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Could This Be Why Your Music Career Sucks?

I don't want to be one to rain on a parade, even if the parade is a fantasy one, but it amazes me how many musicians and songwriters I meet who aren't actually doing anything related to music.  I'm not going to sit here and judge what music business "success" is, because that is relative, but I will make this judgment when it comes to the music itself...

If you're going to identify as a songwriter, doesn't it make sense that you actually write some songs?

If you're identifying as a musician, shouldn't you be out playing gigs...or at least recording some stuff?  Or maybe just practicing once in a while?

I bring this up because I've been meeting an increasing number of people lately whom identify themselves as songwriters, but haven't written anything in years.  And I'm not talking hits, I mean they literally haven't picked up a pen and pad and written anything in a very long time.

And I've been meeting "musicians" lately that don't practice, record, perform, or do anything related to music...except talk about how they're "musicians."

Look, I know life gets in the way, but if you are who you say you are, shouldn't you make a bit of time for music?

Discuss below...  And when you're done, go write a song or something! :)

Double Your Music Business Income (Without Working Any Harder)

Want more money from your music business?  Sure... But that would involve a lot more work, right?

Not really...  In fact, you probably are already doing the work; you're just leaving money on the table.  I find this to be the situation with almost every band I work with, at least on some level.

What I'm talking about here is something that can easily double the money you make from your music business.  In fact, if you use it right, you'll be able to increase your music business income a lot more than that.

Every business, whether it be a service industry, such as airlines, or a product-oriented business, such as a record company, has "money on the table" from aspects of the business which aren't being used.  Some businesses are onto this, such as the airline industry, which uses extra space on its airplanes to ship packages, or the record business (and I'm talking vinyl records) which can sell returned goods or unsold product for recycling.

And if you're thinking, "David, there isn't a vinyl record business anymore," you're wrong.  But the book industry, which is basically the same business and runs on the same model when it comes to returning products, operates the same way, selling returned books and unsold product or recycling the material themselves, for the manufacture of other books.

Again, every business has these elements.  And yes, that includes your business.

If you're in a band, for example...

If you're not selling the original demos you made of songs, you're leaving money on the table. 

If you're not selling recordings of your rehearsal sessions, you're leaving money on the table. 

If you're not selling recordings (both audio and video) of your live performances, you're leaving money on the table.

If you're not getting video of yourself in the studio, showing "behind the scenes" footage of your album being created, you're leaving money on the table.

Want an example of somebody who is doing it right?  Lovers Electric sells both an "album" and "bedroom demos" of their songs.

Think your fans wouldn't go for that?  You're wrong.  Nobody will go for everything you do, but depending on how you frame things, "demos" can be very popular.  And Lovers Electric does a great job of setting expectations.  From their site...

"Like the packet says, this was recorded at our home studio (aka bedroom), it has a lot of the original versions of songs from our debut album, but with a few different tunes... For those who'd like to hear a bit of Lovers Electric history..."

Again, not everybody is going to go for everything and some of the things you do will sell better than others, but if you're only for a single album for $10, that's the most you're going to make from even your biggest fan.  You can easily double or triple the amount you make from your top fans by releasing things like demos or rehearsal sessions, things you're already doing and letting go to waste.

Want more ideas like this?  You're in luck...

I've got a book called Never Leave Money on the Table - How to Grow Any Business and Get Really Rich with 10 Simple Marketing Strategies. This isn't a book about music, it's a book about business.  More specifically, it's a book about how you can grow your business and make more money with it.  Same business, more money.

A lot of musicians find it hard to believe they can actually make 2-3x more money than they are now, without doing any extra work, but it happens all the time.  Airlines which ship packages in passenger flights aren't flying any more miles?  They're simply looking at every little bit of space they have and making the most of it.

You can do the exact same thing with your music business.  The money is there, you just need to reach down to pick it up.  So do it!

Feel free leave comments and share your "money on the table" stories below...

Why Do You Make Music?

Just read this post about book marketing, which I feel has some interesting thoughts that pertain to the music business.  To paraphrase...

Are you doing music as a hobby, profession, or business? Your answer makes all the difference in the world.

Self gratification comes from a hobby.
Wages come from a profession.
Profit comes from a business.

It's your choice, each of these things has its place, and there is no wrong answer.  However, there is a big difference between the three, which many seem to lack understanding of.

Have you made the decision?  Once you do, you'll likely find more enjoyment, monetary success, sales, fame, or whatever else it is you're looking for, since you'll be able to focus.

Why do you make music?  Post this and any other thoughts below...

How Musicians, Labels, and Producers are Dealing with Changes in the Music Business

The landscape of the music industry is changing daily. A lot of the "holy grail" services needed to release and promote a record are as easy as they've ever been.  Artists can now make records on their home computers, put their music up on the internet, and make low budget videos and put them on YouTube.

While all of this is great, it can also be overwhelming.  Where do you begin?  Which lead do you follow?

To help upcoming artists, WXPN has started a new radio series, Start Making Cents, which showcases ways musicians, labels, and producers are dealing with revolutionary changes in the music business.

Here's an episode with former major label artist, Jill Sobule, who talks about her latest, fan-funded release and how it happened.

Get additional episodes here.

Want more info on WXPN?  Check out my interview with its music director and operations manager, Dan Reed, on Music Business Radio.

It Wasn't Raining When Noah Built the Ark...

Here's more advice from my new book, Never Leave Money on the Table - How to Grow Any Business and Get Really Rich with 10 Simple Marketing Strategies. This isn't a book about music, it's a book about business.  More specifically, it's a book about how you can grow your business and make more money with it.  Same business, more money.

The book focuses on 10 principles and how you can use them to get more customers, generate more money, and do more of what you love.  If you're already doing these things, this book will show you to to do them better and more efficiently.

The principle I want to focus on now is planning for success...

Ask any 9-to-5er what you should plan for when going full-time in the music business and they'll tell you, "Have a back-up plan in case you fail." True entrepreneurs, however, will warn you to plan for success. Because, surprisingly, it's success that can really kill a new business if you aren't prepared for it.

When two renegade cows took over a billboard above a busy highway outside Atlanta in 1995, no one knew the message they conveyed would be heard all around America. The three-dimensional billboard shows one black and white cow atop the back of another cow, who was painting the words, "Eat Mor Chikin®."

In his book by the same name Eat Mor Chikin, Inspire More People, Chick-fil-A® founder S. Truett Cathy explains that the company had no idea that the advertising campaign with the now-famous cows would prove to be so popular. The company had not planned a major, nationwide billboard campaign, but when Cathy saw the positive response from that first billboard, he saw the unexpected opportunity and took advantage of it—and the rest is history. For more than a decade, Chick-fil-A's renegade cows have been amusing the public and driving customers in herds to the popular fast-food restaurant.

According to Chick-fil-A, within a year, the Richards Group, the advertising agency that developed the original billboard, turned the renegade cows into an integrated advertising campaign that included point-of-purchase items in the stores and radio ads.

Since the cow campaign debuted in 1995, Chick-fil-A's business has increased five-fold from $500,000,000 in 1995 to more than $2.64 billion in 2007. Not bad work for a couple of renegade cattle and a paintbrush!

Prior to that campaign, the company hoped for success in the general sense, but no one could have foreseen the impact that one little billboard would have. So, don't just prepare for failure; prepare for success.

Numerous business books are filled with horror stories of businesses cannibalized out of business by their own success. It doesn't matter how good you are if you can't meet an increased demand for your product or service. Be ready to succeed. Plan for it and have a contingency plan.

In 1995, when teenage rebel Shawn Nelson decided to build a bigger, better beanbag, not too many folks laughed. He sold the oversized, overstuffed bean bags to family and friends until one day he got an order for 12,000 of them from a company rep who saw and liked the bags. He officially founded LoveSac® with some friends in 1998.

Their $500,000.00 order might have seemed like a windfall, but with a company of one, Shawn had to scramble to produce that first big order. He did, using all the profits to complete the huge order, but the Cinderella story had begun. In 2005 he walked away with $1 million as the winner of Richard Branson's (Virgin Atlantic® owner and billionaire) reality TV show "The Rebel Billionaire."

Then in 2006, with only $500,000.00 in estimated assets, Nelson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. His top 30 unsecured claims totaled more than $3.2 million. That hasn't stopped him. In 2008, Nelson's unique seating became the only seating in a refurbished Texas movie theater. He hasn't let his roller coaster ride of success and failure deter him from his business.

Entrepreneurs, especially in the music business, never travel smooth, flat highways. While most businesses won't ever experience the extreme ups and downs of Shawn Nelson's LoveSac® venture, complete with winning a reality show and a million dollars, you never know what can happen. So, plan for success. Failure will take care of itself. If you focus on failing, that's where your mind will be. Refocus and plan to succeed. Big corporations do.

Car manufacturers are working on new models years before the public ever sees them. Microsoft knows what will happen this year, next year, and the next. Even as one new product is hitting the shelves, research and development has already started working on the next product and the next improvements.

For the new full-time musician just starting off, that pressure can seem immense. You haven't even gotten your first year under your belt and already you need to project the next year and the next and the next!

Relax. You don't have to do it all at once. There is a process to get to the top of the stairs. Take it one step at a time . . .

Recognize that most musicians are entrepreneurs by default. Default entrepreneurs simply have a hobby, passion or need to make more money selling something they're particularly involved in. They are sold on their product and assume others will be too. They fail to look ahead, let alone plan ahead. If this is you, be aware that there's a lot more to owning, running and succeeding in a business than just having a good product or service.

So what are your plans for the upcoming year?  Post your thoughts below...

Does Being "Attractive" Affect Music Business Success?

At a meeting last week and met a woman in sales.  She was a bit annoying, kept getting calls on her mobile phone, and all over the place.  Talked too much, but not really about anything pertaining to the situation.  She was also very attractive.

Looked her up to get more info on the product and saw in her bio she is #1 in her company in terms of both overall money and number of transactions.

This got me thinking...

Two women with a similar product/service... One is physically "attractive" and the other not so much.

Does it matter?  If so, how much?

How about if the product/service isn't similar?  Could the "attractive" woman get away having less ability, intelligence, or over all quality in what she's selling?

How does this work in the music business?  Is a younger, hotter woman able to get more, even though she offers less?

Does being "attractive" affect men in the same way?

Post thoughts below...

7 Ways Most Musicians Screw Up Big Time (and How to Fix Them)

I'm not a TV person, so I'm a bit behind on this, but a friend of mine just turned me onto a show called "Shark Tank" (watch on Hulu) and I think it's worth a mention here.

The show is based on a BBC/CBC series called "Dragon's Den" and features entrepreneurs with big ideas, but not enough money to make them happen.  Each episode, a group of self-made millionaires from all corners of the business world take their own money and offer some to these entrepreneurs for a piece of their businesses...assuming the idea is any good and everything is in order.

As I was watching, I noticed some similarities between the entrepreneurs on the show and upcoming musicians.

Here are some "big ideas" that you may find helpful in your music business pursuit, since overlooking these will likely kill your music career before it gets off the ground:

1. Attachment is Deadly

This is important!! It happens in business, relationships, and all aspects of life and rarely does it end up well.

The best example of this is the "Monkey Trap" used in Africa.  Like the aspects of life "attachment" affects, there are several versions of this trap.

How it works...

The trap consists of a container with a hole cut into it just wide enough for a monkey to stick its empty hand into. The container is baited with something attractive to the monkey, such as a nut.

The monkey reaches for bait. The monkey can't take its hand out of the trap as long it's holding the nut.

The monkey could leave at any time simply by opening its hand, but it wants the bait so badly, it will literally stay at the trap and be captured (or clubbed over the head) rather than let go.

It's easy to think, "What a stupid monkey," but we humans do similar things all the time and "Shark Tank" is a great example of this...over and over again.

The best "music business" example I can think of is being attached to songs.  They're like babies and we don't want to change them of give them to somebody else, even though that might mean a better life.

I know a guy who had a great song that caught the attention of an upcoming artist.  He had the option of getting it cut and released or holding on it and working it as an artist himself.

He chose that latter...which turned out to be a big mistake, since the "upcoming artist" was Garth Brooks.

In all fairness, nobody knew Garth would be as big as he is, but even an "upcoming artist" cutting and releasing his song was a sure thing; his record deal was not.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose... Still holding onto an idea (or anything) too tightly will kill it.  100% of zero is zero.

2. Know Your Numbers

What would the Super Bowl be like if nobody was keeping score?

What would gambling be like if no money was involved?

Keep score!  If you don't know how much your albums, live shows, and other expenses are costing your, or how much they're making you, you're shooting yourself in the foot.  Without metrics, you could be losing a fortune and not even know it...or making a fortune and not know you need to do more of that to make even more money.

This works on many different levels...  A club owner isn't going to book you without knowing how many people you're going to bring.  A bank isn't going to loan you money with your publishing catalog as collateral without knowing its value.

Keep track of your numbers.  Know where you're making money and where you're losing it.  Do more of what makes you money and less (or none) of what doesn't.

 

3. Prove the Concept

Think you've got a great album?  Think your band has what it takes to go national?

Numbers (see above) don't lie and "measurement eliminates argument."  Prove your stuff is good by showing it on a small scale.

Why small? 

For the sake of argument, let's say you only have $1000 to spend.  It's much more effective for you to spend it all in once place, hitting the same people again and again, than spread it out over several places.

Think of it in terms of "flyers."  If you've only got 1000 flyers to hand out, you'll make a much bigger impact on the guy who sees 10 of them than the guy who only sees one.  One flyer, unfortunately for you, isn't enough to do anything.  Put some muscle behind it by focusing your marketing efforts on one area and hitting it hard.

Keep this in mind... If you can do it in one place, you can do it several places.

Humans like to think that we're all different, but the reality is that we've got a lot more in common than not.  If 1000 people make a certain decision, such as buying your music, it's likely that 5000 people will make that same decision, if you do the same thing 5x bigger.  Because of this, it's easy to get a feel for how your music, your marketing, or anything else will do on a massive scale by testing it on a smaller one.

So go "small" to prove what you've got works.  The people you're wanting to get the attention of will get this since nobody in business is going to spend a ton of cash "testing" something on a national audience. They know a better option is to have less risk by working with a smaller audience, so they'll understand.

4. Having Options Means More Money

In business, having more demand than supply is synonymous with getting the most money for what you've got.  When there is only once product (you) and more than one person interested in buying it, the price always goes up.

Do what you can to get more than one person/company interested in what you're doing and you'll get a better deal.  In the music business, this is knowing as a "bidding war."

How do you make a bidding war happen?  Prove the concept and know your numbers.

5. Play Big

The difference between the average musician and the ones who make a ton of cash is how they play the game.  Successful musicians go balls out and take chances.  They don't wait to be discovered, they make discovery happen.

If you watch one of these shows, you'll also see the investment made is based on the person behind the idea, not the idea itself.  The difference between a "good idea" and a successful business is the person (or people) behind it.

Most musicians are like hitch hikers.  They go to the highway with some idea of where they should be going, but not really, they just know where they are right now isn't working for them.  So they wait around for somebody and do things according on somebody else's schedule and plan.

Successful musicians take risks and control their own situations.  They're the ones driving the car.  It it crashes, they take responsibility, but the car goes exactly where they want, not just in the general direction.  And like driving a car, they're constantly evaluating where they are and recalibrating, based on where they want to go.

Ask yourself this question:

Are you just trying to get a little father away from where you are now or are you going somewhere specific? 

6. Bet Everything

You don't get big results by having a "Plan B."  Having something to fall back on gives you an excuse not to work as hard.

If you're really certain of your music business success, why have a backup plan?

Uncertainty is what causes failure. Is this you?  If so, all is not lost... The solution is to work so that you make your success inevitable. 

What are the things you have to have in place to make your music business goals happen?

7. Get Realistic

If you're not honest with yourself and able to get a realistic opinion of where you are now, you'll never be able to improve. 

As I mentioned earlier, "Measurement eliminates argument."

Where do you start?  If I were talking about weight loss, it would be for you to get on a scale.

What is the "scale" for the music business?  Number of gigs you're playing?  Amount of people on your mailing list?  Number of albums sold?  Probably all of the above...and then some.

If you really want to do this, you need to know this information and work to improve it.

The harsh reality...

If you don't have numbers, aren't really committed to this, or have no idea if your "big idea" works, give up the thought of ever really doing this on a big level.  There are too many people who have these things in order and that is who investors, labels, publishing companies, and fans always go with.

Why settle for anything less?  It's doubtful you do coming at it as a music fan.

Regardless of the economy, the state of the record business, or anything else, there is ALWAYS room for great artists and people will ALWAYS pay for it. 

People want art.  More importantly, they want a break from their day-to-day lives and they're looking for somebody to provide it.  This can be you, but you've got to do the work to make it happen.

 Answer These Questions Below:

Let's take you out of the question and pretend you're looking at somebody just like you...

1. Would you support somebody at your current level? 

2. Would you invest in them? 

3. If so, post why below.  If not, post what you can do to make it so people will support you, you will get the attention you need, and you will make the money necessary to make a good living...

4. What are you doing to make your success inevitable?

Are You REALLY in the Music Business?

Just got off the phone with a friend of mine.  He's been self-employed for a number of years.  He's also a guitar player.

He said something I thought was interesting...

"There is a big difference between playing guitar and playing Guitar Hero."

Duh, right?

You know that, because you're a musician, but I've seen a few kids get the two mixed up.  But, believe it or not, I've seen even more musicians and "business owners" get their situations mixed up...  I'm talking about adults who should know better!

To build on a quote from my friend...  "There is a big difference between being in the music business and pretending to be in the music business."

Those who are really in the music business treat things a different way than those who just pretend to be in it.  They show up for gigs on time, because they know it's important and has a big impact on whether or not they'll get paid.  They promote their gigs, are nice to club owners, sell from the stage, and take advantage of merchandising for the same reason.

This isn't about record deals, fancy clothes, a new van to tour in, brand new equipment, or similar things, which so many musicians get lost in...unless you're actually making money with those things.  Being in the music business is about looking at how you're handling your career, treating your music like the job it is, and asking yourself, "Am I building something by doing this or just doing what I think 'being in the music business' means?"

Just some random, late-night thoughts on differences in the people I come in contact with via email, phone, or in person...  I hope that, if there are some things which need to be tweaked to help you with your long-term music business goals, you'll take an opportunity to do that.

What can you do to bring in more people to shows?

What can you do to maximize music and merch sales?

What can you do to bring in more traffic to your web site?

What can you do to make sure more people hear your music?

These are a few questions you should ask yourself.  Have others?  Post them below.

Want to talk more?  I do a live podcast every Wednesday at 9pm Eastern.  (347) 637-2654 is the number to call me.  Or, if you can't wait, follow me on Twitter and ask your questions there.

Career Lessons from Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has been on my mind (more than usual) over the last couple of days... Obviously, her VMA appearance was memorable.  But she was here in Nashville the night before, doing some great things in terms of marketing herself and her music. 

Here are a couple of music business lessons you can learn from Taylor...

1. Keep your mouth shut...sometimes.

If a douchebag is saying nasty things about you, let him go.  He'll eventually run out of steam or put his foot in his mouth.  People can spot BS without any help from you, so don't feel you need to respond to everything negative that comes your way.

2. Let your fans do the talking...

Unlike Kanye West, Taylor Swift knows it's not all about her...it's about her fans.  Show them you care, give them the opportunity to express themselves, and they'll reward you.  They'll attend your shows, buy your stuff, and defend you when a douchebag tries to upstage you.

Obviously, not every musician reading this blog is going to have an opportunity like the one above, where you can post text messages from fans for 10,000+ other fans while they're waiting for you to hit the stage...  However, I guarantee you there is something you can do which will let your fans be heard.  Have an idea?  Post it below!

By the way, if you like Taylor Swift and want to know the story of her latest album, Fearless, check out this interview I did with her producer...

I do interviews like this all the time... Get the free podcast via iTunes to make sure you don't miss any of them!

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...