'Do You Remember Rock And Roll Radio?'...Well You're Not Necessarily The Only One

One of the few original aspects of the music industry that is not quite dead yet is radio. In fact, it seems like it will (not quite dead) for the foreseeable future (and probably further). It’s true that the medium isn’t what it used to be. Like almost every other pop-culture delivery system, it has had to evolve but its current form isn’t necessarily weaker than the original. The most significant change has been the steady rise of Internet radio and Podcasts. The audience and contributors to both these are still growing everyday.

Even radio in its traditional form is still kicking for now. At risk of sounding pretentious, there is a large segment of the population who still don’t know exactly what they like and probably aren’t that interested in knowing. This isn’t meant to imply that their stupid or ignorant, they just don’t take music as seriously as others, someone who’s in a band for example (i.e. you). To them, radio still plays an important role in shaping what they listen to. That being said, it is slowly on it’s way out (or to be more accurate, being inevitably surpassed by Internet radio and Podcasts).

You may be intimidated by the difficulty of getting on the radio since all the stations are now owned by one of a small handful of companies, making the medium extremely homogenous but there is hope yet. Below is an in depth explanation of how contemporary radio works and how to find a way. But fair warning, the path to radio play is wrought with uncertainty, lopsided odds, and questionable business practices. To find out more click the link below:

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'Don't Fear The Streamer'

At around the turn of the century, during the rise of Napster and the music swapping websites that evolved from it’s debris, it became clear that the music industry was changing in a big way. Or to be more accurate, the music industry must change in a big way. With Internet piracy much too widespread to effectively crackdown on and the relentlessness of those dedicated to what they call the ‘free exchange of information’, it seemed that the industry as we knew it had gone completely awry, possibly beyond repair.

Even now, the debate rages on over the importance of what can loosely by considered ‘free speech’ and the importance of protecting intellectual property rights. But the good thing about a being at an ideological/ethical stand still, is that it often forces a compromise. Over the past five years, we have the emergence of streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, Songza, and so forth. These services offer the experience of listening to new music for free, and compensate the bands in some capacity (though the fairness is debatable). If you’re band isn’t already nationally recognized, chances are that you’re not selling any records in the suburbs of Bismark, North Dakota unless that’s where you’re from. In which case, move. At least get down to the Mt. Rushmore area. Maybe you can get a residency in the gift shop singing parodies of pop songs adapted semi-educational ditties about American history. The point is that no one is going to buy your music if they can’t listen to it first, let alone if they don’t know you exist.

This is not a new concept. Supermarkets give out free samples of new food products all the time and many of those who take them just want a taste but will never consider purchasing, some won’t like it, some take advantage and use it as a free snack time, but some people buy the product. The supermarkets/food companies do this because it is overall beneficial. It’s part of a business model that works.  So don’t think of it as other people getting your music for free, think of it as your band getting free exposure. To read more, click the link below:

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'Frankie Goes To Hollywood' When He Should Have Stayed In Portland

If your band has achieved local success, you may feel like it’s time to move on to a bigger city. Either that, or an imminent eviction notice might be good reasons to pack up and head for places like LA or New York where the streets are paved with phone numbers discarded by rock stars who have already moved on to supermodels and bad actors and/or actresses. Well before you buy that bus ticket, rent that van, or equip your guitar case for travel by way of hitchhiking (i.e., hidden knife), trying taking a step back and examining your situation a little more closely.

First of all, with the music industry’s increasingly cheap distribution system (the Internet), it may not be necessary. In fact, it probably isn’t. It’s easy enough to build your own studio at home, record on your computer, put your music on the web, and you’ve already done most of what anyone in New York or LA will do for you (as an amateur). With the exceptions of advertising in magazines no reads anymore or distributing your records in stores no one shops in anymore, There’s nothing you can do there that you can’t do at home. Moreover, you’ll have an easier time getting shows in your hometown, either because there’s less competition, because they know already, or both. If your local fan base gets big enough, it will almost inevitably spread and sooner or later people in New York and LA will be calling you. If that becomes the case and they want you to move closer to their operation, go for it. To make a fully informed decision, click the link below.

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'Walk Like a Band, Talk Like a Band'

If you’re going to be serious about starting a music career, the least you can do to prepare yourself is learn the lingo. Some terms like 'Agent' and 'Demo' are not only intuitive, but if you don’t know them, I’d recommend turning your guitar into a hat rack or perhaps a climbing structure for cats.  But you may be forgiven for thinking that a '360-Deal' refers to something having to do with extreme sports, or that 'DRM' is the newest re-appropriated drug hitting the middle schools these days. To educate yourself, click the link below:

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‘Q: Are We Not Men?’ A: Not All Of Us!

Brace yourself for the shock of a lifetime; women are discriminated against! Obviously, this probably isn’t news to anyone. But what you may not have thought about (especially if you have the ability to grow facial hair) is that the creative fields, although often considered to be the most progressive, have been some of the slowest to change. Although the Devo reference in the title of this entry applies to the existential concept of “de-evolution” from which they take their name, it’s safe to assume that not everyone in the music (or any creative) industry is so high-minded.

J.K. Rowling opted to use to her initials to dodge any prejudice and numerous female visual artists have resorted to similar tactics before establishing themselves. John Belushi purposefully sabotaged SNL sketches written by women because he didn’t think they were capable of being funny, which makes about as much sense as a samurai dry cleaner. And female pop/rock musicians have been on a slow-climb to achieve legitimacy for over half of a century. They have gone from being treated as objects in the 50s and 60s (see: every women Phil Spector ever met), to simply being objectified until…well…they’re still being objectified, but it seems that in the last decade or two, more and more female musicians are beginning to receive the respect they deserve. The following is a collection of advice from respected female musicians to their like-gendered, hopeful colleagues. The fact that a list of twenty noteworthy female musicians exists is a sure sign of changing tides on its own, but if you yourself are a female musician, you might be looking for a little more encouragement.

The contributors range from iconic singers who completely over-shadowed their male band mates, to acoustic solo acts who achieved recognition through the merits of their songwriting, to the somewhat rare case of women who have commanded respect based on the mastery of their instrument. I highly recommend reading the quotes yourself (regardless of your facial hair situation) but essentially most of their advice boils down to just doing your best and paying your dues like everyone else. If you don’t worry about your gender, chances are that no one else will. In other words, present yourself as a musician who happens to be a woman rather than a woman who is also a musician.       

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'You Shook THEM All Night Long'...Now Give Them a Break For a Month or Two

If your band is in the process of establishing yourselves, you may have already had a few good shows. If they were actually as successful as you think they were, you might have a few more coming your way. Many musician advisory sites (such as this one) stress the important of booking frequent gigs.  If you can do this, great, but there is one thing you should be aware of followed by six reasons why; playing in the same market too frequently can do much more harm than good.

‘Why?’ you might ask. Well for one, it diminishes your value. Just like how baseball cards became less valuable once people stopped using them to dispose of gum or how lobsters didn’t become a delicacy until they stopped swarming beaches like it was some kind of pre-industrial tailgate party. The rarer the thing, the more lucrative it is. This also hurts your draw. Once you get to the point when your friends don’t have the energy to bother anymore, how can you expect that a passive, or even dedicated fan to keep the same level of interest? Furthermore, it can easily wear on your band’s chemistry. More gigs would seem to imply progress but if less and less people are showing up, the mixed messages can be very disheartening. To read more, click the link below:   

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