From: "Bob Lefsetz" <bob@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: May 17, 2008 6:49:12 PM EDT
To: randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Doing Business
One of the reasons the major labels missed the Net revolution is
those who ran them were not computer-savvy. When they finally got
e-mail, they had their assistants print it out, and type
responses. is it any wonder they couldn't understand the merits
of file-trading? They never used it!
I still maintain that's the problem... If label heads, and
artists even, experienced the joy of discovery, the ability to
have the world of music at your fingertips for the sampling, not
only the studio releases but the rarities, P2P would be
legitimized, its power would be harnessed. Hell, that's what
turned me around. I was a Napster hater until rare tracks started
flowing down the pipe to my sister's Windows computer in the
summer of 2000.
But my point is not about P2P. It's got do with artistry. You
see it's no longer enough.
Years ago, you could get away with just being the artist. You'd
surround yourself with handlers and they'd get the day to day, er,
shitwork, done. This was an extremely labor intensive system, but
it worked because very few artists got this treatment, and those
that did were throwing off huge sums of cash, to pay for it.
Those huge sums are gone. Except for a handful of superstar
acts. And there's not enough manpower to service each and every
act down the food chain. In other words, you've got to be your
own manager, your own publicity agent, sometimes even your own
booking agent!
I know, I know, you don't want to do this. You just want free
time to sit around and write, to smoke pot, to watch DVDs... But
that's not how our world is constructed anymore. Along with the
burden of needing two incomes to support a family, a lot of the
lifting in life, some of it quite heavy, has been put on the
shoulders of the individual. We do our own banking, whether it be
at the ATM or online. We chart our stocks. And we like some of
the modern conveniences. I've had bank clerks make mistakes, but
never ATMs.
In other words, being a musician is not enough. Thumbing through
ancient "Rolling Stone" magazines, you might yearn for that
lifestyle, but it's gone. A new act can't get the kind of
traction needed to sustain those numbers. And the new paradigm
is coming down off your perch and interacting with fans.
So, you've got to be able to type. I'd say to put this in front
of guitar lessons (assuming you already know how to play!) If you
can't type, quickly, without mistakes, you're going to be left out
of the Web world, and everything is driven by the Web now. Sure,
radio delivers its own hits, but those acts are usually flashes in
the pan anyway.
2. You must familiarize yourself with music sites and blogs. If
you don't know what Pitchfork and the Hype Machine are, chances
are you're not going to make it. Furthermore, you've got to know
what's hot. That iMeem is streaming more music than not only
Yahoo, but MySpace (http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/05/imeem-unseats-y.html
). Stop concentrating on acting cool and start tracking cool.
3. You must have a Web presence. A front door to your music, your
career. It must be more about information than flashy graphics.
It must run fast and feature an extensive bio, that is not cookie-
cutter, but unique, written by you, and a plethora of photos, not
only studio shots, but candids, to humanize you. At least stream
your entire new album. And give away at least one MP3. Your
music is your calling card. If you can't give your card away, how
is someone going to remember you, how are they going to spread the
word? And, if you're really lucky, the word will be spread via
the P2P mentioned above. Or via instant messenger. You do know
you can speedily transfer files via IM, right? And you must post
new content, preferably the story of your career, your struggles
and heartbreaks, to your site every day. At least three times a
week at least. So people will keep coming back, so they can bond
with you. If you're not willing to answer all your e-mail,
quickly, put up a forum/message board. Or, do both. As for
creating this site? Speak to your friends. If you don't have
someone knowledgeable who will do this for free, then you don't
have any friends. People want to give, to be involved!
4. No one will come to see you live if they don't know who you
are. Create a frenzy online then give a concert. Use
Eventful.com to book shows. Go where the demand is, don't think
just because you set up your gear people are interested. Maybe
you're in New York, but your fan base is in Wisconsin. You can
track not only the location of the demand via Eventful, but you
can use Google's stats to find out about who's coming to your
site, and just this week YouTube announced they're delivering a
ton of info to video posters. Use this data! It's the new
SoundScan. Cliff Burnstein is the master of SoundScan, this
almost math Ph.D. uses this information to plot and steer
careers. Utilize this new information to your benefit. You don't
have to be a math major yourself, this information is not that
complicated to understand, but you must dig in!
5. You're the retailer. And the wholesaler. And the
manufacturer. You've got to sell stuff on your site. It's about
satiating the core more than scouring for new fans. They want to
download your music for free and buy a CD and/or vinyl record.
They want t-shirts. They want autographed photos. All of this is
easily provided. Maybe your spouse or girlfriend or boyfriend has
to do the heavy lifting, but they love you, right? It's a way for
you to get closer! That's the focus, on the core team, not
looking for some heavyweight to rescue you. How can they, they
just started reading their own e-mail, they can't type at all,
they're not net-savvy, they're going to save you? Save yourself!
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In recent times we have seen established artists giving away their
music for free, new artists vieing for profile with myspace and other
community web sites, simply trying to get noticed. There is nothing
wrong with any of these strategies except that at some point one
has to put "food in mouth" hopefully from the product of their music.
Established artists will look for their money from touring and
merchandise and the developing artist will probably continue to
write and perform while working a day job until they get a
breakthrough.
An Australian artist Clint Crighton and guitarist/producer Dale
Allison believe there is a different way.
Clint has been writing and playing since he was 14 and has in fact
never held down any other job except for playing and recording
music. Call him a gypsy, call him a dreamer but at the same time
you must add the tag successful. He has never opted out of the
music industry he chooses to be part of. Clint has toured
throughout the USA and China and performed countless dates in
Australia, mostly throughout NSW, radiating from his home town of
Tumut.
This experience over the years has had the 23 year old courted by
management and record companies however their procrastinating has
got to him. Clint has decided to take his destiny to those that
really count, those that believe in the music the most...the
Audience... the Fan.
Crighton and Allison are creating the ultimate artist/fan
relationship. They are asking people to give Clint the opportunity
to make his own record and this is how it works.
Limited to 1000 individuals who want to be involved, Talking Moon
Music (Crighton and Allison's new label) are asking them to
purchase a membership for AU$100. This is the deal.
1. Members will have the 1/1000 chance to be randomly selected for
an all expenses paid 10 day journey to LA to witness part of the
recording process as well as see the sites of LA including Hollywood,
Santa Monica Beach, Sunset Strip and Universal Studio's.
2. Members will be a part of the creation of an independent record
which will be marketed to the world (names will be printed ON the
CD artwork).
3. Members will receive lifetime entry into all solo/headline
performances by Clint Crighton.
4. Members will receive a signed CD prior to its official release.
5. Once 100 000 copies of this album are sold worldwide, members
will get their money back.
Launched last week to his own database Clint Crighton is already
proving that the innovative idea is paying off. One individual from
Prague has purchased memberships for all 5 member of the family.
Call it a loan, call it a blind leap of faith but maybe you should
be calling it the future of the music industry. Regardless of what
tag you want to pin to their strategy most will agree it is the
most organic approach to the music industry to date and possibly
the one with the most potential.
What is on offer can be viewed at the label website - Talking Moon
Music www.talkingmoonmusic.com
Clint Crighton is not signed to any recording company but has a
management deal in the US with Fitzgerald Hartley Co.
For further information please contact
Anita Heilig - Fitzgerald Hartley Company +1 (805) 641 6441
Dale Allison - Talking Moon Music +61 (0) 409 313 837 or
talkingmoonmusic@xxxxxxxxx
Let me know if this approach is entirely new as far as you know
Cheers from down here