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12 Albums in 12 Months

Last month, I wrote a post about Mr. Billy and how he leveraged the popularity of Angry Birds to sell music and get attention for himself. Since it's the first week of the new year, I think it's appropriate to talk about his current plan to release 12 albums in the next 12 months.

The plan...

1. Decide what the album's theme will be.
2. Write (or find) awesome songs and record them in 2 weeks or less.
3. Mix and master the music.
4. Do the artwork.
5. Have the digital version available for sale world wide.
6. Have the physical CD available for sale via CD Baby and MisterBilly.com.
7. Rinse and repeat 11 more times.

Visit Mr. Billy's blog to follow his progress.

With the ease and low-cost of both recording and distribution, this is something that any music can do. So why not you?

500,000,000 Downloads

Angry Birds is pretty much everywhere these days. The characters were popular Halloween costumes, there is a board game, there are t-shirts, and the game has been referenced in American television shows such as Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, and The Simpaons.

The franchise has had over 500,000,000 downloads.

So now what?

Obviously, people are searching for "Angry Birds" in Apple's App Store and elsewhere. And obviously, people love the game... So why not take advantage of the momentum?

That's exactly what Wisconsin-based musician, Mr. Billy, decided to do.

But taking the idea one step further, he recorded everything on an iPhone!

I contacted Billy for a quick interview and got the story of how it all came together...

What's your background?

My family has been in the music business for four generations. I started playing and writing at age nine. I spent about 20 years playing and touring with my own bands. In the late 90s, I retired to start a marketing business using the skills I learned from keeping my bands employed and selling CDs and merch.

Why music for kids?

When my son turned five, he took me to show-and-tell, but I didn't know any kids' songs, so I just sang some classic rock songs. To my surprise, his teacher suggested I could do kids music for a living.

So I did some research and found that, at that time, there were a few kids' folk musicians in my area, but no kids' rock singers. So I decided to create a new niche locally and it just took off.

Where did you get the idea for a song about Angry Birds?

When I got the new GarageBand app for my iPhone, I started messing around and it sounded so good that I decided to write a "real" song and put it on iTunes over the weekend.

I've been following the success of bands like Pomplamoose using current pop culture as a marketing tool and realized that my target audience (kids and parents) are really into Angry Birds. I actually wear Angry Birds t-shirts to my gigs!

Angry Birds and iPhone also seemed like a good match and potential headline for press. 

Talk more about your writing and recording process...

The song took an hour to write, including researching Angry Birds on the web.

I recorded it on eight tracks using only GarageBand sounds, the sampler (that's my voice doing the bird and pig sounds), and loops. I played guitar into the GarageBand amp models and sang directly into the phone (no mics).

I sent it to my computer, had my son draw some angry birds, drew myself in cartoon form, uploaded the whole thing to CD Baby, and ta-da!

Any advice for musicians breaking into the children's music market?

I just want to say that since shifting from rock to kids rock, I have done just about everything I dreamed of my whole life... I play all originals, I only do covers if I want to, and I play to people that actually come to see me. I'm the center of attention, which is what I've always wanted to be, I've been on TV, I've been on radio, I do interviews, I've won several awards, and I've been flown to shows... You name it. 

As far as advice... Kids music is great, but you have to actually like kids, period. Know what they like and what the parents love and try to find a common ground. I was lucky, I never changed my musical style or performance style... Just the words are different and there is no swearing at the show!

I do 200+ gigs a year at libraries, schools, and concert events. I write and record songs specific to each of my markets. In 10 years I have released 15 albums and various singles like Angry Birds.

Make music that people actually want to buy and listen to... stuff they NEED...and you will succeed. 

Download Angry BIrds (the song) now!

Visit Mr. Billy online.

10 Tips to Conquer Writer's Block

We’ve all been there at one time or another, with a pen in hand, guitar on our lap and a completely blank mind. Writer’s block can be seriously frustrating, but tapping into inspiration can help lead you out of this dark hole.

Inspiration comes from within and can be as random as something you see in a magazine ad, or as traumatic as a death in the family. Whatever it is, it breaks down the dam of sensibility and streams you through a completely creative space where nothing is beyond limits. There are things to get this process moving along quicker, which is good news for you and your wallet.

1. Change Your Routine

Sometimes we get into the hang of following a strict routine, and life seems to hit a flat line. Try changing your routine, whether it’s going to bed later and sleeping in an extra hour, going to the gym in the morning or going out for coffee after work instead of heading straight home. You may notice something off your beaten path that stirs that instinct to write.

2. Go Outside

Many artists quote the great outdoors as being a source of inspiration. Go to the beach and watch the waves roll in, take the family for a hike in the woods, go mountain biking, for a jog or sit with a glass of wine on the patio and watch the sunset. You may feel a connection with your surroundings that will emit feelings perfect for words.

3. Read

Reading new material helps build new ideas. Read that novel you’ve been meaning to pick up, grab a morning newspaper or have a look through the latest copy of your favorite magazine. It’s better than television because you can stop and reread something if it perks your interest. You’ll come across new ideas, life situations, world events and even other inspirational quotations, or prose that will set you in a new direction.

4. Try Something New

While this doesn’t necessarily mean to dabble in psychedelics, change is a good thing for songwriters. Many of the great songwriters like Bob Dylan and Neil Young went through countless transformations which inspired new music for them. Try sky diving, cooking or even a new instrument. Change stimulates us and gets us excited about life.

5. People Watch

This might sound odd, but people are so interesting, especially if you live in a big city. Spend some time at your favorite café, drink coffee and watch the people go by. You’ll notice comments and judgments float up through your mind about these people, or one particular person that interests you—characters in a story. Make up a theme song in your head for them, and go from there. Learning to be observational will take you a long way in songwriting.

6. Listen to Music

Pull out that old Led Zeppelin record you haven’t listened to in years and throw it on. Try listening to new music, or revisiting songs that touched you emotionally. Pick the songs apart like a critic or just lay out on the sofa with your eyes closed and enjoy it. This is similar to reading in that music offers new ideas and sounds which tap into our creative brain.

7. Go on Vacation

Take a break from songwriting and jump on a plane somewhere. The more exotic and unfamiliar the better, though going camping for the weekend free of electronics is also a good option. Explore, meet new people, learn new cultures or languages and try new things. Keep it relaxing, stress doesn’t write good songs.

8. Head Out for a Night on the Town

This doesn’t necessarily mean get smashed and hit every downtown bar you can find. Go out and catch a live show, no matter how significant the band, DJ or solo artist is. Being in a crowd of people all enjoying the same thing is a riot, and can inspire some good feelings and great lyrics. It may get you excited about writing again.

9. Explore Your Inner Workings

A lot of classic songs are emotionally charged. While this comes a lot from the performers themselves, the lyrics explaining these feelings are essential. Tap into your emotions, or significant events in your life. This can be something happy like your wedding day, or sad like the day your old dog passed away. While it can cause a bit of a rollercoaster effect you’ll find some organic thoughts will spring forth. Just remember to come back to normal afterwards.

10. Forget Reason

Try laying on your back or some other relaxed position, guitar in hand or fingers on the keys and completely forget about everything you know about music. Put away all the theory, chords, and notes and just close your eyes and see where your fingers land. This could end up in just a lot of noise, but you may find a new melody or riff by accident. This meditational practice is worth a try.

Add your tips below...

5 Ways to Collaborate (or Partner) with Other Bands

The music industry is one giant community. Take away the corporate jungle, and you get a group of artists who enjoy making music and love to share it. Collaborating with other artists is a great way for both of you to tap into each other’s fan bases and learn about other musical styles.

1. Remixes

While admittedly there are some terrible remixes out there, it’s another way of getting your song heard in a different atmosphere. Team up with an electronic musician and see what comes out of it. Your song may end up funkier and maybe unrecognizable but people will be hearing it at clubs and parties, and as long as your name or band is listed as the original recording artist you’re set.

Sending your music to another artist to remix is another possibility. Perhaps they have an idea for your sound that you’d never thought of. The possible outcome of a better track is a great reason to share your music. Hopefully the artist knows what they’re doing.

2. Jam Sessions

Getting together for a good old jam session can be an energizing experience that will bring life back into your music and inspire new sound and progressive songwriting. Make new songs together or rework old ones to develop a new sound for them. You’ll likely learn a thing or two from each other, another building block to becoming a well rounded musician.

3. Music Festivals or Live Events

Live events offer a great stage for you and another band to jam or play songs together. While rehearsal is recommended, an encore provides good space for spontaneous collaboration. If you know each other’s songs this will be a lot easier and sound better.

Music festivals are great places to come across other musicians and bands you’d be interested in working with in the future. Make a lot of friends and be open to new ideas. Consider partnering with another band if you’re a solo artist for a music festival, to be able to player a fuller, more complex sound.

4. Charity Events

While this also falls under live events, many great artists have collaborated for charity events and benefits like Live 8. Not only is your partnership helping raise money for a great cause, but it leaves artists who value the same things open to working with each other.

5. Cover Songs

By sharing music with other artists and producing good covers of their songs you’re both paying homage and reaching out to a wider fan base. If another band produces a cover of one of your songs and it becomes a hit—you’ll find that fans will start searching out the original or recognizing that song as yours.

Collaborating and partnering with other bands helps not only strengthen your musical chops by giving you opportunities to learn new techniques, sounds and songs, but it’s also great for your creative process. Always be open to new ideas, styles and genres and your music will feel timeless and progressive.

Add your tips below...

 

Top 10 Songwriting Clichés

Have you ever listened to a song, only to wonder where you heard the lyrics from before? You scroll through your lyrical library, wondering if this is a cover song and come across the old familiar friend—the cliché. Unfortunately scores of hit songs are chock full of clichés, but you’re a better song writer than that, right?

1. The Drunk and Depressing Country Song

It’s a common joke that country songs are all basically about some guy drinking away his sorrows because his wife left him for another man, his dog got ran over and his tractor broke down. Country songs have become bar anthems, and while this can be a good thing commercially, there tends to be a lot lacking in the actual lyrics of the song. Avoid phrases about how much whiskey you drank last night, or anything that contains “broken heart”. It’s been said and done.

2. Self Explanatory Rock Songs

We all love to rock out, but when you’re in a rock band or writing rock lyrics about rock, could you avoid using the word “rock”. Between phrases like “gonna rock you”, “like a rock”, “keep on rockin’” or “rock this/that—enter noun” we finally get the point. You’re having a good time! It’s time to come up with something a little more sophisticated, and original.

3. Profanity Taking the Place of Real Words

Yeah, your bling is shiny and you talk tough—but let’s get out of this groove of lazy rhyming. In hip hop or rap using favorite four letter words followed by “this” or “you” only portrays your lack of vocabulary skills. There are over 170,000 words in the dictionary, so make use of them!

4. All About California

It’s the sunshine state, and a pretty nice place, so why do songwriters feel the need to whine about it so much. There are more songs about California than any other U.S. state. Once you’ve heard the theme song for The OC television drama you’ll understand. It’s probably because so many bands call California home, but how about using metaphors or just leaving it out altogether. Try writing a song about Vermont or New Mexico. They’re pretty nice places too.

5. Love Songs

There are a lot of great, touching love songs out there but there are a lot of terrible ones too. Avoid the typical “missing you”, “I still love you”, “I’ll always love you” cliché. It’s a nice word to hear but once overused it loses its meaning and let’s face it—love is an ever changing thing. The 80’s was all about sappy love songs dripping with cheese, and maybe they should be left there. Top 40 music is unfortunately by far the worst offender of this.

6. We Know You’re Emotionally Disturbed

Great songwriters are not usually born from a free, great upbringing. A lot of what great songwriting is, is opening doors for emotional connection with your audience. But many take it a step too far. As if the world wasn’t already depressing enough at times, we find the need to write songs about how depressing we are. Nirvana arguably did it best, but it seems to have mutated into something else—Emo perhaps. Please, no more songs about how you hate yourself, or how bad you’ve got it. We’re all in the same boat so deal with it or find another way to write about it.

7. Booty

Booty is a good thing, but it’s time we come up with a new word for it. Songs about shaking your booty, or about how great your booty is have become old news. Go for timeless if you want to be a great songwriter. We encourage you to shake what your mama gave you—how about that for cliché—but walk the walk instead of talking the talk.

8. How Rich and Famous You Are

Most of America, most of the world in fact, is not rich and famous and writing countless songs about this is not only a cliché, but completely self obsessed. Songs are meant to connect with an audience, your fans. Frankly, writing about the amount of cars you own, how big your house is, or how much gold is in your grille is not only uninteresting, but overdone. How about songs about how much you’d like to give the rest of us a taste of that solid gold?

9. Punk Covers of Pop Songs

While it can be funny, don’t expect to make a  good hit reworking a pop song for punk music. We’ve heard enough Sweet Carolines, thank you very much. This almost doesn’t fall under the category of songwriting, except that it’s so annoying it must be entered somewhere.  We get it, you’re being ironic. Don’t rewrite lyrics from a pop song into a punk song, they mix like oil and water.

10. Overused Rhymes

Understandably it can be hard to come up with rhymes on the fly, but a little effort will go a long way for songwriters. Avoid all those overused, easy rhymes like the dance, chance, romance trio. Miss you and kiss you also fall into this cliché trap.

Hopefully you’ve spotted the clichés used to describe clichés in this article. Songwriting should be original, straight from the heart, and hard hitting. Use the aforementioned rules to avoid clichés in your songwriting and original, great material will be the result.

Add clichés below... 

How Do You Know When It's Done?

Seth Godin answered the question "How Do You Know When It's Done?" on his blog this morning. And his answer is...

Of course, it's not done. It's never done.

That's not the right question.

The question is: when is it good enough?

Good enough, for those that seek perfection, is what we call it when it's sufficient to surpass the standards we've set. Anything beyond good enough is called stalling and a waste of time.

If you don't like your definition of 'good enough', then feel free to change that, but the goal before shipping is merely that. Not perfect.

Good advice for musicians, I think.

Here's a story that's a great example of this...

Top band is recording a song in the studio. Label is on deadline and the pressure is high. Producer is stalling, trying to tweak it. But it's done...at least in the opinion of the label people.

So a label guy comes into the studio, gets a copy of the "rough" track, and it gets released.

Song goes to #1 and was one of the act's biggest hits.

Agree with Seth that it's never done, but sometimes it is finished.

How to Write a Hit Song (and Sell Anything)

As a marketing guy, I think it's really important to "keep tabs" on how the people I market to think and feel. If you want to sell something, you've got to understand the people you want to sell to and why they do what they do.

This is especially important for songwriters.  To write a song people will love and relate to, you've got to know your audience like you know yourself.  What are their biggest dreams?  What are their biggest fears?

This is why Taylor Swift is killing it right now.  She is her audience.

But what happens if you're not your audience?  For that, I suggest going where your audience goes, reading what they read, etc.

Hank Williams did this.  Merle Kilgore, perhaps best known as the writer of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", once said this about him...

"He would read True Romance comic books. My sister had True Romance comic books, and I'd say, `What do you read those sissy comic books for, Hank?' And he said, `Sissy, hell! Where do you think I get my ideas from? Listen to this line, `Why I can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold, cold heart.'"

And what happens when you lose touch?

Like it or not, as evolving people, we all do...eventually.  And as musicians, one of the worst things that can happen career-wise is for us to forget what it's like to be a fan of music.

As a musician, it can be difficult to think back to a time when you didn't play music, but wanted to.  Or maybe just thinking back to a time when music was something more to you than a way to make a living is tough. 

Does this sound like you?  If so, I highly recommend that you check out The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz.

This book will take you into the mind of a "superfan" who has a life centered around music-- exactly the kind of fan you want and should be reaching out to!

By the way, Yvonne Prinz is the owner of Amoeba Music, the world's largest independent record store.  So the knows a little something about music buyers...

I found out about this book from my friend Wendy, who is in the publishing business and has a blog dedicated to young adult fiction.  She did an interview with Yvonne Prinz, which I've linked below.

Get The Vinyl Princess on Amazon.com

How do you stay in touch with the needs of your fans?  Post thoughts below...

$1800 Music Video = 1,295,266 YouTube Views

Most people are very proud of where they come from.  A few months ago, I wrote my feelings about how an anthem for your city is a great way to connect with fans. 

Below is a video of a song that follows that formula.  Cost of the video was only $1800. 

So far, it's had 1,295,266 views on YouTube. Coincidence?

Taxi - Is it a Scam?

I get a ton of emails asking what I think about certain services for musicians.  One of the companies I most frequently get asked about is Taxi.

Should you sign up?  Maybe...

To help you decide, ask youself these questions.

1. How do you define opportunity?

Here is my definition.  If you think like I do, you may very well have a good experience with Taxi.

2. How do you feel about the following comments?

"I found the critiques and forwarding of songs to be very hit or miss - depending on who listens to your submissions each time (which you have no control over). For instance, I would have the same song criticized by one person, and then applauded and forwarded by another critic several times. Once I was told by one listener that the reason they didn't like one of my songs was because they didn't like the way I wrote a specific lyric (one sentence - it was too "poetic" and not natural speech) - yet another listener mentioned that they loved that specific lyric and forwarded the song!"

These are comments from a former Taxi member that I took from a discussion on a popular music business mailing list.  Even if you have absolutely no interest in Taxi, I think they still bring up a very important aspect of the music business.

Here is the reality of how your songs, your performance, your muscianship, your stage presence, and anything else about you is judged...

1. Everybody will have a different opinion of your music, regardless of how good (or bad) it is.

People like different things.  Some people, as this example illustrates, like "poetic" lyrics.  Others don't.

This is a good thing.  If somebody doesn't like your stuff, keep moving, because there is likely somebody who does.

The problem happens when nobody likes what you're doing.  If you're not getting people to your shows or your music isn't selling, it may be time to look at your music.  But if you've got that going for you, don't worry about one or two "critiques" saying you suck.  Yes, they have industry experience and some specialized knowledge of what makes good music, but the only thing that really matters in the music business is whether your fans like your stuff and are willing to pay money that will enable you to keep doing it.

Lots of well-known albums have been panned by critics.  The first Led Zeppelin album got a bad review by Rolling Stone.  And the magazine hated everything Journey did.

So don't get your panties in a wad when somebody doesn't like what you're doing...especially if they're asking for something specific and the comment is in relation to that.  Not only do people like different things, they also define things differently.  A "happy" song for one person might be totally different than a "happy" song for somebody else.

2. It matters who you associate with.

A lone tree looks bigger than a tree with a bunch of other trees around it.

When you submit music to something like Taxi, where lots of music is reviewed at once, you'll be sandwiched between other music.  You'll be compared to what's before you.  If the music before you is amazing, it will affect how your music is perceived.  If it was not so good, it will affect how your music is perceived.

When you submit to a music conference, you have to deal with the same thing.

When you submit your music to me at Music Business Radio, you have to deal with the same thing...on the air.

If it fair?  No.  That's the way it works though.

Final Thoughts

Taxi sends out a list of what people in the industry are looking for.  The more you "write to order" and send in music for these listings, the better you'll get at providing what people are looking for.  To me, that is worth fees they charge, regardless of whether or not you get a cut directly through them.

Taxi membership gets you into their conference in Los Angeles every year.  Hundreds of people go and it's a great way to meet and network with like-minded people.  To me, that is worth the fees they charge, even if you don't do anything with the information they send you during the year.

I'm not a fan of the "middle man" aspect of Taxi.  If you're in Nashville, or LA, or NYC, or are good at making direct connections with people, you're probably better off striking out on your own, getting a tip sheet like New on the Charts, or a directory of record label people like Music Registry.  If you like somebody to hold your hand though, even though it doesn't give you the freedom of striking out on your own, Taxi will probably be a positive experience for you.  If nothing else, it can be a great motivator to write more.

If you've got a catalog of stuff and want to "make existing songs fit" the listings that Taxi sends, I'd skip it.  If you want to "write to order" or are flexible with what you've already written, meaning that you're willing to change things based on what people are looking for, you may very well have a great Taxi experience.

Regardless of the direction you choose, keep moving forward with your music.  In the music business, timing is everything.  If a song doesn't work right now, it might work later, so keep pitching it.  With that said, don't let the possibility of a great future be an excuse for not trying to make what you've got now better.  Songs are never done.  Keep improving and keep trying to better your odds of success.

How to Write a Great Song

I get a lot of demos in the mail.  While I believe all music has some value, it's rare to find a truly great song.

As you know, competition for radio play and artist attention is getting tighter and tighter.  Because of this, good songs don't make it anymore.  To have a really big hit, especially something timeless, you need something great.

So how do you turn a good song into a great song?

Listen to this for the answer...

Post your comments below...

NOTE: This was an outtake from an interview I did with a group of Nashville music publishers called Chicks with Hits. If you want music business advice like this on a regular basis, get the Music Business Radio podcast.