The Music (Ministry) Business

Widen the Target

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 04:04:00 +0000

Whether you are an artist or songwriter if you are reading this, you have probably been working towards a very pointed and exact target: Christian music. So when we work on our music we tend to write specifically in this genre. We work very hard to follow the rules, to write what we have heard, and to do it very well. The problem is that we sometimes write a very similar message and style over and over again. Perhaps the problem is not what we are trying to do, maybe it’s that we are aiming for too small of a target.

What I mean by this is that we write for the very tiny, tiny genre of contemporary Christian music, or gospel music and maybe we are painting ourselves, our music, and even our ministries into a box. Maybe we are not using our full skill set and growing to the best of our abilities because we are trying to write only for the small target of what is or would be popular in the Christian market.

The Fallacy of Christian Radio

Despite the fact that Christian radio is very hard to compete in anyway, most Christian songwriters and artists think that this is the pantheon of success. And so they write songs to compete with the other worship and Christian pop songs that are on the charts right now. The funny thing is not many people can or will work towards the quality it takes for radio. More so, they don’t write the kinds of songs Christian radio is even looking for.

The other big problem with Christian radio is that it really doesn’t reach the lost – only the believers. So is your goal just to write songs that will be enjoyed by other believers? I mean there’s nothing wrong with that I guess. But again, it’s a very small market. Can you do more?

Are You Really Going to Tour?

For years we have operated with every artist that they can tour to reach the lost, and to sell CDs and make back their album budget.

The truth is that it’s very hard to book yourself into events, especially if you are not doing it full time. So the act of contacting churches (which really don’t need more music) is quite mystifying and downright scary.

The Scary Low Digital Return

Anyone who has released music to digital sources like CDBaby, Spotify, and iTunes can tell you, you won’t be making rent payments with that money. Sure these numbers change when you have major radio play and touring, but as we outlined above that’s just not in the cards for most.

So what do we do? Maybe it’s time to consider some new options, and it might be time to make our music more accessible. I’m not saying lose your faith folks, but I am saying we need to be smarter on what we are writing, who our audience is, and our real goals of reaching the world.

The Dreaded Crossover

If you remember back in the 90s it was the time with Amy Grant and Michael W Smith were crossing over into pop (some would say secular) music. At the time, there were detractors and supporters on both sides. But no one can argue that Amy Grant widened her audience.

After all, reaching the lost is really our main mandate. The Great Commission does not say go where Christians are and play music that they will be comfortable with. So maybe writing some of our music that can be played outside the church isn’t such a bad idea.

Now, secular radio is even harder than Christian to try and get traction, but I’m not talking about radio necessarily.

The Hard Share

How many times have you wished you could share your music with your friends only to realize if you did it would be a hard conversation or perhaps uncomfortable situation you were not ready for. I’m not saying God did not call us to have hard conversations, but sharing with people at work, or family, or strangers is very difficult when you don’t know their where they stand as a believer.

Writing something and creating something that is more than just Christianese gives you the ability to reach a much wider audience with your message. Sometimes that can mean we have to be a little stealthy. But that allows us to get in doors that we could never get in with our normal message, which can sometimes offend ears that aren’t ready to hear it.

Reaching a Bigger Audience (And a Bigger Return)

Another area that is hard to get into and reach for Christian artists is the world of the film, TV, commercials, etc. Since most of this business is done in Los Angeles, it’s a hard sell to get a Christian song or even a song by a blatant Christian artist through the process that will get their music into a project. This is another reason to think outside the box when you are writing your songs.

This is another reason to think of a new way to say a message of faith, or love. Maybe a way that could be construed by a Christian audience as Christian, or by secular audience as just more positive faith and love.

Now I understand many of you may see this as being disingenuous, or even a cop out. But if the point is to make this a career (read: make income) and to really reach the world for God, then maybe we have to open up our box just a little bit.

Maybe your next song you can use ‘you’ instead of ‘Jesus’. Give the song a chance to reach a wider target of listeners. Believe me, God will not get His feelings hurt if you don’t use His exact name in all songs (besides those are our words not His.)

Just some food for thought. Would love to hear your comments below.

Have a great week!

EC
—
Eric Copeland is president of Creative Soul, a company that helps Christian artists and songwriters move to the next level in their careers. For more information on how to get started with us, click here.

5 Excuses for Music “Meh”

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 08 May 2017 06:55:00 +0000

meh
informal

exclamation
1. expressing a lack of interest or enthusiasm.
“Meh. I’m not impressed so far”

adjective
1. uninspiring; unexceptional.
“the songs just came out … meh”

I hear all the time from folks who feel like they have been taken, or ended up with a bad project, or worked with the wrong person. They lament the fact that they made the wrong choice in producer, studio, or just in someone they trusted to help them well musically.

The music just sounds…meh.

Now there are many reasons people make these decisions and end up unhappy, and sometimes feeling downright scammed. So here are the things I hear most from people after they went down roads.

“But they offered me a record deal!”

I know of a company that for years sent “record deals” by email to any artist who contacted them. The company quickly got several thousand dollars from them with promises of putting in “tens of thousands of dollars” themselves, promising online marketing, and other grandiose things.

They then proceeded to leave the artist with a usually under-produced album, stick them on their site, and call it a day. The artists, never fully happy with the production, usually came to us saying they wish they had not gone down that path. But hey they were offered a “record deal”, and that doesn’t happen every day (well, except with that company I guess).

Record deals don’t happen because you send someone an email. After years of talking with A&R friends of mine at large labels like Word Records, I know that they only sign artists after a long period of building a relationship. Furthermore, if someone signs you to a real record deal, THEY will pay YOU, not the other way around. They usually offer some kind of advance against sales, and a way for you to make income as an artist.

Best advice: If it’s not a major label offering you a legit deal looked over by lawyers and working on for months by both sides, it’s likely going to be a headache.

This is not to say that an artist paying someone to produce their record is wrong, it’s simply another model. You can sign a production contract, and you as the client will pay for production. (And FYI, even if an artist is signed and the label makes them a record, the artist is STILL paying the label out of their sales and royalties.)

“But they had a big name, or had won Grammys!”

Make sure you know the exact role they had in that shiny Gold Record they have on their walls at the studio. Anyone involved in a project can buy one of those plaques, or get a certificate to frame. It doesn’t matter if they were an exec, or an assistant to the assistant to the engineer. Listen carefully to the previous recordings of artists they have produced recently, before you start paying them to make music for you.

“But they said I was an amazing, “anointed” talent!”

I bet they did. They probably also told you they only had “one spot left on their roster”.

I do know that people feel very differently about what they hear. One producer may like something, and one A&R guy doesn’t care for it. In many cases (for production companies or producers) the tendency is to take anything that comes in the door, mainly because smart studios don’t say no to work. This is not inherently wrong. I’ve been producing most who knock on my website door for decades since I come from the production studio model.

The scary thing and red flag is when some producer or “label” comes to you out the blue and says they think you are “anointed” and “special”, and then asks YOU to pay them. That is straight up scam time. We don’t do that, and most of the engineers, players, and other producers we know in Nashville definitely don’t do that. We wait for people to find us, contact us, or inquire about our services.

Unless we see you live and in person, meet you through an acquaintance, or are otherwise moved by something we see, we will not contact you looking for business. It’s just wrong.

“But the price was so low!”

Of course it is. In almost anything in life, you get what you pay for. A Hyundai isn’t a Mercedes. And many times these companies know if they can get a few grand, from a lot of people, they can make out quite well.

Or, you have someone with limited experience doing things for nothing or for free. The dude in his basement with Pro Tools, the fledgling studio in your hometown, or the retired musician who does this as a hobby. They could all be super nice people, but the price usually will dictate the quality you will get. (Although this can work in reverse with the “Grammy winning team” who says they are worth $5,000 per single. Hint: It really doesn’t cost $5,000 per song!)

“But I didn’t know anyone else or any better!”

And this is the one that I hear most often. As the police say, Ignorantia juris non excusat or ignorantia legis neminem excusat (Latin for “ignorance of the law excuses not” and “ignorance of law excuses no one” respectively.)

We don’t quite believe it’s your fault that you don’t know what to do with your music and ministry, so we work very hard with blogs like these and free advice, phone calls, workshops, etc. to make sure people know what they need to know to be prepared.

In fact, while we will continue our popular Artist and Songwriter Development Workshop held at Word Entertainment in Nashville, and our other critiques and consults we’ve been doing for years, we are more devoted than ever to making sure you make the right decisions for your music and ministry goals.

We have been singularly focused for more than two decades on helping the independent Christian Artist and Songwriter find success and do God’s work. That’s why we have always offered for you to email us, call us, and talk with us for free.

Be careful out there, and if you have any question about music and ministry, give us a call, an email, tweet, smoke signal, Morse Code…

Have a great week!

EC
—
Eric Copeland has tirelessly worked for music ministries for over 20 years, and gets really mad when people are taken advantage of in pursuit of their music goals. His goal with anything Creative Soul produces is Heck yeah! Not meh. For more on what Creative Soul does, read through our site at http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com and contact us with any questions.

What We See Out There

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 06:20:00 +0000

In a few weeks to open the year, we will be doing our “State of the Christian Music Industry” blog and PDF eBook. This will be a report in a way of what we have heard from the major labels, mid-level labels, and others throughout the Christian music industry. Some of those interviews are still going on.

But before I do, I wanted to share some preliminary things we are seeing in the industry from our side, especially in the strange year of change called 2016.

The More Things Change

“Things do not change; we change.” – Henry David Thoreau

What I am starting to see is despite the move from CDs, to downloads, to now streaming, nothing has really changed. Well, except sales. It used to be people had to buy a record, tape, then CD to hear music (other than the radio, and that’s the next topic). The surprising stat is that people are consuming music as much or maybe even more than they ever have. It’s everywhere. It’s not worthless, but we may have to think of it another way.

Moreover, live music being performed for people has never been more popular. This is not a change, from like….ever. Music has always been consumed en masse in live settings.

Even though there has been a whole century of recorded music that has seen an industry rise, stumble, and now get back on somewhat even footing, there has always been live performance. Every artist still judges their success not by how much they sell, but how busy they are. They are informed by how much demand there is for them as an artist.

So things have never really changed, even in the 20th century from the phonograph all the way through streaming in the 21st century. It still comes down to how much people come to see you.

Radio Rules

Yes, I can’t believe it either. But traditional, terrestrial radio is still THE thing that labels seem to invest in the most for the promotion of their artists. When you think about it, it’s not that hard to understand. I have a 2016 vehicle that still defaults to the radio, even if my fancy Bluetooth or USB cable is interfacing with my phone. So many times, if the station I have as default is playing what I like, I’ll leave it on.

And I’m a music person, who cares every second what my ears are hearing. Moms taking kids to soccer, or folks going to work who don’t “live” music like the rest of us are just happy to have something on. They don’t care what it is. So, when the new Lauren Daigle song comes on, then sure they are happy to give it a listen.

Since the labels are so focused on the Top 30 radio stations and networks, fighting over it against themselves, there is no room for indies. We still lose out on that game in the major radio audience. But there may be a market and way to reach other smaller radio stations. It just costs money and is very hard to know what you’re getting for your money. And it may not matter without touring and…

Publicity and Marketing

These are also areas of the industry that have changed…but not changed. Sure, there is Twitter, and Facebook, and Instagram, and YouTube, and they have changed the way we get the word out there. But are they really any different than TV commercials, junk mail, or ads in newspapers? All the social media tools are just current delivery systems. One day even they will be replaced by holograms, virtual reality, or some other thing.

The thing that never changes is there still must be a story. There must be something unique to tell about the music.

Less is More

One change we are seeing is the trend that in this new culture of streaming and less sales, artists are choosing to do singles and smaller projects like 5 song EPs more. We have noticed this trend at Creative Soul and are trying to serve it.

Now, it may still make perfect sense for traveling or busy artists to do full projects with 10 songs. They simply sell better at your table than EPs or singles.

Well, that’s enough for this post. But we have more info coming. Stay tuned. Follow this blog to the right, or join our mailing list for more current info and opportunities.

Have a great week!

EC
—
Eric Copeland is president and lead info hound at Creative Soul, a consulting, production and marketing company devoted to building and supporting Christian music ministries for over 25 years. Find out more about us at http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Why a Web Site Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 07:17:00 +0000

If you are a musician, artist, songwriter, or doing any kind of business in music and ministry, you probably know you need a web site. It’s one of the first questions I ask any artist/songwriter that comes to meet with us, mainly because it’s a good indication of how serious they have been with their music to this point.

Your web site is your home base. Even if you have a Facebook Fan Page, dedicated music Twitter account, or Instagram, your web site trumps all of them. It’s how the world finds you.

“On the Web we all become small-town visitors lost in the big city.” – Alison Gopnik

After we finish a project for any artists, one of the first things we do is get to work on the web site. We use the same graphics from the album, and we configure for some basic pages.

Home Page

This should be a one stop page for anything someone may need to know about your music and ministry. It doesn’t need a hundred options, and shouldn’t have that many. It will have your graphic identity that you’re presenting with your music (your CD art, or art for online distribution). It will also have quick links to social media accounts, a brief bit of text announcing who you are, and a menu for the following.

Bio Page

This is the story of your music and ministry. Many people just want to know who you are and where you came from. What was the impetus for you to start making music, and why should they listen to you? This is where your story takes center stage and why we work so hard from day one to help you craft that narrative.

Music Page

Well, duh. What good would a music web site be without music? We can put either a Soundcloud player or CDBaby store widget here so people can sample the goods.

Photo Gallery

You likely spent a good amount on your photoshoot, why not show off those great shots? You could even have two galleries, one showing your studio shoot, and one featuring shots of you live and with fans.

Blog

If you are so inclined, a blog that features regular posts is really nice and keeps people coming back to your site. You can also use this part on the home page so that your site looks fresh with consistently posted content.

Store

This is crucial just in case anyone wants to actually buy a CD or download. We also guide people to your music on Spotify or Apple Music if they are looking for streaming options.

Contact Page

This may be the most important part of a web site, a page where people can contact you and book you for gigs, or just tell you they appreciate your ministry.

There are other optional pages like video, testimonials, and perhaps a schedule page if you get busy enough. But the main point is to provide a central hub where people can google for and find you, your music, and your ministry.

You may be wondering if Facebook or Twitter is enough. I’d have to say they aren’t even close to what a good web site can mean for your music and ministry.

“Create a website that expresses something about who you are that won’t fit into the template available to you on a social networking site.” – Jaron Lanier

A web site is the way to get your music out to the world. It certifies you as a legitimate music ministry business, and in this day where most people look everything up online, it’s more than crucial.

Have a great week!

EC
—
Eric Copeland is the president of Creative Soul, a music consulting, production, and marketing company for Christian artists and songwriters. If you’d like more info, we happen to have just updated our web site and you can start here for how we get started with artists!

2 Easy Steps to a Long Music Career

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 12:57:00 +0000

I recently shared a warm beverage with a young man who is absolutely killing it by booking and marketing his band. He said his goals were to be doing this in twenty years. I said, “You know how you do that?” He asked how. I said, “You keep doing it for 20 years.”

Millennials like this young man are very talented, very driven, and extremely ready to get going with their career. They have been online since they were born, and have gathered information from around the world via computer their whole life. They are smart.

But sometimes they don’t understand that even though they have advanced knowledge, that doesn’t lead to having an instant career. You still have to put in the years of work like everyone else who has had a great career has done.

This applies in every type of work, but it really seems to hit home with music. I would say that half or more of the work that I get as a musician, producer, or whatever is from people who call me and ask me if I still do music. The fact that I do it is how I actually get music work.

Many folks I meet who would like to have a career in music haven’t even sung yet! They have never recorded, taken a class, or even made any effort to talk to anyone before me. They just know they like music and think it would be neat to have a career.

So there’s the first step to a career in music.

Get Started

“If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.” – David Viscott

Seriously, start doing it right now. Send an email, get working with someone, get started on a music project, or get out there with your music. This young man I was talking about will have done 85 shows this year. He’s still hungry for more, and wants that the rest of his life.

In order to have a career you have to start one!

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe

So, what if you have already been doing music, maybe for years? Ok, here’s the biggest secret I can reveal in the music business. Are you ready? This is absolutely the one thing that those who have had a long career in music have done that others who fell by the wayside did not. It’s the one thing that I see musicians, artists, songwriters, engineers, etc. do repeatedly that kills a promising music career.

Don’t Quit

“Most people who succeed in the face of seemingly impossible conditions are people who simply don’t know how to quit.” – Robert H. Schuller

I have worked with lots of people over my career that I have been musicians, singers, players, songwriters, engineers, or some other musical thing. The only thing that is different about me and what I do and those who don’t do it anymore is that they stop doing it. Mostly it’s because they found out how hard it is, how extremely difficult it is to make a living in music. Or maybe they just didn’t think it was the right life for them.

“I’m interested in that thing that happens where there’s a breaking point for some people and not for others. You go through such hardship, things that are almost impossibly difficult, and there’s no sign that it’s going to get any better, and that’s the point when people quit. But some don’t.” –Robert Redford

Living as a musician and making that your life is very challenging. It’s not the first thing a banker wants to see on your application for a loan. Parents will look at you and wonder if there isn’t something else you could do to make money. Even my dad, who was a musician and was my number one fan wanted me to going to business in college. He worked at IBM for 33 years and just thought that was a smart move. (I luckily did quit this path because I was terrible at all business classes.)

So there you go, my main two pieces of advice for how to have a long music career. Start a music career. Don’t quit your music career. If you’re laughing and think it’s not that easy then go ahead and quit. I’ll see you in 20 years. And yes I’ll still be doing music.

“The truth will only be told over a career.” – Richard Linklater

Have a great week!

EC
—
Eric Copeland is a music producer, songwriter, leader of creatives, and has been for almost 40 years because he just won’t quit. If you’re ready to start, restart, or continue your Christian music career, check out Creative Soul. Our goal is to prepare and guide Christian artists and songwriters. Find out more at CreativeSoulOnline.com

When Someone Crushes Your Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 04:57:00 +0000

“Don’t give up. There are too many nay-sayers out there who will try to discourage you. Don’t listen to them. The only one who can make you give up is yourself.” – Sidney Sheldon

Who has ever been glad later in their life that somebody blew up their dreams early on? The answer: Nobody.

There seems to be an overriding theory in the music industry that unless you are amazing and great (in their eyes) then there is no place for you. In fact, maybe it might be better if you just do music as a hobby, and quit muddying up the waters for everyone else. Go be a good spouse, parent, worker, and do your music in your own little world. God obviously didn’t call you to be a music professional.

Listen, if God isn’t calling you to be a music pro in the “music industry”, who the heck cares. Do what I did. If the industry says you don’t fit, build your own industry!

There’s one thing that is missing in this whole thing: a little word called ministry.

People ask me all the time, where is the talent line where you tell people they aren’t good enough to go out and minister in music. My answer is simple. There is no line.

“The barriers are not erected which can say to aspiring talents and industry, 'Thus far and no farther.'“ - Ludwig van Beethoven

First of all, no one can tell you what God’s calling is for your life. Only you can know if God has called you to minister for Him. How you decide to do it may be based on how people react to what you are doing. You will know that you should do something if people like what you are doing. Likewise, you will be able to tell if you are not reaching people with something you are doing.

Second, your level of talent is not only a bad determining factor in how successful you will be in music ministry, it’s completely subjective. One industry person may not like your voice, but a lady may hear you on Facebook and break into tears, and your song may change her eternity! Where does talent fall in that equation? Put that in your pipe and smoke it music industry!

So, when someone tells you that you shouldn’t be doing this, for whatever reason they think is valid, remember this post. Remember that they can’t know what God has called you for, and that your talent isn’t the only thing that defines your ministry.

Don’t ever let your dreams be limited by man. Let God determine and inspire your aspirations, your goals, and your dreams.

“Expect while reaching for the stars, people to whirl by with their dark clouds and storm upon you.” ― Anthony Liccione

Have a great week,

EC
—
You wouldn’t be reading this blog if Eric Copeland listened to others and didn’t decide to start his own consulting production, and marketing company specifically for Christian music ministries. Ready to get started with your Christian music ministry? Click here!

Why We Must Market Our Music

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 06:26:00 +0000

“There ought to be an artistic depot where the artist need only hand in his artwork in order to receive what he asks for. As things are, one must be half a business man, and how can one understand - good heavens! - that's what I really call troublesome.” - Ludwig van Beethoven

It’s very simple to make music.

Even if you spend a good budget on a professional music product, with amazing photos and graphics, the “making the music part” is kind of easy. And to be honest, it’s super fun!!

But the hard part comes after you make your dream recording. You’ve got this awesome representation of your music and ministry, but how in the world do you let the world know about it? How do you get the music out to the masses?

“And then….depression set in.” – Bill Murray, Stripes

This is the one place many artists fall down, and truly where artists who you see doing well are excelling. Sure, you’d think its easy for a major label artist to be seen and heard because they have a label behind them! But the real reason they succeed is that the label puts gobs of money and huge effort in the marketing of the music, not just in the making of a product.

The Marketing Campaign

“Transforming a brand into a socially responsible leader doesn’t happen overnight by simply writing new marketing and advertising strategies. It takes effort to identify a vision that your customers will find credible and aligned with their values.” – Simon Mainwaring

Long before any album is released at a major label, there is a marketing plan being put in place. They have a radio plan, a publicity plan, a touring plan, a distribution plan, and certainly a strong online/social media plan.

Now, for indies, radio and publicity are more difficult since there is less of a national audience waiting for a product, and many times the artist is completely new and unknown. But we now have the tools to make a strong distribution and marketing effort if we will sink a little time into it.

It’s important to put together a plan to market your music and build an audience, and that is actually much easier (and cheaper) than you may think.

Some of the reason why we should market our music is we have these great tools they didn’t even have in the heyday of the music business.

1. Web Site

This may seem pretty much common sense, but building a web site, a blog, then putting together Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to point to them is key to any current marketing of music. This doesn’t have to be expensive actually. You can actually use WordPress or Bandzoogle to do this, and update it yourself. Getting someone to help with this should be simple if you are not savvy at this.

2. Social Media

“For the music business, social networking is brilliant. Just when you think it’s doom and gloom and you have to spend millions of pounds on marketing and this and that, you have this amazing thing now called fan power. The whole world is linked through a laptop. It’s amazing. And it’s free. I love it. It’s absolutely brilliant.” – Simon Cowell

Facebook makes it easy and kinda fun to boost your posts to get to more people. It’s a great way to reach people you know, and find new people who may like your music. As of the writing of this post, this is a good, solid way to spend promotional dollars. Posting a song to your Facebook Page, whether it’s from a blog post, YouTube, or SoundCloud can get real traction. And boosting the posts can be more effective and certainly more interactive than old school radio used to be.

You can also use Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and more to build and serve an audience with your music. Here’s posts on Facebook, Twitter, and have ones upcoming on Instagram and LinkedIn.

3. Online Video

I have whole posts on this here and here, but will just say that I am seeing people have more success marketing with YouTube and Facebook than almost anything else. Video versions of your songs bring viewers and create interest in your music. It also lets you have more to put on your website, post to Facebook, Twitter, etc. So it actually feeds the other marketing tools almost automatically.

“Distribution has really changed. You can make a record with a laptop in the morning and have it up on YouTube in the afternoon and be a star overnight. The talent on YouTube is incredible, and it can spread like wildfire.” – Bonnie Raitt

4. Mailing List

So this seems like a no-brainer, but this is something that may be more effective than any of the marketing tools above. People may not check Facebook, their Twitter feed, or YouTube, but they will check their email daily.

Having a strong mailing list is the number one difference between artists that are touring, having sales, and other successes, and those who are not.

Services like MailChimp offer free services up to 2000 email addresses.

We really have no excuse not to market with all the tools (many of them free) that are available to us. It’s really about putting the time in to do the work, and that is just our choice of what we want to do with our time and what is important.

But there’s one more biggie for why we need to market our music…

5. The Ministry
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” – Mark 16:15

Oh yeah, the ministry part.

One of the amazing things about doing Christian music in the first place, and why I think it’s the most rewarding type of music to work in, is that our music can have eternalresults. It’s one of the things we talk a lot about around here, but we think it’s also the most important.

Marketing is our very own way to fulfill the Great Commission given to us by Jesus Himself. If ever there was a reason to market our music…it’s that we have marching orders to get out there and take it to all creation.

So we best get started eh?

Have a great week!

EC
—
Eric Copeland is the president and head creative at Creative Soul, a consulting, production, and marketing company for Christian artists and songwriters. If you are ready to get your music out to the world, start right here.

“The evolution of social media into a robust mechanism for social transformation is already visible. Despite many adamant critics who insist that tools like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are little more than faddish distractions useful only to exchange trivial information, these critics are being proven wrong time and again.” – Simon Mainwaring

Other blog posts on this topic:

Social Media Marketing – The Facebook Page

Social Media Marketing – Video

Social Media Marketing – 3 Things to Know About Twitter

What to Post on Social Media

Youtube: The Best Tool You’re Probably Not Using Enough

What Really Works in Christian Music Marketing?

Why I HATE Contests

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 05:27:00 +0000

"Competitions are for horses, not artists." - Bela Bartok

It seems like such a good idea doesn’t it?

A chance to see where you stand in relation to other artists and songwriters! For only a small fee! Sure, the odds are low, but what if you won? Wouldn’t that be just the thing to take your music or songwriting to the next level?

Surely God has put this contest in front of you for a reason! He wouldn’t have had you find that website, receive that email, or hear about the contest if He didn’t have a grand design in mind (well He actually might, but not the way you think when you enter! More on that below.)

Plus, you reason, even if you don’t win, think of all the valuable feedback you’ll receive! It’s a no-lose scenario!

While these all seem like great reasons to jump into the next American Idol, The Voice, or other singing or songwriting competition, here are the reasons I wish you wouldn’t.

1. It’s a Lottery

Competitions aren’t always based on talent. So you’re paying the fee to put this thing on with not much chance of winning. Some part of you knows this when you enter, but you don’t care.

But what if I won!?

Yes, then we start having the dreams, the fantasies about what could happen, and where this could go. Just like when you pay that dollar for the lottery, and dream about how you’d pay off all your bills and what you’d do with the money. But in this scenario, everyone whoever doubted your talent and drive would be wrong, and everyone who ever loved and supported you would be so happy (and oh yeah you could really do good work for God too.)

2. It Must Be God’s Will

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11

You know you probably won’t win when you enter, but if it’s a Christian competition, or something just seems to magically happen that allows you to enter, you feel like it must be God’s will that you get involved. Then you get in, and something happens where you just know it’s God’s will that you were involved.

Then maybe you do well, or move to a second round, or the finals and think, yes, this is God’s will.

Then you don’t win.

Everything stops making sense. Then comes the letdown, the sense of failure on this stage, the thought that maybe even God’s will is for you to do something else, that you’re not good enough.

Losing feels worse than winning feels good." - Vin Scully

If you get nothing else from this post, get this! Losing a contest that you entered (even if you feel it was God’s will) does not mean that you are not good enough to make music or minister for Him. It’s a specific contest looking for a specific thing that is predicated on the specific likes and dislikes of those who put the contest on, and “judge” what is good or bad. It has nothing to do with why God made you, gave you your specific talents, and put you on this earth.

Now, could it be God’s will that you went through this experience to direct you away from some things you have put as idols in this? Sure! Part of the reason you are reading this blog right now could stem from some of the contests I was involved in when I was starting my music career. Eventually getting told “No” enough pushed me to create my own music business focused on consulting and producing Christian artists and songwriters.

"If anything, you know, I think losing makes me even more motivated." - Serena Williams

3. Feedback Isn’t Always Helpful

"Critics only make you stronger. You have to look at what they are saying as feedback. Sometimes the feedback helps, and other times, it's just noise that can be a distraction." - Robert Kiyosaki

This is likely a whole other post, but while constructive criticism can be helpful, especially in songwriting, other words meant to help can be brutal and sometimes devastating. Even well-meaning godly industry people are only human, and in a moment of wanting to move on from a conversation, or even just being tired, or had a long day, can say something that scars an artist or songwriter forever.

I’ve had actual industry people tell artists I know and work with that they should just give up and do this as a hobby. NO ONE has the right to say that even in love. NO ONE but GOD can know who can improve with hard work and dedication to a craft. I have seen songwriters start with very meager songs, and turn out to be very good writers with cuts on their own and many other projects. I have known artists who weren’t very good singers, that have amazing music ministries. We all know some songwriter or artists we don’t care for, but many others love.

So the final word on contests? Well, I don’t like them very much.

If you have entered and won, then good for you. Has it changed your life? Maybe. But even lottery winners never envision the ways it will change their life for good, and bad.

If you have entered a singing or songwriting competition and lost, I’d like to hear from you in the comments below. I’d like to hear your story. How did it make you feel initially, and what have you learned from it?

Have a great week, and don’t forget to leave us comments below!

EC
--
Eric Copeland lost a lot of competitions, had doors shut, and was told “No” many times, but God had a plan for him to work with many Christian music artists and songwriters and help them grow. For more info check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Music for Nothing?

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 03:46:00 +0000

For some reason, musicians the world over (maybe even more than other artistic people like authors or painters) have become obsessed with their music being “worth” something. That if they aren’t earning enough to pay their bills, and make a nice life, then music just isn’t even worth doing.

It’s probably due to the crazy 20^th century and how the phonograph, album, and CD made billions of dollars for musicians and record companies for just over 100 years. But now that the internet has brought music to the world through cheap and free streaming, music folk are screaming that they aren’t getting paid enough.

I just read an article where Roger Daltrey of the Who said they weren't going to make a new album because it wouldn't make any money!

“We've talked about it, but it's not going to be easy. There's no record industry anymore. Why would I make a record? I would have to pay to make a record. There's no royalties so I can't see that ever happening. There's no record business. How do you get the money to make the records? I don't know. I'm certainly not going to pay money to give my music away free. I can't afford to do that. I've got other things I could waste the money on.” – Roger Daltrey

Then maybe you should indeed waste your money on other things, Roger. I’m sure you have enough. Perhaps your music isn't important enough if you're only making it for financial gain.

To me that says, you don't want people to hear an artistic statement or even go to the trouble of making music if you don't get paid for it. That’s just sad.

That kind of thinking goes against not just art, but why God gave us our talents in the first place. He didn't say, “Here are talents to use for Me and share with the world…but only if YouTube and Spotify pay well!”

“Music is the universal language of mankind.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I believe our talents are our voice, our gift to the world, and in ministry our evangelistic tools. Everyone deserves, maybe even needs, to hear them even if they only get to listen once or come across it in a Facebook feed.

Your music may never pay the bills, but it may save someone's eternal soul. What's the cost/benefit ratio there? Is it worth it if you bring happiness, fulfillment, joy, and possibly heaven to someone, even if you don’t get paid for it?

"If you can do anything else other than music, do that instead." ― Well known music quote.

Those of us who do music consistently (and sometimes for an attempt at a living) do it because we can't NOT do it. We can't possibly shut it off, stop the music from coming out, or not want to share it with the world.

For those of us like this, there is no way to wake up every day for the rest of our lives and just not do music.

What I'd say to Roger is, if you can quit doing music, then maybe you should go do other things. Who are you, indeed!

“There is hardly any money interest in art, and music will be there when money is gone.” – Duke Ellington

Have a great week!

EC
--

Eric Copeland happens to make a living through music, but not necessarily his own. But he still makes what he feels he must and gets it out to the world. You can find out more at http://www.EricCopelandMusic.com

If you are a Christian artist ready to make music for a hurting world (despite what it may make you) check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Social Media Marketing - 3 Things to Know About Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 05:27:00 +0000

So far in our Social Media series we have tackled Facebook and YouTube, how they are useful, and how they best work for music artists and songwriters. Now let’s look at the platform you either love or hate: Twitter.

Personally, I think Twitter is right up there with YouTube as the most effective marketing tool, especially when you are trying to find an audience whom you may not know personally. Sometimes it’s even easier to market to this audience since they are usually not family or friends.

“Twitter is a very simple and immediate broadcast platform. Facebook is very personal when it comes to friends and when it comes to fan pages, (but Twitter is) a little bit less but still somewhat personal way to communicate.” - Mark Cuban

Also, you can hit Twitter way harder on a daily basis than you can Facebook, as the Twitter feed goes by much faster and is less intrusive than Facebook.

So here are three basic things to know about Twitter for the artist or songwriter trying to get it working for them.

1. It’s a Numbers Game

The way I think about Twitter is that there are two kinds of people on Twitter: the kind that read their stream, and the kind that don’t. The first kind look through their stream like we do our Facebook feed. They look for interesting things people say or post, more for entertainment value than because they personally know that person.

The problem is they aren’t looking at their feed 24 hours a day, and you can’t depend on them to see every post. And the folks that never check their stream or only look at it once in a while, are even harder to reach.

So it’s not out of bounds to post throughout the day to Twitter, like 4-6 times, maybe more. Mainly because someone might see a tweet they would have missed an hour ago.

I usually do 4-5 posts to Twitter a day. This ensures a good coverage of people will at least see one tweet I put out.

This random viewing of streams also means that we need LOTS of followers. The more the merrier.

2. Getting Followers

The way to get followers is maddeningly simple. You follow people, and hope they follow you back. My usual practice is follow people but only up to the amount of followers I have. So if you have 100 followers, don’t follow more than 100 people. After about a week, use a tool like Crowdfire and unfollow those who didn’t follow you back. Then rinse and repeat. Every week.

Following this method, you’ll see a rapid rise in followers - but there is a caveat to this. In order to see people retweeting, liking, and following links on your tweets, you need to make sure they are people who would WANT to follow you in the first place. If you do Contemporary Worship, don’t follow someone who would hate that format. Or someone who you don’t know if they even would want to hear music in the first place. Read their description and see if you think they might you and your music, even IF they are followers of an artist just like you.

OK, so once you have followers, how do you reach them?

3. How to Post to Twitter

Many people don’t get started on social media because the thought of logging in each day or hour to post to Facebook or Twitter seems ridiculous. Where would you have the time? What if I told you that I post to close to a dozen Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts every day and spend 15 minutes? Better yet, I do it the night before and don’t even have to do it through the day.

The way I do this is by using a tool like Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule to my various accounts each night before I go to bed. This is very easy and free for artists who only have one FB and Twitter account. Also these tools offer a weekly summary of who clicked on links, which posts got the most likes and shares, and much more.

The secret to posting to Facebook and Twitter every day all day is not to sit there posting all day!

Using Twitter may seem daunting, or perhaps you’ve used it but didn’t see the reward to the investment of time, but using these tips may help you. And Twitter is a unique way to quickly get people’s attention and get them engaged with your music brand.

"99% [of my Twitter feed is] links, but 1% is me responding and 1% of a big number is a big number." - @GuyKawasaki

Have a great week!

Eric Copeland is probably tweeting right now to one of the dozen or so brands he runs, including his Christian artist and songwriter development company Creative Soul. To find out more go to http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Some other good resources for Twitter Tips

http://www.wired.com/2016/05/twitter-onboarding-tips-for-new-users/

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/16-twitter-tools-for-social-media-marketers

Why It’s Time to Record

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 02 May 2016 04:40:00 +0000

You have known for a while that it is time to get into (or back into) the studio. But we live in a new time in the music industry. No longer do the old rules of put it out and sales just happen, and maybe you are reticent to put the investment in.

Here are a few reasons why it may make sense for you to record now.

If you don’t have a recording, how will people hear your music and message?

So many people feel they have a voice, a talent, whatever. But that’s not really the point as Christian music ministries is it? It’s not just about showing off, or proving you’re great. It’s about using that gift to get the miraculous message of Christ to the world.

Now maybe you are singing at church a lot more, even doing concerts or specials, but having a recorded product lets you be heard by the world without you being present. We now have so many ways to allow people to listen. It’s truly a golden age. But not if you don’t have a recording to show!

What will you have to show you are serious as a music artist or ministry?

It is one thing to say “I am a singer”. It is another thing to say “I am a singer, and here’s my album.” That’s a huge difference! Suddenly people look at you quite differently and take you much more seriously.

Having a recorded music product gives your music and ministry a next level sense of legitimacy. Without it, you are just “a nice person who can sing”. It shows that you are not just messing around, or like the tens of thousands of pretty good singers that try out every year for “American Idol” or “The Voice”. Having a music product is proof positive that you can both do this and ARE doing this.

How will you show your music and ministry quality to a church or event?

Event marketers, conference planners, even pastors looking to bring artists in, all of these need something to see and hear before they make a decision on bringing in an artist. How will they know if an artist is right without hearing them (and seeing them) first?

Events and churches are getting harder and harder to book yourself into, but you will have no chance to get in most without a product.

What legacy or mark will you leave on this world?

Sometimes it’s not about “music business” things at all. Sometimes it’s more about just making sure that the world knew you made music. As a composer and arranger, much of the reason I want to finish the musical and other creative things I make is so I can leave them behind as my legacy.

Who knows how all this iTunes, Amazon, Spotify content will play out? Who knows what will happen to the world of music?

But what I do know is that my children, future grandchildren, family, and anyone who ever stumbled upon or heard my music will have been blessed by what God gave me to do. I still wish I had recorded my father more. I would love to have quality recordings of the songs he sang and wrote.

That’s one of my biggest fears in fact, that I will not properly leave behind all the music in a way that the world will find it, hear it, or that my family can properly catalog it.

“I care about my legacy that I'm leaving, not only for my fans, but for my wife and my children and my grandchildren. I want them to look back and say, 'He did it right and he stood up for what is right.” - Josh Turner

Isn’t it just time to get this music ministry going?

You’ve fooled around long enough! You’ve waited for years...way longer than you should have.

At some point, you’ve got to put this talent into a final form. You’ve got to get this thing moving. Or maybe you need to get it restarted?

Do you need something to revitalize your music ministry and haven’t put out new music in a while?

This is what every artist who has ever been known as an artist has done. When the audience has lost interest in the old product, it’s time for a new product. It’s that way in music, movies, TV, books, or any artistic form.

Nothing revitalizes an artist’s following, career, or even their own creativity like a new work of art. It’s how this all works. It’s what we do. We put a product out, we market it, then we write or find the next songs, and we do the next one. It’s how we keep everything going.

Need more reasons to record you music?

Do you really need more? Or do you just need to get going?

You’ve been thinking about it for a long time. But something always holds you back. Sure you could cite money, or time, but it’s probably just a lack of finding the right people to trust with your sound. It’s making the decision to finally get going. It’s getting that fire in your belly to finally get to, or get back to, your music.

“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” - Tony Robbins

Have a great week!

Eric Copeland is a music producer, arranger, and songwriter. His company Creative Soul has been counseling music ministries, helping them record amazing albums, and assisting in marketing for over 20 years. Whether you just need to talk to someone about all this, or are ready to get recording, check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Social Media Marketing Part 2 – Video

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 08:30:00 +0000

In our last article on social media marketing, we concentrated on the Facebook Page and how marketing on Facebook is one of the main strategies in marketing online. One of the most powerful things you can use on your Facebook post is a video.

Everyone knows that viral videos are what drive the internet these days. People become stars just from one video that goes viral online (Justin Bieber anyone?). But moreover, these are ways that the world is getting the word out about their brand. From blockbuster movie trailers, to silly ads about soft drinks, to funny or original music videos, these are the things we share, send to friends, or “like” all day when we look at our social media feeds.

So for you as a music brand, it’s crucial you use this important tool in your marketing.

“Frankly, it is virtually impossible to promote anyone -- singer, author or any personality -- without a video. It is one of the first things I tell clients they need. It is the ONLY vehicle that gains any momentum on social media. People will watch a 2 minute video before they will read a 3-line paragraph.” – Gina Adams, Publicist

Listen, we now have many more options for marketing than we ever did before, and they are so much more accessible. With one click we can post a video and make it available that very second to our followers on Facebook Pages, Twitter, LinkedIn, LinkedIn groups, YouTube, personal Facebook, Reverbnation, and many more outlets.

It’s what we wanted when we started making music isn’t it? A way to put the music and ministry before people and make a difference? And now with the help of these social media sites, we can basically have our own network to broadcast our videos.

“Social media sites and video go hand-in-hand, and most sites encourage video posting and sharing. The viral video opportunities are endless when you use the right strategies to create and post your videos online.” – Amy Porterfield

In fact, posting a YouTube video to Facebook, or using Facebook’s own video, is probably one of the best ways to guarantee views, likes, and shares on Facebook. Instagram visuals and short video clips are also very well received across Facebook and all social media.

Visual media is the most effective way of promoting your music, and video (done right) can do a lot for your brand.

“Humans are incredibly visual, and powerful, moving images help us find meaning.” – Dan Patterson

Whether you plan to make a single or an album of your songs, it’s important that you find a way to make a very good video for your music and put it out to the world. After all, isn’t getting your music and ministry out to the world the whole point?

Have a great week!

EC
--
Eric Copeland is a music producer, but also has a long background in professional video production including corporate, commercial, and entertainment based production. If you need help taking your music and ministry to the world in the most effective way possible, check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Note to Artists and Songwriters: We are looking to really ramp up our new video channel with music videos and behind the songs programming. If you are ready to take a bold new step with your music and ministry, and find a larger audience through social media video, come check us out at http://www.cre8iv.tv

Another great article on Video:
Youtube: The Best Tool You’re Probably Not Using Enough

Social Media Marketing Part 1 - The Facebook Page

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 08:07:00 +0000

The Facebook Page is a dedicated page on Facebook for your music that is NOT your personal Facebook account. You don’t get new “friends”, but people who “like” your page. This will not be a primer on how to set that up, but how to use it for marketing your music and ministry.

We find the Facebook Page to be the best social media device for artists, especially since most people use Facebook daily anyway. Also, it’s the best tool to reach family and friends as well as people who may not know you but find you through shares and ads.

Here are some tips we have seen work on your Facebook Page.

Invite Friends every month. They won’t know your page exists if they aren’t told about it. And it won’t let you invite them more than once so you don’t have to worry about them being bothered by you.
We also put the Facebook Page widget on all websites and blogs so people can see it and join if they find you another way other than Facebook. If you do Twitter a lot, you may want to send people to your FB Page every once in a while from Twitter.

“Trust is built with consistency.” - Lincoln Chafee
Post Daily. This is a biggie. Every day doesn’t and shouldn’t be a sales pitch. Maybe you just post a bible verse or quote with no link. The goal is to build trust in your brand. That happens by them seeing daily useful content, and then every few days they get to hear a song, or see a video, or an image.
Use an exact web address for links. For instance, go to your blog post you want to push and copy the exact link to that blog post, not just a link to your page or blog. Then use that exact link in your Facebook page post.
The goal is engagement, and you get that by people commenting (and you responding to each comment), people sharing the post with friends, and people liking the post.
Don’t get discouraged by “reach” or how many people Facebook serves the post to. Facebook determines this willy-nilly by their secret algorithm. If you get 5-10% of the number of folks who like your page, that’s pretty normal. You’ll know the post engaged with people if you get way more than that, and the more who like, share, and comment on a post will make it reach way more than even the people who like your page.

“You go on Facebook, you buy social advertising. And you can very cost-effectively target people who are in the market for your product from all over the world.” - Marc Andreesen
The way to make sure your followers see your post is to “boost” it. Even a boost of $3-10 gets way more people seeing it. 10 or 100 times that amount turns it into a full-fledged marketing campaign that brings lots of engagement with fans on a personal level.
YouTube seems to be the best marketing tool on your Facebook page as people can watch the video right there, or click over to your video on YouTube. Either way it provides engagement and views for the video.
The next best thing I’ve found is to use blog posts to get people to your site. (See my article here on how powerful blogs can be.) You can use little sentences, quotes, or verses that are in the blog to hook them and get them to click over to your blog post. Then BOOM they are on your website.
Quotes and Bible verses are also very popular and don’t require a lot of work for you either. If you can also add pictures it works even better. (I use a program called Pablo right now that lets you pick a nice picture and put your quote or verse over it.)

Whatever content you post, even if it’s other things like pictures or ideas, being consistent in posting these things regularly will keep your Facebook Page audience growing and bringing people to your music and ministry brand.

“Getting an audience is hard. Sustaining an audience is hard. It demands a consistency of thought, of purpose, and of action over a long period of time.” - Bruce Springsteen

Have a great week!

EC
--
Eric Copeland is president of Creative Soul, a unique Christian music consulting, production, and marketing company. For more information go to http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

We’ve announced our first three Christian Artist and Songwriter Workshops for 2016. Check it out here! > http://creativesoulonline.com/consulting-for-christian-music-ministries/christian-artist-workshop/

What If We Gave It Away?

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 04:37:00 +0000

Dream with me for just a moment.

Just for the time reading this article, pretend you just won 1 billion dollars in the Mega Millions lottery, and money was no longer a concern.

Then think about the realizations you may have had about the talents God has given you, and how He has blessed you or brought you through this life. Think about the vision or calling you have received to take His Word out to the world.

If indeed we feel God has given us talent and opportunity to share His message to the world, shouldn't we do anything in our power to get that in people's hands, hearts, and ears?

“I'm only here on Earth to serve God. I never had a career. I don't care about commercialism. I have a ministry and I'll fight for the ministry.” – Larry Norman

Now, already I hear you grumbling. “But the ministry has to make money to survive.”

No, YOU have to make money to survive. Don't put that on the ministry. I know pastors who worked two jobs or more while they served a small congregation of believers for years if not a lifetime. I've seen many artists realize that the music was not going to pay for itself, and be happy in their non-music jobs so they can enjoy their music ministry all their life.

It's important for me to say at this point that I believe wholeheartedly in selling CDs, downloads, royalties, and making money from our music businesses. Um, that's kind of how I live now! But I am NOT talking about offering services we provide for free. I'm talking mainly about giving the music away, and probably specifically, online.

I wonder if we have gotten a little too tight with our online offerings. We strictly put clips up to “force” or “suggest” people to buy the full download, even though any savvy Internet user now knows they can easily listen to the whole song at Spotify or Apple Music anytime they want for free.

“For it is in giving that we receive.” – Francis of Assisi

Perhaps it's time to put our full songs up any and everywhere we can to let people hear and experience the music, especially if they aren't buying anyway. Our goal is to minister to the people who find out about our music right? Isn't our goal to reach their hearts more than glorifying us in some way through financial remuneration?

In concert, and with physical sales it’s a completely different beast. People want to bless us by contributing to our ministries and buying CDs. Now could you just give it all away at your concerts? Of course. And if you choose to give all your music away, then that is a great ministry too.

On the same thinking, you could use a company like Artists in Christian Testimony, International to act as your 501c3 non-profit status and write off all your expenses as you would a tithe. Did you know that? Then perhaps we wouldn’t feel quite so responsible to make back our recording and marketing budget, or make a profit.

I know most of you feel like you give it away anyway, but probably this bugs you a bit because of how hard you work on and invest in the music and the business of ministering. But “free” isn’t only a monetary decision, it can also be a sound strategy especially for the important ministry we are trying to do.

“Charging a price, any price, creates a mental barrier that most people won't bother crossing. Free, in contrast, speeds right past that decision, increasing the number of people who will try something. What Free grants, in exchange for forsaking direct revenues, is the potential of mass sampling.” – Chris Anderson, Free, The Future of a Radical Price

So, what if you gave it away? What if all your pursuits were to put the music in people’s hands and ears only? What if your music was paid for, or at least you could write it all off so that it wasn’t about a return on investment? What if it was all about people listening and that was all you had to worry about?

Wouldn’t that inspire you to make music from a different place? If worries about charts, record labels, or how much you’d make back (all of which are hard to make happen anyway) were gone, wouldn’t this get back to just how much you love making music and serving God?

Wouldn’t this ensure more folks see and hear your message and music? Isn’t that the whole goal?

I’m not asking or even suggesting we do this…just suggesting you think it through.

What if you gave it away?

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” – 2 Timothy 4:1-5 ESV

Have a great week!

Eric Copeland is president of Creative Soul Records, a different kind of Christian music company. if you would like any information or feedback, check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Find out more about Artists in Christian Testimony, International here!

Why Content is King: The Power of the Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 07:26:00 +0000

Okay folks, so we have wrestled for a long while with what to post and tweet as you may have read here on Music Ministry Biz. But where does that content come from?

I will tell you a little secret that shouldn't surprise you: blogging works. It's worked for me, and gives me gobs of tweetable and post-worthy material every day!

The beauty is that the more posts you have, the more you can reuse. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

“Content is King”

You may have heard this phrase. The reason you have is that it is absolutely true! The more content you have, the more power you have to influence folks about your brand. The more stuff you offer, the more people have to absorb about who and what you are. It makes a difference in people’s lives.

“You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to powerful, positive, life-changing content and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people.” - Zig Ziglar

Videos on YouTube, podcasts on Soundcloud and iTunes, pics on Instagram and Pinterest, these are other examples of content that get people’s interest. We will get to those in future posts in this series.

But what I love about blogging is that generally you have 500-1000 words to snatch bits, phrases, quotes, verses, etc. and tweet/post these bits out every hour of every day.

Most times when artists have us post to social media for them, we are struggling to have something to say even once per day. Yes, they have made an album, and EP, or some recording. But you can only post “Hey look/listen to me” so many times.

If an artist had 20-50 blog posts, there would never be a problem. Videos, pics, and other things help, and sure we want to send people to your site and to hear music. But giving them written, original content gives you something even more powerful: the ability to gain your followers trust.

Blog Your Songs!

In our last post in this series, we talked about the virtues of a 10 song (or more album). One of the main reasons I prefer this many songs on a release is it really gives us something to tweet/blog about.

Even if you have nothing else to say (which as an artist who wants to get in front of people to minister to them, you should not have this problem), you can at least talk about your songs. These are what you want people to know about anyway. And by posting a few lines from the lyrics, or explaining why you wrote or recorded the song, you can interest people to read more about you and, more importantly, listen.

“The paradox is the more info you give away, the more people will buy what you have to give.” - Brian Clark

What else can you blog about? Well, how about issues you deal with that you think others might deal with too. How about a report on a specific gig or interaction with those you minister to?

You may not feel you are a writer, or can put in words what you want to say. But the new marketing is more than just proclaiming how great you are, that you have a new song, or a new album. The world of internet marketing is about giving something that can hook the reader to be interested, just like they get hooked on your music!

Have a great week!

EC
--
Eric Copeland is the president of Creative Soul and a mad blogger, yo. He writes this and other blogs to help creative people like you do more as Christian artists and songwriters. For more info check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Related posts:

Why Content is King: 10 Reasons for 10 Songs

What to Post on Social Media

Ten Things to Blog About

Why Content is King: 10 Reasons for 10 Songs

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 05:01:00 +0000

“Even though the album is an endangered species, can we try and make a coherent and good one, even if it's like making a horse and cart at a Nascar conference?” - Chris Martin

I wrote a post a few months ago extolling the virtues of the three types of music releases you could do, a 10+ song CD, a 4-6 song EP, or a single. I made a case for each of them. After further review, I’ve decided while EPs and singles have their uses, I have chosen the winner.

An album with 10 or more songs is my clear favorite for artists looking to market themselves most effectively. Why?

Here are my 10 reasons for 10 songs (or more):

1. Easier to Sell

Any product you make is going to cost you something, so it’s going to be good to recoup some money from sales. If you are making product to sell at shows, a full album (I’ll use album to mean 10 songs or more) is going to sell better than an EP, or a single, which are great but more for promotion in the new music economy.

It doesn’t hurt that there’s no other place to get art and credits, etc. anymore. It’s really frustrating to listen to albums on Spotify or iTunes and not be able to know who the musicians were, or read the lyrics.

2. People Prefer More

The truth is people just like more. We live in a supersized economy. I know when I go seek out a new artist I just heard, I’m disappointed to find just a single or a few songs. I do hold fast that 10 songs is fine as a minimum, but even in that, folks buying your CD after a concert will love more than 10.

3. More Content

As we will talk about more in this series “Why Content is King”, in order to have things to blog, post, or tweet about, we need content. I feel each song you have recorded is a chance for many marketing opportunities. And of course with each song on an album you have 10 or more chances to make a music or lyric video of a song, write a blog about a song, tweet or post the song, or make a meme from some of the lyrics. It's all about content.

4. More Videos

I talked about videos in the last point but given that they are very powerful, having more songs to do acoustic or more developed music videos of is a big plus.

5. Savings

What most artists don’t realize is that many of the costs of doing an EP of 4-5 song are also in the cost of a full album. So in a way you’re just paying for 5 more songs, and you can do those cheaply if you want (piano/vocal or guitar/vocal). In many ways you save money by doing more songs, especially when you compare cost over sales.

6. Longer Marketing Window

Album shelf life, or how long you can market it, is much longer with a full album. EPs are great, but the process may be a lot to handle, and then you can’t do another for a few years. That’s a long time to ride 4-5 songs. 10 or more songs lets you market for a year and a half if you need to.

7. It’s an Experience

There’s just something about a full record that provides a listening experience that goes far beyond a cool single, or a few songs. Remember, that as Christian artists, our goal isn’t the same as commercial pop artists. We aren’t just looking for fame and fortune. We are looking to get that one song to connect with just the right heart. 10 or more songs gives us a better chance to do that.

Also, an album gives us a better way to tell a story from the first song to the last.

“I always want to make an album that lets people immerse in it, kind of like you get caught up in a good movie.” - Luke Bryan

8. Serious Tool for Serious Artists

The truth is that serious artists serving their audience deliver full albums. Yes, I know that we are now back in a singles culture. I also know that EPs are cool to show your music quickly. But like it or not, serious artists with followings release full albums.

“Things are moving pretty fast these days; we all need to slow things down a bit and add CONTEXT to the content before music becomes completely worthless. We need to build that artist's mythology, build a world to replace what's been lost in the absence of album art and liner notes.” - Scott Perry of New Music Tipsheet

9. Easier to Market Traditionally

If you have thoughts of marketing to radio, local stores, doing national or regional publicity, those outlets will always prefer albums. People prefer a story, and a full album helps tell that better than any single or EP ever could.

10. Easier to Tour With

This echoes the first point, but it’s worth repeating. As an artist on the road, or doing many dates, a full album tells the story of the tour better. It sells better off the table, sells for more, and it makes more sense to those who just heard you and want to buy.

“You continue to evolve with each album that goes by and, as an artist, you continue to expand with every recording project.” - Randy Travis

Have a great week!

EC
--
Eric Copeland is a music producer and president of Creative Soul in Nashville, TN in association with Word Entertainment. If you are thinking of making an album, check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com for more information.

Related Posts:

Single vs. EP. vs. CD
http://musicministrybiz.blogspot.com/2015/05/single-vs-ep-vs-cd.html

The Quality Issue
http://musicministrybiz.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-quality-issue.html

Three Reasons Why CDs Are Still Relevant to Youhttp://musicministrybiz.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-sell-more-cds.html

The Music Never Died

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 06:09:00 +0000

“Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

It’s a story I hear often from artists and songwriters, especially late in life. They had the music in them growing up, they had started to pursue it, and they even had found some success. But then life got in the way. Job, marriage, children, health issues, and other things forced them to put music aside for the time being.

Then years went by. Sure, every once in a while they’d think about it, play an instrument, sing a song at church, but for the most part, the music was just a thing they “used to do”.

But it never completely went away. It never left their mind, their heart, or their soul.

The music never died.

Now, they’re in a new place in life and suddenly the passion has returned. There is some time in life to pursue it, and they have better resources than when they were younger.

Sound familiar?

If this is you, you aren’t alone. I think to some extent all of us who have worked in music have put it away for a season, but the passion never really died from who we are or what we want to do with it.

Luckily this is easily remedied, and it’s the easiest time in the history of music to make the music you feel God created you to make, and even to get that music out to the world.

So how do you resurrect that music dream that never died?

1. Be Brave

“Be brave, young lovers, and follow your star.” - Oscar Hammerstein II

It takes some bravery to get back to that dream. There’s a certain amount of courage it takes to break out of the ruts and grooves your life has become and follow your heart’s desire. And warning: you will confuse and intimidate your loved ones, friends, and others in your life who never expected you to be anything but what they have become accustomed to.

But stepping out in faith for your life’s dream is the biggest difference between those who don’t do anything with their music talent, and those that do.

2. Persevere

Once you get back to it, keep at it. Listen, you’re going to have to want this more than the next person to succeed. You have to be consistent and focused to get the music going again in your life, especially with all the distractions we have now. The distractions were what took you away from music in the first place! You have to stay laser focused on your goals this time.

“Sometimes you want to give up the guitar, you'll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you're gonna be rewarded.” - Jimi Hendrix

3. Get Help

It may be that the reason things never worked out last time was that you tried to go it alone, or worked with the right people. Find the very best for your music. Go to the place where your music thrives and where the people are that do it at the highest level.

It may be a producer, arranger, co-writer, but whatever it is, find that person or company. Listen to what they do and make sure it’s the quality you want your music to sound like. Then get in touch, meet them, and get to work!

“All of us, at certain moments of our lives, need to take advice and to receive help from other people.” - Alexis Carrel

So, if the music never died in you, then maybe it’s high time to get back to it.

Have a great week!

Eric Copeland is president of Creative Soul, a consulting, production, and marketing company that helps people resurrect their music dreams every day. If we can help you, check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

What to Post on Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 05:00:00 +0000

"Good social media is authentic. What makes social media work is actually having something to say." - Steven Levitt

Ah, the age old question philosophers have been asking throughout time: What do I tweet about today?

This may seem trivial, but it actually is an important concern for many of you who post to something, or many things, to social media (sometimes every day) in order to assist to grow your music ministry.

Content Marketing

It's not enough anymore to just have an album out, or a single, and send Facebook and Twitter messages out to folks hoping they will buy it. Guess what, they will likely not.

What social marketing has become for music artists or any small business, is building a following who falls in love with your content. What is content? Your music sure, but also your experiences. Your funny pictures; your videos from the road; your blogs about God, life, and art; news about interesting things that are happening or already happened.

This could be a Twitter or Facebook post, but this also applies to using LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and even your blog. What and how do you post to keep the people paying attention to your music and ministry on these social media sites?

I know this a concern to many of you because you feel silly posting about yourself. It seems overly self-serving and gratuitous. Or maybe you are running out of ideas to post everywhere.

Well, here is a list we have put together to help you think of things to post regularly on your social media accounts.

Share a resource/web site. Maybe there's a site that you love that other folks who think similar to you may love. People love goodwill and sharing.
Quote. Could be humorous, or topical to your music or ministry.
Retweet/Share/Comment. Always good to share something you see you like, and helps the person who originally posted as well. It's called Retweet on Twitter, Share on Facebook, RePin on Pinterest, etc.
Make an Announcement. Let the world know of that new radio single, album release, concert coming up, or anything cool that has happened or will be happening.
Reveal Something Personal. What happened to you today? Feeling blue? Share why. Although a little of this goes a long way...
Ask a Question. Encourage involvement with your followers by getting their thoughts on questions like "What is your favorite song on my album" with a link to your store page so they can hear to decide (and buy, wink ;)
Provide a Discount. People love saving money. Lower your album cost for a week or month and tell everyone about it.
Reply to a Question. Someone answer your question? Engage them, thank them, or debate them.
Report What You Are Doing Now. This is allowable every now and then, but especially applicable if you are in the studio, going on stage, or just finished an interview.
Offer Your Congratulations. Send a public congrats to a friend or industry contact who just had something big happen.
Spotlight an artist/writer/composer. Similar to the quote, talk about a favorite music maker that has relevance to your music.
Reverbnation clip. Send your followers to a clip of your music, preferably a free download that captures their email address.
Soundcloud clip. Same here, let them know how to hear you.
Join us at FB, TW, LI, YT. Send your Twitterers to your Facebook page, send the FB folks to your Youtube account, etc.
Youtube Video. Take advantage of each video you have and send people to watch it every so often. If you don't have videos, well, you need to make more. See this blog about that!

By the way, here are four types of videos to put up:

1. Original low budget. Shoot this with your phone quick and dirty. This isn't MTV. (Then again even MTV isn't MTV!)
2. Cover low budget. Same thing, sing another song and shoot it cheap but cool.
3. Original higher budget. Maybe this is shot by a pro, or you work harder with light.
4. Talking about anything
Podcast. Record an audio version of your blog post, or maybe a weekly show.
Pics doing anything (from Instagram). Anything you do, especially something doing music, is interesting to people who don't do this. Use Instagram and have it post to FB and Twitter.
Performance Dates coming up. If you have these, let people know. Also give reports on gigs you just did!
News. Things that are happening with your music and ministry.

So as you see, there is in fact TONS to tweet out there. Feel free to keep this list handy. And I heartily recommend Hootsuite to send these messages to ALL your social medias in one fail swoop.

Social media is marketing for the 21st century, and guess what folks - it's free!

"Social media is not about the exploitation of technology, but service to community." - Simon Mainwaring

Have a great week!

EC
--
Eric Copeland is a social media fool, and has to be as president of Creative Soul, in association with Word Entertainment in Nashville, TN. His company provides complete A to Z consulting, artist development, production, and marketing for Christian music artists. For more information check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

The State of the Music (Ministry) Business

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 06:13:00 +0000

Every single day, folks call, email, or get in touch with us through social media about how to get started in Christian Music Ministry and what that means. They want to know what they might be getting themselves into, can they still get signed, how, where, and even if they should record music, and mostly, how they can find success in the new, kind of confusing world of music.

The music business itself is in a state of turmoil, yet still thriving if that makes any sense. People may not be paying what they used to for music, but they are listening as much as ever. Apps like Pandora, Spotify, and Apple Music are the new radio, and people are listening in this new way. Music is everywhere we are, from restaurants, to movies & TV, all over our phones and mobile computing devices, and in our cars.

“The more things change, the more they are the same.” - Alphonse Karr

But what I find the most exciting for music ministries is the fact that none of the “traditional music business” issues, even in Christian music, mean much to us. Why? Because our world of music ministry really hasn’t changed.

Sure, we need to do all the things for promotion that we should, including social media, online music stores and streaming, and radio if available. But what we do as music ministries, especially in the independent, real world, is get out and minister.

That business of in-person, live music ministry, similar to live music performing in the secular world, hasn’t changed almost since music itself began. Singing in the church will always be the mainstay of music ministries. We hope that other possibilities may arise like outdoor concerts, tours, house concerts, festivals, and of course the ever popular conference gig. But churches, church sponsored events, and events created and sponsored by church members will always be on our radar of activity.

“The music business is not a good place for people who don't know things.” - Mary J. Blige

All the advances, woes, new tech, and issues of the “music industry” proper should only touch us tangentially. As responsible music marketers, we will always want to take advantages of new possibilities that help us find success. And the focus of this brand is to highlight all these each month.

Social Media is something we focus on here every month, highlighting a specific platform and interviewing those who have found success using it for their music ministry. Whether you like it or not, social media is the new marketing. We work in it every day (and you’re reading it now!) so we will try and shed as much light on this topic and the ever-changing information that we can.

Suffice to say, it’s a very important part of finding success for your music ministry.

Working in the Studio is something we should be doing all the time to produce new exciting music projects for our ministries. As you may know, this blog is sponsored by Creative Soul Records, whose main work for the last 20 years has been very high quality Christian music production. We interview players, engineers, and spotlight processes and equipment that help us produce the artists we work with.

Music Business Issues, including record labels of all sizes, radio, promotion, publicity, and marketing are also a focus for us monthly. What things are worth your time and money to pursue, and what are people who work in these industries saying that might help you on your way?

So, what is the State of the Music (Ministry) Business? It’s alive and well, constantly changing in some ways, and also, kind of staying the same in other ways.

We’d love to hear your opinions on how you think the music and/or ministry business is changing. What are the things you are excited about? What are the challenges you’re facing? Who knows, you may the subject of a future week here on The Music (Ministry) Business!

Have a great week!

Eric Copeland is the president and lead producer of Creative Soul, a full time music ministry consulting, production, and marketing company, based in Nashville, TN, in association with Word Entertainment. Got questions? Want more info? Check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Online Music Success

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 06:32:00 +0000

“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.” – Jeremiah 1:17 (NIV)

Gird up your loins people! This is important stuff for those of you who are serious and want to do this music thing a long time.

Many people ask me when we near the completion of their music project, “Okay, what do we do now? How do we get this music online?”

This is a good question, and usually it means starting with a web site, getting the music to the online sales portals, and online promotion.

The problem is, just because we can build it (pretty easily in fact) it does NOT mean they will come. In fact, online activity is very difficult to master and profit from. Yet I will still lay it out in this post for you to read, shake your head that you don’t think you could ever really do these things, and curse me in vain. (Note: if you feel this way please do not comment below. ;)

I will also reveal the real reason you need to do this, and it’s not just about making money.

Web Site

This is step one for any business, but certainly required for an amazing music project. If nothing else, it serves as a place to send people who may want to find out about your music and ministry. Our job is to present some information about the artist and music, then give the user ways to access the music (buy/download/stream), and of course contact the artist.

Again, just because you have a website, it doesn’t mean anyone will go to it – unless they are told to, or given a reason to. We’ll cover how to do that in a bit.

Online Stores

It’s actually pretty easy for anyone to get music online. Aggregators like CDBaby not only provide a way to sell CDs from a totally automated store once you send them product, but they also send the music to iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and many more digital stores and streaming companies.

The good news is that by using a company like CDBaby, they will collect from all those stores and pay you in one payment. Now, will you make anything? Well, that likely depends on what you are doing to promote it, the kind of following you have, and believe it or not, how much you sing live.

Social Media Promotion

“Be a person that others will look for your posts daily because they know you will encourage them. Be the positive one and help others to have a great day and you will find that not only they like you but you will like you too.” ― John Patrick Hickey, Oops! Did I Really Post That

You’ve probably known that at some point you’d have to engage Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging and other tools to promote your music. You’ve likely just been trying not to think about it.

Unfortunately folks, as I am proving by you reading this, social media and online tools are the new marketing – and they are free! You likely already do Facebook, and that will be a main tool. You’ll build a page just for your music, then try to get your friends and family on your regular FB account to “Like” it.

Whether you want to tweet or not, Twitter is a fantastic device for marketing to strangers. As much as we want to speak to fans, we need a way to make new fans. Twitter allows you to target new fans by their profiles and follow them in hopes they will follow you. Watch for a new post devoted to my Twitter strategy soon.

LinkedIn is a good way to find professional people to follow you and to reach out to when you need them. It’s a great way to find pastors and church folk. Instagram is a good way to share pictures with your fans, and it integrates with Facebook and Twitter very well!

All these social media tools and the following they may bring are for naught if you can’t provide any content they may be interested in. This may shock you, but people aren’t just sitting waiting to hear and buy your music. However, they may be touched by what you have to say and take interest.

The Importance of Blogging

“A blog is neither a diary nor a journal. Many people think of blogging in relation to those two things, confessional or practical. It is neither but includes elements of both.” – Lemn Sissay

WordPress and many other platforms that are similar to this allow you to write blog posts like the one you are now reading. They can also act as your web site. All my current sites are located either on WordPress or Blogger.

This is a tough one for most folks as they wonder what they would have to say. But I find that kind of ludicrous. If you have written 10 songs, you have at least 10 blog posts. Plus, as people walking through life you have much to share, much as you do on Facebook about many silly things.

Blog posts can be dropped into your Facebook post, and sit nicely in a post there. They can be mentioned in a tweet, or LinkedIn post. Then your followers may be tempted to come read.

Working it Harder than Anyone Else…Forever.

Well, this is a hard one to teach, but it is really the key. I have many artists I have worked with and continue to work with for years, if not decades. These folks stay at it during the hard times and easy times. They keep working despite months or years where the industry changes, or their personal life crashes, or they take a new job.

They simply work harder and more consistently than anyone else.

Real Success Online

“An individual artist needs only a thousand true fans in her tribe. It's enough.” ― Seth Godin, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

Online success is not about making money. You need to get that out of your head right now. Working hard with online tools is an important way to build a following that will support you for a long time. It’s a way to find possibilities and relationships that may not pay off today, but could lead to opportunities years in the future.

That is, if you are serious and going to be doing this that long.

Have a great week!

Eric Copeland is a producer, composer, and author who takes all the above very seriously, hence the unceasing posts, tweets, and other annoying stuff you likely get bombarded with. But he stays busy, and isn’t that what you’d like to do as a Christian artist and songwriter? If so, come talk to him at http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com and let’s get your music and ministry started or restarted.

Living the Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 07:51:00 +0000

“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.” – T. E. Lawrence

As a music producer and helper to Christian music artists, one of my great joys is seeing artists get to where they want to be as working ministries. Yes creating amazing music is much of what we do for Christian artists, but the recording is only the beginning.

In every first meeting with artists, we ask a question: What are your goals as an artist? How would you qualify success in your wildest dreams?

This is not at all an easy question to answer. But after getting past dreams of fame, fortune, and quitting their job to pursue music full-time, we get to the crux of the answer: the goal is to get in front of audiences and make a difference for Christ.

I’ve been very encouraged this summer to see several ministries we’ve produced recently really get out and go.

George Tifft came to us a few years ago after losing his wife of 30+ years. She had always wanted him to pursue his ministry with vigor. Well, just take a look at his Facebook page as he documents his “Do Good Tour”, and watch him go for the Lord.

Zach Allen and his brother Christian recently recorded an EP follow-up to their debut album from a few years ago. Never shy to rock out live, this year the Zach Allen Band joined “The Extreme Tour” and have been traveling through many states the past month. It’s one thing to play local shows, but to set up every night in front of new audiences has brought new perspective to Zach.

“Our experience on The Extreme Tour has taught us a lot. When we first started, I was focused on performing, planning the best set list, and hoping to sell merch. Now, I can say that I view ministry a little different. I am beginning to see that when you focus on God and loving others first, the impact will be way bigger!”

Check out more about Zach and his tour at https://www.facebook.com/zachallenmusic

Joey and Kristi Stroud (aka Crimson Road) came to us last year wanting to get feedback on their songs. After a few of these sessions, they decide that they wanted to get these songs in front of people as a husband/wife ministry. Oh how far they’ve come. After completing the process, getting CDs, and putting together a website and social media, they have hit the road just about every weekend. Last week they even performed at a TBN station in Texas! They have really honed in on the vision, and are out making a difference.

There are many, many more artists I could highlight, including veterans like Frances Drost with her busy schedule and her new popular Christmas show, and of course the road warrior Stephen Bautista.

These folks can’t help but be fulfilled as they get to see the fruits of what God has given them to do at each performance. They feel in the zone, on target with where God wants them, and see real change taking place.

This is the reason we do this folks. There is no other. This is what God made you to do, and you kind of know it.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C. S. Lewis

Maybe it’s time you got back to working towards the dream of getting your music and ministry in front of real live folks, and making a difference with the talent and unique message God has for you to bring.

“It is a full time job. It is no longer a dream as such. It is a walk that takes commitment almost every day with every breath that I have. Anyone can dream. Not everyone can find the wherewithal to see it through.” – Frances Drost

Have great week!

Eric Copeland lives his own dream helping artists just like you realize and pursue their dream of music ministry. If you’d like to find out more, check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Single vs. EP vs. CD

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 05:38:00 +0000

If you’re thinking of recording and getting your music ministry out there, you’ve probably wondered what the best option is for releasing your music. Should you make a single and see how it goes? Should you make an EP (which comes from the days when there were Extended Play singles out there with 3-6 songs)? Or should you go ahead and make a full CD of 10 or more songs?

There is no wrong answer here, but there are definitely pros and cons to each that may help you make the decision. The answer really lies in where you are in your career, and what purpose the product is going to serve.

Single (1 song)

“Don’t invest a lot of time and money into recording a full-length music release before you start seeing results that your music is resonating with an audience.” – Shaun Letang

If you are an artist who has never done anything before and no one has ever heard of you, then doing one great single might be your best bet. Perhaps you haven’t written many or any songs, but you’d like to put something out there to see what kind of reaction you get.

Doing just one song lets you get some studio experience, focus on doing one song really well, and then getting feedback from people in your circle, extended family and friends, or folks in the music business.

It announces you as an artist, and you can begin to see what you have in store financially, marketing-wise, and what kind of audience you might have.

If you are an established artist but haven’t released anything in a while, a single can be great for a quick shot of publicity to keep your following happy.

One single won’t bring in much money, in fact, it’s pretty much only a publicity/marketing expense. But it can be an important tool in this stage of your career.

EP (4-6 songs)

“Half a loaf is better than none.” – Old English Proverb

If you plan on doing any kind of performing, have more songs you’d like to share to show your versatility, or have a need for a product to give away or sell, then an EP might be a good idea The EP has seen a resurgence in the new world of downloads and streaming. It gets product out quicker than a full CD, and fans like getting new material faster.

It gives you the ability to say more than what you can on a single. For music ministries, the more you can have to speak and sing about, the better pastors and churches like it.

While making a full EP does cost less generally than a full CD, remember that you’ll need to still do the steps of mastering, photos, design, and duplication. These tasks can sometimes cost close to the same as doing for a CD.

CD (10+ songs)

“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.” – Michelangelo

While singles and EPs are certainly accepted, I still think there is nothing more powerful than an album. I realize this is my background, and that I grew up listening to full records all day as an artistic experience. Still, in my heart of hearts I believe serious music artists make full CDs.

The biggest plus for the CD is how much you can sell it for. It’s hard to sell singles for anything but 99 cents online, and EPs are difficult to sell for much. But you can still easily charge $10-15 per full CD, and that helps at the end of a night on your merch table if you are a working artist. Speak to any touring artist and they will tell you that sometimes they make more at their table than they do in honorariums or love offerings.

If you market albums correctly, they can last you more than a year and sometimes two, so you don’t have to make them as often. Since many of the expenses of doing a CD are part of making an EP as earlier described, it’s not always that difficult to go ahead and do 10 songs, instead of 4-6 for an EP.

So which is right for you? Well, that’s up to God and you. Make the right decision, but above all make some decision and get going!

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” – John F. Kennedy

Have a great week!

Eric Copeland is president of Creative Soul, a consulting and production company based in Nashville, TN. For more info check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

There Are No Rules

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 06:52:00 +0000

“There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. That is what invention is about.” - Helen Frankenthaler

It used to be easy to become rich and famous as a music artist. You played in front of that one guy, who realized your genius and signed you on the spot so nobody else could get you. Sure it took the alignment of the stars, an unlikely sequence of events, and the luck of the Irish, but it happened.

They spent lots of money on you, recorded that gold record, and off you went, riding the waves of the music business. Development, marketing, publicity, radio, touring, distribution, and then repeat the whole process. It was a set plan that had been perfected over 100 years.

Well, then physical product (CDs) stopped selling. Downloads and now streaming have changed the landscape of the music industry. A&R guys are now signing artists very few and far between, or, never. Even the major labels will tell you the landscape is more unpredictable on how they do things now.

In fact, the more I have meetings with producer, artists, A&R, publishers, and other various industry folks, the more I know one thing – nobody knows anything!

There just aren’t any hard and fast rules anymore on how to find success for your music and ministry.

Used to be…you got the attention of someone at a label.

Yes, you can try and do showcases, meet with A&R folks at labels, and send MP3s until you’re blue in the face. But the likelihood of anything rising up out of all the clamor of now millions of wannabe artists is like being a needle found in a needle stack.

Used to be…you got discovered by fans on the radio.

Radio is now a very elite service that services thousands of hopeful cuts (hundreds from major labels) for just 20-30 slots. Sure, there are smaller services that offer radio play to smaller coverage stations, but it’s very difficult to get heard by legions of folks who will turn around and support you.

Used to be…people found your new CD at the record store.

LOL! There would have to BE record stores for this to happen.

So, if all these old industry methods aren’t working, is it all over? Well, that’s kind of the good news. Since there are no rules, we can do things we never thought of doing or never could do before.

“There are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.” - Thomas A. Edison

Now we can…build a huge following of friends, family, and fans for no money.

Using free social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and WordPress, we can build and service a worldwide following of fans and interested folks all by ourselves. Is it easy? No, not at all. Many of you in fact will struggle with it, but there are other tools and people who can help you manage this process.

Now we can…make our own TV channel and have an audience watch us play our music.

Remember how you used to (or still do) dream about singing your songs and speaking to the world? An audience of hundreds, thousands, or millions? Well, it’s just a click away.

YouTube is patiently waiting to not only post your music videos, but PAY you for them as well. We never even dreamed that we’d have access to a worldwide net of viewers, and better yet that it would come for FREE. But are you using it? Doubtful.

“If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.” - Katharine Hepburn

Now we can…do whatever kind of music we want, no matter what is “popular” or “cool”.

There is an audience for whatever it is you do. Whatever kind of music that you prefer to make, someone out there (or many someones) may like it. Whether it’s jazzy, or classical, or rock, or pop, or bluegrass, or Celtic, or whatever, you can do it now. You don’t have to do what is popular to get this thing going or to get heard or seen.

So quit thinking like it’s 1979 and you have to get a record deal, or be seen, or be heard, and get real. There are no rules to making great art and getting it out, so make up your own today!

“Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art.” - Claude Debussy

Have a great week!

Eric Copeland has pretty much been making up his own rules his whole life, including building a new kind of music business that helps Christian artists and songwriters of ANY kind start finding some personal and public success. Find out more at http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

Get Real!

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 07:24:00 +0000

“Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be.” - Jack Welch

Think you just have to have that record deal?

Hoping someone magically hears your song and wants to publish it?

It's time for you to GET REAL!!

One thing that continues to amaze me in this day and age where there is so much information available to folks online is how everyone is still looking for "get there quick" schemes in their music careers.

We have kids coming out of high school enrolling in recording programs expecting to become world famous recording engineers.

Artists email me daily wondering where they can get a record deal, as if they are doled out in the same way someone gives you a Facebook “like”.

Songwriters email me songs, or sometimes just lyrics asking if I will publish them. Like there is a machine here in Nashville where we just feed it in and it comes out stamped “Published!”

“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” - Nikos Kazantzakis

When we meet new artists and songwriters, one of the first things we try to do is to educate them on the realities of our industry. How do labels pick the artists they want to sign? Is a record deal even applicable to you? How do songs get published? What does publishing even mean?

Moreover, many people who want a record or publishing deal aren't even close to being ready for a step like getting signed or published. It's actually much more likely that they don't even have anything a label or publisher would be interested in.

The important thing is that you read this not as rebuke and there’s no chance for you, but to further your knowledge of what is realistic to hope for, and what you need to lay down.

Introducing, Reality.

A record deal is really just a business deal with someone funding and supporting you so they can help you build a strong music ministry. In theory, the end result will be that you can both profit as business and ministry partners. This is a hard thing for major labels to offer these days with the way music sells (or doesn't). The parameters of the artists they are looking for are very strict, and the label has to be completely sold and in love with the artist musically and personally.

So if you are not in the .01% of people who get a deal, what are your real options? Well, those are different for everyone, but they all involve hard work by you finding the right audience and building a strong music ministry business of your own.

Music publishing at its core means someone knows a way to do something with your song that will achieve success. Usually, this will be the song is making money, and that can come from a variety of sources, from getting the song cut and released on an album or as a single, being heard on the radio or TV, movies, internet, or a variety of other things.

For someone to offer you a music publishing contract on one of your songs, it means that they have a use in mind for the song. They think the song is strong and believe it can be profitable for both of you.

If you have trouble finding music publishers to get interested in your songs, or if this process of convincing someone about your song doesn't sound fun, there are other ways to get your songs heard. You can sing them yourself and get in front of real peoples ears. Find other artists to sing and record them. Look for other places that might need your songs including churches or conventions.

The idea here is that we have to carefully look at reality for our music and not just live in the fantasy land we have in our heads about how the music business really works. If we will, and work hard towards that, armed with good information about what is real and what is not, we can build the music life we always wanted to have.

“Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow's reality.” - Malala Yousafzai

Have a great week!

EC
--
Eric Copeland tries to be real every day as he creates his own vision and helps others create theirs. For more information on what his company Creative Soul does go to http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em…

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Copeland) — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 17:23:00 +0000

A few posts ago, we encouraged you to Get Your Music Everywhere, and this is the real why behind that post.

For years, we have watched the music business (really the ‘record business’) die along with the music industry. It’s been like a slow motion crash you can’t turn your eyes away from.

Lately, I’ve been reading a great book called “Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age”. One humorous part talks about the RealNetworks people who went to different labels including Sony, MCA, and EMI to offer them the ability to monetize digital files in the mid-to-late 90’s.

“Each exec seemed to enjoy the meetings but had no interest in doing business. They were making big money. They had the Spice Girls. They had all the time in the world. Why change?”

Of course, 10 years later iTunes will have swooped in and labels HAD to relent. Listeners would no longer want $18 CDs when they could pick and choose each song they want for 99 cents.

For many years, independent artists have looked at the paltry income from digital sales, and lamented the loss of this CD income (which at shows is still good, but online is almost nonexistent.)

As the industry has shrunk, the big labels are like sharks fighting over terrestrial and satellite radio, leaving not even table scraps for the middle class or indie artist. But, we have an option that has been growing, and there is a reason now to think it may grow into a significant income source the more we feed it.

Streaming subscription radio is only growing, and it’s even starting to pay. Yes, it may be pieces of pennies, but there are starting to be ways to get more people listening worldwide and get those income streams growing.

The list of current streaming radio apps (as of February 2015) includes this list and more: Spotify, iTunes Match/Radio, Beats, Rdio, Rhapsody, Deezer, Slacker, and many more. In the past, these haven’t paid well. If you have any music on CDBaby and have used their free Digital Distribution service, you can see great reports on exactly what pays and how much. Here are the income streams from one of my personal music brands (Player A) just in January of 2015:

Streaming income (meaning song streams lasting over 20 seconds)

iTunes Match/Americas

iTunes Match/Norway

iTunes Match/Japan

iTunes Match/South Africa

iTunes Match/UK

iTunes Match/Singapore

iTunes Match/Switzerland

iTunes Match/Australia

iTunes Match/Rest of World

Rhapsody

Media Net

Amazon Cloud Drive US

Rdio

Spotify

Deezer

Song Download income

CDBaby

Apple iTunes

iTunes Japan

iTunes Australia

iTunes South Africa

iTunes Europe

Amazon MP3

Google Music Store

In looking at last year’s digital sales (which by the way now trump physical online sales 2 to 1), I made the most from Spotify in 2014, followed by iTunes (which includes downloads and iTunes Radio). But it seems to be ramping up even over the last 3 months. Streaming income is easily outpacing sales from even downloads.

Video Income

Another thing I have harped about lately is YouTube videos and the money they can bring. I haven’t seen a lot of income from this, but it is real, and also tracked well by CDBaby through Rumblefish.

YouTube video income seems to be averaging around .005 per play. This tracks with other info we have received that 1 million views equals around $5000. This is not scientific, but if I extrapolated what my YouTube plays reported made times 1 million, it would be over $5000.

So what does all this mean?

What it means is, you need good content and lots of it, and you need to get it on CDBaby and use their digital distribution service to get everywhere. There’s more income the more you have out there. But it still has to be a great song and made with quality. It just takes one click for the user to skip your song, and if they give it a thumbs down, it can hurt your future play on that streaming app.

You need to make videos of every song and get them on YouTube, even if it’s a single picture the whole time. I have one like that that has 250+ views just because it’s there with the others that have thousands of views.

It’s time to quit whining that CDs aren’t selling online, or that online income streams are small, and start concentrating on making great content. In order to make more $$, you need to get more content out there.

That’s what I’ll be doing.

Have a great week!

Eric Copeland is a producer and president of Creative Soul. His company helps Christian artists build real, working music ministries and offers them real help getting going, and staying going. For more info, check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com