"Everybody's Talkin' At Me, I Can't Hear A Word They're Sayin'..."

This blog generally features in depth and often (somewhat) highly technical advice from industry insiders; managers, A&R people, promoters and so forth. But sometimes it help to get simple, succinct words from other musicians who aren’t so advanced in their careers that they’re out of touch, but are successful enough to feel confident telling other people what to do. So here a fairly long list of such snippets:

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Hit Them With Your Best Shot....

I’ve probably mentioned this once or twice but and there’s a good chance you’ve figured out for yourself anyway but just to be clear, there is no one piece of advice offered on this blog that is likely to be at all helpful if you do it in a vacuum. Different ideas/strategies are meant to achieve different goals, and so on. Let’s say (mostly because it’s true) that the number one goal you should work towards is exposure. Everything you will (or won’t) get out of your music career will depend on your ability to get exposure. For example, if you’re applying for a job (full time musician), first you write a resume (album) but you’re not done yet! Then you have to give it to someone who will read it. There are a lot to get different kinds and different levels of exposure but the two best are probably having a demo and giving people stuff. The demo should be as polished as your accounting strategy of not buying cereal for a month will allow. Things you give away could be something like a sticker that will hopefully be placed somewhere visible, or the cheaper option of a download card with the condition of a ‘Facebook Like’. To read more, follow the link below:

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When “Rolling Down the River(Stream)” Doesn’t Float The Boat Anymore

Music streaming services like Spotify (etc.) have possibly been the best almost-solution to the problem of music piracy. Still, you will hardly ever hear an argument that it’s a ‘perfect’ solution. While it’s good for the fans, the company itself and the major record label, it’s not so great for musicians below the top couple rungs on the ladder. It does offer artist a better opportunities for exposure than the industry has ever had, literally. But in terms of financial compensation, many musicians are still stuck behind the 7-11 counter waiting for people to stumble on their songs.  The day when artists are ‘fairly’ compensated (whatever that comes to mean) for participating in services like this is probably still a long way off, but in the meantime there are a number of things that can be done to further benefit the artist, and some already are. Click on the link below to learn more:

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"Everybody Needs Somebody To Love"...(And Somebody to Produce the Album They Write About the Break-Up Would Be Good Too"

With the growing popularity of home recording technology, the concept of the “studio album” has been somewhat obscured. Many see the idea of spending days or weeks on end in a series of soundproofed rooms in the company of tens of thousands of dollars worth of technology as superfluous, irrelevant, obnoxious and several other similar adjective that aren’t coming to mind. However, if you’re in a band whose career is going anywhere worth mentioning, you’ll end up navigating that series of sterile and expensive rooms sooner or later. If and when you do get there, you’re best guide will be your producer…as long as you get the right one. Though they don’t always take a particularly active/aggressive role, a good producer is in a strong position to either make or break an album, but ANY producer is in a position to break it, so choose wisely. For some tips on making this decision, follow the link below:

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Me & Bloggy McGee

There was a time between the (now seemingly) slow motion world of cassettes, mail order catalogues, glove boxes full of road maps and the current era where your phone keeps track of your favorite public restrooms. During this period, the Internet was only beginning to replace of more ‘analog’ services/establishments like video stores. It was during this time that the blogosphere was just beginning to take shape and the role of music blogs seemed endless. For those with a deep appreciation for music, they were amazing because you got information on bands who would never be covered in Rolling Stone or SPIN and even less likely to be heard on the radio. But best of all, they were written by people who had the same lust for music as you had. Now, with faster and more concise (READ: Limited) forms of communication available, music blogs have been pushed to the sidelines. However they are still there! So even if they can now only play a minor role in your vertical efforts towards stardom, they are worth keeping tabs on, at least in terms of their role in the industry. To find out more about the role of blogs in the music industry, follow the link below: 

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Being In A Successful Band Isn’t All Trashed Hotel Rooms And Smashed Guitars

Being a successful band can be a lot of fun and there are a lot really exciting times when you’re making money doing what you love.  It is important to remember, however, that you are a part of the music industry and sometimes you have to act like an industry professional. 

How to Tell 'The Story of My (Your) Life'

Depending on what kind of writer you are and where your creative strengths lie, writing your band's bio could either be a tedious afterthought or it may have been written in your mind before you even picked up an instrument. But either way, if you don't put thought and effort into this, you're surely missing out on a great way to get fans involved. It should encapsulate everything about your sound and attitude which out getting particularly specific about anything. This will good to grab people who have maybe heard part of a song in a friend's car or heard a few people throw your name around. A well written, interesting bio might turn out to be one of the best hooks you have. And because turning a passing fan into a super fan is roughly as good as gaining a new one (though you don't want to stop trying for both), a good bio can get them more invested and earn you a spot in their hearts and an extra reason to tell other people about you. Follow the link below for some tips:

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They Fought the Law And, You Won

Unless you're band is big established enough that you need/can afford a lawyer, this probably doesn't apply to you, however there is definitely a spot between stardom and near obscurity where your music can be heard be just enough people that someone will steal it and your music will start making money....just not for you. The moral issue involved is fairly clear but it can be tough to pinpoint the exact legal standing of your claim. To find out more, click the link below:

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Pick Your "Pet Sounds"....

In my last post, and others, I have alluded to evolution of music delivery vehicles (i.e., vinyl, CDs, etc.). Every time a change like this happens, the battle cry cliché for the emerging technology has been to throw the old away and rebuild your collection with the new. But some music appreciators can be either stubborn or particular, depending on how you look at it, with regards to their preferred media for listening. There is no question that the iPod is now king of the mainstream. However there is a growing subculture pretty attached to the vinyl-sound and are often too young to use nostalgia as an excuse. The ultimate evidence? In the 90s a vinyl LP was 1/2 -2/3 the price of a CD (of the same album of course). Now, the vinyl is almost double the price. It’s also worth considering the fact that “Urban Outfitters” now sells record players, a develop that in a truly God-fearing world, no one would be happy with.

The debate of which sounds better boils down to a matter of preference. So what does this mean for a musician or band about to press a new album? Well, interestingly enough, it still boils down to preference. To some degree your own but more importantly that of you’re fan base and what they’re likely to get the most excited about. For more on the debate, follow the link below:

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