the not so secret aardvark records diaries

Band management revelry: Russia 2001

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:22:00 +0000

A funny story from the entertainment industry

I thought I’d lighten the tone after a short series of serious posts. After all, humour is an essential survival tool in the entertainment industry (music, TV, film, book publishing, etc). After all, professionals in the field of entertainment have to deal with general insanity, ego, perversity and caprice pretty much on a daily basis. We take our laughs where we can find them.

To those of you who aren't in the entertainment industry, I’ll understand if you don’t get the laugh. For those of you who are in this industry, grab a beverage of choice and a Danish. This is the kind of tale which should bring wry smiles to the likes of Simon Napier-Bell, Tom Watkins, etc.

What follows is one of my all-time favourite stories to tell. It still makes me laugh out loud as I’m telling it.

Picture this: Russia in 2001. I’m an active artist manager in the artist management company I owned up to that point, Blue Moon Entertainment. I have a young Midlands-based Nu Metal band that I've taken on tour in Poland, Russia, the Baltic states and Germany. The band is a group of 18 year old lads who were born and raised outside of Milton Keynes. From Day 1, all I’d ever heard from them was how serious they were to make it in the music business. They wanted a great recording deal with a major label and would do what it took to land the deal. So that’s the basic context where they’re concerned.

This tour kicked off in Poland. The lead singer promptly forgets everything he learned in his very expensive vocal lessons. On the first night he decides to scream down the microphone. He equates screaming with emotion and ‘seriousness’. Now he’s been taught how to do this correctly. I know, it cost me the best part of £1,500 in extensive vocal lessons. But forget that, he wants to scream so he screams. Naturally, his voice is shot afterwards. This is Day 1…we still have 24 performances to go…

I pull him to one side afterwards and read him the riot act. There’s no way his voice can survive that sort of punishment; not with almost back to back performances. I thought I’d made myself quite clear. It obviously went in one ear and out the other. Days 2 and 3 were proof enough of this. So by Day 4, he can barely speak much less sing. At this point, I've nearly throttled him, the other band members have had a go and the Polish tour manager and promoter aren't happy. Which naturally reflected on me. In my previous blog post, I ended with the comment that control is an illusion. Meet Exhibit A. And I've been here before with another young, British grunge band.

Now the singer is terrified because he’s naffed everyone off but, more importantly, he can barely speak, swallow any food or drink or sing because his throat is that messed up. So the Polish tour promoter nips out and buys some cough mixture. This is Poland. Their over-the-counter cough mixtures, while effective, are also exceptionally strong…much stronger than anything available in the UK. Sam the promoter gives the singer explicit instructions. A five year old would have understood it: do not neck this like it’s Coca Cola. One teaspoon at lunch, with a meal, and another two hours before a performance. Did he listen? Hmmm, yeah, right! He was also told not to speak. He had to write everything down or use his intriguing form of sign language to communicate.

By the time we leave Poland for the Russian border, he’s acquired a serious bout of diarrhoea. We have a gig that first night. So I pulled out my bag of trips to calm his colon down, none of which worked. So now he’s in a right panic. I’m saying nothing at this point, because if I went to that dark place (and any serious manager will know what I mean by this) things are going to end badly for him.

We make it to St Petersburg, where we’re met by the Russian tour manager and promoter. Now how best to describe Boris, our main host while in Russia? He’s Russian and ex special forces. We needed this to safely travel through Russia (another funny story for another day). Russians are not exactly renowned for being a soft, complacent, fluffy kind of people. He was also a flippin man mountain: 6’5” at the very least with a neck so large that I couldn't get both my hands around it if the mood ever struck me to do so. His biceps were the size of a new-born infant’s head. He didn't have a chest as much as he had a vast expanse of pure, hard rock. And I was pretty certain he could crush large rocks with his bare hands. Basically, not a man to be trifled with.

We’re at the venue, with Boris, and the singer pulls me to one side to say he couldn't possible go on that night because of his diarrhoea. I’m smiling at this point. It’s the moment I've been patiently waiting for. Boris is a few feet away, pretending nonchalantly not to listen to every work being said. The rest of the band is standing there wondering how this was all going to pan out.

I explained the basics to him:

He chose to completely disregard every bit of advice and preparation work that went into this tour
No one forced him to scream down a microphone in Poland. Indeed, he’d been given endless grief about it
No one put a gun to his head and forced him to neck potent cough medicine. He chose to do that all on his own
The people in the audience had spent the best part of a month’s wages to see the band perform. They’d probably been saving for months to be able to buy the tickets
If he wanted the gig cancelled, he’d have to go over to Boris and explain the whys and hows of the reasons behind cancelling the concert

Points 1 through 3 received a spoiled pout.

Point 4 wasn't even acknowledged.

Point 5 resulted in a look of horror so profound that it nearly made me burst out loud with laughter. I was summarily told that that wasn't his job to do. He wasn't going to say anything to Boris – that that was my job as his manager. I clock a smirk slowly appearing on Boris’s face. I know he’s clocked mine.

I calmly replied that that simply wasn't possible. I was afraid that, in this instance, the singer would have to do his own dirty work. After all, he was the cause of the problem. He refused. Then came the wailing of ‘what am I going to do?!”

So I tell him in no uncertain terms. I sent him off to find a bucket. He comes back with a big ole tin bucket. He’s looking confused. I tell him to put it in the stage’s wing, to the left, behind a curtain. I then send him off to look for a screen or something to provide some modesty. That was me being sympathetic. There were stage technicians back there after all! And now the penny drops. The horror on his face was priceless. “You’re not serious! You can’t possibly be serious!”

Again, the prince of calm, I simply said that I was, indeed, quite serious. So much so that I had him scout up some loo rolls to put beside the bucket. I suggested he work out a signal for the rest of the band so that if the urge took him, he could leave the stage with some decorum to do his business. I told him to think of it as a camping toilet, just inside. And I made the band practice the signal and improvise some interludes for each song…just in case.

And Boris? We went off for a drink during the sound checks. His only comment about the scenario was this: “I like your style.”

The band did indeed get through it. And yes, the singer did have to make some quick trips to the bucket in the wings – giving me the evils on stage every time he returned.

There was still one more laugh to be had. At the end of the gig, after everyone in the packed-out auditorium had left, Boris and I were chatting about the next evening’s gig as the band started to make their way to the bar. I call out to the singer to come back. I’m greeted with a very surly and sulky “What?”

I point to the bucket behind the curtain. “I think you've forgot something.”

Horror once again. “Alex, mate, you can’t be serious! You’re having me on, right?”

My smile is broad and shinning. “It’s your shit mate. I suggest you deal with it.”

Now he’s dumbfounded. “But what am I going to do with it?”

I start walking to the bar with Boris at this point and shoot over my shoulder “I’m sure you’ll figure it out”.

And he did.

And miraculously, everything he learned about correctly singing forcefully down a microphone returned. Go figure.

Being an effective executive manager

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:59:00 +0000

Sir Alan Sugar, Marjorie Scardino, Lynne Franks, Guy Holmes, Maurice Saatchi, Richard Alford and Chris Shepherd-Barron. These aren't names you normally see grouped together. So what’s the link? While they come from different backgrounds and industries, each person in the list above is an exceptional executive manager. I have the pleasure of working with all of them. To say they were inspirational executive role models for me would be a massive understatement. While each has inadvertently spawned countless ‘mini me’ copycats and z-rated versions of themselves, they can rest assured that they will never be equaled. And that’s a good thing. Why’s that? Their ‘management style’ was (and remains) an extension of who they are as people. That is why they will always remain individual stars in the world of commerce.

The key thing they taught me, whether they realized it or not, was that an effective – and I’m purposefully avoiding the term ‘good’ – executive is a steward. And not just any steward. They taught me that an executive manager steers a clear course through calm waters as well as stormy waters. It’s all about getting a company from point A to point B in a safe and responsible manner. Results weren't the right results unless they benefitted the majority and not the few sitting at the top table in their respective organisations. They served as well as ruled. Sadly, in these times, executives seem to believe the top jobs are solely about ruling and not serving the needs of the many within an organisation.

Being a senior executive or manager is a privilege and not a right. It is a recognition of talent, skills and abilities, a kind of reward – it is not a right in and of itself. It is not the attainment of a kind of absolute monarchy. The world of business should take a leaf out of the British Parliament’s book. Parliament did away with absolute monarchs. The world of commerce seems loathe to do so. In my humble opinion, that has been to the detriment of business and those who work for them. Today it seems more emphasis is placed on the trappings of ‘power’ rather than the benefits of stewardship and service.

I am a crucible of contradictions. I adore technology and the new tools which allow me to be a more effective steward of my company. I love the new. I have been a long-standing advocate of innovation. And yet, I have long-held classic (you might call them old fashioned!) beliefs when it comes to human interactions, particularly in the areas of work and business. I was weaned on them. These ideas were like some secret spice sprinkled liberally in everything I ate or drank during my formative years. I've had my time fighting them, embracing them, experimenting with them and adapting them. Like a favourite book or CD, these ideals have never strayed very far. They make me who I am.

In this respect, I kind of like being old fashioned. I firmly believe that knowing how to treat people, particularly those who either work with or for me, has made me the executive that I am today.

In the rough and tumble, hurly burly world of machismo-fuelled executivedom, where accountability seems to have taken something of a hiatus, the traditional relationship between executives and their business, as well as their colleagues and staff, has broken down. In concentrating on the glory of ‘me’ or ‘I’, there isn't room enough for thinking about a business, organisation or staff. Everyone is the loser in that scenario.

So what are the ingredients I think go into making an effective executive manager?

Noblisse oblige

Well, I did say part of me is old fashioned, and it doesn't get more traditional than this! I come from a family that instilled the belief that those with influence, those who held the reigns of power, had a duty to be mindful of those who rely upon them. Executives who view people as expendable or as assets or as commodities to be moved around (and off) a chessboard diminish the role and purpose of the executive. Our staff, especially dedicated and loyal staff, are the lifeblood of our business and should be celebrated and recognised as such. They are a reflection of us, our business. They are the anchors of our achievement. It is our duty to ensure an environment where they are valued and respected.

This is one aspect of noblisse oblige – and probably the one that’s most recognisable.

The other and less acknowledged aspect of noblisse oblige focuses on failure. An honourable and responsible executive should metaphorically fall on his or her sword, without prompt, when they get things badly wrong. Taking Bob Diamond as an example, executives shouldn't be pushed to do this. I've make mistakes, thankfully not major ones. When they happened, I raised my hand, acknowledged it, apologised for it and relayed how the mistake would be rectified. In other words, I owned them. And I learned from them.

I've never blamed one of my line reportees or colleagues for one of my mistakes. That seems to be lost practice in the executive world. An executive is responsible for his or her actions and decisions – as well as those who report to them.

Work for the business’s benefit…and not your own

In today’s business world, it doesn't seem enough to be an effective, respected and admired executive. Too many executives want to be like rock stars. Fame is as important as fortune. Neither focal point serves one’s business particularly well. There’s nothing wrong with gaining public acclaim for a job well done. However, when the focus is more on the individual rather than his or her business, there’s a problem.

An executive is always in the service of his or her business and its employees. It’s not the other way around.

Give as much as you expect

I’m going to take Aardvark as an example. When our staff works until the wee hours of the morning putting together album promo packs for press, TV and radio, I’m there, shoulder to shoulder, with them. Yep, that’s right, the CEO is there stuffing envelopes and slapping on mailing labels. Sure, I could swan off and leave them to it. I could…but I wouldn't have the kind of working relationship I have with the team. And Aardvark would be a lesser company. If a scout calls in ill and can’t go to a gig to check out a band, Aardvark’s Chairman fills in. Is this the best use of our time, experience and skills? Yes and no. We do it to illustrate that we’re all in it together. And believe me, it is appreciated and we're all the more respected because of it.

In my previous post, I mentioned that executives should roll up their sleeves and get stuck in to the day to day operational side of the business when the need arises. It keeps us in touch with the daily realities of the business as well as the day to day demands on our staff. We may be the leaders, however, we’re as much a part of the business our staff members…and vice versa. Our salaries and ‘status’ rests on the level of stewardship and responsibility for the business that we (happily!) shoulder.

Benefiting the many rather than the few

If a decision doesn't benefit the majority of the people who work within the organisation or business, we don’t do it. For example, over the past few years, a major label has made offers to buy Aardvark. The money offered was excellent. And yes, I had visions of a sweet villa in a hot and tropical climate as a reward for services rendered via these deals. Neither I nor my Chairman progressed these deals. Why? Aardvark’s artists and staff would have come out of it badly. Neither he nor I could do that to them. After all, the label’s success is due to them as well as our own efforts.

Sadly, this seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Over the past decade and a half, I've witnessed an increasing number of senior executives and mangers make short term policy decisions which benefit them but not their employees or the business. The result? Increasing levels of low staff morale, loss of reputation, high levels of absenteeism and stress and high levels of staff turnover. All of these should be warning bells for any business or organisation. What bigger signpost does one need to highlight that something has gone fundamentally wrong within an organisation?

Take decisions that benefit the many within an organisation.

Listen…and learn

The art of human communication is suffering today. Read the names that introduced this post. These are heavy-hitting executives. One of the many things I admired about them was the simple fact that they listened to what people said to them, they clearly thought about what was being said, and responded in kind. They don’t talk over people. Nor do they interrupt…unless someone is speaking nonsense…or wasting their time. I love the cut and thrust of business. I don’t, however, approve of rudeness. Rudeness doesn't equal passion. I equate rudeness to laziness, ego and insecurity. Like the Shania Twain song says, it doesn't impress me much.

For instance, if you’re European, cast your mind back to the mid 90s. There were plans afoot to launch a new football Super League. I was the project manager for the presentation to the FA. Alan Sugar Chaired that meeting. The FA clearly weren't happy about the proposal. Yet, they were exceptionally courteous. As a body, the senior FA executives sat and listened to the pitch. Alan Sugar’s summative statement at the end of the pitch, following a recess, may have been gut-wrenchingly harsh but it was also fair. At no point was he rude. He proved, beyond any shadow of doubt, that he and his colleagues had listened carefully and thought through the ramifications and implications stemming from an additional European Football League. I admired him for that.

I'm smiling as I write this next bit. I will always remember the morning, before a City of London Financial Results Presentation, when Marjorie Scardino kept making me cups of coffee...herself. I may have been the person producing and running that presentation, however, in the grand scheme of things I was a non-entity in the business world. I was a young, mid-20s junior executive and that simply blew my mind at the time.

These examples seems to be the exception rather than the rule. In the rush to ‘prove one’s mettle’, prove one’s importance or point scoring, today’s executives seem to equate rudeness with strength, acumen or ability. Rudeness, acumen and ability are not interchangeable. Rudeness should never be lauded, rewarded or celebrated. It’s something I’d like to see stamped out of the modern business culture. It’s counter-productive.

Observe

Back in the day, great executives and managers had keenly developed observational skills. Executives didn't place themselves in ivory towers away from the fray of the workplace. They understood and measured the barometer of staff welfare. They knew when to apply more gas to get things moving at a faster pace. They also knew when to apply the brakes to prevent over-work and long periods of increased stress levels within the department(s) for which they were responsible. This almost seems like a by-gone age. In the modern workplace, it’s all about ‘sweating the assets’: staff are expendable and easily replaceable. The modern executive and manager piles on the work to the point of staff collapsing under the pressure, who, in turn, are blamed for not being ‘tough enough’ or simply ‘weak’.

Nor is it uncommon to hear executives boasting, on the QT of course, about how many people in their department are signed off with stress and stress-related illnesses. It’s a bizarre kind of executive one-upmanship. Putting ethics and morals to one side, this is just plain bad business. Who wins in this scenario? No one…and yet, it’s a relatively new practice that stubbornly persists.

Bad business practices are in no one’s best interest. It certainly doesn't serve a business’s interests.

Last but by no means least…

There are aspects of an executive’s career which used to come as standard and now seem like something of a luxury. I, for one, would welcome their return:

Inspire: Be a positive role model. Let’s bring back some respect for the role of the executive and the manager. Let’s do away with the Us (executives/managers) vs Them (staff) mentality. It’s divisive, counter-intuitive and ultimately destructive. This management approach weakens a business. It never strengthens it.
Support growth & innovation: It’s how everyone in the business, and the business itself, grows ad prospers.
Micro manage when and where you absolutely have to. Micro management should be used sparingly and well. My view on this one is if I have to micro-manage my teams, I might as well do their roles myself.
Consistency, continuity and transparency in all of our processes, policies and procedures

And remember, control is an illusion. We may think we’re in control of people, the internal and external business environments and how things get done…however, in truth, we’re not. Not really. The effective executive manager understand this and plans accordingly.

Why the music industry needs to operate as…a business

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:49:00 +0000

The music industry is one of the few remaining major industries that is unregulated and unlicensed. That’s not bad going considering, as an industry, it collectively handles vast sums of money on other peoples’ behalf: recording artists, songwriters, clients, business partners, etc. Nor is there a requirement for a music company’s owners and/or senior management to hold any relevant industry licenses or necessary formal qualifications. There is also precious little accountability when things go wrong. The only real parts of our business that requires adherence to regulatory controls are our human resources and finance departments.

Overall, we have an unparalleled and enviable degree of autonomy in how we shape, operate and manage our record labels and music publishing companies. It could be argued that this is great for senior level music executives with decades of experience and knowledge. We’d argue that this laissez faire government attitude to our industry gives us free reign to innovate and encourages marketplace development. However, what does this mean to the vast majority of start-up and intermediary-level music industry companies out there? I’d argue that a lack of standardized policies, procedures and structures more often than not leads to inexperienced labels failing. And we all know people who have literally lost everything, including the shirts of their backs, after a foray into the music industry.

The music industry resembles the old Wild West in more ways than one.

Success in another industry doesn’t ensure success in the music industry

In my 20+ years in the music industry, I've seen countless labels and music publishers come and go. I really don’t want to think in terms of hard numbers because that figure would just be too damn depressing. I've met high flyers from other industries – financial, legal, broadcasting and more – set up labels and publishing companies only for them to disappear without a trace a year or two later. Often-times saddled with appalling debts and a string of lawsuits. Why? These were highly accomplished professionals in equally demanding and cutthroat industries with sizable funds to invest in the music industry. They learned the hard lesson that entering the music industry is like learning how to walk and talk all over again. The music industry has its own set of rules…but more on this later.

It’s a secret that’s not really a secret. The music industry has its own set of rules. You either know them or you don’t. If you don’t, a new business in this industry will sooner or later experience the common pitfalls which can lead to failure in terms of financial viability and sustainability. Why’s that? It’s because the rules are guarded. This isn't an industry renowned for collaborative working or knowledge sharing. Certain secrets are jealously guarded. You either know them or you don’t. Those who work their way up through the ranks in this industry pretty much cut their teeth on this knowledge through day-to-day working experiences. And if you ask? Chances are very, very few individuals within the industry will tell you these secrets. It’s an industry that revels in motorway pile ups. What could be more fun than watching another label crash and burn? The glee is palpable. I kid you not. This isn't to say that everyone in the industry is like this. However, this behaviour isn't exactly uncommon. It’s like that, that’s the way it is and if you don’t have the stomach for dealing with these types then this industry probably isn't the right one for you.

A fundamental move away from a ‘hobby’ approach to running a business to adopting a business approach

One of the first mistakes new and new-ish music industry businesses succumb to is the myth that running a music-related company is ‘glamorous’. It isn't. It’s anything but. Sure, there are the occasional glamorous moments involving red carpets, a great knees-up with superb food and all the drink you can neck. The rest of it? It’s bloody hard work.

Some of that work is tedious. Some of it is monotonous (I can hear all the digital content people charged with embedding meta data into audio and video files and updating a multitude of databases yelling ‘hell yes!”). Some of it is absolutely mind-imploding.

Quite a bit of it is frustrating (chasing royalty and sales revenues, trying to have business discussions with chemically-enhanced people, dealing with egos the size of China’s population, bullshitters, rip-off merchants, those who are still surviving on their glory days in the business, downright unsavory characters etc). With that said, all of the day-to-day operations are important and crucial.

There needs to be a fundamental shift away from viewing a new music business company as a hobby. This sounds simple enough. However, when I speak with people who have recently set up a music business within a two year time frame, when I get them talking about their business and how they see it, without realising it, many of them talk about their business as though it were a hobby – and not a business.

I almost admire the people who say they are in it for the money. At least they are couching their statement within a business sounding framework. It quickly falls down, in most cases, when I ask them how they’re going to make that money, especially as sales revenues are challenging in an era of declining sales. That blank and panicked look I receive says everything.

So how do you adopt a business approach?

Appointing the right team – get the skills mix right!

If you’re contemplating setting up a new business in the music industry, there are a few fundamental things to consider:

Don’t set up your business as a ‘one man band’ operation. You won’t have all of the necessary skills required to stack the success deck in your favour.
Set the business up with a small but dedicated team of partners who bring real world skills to your proposed business:

someone with core business experience (accounting, financial and legal)
someone with communications experience (marketing, advertising, PR, digital, promotions) who also has the right contacts
someone with strong industry contacts
a music industry geek – that one person within the business who will know every facet of mechanical royalties, performance royalties, collection agency protocols and processes, licensing, synchronization, etc.

And one of the above will need to be a strong business strategist and visionary

Without this quite basic mix of skills, your business faces formidable, and probably insurmountable, barriers to entry. If you think you’ll rely on luck, well, that’s how the music industry operates. There will be plenty of people queuing up to take your money with varying results ranging from poor to moderate. Lucky breaks rarely happen in this industry.

Luck should never factor into your business equation.

Putting the ‘business’ back into the music business

A ‘rolling up the sleeves and getting down to work’ attitude for senior and middle level executives should be standard in the working environment. It’s really the only way to know the business, its practices and getting a feel for life ‘on the ground’ by your troops – especially for a growing business. This approach keeps a business’s executives in touch with the day to day realities of the business. But more on this in my next post which will concentrate on the skills and approaches to being an effective music industry executive.

I learned well in the world of advertising, specifically from the likes of M&C Saatchi. One of the golden rules was your stand-in for anything was your boss. It’s a structure based on the upward delegation of responsibility. That’s how we work at Aardvark. If my Head of Marketing for EMEA can’t attend a meeting or perform a time-sensitive function, he doesn't delegate responsibility for this to his assistant. He delegates it upwards to me. After all, it’s what I get paid for. One of the other golden rules at M&C Saatchi was the mantra ‘make your mother proud’. Think about that. Really think about it. It’s a very effective barometer for decision making.

Creating an effective business model and structure

When I joined Aardvark in 2003 I was placed in an enviable position. I had free reign to do as I wished in the re-structure of the company. Indeed, it’s the primary reason why I was brought on board in the first place. Even then, I thought the standard music industry structure was archaic; especially the near god-like status of A&R. Aardvark had no problem in finding and developing new talent, the principle role of A&R. Indeed, we were drowning in demos from prospective artists. This isn't to denigrate the role or the achievements of A&R. Seriously, some of my biggest industry heroes come from the realm of A&R. Music production and music buying practices have changed. The role of A&R has largely remained the same and no longer reflects these changes. We have A&R scouts, typically university students, who receive a form of ‘finder’s fees’ for act they find, put our way and which we ultimately sign.

One of the first things I did at Aardvark was to go from the standard record label model to a model based on the creative industries’ studio setup (advertising agency, PR, gaming, visual design, etc). With years’ of experience in advertising, fashion PR and international event management, this was a logical approach. It also proved to be incredibly effective. This approach:

streamlined the business
provided efficiencies of scale
ensured consistency in all facets of the business
improved budgeting allocation, management and control
improved relations with artists, managers and clients; and
improved our B2B and B2C relationships and communication processes

So how does this work in practice?

A&R posts became Account Handler posts.

These are the talented multi-taskers who manage what happens at the coalface. An account handler acts as the main contact for a client (e.g. recording artist, songwriter, artists’ managers, etc), on a day-to-day basis, helping to ensure that the client’s overall needs are met:

that the specific needs and requirements of the client are understood and adhered to
that the work is done on time
that the work is done to a high standard
helping to build up the long-term relationship with their client(s)

Head of A & R and genres became Creative Directors / Account Directors

I’m not a big believer in inflated middle management levels. So in my label’s structure, there aren't any account managers. Why have more management levels than you need? Duties typically found at this level in a creative studio environment have been split between account handlers and creative directors/account directors.

The responsibilities of a creative director include:

leading the communication design, interactive design, and concept forward in any work assigned, both for artist-related work/projects and for the label/publisher
the creative director guides a team or teams of employees with skills and experience related to graphic design, fine arts, motion graphics, and other creative industry fields

S/he is a lead person. They are in charge of:

what ideas and concepts go forward
fully understanding the ideas and opinions of their team(s) in a respectful/critical manner (providing constructive criticism, turning small ideas into larger concepts, etc.)
making decisions in a deadline driven environment in the most efficient way as possible
coordinating their team(s) in an accurate conceptual direction of where a project needs to go and involving their team(s) in constant creative/brainstorming sessions (this is crucial!)
being able to learn new skills and strategies from fellow workers and how to apply these to future projects

At Aardvark, we have a creative director for pop and rock music and a second for EDM. Principally, they are responsible for managing the activities of their account handling teams.

Essential business skills

There are a handful of essential business skills which any music industry company should possess. I’d go as far as to say they are requirements in stacking the success deck in your favour:

Management accounting. This includes understanding and creating cost centres, the budget setting and monitoring processes, budget reconciliations, etc
Operational and systems processes, including supply side and distribution chain knowledge
Client handling – especially experience in handling ‘difficult’ and/or ‘demanding’ clients
Staff development – in other words, ensuring your staff have the skills necessary to compete in an every-changing, demanding and challenging music selling environment. Staff development is an investment in your team. It’s something that sends a direct message to your employees that they are important, they are worth investing in, they’re important to the future of the business…and gives them a stake in the outcomes of the business. Be an investor in people.
Strategic thinking. By no means the least on this short list of essential skills. Strategic thinking is closely linked to innovation and the underlying forces that drive a business. Every business needs at least one strategic thinker at a senior level. Strategy is a business’s lifeblood. Short, medium and long term goals need to be established, shared within your business, monitored and tweaked. Everyone within your business should know if the business is on-track to achieving the over-arching goals, be they part of a 2 year, 3 year or 5 year business plan. Your team also need to know how strategies have been achieved – or not – and how the business can build upon (or address failure) on a regular basis.

Expansion

Success doesn’t only mean more revenues. It also means more work. More work, with healthy profit margins, typically leads to the appointment of new staff. So what kind of staff did we opt for to begin with? Revenue-generating posts. One of your first duties when launching a new business is to make that business as financially secure as possible as quickly as possible.

For instance - and not to dismiss the vital work of graphic designers - when the time came to appoint new staff it was far more vital to me for Aardvark to have a marketing assistant than an in-house graphic designer. A marketing assistant would bring in a minimum revenue of their salary plus 30% to 40% in net profit. A graphic designer wouldn't, not based on our business model. With this type of model, a graphic designer was a luxury we couldn't afford at that point. A marketing assistant was essential. A marketing assistant could, in theory, pay for a graphic designer through the revenues he or she raised. It couldn't work the other way around. A graphic designer simply couldn't bring in the same level of revenue to pay for a marketing assistant.

This is a structure and methodology that serves Aardvark well. Is it a blue print for all labels? No. It’s an approach that fits us and our ethos. It also fits my creative industries background.

To sum up, I won’t say that the above will ensure success. All the planning in the world will never guarantee a successful outcome. There are factors and variables outside of our control. For instance, if you’re developing a hot new Two-Step act in a marketplace that’s not buying Two-Step music, you’re going to face some pretty fundamental obstacles. However, planning for and strategizing for success should be at the heart of what any music-related company does.

So how does your proposed business score against the skills highlighted in this post?

How to approach a record label & music publisher with your demo - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:12:00 +0000

This post is an update on our very popular “How not to approach a record label about your demo” post http://aardvarkrecords.blogspot.co.uk/2007/08/how-not-to-approach-record-label-about.html This post concentrates more on aspiring artists and songwriters and how to approach record labels and music publishers via social networking sites.

Record labels and music publishers have created a solid presence on social networking sites. We’re active on approximately 200 of them all around the globe. We've been active on them since the very early days of social networking. And in that time, we've noticed a few things:

Recording artists and songwriters in Southeast Asia and the Far East approach labels and music publishers in a very professional manner. Aspiring artists and acts understand that how they approach a label or publisher online speaks volumes about the level of their seriousness and professionalism.
Recording artists and songwriters in Latin America, Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Southern Europe also approach labels and publishers online in a professional manner.
Recording artists and songwriters in Western Europe (excluding Germany) and North America, on the whole, create a negative professional impression when contacting labels and publishers.
We don’t receive ‘listen to my demo’ requests in any significant numbers from Northern Europe, Australia or New Zealand to make an overall comment. However, on the whole, those that we have received usually created a positive professional impression.

So where do North Americans and Western Europeans go wrong?

If you were applying for a job, would you do a slapdash job of it? If you were applying for a job would you not include a CV (resume) or covering letter? Would you be surprised if you didn't receive a reply from a potential employer, or a rejection, if you didn't include these basic job application items?

Why should the music industry be any different?

Asking a label to listen to your demo is exactly the same process as applying for a job. The only real difference being that job advertisements are for existing real-time jobs an employer is looking to fill with the best candidates. Asking to be signed by a label or a music publisher is like asking for a job that doesn't exist…and making the best damn argument for why the job should be created for you and how you’re the best person or act to fill it. You have to make a case…and then prove it! All of your “i”s need to be dotted and all of your “t”s crossed. Anything less and you won’t be taken seriously. And if you don’t do this? Well, if you’re lucky, your demo listening request falls to the back of the queue, behind all those who took the time and effort to supply the important information labels and publishers need to make an initial assessment. At worst, you won’t hear anything at all.

We’re also not your mate or your friend. At best, we’re going to be convivial and mutually-respectful working colleagues. Unless a label exec has given you the green light to do so, never start a post, Tweet or email to a label/publisher with “mate”, “love”, “dude”, “friend” or anything similar. It shows a marked lack of respect. The music industry may be informal – but it’s not that informal. It’s still a business and the basic rules of etiquette should always be observed and respected. It creates a good and positive first impression.

OK, so how do I approach a label or publisher on its social networking site?

Take the time to surf around a label or music publisher’s social networking site(s) BEFORE you add them, follow them or request to be a ‘friend’. Yes, labels and publishers use social networking sites to promote their artists. However, they also use social networking to inform fans and people interested in them on what they are about, their ethos, their unique selling points and the kinds of music they are into. Our social networking sites speak volumes about our business. And it’s surprising how few people spend the time surfing through our Tweets or Facebook status updates to get a better understanding of the kind of music we’re into, the kinds of artists/acts we’re into or how we work. If you aspire to be a rap star, why would you friend or follow a death metal label? Seriously, this happens!
Many labels and music publishers post demo submission criteria on their social networking sites. Read this information! Once a month we post ‘please, do not send us demo links via our social networking sites’ on our social networking sites. You’d be amazed (or not) at how routinely this simple request gets ignored.
Once you've decided to follow a label or publisher, or have ‘friended’ them, don’t make your first comment or post to them be a ‘please listen to my demo’ request. It’s rude. Chances are you wouldn't like it if a stranger introduced themselves to you out of the blue and then proceeded to ask you for something. Chances are, you’d tell them to naff off.

We've mentioned above that we’re active on 200+ social networking sites. We love them because we can actually chat with the people who buy our tracks, are interested in what we do, are interested in what we have to say about the industry and we use them to spot trends. And yes, we also do a bit of artist promotion as well. There’s no way we can monitor all of these social networking sites for ‘listen to my demo’ requests. It’s difficult to forward them on to the appropriate team which handles that genre. Nor do they provide sufficient space for an artist or act to:

Articulate what their project is about – including genre
Their experience and successes to-date
Highlight their unique selling point(s)
Provide information about the team they have around them (PR, promotion, management, etc)
Explain why Aardvark is the best fit for them or an understanding of Aardvark’s ethos
Explain what they want to achieve – and how working with us will achieve this
Explain their short-term, medium-term and long-term aspirations and goals
How committed are you or your group’s members…and how reliable are you?

Bonus point: Never ever say or write that you or your act is going to make a label or publisher millions. Or do…we need a laugh during the course of a working day. You may think this and fervently believe this….never say it or write it.

The eight items listed above are critical to any pitch you make to a record label or music publisher. When you ask a label or a publisher to contemplate signing you, you’re asking them to make a huge investment in you or your act. This is an investment of time, resources, staff and money. Producing and releasing a record is only a fraction of what we do.

Putting things into an overall context

All of this may seem a bit harsh and even draconian. There is a reason. On average, we receive literally hundreds of unsolicited demos (i.e. we didn't ask to receive them) every month. On average, we receive around 50 or so such requests where we have actively requested demos – or receive demos that come from sources we trust (i.e. people we've worked with previously). That’s a hell of a lot of demos to cycle through in the course of a month…keeping in mind a label and a publisher is a business with all the day-to-day demands that any business has in order to function and/or survive: accounting, invoicing, personnel, people management, royalty collections, marketing, manufacturing, logistics, radio plugging, video plugging, tour management and a great deal more.

We know there is still a common perception that running a label or a publishing company is glamorous and fun. There are times when they are these things. However, overall, it’s work; and a long, hard slog at that. Which is made all the better by great music, which is what we love.

Back in the day, when pitching to the likes of Tommy Mottola, Guy Holmes, Colin Bell and a host of other senior executives, we’d have never dreamed of just shooting them an email with a link to streaming audio and a single line which reads “please check out my demo”. Every pitch was done in a professional manner with respect due to the person whose time we intruded upon. They had all of the relevant facts and figures they needed to make an informed decision. Which is probably why we had (and still do) a 100% response rate.

There is no secret in this. We took the time to do our research, gather the pertinent information that was required and composed a professional email with professional looking supplemental materials and, of course, the demo tracks themselves.

Each approach was done individually – no mass mail emails. No 20 email addresses in an email’s cc field (never, ever do this!) or hidden in the bcc field. Each and every approach was 100% bespoke to the individual we were approaching. Yes, it takes time and effort to do this…but it is the hallmark of seriousness and professionalism. This manner of approaching a label or publisher says “I’m serious” as well as “I’m serious about doing business with you”.

If there is any one major thing for you to take away from this post, it is this: how you approach a record label or music publisher says everything about you and/or your act.

You only get one chance to make a favorable and positive first impression – so make it count!

Modernizing the music industry: royalty collection societies

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:45:00 +0000

I've said it before and I’ll say it again. The music industry sorely needs modernization You’d be forgiven for thinking it already has. Music is available everywhere in every conceivable format. Surely that’s an indication of a thoroughly modern industry. Music formats may be modern, however, the industry governing those releases is anything but. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the collection of performance and mechanical royalties.

There are music royalty collection societies spread around the globe. Each was established to collect royalties in their respective country or region. BMI, ASCAP, GEMA, MCPS, PPL, SESAC, VPL and Sound Exchange are a handful of such societies you might be familiar with. Or at the very least these are a handful of agencies that any professional in the industry should be familiar with.

The collection of royalties really hasn't changed since the 1920s. And it shows. But more about that in a minute. Let’s start with the basics first.

What’s the difference between performance royalties and mechanical royalties?

There are specialist courses which cover this topic - so this is only a very basic overview.

Performance royalties

Performance royalties cover the public broadcasting of a song. This includes, but isn't limited to: music played on the radio, in pubs and bars, night clubs, health clubs, shopping malls, reception areas, beauty salons, elevators – any public space in which music is played. In order to play music in a public space, a license is required. Income is generated by the public performance subscription fees, which are submitted along with submitted playlists, and sent to the territorial collection agency for distribution to the song’s rights holders. Performance royalties are only collectible for the public performance of songs, not the actual song’s written material.

Mechanical royalties

Within the music industry, a mechanical license gives the holder permission to create copies of a recorded song which they did not write and/or do not have copyright over. It is an agreement with the composition copyright holder, the publisher, or the songwriter that allows the holder to reproduce the composition – recording, printed sheet music, lyrics, for example. This license specifically refers to the musical composition as an entity, not any particular physical sound recording(s) of the composition.

In order to release a single, an EP or an album (an LP for those of us who still remember what those are), the rights holders (if this isn't you or your company) is required to obtain a license to manufacture physical copies of a release (which includes digital only formats!!).

And as this is a license to reproduce copyright protected material, fees are involved. In the case of mechanical licenses, you pay a certain amount based on the number of copies you plan to manufacture and distribute.

The Harry Fox Agency has some excellent information and advice on mechanical licences which I highly recommend you read if you’re not familiar with mechanicals: http://www.artistshousemusic.org/articles/the+basics+of+mechanical+licensing+from+harry+fox

OK, this seems to make sense, so what’s up with collecting royalties?

The international royalty collection process is like being on board a creaking and leaking old ship…an old ship that’s listing quite heavily to one side – but just managing to stay out of reach of entirely going under. Again, this harks back to the 1920s era set-up for collecting international music royalties.

In the old days, up to the 60s, music releases were easily managed. It was easy to handle the same release in different countries simply because the lower middle classes and working classes didn’t travel abroad in any great numbers. People bought their music domestically; that is to say they largely bought music in the same country they lived in. So the system created to handle the licensing, manufacturing and distribution of releases was pretty straightforward for the times – it wasn’t a perfect system but it worked with relatively few headaches. To cut a long story short, it was simply easier to manage a release in different international territories because it was easier to ‘contain’ that release in a respective territory.

And then the 70s hit. Cheap international travel meant international travel was possible to greater numbers of people for the first time. Depending on when a release became available to the public, people didn't necessarily hear or purchase a release at home but while they were on holiday abroad. I have fond memories of buying albums from Siouxsie and The Banshees, The English Beat, Bauhaus and Kraftwerk albums while on holidays abroad. However, this wasn't really a big deal in terms of royalty collections as these were collectible at the point of sale, in others words, the country where the purchase was made.

Digital has changed all that.

Why is it that an iTunes gift card bought in America doesn't work in the UK? Why can an official video on YouTube be available to view in one country but not another? Why is it that I argue endlessly with MCPS in the UK about our releases? It all has to do with the archaic handling of copyright and the creaking music licensing process.

I hate picking on the MCPS, I really do. They are an important organisation and they do important work. And the problem I’m about to outline isn't of their making…it’s the result of an outdated system.

Any record label and publishing company is a busy place to work. There are any number of tasks to be done, most of them urgent. Most of them are invariably time-consuming. So if you can think of ways to make the work more manageable or streamlined, the better. In 2006, we licensed a major release from the international heavyweight, Yahel, where we acquired certain rights during the length of the contract. Because this was a licensing deal, Aardvark was not the primary rightsholder, we had to negotiate certain rights with the original rightsholders for specific territories.

The first problem anyone in this situation will encounter is a release where there has been different rightsholders over different periods. We weren’t the only label or publisher handling this release, so records had to be updated with all of the collection societies we deal with directly to reflect our claim for royalty collection for the duration of the contract. This is a tiring and frustrating process…but absolutely necessary. We’d be negligent if we didn't collect the royalties due to our artists.

We already had a distributor lined up – the excellent Arabesque – and went through the process of arranging the manufacturing and distribution for this album. Now, to be efficient and save time, we arranged a ceiling figure for CD manufacturing with the distributor. As an example, let’s say we arranged to have 100,000 copies of the CD pressed. Not all at once, however! Arabesque would accomplish this through a series of shorter CD runs. However, as we’d arranged a ceiling number of CDs to be pressed, Arabesque wouldn't have to keep coming back to ask for permission to produce further CDs – which would require submitting additional, license requests. I thought this was a pretty nifty approach. An unusual approach, to be sure, but very effective. It should have been simple and straightforward. It has been anything but.

Mechanical licensing doesn't allow for this. There have been times when explaining this to a collection society where I've felt as though I was discussing astrophysics.

As far as the original copyright holders’ collection agency, in this case GEMA, is concerned they can only see the 100,000 ceiling figure and that is the figure they have based their fee demands upon – and not the actual number of CDs which have been manufactured and distributed which is less than 100,000 copies. In terms of fees, we’re being asked to pay £20,000+ in fees for CDs that haven’t been produced yet.

We agreed CD run numbers in terms of batches, review dates and arranged for these runs to be produced without the need for Arabesque to continually return to request permission or additional licenses to manufacture and distribute more CDs. Apart from the collection societies, the arrangement worked flawlessly.

This is one way in which mechanical collection societies must change. The system needs to be more flexible in order to allow labels and publishers to finely tune their releases in a more streamlined and efficient manner. A ceiling manufacturing figure with agreed short run copy figures deals with this particular problem. It would be an ideal solution if mechanical collection societies were geared up for this. To me, it seems like a no-brainer.

International collection agencies need to work more closely together. One central rightsholders database would be a start. In this day and age, it seems ridiculous for a label or publisher to register with numerous different collection societies. It should be a one-stop shop. You select your primary agency which would be your primary point of contact for mechanical royalties. Once you've submitted your track information to them, the information should go into a central data bank which is accessible by all the other collection agencies around the globe. An added bonus to this approach would be the discovery and resolution of conflicting claims or the discovery of inaccurate claims. One database makes managing this process so much easier and far more efficient.

Music knows no boundaries. It’s abut time that music licensing reflected this.

In an industry beset by all manner of challenges, barriers and troubles, the systems governing royalties are long overdue for a complete overhaul. A solution needs to be found, quickly, that reflects the global nature of music manufacturing, broadcasting, purchasing and exploitation.

How indie labels can maximise their revenues in a Zombie Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

As soon as we heard the British economy described as a Zombie Economy by Channel 4, Aardvark’s execs looked at one another and nodded in agreement. It is a perfect description.

In 2006 we lost roughly 30% of our bottom line profits. It wasn't due to bad sales - we were actually selling more tracks and albums than we’d ever done in the label’s history. It wasn't due to bad management. It also wasn't due to fiscal irresponsibility. It had everything to do with the economy tanking and the British Pound being bitch-slapped into near oblivion by just about every currency on the planet.

The reason why Aardvark took such a kicking with UK currency conversion rates was down to the fact that 85% of our sales revenue comes from overseas. The UK counts for a small percentage of our business activities and sales. Simply put, it’s always been easier for us to get business done outside of the UK. So our exposure to foreign currency conversion rates is immense.

It’s the job of any CEO to navigate his or her company through these kinds of trials and tribulations. I knew that something needed to be done…and done immediately. So I donned my thinking cap and hit this problem with a concentration level worthy of a Frank Herbert Mentat or Bene Gesserit.

The answer came in the form of companies which specialize in providing currency conversion services to businesses. We had the revenue volume they needed and they had the muscle/clout to get us better exchange rates than our high street bank. The crisis was averted. It’s certainly a service worth investigating if your label or publishing company has a large volume of international sales and if your music business is largely paid in foreign currencies.

The financial doldrums we currently find ourselves in is worse than it was in 2006. A Zombie Economy is a very apt description. The problem is, no one in government is willing to help – much less be open or honest – or provide any guidance about the current financial and economic state of play with anyone in the music industry. If we were in the automotive sector or financial sector or manufacturing, it would be a different story. The UK government has always been like a handmaiden to these sectors.

As always, the music industry is on its own.

Unless you haven’t noticed, the British Pound, once again, is being bitch-slapped. This time, there doesn't appear to be a ray of light at the end of the tunnel. There’s no signal that the crisis with the Pound is over. If anything, things look set to get worse, not better, in the immediate term.

With an expanding roster of international artists, the solution I came up with in 2006 is still working, however, I needed to find a more robust alternative. The problem is simple. We’re getting better currency conversion rates through the company we use for in-coming revenue. However, a new problem raises its head every time we go to pay an international artist in his or her domestic currency. We’re back in the position of being spanked by exchange rates every time we pay out royalties to our international artists.

A solution came fairly quickly this time around…bank accounts in different regions. For instance, revenues paid in US Dollars get paid into a US bank account which, in turn, is used to pay our US artists. Euros are paid into, and out of, a Eurozone account for the benefit of our Euro Zone artists. And our British account handles all of our incoming and outgoing Pound Sterling payments.

This arrangement also comes in handy for artists on international tours. Paying local service providers (tour bus companies, technicians, hotels, etc) in their domestic currency from domestic revenues provides enormous savings due to avoiding exchange rate losses. And if your artist(s) are touring in a country where you don't have a bank account? Simple. You can compare exchange rates to see which currency provides the best exchange rate (for your business) for the country your artist is in. For instance, if we have an artist in China, will the Euro or the US Dollar give us a better exchange rate with the Yen? Once we've worked it out, that's the account we use to pay for things in China.

A word of caution here - do your research. Specifically, get minute details about your chosen bank(s) deposit insurance policies. Read up on that country's banking deposit insurance regulations. And always read the fine, fine, fine print. The last thing you want is the Iceland experience that happened a few years ago. Make it a point to find information covering banking in your chosen country(ies): taxes, liabilities, fees, etc.

So why not set up currency accounts with our British bank? Two words: extortionate charges. Even with the transaction fees paid to foreign banks and taxes paid in the countries where we have separate accounts…we gain far more than we lose. As a result, our losses due to exchange rates have been slashed. For the time being it’s a better model than using separate currency accounts in the UK. The moment is ceases to be the best option in terms of our business’ needs, I’ll come up with something else.

Every penny counts, especially in a hostile economy. And as the equally old saying goes: necessity is the mother of invention. If you’re a label or a music publisher with significant overseas revenue streams, don’t wait for Osbourne or the UK government to wave a magic wand and rescue the British Pound any time soon. Don't wait for government to stop tinkering with the economy like it's a Meccano Erector Set. And don’t loose your precious revenue due to Sterling’s poor performance in the exchange rate market.

For an industry renowned for negotiating everything, including artists' riders, the UK music industry seems to be reticent when it comes to negotiating banking fees. Don't be. I'll let you in on a wee secret. International banks are far more willing to negotiate business banking fees than their UK counterparts.

Do some research and find ways that you too can minimize losses from foreign sales.

Why you should manage international royalty collection in-house

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:14:00 +0000

As the old saying goes, look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. And in the music business, every pence counts.

I still find it incredible to believe the staggering amount of royalties which go uncollected every year either because music company owners don’t know how to collect them, can’t be asked to collect them or rely on third parties to collect international royalties on their behalf.

Regardless of size, record labels and music publishers have a responsibility to their business and their artists to ensure royalties from every source is collected. Whether it’s mechanical or performance royalties – independent labels and music publishing companies should manage the collection of royalties in-house. The process may be tedious, it may be confusing at first and it’s certainly far from glamorous…however, in the end you’ll be glad you did it.

Like any other aspect of business, collecting the royalties that are due to you comes down to organisation and relationships.

Like many other business processes, this is something that’s handled in-house by Aardvark. It’s our policy to form relationships with the individual collection societies around the globe. Some are easier to join than others (note: Eastern European societies can be a challenge), but don’t let that put you off. Perseverance is the key. And if your funds allow you to attend the likes of POPKOMM and MIDEM, take every opportunity to meet representatives from the attending collection societies.

Why go direct?

Intermediary third party royalty services are indeed good at what they do. However, your label will most likely be one among a number of labels a third party company looks after. It’s a matter of time and vested interest. If you have a small label with a handful of releases, the honest truth is that you will lower down the queue than a larger label with more releases. Chances are, the company you’re relying on will go to bat for their larger clients as they’ll earn more in terms of revenue. If you’re lucky, they might fire off an email or two on your behalf if you’re a smaller label.

This is a relationship business. The cold hard fact is it’s harder for collection societies to ignore label bosses they've built a relationship with. Keep in touch and keep them up-to-date with your release schedule and activities in their respective territories. Keep track of their payment schedule (quarterly, bi-annually or annually) and start to chase when they’re late with statements and payments. Once a collection society understands that you keep a close eye on such things, you’ll (usually) soon find that chasing is no longer required. This is only possible if you have a direct connection with that agency.

Again, with third party companies, you only have their word about the information they've provided to international collection societies, if that information is correct and what, if anything, they've done to chase the funds that are owed to you and your artists.

And why take an unnecessary financial hit? Third party collection agencies will take a cut of the royalties they collect. Which is only fair and reasonable. They have staff and operating costs to cover too. However, if you go direct and join individual collection societies yourself, you collect a larger share of the royalties.

Worried you don’t have enough time to take this on? Make the time. Seriously! For us, two days a month is all it takes. We trawl through each international collection society’s database (if they’re available) and check all of the details for every track. Things happen: DJs, music supervisors, radio stations, etc don’t always provide full track details to their respective collection agencies. Hence tracks sometimes ‘get lost’ in a collection society’s database. Monthly searches flag up these mistakes which are pretty easy to correct –and then collect on.

In a time when we’re being financially squeezed every which way, why lose more money than you have to?

Royalty Links

Here are some links which list the various international collection societies:

http://www.bemuso.com/musicbiz/musicroyaltycollectionsocieties.html#internationalmusicroyaltycollection

http://www.knopfler.com/Royalty-Link.html

And don’t forget the Sound Exchange in the US: http://www.soundexchange.com/

Win a free Benny Tetteh-Lartey "See The Wonder" CD

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:45:00 +0000

To celebrate Benny Tetteh-Lartey being played every 15 minutes in a UK Caffe Nero....we're running a little competition. Win a free Benny Tetteh-Lartey "See The Wonder" CD.

Answer the following question (please post your answer on Twitter!!!): "What Benny Tetteh-Lartey song goes perfectly with your favorite Caffe Nero cuppa...and why?"

You must include the hash tag #BennyTetteh in your answer.

The competition closes Midnight tonight (GMT).

We'll print out all the answers, put them in the ole goldfish bowl, and pick one.

Have fun!

http://www.aardvarkrecords.co.uk/index.php/folk-music-downloads/218-benny-tetteh-lartey

Benny Tetteh-Lartey in the media

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:40:00 +0000

Benny Tetteh-Lartey with Joan Armatrading

We love Benny's blend of Afro Celtic roots folk with a dash of Reggae and African world music for added spice. We love his music...and his work ethic continues to blow us away. The last couple of weeks have seen well well-earned rewards for his artistry, business nous and ability to network like nobody's business (pun intended!).

So what's been cooking with our favourite Edinburgh son?

Caffe Nero
It's official, Caffe Nero loves our boy!. Every 15 minutes, on average, a Bunny Tetteh-Lartey song is played somewhere in a UK Caffe Nero. That's better than being on the Radio 1 'A'list.

Upcoming Radio 2 Interview
You can hear Benny's dulcet speaking and singing tones courtesy of BBC Radio 2 on 11th Feb at 11pm (that's tonight!!! Greenwich Mean Time) and 18th Feb at 10pm. You can listen online via http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/on-air Amongst other things, Benny will be chatting about what it was like to support one of his own legends in the music biz, Joan Armatrading (who actually popped round his house for a spot of lunch with him and his family).

Celtic Music Radio (Scotland)
The folkies here at Aardvark have big love for his station. It was smiles all round when Benny made the playlist. Catch Benny's interview with resident DJ Ross via http://www.celticmusicradio.net/cmr/cmrplayer.html

The Source FM

Benny Tetteh-Lartey with his combitar in the Source FM studios

Another day...another radio interview. Benny caught up with The Source and chatted about his career, songwriting and his invention, the wonderful Combitar. You can catch the interview courtesy of The Source: http://www.thesourceradio.co.uk

Congrats on all the coverage, Benny. Hopefully our warm thoughts and best wishes are a counter-lever to all that horrible snow you guys have had in Edinburgh!

For more information about Benny Tetteh-Lartey, please visit: http://www.aardvarkrecords.co.uk/index.php/folk-music-downloads/218-benny-tetteh-lartey

Can HMV be saved?

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:44:00 +0000

I remember having a conversation with an HMV executive at Midem back in 2005 about HMV’s business model. Even then I didn't think it was viable or sustainable. The writing on the digital music wall was pretty apparent – and had been for a few years before this conversation took place.

HMV felt it could take on the likes of iTunes head-to-head in a battle for digital music hearts and minds. I remember telling Jim (not his real name) that this was naïve. HMV needed something far more fundamental and aggressive to survive the digital download onslaught that was looming on the horizon.

Why did I think the ‘we're gonna really take on iTunes’ approach was naive?

iTunes wasn't simply selling music and content – it was selling an experience
The iTunes business model wasn't solely predicated on the sale of content. It certainly wasn't a ‘sales only for survival’ business model. iTunes was developed in conjunction with a variety of devices and platforms, notably iPhones and tablets. iTunes was both the medium and the fuel that segued quite nicely between entertainment content and innovative Apple products. HMV has basically only ever had content to sell and nothing else.
Apple is ingenious at creating a cult of followers. I know of people who would walk barefoot over burning coals or shards of glass to get their hands on Apple products, no matter the cost. I jokingly refer to Apple’s legion of loyal fans as the Apple Army. HMV simply never had this kind of loyalty.
Apple has been superb in building, developing, extending and supporting its relationships with its customers/fans/Apple Army. As a company, it knows how to speak to people. As a brand, it has a personality. It knows where it has been, it knows where it is right now...and it knows where it wants to go. HMV has failed phenomenally in this critical area of winning hearts, minds and hard-earned cash.
Apple would also appear to have good corporate relations with its suppliers and throughout its supply chain. I only have a question mark where HMV is concerned within this context.
Apple had an ingenious, likable affable and awe-inspiring spokesperson in Steve Jobs. HMV cannot claim to have ever had an equally charismatic front person.
Apple has (usually) been the very definition of innovation. HMV has not.

So what did I recommend to Jim at Midem in 2005?

Well, not to put too fine a point on it...this:

Scrap the download sales business model…or create new business models that don't rely on music download sales. HMV insisted on treating music purchasing as if people were still buying CDs. They aren't, not in any really significant numbers, and they won't for a while yet. Get over it and move on. You are flogging a dying horse - for now. Music is a disposable commodity in this day and age. HMV is facing the results of ignoring this fact with its business model.
Have no more than 8 flagship ‘experience’ superstores in key UK regions. Gamers could be the saviour of HMV. Build flagship stores with pukka live gaming installation areas that offer innovative gaming user experiences for a mix of games on the market. Cinema ticket sales, fun parks, nightclubs and similar experience-orientated market players enjoy an upturn in revenues when recessions / downturns / economic slowdowns kick in. People want to have fun and are willing to pay for it if the value return is significant enough. So give them an experience. And keep changing the experience installations to keep people coming back. And use them as drivers to sell more games. And if you want to keep a hand in with the music, get some live acts in, especially those with new releases.
Make your brand about discovery, experience, fun and engagement.
If you have stores which perform well and aren't in the superstore region, franchise them. Specifically, franchise them to the employees already working there. Chances are, the success of such stores are down to their efforts and hard work - so reward them.
To sell CDs or not to sell CDs, that is the question. The major supermarkets have put the hurt on HMV's ability to shift physical albums. The major supermarkets have the scale, the will and the means to undercut HMV prices at every turn. It’s a war HMV can’t win. So why fight it? Instead of selling chart music, do business with independent labels, music publishers and artists. Regional superstores can reflect regional music preferences – and regional labels, artists and music publishers. That’s what will differentiate HMV from the supermarket chains.
Management/staff buy in. With fewer (but larger stores), HMV can think about offering a stake in the business for its employees – all of its employees – from the cleaning staff to sales people to middle managers right to the senior executives. With this model, staff can also determine additional things like staff crèche facilities, healthcare, etc. Instead of external investors determining working conditions and pay, staff/management buy-in gives staff a voice and a personal stake in the success of the business.
Steve Jobs was a one-off, the likes of which we won’t see again for a while. But that’s fine, he fit as the face of Apple. HMV needs to find a charismatic senior executive ‘face’ that fits its brand (which needs a drastic and innovative overhaul). Let him or her instill confidence in the company, internally and externally, and let them be the keystone in building a relationship firstly with the public…and then with the press, media and financial circles. Don’t make the mistake of trying to please the City of London too much…after all, how much do City of London financial types contribute to your bottom line sales?
Speak to the people. No, seriously, really speak to them...openly and honestly. Build a relationship with them. Don’t see the public as merely a ‘customer base’ or just ‘demographics’. Once you understand the public, and speak openly and candidly with the public, only then will you know what really ticks the public’s boxes; what gets them excited, what they like and what they hate. Two-way, open dialogue is priceless.
Don’t be the remote, faceless, unknowable corporate entity you've always been. There are only a handful of industries who can still get away with possessing a mystique (book publishing and fashion immediately spring to mind)…retail isn't one of them.
Scrap your website and start from scratch. Use it as a platform to connect and entertain people. Really engage with it. Your website and social media strategies have been your Achilles heel for far too long.
Innovate, innovate, innovate. Apple has been renowned for innovation. The same can not be said of HMV.
If you're hoping that somehow major labels can save you - or that there will be a reversal in major labels' fortunes - don't. They can barely save themselves at the moment. If you have any questions on this score, I invite you to read "How the major labels broke the music industry" http://aardvarkrecords.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/how-major-labels-broke-music-industry.html

Can HMV be saved? Absolutely. Will it be easy? Absolutely not. It’s a cliché, but nothing worth doing is ever going to be easy.

The HMV problem has been left to fester for quite some time, so naturally the amount of effort to overcome the current circumstances are formidable.

There is life left in the old dog. Let’s hope it’s up to learning a few new tricks.

EricM featured on Mixmaster88's 'Progressive Mayhem' compilation series

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:39:00 +0000

Progressive House maestro EricM is featured on yet another superb progressive house music compilation series. This time it's Mixmaster88's "Progressive Mayhem" compilation....which is out now.

The compilation racks up no less than 3 tracks from the South African DJ/Producer:

Grey Skies (Paul Sprecher Remix)
Touch Faith (Philip & Delvino Remix)
Amazeng (Extended Mix)

For more information about the compilation, and to listen to the tracks online, please visit: http://www.clubmixed.com/Mix/Progressive_Mayhem/DJ/MixMaster88/50

For more information about EricM, please visit: http://www.aardvarkrecords.co.uk/index.php/dance-chillout-nujazz/house-music-downloads/191-ericm

How the major labels broke the music industry

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:42:00 +0000

I’m no stranger to courting controversy in the music industry. I don’t seek controversy for its own sake (okay, maybe I do a teeny bit!). Nor have I ever been afraid of raising my head above the parapet (you may get shot but then again you might catch an amazing view). On the whole, I do so in the hope that it will open up dialogue and get senior level executives in the music industry talking about the real issues.

And the real issues aren't illegal downloads or music piracy. They’re just smoke screens used by the power brokers in the industry. Or symptoms of deeply rooted rot within the music industry. It’s not that these aren't important issues…but I've always though they were slight of the hand card tricks used to distract attention from what should be discussed within the industry.

I've been fielding some tough questions after the re-launch of the Aardvark Records website. Why? One wee statement that made the claim that major records have broken the music industry.

So let’s start with the basics. What does a broken industry look like?

In no particular order:

1: The number of major / influential players reduce in numbers and the industry begins to eat itself

I was blessed to be born and raised during the golden age of music. What was that I hear you ask? The 60s, 70s and 80s (yes, the 80s, I say to the nay sayers. 80s fashions may have been astoundingly bad but a lot of the music still kicked ass.)

I grew up in the era of strong independent labels like Casablanca, A&M, Mercury, Atlantic, Rhino, CBS / Columbia, Epic, Arista and countless others. These legendary independents pumped out music with an unquestioned pedigree in an era where songwriters could write, singers could sing without relying on technology, musicians were top drawer and producers & arrangers knew their craft inside and out.

Pop music was never my cup of tea. However, I could hear and appreciate the quality behind songs from the likes of Abba and The Carpenters.

And then suits took over the majors, bored accountants and financial types who wanted to walk on the wild side and live out their teenage fantasies. So from the 80s onwards, the bigger and more successful independents began to be gobbled up. And what we think of as ‘the majors’ really came to the fore…and then in the 90s the majors started to cannibalise each other…with the recent EMI-Universal deal reducing the majors’ ranks further still.

So not only did the more influential among the independent labels disappear – consumed by major labels – the majors too began to amalgamate among themselves.

Who lost out? Music lovers, music professionals, singers, songwriters, musicians, creativity and innovation (I’ll come to this in a minute).

2. The major players in an industry lay the foundations for serious issues which weaken its own foundations…and then blame everybody else

No guesses for the ‘serious issues’ I’m going to cover here. Music piracy and illegal file sharing / downloading. However, this isn't where I’m going to start.

From the 90s onwards, the major labels made music, musicianship and music artistry disposable. One hit wonders, one album wonders and acts that were here today and gone tomorrow – all in the name of profit – sowed the seeds for what was to come later.

Major labels treated music as something that was disposable…and the music buying public all over the world learned from this example. It wasn't music contest shows or kiss and tell scandals or courting the press that destroyed the prestige and mystique of music – this would all come later. Nope, it was the majors that put the boot in first. Disposable and, quite frankly, some outrageously poor pop music, and albums of inconsistent quality (16 tracks with only 3 or 4 of them being truly stand-out) sowed the seeds that severed the respect musicians and artists had previously received by a public no longer willing to unquestioningly give it.

It was only after this happened that illegal downloading and music sharing became the prevalent symptom of an industry that was already showing the signs of ailing. The unspoken question the music loving public began to ask itself was this: “If major labels don’t respect their artists, and if they insist on releasing music of a poor quality, then why the hell should we buy it?”

People may have said they engaged in music sharing because pop and rock stars were rich and it didn't matter. That was their smokescreen. Maybe they couldn't put their finger on what it was that prompted them to share music this way (although I argue that since the invention of the audio cassette and the CD, music had already been widely shared). With or without realising it, they had taken their cue from the music industry itself.

And the seeds were sown for the smaller independent record labels to suffer the repercussions in a disproportionate manner. Leaner and often surviving from release to release, independent record labels began to be tarred with the same brush as the majors. Collectively, indie labels should have distanced themselves from major labels much sooner. But hindsight is always 20/20. How could we have known just how bad things would get? Majors had the bulk, the market share and the deep pockets to take the initial impact in their stride.

Which brings me quietly nicely to:

3. There is no real or tangible innovation in business models or practices within an industry for a considerable amount of time

Major labels were well placed to foster and invest in innovation within the music industry. Essentially, the music industry hasn't changed one centimetre from the form we currently recognise it– which goes all the way back to the 1930s. It’s practices, business models, business structure –everything about it – is a dinosaur. And look what happened to the dinosaurs! It’s a process of sign, promote, sell, exploit and pay out performance royalties.

Record labels didn't invent audio cassettes, CDs, mini discs, digital downloads or any of the modern formats we currently purchase music – although they should have! Nope, people outside of the music industry created these formats. The larger labels (pre-CD) and the major labels (post-CD) fought tooth and nail to assign these formats to oblivion. The CD only really happened because Sony’s parent company, the technical giant (in collaboration with Phillips), understood all the devices it could create and sell based on this new format…and the revenue stream such devices would bring.

Boffins or nerds, call them what you will, outside of the music industry provided the innovation in the form digital music platforms that record labels would spent the best part of 20 years trying to kill. However – and this is important – major labels could have invested in developing all of these platforms and the technologies behind them at any time in their initial development stages. Like a feisty heroine in a Victorian novel, they chose to resist such unwanted advances. Then they tried to destroy them. But never, not once, did they choose to embrace and invest in innovation. Innovation was thrust upon them each and every time and they simply learned to live with it.

Or did they?...

4. The major players within an industry become control freaks, tyrants and dictators

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Unless you’re a major label. If you’re a major, what doesn't kill you makes you want to piss everyone else off.

Cassettes, CDs and MP3s didn’t kill the music industry. This, despite all the music industry doom merchants that prophesized vociferously that they would; telling us that innovation was actually the enemy of music itself. How melodramatic. Even then I thought the lady doth protest far too much. What pissed the majors off is that they missed the (gravy) boat, they missed the party…and they knew it.

They also missed their chance investing and developing the likes of Napster, Kazzaa and other digital music platforms when they had a chance. They tried to kill what they feared and couldn't control. They could have invested in the very digital distribution platforms that were to become hugely popular around the world; and collected the dividends from what would quickly become highly profitable business models for others.

So now we come to the war on digital music, what would be called illegal file sharing and illegal downloading. And the major’s version of ‘shock and awe’? I give you RIAA. RIAA has to be one of the worst conceived and even worse intentioned ideas ever. Beat the public into meek submission through some high profile legal cases? Has that ever worked in capitalism-driven first world democratic societies? Ever?

Where the majors should have been seeking rapprochement, absolution and détente from the music buying public – they chose instead to wield a very large baseball bat. The relationship between labels and music buyers hadn't entirely eroded before the introduction of RIAA. RIAA was one of the final nails in the coffin in that relationship. Was it any wonder that the RIAA approach backfired in spectacular fashion?

Internet radio would be another area where majors would come to shoot themselves in the foot. ‘Close them the f@ck down’ was the rallying cry. Instead, they should have invested, nurtured and developed them as a real alternative to the payola-ridden traditional options. Or supported community radio stations, building an informal national networks of local and regional radio stations to rival the all-powerful network radio broadcasters…playing a wider choice in music and giving the public more listening choice to boot.

The labels could have carried the torch from the 60s and 70s and gone back to releasing exceptional music of unquestioned quality. Or at least have donned the pretext of caring about music and developing future talent. They could have gone back to the days of making music releases an event rather than an afterthought. They could have done just about anything other than the path they chose: control, destroy and dictate.

And again, it was the innovative, cheeky independent labels that ultimately paid a disproportionate price from the fallout by being tarred by the same industry brush.

5. Cheap tawdry tricks and gimmicks become an industry's standard bearers

Television shows like X-factor, [Country name]’s Got Talent, American Idol, etc have done their fair share to damage the music industry even further. Please, how hard is it for people to get on a stage and sing songs written, arranged and produced by other people? Come on, make the shows interesting – make each act/person compose original music and lyrics, arrange it, produce it and perform it…EVERY WEEK. Then you’d have my respect.

Shows like these merely perpetuate the insult to real artists, performers, songwriters, arrangers and producers. The guys and gals who suffer, bleed for and celebrate the creative process. Why insult? These television shows perpetuate the belief that creating music is a piece of piss, that there isn't anything to it…that you can just have a decent voice and be famous within 15 minutes…and then dropped just as quickly.

It’s the music industry's power brokers way of duping the gullible - and giving all of us the finger.

This brings me back to the big players in the music industry making music something that’s disposable. It’s a cheap trick. Don’t be fooled by it.

6. The eradication of consumer choice

Major labels think the answer to their woes is size, gobbling up their rivals. Nothing could be further from the truth. They’ll just sink that much faster. Size, in their minds, equates to control, to cornering the market. With each contraction in competitiveness, and the creativity and innovation that it brings, the fundamental problems the industry faces becomes worse, not better.

Music lovers always find a way to circumvent the majors. They always have and they always will.

So where does all this leave us?

Indie labels have never had the size, power or influence to affect the music industry to the extent that it's been affected by the majors. However, it’s from us that innovation not only will come…but must come. For starters, we need to ditch the outdated 1930s era model that’s hung like a noose around our collective necks.

Independent labels need to forge a new path forward, irrespective of whether major labels follow or not. We need to stop emulating them and cease holding them up as some sort of exemplar of success. It’s not success, merely the illusion of it.

We have some serious bridge building to do with the music buying public. It won’t be easy but it can be done. Differentiating ourselves from the majors is perhaps the easiest and most productive place to start. Let the brush that tars them not tar us.

We need to adopt new business models and new ways of working based on the real innovation, creativity, inspiration and entrepreneurialism which led us to founding our respective independent labels. And, unlike the majors which persist in cannibalising each other, let’s continue to encourage each other in our distinctiveness and diversity.

The majors want it easy. We're made of tougher stuff - the very thing they equally hate and love about us.

The cold hard truth is that no one else will come to the rescue. The truth is we have to do it ourselves. If we want to save our industry, the music and the talented people within it, we, the independent labels, have to collectively roll up up our sleeves and tackle this mess head on. I think our industry is worth fighting for. And at the 2012 AIM awards I met a number of fellow music executives who feel the same way. So let's get to work. Let's show the big boys in our industry not only what can be done...but how it should be done.

I wish I was a great orator capable of delivering a succinct rallying cry like some Edward V at Agincourt or Elizabeth the First during the Armada. If I were, I’d put those words here. Or better still, you can insert your own.

from Alex di Savoia, CEO, Ardvark Music Ltd

If you need some (more) inspiration, this all reminds me of that classic Hollywood film "Network" - the pivotal scene is below. Quite apt really. And a pretty good rallying cry comes at the end too.

Introducing...the new Aardvark Records website

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:37:00 +0000

The new Aardvark Records home page with easier navigation. You can even change the style to suit you!

Our fans told us it was time...so how could we ignore the cal? You wanted a new site? You got it!

The new Aardvark site isn't just a makeover job. We listened to all the feedback we've received over the past past couple of years and came up with an entirely different site.

Now it's much easier to find the music that you want. The main navigation bar is all about the music. Each main genre category has it's own link. Each genre has it's own look and feel too. The sub-genres are now even easier to find. Each genre and sub-genre section has its own genre-related videos and news too.

Moving to a new web host provider means we can give you more functionality too. The means more music and more videos. And if you don't like the colour schemes we've chosen for the different genres - you can change almost all of them to suit your tastes. So go on, test it out and have a play.

Our new Rock Music section.

For those who've been following and supporting us the past 10+ years know we love (and some would say live) to share. We've made sharing our music, videos, news and, well, everything, much easier to do.

We''ll be adding even more goodies over the next couple of weeks.

And the new site is perfect for mobile phones and tablets.

So surf around, check it out, have a play - and let us know what you think.

http://www.aardvarkrecords.co.uk

Aardvark Records - the label that listens.

Aardvark CEO nominated for 'Independent Entrepreneur of the Year' Award

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Wey Hey - An Independent Entrepreneur of the Year award nomination for our CEO, Alex di Savoia, for the 2012 AIM Independent Music Awards! http://bit.ly/Sbazt6

Well done Alex!

Releases out in October

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:53:00 +0000

Catch our latest releases for October!

There's a little bit of everything: Pop, Trance, Euro House and some minimal for you to enjoy.

Click 'playlist' to surf around...and enjoy!

'The Real L Word' Series 3 Finale features Callel track

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:58:00 +0000

Scottish BritPop act Callel continues a string of synch successes in America. Following on from being featured in MTV's reality show 16 & Pregnant, the band's track Best Foot on the Ground was featured in the season 3 finale of Showtime's hit The Real L Word.

We love this song. It's an instantly humable, memorable and just plain fun. This single is from the album "Body Discovery".

Music Dealers, one of Aardvark Records' synch partners, placed the song.

Check out the trailer of the show below:

Music Dealers™ is a global music solution that pairs up independent artists with clients in the advertising, television, film and gaming industries.

For more information about Callel, please visit: http://www.aardvarkrecords.co.uk/callel.htm

For more information about Music Dealers, please visit: http://musicdealers.com

The Real L Word's Official wesbite: http://www.sho.com/sho/the-real-l-word/home

Aardvark CEO Alex di Savoia @ Indie-Con 2012 (June)

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:12:00 +0000

Catch the video below. Our CEO was a panelist for the "Running a Great Small label" discussion sessino during Indie-Con 2012 in London.

AIM's CEO, Alison Wenham, talks to four AIM members about how they successfully run a great small label.

Panellists include: Merida Sussex (Stolen Recordings), Charlene Hegarty (Smalltown America), Al Mobbs (Ambiguous Records), Alex Di Savoia (Aardvark Records). Chair - Alison Wenham (AIM)

Post Indie-Con 2012 conference reflection #2: Indie labels vs Major labels - gaps in the market

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 10:33:00 +0000

I shared the "Running a Great Small Label” panel with the likes of Al Mobbs (Ambiguous Records), Charleene Hegarty (Smalltown America), Merida Sussex (Stolen Recordings) and the incomparable Alison Wenham (AIM). So I was in very good company indeed. Before I forget, if you haven’t already, do check out Stolen Recordings’ act Bo Ningen – simply an awesome band…I love ‘em!

In the course of the panel discussion, the topic of competing against the majors came up. I spoke a little about how I operate at Aardvark: which was basically about how to spot opportunities. It’s something I wish I could have spoken about in more depth. It was a comment that generated a number of conversations with indie labels, managers and artists during the remainder of the day.

Earlier in the day, Alison made the excellent point that the very size of major labels work against them. Decision making is a lengthy process involving a significant number of people. Majors, by their very nature, are never quick off the market. This is one of the strongest advantages indie labels have – and should use more. We don’t have countless Vice Presidents of various departments spread across different buildings. We’re lean and, as a result, quick.

Spotting gaps in the market is something I’m particularly good at. I get in quick, develop the relevant relationships and fully understand that the majors will eventually clock on to the same thing and muscle us out. It's been done before. Countless times. However, that doesn’t deter me as I’m always scouting ahead for new opportunities and niche markets.

A classic example was quite a few years ago with ROO TV. ROO were a cool operation. They supplied online video to a staggering number of partners: from the Sun’s website to E!’s website…and all manner of high profile sites in-between. Music TV channels were making my life a misery at the time so I was straight in there like a shot. A deal was quickly wrapped up with ROO and our videos featured throughout ROO’s international online distribution network. We racked up millions of views in a ridiculously short time…which had an immediate (and beneficial) impact on our sales.

Warners, followed by the other majors, waded in. There wasn’t an immediate change as the majors took an absolute age negotiating a deal with ROO. However, when their deals were done, there was a noticeable change. Music videos from Indie labels were noticeably being edged out in favour of videos from the majors.

It was fun while it lasted. Foreseeing the inevitable outcome, I was already in discussions with YouTube, Daily Motion and a few other leading online video entertainment services. And yes, the majors would eventually come to dominate relationships with these providers too.

I get why major labels act in this manner, on an archaic business level. However, on other levels, I end up scratching my head. There are plenty of spaces at the table for good music. This ‘all or nothing’ mentality of major labels is one of the key factors which have harmed the music industry. Whether it’s greed, insecurity, short-sightedness or just a desire to dominate – the majors planted the seeds of their own comeuppance.

Synchronisation (licensing tracks to TV, Film, advertising, games, etc) was always going to be the big win for us. A lean decision and communication structure matched with a very diverse catalogue has always been our strength in competing with majors in the synch market. When a synch agency or music supervisor needs a track in their hands in as little as 15 minutes (it happens more than you think!) because a major label and/or publisher is either too slow in responding or playing hardball – the ability to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the spot and deliver tracks and/or track stems is of the utmost importance. Friendly and efficient customer service is also important. A combination of quality, catalogue diversity, reliability, a ‘can-do’ attitude, efficient delivery of tracks and a friendly vibe has seen aardvark become a ‘go-to’ label within the world of synch.

There’s no magic formula. This is an arena that many inde labels and publishers can compete against the majors.

Where do me and my team get our leads from? Research. We read everything… music magazines being the major exception. The financial press, business press, technology press – and even BBC’s Click programme – are invaluable sources of information covering development s that are on the horizon. From technology start-ups, to tech companies and services who landed major financing, to companies wanting to do business with UK firms…it’s all out there if you’re willing to spend the time to read and look for it.

My team also have monthly mini-think tank sessions. Some of the most exciting ideas , opportunities and business partnerships have started with the sentence “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was something that let us do ‘X’ or ‘Y’?” That usually leads to a search for a company that does or provides exactly that. It’s so easy to get caught up in the ‘now’ that makes it hard to think about the future/ The future is where the opportunities are – not the ‘now’ where everyone is fighting over the same bones.

“Once the future has become ‘the now’, you should have already moved on to new opportunities. Don't get stuck in the now, that's what the major lables do.” It took a second or two for that little nugget to register in a conversation I was having with some young-ish start-up labels during the lunch break. The great thing was I could see it take hold within that small group of people. And I wandered off feeling fairly confident they were going to run with it.

Post Indie-Con 2012 conference reflection #1: What is success for an indie lable?

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:10:00 +0000

The Indie-con 2012 conference organised by AIM was a brilliant experience. It was great meeting up with our various service provider partners, old friends and former colleagues - \and making some new connections as well. As with all conferences, there were lively conversations to be had and some great panel discussions. A relaxed atmosphere and good nosh sealed the deal.

It’s been a week since the convention and I’ve been pondering over quite a few things in its aftermath. The next series of posts cover my post-conference reflections and thoughts.

I had the pleasure of being invited to participate as a panellist on the “Running a great small label” session. The panel fielded a number of good and insightful questions during the course of the session.

However, for me, I was asked a stand-out question after the session had finished. “How do you define success?”

I think when anyone asks an executive representing an established label that sort of question, they expect to hear about big sales, top chart hits, big international tours and lavish holidays.

Keeping it real, my answer wasn’t what was expected: “I don’t have to chase people to return my phone calls or respond to my emails. That’s my definition of success at the moment.” This was followed by “Oh yeah – when industry people contact me out of the blue rather than the other way round.”

I think the person who asked that question thought I was joking. Nothing could have been further from the truth. It’s taken 5 years to reach that point. While it’s far from earth-shattering, and it won’t solve world hunger - having persons of influence pay you the respect of returning phone calls and responding to emails is a hallmark moment in the music industry.

I went on to say that definitions of success will change the longer a record label continues to run and grow. I told him that if he had asked me that question seven years ago, getting our first bona fide chart hit would have been my definition of success.

Five years ago, success would have been taking my label from being in the red to being in the black – and keeping it in profit from that point onwards. That was a huge achievement.

Signing bigger, more developed artists would have been my definition of success three years ago.

On the road to making a profitable business, I think many indie labels stay so focused on the big measures of success that they forget the small steps that get them to that final destination.

For whatever reason, those smaller steps have always been more meaningful to me.

Timeliner's new minimalist single "Kiss Me" in rotation on DJ DavyC's Inferno Dance Show

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Sat, 26 May 2012 09:34:00 +0000

DJ DavyC's Inferno Dance Show

The Sobel Nation Radio Network continues to go from strength to strength in its bid for global domination in the dance music scene :) Which is great for us!

One beneficiary is definitely our German Goa / PsyTrance / Minimalist producer Timeliner. HIs new vocal minimalist track "Kiss Me" has just been picked up for rotation by DJ Davy C's Inferno Dance Show, syndicated in the US, Canada and the UK.

Many thanks to Davy C and the Soebl Nation Network.

For more information about Timeliner, please visit: http://www.aardvarkrecords.co.uk/timeliner.htm

February & March 2012 releases

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:57:00 +0000

Yep, it's that time of the month...some brand spankin new releases from us. This month features Alt Rock, Goa, Indie, Pop, Progressive Trance, Psytrance & Trance releases.

Check out the full length tracks below...

EMI break-up and sale – The AIM campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:42:00 +0000

This just in from Alison Wenham, Chairman and Chief Executive Director, AIM

Another battle we need to win

The independent music sector successfully used its great collective strength to fight the closure of 6Music last year. We now need to use our strength again to fight the potentially damaging effects of the proposed sale of the only UK major to the remaining gigantic multinationals, whose monopolistic positions have already been a cause of market decline.

PLEASE TAKE 5 MINUTES AND FIND TIME TO READ AND ACTION THIS – IT REALLY IS VERY IMPORTANT.

The splitting up of EMI, with the sale of the recorded music arm to Universal and the publishing operation to Sony is bad for the industry and bad for the market. We must oppose this huge further shift of power and market dominance into the hands of the already oversized music giants.

Representing independents’ interests Impala has, with AIM’s full backing, already started action at the European level, announcing that it will oppose both deals with the competition regulators.

AIM and its members must also act quickly, alongside Impala. Both organisations will be running a co-ordinated campaign in the media. However, most urgently, the UK independent music sector - labels, publishers, artists, venues, etc - need to inform and mobilise UK MPs.

Many AIM members have in previous campaigns written powerful and eloquent letters putting the indies’ case in their own words. But you are all very busy people and to help with this task AIM has drafted the letter below as a basis for contacting your own constituency M.P. If you want to check names a good website is www.theyworkforyou.com. If you live in one constituency but your company operates out of another, you can write to both MPs, adapting the letter accordingly. The key thing is speed, so please act on this as soon as possible, or slightly sooner.

For more information about AIM, please visit: http://www.musicindie.com

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Draft letter to send to your MP. Please insert your details as applicable where ‘XXXX’ appears in bold.

Dear (insert name of your local MP here),

The independent music sector is the true and acknowledged creative force in the music industry. Independent companies are world leaders in terms of innovation and discovering new music and performing talent: we produce 80% of all new releases and in Europe alone we provide 85% of the jobs in the music industry.

I am writing to you as the XXXX (owner/founder/head of…) XXXX (label/company name), an independent music company which is based in your constituency.

As hardworking, flexible and entrepreneurial SMEs, independent music companies, from micro-businesses to companies with annual turnover in millions, are adapting to and succeeding in an increasingly difficult global market. Adele is one good example of an outstanding independent success story – but there could and should be more (see below). And UK music repertoire is second only to that of the USA in terms of earnings from performance rights.

Independents can and do launch and support talent, and win market share in an already distorted market. But market distortion must not be allowed to become even greater. If the sale of EMI to Universal is allowed to go through, the combined market share in the recorded music market would be around 50% - 10% more than the threshold at which the OFT should be involved.

The increasing concentration of the music market in the hands of a decreasing number of gigantic multinationals has undoubtedly damaged competition. The proposed sale of EMI threatens further damage so great that it must be reviewed and resisted by the UK Coalition Government with the full support of the Opposition on what really should not be a Party issue.

Though the details may shift as this story develops, the stark central fact is that EMI has announced deals which will split its global music operation and will result in the sale of its recorded music division to Universal Music (for £1.2bn), while its music publishing division will go to Sony (for £1.4bn).

This move will undoubtedly concentrate the global music market still further into the hands of two dominant major companies – Universal and Sony. That itself is enough to demand that the UK Government looks closely at, and opposes the proposed sale of the only UK major music company to the remaining gigantic multinational, whose monopolistic position has already been a cause of market decline.

The total value of the current two proposed sales trumps by about 8% the offer for EMI as a whole made to Citigroup by Warner Music only a few weeks ago. If the deals with Universal and Sony are allowed to go ahead Warner Music will effectively be relegated in size to a position where it can offer no real global competition, and the global music market will be in the control of just two huge companies- one French and one Japanese.

Representing the independent music sector the European trade body IMPALA has, with the full backing of the UK trade association AIM of which my company is a member, announced that it will oppose both sales with the regulators.

IMPALA points out that the last time the European Commission looked at Universal it ordered the company to sell off assets to cut it down to an acceptable size. But Universal has continued to grow – and now plans another huge acquisition. In the case of the sale of EMI publishing to Sony IMPALA points out that Brussels has already investigated concentration in the music publishing market (in the Universal/BMG case) and has given a very clear indication of what the maximum size of a major publishing interest should be. The EMI/Sony deal would far exceed this. The basic principles of competition in cultural markets do not tolerate making either Sony or Universal more powerful.

I completely support the comments made by AIM co-founder Martin Mills MBE, who heads the Beggars Group which has done so much for music talent in the UK. “This looks like breath-taking arrogance. It’s hard to imagine this acquisition being approved, given Universal’s existing dominance in an over-concentrated market. Even greater dominance would be bad news for almost everyone involved in the art and business of music.” And looking to the global digital market, where independent music entrepreneurship is particularly inventive and forward-looking, I also support the remarks of Charles Caldas, the CEO of the digital rights agency for the independent music sector – that this is a setback for the digital market, because the EMI recorded music deal puts even more power in the hands of the company most likely to try and shape services into what is most advantageous to itself, at the expense of the digital ecosystem, the development of the digital economy, and competition. With Universal at 50% market share, competition will be history and they can and will dictate the market in every respect.

I strongly urge you to raise this issue in Parliament and with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. We are asking that that the likely effects of these proposed sales on competition, retail, consumer choice and the growth of monopolistic power in the music industry are fully examined, and the proper outcome for the benefit of the industry as a whole and the industry in the UK in particular is achieved. That outcome, we strongly believe, cannot include this break-up and sale of EMI as proposed.

Sign off

Add a note about your company – artists, recent successes etc

The Wall of Rock Radio (East Midlands) showing us the love

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:32:00 +0000

The good people over at The Wall of Rock Radio station in the East Midlands have been showing us a LOT of love lately.

Love rock music? Love radio? Check them out on http://www.thewallrockradio.co.uk You don't have to live in the East Midlands to tune in - they have a great online live broadcast too!

FREE Music Video Production Forum 26 Jan 2012 (London)

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The good people over at Phink TV are hosting The Music Video Production Forum. Yep, it's BACK and being held at the Shoreditch Church on January 26th 2012.

As always, there are some amazing speakers in the form of:

Mike OKeefe: Commissioner and Head of Music Video at Sony.

Dan Curwin: Commissioner at Atlantic Records.

Caroline Bottomley: Founder of Radar.

Andy Woodruff: Studio Director at Camberwell Studios.

George Burt: Music Video Director.

Mikey Levelle: Producer and Head of Music Video at Park Village.

Jonny Morton-Clark: Resident Host

For more information, visit: http://www.phink.tv/blog/Music+Video+Production+Forum+26+Jan+2012

Trance producer Duneflyer's single "Trembling" hits Justin Testa's Top 20 Dance Chart

noreply@blogger.com (Alex di Savoia) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:38:00 +0000

Well we’re all quite stoked at Aardvark Records HQ. Trance producer Duneflyer’s new single “Trembling feat Denise & Joe Mitri" debuted at #11 in Justin Testa’s Top 20 Dance Chart for the week 15 January 2012!

It’s another recent chart success we think (in our humble opinion!) that’s richly deserved by Duneflyer. We’re hoping 2012 is going to be his international break-out year.

Haven’t heard this new single yet? Check it out below:

Besides working as a promotion coordinator for the Massachusetts-based DJ pool Masspool, DJ Justin Testa also spins for the Sirius satellite radio network plus AOL Radio.

Dance 01-15-2012

1. CHRIS VAN DUTCH MEETS DROPZ - DYNAMITE 2K11 – CAPP

2. RAY GUELL - YOU DON'T KNOW ME – RG

3. KHALID RIVERA - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH - MUSIC PLANT

4. MONSTER TAXI AND FRIXOS OCEAN DRIVE - TOY ROBOT

5. SOPHIA ALYSE - HEAVEN HELP ME – HOT STREAK

6. TIM JIREGENSON - OPERATION WHITE PEOPLE – SYSTEM

7. TONY FINGER - SWEDISH GIRL – PACHA

8. DEAS & LUBICA - ABORYGENNA – SYSTEM

9. MATTYAS F KRISTINA S. - SECRET LOVE - SIMPLY DELICIOUS.MP3

10. AMAZONIKA - JUMP – SYSTEM

11. DUNEFLYER F DENISE & JOE MITRI - TREMBLING – AARDVARK/SOBEL

12. AEONISM - DREAMCATCHER – ALLUSION

13. CHRIS WILLIS - TOO MUCH IN LOVE – INDIE

14. DJ ANALYZER VS CARY AUGUST - MORTAL KOMBAT 2011 – CAPP

15. FRESH PRODUCE -LORCHESTRA - GREEN MONO MUSIC STUDIO / SOBEL

16. G CAVELLE PROJECT F WAYNE TAYLOR - I GOT WHAT YOU NEED - MUSIC PLANT

17. GARETH EMERY F FRISCH - INTO THE LIGHT – NAPITH

18. JAKE SHANAHAN F MARCIE - YOUR NAME – CLUBSTREAM

19. KATY PERRY - THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY – CAPITOL

20. MARTIN SOLVEIG F KELE - READY 2 GO - BIG BEAT

21. MIA DAHLI - NEED YOU NOW – PERFECTO

22. OMAR CITO PEREZ - KINGDOM OF SOUL – SYSTEM

23. PHATJAK F B.SYKES - UNDER THE SUN – NV

24. QUBA - KIDS PLAY BETTER – SYSTEM

25. SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA VS. KNIFE PARTY - ANTIDOTE – CAPITOL

26. SILKWAY - 7 A.M. – SYSTEM

27. OAKENFOLD F TAMRA – SLEEP – PERFECTO

28. RUBICON 7 - ANYBODY BUT YOU – SYSTEM

29. BRUNETTE - WHO THE HELL - DREAMMERCHANT21

30. DAVID GUETTA F. NICKI MINAJ - TURN ME ON – CAPITOL

31. ELIJAH KING F - HONOREBEL - AFRICA TO IBIZA – INDIE

32. EMII - STILETTOS – INDIE

33. FLORENZA - HEARTBREAKER - ANGEL EYES

34. HUSH HUSH F VALENTINA - MY PEACE – AMPLITUDE

35. KRISTINA KORBAN - THIS IS YOUR NIGHT – DAUMAN

36. NATHAN SETH - NOTHING FOR LOVE – EMP

37. RADIO JACK & HAKAN LUDVIGSON - ALARMA – SYSTEM

38. TOM FALL F JWAYDAN - UNTOUCHABLE – ARMADA

39. VENCE & ROBERTS & ANDREODJ - BAD AUTUMN – SYSTEM

40. BRENDA K STARR - BODY OF PROOF – DAUMAN

41. D-SYSTEM - TWEAK – AMATHUS

42. DAMIEN J. CARTER - LOST VEGAS - IN HOUSE WE TRUST

43. DJ APOIS - BACK TO THE DAYS – BROKEN

44. DOOMTREE - BEACON – INDIE

45. HUSH HUSH - MY PEACE – AMPLITUDE

46. JENNIFER ASHLEY - LOVE READY - SNMG / SOBEL

47. PK PROJECT - LET ME LOVE YOU BEAT JOCKEYS – AMATHUS

48. QUATTRO F ZENNA - INCREDIBLE - AUDIOFREAKS / SOBEL

49. SWEET FEET MUSIC - AFTER THE SEX - SWEET FEET / SOBEL

50. TRENDMONSTER - GYPSY WAY – SYSTEM

51. MYSTO & PIZZI - HYMN - ULTRA /SOBEL

52. RIKAH - MISSING 2012 – CAPP

53. DASH BERLIN F EMMA HEWITT – ARMADA

54. DEBORAH COX - IF IT WASN'T FOR LOVE - DECO / HOSHG

55. EDX F JOHN WILLIAMS - GIVE IT UP FOR LOVE - S2

56. GLORIA ESTEFAN - HOTEL NACIONAL - VERVE FORECAST

57. ROGER-M - TOO BLIND TO SEE IT – NEUTONE

58. SONIKROSS F SARA PICKIN - THIS GAME - BIG IN IBIZA

59. SPIRIT KINGS F JESAÌNTE - NO DIGAS MAIS – AMATHUS

60. VANESSA CONDE - AN ENDLESS NIGHT – DESTUNE

61. WW F BREE - NOWHERE TO GO – ARMADA

62. Aaron Perez & Matt Nice - Rock This City – system

63. Armin van Buuren - Youtopia - Ultra / Sobel

64. Beni - Someone Just Like You – modularpeople

65. David Guetta f Nicki Minaj - Turn Me On - new house

66. David Hopperman - Check That – Bonerizing

67. David Koonen - Unknown Destination - Aardvark / Sobel

68. DJ Skillmaster - She Drives Me Crazy – capp

69. Duneflyer - Dark Blue – Aardvark/Sobel

70. Gregg Morrish Ft. Keylas - Bigger Than Us - Continuous Cool / Sobel

71. MEDO - Heaven Is Here When Youre Near – Pulsar

72. Mia Martina - Latin Moon - Jump Smokers – CP

73. Spirit Kings feat. JeSaÌnte - No Digas Mais – amathus

74. Stiben Dapper - Looked at you – system

75. Tony Orlando f Young MC - Tie A Yellow Ribbon - Silver Blue/Sobel