Accidentally Like A Martyr

Selling Your Music For Production

2012-01-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

All through the improvements that have impacted the music industry, a very important factor that has always been consistent is music for production. This usually has, and can remain, just about the most desired markets for composers as well as musicians. Music for production is very important to a production's success. Each and every film, TV show and also corporate video requires music to lift their final product... they usually have and will be always. Record labels could only get you so far, but bringing a tune in a TV show may gather its returns for a long time.

Production music libraries in many cases are requested by composers and musicians about how precisely to publish their very own music for production. An excellent library should be available to a stable circulation of fresh material from both experienced or veterans and new musicians. Who knows what undiscovered talent is waiting around in the wings! While all of us devote most time of our day online, connected to our email and the world wide web, it's very easy to deliver out an MP3 with a link to a site to browse around. Yet, a bit of work in your production can surely significantly help. Posting a demo CD featuring your very best work, with all clearly branded might have longer desk pile life than an email that's very easy to delete and tag as spam. The majority of production music libraries hold the greatest submissions on hand, generally organized by genre, for upcoming projects. Do not be blown away to listen to back from a library one year after, when they eventually comprehend they do need an album of mariachi rock music for production.

For some music libraries, composer agreements are made on a work-for-hire basis. The library will have the masters and copyrights, and will keep 100% ownership of publishing shares. But, the composer is eligible to take part in all writer performance royalties. Agreements may change among various music for production libraries, although many work on a work-for-hire basis to be able to support the type of music for production libraries as a one stop licensing shop.

Publishing indie music for production is actually a the same process. But, the management contracts differs from exclusive to non-exclusive deals, varying term period and publishing share splits. Many music supervisors, who be given a continuous stream of submitted music for production, highlight the value of exclusive agreements. It's within their greatest interest, as well as your best interest as a composer/musician/artist, to do business with just one company to try to sell your music. By doing this, all parties included are clear in terms of the prices and true ownership/representative of the music in use. You do not wish to contend against yourself and also have the music supervisor settle for a less expensive license fee. You may be losing out on well-deserved license earnings!

Thus, just what occurs when all the parties agreed and your music is used in a TV show such as Grey's Anatomy or Fringe? Hopefully you are a registered writer with either of the US Performing Rights Organizations (PROs), namely ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. These PROs are every author as well as publishers' very best friend. These people are responsible to keep sending you those royalty checks each quarter, yet most importantly, they help safeguard your rights as a composer and publisher.

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bobfindlay.bandcamp.com/album/mean-business"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Mean Business by Bob Findlay&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Music Business And Managers

2011-11-25T21:17:00.000-08:00

Image via WikipediaFor the purpose of this entry I am referring largely to independent rock bands who are performing on a regular basis. Hopefully, musicians working outside of this scope may find parts of this blog financially beneficial.

Most artists and bands want to achieve success in the music business, for instance earning enough from travelling and playing their beloved instrument to quitting their day job. Good administration is almost always necessary to achieve any measure of success in this tough business. Many musicians are intelligent and resourceful, and certainly have the capacity to manage their own affairs, but the artist that can handle all this and progress in his art without losing focus and/or sanity is rare.

The basic question is when do you need a manager?

The simple answer is....when you have something to manage. This sounds pretty obvious but it is the most

accurate answer I can give. Many artists and bands tend to seek business administration far too early in their careers, but others wait too long. Some artists and bands look for management to take over every aspect of the band's business so they can just "show up and play...". Even if the manager could do it all, bands must understand that the success or failure is solely the band's responsibility. Not the manager's.

The main reason an artist or band tends to seek a manager is because they want to be playing regular gigs as well as get extensive media attention to help promote the artist and their music. From the very first day, a good manager will be driven by an artist or band's achievements, which may be as simple as having a great song written or access to a decent PA or an opportunity to perform for an A&R scout. Any "successful" regional act will tell you that practicing and playing are only a very small part of the job of being in a band; meeting club owners, networking with other bands, and studying the music industry are just a few of many responsibilities. Remember, it's called the music business for a reason.

If you or your band is lucky enough to have a close friend outside the band with respect for the band and

music, some computer skills, motivation to succeed, and basic business knowledge, you're in luck!

Most up-and-coming bands aren't in the financial position to pay a manager or even pay their rent for that matter, so be sure to respect the free labour you're receiving for what it is. Once your band is has established itself and written some material to perform live, utilize your resources to record a good demo tape, write a band biography, and have some professional pictures made. Basically, a killer press kit. Then, use those tools to help create some business to manage!

When you know you're ready for a manager and haven't got the full time to focus your attention on playing as well as your administration duties, its essential to find the perfect manager.

Mean Business by Bob Findlay

How To Share Your Knowledge Online

2011-10-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

Anybody who has spent a certain amount of time on the internet will have no doubt heard about blogs. It took me about 2 years to actually know what a blog was. I was too busy being overwhelmed by the fact that I could get my music heard on the world stage to bother. Blogs are growing in popularity each day, with focuses on every subject one could think of; people from all over the world can interact with each other, no matter the hour where they live. Naturally, in an attempt to appeal to the masses and stay current, some businesses opt to create a blog to talk about their products and services. Many, however, are not sure of how to use said blogs to market their business. By reading the below tips, you can learn how to effectively market yourself using this internet tool.

1. Post interesting content. You are not writing for yourself; on the contrary, the focus of the blog is meant to entertain your reader. If you want people to become interested in your product, do not discuss how great it is or how professional your company is all the time. If you overdo it, your visitors will be less likely to take you seriously; they may even leave based on your saturation method. The blog should not be one big sales pitch, in other words. Make even those who would not normally care about your business want to visit.

2. Make your readers relate to you in some way. This can be achieved by sharing stories from your everyday life. Did you have a challenging time finding a birthday gift for your grandmother? Talk about it.

Did the tires of your car blow out while you were driving down the highway? Share this event. When they start to see you as a real person, as opposed to simply a cold business suit on the other end of the computer screen, customer loyalty may result. Weave in how your situations relate to your services, as well.

3. Update the blog frequently. Many people who run blogs find themselves falling into this trap, but it is quite important in the long run. You do not have to update several times a day, but posting once a week or month is not an attractive move. Should someone come across the blog and discover how infrequently it is given attention, they may lose interest. In fact, they may believe that you are not professional, or are out of business entirely. This is a terrible blow to your marketing goals; do not make this mistake.

4. Provide information that cannot be acquired any other way. In other words, make it feel like you are giving away special "insider" information . Give notice on upcoming sales; tell them about what is selling the best in your industry, and so on. Educate them; make it fun for all involved. However, do not give away anything that might damage your reputation, such as how much your fellow employees drank at the annual Christmas party. Stick to "safe" topics, but do not make them boring.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bobfindlay.bandcamp.com/album/mean-business"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mean Business by Bob Findlay&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Tasmanian Musicians. Carry That Weight

2011-06-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Since recently dabbling in assisting bands increase their public profile by way of an online music newspaper that was initially called "Music In Tasmania," I was underwhelmed by the lack of responses that I received after contacting them. The major response was/is a surefire winner. A chap called Mat from "Argusband" contacted me with other websites that the band is on so I have tweeted them with the relevant hashtags with moderate success at this stage.

I didn't bother contacting Rod Fritz as his online presence is making my job pretty easy as far as "Music In Tasmania" goes.

What took me aback was that I received four letters complaining that they hadn't been featured and the bands that I have featured are "....crap...." "rubbish...." "....wankers...." and so forth. Such letters were the first correspondence that I had received from these bands. Needless to say, they're off my schedule.

Having a small population base put me behind the eightball to start with. Having such useless and pointless comments from some bands narrowed my field even more. This saw me launch straight into 'Plan B.' This entails a name and content change for the paper. It is now called "Music And Arts In Tasmania." It is now including tourism, art, photography and theatre as well as the original topic of music.

Where am I going with this blog? I was heading away from my original theme of discouraging musicians from being aloof when nobody knows who they are for a start. Added to this, it's not a good idea to send unprofessional slurs about other bands to the likes of myself with my mere 26 years as a professional musician. My word travels far and fast. Make it work FOR you. It's not rocket science!

If any bands are viewing this entry as criticism, then you're way wrong. It's the music business. Are you into your music as a hobby or are you treating it as a business? If your answer is the latter then I suggest spending some time exploring legitimate and worthwhile to your specific needs. It really is worth it. You don't have to upload you're entire catalogue of music to each site. I do recommend, however, having a consistent bio. and profile picture.

The music business has been around longer than we have so they know all the tricks. You can make yourself stand out simply by being easily reachable via Google search. This is where consistency comes in. People will be more likely to 'join you' on another site if your presentation is consistent with the other sites that you're on.

It takes time for each site to 'generate' you and make you Google friendly. Patience is a virtue.

The best promotion that I can offer you is via "Music And Arts In Tasmania" (below) which is heavily reliant on my Twitter activity. All you have to do is send an occasional tweet my way and I can get you great mileage; namely in the form of a "featured article." In order to keep up to speed, simply subscribe to the daily edition of my newspaper.

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bobfindlay.bandcamp.com/album/mean-business"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mean Business by Bob Findlay&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Tips To Selling Your Music Online.

2011-06-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

In an era where digital music is frequently pirated and distributed freely around the internet, it might seem highly difficult to discover new methods of selling your tunes. Sure, there is always going to be listeners who download albums illegally, but allowing it to ruin your day or marketing strategy isn't going to help anyone. Finding true success within the digital market is by no means easy, but never impossible if you have a decent product and the right plan.

Right off the bat, you must ask yourself what about the music influences people to purchase it, and drop their hard earned cash on one of your creations. Obviously, writing material which is inspired and enjoyable is the first step, but even this might not be completely enough. Listeners need to love the music so much it's impossible to resist, and something they can't help but share with friends and family, hoping it will evoke a similar positive reaction.

Creating a deep, diverse selection of music is another critical step in making some cash off your tunes. Perhaps if some people aren't interested in one album, there's another with a slightly different style which will pique their interest. Building an impressive discography allows potential fans to experience multiple sounds and ideas, and with enough of them, they are bound to discover something they can jam to. Once someone purchases a few songs, they'll become inclined to download more, becoming thirsty for another taste of your music.

While constructing your discography, it's also significant to remember that quality will always outweigh quantity. Just because there's an extra five tracks or so you've been dying to dust off and post online for sale doesn't quite mean they're ready for public consumption. Capturing accurate emotions, feelings, and inspiring people is what truly pushes fans to spend money, and you're more likely to capture new audiences with top notch material, rather than some B-side you don't even enjoy. Making sustainable, powerful music should be the top priority, and always before a marketing or distribution plan.

Once a record or single is touched up, completed, and prepared for release, it's time to devise an effective strategy to create some buzz and compel more listeners to try out your latest product. Utilizing social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace is a free, easy method to spread the word and drive some more traffic to your web pages. Affordable and sometimes free press release services are available online as well, which help to distribute information to the appropriate music blogs, message boards, magazines and sites. Make contacts with other bands or record labels so you can reach their audiences as well. If you've created something special, people will be listening, and the reflection will hopefully become evident in your bank account.

As long as you're focused on writing and producing top notch music, there's always a way to create some income through attracting people and generating digital sales. Stay away from rushing your products out the door, and ensure each and every release is absolutely of the best quality. Marketing and promotion is equally important, but all the fancy Flash animation and website hits in the world won't make poor music profitable.

Mean Business by Bob Findlay

Music And Legal Matters

2011-05-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

Whether you realize it or not, the creative side and the business side of the music industry is inevitably linked. Unfortunately, for artists, the business side of the industry is boring and overly technical but that does not change the fact that you must be informed to stay successful. These two sides become linked with talk of music contracts. Music contracts are legal documents that specify terms and conditions for all parties involved in any type of situation.

No matter how great of an artist you are, when it comes to music contracts, you need to operate like a professional businessman or businesswoman. Aside from just contracts, your music career can be affected legally by record contracts, publishing contracts, copyright law, name protection and business organization.

The legal aspect of the music business is unavoidable, that is why you have to educate yourself. And don't just educate yourself on the legal requirements of the artist in music contracts, study how a music contract can affect everyone involved, engineers, agents, managers, producers, recorders etc...

Every individual working in the music business today should convert themselves into a business person in addition to being an artist. Here are some things you should understand to be a success in your music career.

- Learn who is involved in the music industry, the main players, who they are and when you may need them.

- Your music career is your business, so aside from just music contracts, you need to know how to run your business, your finances, your administration and your rights.

- What legal issues are a unique concern to artists and songwriters? You need to grasp copyright law, recording agreements and publishing agreements.

- Explore the common types of music contracts including club contracts, distribution agreements, production contracts and label agreements.

- In music contracts there are several parties that play a role including; managers, agents, producers, club owners and investors. Understand the roles of everyone involved.

- Lastly, keep yourself informed of changes in legal issues concerning artists in the music industry.

I completely understand if this all sounds overwhelming to you but at the same time, it is vital to your success. Take a course on the legal aspects of music contracts and the music industry. At the very least, read some books on the subject. You really need to arm yourself with knowledge in this industry before you sign any music contract. Don't be apart of the rising statistics of great artists who failed because of signing bad music contracts.

Mean Business by Bob Findlay

Download Music Legally

2011-02-08T17:37:00.000-08:00

Music is the essence of communication. It connects us with worlds and emotions that are sometimes buried so deep within that we almost forget that they exist. Thanks to all the advancement of technology we can now explore all the interesting music genres right in our own homes. This convenience comes with great responsibility and most people lack the maturity to understanding that. To appreciate music you have to be willing to make a small investment for those that open up the portals of self-expression and communication.

The world of mp3 music is now an extended orchard, ripe and ready for the picking. The industry of downloading music illegally is now noticing that in order to get better quality with less guilt then legal download is the best way to go. The reasons are endless as to why you should opt for downloading mp3 music legally.

It is clear that society is not highly interested in paying much for anything, but often the asking price for legal music download is so little one can actually ridicule it. There are many sites that offer the download of mp3 music legally. These help provide an efficient service for people. The basic concept is that people can get their favorite music instantly by paying a very low fee. This type of fee can be per download or subscription. Besides being able to download the music legally you get the opportunity to read some of the reviews written about your favorite artists which can be quite interesting. Most start from as little as $1 per hit downloads. Sites like mp3.com, emusic.com, musicmatch.com and so forth help make this process as easy as taping a few keys.

With such convenience its no wonder more and more people are entering this music world. The best part is that one can carry their music with them whenever they go, with the little assistance from mobile phones and also mp3 players and such technological gadgets.

So the world is all about exploration and the path is paved with legally downloaded mp3 music. Why bother with the hassle of illegal music when you can have your conscious free from the claws of the law.

The appeal with legal mp3 music download is that you know that you will be receiving the same quality as a store bought CD. But something that most music fans seem to understand and appreciate from the services provided by the legal mp3 music downloading sites is that it is a community. This means you are become part of a growing network of music fans. Legally downloading mp3 music is also mainly about appreciating the legal rights of artists. With people lacking so much in the respect for other people's property it is good that most music downloading websites are doing their part in preserving a sense of honesty.

Independent Muiscians And Social Media

2011-01-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

Since the creation of the music industry, artists have been scrambling to find the address to major record labels in hopes of effectively shopping their demo and signing a record deal. Those days are long gone, though because new technology is making it easier to not only record and distribute your own music, but now you can start your own record label with very little effort, and nowhere near the capital.

Shareware, freeware, and open source software are typically free or extremely inexpensive to obtain. Programmers and software developers create these accessible programs in order to establish their credibility in their field of expertise. This benefits you because it allows you to get your hands on the equipment you need to record your own demos and albums.

Social networking and social media programs on the internet also make it very easy to share your music with friends and family, and also to start building a fan base. You can establish yourself as a credible, quality independent musician or artist without the usual marketing and production that can take months to create. The need for administration becomes negated and will save a lot off stress and time.

Once you are able to distribute music, you can officially consider yourself a record label, and with some paperwork, you can make it legal too. The first thing you will need to do is choose a label name and file a Fictitious Name Statement, which is basically a form of copyright. This way you are not illegally using a name that someone else owns, but it also protects you from someone else using your name, intentionally or otherwise. It also protects you from slander and libel.

Next you will need to decide if you want to manage a sole-proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation. This depends on how many people are involved in decision making, investing, and who makes profits. Obviously, the first option is a solo, independent business. The second option explains that multiple people equally invest and benefit and third represents most of the record labels that you know about. These are large businesses with varying levels of employment and require legal counsel before establishing.

Once you know what kind of business you want to run, you need to file for your tax ID. This puts you into the taxman, so you have to pay the necessary taxes, but it will also allow you to take advantage of the tax benefits that go along with owning your own business and band administration manager with minimal fuss.

Get your copy of "Mean Business for ONLY $5.00 using the codeword thistle

Why Sell Out Your Music Career?

2010-08-22T04:34:00.000-07:00

Many independent musicians are known for their anti-corporate stance. It's not surprising then that the concept of "marketing" leaves a sour taste in many independent artists' mouths. The fact is though, there are ways to build your fan base and increase people's interest in and awareness of your music - without selling out. If you are an independent music maker, here are a few ways you can do some marketing without going corporate.

First, if your mindset is completely anti-marketing, you really need to change your tune. Marketing and administration does not have to equal selling out or going corporate. Finding ways to expose your ideas and creations through your songs and music to more people - marketing - shows that you believe in what you are doing.

Just stop and think about it for a moment. Doesn't what you create mean enough to you that you want to share it with other people? If not, why are you even pursuing music at all? Once you stop equating marketing and administration with these negative connotations, you can finally move on and start finding ways to promote your band that are still in-line with your ideals as an independent artist.

For starters, remember that your fans are not only your target market, but also your best promoters. Many independent musicians avoid pursuing marketing and administration because they think it means having to constantly deal with the media, promoters, record labels and other corporate types to help get the word out. If you're not comfortable with that, just skip it and go straight to the people who already are your best advertisers - your fan base. Provide them with ways to spread the word about you and your music. They will do the best job at it - and for free. Think about marketing in terms of your fans spreading their passion about you and the word loses even more of it's negative stereotype, doesn't it?

With that in mind, increasing your marketing simply becomes a matter of increasing your fan base. What could be better than that? Make sure to find out what it is about your music that attracts the fans you already have. Make sure you can describe your style of music quickly and clearly. With these tools it becomes even easier to find others who would also be interested in your music and your message. Reach out to them.

As you can see, independent music marketing doesn't need to be a dirty concept. Once you see it in terms of sharing who you are with even more people who will get pleasure from what you create, you can start using it to your advantage. Best of all you can do this using methods that don't require selling out or forgetting about your roots.

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<a href="http://bobfindlay.bandcamp.com/album/mean-business">Snake Eyes by Bob Findlay</a>

What To Send To A Music Agent

2010-08-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

If you want to be considered for work through a music agent or entertainment agency, you need to get on their books. Most respectable music agencies have a list of requirements they need from you. These things are generally common to most agencies:

CD demo
Your demo should be no longer than 5 minutes in total and should include 5-7 segments of varying song styles. For example, a jazz piece, a ballad, a rock and roll or soul piece and a top 40 piece. Make this relevant to the type of music you are providing. Each piece should be approximately 20 - 30 seconds long, perhaps incorporating a verse & chorus or intro & chorus etc.
Band Biography or Artist Resume / CV
Your band resume should be printed in a clear and easy to read layout and should briefly outline the highlights and current status. If you choose to mention details about each member, aim to keep each entry to 50 words or less if possible.
Sales Pitch & Band Marketing
Write a brief statement promoting the positive aspects of your act. Direct this to your prospective clients. (ie. anyone who books your band will receive these). This can be included as an introduction to your resume in paragraph or point form. You need to be able to answer the questions that a prospective client would ask you (Indirectly), eg; Why should I book your band over any other band? What does your band do that makes it special?
Don't neglect to make mention of your internet marketing promotion. A true music agent will be impressed with a solid online presence. Any music angent who dismisses such a thing should be seriously reconsidered as an option as, lets face it, he's missing a huge business promotion product whether they like it or not.

Other aspects to consider
1. Musicianship
2. Punctuality
3. Experience
4. Dress code
5. Public relations (with clients and work suppliers)
HINT: Be concise, honest and to the point.
Songlists
Categorize your repertoire into styles of music: eg: Jazz, Ballads, Rock, 90's etc. and alphabetize each category. Remember to include the artist's name alongside of the song. Don't include the words "..and many more..." because clients ALWAYS ask "What other songs does the band do?" and this inevitably means you need to supply a more detailed songlist. (If you do literally have hundreds of songs - list the most popular ones)
Photograph
The photograph you submit to your entertainment agent can be black & white or colour but must be of good quality. Keep in mind that a great photo can make a huge difference in the decision process of a client. (A 1/2 page photo on the same page as your resume always looks great). You may have a gallery of great photos. Don't bombard the entertainment agent with all at once. Set a small handful and mention you have more photos if required.
Video
If you have any professional or live footage of your band or artist performance you should definitely submit this. Video has proven to be a very powerful marketing tool. It helps to solve the problem of clients wanting to view bands that usually play at private functions where viewing access is difficult.
Fees & Availability
An Entertainment agent will also require a statement of your proposed band fees for a standard 4 hour call (or whatever call time you work to. If there are a few different sized working groups within your act, you should give them a breakdown and specify ie a 3 piece is $xx and a 4 piece is $yy). Supplying ALL unavailable dates that you are already booked is also very useful to an entertainment agent.
Today's market is a consumer's market! Clients demand a great deal of information from an Entertainment agent so they'll require the right information from you (the band or artist). If you help the entertainment agent, they'll love you and will probably end up giving you more work. It's very much a case of, "You scratch mine and I'll scratch yours. It's the nature of the beast.

Grab your 50% discount on the album "Mean Business" by entering the codeword: thistle<a href="http://bobfindlay.bandcamp.com/album/mean-business">Snake Eyes by Bob Findlay</a>

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Educate Yourself. Your Music Is Your Business

2010-08-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

I know from personal responses to this particular blog that both full-time and fledgeling independent artists take no offence at the terminology and suggestions used here. I am thankful for this but I am even more thankful that they/you are gaining something from this blog.

If you are a serious musician, you might take your profession on top of everything. There may be times when you had to accept gigs and deals which might not really translate into getting monetary revenue, just as long as you get publicity or you get to make your music available to a wider public base. This usually ends up with the artist spending a lot more for the publicity and his "musical expression" rather than earning from it.

Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. After all, the real essence of art cannot be measured in terms of how much it is sold for. However, as you go on and pursue a musical career, you will incur expenses along the way. Also, you'd want to grow bigger and bigger as a musician, and that usually means more expenses. Want a new guitar? Want new clothes to wear during gigs? What about communication expenses? Truly, the financial aspect of being an artist can get in the way of your artistic success.

This is why, if you are given a chance to earn (and really earn!) from what you already love doing, why not push your envelopes and make money out of it? Perhaps you can sign up with legitimate music business programs which can help you manage your finances well while helping you move forward as musicians.

Look at the people who earn from what they love doing. They maximize their productivity well. If they earn, they can buy things to upgrade what they already do. Anyone can always use a better phone, laptop, car or a musical instrument. Or maybe get extra assistance from a PR entity, use the money to produce your next album, invest in other non-music related things (music as a career is not that stable, after all), et cetera.

Also, another advantage with enrolling yourself with legitimate music business programs is that you will learn some technical music handling stuff, some things you might find difficult to ride on with if you just plunge into the music industry without any form of orientation. Such programs will help you understand and appreciate industry essentials such as artist royalties, proper trainings, professionalism and networking. The certifications that you get from such music business programs will help you build a more solid repertoire in music once you get across the hardcore technical managers, producers or hotshot music network.

Most likely these programs were made with emphasis on helping the young independent artists get their names on the mainstream music. So the design that you will be working with will be a ladderized design, something which won't overwhelm you.

Are you convinced with taking a look at some music business programs which boast of the potentials they've made famous? One of these artists could be you! So do you research as soon as now and get hooked with the best programs in your side of the country. This is one musical investment you don't want to miss out on!

Outside The Square

2010-03-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

No sooner had I finished my last blog and saying (truthfully) that I was unsure when my next literary work would be kicked into action, than I was woken by a multitude of ideas. So specific were they that I was 'forced' out of bed to write them down for fear of waking up in my customary (pretty) vacant state.

Having initially published "Online Music Traps" on Lulu as both an ebook and paperback, I was enthralled not only by the whole process but by the simplicity of it and the added creative scope that it provides.

I've been receiving quite a few emails of late from various music sites, offering this and that; some are at a cost, some are purely advice. The emails have one thing in common. Promotion.

Merchandising seems to be working it's way 'down' from the big name acts to the smaller players with 'pay-on-delivery' making it possible to have custom designed clothing item ready for fans to purchase with no up-front cost to the musician. This sort of promotion has been around for some time but musicians are now being patronised by some companies who are allegedly providing 'innovative' promotional tips, such as designing a different item for a different venue, city or event. (!)

The other factor that I have noticed is that it is now possible to create pay-on-delivery CDs. Admittedly there has been a marginal swing back towards physical CDs in the last 12 months but is just that. Marginal. The concept of re-issuing old albums, possibly with a 'bonus track' or new cover design has been launched at us as if it's some great trade secret. As the late Ian Dury once said, "I'm not too old to mind being patronised."

It never ceases to amaze how many (most) musicians don't dive head-first into these opportunities. Don't worry about the patronising waffle from the assortment of sites and companies. I have no doubt that you have better ideas and more ideas. I guess I should be a little more forgiving on the powers that be. They are, after all, providing opportunities that many of us would otherwise have gone without. Additionally, they have to generalise when talking about changing graphics on t-shirts for particular cities, etc. It is a good idea....but that's all. Not exactly 'nose-bleed' stuff.

As a musician who isn't 'doing the rounds,' I don't place a great deal of emphasis on merchandise. Pretty-well next to none, actually. I created a couple of very basic designs and haven't had anything to to with them since except, "Thank you very much for buying them." If someone emails with a specific request then I'll do it if it's possible.

With regards to CDs, actively touring/performing bands have got the upper hand on the 'stay-at-home' musician. They can sell countless numbers at gigs if they get the price right. One very handy piece of advice on this matter that I would like to share is; irrespective of town/city size, venue size or anticipated crowd size, keep your CD prices consistent. Word does travel, especially when money's involved.

I guess what I'm trying to get across....without sounding patronising myself....is that us small-time independent musicians could do better for ourselves by thinking outside the square.

I didn't sit down to write "Online Music Traps" as a promotional venture. Far from it. I wrote it because I firmly believe that many independent artists are being misled. This is happening to us irrespective of time in the industry or genre' of music. As is the case with my music, I wouldn't have published the book had I not believed in it 100%.

After publishing the book, I noticed that my followers increased by over one hundred in 48 hours....to the dizzying heights of around 650 (!). This backed my advice in "Online Music Traps" that diversity plays a major role with regard to Twitter in particular, even though I'm not a huge fan of it.

As one does with any new 'creation,' I shared the news of my recent entry into the world of 'author-dom' to all the usual sites. I immediately upgraded my Google alerts to include the book in order to see what the reaction was/is. One word. Overwhelming! I currently await with baited breath to see what happens when the search engines really get their teeth into it.

Writing a book is but another way of promoting oneself. It doesn't even have to be a book as such. A how-to guide or a brochure. Anything that is related to what you are doing musically. Perhaps a guide to your town or city. It's related to your music because you record/perform it there. You would be amazed at the amount of people who have more than a passing interest in geography, particularly if there is a 'musical' link to it.

Be it book, articles, blogs, etc. if you keep your content close to where you're at then people are more inclined to stay a little longer and hopefully want to hear more about your thoughts, methods, influences and so forth. You will be amazed at what you can pour out as soon as you rid yourself of the 'search-engine-friendly' side of it. To me that's the biggest killer of emotional freedom & freedom of expression online....hence I totally ignore it. Sure my blogs could rate higher, but you're not going to get the essence of Bob Findlay in there.

Writing is only one idea. I'm sure that there are more. For the time being, I'll be sticking to recording and writing. I'm actually two-thirds through my next album and have three writing projects up and running at the moment, all in various stages of completion and one of which I do know will throw you a curve when I publish it. It defines 'outside the square.' Until next time, happy wondering.

Online Music Traps

2010-03-16T01:26:00.000-07:00

The notion of me writing a book has, for as long as I care to remember, been a given. It was a matter of 'when,' not 'if.' That 'when' came to fruition on March 12, 2010; two days after my 43rd birthday.

I can't recall the actual 'moment' that I decided to finally put a particular train of thought into some semblance of order in the shape of a book. I do know, however, that the subject matter has been bugging me almost instantly on entering the world of online music in April 2007.

Despite being generally reserved & apathetic towards most forms of media, I do find myself verbalising my annoyance when I feel strongly about disparity in an area that I am part of.

"Online Music Traps" is the result of extensive research, personal experience & countless emails from frustrated independent musicians,disc jockeys & equally frustrated fans of my music all voicing their displeasure & confusion with the major organisations & their hold over online distribution.

The book sheds light on what's going on right under our noses but also gives advice on what we all can do to improve the situation. It can be done.

The online music industry, like any other industry, is a numbers game. If an artist can't guarantee exorbitant profits for a company they are overlooked. It's that simple. As it stands, the odds of an independent artist making any impression on the online music charts are slim.

Giving you the option to have a productive online musical presence on your own terms should be a 'given' but until recent times it hasn't been. After extensive research I feel more than comfortable (if not proud) in saying that there is no other ebook like "Online Music Traps."

When you purchase "Online Music Traps," there is nothing more to purchase; quite the opposite. By the time you have read the book & applied what you have read, you have saved over $200 (U.S.). Many books on the matter will allude to saving you money. Their idea of 'saved' is much different to mine. My idea of 'save' includes not paying out money in order to receive a discount.

Your wallet can safely stay in your wallet once you have purchased "Online Music Traps." No 'gold membership,' 'paid upgrade,' not even a mailing list to annoy you.....& I'm afraid there's no holiday to Tasmania if you buy in bulk. (!)

Due to the vast nature of the book, occasional duplication occurs. It is unavoidable & you will see why on the few occasions that you do encounter it.

Towards the end of the book I present you with a scenario This scenario has been specifically written so that it can be easily adapted to suit your needs.

Whether you are new to the online music industry, a veteran or somewhere in the middle, I am sure that you will find "Online Music Traps" both enjoyable & informative. Additionally, I spend quite a bit of time addressing music enthusiasts as the musician may as well not bother tuning-up if there is no-one around to listen.

The actual publishing of the book was an experience in itself. having never done it before I treated every wrong turn as a learning experience. It did, however,wear thin after a while. The first publisher that I used is Lulu. Very easy to manage, even for a learner like myself. The book is available there in both paperback and as a downloadable pdf document.

The next place that I discovered to publish was Click2Sell, an affiliate site dealing in a range of online products. My book is only available as a download here & an affiliate programme is available. This is also the case with PayDotCom.

The final external site that I put "Online Music Traps" for sale was in the Amazon Kindle Store. Being something of a techno-luddite I did have initial reservations but on doing some research & as in keeping with the actual substance of the book, the Kindle Store is, at the very worst, free advertising.

For the first two days that "Online Music Traps" was out there, I spent quite a lot of time wandering about aimlessly. I've been busily jotting down thoughts etc. about my next literary venture.I'm actually rather surprised with the volume I have amassed already.

I have no idea when this will commence & a a publication timetable is, at, this stage, over the hills & far away. How long will remain so? I have no idea. Stay tuned.

Paperback:
Download:

Rock Musician Bob Findlay Releases His First Book

2010-03-12T16:51:00.001-08:00

     Online Music Traps

     A comprehensive guide to the online music industry & how independent musicians can make an impact without the numerous costly 'traps.'
   This versatile ebook has been specifically designed to cater for musicians of all levels & genres & concludes with a sequential scenario which can be easily adapted to suit your own needs.
   "Online Music Traps" is currently available on Lulu.com & Click2Sell. Additional options, including Amazon, are soon to be made available directly from here.

make an impact without the numerous
costly 'trap
industry & how independent musicians can
make an impact without the numerous
costly 'traps.'

search engine submission

via scotsbob.com

Posted via web from scotsbob's posterous

"...And The Sun Refused To Shine...."

2009-11-18T23:02:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been in that hideously frustrating situation where you have everything at your disposal to record a song or piece of music but you don't have a song to write? The general reaction of most songwriters is to sit with pen and paper or at their computer 'willing' a song to emerge. This has such a low success rate that it's barely worth mentioning.

To my way of thinking every songwriter, or every person for that matter, is but a mode of transport for a sequence of lyrics, chords, emotions and arrangements to present themselves in the form of what we term a 'song.'

I have no way of proving this but it is my firm belief that everyone has at least one song in them. Some people have such a passion for creating a song that they go 'the extra hard yard,'....and then some....to make this happen.

Others, on the other hand, for whatever reason do not pursue this aspect of their psyche. I view this a a shame in many ways as so many people have so many songs or stories that come their way but are left to wander off, hopefully to some place where they can be transformed into a musical piece.

A song can be 'sparked' by the most unlikely source. It may be a transient image that becomes so firmly entrenched in the writers' mind that it will eventually come to fruition. It may come from a remark made by a friend, stranger, newsreader, etc. This doesn't necessarily that the writer will write word for word what they have heard. More often than not it is just enough to ignite what is already within the writer.

As writers continue pursue their craft they become more open to external forces and more flexible in adapting their internal notions.

When I first began writing professionally in the late 1980s I had a wealth of poetry stemming back to my days as a kid at school back in Scotland. I found this easy. All that was required was a few

tweaks here and there and finding the best key for our vocalist. This 'easy' phase soon became serious basically through life experience. As serious as it became I still found it easy. My songwriting only became serious in the sense that I was ever-conscious that my 'fresh' material was going to be heard by large audiences.

By the early 1990s my songs became, deliberately, highly politicised as there were some pretty heavy political issues going down in Tasmania at the time. They continued to be well received so I kept my technique the same. As time progressed and the political situation in Tasmania had pretty-well resolved itself I had no 'ignition.' I believe that it was around this time that I really began to fully learn about songwriting for a rock band.

From this point on I maintained my previous attitude to songwriting. I have never written for a target audience or written a song with the aim of pleasing listeners. If I like a song then I'm more than happy enough. The only obstacle that I encountered was getting the band to play a particular track exactly the way that I wanted it to be played, hence the fact that I write, record and mix all tracks myself these days.

Having a multitude of ideas thrown around about regarding how my song should turn out doesn't sit well with me. I've been accused of being stubborn and difficult to work with. I can wear that because such comments usually come from drugged-out 'try-hards' who can barely put pen to paper. I have also been accuse of staying in my 'comfort zone.' I see nothing wrong with being in my comfort-zone. Why leave it if I'm happy being there? Who knows that I may leave it tomorrow if I have an 'ignition' that calls for such a move.

The Phone Don't Ring....

2009-10-25T01:23:00.000-07:00

At the risk of sounding patronising, which I'm not (I save that for 'real life'), most people who listen to music and have no connection with musicians don't give any thought as to how a song actually comes to fruition. I certainly didn't until my early teens. I am speaking mainly of my own recording experience over the last two or so years.

I have been asked by countless people where a song comes from plenty of times & it's such a broad question that any number of perfectly reasonable answers could be given. My answer has been the same ever since I began writing. It usually stems from a line of an overheard conversation or, more commonly, when I'm sitting out the back thinking of nothing in particular.

This is the embryo of the song. It may only be a few seconds in length but it's more than enough to run with. I get particularly enthused if a part of a bass-line enters me. It's a cakewalk once that foundation is there. Words have always come easily to me, infact I've never spent more than 20 minutes sitting with a pen & paper writing lyrics.

This doesn't mean that they come instantly. I may have been sitting on a notion for days, weeks or months. Finding words to rhyme & make sense have never been much trouble either. I DO pay particular attention to phrasing, emphasising particular words & even half-speaking some. Let's face it, a song is a story put to music. Bob Dylan & the late Warren Zevon are the best two for this by light years that I have encountered.

Sometimes my songs are from personal experience but I often swap from singing in the first person to singing in the second person. I often swap the gender of the subject of a song. Why? I have no idea. I guess it's just how a song was meant to leave me. I'm rather fond of the notion that pieces of music are floating around everywhere and every now & again 'converge' within someone who is able to convey them.

Once written and firmly entrenched in my head, the next step is to record it. To do so, one must have instruments, recording equipment, a place to record & the time to do it. I've had a small mixing desk & all of the necessary instruments for many years. One also has to know how to operate the recording equipment. Initially this is very time-consuming but after a while one gets the hang of what frequency will suit what vocal best or what guitar effect will suit a particular song best. My effects are very limited as I prefer that 'pub sound' so I can literally mix blindfolded....but not quite.

Once the song is recorded to the standard that I'm happy enough with, the next thing to do is to get it onto the internet. One needs a computer for this and some know-how about converting sound files. Again, more expense and time.

I've heard many songwriters prattle on about the weeks of torment & anguish that they subjected themselves to in order to 'capture' a song. Firstly, a song isn't there to be captured. It's either there or it isn't. Deliberately subjecting oneself to torment and anguish for the sake of a 3 or 4 minute song is either lunacy or a lie.

Due to the life that I've led I have plenty of horrific memories to draw on if I wanted to go down that road. I do throw snippets in now & again but always ensure the song has an upbeat & though-provoking message.

So, to the casual listener, every song that you hear on the radio or on your iPod or wherever has an awful lot more go into it than the few minutes that you hear.

Every single song can't possibly have a price put on it. One download of 99c nowhere NEAR reflects the time and money spent on even making that song available to you to purchase. The fact that it has been made available for you to purchase instantly would have been laughed at not so long ago.

Irrespective of how quickly the internet can make this option possible, the fact remains that the songwriter & recording artist still has to put the same amount of time, money & effort in to getting their songs to the public. Google has recently made this process even faster for the listener to access music. I have a very wary eye on this 'revelation' and where it's going to leave the small-time independent artists.

This leaves many a musician the dilemma of how to price their music. Had my surname been Dylan I imagine I'd be selling an unfathomable amount of material at much higher prices. As it stands my surname is Findlay & I make every effort possible to make my material not only easily accessible but also as affordable as possible. Only recently I have made my commercial releases available as physical downloads at 'audiolife' at more than competitive prices.

Gone are the days of me making many every single song streamable or free to download. Stats showed that people were streaming my material....a lot...which I was for quite some time more than pleased about, but the spiel by the distributors that this leads to sales never rang true to me. I was right and I'm not the only independent musician to have gone through these motions. I have no qualms with my material being streamed....but only to a point.

My songs are as important & as personal to me as any 'major' musician. I may not recall the entire lyrics of all of my songs but I can give you an in-depth description of what each song is about, why it was written & what it means to me.

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Outside The Square

Online Music Traps

Rock Musician Bob Findlay Releases His First Book

"...And The Sun Refused To Shine...."

The Phone Don't Ring....