caught doing that holds the affection of your followers. The magnetism is strengthened by constant maintenance of the artist + fan bond. Build an online, interactive relationship with your fans that enlists their support.
An arist's music should be released in a string of individual records that are streamed one at a time into the Internet in a linear fashion. They should be radiated into the web by free downloads and permanently available. Present one song a month and work each as deeply into cyber-space as possible. When you have four songs in play package your first extended play record (EP) and sell it at gigs and online. Feed the next four records into the system in the same manner and add another EP to your catalog. Release a third EP and a compilation album of all three a month later. Offer the EPs at five dollars each and ask fifteen for the compact disc on your own record label.
The skillful marketing of these four products and a T-shirt will create a vital income stream and system for exposing your brand and furthering your enterprise. The primary tool is the live event. This is where the bonding experience is most intense. The energy and excitement of electric instruments and amplification, combined with a party atmosphere, can create a permanent attachment between audience and artist. Fans probably already have your music, or why are they there in the first place? However, they took it from the Internet when they didn't care about you.
Through the live experience the fans fall in love with the act, maybe its the music or the beer, or the one you came with, but it happens. They saw MTV and know that buying your CD and merch keeps you alive. If they love you they'll pay and that is where your business machinery starts to generate a profit. Promoting and marketing your band, gigs and merchandise online puts the responsibility directly on you. Direct your energy at your age group and younger. Offer free downloads for email addresses at your shows. Get them to join your club and treat them well.
QUOTE ME - Bob Lefsetz - November 12, 2009
QUOTE ME:
Once you start protecting what you've got, trying to deny the future, keeping people locked into old ways, you're on the way to decline. Remember this. Bob Lefsetz
Once you start protecting what you've got, trying to deny the future, keeping people locked into old ways, you're on the way to decline. Remember this. Bob Lefsetz
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
QUESTION OF THE DAY - Facebook & Myspace - November 2, 2009
TheHolodigm.com
Facebook & Myspace
andswenson asks:
I know someone else said that an artist uses a website such as facebook or myspace to put their music out in order to get fans. However, I think that it's just the opposite. There are so many new bands and individuals who post their work up on these site who never even go anywhere. And even the ones who do get some fan base don't really go anywhere. So my question to you is do sites like facebook and myspace really help start an artist's career and do they help managers find "the band" that they are looking for?
Hartmann responds:
Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. allow bands to build and service a list of followers who support their music. These web sites are not of themselves anything more than conduits to reach and nourish a fan base. Like any other tool they are only as good as the user. Easy access to low cost recording and free Internet distribution allow any one to participate. This does not mean that all participants have the talent and other key ingredients required to achieve commercial success. In fact most music artists have no redeeming originality or value.
The shear number of artists and managers posting and surfing the Internet makes the process of finding the truly gifted artist extremely difficult. However, music fans searching for new music need these sources in order to conduct their search. Artists should use as many popular sites as possible and all roads should lead to the Band's personal site where the bulk of their interactivity and information resides. This is your promotional system and it is only as efficient as the person operating it. It is imperative that bands treat their business in a professional manner and use all methods available to get their music out to the widest possible audience. If the music is good the public will spread the word and the fan base will grow accordingly.
Facebook & Myspace
andswenson asks:
I know someone else said that an artist uses a website such as facebook or myspace to put their music out in order to get fans. However, I think that it's just the opposite. There are so many new bands and individuals who post their work up on these site who never even go anywhere. And even the ones who do get some fan base don't really go anywhere. So my question to you is do sites like facebook and myspace really help start an artist's career and do they help managers find "the band" that they are looking for?
Hartmann responds:
Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. allow bands to build and service a list of followers who support their music. These web sites are not of themselves anything more than conduits to reach and nourish a fan base. Like any other tool they are only as good as the user. Easy access to low cost recording and free Internet distribution allow any one to participate. This does not mean that all participants have the talent and other key ingredients required to achieve commercial success. In fact most music artists have no redeeming originality or value.
The shear number of artists and managers posting and surfing the Internet makes the process of finding the truly gifted artist extremely difficult. However, music fans searching for new music need these sources in order to conduct their search. Artists should use as many popular sites as possible and all roads should lead to the Band's personal site where the bulk of their interactivity and information resides. This is your promotional system and it is only as efficient as the person operating it. It is imperative that bands treat their business in a professional manner and use all methods available to get their music out to the widest possible audience. If the music is good the public will spread the word and the fan base will grow accordingly.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Question of the Day - April 24, 2009
theholodigm.com
AMERICAN IDOL
Hailey Lennon asks:
I still cannot decide if I like American Idol and what it stands for but I know many feel that it is not a legitimate way of becoming an artist. I wondered your opinion on this way. Are these artists becoming famous more through celebrity rather than talent or do you believe those involved with the show would have made it in the music industry anyway?
Hartmann responds:
A truly talented, pure musician must think twice about presenting himself on American Idol. Talent TV is one of the pathways on The Stairway to Heaven as presented in The Holodigm Seminars. The contestants are exploited for TV ratings and advertising dollars. The fame that results from quick exposures without building a live act through the traditional night club and concert system is just as quickly erased as it is gained. It does not come with an executive team that can create continuity and duration in the act. Far more careers have ended on American Idol than have been created. Colonel Tom Parker told me that the object of Personal Management is to build duration into the act. Artists who rise fast crash fast. There are of course exceptions to every rule and a handful of truly gifted people have built professional careers after success on the show; Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood stand out. But when you consider the hundreds of artists who had this exposure and have dissapeared into obscurity one must assume that these two have "made it" despite American Idol rather than because of it. All the show did was speed up the process. Artists who gain fame from TV exsposure must still build the core team that will sustain their long term careers and the end result will not be evident until twenty years down the line. There is no easy way to The Big Top.
AMERICAN IDOL
Hailey Lennon asks:
I still cannot decide if I like American Idol and what it stands for but I know many feel that it is not a legitimate way of becoming an artist. I wondered your opinion on this way. Are these artists becoming famous more through celebrity rather than talent or do you believe those involved with the show would have made it in the music industry anyway?
Hartmann responds:
A truly talented, pure musician must think twice about presenting himself on American Idol. Talent TV is one of the pathways on The Stairway to Heaven as presented in The Holodigm Seminars. The contestants are exploited for TV ratings and advertising dollars. The fame that results from quick exposures without building a live act through the traditional night club and concert system is just as quickly erased as it is gained. It does not come with an executive team that can create continuity and duration in the act. Far more careers have ended on American Idol than have been created. Colonel Tom Parker told me that the object of Personal Management is to build duration into the act. Artists who rise fast crash fast. There are of course exceptions to every rule and a handful of truly gifted people have built professional careers after success on the show; Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood stand out. But when you consider the hundreds of artists who had this exposure and have dissapeared into obscurity one must assume that these two have "made it" despite American Idol rather than because of it. All the show did was speed up the process. Artists who gain fame from TV exsposure must still build the core team that will sustain their long term careers and the end result will not be evident until twenty years down the line. There is no easy way to The Big Top.
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