Music Marketing [dot] com

The Strangest Secret

The videos below are of Earl Nightingale, the man who started the "motivational" record business.

The company he founded, Nightingale-Conant, has been a leader in "box sets" and high dollar recorded material.  They're also leading the way with online distribution of material as well as different income models, such as a monthly membership for VIP customers.  Worth taking a look at... 

Interesting to look at the videos and see how far the industry has come.  He also has a good message, which you'll find helpful, I think.

You know you are too old to play gigs when...

From my email inbox...

1. It becomes more important to find a place on stage for your fan than your amp.
2. Your gig clothes make you look like George Burns out for a round of golf or Dolly Parton with no bosom.
3. All your fans leave by 9:30 p.m.
4. All you want from groupies is a foot massage and back rub.
5. You love taking the elevator because you can sing along with most of your set-list.
6. Instead of a fifth member, your band wants to spring for a roadie.
7. You lost the directions to the gig.
8. You need your glasses to see the amp settings.
9. You've thrown out your back jumping off the stage.
10. You feel like hell before the gig even starts.
11. The waitress is your daughter!
12. You stop the set because your ibuprofen fell behind the speakers.
13. Most of your crowd just sways in their seats.
14. You find your drink tokens from last month's gig in your guitar case.
15. You refuse to play without earplugs.
16. You ask the club owner if you can start at 8:30 instead of 9:30.
17. You check the TV schedule before booking a gig.
18. Your gig stool has a back.
19. You're related to at least one member in the band.
20. You don't let anyone sit in.
21. You need a nap before the gig.
22. After the third set, you bug the club owner to let you quit early.
23. During the breaks, you now go to the van to lie down.
24. You prefer a music stand with a light.
25. You don't recover until Tuesday afternoon.
26. You hope the host's speech lasts forever
27. You buy amps considering their weight and not their tone or "cool" factor.
28. Feeling guilty looking at hot women at the audience, 'cause they're younger than your daughter.
29. You can remember seven different club names for the same location.
30. You have a hazy memory of the days when you could work 10 gigs in 7 days and could physically do it!
31. Your date couldn't make it because she couldn't find a babysitter for the grandkids.
32. The set list has to be in 20 point type.
33. Your drug of choice is now coffee…
34. It seems impossible to find stage shoes with decent arch support.

Thoughts?

Let's Talk About Your Music...

It should affect people like the music from this guy. Results like this build careers.

Kiss Sells Out...Again!

Kiss is the latest act to do a big deal with Wal-Mart.  "Sonic Boom" will be released exclusively at the store (and Sam's Club) on October 6th. It will include a CD of the band's first new music in 11 years, re-recorded versions of famous Kiss hits, and a live DVD.

Other acts which have released albums through Wal-Mart include the Eagles, AC/DC, and Foreigner.

Thoughts?

Tough Times for the Porn Industry

When it comes to online marketing and content distribution, the porn industry leads the way.  However, according to this article in the LA Times, the growth of free and low-cost porn online has really hurt things.

Same for the music industry...or so people say.

But "free" and easy to access content isn't going anywhere.  So what are you going to do?

The problem isn't free, but your ability to work around it.  There are plenty of companies, like Google, which give a lot of things away for free, yet are still able to make a ton of money.

Anybody interested in how to do this should absolutely check out Free: The Future of a Radical Price for some great information on how companies are not only surviving the "free" situation, but actually growing both customers and revenues by using it themselves.

Behind the Scenes of a Big Ass Tour

If you were ever wondering what it takes to put on a huge show...

The Future of Vinyl Records

Where vinyl records are now and where they're going...

The History of Vinyl Records

Ok, not exactly, but this is the history of a vinyl plant called United Record Pressing, which is in Nashville.  If you're ever in town, I highly suggest dropping by for a tour!

One Man Band

Another unique street performer...

Cover Songs, Customer Service, and Your Music Business

I'm a Mac guy and have a few programs by Yellow Mug Software.  Just got a new Mac and wanted to use my old keyboard, so recently got one of their programs, Sizzling Keys, to add more functionality to it.

The exact key I wanted wasn't an option in Sizzling Keys, so I emailed a request that it be added.

Just got the new version...and it was.

That's good customer service...and something you can model when you do a live show.

Whether you're in a cover band or not, people are always asking you to play other people's songs.  That's how it works.

The funny thing is, almost 80-90% of these requests are for one of ten songs.  It's the Pareto principle at its finest.

My suggestion for handling them...

1. Tell the guy asking for the song, "You know, we don't normally play cover songs, but I'll check with the guys and see what we can do..."

2. Play it...immediately.

He's impressed, feels like you listened to him, and you have a fan, who is more emotionally involved with you than he was previously.  He feels like you care.  Plus, your band looks great, since you made things look so easy.

Questions for you:

How do you handle cover song requests?

What are the songs you are always asked to play?

Answer below...