Tag: music business
What Else You Got?
by claybutlermusic on Mar.05, 2010, under Band Management, Career Building, Marketing & Promotion, Uncategorized
Here lately, I’ve been busy recording and consulting young bands, aspiring songwriters, and singers who are eager to “break into the music business”. Besides being fairly talented, they all have one thing in common: they all have absolutely NO idea how the music industry works.
As with most of us who make music for a living, many of them think their music is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The problem lies that they’re then unwilling to take advice on how to make their music better (read: more competitive). They wrote their “baby” in a moment of inspiration. It’s gold. That’s that. This attitude is not only amateurish, but it’s childish as well. Now, I’m not saying that much of their music isn’t good, but the music business is inundated with artists, bands, and songwriters who are “just good”. To compete, you must be great. Your music must be great. Your image must be great.
Study! Before you decide to dive into the shark infested waters of the music biz, you have to know exactly what you’re getting into so you won’t get eaten alive. Okay, I exaggerate a bit. Just not much. Before you expect to have any success in anything, be it business, science, technology, medicine, etc., you must understand your particular field inside and out. That’s exactly why people seeking any particular career path go to college. Education makes sure you’re at least somewhat prepared for entering your career. Music is no different.
Know your rights. Learn how copyrights work and where your money comes from as a writer or artist. Horror stories abound of bands and artists who were taken advantage of because they were ignorant of income opportunities, or, worse yet, they signed away those rights in shady contracts.
Educate yourself on contracts. Always consult an attorney before you sign anything, but at least help yourself by being familiar with contractual “norms” and how to read them. Know that contracts are a give-and-take type of thing. You likely wont get exactly what you want out of the deal, but know that the other party should be giving up certain things as well. It’s all about compromise.
Be prepared for failure. Say this with me: “No one owes me anything.” One more time. Good, now say it a thousand more times so that it sticks. Chances are you will knock on a hundred proverbial doors before someone lets you in. You may not even be let in. Your demos WILL sit on someone’s desk (if they even make it to the desk) amid a sea of SeaDs CDs from other people. They may not get listened to. If someone likes your music, you may get a call (which could be months, or even years, down the road). Just don’t expect them to call you back if they don’t like it. They’re just too busy for that. In the Music Biz, generally no news is bad news.
It ain’t about you. I could make you say this one a thousand times, too. Unless you just rub someone the wrong way, a rejection is not personal. It’s purely a business decision. After all, we’re all participating in the music business, right? There are scores of reasons why you may face rejection. Your songwriting or singing skills may not be strong enough yet. You may not fit their image. They may already have artists on their roster that are just like you. Once you start to work with music on a professional level, music ceases to be about art and becomes a commodity. Your music and your image is solely used to make money for someone else. Then, if they make money, you can reap some of the benefits of their success. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that “you’re gonna get yours before they get theirs.” Remember, until you are making money for someone else, you have no leverage over them.
Talent can only carry you so far. You may be a fabulously talented singer or band, but if you don’t take responsibility for your own successes (or failures), then you can never expect to make it in the music industry. Your manager can’t do it for you. Your agent can’t do it for you. Your label can’t do it for you. All of these are avenues to help you succeed. In fact, don’t even go to them first. Learn to be successful without these other people, and your potential for greater success is much higher. If you’re successful on your own, these people will take notice and come to you. Then, if you feel they will help you to succeed further, make use of them. Remember, those who help you succeed are seeking their own success as well.
I don’t say any of this to scare any of you away from the music business. I am, on the other hand, saying it to scare some sense into you. Educate yourself. Prepare. Take responsibility for your successes and failures. While having “a good voice and a dream” is a good starting point, make no mistake; the music business isn’t at all easy. What else you got?
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7 Ways to Destroy Your Music Career
by claybutlermusic on Feb.10, 2010, under Band Management, Career Building, Marketing & Promotion, Uncategorized
In our last post, I gave you the Secrets to NOT Getting Booked for a Gig. Today I ran across a post on Bob Baker’s Music Promotion Blog that I would be completely remiss if I didn’t share with you all.
7 Ways to Destroy Your Music Career
It’s a humorous take on the practices that keep bands and musicians in failure mode. Shamefully, I can say that I’ve been guilty of a few of these myself in the past. I still struggle with a couple in particular.
How many of these have you been guilty of?
Music Is Your Business. Is Business Good?
by claybutlermusic on Jan.29, 2010, under Band Management, Career Building, Marketing & Promotion, Uncategorized
No matter what your particular niche is when it comes to music, the ultimate goal is to make a living doing what you love. Making a living from music requires more than just talent. It requires dedication, drive, perseverance, and a burning desire to succeed. Unfortunately, most musicians’ brains cease to function once they cross the threshold from creating art to running a business. It’s a delicate balancing act, but music is still a business. So, we must learn from the business world?
Create a Business Plan. A business plan can range from simple to complex, but they merely function to keep us on task. They clearly define our business structure, who is in charge, and how decisions are made. They serve to define our goals, especially fiscally, and helps to identify how to reach them. It helps you in your search for funding, and helps lenders know how you intend to pay them back. Your local small business administration can help you to develop your plan. There’s even software to help with the task of creating a business plan.
Create a Marketing Plan. A business plan is not enough to succeed. You need to know how you will get your music, products, or services to the masses. That requires a marketing plan. These help you to know what avenues you will use to advertise your products or services, create budgets, and build your brand.
Build a Team. No man is an island. Only few people can perform every single duty when it comes to running a successful business. Even fewer of those people keep their sanity. So, develop a team of people who can help you succeed. It’s difficult, but don’t be afraid to Recruit fans to help you promote. Outsource tasks like printing, cd duplication, photography, or graphic design (even more so if the tasks aren’t your strong suit). Hire a bookkeeper and tax professional. Even hire a roadie and recruit someone to work your merchandise table–vital if you want to preserve your strength for gigs! Outsourcing to trusted professionals only serves to help you maintain a professional appearance, which is crucial in business.
Keep the Books. If you’re making money from your music (or anything for that matter), you can bet Uncle Sam wants his share. On the up side, though, being in business affords you certain tax deductions of business expenses. Be sure to keep up with all of your income and expenses. It’s not enough just to write them down; you MUST be able to show proof in order to receive your deduction. So, keep your receipts, log your mileage for business-related trips (including odometer readings and purposes for the trip), and organize your income and expenditures. Intuit’s Quicken Home and Business edition is a great way to stay organized, but it’s always a good idea to consult a tax professional for preparation and general advice.
Focus on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty. Keeping your fans happy (and coming back again and again) is what will keep food on your table. Engage them. Show some interest in them as people and not just as numbers or dollar signs. Foster their trust and loyalty and then the sales will follow. Here’s a related post on building a loyal fanbase.
These are just some simple guidelines to help you succeed with your own music business endeavors. Comment and tell us what helps you succeed!
Your Music Ministry: A Real-World Business Model
by claybutlermusic on Jan.27, 2010, under Band Management, Career Building, For Businesses, For Worship, Marketing & Promotion, Music Theory, Uncategorized
Many churches prefer not to think about it, but, like it or not, a church’s music and multimedia ministry is a part of the music and entertainment industry. If music and multimedia is a commodity for day-to-day operations, you are indeed a part of the music biz.
Anyone who is in business will tell you that you must study and analyze your competition in order to survive. In music ministry, we are in competition with the secular entertainment market. In order to draw people in and engage them, our “product” (in this case, the worship experience) must offer a viable substitute to what congregants can get anywhere else. A growth-focused contemporary church’s music, video, multimedia, and visual experience must rival what people find on the radio or at a concert–relevant and “in the now”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that worship is a concert or performance, but let’s face the facts: those things get people through your doors. Now that you’ve drawn them in, it’s the substance that’s combined with the experience that creates true relevance.
So, how can we build a vibrant and relevant music ministry? Let’s take a cue from a real-world business model, by adapting what works in the secular markets, and putting it to work to help further the Kingdom of God.
- Sales and Marketing. In music ministry you’re engaged in sales and marketing. You’re basically getting someone else to “buy in” to a ministry opportunity with their time and talents. You must publicize available positions, special events, etc. If no one knows, then no one will volunteer or participate.
- Human Resources. You’re also responsible for seeking the right person for the “job”. You’re saddled with the task of conducting auditions and interviews. This task is a weighty responsibility for any ministry team, because desperation to fill a given position most often results in a poor decision.
- Public Relations. Your team must portray the image of your parent company, in this case, the church. This image must be exuded both inside and outside the church’s walls.
- Employee Evaluation. A ministry’s responsibility is to constantly asses the work ethic, attendance, and attitude of each “employee”. Furthermore, you must assess each team member’s competency in his/her job. Are they growing and learning their instrument? Are they progressing with their musical knowledge? Can they pull their weight? Are they growing spiritually?
- Legal Department. Churches all over the world break the law every week, and they don’t even know it. It’s the ministry’s moral obligation to understand intellectual property rights and the church’s legal responsibilities as it pertains to those rights. You also often deal with member contracts once players are recruited.
- Maintenance and Quality Control. The ministry must supply a quality product (i.e. worship experience) each week. So, the ministry must seek out and address areas of weakness and constantly look for ways to improve.
- Research and Development. Again, to compete and survive, you must analyze and learn from the competition. A ministry must learn from the most current trends and seek out ways to push forward. You must research and implement new ways to improve and become more productive. You must test ways to make your product become a viable substitute to what’s on the radio and in other entertainment.
While this is just a basic overview, there are many other parallels and lessons to draw from the business world when it comes to building a vibrant ministry team. See www.butlerproductionsmultimedia.com/seminars to bring this and similar information to your church.
Comment and tell your ministry’s Startup Story!
The McTrademark and Intellectual Property Rights
by claybutlermusic on Jan.23, 2010, under Band Management, Career Building, For Businesses, For Worship, Recording, Uncategorized
I’ve been teaching a series of seminars and classes on taking your church’s music and media ministry to the next level. We start off by focusing on “keeping it legal” by acknowledging and respecting the intellectual property rights of others. This morning on the WalletPop blog, there’s an article of a teen named Lauren McCluskey, along with another girl with Mc in her surname, who raised $30,000 for the Special Olympics with a charity concert series they called the McFest. McDonalds claimed it was infringement of their “Mc” trademark. In the December issue of Recording Magazine, another teen was sued by four record labels for illegally downloading and sharing 24 songs. The verdict after two trials? Punitive damages of 1.93 MILLION dollars. It seems like every time I pick up a magazine or turn on the computer, there’s an article dealing with an infringement case. It just serves to further remind us that INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ARE A BIG DEAL!
If you’re a songwriter, performer, or artist, those rights are a big deal to you, too. It’s how you make a living. (See our previous posts on How to Get Paid for your Music and How to Start your Own MusicPublishing Company.) If you’re a venue, church, or broadcaster, they’re also a big deal for you, as well. Understanding the rights of others, in addition to your responsibilities pertaining to those rights, ensures that you don’t get sued (if you abide by them).
The law allows Intellectual Property owners certain EXCLUSIVE rights:
- To reproduce the works
- To create derivative works
- To distribute the works
- To perform the works
- To display the works
No one else can do those things (well, legally, anyway). So, then, how does a potential music user get permission to do any of those things? Licensing. You must purchase a license in order to use the music of someone else for any reason. Each potential use requires a specific license.
- To have music at your venue, club, or restaurant, you need a Performance License from a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC.
- To broadcast music on television, radio, or the internet, you also need a Performance License from a PRO.
- To use music in a church worship setting, copy music, or display music/lyrics, you need a CCLI license from Christian Copyright License International.
- To record someone else’s music onto a CD, for example a compilation, you need a Mechanical License, which can generally be obtained through the Harry Fox Agency and a Master Use License.
- To record your performance of someone else’s music, for example a CD of cover tunes, you must also have a Mechanical License, but not a Master Use License.
- To use someone else’s music on a video for broadcast, you would need a Broadcast License, a Synchronization License and a Master Use License. If it then goes on a CD or DVD for sale, you must add a Mechanical License.
Keep in mind that when you buy a CD, the ONLY thing you own is the little plastic disc and a License to listen to the music. You in no way own the music. You cannot copy, perform or distribute any of that music. Period. Well, unless you buy a license.
Comments? Questions? Keep ‘em comin!
Career Resolutions for a New Year
by claybutlermusic on Dec.23, 2009, under Career Building, Marketing & Promotion, Uncategorized
With the close of another year comes new resolve for the next. It’s a time to take stock of the year’s successes and failures–an oft painful time–and plans to grow and prosper in the coming year. This time is critical for those of us who are in business for ourselves. Whether you’re already self-employed, just getting started, or considering starting your own business, resolutions should be a daily occurrence, not just once a year.
We all know that New Year’s Resolutions don’t stick. By the end of January, they’re practically forgotten. You’ve heard me say before, “do one thing every day to further your career.” Similarly, if you have ONLY ONE resolution this year, make it this: Find new resolve DAILY! This is my new motivation moving forward.
With that mantra in mind, here are some of my goals. Hopefully the will inspire you or give you new ideas for 2010.
- Find new resolve every day.
- Do at least one thing each day to further my musical career.
- Find ways more opportunities to create residual, passive income.
- Significantly expand my catalog of intellectual property.
- Build more relationships with meaningful industry contacts.
- Build relationships with related services outside my specialty.
- Find new ways to increase productivity.
These are just a few of the goals that have been on the top of my list for 2010. What are your goals and resolutions for the new year? Comment and let us know.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to you all!
Creative Ways to Make a Living with Music (Part 1)
by claybutlermusic on Jun.21, 2009, under Career Building, Uncategorized
I was having lunch the other day with some very good friends of mine from a quite successful band. They’re currently signed to a prominent record label and are touring all over the country. They were even up for a Grammy and a Dove this year. They stay so busy that they’re usually difficult to catch, so getting a chance to talk over lunch was a rare treat indeed. Despite all of their success, one part of the conversation in particular really struck me. I asked how things were going, to which one of the members jokingly replied, “Great. Now if we can just figure out how to make a living at it!”
Different folks measure success in different ways. There’s enjoying doing what you love to do. There’s being good at something you enjoy. And, yes, there’s monetary success. Even when it comes to money, some deem success strictly as becoming wealthy. Others, still, feel successful just by making a decent enough income to support a family by doing what they love. All of these are valid. But it doesn’t take a record deal to make a living with your music. Quite often, it’s the indie musician or band that walks away with the most money in his/her pocket, simply because there are fewer fingers in the pie. So, record deals and touring aside, here are some creative ways to earn a living with music:
Teaching Private Lessons
Although it may seem obvious, many musicians forget about the potential of taking on private students. Even doing lessons one afternoon/evening per week can bring in some nice spending money. Teaching can also be quite rewarding if you have the patience and a desire to see others learn. If you have a music stand and the extra space (for instance a corner of the living room, or an extra room in the house), you probably have all you need to teach private lessons.
Session Musician
If you have access to recording equipment and a high-speed internet connection, you probably have the capability to do remote session recording. For a guitarist, a laptop with a decent audio interface, some recording software, and a POD by Line6 (all comments from tone snobs aside) is enough to get you started. The odds are even more in your favor if you’re a vocalist–just replace the POD with a microphone. If you’re doing limited tracks, which usually you would be, there are free options available if you’re in need of recording software. Digidesign has a free version of ProTools that’s limited to eight channels. Kristal Audio Engine is an open source multi-track recording sofware. Audacity from SoundForge is also open source.
When you begin your session work, you will usually receive a guide track via an mp3 file. You will record your track, then send the instrument track back to the client. Unless you mail the client your files on a CD, a high-speed internet connection is almost a necessity. If you have FTP, you can upload the files directly to the client’s server. Otherwise, there are other great online options such as YouSendIt and ProAudioBus. A great place to get started doing remote session work is Studiotraxx.com. They have a great all-in-one system.
Here are some great options I recommend for getting equipped to do remote session recording:
Music Copyist
For musicians who have a strong understand standard musical notation and music theory, then a music copyist may be a viable opportunity. Copyists produce neat copies of a composer’s or arranger’s score from his or her original manuscripts. While this practice was once done by hand, now, with the advent of scoring software, musicians and copyists have the ability to create professional looking sheet music on their home computer. If you write songs or compose your own music, then sheet music opens up an entirely new market for your music. Here are links to some great notation software:
Continue on to Creative Ways to Make a Living with Music (Part 2)!
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