This is the most spot-on "tutorial" for today's musicians I've read so far. As a musician (formerly on a major label) with a hacker background, I agree with every single word. It is still hard for musicians, however, to give away their music for free, especially if money was spent producing it.
My band has been working the way described here for 3-4 years now. We're not famous but we have our fan base and we know there are people willing to pay for stuff. It's not enough to cover our living expenses but maybe we'll get there one day. Next stop: ramen-profitable...
Still, as the only Internet-savvy member in the band, it's hard to explain this to my band mates. E.g. we get lots of requests from dummers for our songs without the drum tracks so they could play along. They'd pay much more than for a regular album. And they'd upload videos to YouTube which would be free promotion for us. But I cannot get our drummer to agree to releasing these versions.
I read your comment and thought "hey, might as well see if they are any good", but then you didn't give a link or even mention the band's name... so I couldn't.
Instead of releasing the tracks without drums, you should release the mixdowns of each instrument individually. You could even charge a few bucks for it.
Let fans play their own instruments, re-mix, and upload. Have a contest for the best interpretation.
Doing it for all the tracks might help offset your drummer's aversion to the idea.
E.g. we get lots of requests from dummers for our songs without the drum tracks so they could play along.
What do you play? Could you just convince him that yall should release a series of tracks each dropping one instrument? Maybe only the drummers will buy.
my suggestion - put together a new band - to be your project band - so that you can do what you want - plus, it gets you out of the rut of playing the same stuff again and again :)
My girlfriend is a musician and my one wish from the startup community working in the music scene is to kill both "management" and the bookies.
If anybody is working on democratizing event organization, marketing and ticket sales, you have our full support, participation and feedback. Ask away and I/she will tell you.
You should check out Martin Atkin's book "Tour Smart." It should be mandatory reading for anyone involved in live music in just about any capacity. Seriously, a really, really good read, something I wish I had when I was still gigging.
try Derek Sivers' http://sivers.org/muckwork and to push your music extra-fast to iTunes for FREE, try WaTunes (disclaimer, used to be their evangelist), for physical distro - go cdbaby.com
"Remove all Flash from your website. Remove all stupid intros and load-times. MAKE IT SIMPLE TO NAVIGATE AND EASY TO FIND AND HEAR MUSIC (but don't autoplay)"
Brilliant. All websites should adhere to this advice.
I despise autoplay anything. It's the Internet not Television.
I don't agree with the "Remove all flash from your website suggestion". If you look at Pandora, Lala.com, Amazon, YouTube. They all use swf format as an easy way to deliver the music and video.
It's not without drawbacks however, but you will have a good idea of what the users experience will be when they recieve the media. It is probably not a bad idea to have multiple ways of viewing the media IMHO. With the user having the option to get the file itself alongside the sandbox be it Flash, Java , etc.
I don't think the Iphone supports flash right now though.
His advice on
- giving music out for free at un-DRMed format in exchange for email
- and using the email address to sell premium goods such as signed personal items..etc
sounds remarkably like the advice in the Seth godin's "Permission Marketting" book.
I have always been a fan of NIN, but not enough of one to check the website and keep up with tours and stuff. I'd occassionally catch a show and generally found out about new albums through my friends.
Then one of my friends pointed me to the Ghosts release, which I could buy online, DRM-free, for $5. I thought this was the greatest thing, so of course I bought it.
Then I started getting emails from Trent whenever they released something new or posted new tour dates. The emails were decidedly uncommercial... just plain text, as if he was emailing a group of friends. It's easy to dismiss other weekly emails (ahem Amazon and Borders) because of all the fancy graphics and marketing, but the NIN emails were both infrequent, personal, and very relevant.
So far, these emails have led me to buy The Slip, Niggy Tardust, the new Street Sweeper Social Club album, and attend two concerts. I'm definitely more involved as a fan, and love being told when things are happening, rather than having to follow the band's website.
I think the trick is not to overdo it. I think most people look at marketing as an activity that has to be constant... a daily/weekly barrage of offers, deals, and news. That's a quick way to get me to unsubscribe. But when I get an email every couple months from Trent telling me a new album is up for $5 (or more if you want signatures and stuff), or new tour dates are posted, I'm glad to know.
" The role of an independent musician these days requires a mastery of first hand use of these tools. If you don't get it - find someone who does to do this for you."
Opportunity to be had being the "someone" who does this for artists?
Easily summed up as the the opposite of what the rest of the music industry is doing with an emphasis on being realistic all the way.
I'm still wondering how much more time it will take before the realize they are on the wrong track and reverses on their actions and listens to their actual customers.
[+] [-] rivo|16 years ago|reply
My band has been working the way described here for 3-4 years now. We're not famous but we have our fan base and we know there are people willing to pay for stuff. It's not enough to cover our living expenses but maybe we'll get there one day. Next stop: ramen-profitable...
Still, as the only Internet-savvy member in the band, it's hard to explain this to my band mates. E.g. we get lots of requests from dummers for our songs without the drum tracks so they could play along. They'd pay much more than for a regular album. And they'd upload videos to YouTube which would be free promotion for us. But I cannot get our drummer to agree to releasing these versions.
Most musicians don't get it. Yet.
[+] [-] Xichekolas|16 years ago|reply
I read your comment and thought "hey, might as well see if they are any good", but then you didn't give a link or even mention the band's name... so I couldn't.
[+] [-] GavinB|16 years ago|reply
Let fans play their own instruments, re-mix, and upload. Have a contest for the best interpretation.
Doing it for all the tracks might help offset your drummer's aversion to the idea.
[+] [-] Radix|16 years ago|reply
What do you play? Could you just convince him that yall should release a series of tracks each dropping one instrument? Maybe only the drummers will buy.
[+] [-] pageman|16 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mahmud|16 years ago|reply
If anybody is working on democratizing event organization, marketing and ticket sales, you have our full support, participation and feedback. Ask away and I/she will tell you.
[+] [-] leviathant|16 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dflock|16 years ago|reply
Tickets: http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002975.php http://www.ticketleap.com/
Organisation & Marketing: http://upcoming.yahoo.com/ Public Google Calendar Your blog & your website
[+] [-] steveklabnik|16 years ago|reply
http://www.showclix.com/
[+] [-] pageman|16 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dan_the_welder|16 years ago|reply
Brilliant. All websites should adhere to this advice.
I despise autoplay anything. It's the Internet not Television.
[+] [-] abesapien|16 years ago|reply
It's not without drawbacks however, but you will have a good idea of what the users experience will be when they recieve the media. It is probably not a bad idea to have multiple ways of viewing the media IMHO. With the user having the option to get the file itself alongside the sandbox be it Flash, Java , etc.
I don't think the Iphone supports flash right now though.
[+] [-] ktharavaad|16 years ago|reply
sounds remarkably like the advice in the Seth godin's "Permission Marketting" book.
[+] [-] Xichekolas|16 years ago|reply
I have always been a fan of NIN, but not enough of one to check the website and keep up with tours and stuff. I'd occassionally catch a show and generally found out about new albums through my friends.
Then one of my friends pointed me to the Ghosts release, which I could buy online, DRM-free, for $5. I thought this was the greatest thing, so of course I bought it.
Then I started getting emails from Trent whenever they released something new or posted new tour dates. The emails were decidedly uncommercial... just plain text, as if he was emailing a group of friends. It's easy to dismiss other weekly emails (ahem Amazon and Borders) because of all the fancy graphics and marketing, but the NIN emails were both infrequent, personal, and very relevant.
So far, these emails have led me to buy The Slip, Niggy Tardust, the new Street Sweeper Social Club album, and attend two concerts. I'm definitely more involved as a fan, and love being told when things are happening, rather than having to follow the band's website.
I think the trick is not to overdo it. I think most people look at marketing as an activity that has to be constant... a daily/weekly barrage of offers, deals, and news. That's a quick way to get me to unsubscribe. But when I get an email every couple months from Trent telling me a new album is up for $5 (or more if you want signatures and stuff), or new tour dates are posted, I'm glad to know.
[+] [-] jasonlbaptiste|16 years ago|reply
Opportunity to be had being the "someone" who does this for artists?
[+] [-] trezor|16 years ago|reply
I'm still wondering how much more time it will take before the realize they are on the wrong track and reverses on their actions and listens to their actual customers.