Question - Should I do everything to differentiate My Music or should I Work on my Talent and Look?
Answer - The key to working in any environment is to be able to multi-task and work on multiple levels at the same time.
Obviously there needs to be sound rationale behind the logic of what you’re doing but provided that you’ve got a game plan and a strategy for moving forward, it seems like any band should really be working on all three things at the same time.
Question - I’ve never put on or played a gig before and I’m trying to figure out how to pack out a room?
Answer -Not a simple straightforward answer because there are so may publicity and marketing avenues to explore however lets assume we are dealing with a shoestring budget.
Question - “I am looking at possibly going to Full Sail for music business course and was just wondering if you think that would be a good way to get started. Also being someone that is in the business do you ever hear anything about how Full Sail is as a school/ preparing students for the music industry?”
Answer -
To be completely honest I’ve never really heard of the courses at Full Sail and to be even more frank I’m not the greatest fan of these online music business schools.
One thing I’ve always loved and found fascinating about the music industry and major record labels is the way in which artists have been sold and promoted.
It’s one thing to creatively conceive a song, craft it and turn it into a hit single but it’s also another thing to successfully sell and market it.
One thing major record companies are actually really good at doing other than suing college students for file sharing, is their ability to market their artists and turn them into mega stars. This in my opinion is one of the real strengths behind working with a major record label.
The easiest way to decipher the answer to this question is to consider the following -
Where are you or your band at in your career? In other words - how far down the line have you gotten in relation to being able to build a “reputable” following?
If you are a young band starting out and the monetary value associated with your band is practically zero, then you have absolutely nothing to loose and you should play in whatever room your amplifiers will fit into. In some other posts, I even prescribe the crazy idea of trying to get gigs on Monday nights….
Something dawned on me yesterday as I was talking to a friend on how to help get his band more exposure online.
He was clearly smart enough to realize that no record company is going to sign him for a variety of reasons and that no booking agent is going to represent him anytime soon - until he can prove that he’s worth a good couple of thousand dollars a show.
He then looked at me and had a massive realization -
“The music industry has really changed!”
It occurred to me then and there that there are so many interesting ideas that can be drawn out between how the web 2.0 mindset is progressing and how musicians need to start thinking if they wish to really build a following both on and offline in the music industry.
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The answer to this question is simple, straightforward, but not necessarily the easiest to hear.
The best way to get booking agents to take you seriously is to ignore them, not worry about them at all and wait for them to eventually approach you.
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There are many ways to record a demo. Whether you’re a solo artist or a twelve piece percussion group, there are some pretty standard ways to go about recording a demo
Obviously, depending on the intention of the recording you could consider the following:
It has been a few weeks since I’ve posted anything and today was the big breakthrough day.
Today, I had a moment of what I like to call, “A moment of transcendence” A moment when I finally broke down that big wall of doubt, fear and being blocked up and finally pushed through to the other side.
Yes, this is still a music industry blog so please don’t think it’s a self help site and that I’m about to sell you some lame Tony Robbins book, but what happened to me today is something that directly relates to you, your band and the music industry as a whole.
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So you want to sign a record deal huh?
Doesn’t everyone? What sort of a question is that.
Join the cue, stand in line and take a ticket - says the guy at the reception desk at most record label offices.
Let’s face it, a record deal is the one thing every band desires for, but for whatever reason they can’t seem to secure one.
I’ve written previously on various other posts about the enormity of trying to secure a record deal in this day and age.
However, in my humble little opinion, I honestly believe that the best way to position your career to secure the right record deal you are looking for is to follow an ancient mystical Kabalistic concept that I learned about a few years ago.
