Music Marketing [dot] com

It Takes A Lot of Balls...

It takes a lot of balls to say you've written the best music business book of the year -- especially when it's only January.

But that's what I've done.

Tomorrow, you'll be able to get a copy free.

I've been working on this project for the last two years. It started when I was in NYC, stranded in LaGuardia Airport during a blizzard.

I was in American Airlines' Admirals Club. And I wasn't going to get out of there for a while.

"Maybe I should write a quick manifesto," I thought.

So I started to do just that.

But by the time I had outlined what I wanted to say, it was obvious that the project was going to be a lot longer than a "quick manifesto."

I ended up writing about 100,000 words. The final, edited version is a little over 70,000. 

All meat. No filler.

It's a different kind of music business book. It's not about "performance royalties" or other, mechanics of the traditional music business. It's not about how to negotiate a contract with a record label. It's not about the latest, flash-in-the pan social media site.

That stuff is great, but it doesn't apply to most indies.

This book is about one thing -- how to make money as an independent musician.

This book is a marketing manual that shows you how to get people to do the things that matter -- sign up for your mailing list, come to your live gigs, buy your music, tell their friends about you, and spend their money on what you're selling.

This book isn't about feeding your ego; it's about doing things that will let you feed your family.

If you read it, and you do what it says, you will make money.

Coming tomorrow...

$100,000 Musician - The Audio Book

2/13/13 UPDATE: This book is now available via Audible.

It takes a long time to read 70,000 words out loud. For a guy like me, it takes a really long time.

Fortunately for you, I hired a professional who knows what he's doing to record the audiobook version of Six-Figure Musician and he cranked it out.

He sounds something like this...

This version of the book is currently going through a flightcheck. Once that's done, I'll show you how you'll be able to get a copy -- free of charge.

For now, I hope you'll enjoy the print or ebook version of the book, which officially releases on Friday. Like the audio version, you'll also be able to download the ebook free of charge.

This book is good. It has marketing strategies you'll be able to put to use as soon as you get it -- before you're even done reading it all. You'll be able to start making more money with your music this weekend.

Repent Now, Sinners!

Was at a show, minding my own business, when I was handed one of these...

If you're on this list, relax, because according to the back of the card, THERE MAY BE HOPE FOR YOU. I know nothing about that though...

What I do know about is MARKETING, which is why I'm posting the above flyer here.

And also this photo...

This was from the same show, outside the venue. 

For those who don't know, I'm in Nashville -- the heart of the Bible Belt. I grew up here and have seen "protests" like this for as long as I can remember.

I once went to see KISS in 1987, when I was 15. I asked a guy outside the venue, holding a similar sign, what his problem with them was. He told me he didn't know who KISS was, he just knew there was an event there that evening.

Do you know what "sin" means? It's simply missing the mark.

Sadly, missing the mark is what most musicians do when marketing their music -- they make assumptions about things, but actually have no idea about the people they're marketing to.

This happens on a number of levels. I can't tell you how many musicians I've talked to over the years, when I ask them who their audience is, say something like, "Everybody from high school kids to grandmothers."

Or even worse, "Anybody who likes good music."

WRONG!

You must know who you are targeting to be successful and you need to be as specific about this as possible.

 "Anybody who likes good music." doesn't cut it. Neither does "everybody."

Sure, casting a broad net like that may catch a few people and getting out and doing the equivalent of pounding the pavement like the situation above will make you feel like you're working, but that is playing a game that is strictly about numbers.

Numbers are a factor when it comes to marketing, but true marketing is a game of skill.

You don't go fishing in a pond that has no fish.

And you don't catch fish by throwing your food in the water -- you catch fish by throwing their food in the water.

Here's the bottom line if you want to get better at marketing your music (or anything):

1. Get very clear on the type of people who will most likely enjoy what you do.

It's ok to ignore some groups of people in your marketing. You don't have time to market your music to everybody.

2. Once you have a general fanbase, you need to listen to them.

Even though you're on stage, you're writing the songs, and you're recording music, this business is not a one-way street. It's you and the people who consume your music. So listen to them!

And when you do talk, do it on their level. Speak in their language. When a person hears one of your songs, he should say, "This song is about me! I could have written that."

Finally...

3. If what you're doing is not working, try something different.

The protestors pictured above, in many instances, get treated in the worst possible way. They have people harass them, get into arguments, and call them names. At best, they are ignored. 

How is that helping them to spread their beliefs?

It's not.

If something isn't working, sometimes the problem is you and your approach. It isn't that you aren't hitting hard enough; it's that you're not hitting the right thing.

How do you find out for sure? Listen to your audience!

If you are not having success with your marketing, THERE MAY BE HOPE FOR YOU. It starts with doing the three things above.

Best wishes!

12 CDs in 12 Months - How I Did It

The Idea

On January 1, 2012 I set out to record and release 12 CDs in only 12 months. Not just digital albums to download, but real hard copy store ready physical CDs.

Each CD had to have 12 tracks, 10 of them brand new, written by me or other writers. Up to two track could be remixed, rerecorded, updated…whatever. I thought doing 10 songs of new material was fine and I could take some of my old stuff from CDs not selling anymore and breathe new life into it (correct mistakes, like singing out of tune, etc.)

I did have some success in the past recording fast. I wrote, recorded and released a CD called “Rock and Roll Railroad” is seven days while on the road in 2010. I actually did some of the tracks during rush hour in Chicago in my car!

Why?

Some people do marathons, triathlons, climb mountains, etc. I will never do that, BUT, this was something I thought I could do…a defining feat…my legacy?

How I Did it

I have been recording for years on my old Acer desktop running Sonar Producer, but I wanted to make this project go faster, be mobile, and not have to battle the computer and beg it to work every other day. I decided to go Apple. Problem, I have very little money!

So, first I entered a vocal posting contest and won an iPad 2 (I posted my butt off!). Next, I picked up an old MacBook (not Pro) from CraigsList and fixed it up. I got GarageBand working on both and added my OLD Samson USB mic. Aside from my guitars and drums and stuff, that was all I used to do EVERYTHING!

The Process

First I asked my mailing list what the topics of each CD should be. I used a poll widget to do it.

I like making CDs with themes. I think it’s easier to market and sell something that is a specific niche. Also, by asking my fans what they wanted, I knew I could sell to them because I used their ideas, right?

The process was really simple -- pick a topic, find or write 10-12 songs on that topic. Boom. Done.

The Studio

Ahhh, the studio. My studio is called “Starbase 23.” It has been for over a decade.

The studio isn't real though. The studio is wherever I am recording at the moment. Many of these CDs were recorded in my bedroom, living room, and kitchen. I also recorded in my car (GREAT VOCAL BOOTH!), in restaurants, schools, motel rooms…everywhere.

Many songs start out on the iPad. I make basic tracks and even do vocals on it. Then I transfer everything to the Mac, but not always. Some songs went right from the iPad to the CD. Really, like “Flying Bounce House” from MOVING DAY and “Counting Sheep” from ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT.

Location, Location, Location

At some point I thought it would be cool to record songs and whole CDs on location. Like doing an animal CD at the zoo, etc.

I did manage to do one CD like this called ALL ABOARD THE ROCK AND ROLL TRAIN. I spent two weeks at the National Railroad Museum and got a ton of exposure and press. This is when I started using other musicians to add to the sound and vibe.

The project went well, but there was no way I was going to do that again with my limited time allotment. Each CD should have been recorded in two weeks or less, artwork in a week and released by week four. If I had stuck to that schedule everything would have been fine.

The Gear

Besides the iPad, USB mic, and MacBook I used whatever guitars and basses I had on hand. Most of the keyboards were played on the iPad keyboard…really! My son and daughter played Roland V Drums and my son added a few tracks he recorded on his iPod, really great stuff.

For all the album artwork, I used iDraw on my iPad. I carry it around with me all the time and doddle. I did a lot of the artwork at a roller skating rink while my daughter skated!

I use a company called Kunaki.com to press my CDs and have to use my old desktop PC to upload everything with their WINDOWS-only program.

Staying on Track…NOT!

So I recorded and released the first 5-6 CDs right on schedule, but them summer hit, and I do MOST of my live shows in the summer. Suddenly I had ZERO time to record and finally I just gave up. When I did get back to it I had like three months and six CDs to make!

Many well-meaning friends started to tell me is was OK to fail, be happy for what you did…and stuff like that, but I wanted no part of it. I wanted to finish the project.

I though maybe I should do a simple "guitar and vocal" CD…a quickie to get back on track…BAD IDEA. The CD took just as long to do and it SUCKED. I am no singer-songwriter folkie unplugged kind of guy. I’m a rocker.

I made the CD, released it, and quickly pulled it from distribution. I totally rerecorded it with the band sounds and even different songs. In all actuality, I ended up recording 13 not 12 CDs last year.

No Secrets

One of the most successful parts of the project was the blog and social media. I blogged and made videos every step of the way, I let my fans and followers in on the action and constantly asked for ideas and input. I had an open policy for anyone that sand or played to submit tracks and share everything I did. I posted almost everything I did on Soundclud.com, complete songs, and CDs to create buzz and get people “into it.”

A Little Help from My Friends

I knew I had to get serious so I added a countdown clock to my website, misterbilly.com, and my blog, 12cdsin12months.com. One of my co-writers, Dave Kinnoin, and his son Oliver offered to write up to three songs a week to help out. Other writers, singers and musicians started sending me ideas and even tracks that I could add to my songs.

I was building a global recording co-op and didn’t realize it! Though my constant blogging, FaceBook, and Twitter postings, I made friends with musicians who wanted to be a part of the project from Africa to California, New York to the Netherlands, and beyond.

All through the project I had collaboration, but the last CD I wanted to really make a group effort, a global family affair. So the last CD “A Little Help from My Friends” is all duets and collaborations.

The last song recorded was live video streamed on uStream.com and the audience helped out and chatted with me until it was done, December 29 @ 10 PM.

What I Learned

I wish I had planned better to take advantage of the marketing side of the project. I also wish I have stayed on track. I ended up doing four of the CDs in the last 30 days! I didn’t book any jobs and money was tight, but I did it.

Interestingly, my songwriting, production and especially my vocal skills improved with each CD…crazy huh? The more I did, the more I could do.

Are the CDs perfect? No. But are they good enough for my crowd? I think so. IF I had more time would I have done a better job…mmmm…maybe, maybe not.

The funny thing is that many of these CDs are selling way faster and with more consistency than my other CDs. Three of these have hit the CD Baby Top Sellers list…not the genre list, the MAIN ONE! None of my CDs had ever done that before.

All in all is was a great project, I am very proud of it, but I don’t think I’ll be recording another full CD for a little while!

Mr. Billy (William Charles Grisack III) is a kids and family singer song ROCKER, producer, podcaster, husband, dad, dog owner, music marketing advocate, Star Trek fan and lunatic at large from Wisconsin. Learn more about the 12 CD project at 12cdsin12months.com or visit him at misterbilly.com

Barack Obama at Your Next Gig?

This first sentence of this post, as it mentions Barak Obama, has been "optimized" for your consumption, based on your politcial leanings...

LEFT-WING VERSION: Let's face it, Barack Obama is too busy fixing health care and kicking ass to make your next gig. 

RIGHT-WING VERISION: Let's face it, Barack Hussein Obama is too busy taking expensive vacations and banning guns make your next gig. 

Many people feel very strongly about Barack Obama and, regardless of which side of the debate you and your fans are on, for the right act, this trick will allow you to build rapport with your fans in a very big way.

STEP 1: Invite Barack Obama to your gig or other event. 

Here is the address:

The Honorable Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office Rm. 39
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, DC 20500

STEP 2: Get declined.

He's not going to make it, but you will get a letter that says something like, "Mr. Obama regrets that he is unable to make your event."

STEP 3: The fun begins...

You've now got a great opportunity to mail your fans and otherwise use the letter you got to drum up support for your gigs and albums. How you use it is up to you. Obviously, a guy like Ted Nugent would use it a lot differently than an act like U2, but both have options to do something that would speak to their respective fans.

Canadians can try something similar with this guy:

Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper
Prime Minister
Prime Minister’s Office
Langevin Block 80 Wellington St.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0A2

Not politcial? Scared of pissing people off? Try sending an invitation to these two...

Mickey and Minnie Mouse
 
The Walt Disney Company
 
500 South Buena Vista St 
Burbank, CA 91521

This is perfect for an artist that works with kids.

And here's another polarizing person who writes back...

Pope Benedictus XVI
Prefettura della Casa Pontifica
00210 Citta del Vaticano, Italia

In England? Try this lady...

The Secretary to Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II
Buckingham Palace
London, England SW1A 1AA

Note that if you're going to do this, you need to allow some time to hear back. Invitations to the White House can take up to six months to receive a response. You know, because Obama is busy taking expensive vacations and banning guns. ;)

"We're Like a Speedboat…"

Yesterday, Shannon Houchins, CEO of Average Joes Entertainment, came by the Music Business Radio studios to tape an episode with me.

If you're not aware of this company, you should take a look at them to see what they've got going on. It's a lot -- a record label, a management company, a licensing division, a publishing company, and more.

They've signed everything from established country acts like Montgomery Gentry to more progressive acts in the genre, like Colt Ford and The Lacs.

Shannon told me, "I want the entire company within four walls." 

He said Average Joes is like a speedboat.

What he meant is that he wants to be able to make a decision without having to run it by a totally different entity. Because he's set up the company in this way, he's able to move on things quickly -- and that means he can take advantage of opportunity when it strikes.

Compare that to how most record labels work. It's night and day.

Take a look at this...

Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. It's considered a classic jazz album.

And Teo Macero, one of the most influential producers in history, had to get permission to call it that.

Fortunately, Miles Davis got his wish. But who knows how many things over the last few decades have been screwed up (or buried alive) because they've been caught up in "indecision."

The good news is, because of where technology is, you no longer have to wait for permission to do anything in the music business. You can call your album whatever you please, you can put whatever songs you want on it, and make the cover look the way you want it to.

You can make a decision today and make it happen by tomorrow. For example, you could record your show tonight and have it for sale, worldwide, within hours. 

Fast. Like a speedboat.

There is no money in indecision…especially when the world moves as fast as it does. That's why so much of the "music industry" system is broken. While the outside world has been changing, some people in this business have simply buried their heads in the sand, hoping things would somehow go back to the way they were.

The world doesn't do that though. The world moves forward, never backward.

The solution to this isn't to try to make time stand still. The solution is to act on opportunity as soon as you can. Be fast -- like a speedboat.

Make a decision about the "next right thing" today, based on what you have to work with now, and then do it.

Amazon Auto Rip - Good for the Music Business

A couple of days ago, Amazon announced that, when you purchase a CD from the company, you'll not only get the physical CD, but also digital files of the music in your Amazon cloud player.

Not only that... If you've bought a CD from Amazon in the last 15 years, you'll get digital copies of that too.

This doesn't happen with every CD that Amazon sells, but enough of them that many people in the music business are a bit upset.

Here is a notice about the service that I got in my email box...

Upset? Don't be. This is good for the music business and good for independent artists especially.

Why? It extends the "life" of music.

As a musician (or songwriter), the biggest music business issue you face right now is getting your music heard. Without that happening, your music might as well not exist.

I've seen a few conversations online regarding Amazon Auto Rip and many musicians are asking, "How will I get paid?"

First of all, you got paid the first time. You'll also picking up a "secondary payment" because, thanks to Amazon Auto Rip, your music is once again on the minds of the people who purchased it.

I have 31,572 songs in my Amazon Cloud Player. There are 3473 albums.

This kind of volume makes it easy for things to get lost.

Amazon Cloud Player has caused me to think about music I've bought over the last 15 years and listen to a lot of things I haven't heard since my initial purchases.

That gets me excited about the music again.

That gets me excited about the artists again and wondering what they're doing.

That gets me looking things up... Do these artists have new music out? Are they touring?

The real "insult" of Amazon Auto Rip isn't that artists aren't being paid twice, but that Amazon Auto Rip is doing a better job of getting people excited about music than most of the artists themselves.

My suggestion for artists, publishers, and labels affected by Amazon Auto Rip is to find a way to leverage all the promotion you're getting because of it. If people were willing to buy something from you once, they'll likely be willing to buy something else from you. So sell it to them!

Music Marketing Lessons (from Barack Obama)

Well, I've finally made it. When I picked up my mail yesterday, this was in the box...

That's not important though. The lesson for you is what else was included in the envelope...

This is a catalog filled with "2013 Inaugural Collectables" ranging in price from $15 (lapel pen) to $400 (panoramic photo). In the direct marketing business, it's known as a "ride along."

The concept is something you can use to increase your bottom line as a musician. Here are three ways to do it:

1. With Mailings - Like Obama did with his catalog, it's easy to attach sales material to an already existing mailing. If you're fufilling your own merch by mail or have a physical newsletter, this is easy.
   
   Want to take things to the next level? Get together with similar sounding artists and agree to send a co-op catalog in each of your mailings.
   
    
2. Inside CDs - The inside of CDs is a great place to put extra material, such as a survey to build your mailing list. The booklet inside the case is also a great place to let listeners know about other products you have available.
   
   This suggestion is disturbing for some people, who think of their albums as art and don't want to "mess things up" with a sales message, so I'm going to address that concern...
   
   While I understand your desire to mix art and business, keep in mind that if a person really loves your music, you're doing him a disservice by not letting him know you have more available. Sure, he could get online and look, but that doesn't guarantee anything. Make things easy on your fans!
   
    
3. On Flyers - Most flyers are one-sided. Why not use the other side to encourage people to visit your site for a free music download? Not only will it help you build your mailing list, you'll also get more people to your shows, since they'll be able to experience what they'll get ahead of time.

Best wishes getting the word out and making more money with what you're doing! 

How to Get Rejected in the Music Business

There are some things about the music business, or any creative profession, that are accepted by pros, but scare the hell out of amateurs. In fact, these things are so terrifying that they actually keep people from attaining "amateur" status.

Two examples...

1. Mistakes
2. Criticism

Mistakes are part of the process and any pro musician knows this. For example, you do a gig and you blow it.

How many gigs have you done like that? You either screw up the marketing of it and nobody shows or, even worse, people do show and you fail to give your very best performance.

If you can't think of one, you're not playing enough gigs. It happens...even to the best musicians.

The same thing for criticism. If you're reaching enough people with your music, you're going to be criticised. No matter how good you are, there will be people who won't like what you're doing.

Do you know the top selling (non-compilation) albums of all time?

• Thriller - Michael Jackson
• Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
• The Wall - Pink Floyd
• Back in Black - AC/DC
• Come On Over - Shania Twain

Personally, I love two of them, I can take or leave one, and there are two I don't care if I ever hear again. Nobody loves everything. That's how these things work.

If you're not getting criticized, you're either not reaching enough people or not taking enough chances.

I think it's funny when I'll watch a music video on YouTube and some anonymous guy in the comments section will say something like, "He's been the worst artist of all time" or, even more funny, comments about an artist not even associated with the video. For example, "METALLICA RULEZ!!!!" posted in the comments of a Justin Bieber video. 

Both mistakes and criticism have more bark than bite. One you lived through a few mistakes or been harshly criticised, you find this out. The problem is that fear keeps most people from getting that far, so they never learn that lesson.

If you're interested in overcoming fear of making mistakes or being criticised, you may be interested in the topic know as Rejection Therapy.

There is only one official rule to Rejection Therapy, which is to be rejected by another person at least once, every day.

But it has to "count." This means that you're out of your comfort zone. Also, your request must be denied at the time of rejection. In additon, you must be in a position of vulnerability, which is exactly where you'd be when releasing your art into the world.

Visit here for more information on Rejection Therapy.

The bottom like is, like anything, the more experience you have with being rejected, the better you get at it. While it may never be painless, it will become easier to navigate.

With that said, the main benefit of doing something like this isn't to avoid pain. What you want is to be more fearless.

How to get rejected in the music business?

The answer is with ease, knowing that not everybody likes everything and "rejection" simply means you're doing a good job of putting yourself (and your music) out into the world.

When is a Book Worth $500?

Last month, I sold the only proof copy of my upcoming book, Six-Figure Musician, on Ebay. 100% of the money went to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis.

The result was a winning bid for $173.50...

The winner was Joe Rocha of Aurora, IL. He wanted to pay even more than the final auction price, so he could pick up some of the bonuses I was offering to encourage high-bidding.

So a couple of days ago, I got payment for $500...

"When is a book worth $500?"

When the information inside is worth $100,000 or more. When the information inside can change your life and the way you do business.

In a couple of weeks, I'll be unleashing this book on the world. You'll be able to get a copy for far less than Joe paid, but what you'll receive will be worth just as much, if not more.

Don't miss this opportunity to make 2013 your best music business year ever. Fill out the form below to make sure you get your copy of Six-Figure Musician...

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