Your Band's Best Friend

I’m frequently asked by artists if I think they should give their music away for free, and my answer is always the same: it’s up to you.

Now, I know that’s not that helpful of a response, so let me elaborate.

The free vs. paid topic is a pretty confusing one.  It’s hard to blame anyone who’s confused about the ‘right’ way to go, especially given all of the opposing viewpoints in the blog-o-sphere on the idea.  Here are two examples:

Giving Your Music Away for Free – Why it Works

Call to Indie Artists: Stop Giving Your Music Away for Free

The first is clearly pro-free music, the second clearly against.  Both seem to be from reputable sources.  So what’s the answer?  In short, what should you do?

Historically, musicians have looked to people ‘above’ them in a business sense to develop strategy and make the big decisions.  If you didn’t have a manager or a label to make those decisions, well, you actively worked towards getting one.

Today, however, more and more artists are flying solo for longer (or forever).  It’s important to note that if you’re DIY, either by choice or by default, you’re going to have to fill ALL of the voids of those industry roles: money, network, and yes, strategy.

So how do you decide?

First, research, and lots of it.  Educate yourself by talking with other bands, reading blogs, talking with industry, etc, to see what’s worked and what hasn’t on BOTH sides of the equation,  Remember, too, that the success of either approach can depend on many things, including geographic location, genre of music, and target audience.

Second, realize that either option will come with challenges.  If you give your music away for free, you’re probably banking on revenue from live shows, merch, publishing, placements, etc.  This means you’ve got to work harder and deliver more value in these areas, without revenue from recordings.  If you decide to charge for your music, realize that you’re going to be competing against those who don’t, as well as those who feel they shouldn’t have to pay.

Third, realize that with either choice, you’ll have detractors, so you’ll have to stick to your guns and defend your decision.  If you’re not comfortable doing that, then you may not be that confident in your choice.  Develop a strategy that you believe in, and don’t let anyone else tell you it’s wrong. Remember, it’s the wild west, and it’s YOUR career.

Lastly, decide what matters to you.  If you never made a dime from your music, would you be happy?  BOTH answers are OK, and saying no doesn’t make you less of a musician or an artist at all.

Having to make your own decision on this topic can be scary, but it can also be empowering.  Develop a strategy, be steadfast (but not stubborn), be creative, and make your career what you want it to be.

Regardless of your affiliation with a manager, label, publisher or agent, there are inevitably areas of your career that you look after yourself. The most important part, of course, is the creative side, which means that you are, in the simplest of terms, in charge of creating your product/service.

Like it or not, that makes you an entrepreneur. Sure, you may have other people taking care of some business stuff, and yes, that can cross over into the creative space. But essentially, you’re the CEO of your own company, namely your band or your solo career.

Don’t believe me? Think of it this way: you wouldn’t have signed with that label/manager, or taken that last gig, or hired that producer, or went with that manufacturer, etc., if you didn’t think that they could help you reach your career goals. So, you essentially made a hiring decision, a vital role for anyone who runs their own business.

So what does this mean? Well, if you’re the CEO of you, you need to act like it. Entrepreneurs are savvy, resourceful, imaginative, frugal, and selective. Are you? Do you know what it really means to be those things? If not, do some research and figure out how to get better in the areas that you’re lacking.

Lastly – and I cannot stress this enough – the most important trait of all for any entrepreneur to have is patience. Yes, swift decisions and actions are important, but you need to realize that building a company (and yes, you are) takes time, consistency, and the determination to stick it out. Careers are built, not created, and they’re done so over significant lengths of time. Know what you want, figure out how to get it, and go for it.

Just be sure you’re prepared to be in it for the long haul that awaits you.

It’s one of the most vital roles in a musicians’ team: the manager.  If you’ve got a great one, it can help immensely.  If you have an awful one, it can hurt you.  And if you don’t have one at all, you probably LONG for the day when you can have someone help you.

I read/hear the following question all the time: “When should I get a manager?” The most common answer I see given is that you should do everything yourself for as long as you can, and then bring on someone to relieve you of those duties. Heck, I’ve even said this myself in the past, and I totally get the financial reasons behind this. After further thought, though, I consider this to be only PARTLY true, for two main reasons.

First off, it implies that the only benefit to having a manager is time relief.  Or, to put it another way, that the only resource that a manager can provide is time.  That’s false.  Remember, you’re hiring a manager, not an assistant. Managers bring all sorts of things to the table, such as connections & industry knowledge.  More importantly, though, a good manager can (or should) bring the skills that your band members (or you) don’t have, such as the ability to sell, a keen eye for opportunities, and prioritization. If you try and do those things on your own, you might be OK at them, but it’s much more likely that a good manager will be able to take you further because they excel at these so-called ‘soft skills.’

As an example, let’s say you wanted to build a house.  You COULD do a bit of research, and then start laying a foundation, building walls, installing plumbing, etc., and then when you couldn’t figure out what to do next or got too busy, bring in an expert.  But what if you’ve done things totally wrong, and actually caused more damage than good? What if you have to start over again? The point is that, sure, there may be SOME things that you can do yourself, but if you suck at plumbing and you have to hire someone to re-do it, where’s the advantage?

Secondly, it also suggests that finding a manager is a linear path.  It’s not. You can’t work and work and work until you decide that you need a manager, and then go to the ‘manager store’ and pick one up.  Management should (and usually does) happen organically, and the truth is that most artists are found by management, not the other way around.  The key is to be prepared for when that DOES happen, so you have a clear idea of what your manager can do for you, as well as what to expect from him/her.

I talk a lot about DIY and how important I think it is, but it’s important to keep everything in balance.  Sure, you can do a LOT of things on your own if you do tonnes of research, and I think you should.  But if someone comes along and it makes sense to bring them on to your team, don’t discount it because you want to be an island or because you think you’re not ready.  EVERY situation is different. Again, the key is to be prepared and know what you want and need.

The DIY mentality isn’t only about doing everything yourself. It’s about being educated enough to make the right decisions about you and your team.  So when it comes to adding a manager, yes, it should be about capacity.  But, it should also be about filling in the skill gaps that you and your band mates simply don’t have.

After all… don’t you want to build the best house possible?

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What do you think? Should you add a manager early? Late? Never? Would love to hear from artists and managers alike!

The phrase “running your band like a business,” no matter how true, is probably the least appealing phrase in history to most musicians.  Isn’t being in a band supposed to get you OUT of doing business-like work? Isn’t that kind of the point?

These days, there are amazing opportunities for artists who want to be in 100% control of their career.  Barriers are broken down, DIY is now a strategy as opposed to a default, and there are incredible tools out there to help you manage everything.  But some artists hate the business part of the industry, and just want to focus on making music.

If that’s you, you’re also in a good spot: the industry hasn’t fully collapsed like some thought it would, but rather, it’s become smaller and more personable.  “Help,” in the form of labels, managers, and agents, is much more accessible.

Of course, “accessible” doesn’t mean it’s easier.  With revenues dwindling, those ‘helpers’ are much, much less likely to take any risks on a band/artist that they like.  Which means that if you want to get someone on your team, you have to do one very, very vital thing: prove that you can make them money.

Being an amazing artist is only part what those folks look for.  They also want to see that you have a track record of selling CDs/downloads/merch, filling rooms, and getting placements on your own.  And by track record, they mean hard, hard numbers.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you’re talking to a booking agent who you’re hoping to get on your side.  One of the first things they’ll ask you about, of course, is your draw.

Saying “At our last show, we sold out a 100 capacity venue at 8 bucks a head” is good.

Saying “We played venue X and had a great turnout” is bad.

The difference, of course, is that the first one is specific, and when it comes to them investing their hard earned time and money, specifics about your revenue is vital.

Think of it this way: if you ran a restaurant and you were looking for investors to help you open a second location, they’d probably want to know how much you made on a regular Saturday night.  Saying “We usually sell a LOT of steak, so you should give us $50,ooo” won’t cut it.  Saying “We average $12,000 in sales a week” is much more likely to get investors on board.

I know, I know… it’s dollars and cents talk, and that takes the glamor out of making music.  But if you take the time to track your sales, attendance, etc (note – spreadsheets are your friend), you’ll be in a much better position to get someone to take all that off your hands for a percentage down the road.

This post originally appeared on “It all starts with a song,” the Songwriters Association of Canada industry blog

Most songwriters that you meet are extremely passionate about their craft.  So passionate, in fact, that it can sometimes lead to working entirely in a bubble, so as to ensure that nothing “gets in the way” of their art. The irony, of course, is that sometimes that bubble is the exact thing that DOES get in the way of their creative development.

Musicians frequently ask me about how to get better as a songwriter, and one of the first things I suggest is co-writing.  This can be a scary thing to some, primarily because it’s not always clear what co-writing entails.

Essentially, co-writing is getting together with another songwriter to write songs.  Sometimes, these sessions have a specific purpose, like writing a song for an album, contest, or TV placement.  There are professional songwriters (a plethora of them living in LA & Nashville) whose job it is to simply crank out music for a wide array of reasons like those just mentioned. 

However, co-writing for a specific purpose is just one part of the equation.  Sure, if you need help fine-tuning that last track of your record, bringing in a co-writer makes sense. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t set up regular co-writing sessions ‘just because.’ It’s often these sessions that lead to the most creative development, and sometimes, a great song just happens (who hasn’t heard THAT story told from a stage?).

So what do these sessions look like? Well, it can be anything you want them to be, but my biggest bit of advice would be to keep it casual. Make your sessions more about spending time with others doing what you love to do, rather than about cranking out hits or whatnot, and good things will happen.

Of course, one of the not so fun, but essential, conversations that has to take place before you co-write is discussing song-splits.  If, by chance, you do write a song that sees commercial success, how will you split up the credit/royalties? 50/50? 75/25, depending on who played the first riff? Another way? Clear this up on paper before you start, so you’ll be able to relax and let the creative juices flow.

Lastly, don’t forget about the promotional benefits of co-writing.  If you do write a song that you deem to be performance or recording worthy, you’ll be able to cross-promote with your partner at shows, on your CD, via social networking sites, etc.

Co-writing is an essential part of creative growth.  Get out there, meet other songwriters, and write! You’ll be contributing to the community, growing as an artist, and who knows? Maybe you’ll even meet your Garfunkel, Oates, or McCartney.

Some of the most memorable bands or solo acts I’ve seen over the years have had a few things in common. Of course, they’ve all had great songs and been great singers/players, but aside from that, what’s made them stand out all boils down to a really, really ugly word.

Photo by Aaron Tang

For many musicians, the word ‘branding’ is the most profane word they can thing of. It conjures up images of the stamping of a Pepsi logo onto a t-shirt, or putting your face on a bottle of salad dressing. In short, selling out. But it’s really not such a nasty thing, and there are other ways to think about it. Let me explain what branding can mean to you, and how it can help…

To me, branding just means having an identity.

Case in point: I recently saw a dramatic, theatrical indie pop artist named Allie Hughes play at a music festival. She was unique, fun, eccentric, and had an amazing voice. What really stood out to me, though, was just how authentic she was, and that all comes from being confident enough to develop an identity and stick to it. I’ve since checked out her online presence, and everything I’ve seen and heard delivers the same message to me as the fan. If she hadn’t have put so much effort into being consistent in her message, she may have just been another talented musician going through the motions, rather than blowing people’s socks off.

That’s really all it boils down to: delivering a consistent message about who you are and what you do. No more, no less. How does this help?

Allie Hughes

Well, when people see or hear your band, they’re going to talk about you, especially if they love what you do. Giving them a clear message to pass along to their friends can help grow your fanbase much more quickly and effectively. If I see an artist and they’re great, all I can tell people is that they were great. But if that same band has a unique identity, that’s something I can pass along to others, and there’s a much greater chance of getting that other person interested.

Just having a consistent message and a ‘brand’ aren’t going to make you popular. The most important part of the equation is that people LIKE that message. But you have to make sure to have an identity and stick to it with everything you do, so that people can relate to you. Your tweets, your images, your stage presence, etc. all have to make sense and go along with who you are as an artist.

A final point: as an indie artist, you’re in the unique position of being 100% in control over what that message and identity is. Want to be a metal band who loves kittens? Do it. Want to be known as a bitch? Be a bitch. The message is entirely up to you.

No question, the music is first and foremost. If you’ve got the music, though, what a shame it would be to have it get lost in the crowd.

So show your ID.

Artists who are looking to grow their career are typically looking for one main thing: exposure.

When opportunities come along for artists, it’s almost guaranteed that the amount of exposure it provides will come into play when deciding whether or not to say yes.  In fact, a lot of people offering an opportunity, whether it be for song placements, shows, collaborations, etc, will cite exposure as a selling point. “We can’t pay you, but it’s great exposure.”

Exposure is great, no question.  The more people that hear your music, the most fans you’ll gain (as long as you’re amazing).  Some industry folk, however, say that you should never play purely for exposure alone.  Artists should only say yes to opportunities if they’re being paid directly, whether it be for playing live or for providing their music in TV/Film.

I do tend to agree for the MOST part. However, there’s a third element that comes into play when deciding on whether or not to say yes to an opportunity.  That third thing?

Your bio.

Let’s say you were asked to provide your music to a TV show for free.  Let’s say, too, that the show wasn’t watched by that many people.  Seems like an obvious thing to turn down, right? No pay & very little exposure would seem to be an obvious ‘no.’

But if you’re a brand new band, your bio could probably use some padding. I would argue that one placement leads to another, and another placement leads to another, and so on.  If you have a list of previous placements, you’ve proven that you’re ‘placeable.’  So while you’re not directly getting paid up front, you’ll be able to charge more for future placements.

Another example. Let’s say you were asked to play a show for free, in a dive bar where nobody ever goes to and has a capacity of 30. Zero pay, zero exposure.  You’d probably say no.  But what if you were opening for Radiohead? I hope you’d say yes, since the dividends of adding ‘opened for Radiohead’ to your bio should be obvious.

This scenario is make-believe (and very implausible), but it hopefully illustrates the importance of considering all three elements – pay, exposure, and your bio – when facing a decision. Whether or not adding that opportunity to your bands’ bio will pay dividends in the future is a vital area that shouldn’t be overlooked.

The ideal opportunities offer all three, no doubt.  Those, you should jump on.  But when one of them isn’t present, consider if the others can make up for it. That’s a situation-by-situation basis, and there’s no hard and fast rule.

A final thought: decide wisely, decide what you’re comfortable with, and never sell yourself short.  Make sure you get something out of everything that you do.

What that ‘something’ is, is entirely up to you.

Control.

It’s not an easy thing.  Everyone wants it in one way or another, and it can do strange things to people. Sometimes, though, it can be difficult to know how much to seek, and when.

Take, for example, the relationship between artist and the other players in the recording process.  If we look at it from an “assembly line” point of view, the musicians come into the studio, play their parts, and leave.  The mix engineer is responsible for capturing those sounds properly and mixing them.  Then, he/she hands it off to the producer, who plays with the sounds captured and potentially adds new ones.  Once that’s done, it’s handed off to the mastering engineer, and the final product is ready for press.

Photo by Pleasence (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kingy/)

Of course, this is far from a real world scenario.  Along the way, the artists want to give input into how the record is mixed, produced, and even mastered.  As a guitar/bass/keyboard/percussion player, your expertise may lie primarily in playing your instrument, but as a musician or member of a band, musicianship extends to artistic expression on a larger scale.

This can lead to disagreements, and when it comes time to figuring out who has the ‘final say,’ it’s a matter of role definition and – you guessed it – control.

So how do you tackle this?

It’s important to remember that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.  Identifying your strengths is often much easier, but it’s the latter that is often more important.  The main role of a producer is to take the songs he or she is presented with, work out an overall ‘vision’ for the album, and make the two meet.  That’s a difficult task that not everyone can achieve, and even MORE difficult to define.

However, if you recognize someone who has experience or expertise in this specific, it’s vital that you allow them creative space to work.  This doesn’t mean allowing them ‘free reign,’ but it does mean that they’re the experts who’s ‘say’ should hold more weight.

That may sound scary, but in reality, it all comes down to trust.  If you chose a producer whose work you respect and trust, you should feel comfortable letting them take the lead.  If you don’t, you might want to re-evaluate your choice.

This applies to other aspects of your career, too.  In general, you should be the leader of your career at all times.  Just make sure that you leave room for others to be in control from time to time, in the areas where THEY shine, and you’ll find that everyone will benefit.