(Read part 1 here.)
In the previous post, singer/songwriter Angie Stevens gave an independent artist’s take on the music business. Today, we continue with the same Q&A from a manager’s perspective, with Angie’s manager and Boss Koala Records co-owner, Mike Lavelle.
Q: What’s happening in the music industry these days?
MIKE: That’s pretty much the million dollar question. The industry is clearly changing, but where it is headed is anyone’s guess. There is an abundance of music, with most available free in some form. Pandora, Spotify and the like are making almost all music available to everyone, for free. And with the ability for practically anyone to record music, there’s virtually more than any one person can take in.
With all the self-promotion tools available to DIY artists, the bottom-line goal with all of them is simple: get your music noticed. Get your act on the radar with as many people as possible, both consumers and industry professionals. The question is how to do it–and despite what anyone might tell you, there’s no single formula to get it done.
One of the biggest challenges songwriters face nowadays is how to get their music in front of people. Not just any people–people who can help take the music further. If you’re a songwriter at any level, novice to expert, I’d like to share a unique resource with you: the Durango Songwriters Expo.
The DSE holds two major events per year–one in Colorado and one in Santa Barbara, California. The next one is October 6-8 at Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield, Colorado, just north of Denver.
Do I have your attention? Ahem.
With the current state of the music business in so much upheaval, and with the advent of digital technology and social networking enabling the number of DIY and indie musicians to mushroom in recent years, the path to musical success has seemingly become a bit clouded. There are lots of people giving advice, lots of blogs like this one discussing the issues, even an increasing number of colleges offering courses on the music biz–all trying to clear the pathway, so to speak. Lots of voices out there spitting out information, but nobody really seems to know for sure where this is going, or what to do about it.
Music piracy has been the topic of much discussion in the past number of years. It’s been somewhat of an issue ever since we had the ability to record our vinyl records onto blank cassettes (remember those?), but it’s really come to the forefront with the advent of digital music. It’s just so easy now to make and share mp3 files, and people do it without even thinking about it. Even “nice” people who aren’t trying to be pirates. Someone once estimated that for every legal music download that occurs, there are at least six illegal downloads–and many think that is a conservative estimate.
In my experience, I’ve not known many professional musicians who actually like the business side of music. They’d rather just write, play and perform, and not worry about dollars and cents, contractual agreements, or anything else having to do with the music biz. They’d rather someone else take care of these details. But ignorance is not bliss; ignorance is ignorance. And ignorance will cost you dearly in the long term. If you want to play for anyone else besides the walls of your garage, you need to educate yourself about the music business, if for no other reason than your own protection.
The business side of music is difficult for most musical and artistic types, because rejection is just part of the game. One thing that makes us good artists is that we have a sensitive side, one that cringes at the thought of getting rejected. And yet, whether you’re putting your stuff out there to agents, or venues, or record companies, or the press, or blogs, it’s a numbers game, and your band is going to be passed on by some people. No one’s immune. Decca Records even passed on The Beatles, saying that “the Beatles have no future in show business.” (Stupid Decca Records–but still.)
One of the cold, hard facts about the music biz is that no matter how good a musical artist you are, having a successful public career is not just about your music, but also about your public image–your brand. In other words–how you are perceived by the public.
I’m not talking about getting all phobic about what people think of you (most of us do that pretty naturally on our own, thankyouverymuch). What I mean is that a public performer has a public image, a persona associated with his/her music. That, in essence, is part of your brand as an artist–and getting your music “out there” also involves getting your brand “out there.” So let’s talk about some basics to get an understanding of image and branding.
I don’t know about you, but in my background, the term “self-promotion” was kind of like a four-letter word. Except with 13 letters. And a hyphen.
Really, promotion wasn’t a bad thing. It was the “self” in front of it that made it a four-letter word. It just seems distasteful to blow one’s own horn. Better to have someone else do it for you…right?
But here’s the thing. In the indie music business, especially starting out in it, nobody knows who you are–and hiring someone to promote you is usually out of the question. So if you don’t tell people who you are–who else will?
Donald Passman is one of the most prominent music/entertainment lawyers in the business, and is the author of All You Need to Know About the Music Business. In this video clip from Artistshouse Music, Passman discusses the changes in the music industry and where he thinks it is going in the next few years. Bear in mind as you watch this–the video was shot four years ago. It’s interesting to note how much of what he predicted is already happening.
