As I mentioned in my prior blog, be creative with your money. Invest in the right things to build your music business and those right investments will reward you!
In addition to the first 6 tips I gave you, here are 7 more tips on being creative with your music money:
7. Take advantage of FREE advertising. Network on all the free social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Youtube, ReverbNation, Ilike, TheSingersRoom, etc. Google social networking sites to find new ones, which are popping up every day.
8. Get your own website! Though you can advertise on the various social networking sites for free, I would highly recommend that you get your own websites. Getting your own website means you can design it however you like. You won't be restricted as you are on other sites. You can advertise your music to your heart's content. Fans of your music will know where to go to find you. You can post pictures, do blogs, put up videos, get email addresses, get detailed information about your sites' traffic so you can see who your music is appealing to, etc. Besides, you can always post links on your MySpace page and Facebook page, for example on your website. Plus, websites are only $7 a year!
9. Ways to get your music out: In my last blog, I mentioned burning CDs or using jump drives as 2 means to get your music out. You can also email your music. It is free and practical. Say an A & R person wants a sample of your music, you can simply send that person a email with your songs on it without waiting to send it through the mail. Plus you have proof you sent it. Most DJs will tell you that they prefer that you email them your music.
10. Buy business cards. Be smart with your money and buy them in bulk. But make sure that your business cards are quality! I can't tell you the number of business cards that I've seen that are in such poor quality. And whether you believe it or not, your business card is a representation of you. If your business card looks cheap, then people won't take you OR your music seriously! Plus you want your business card to be sturdy enough to withstand being in someone else's pocket or purse. Does it mean you have to spend a lot of money on cards? No, you can go to vistaprint.com to get some free business cards online.
11. Build a relationship with a graphic artist, refer business to that graphic artist, and negotiate your price to get a unique brand, logo, etc.
12. Invest in attending and/or participating in music conferences, seminars and showcases. But be smart with your money, first purchase the Truth Book about Record Pools & Music Conferences, Talent Shows, and Open Mics from JaWar and read JaWar's blogs at http://atlantashowcase.blogspot.com/ and http://mymusicconnection.blogspot.com/ on how to effectively attend a music conference so that you won't waste your money and time at one of those events. To get the book, click here to view more details
13. Invest in video equipment, which serves to visually promote your music. You can now buy a 30G hard drive camcorder for under $400! And in most cases that camera also comes with other functions such as an Mp3 player, a camera, a voice recorder, etc. Google camcorders to see which ones best fit your budget.
14. Invest in a team - an attorney, manager, and/or consultant who will all assist in you in not making costly mistakes related to trademarks, copyrights, establishing your business, negotiating your publishing contracts, signing contracts and deals (especially with the new "360 deal" being offered to artists). While hiring a family member or friend as a manager may be cheaper, make sure that person has the skills to go with you to EVERY level of your success. Monica, Usher, and some other famous people made the right decision in hiring a family member but that family member has shown demonstrated success in making that celebrity successful.
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Creative Uses of Your Music Money
As I mentioned in my last blog, when I attended Patchwerk Studio's Music University IV, Coach K, Snake, and Melinda Dancil all stated that artists and artist managers need to be creative with their money. In other words, artists and we as songwriters must be smart with our money. You might not have agreed with me that paying $75 for people to attend Patchwerk's Music University IV was relatively expensive for a one-day conference. Some of you may not have even hesitated to spend the money. That's great. But I've decided to be more conservative, i.e. smart or creative, with my time and money. And I heard this said also from DJ Tony Neal at the Southeastern Music Awards in January 2008. At that event, he cautioned the indie artists about looking better than the major label artists who have deals, especially when the indie artists aren't working and do not have a deal but have wrapped vans, bling, designer clothes, and other expensive items to promote themselves. In other words, make sure you are getting your money legally, first! Then next stay within your budget and use your money for things that are really going to enhance and further your career. So some things just simply aren't worth my money.
Here's 6 tips on how to be creative with your music money (more will follow in future blogs):
1. Instead of continuously buying studio time, consider investing in a home recording studio. You can go to outlet stores, Guitar Center, and other music gear retail stores and buy music recording software (such as Pro Tools, Logic, Cake Walk, Fruity Loops, Nuendo, etc.) and equipment (mics, cords, headphones, speakers, mixer, and compressor) for approximately $2,500 - $3,500 depending upon the brand of the equipment.
2. Instead of buying cheap music equipment, be smart with your money: invest in quality equipment.
3. Want quality recordings? Invest in plug-ins. Invest in yourself to learn to use it or build a relationship with a studio engineer or a place that will mix and master your records.
4. If you a ghost songwriter and you have an okay voice and you pay to have other singers sing your songs for you, consider investing in a vocal coach instead. Yes, they can charge on average $25/hr to $100/hr. But again, you will recoup that money over time when you don't have to wait for an artist to fit your demo work into their time, when you don't have to pay anyone else to sing your songs, when you can sing the song exactly how you want it sung without having to spend time with vocal production having to teach the song to someone else, and when you save time.
5. If you press up a lot of CDs, it may be smart to purchase a CD/DVD burner instead of continuously using a CD duplication service.
6. Even smarter, purchase jump drives to store your music and to pass out to people. It holds more music than a CD/DVD. It won't skip and you won't have problems with scratches. However, because jump drives are so small, I do recommend buying something like a key chain or lanyard (if your jump drives doesn't come with one) to help you and whoever you give the jump drive to, to keep up with your jump drive.
Thedy B, Attoprney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
http://myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
http://hitsamillion.ning.com/
Here's 6 tips on how to be creative with your music money (more will follow in future blogs):
1. Instead of continuously buying studio time, consider investing in a home recording studio. You can go to outlet stores, Guitar Center, and other music gear retail stores and buy music recording software (such as Pro Tools, Logic, Cake Walk, Fruity Loops, Nuendo, etc.) and equipment (mics, cords, headphones, speakers, mixer, and compressor) for approximately $2,500 - $3,500 depending upon the brand of the equipment.
2. Instead of buying cheap music equipment, be smart with your money: invest in quality equipment.
3. Want quality recordings? Invest in plug-ins. Invest in yourself to learn to use it or build a relationship with a studio engineer or a place that will mix and master your records.
4. If you a ghost songwriter and you have an okay voice and you pay to have other singers sing your songs for you, consider investing in a vocal coach instead. Yes, they can charge on average $25/hr to $100/hr. But again, you will recoup that money over time when you don't have to wait for an artist to fit your demo work into their time, when you don't have to pay anyone else to sing your songs, when you can sing the song exactly how you want it sung without having to spend time with vocal production having to teach the song to someone else, and when you save time.
5. If you press up a lot of CDs, it may be smart to purchase a CD/DVD burner instead of continuously using a CD duplication service.
6. Even smarter, purchase jump drives to store your music and to pass out to people. It holds more music than a CD/DVD. It won't skip and you won't have problems with scratches. However, because jump drives are so small, I do recommend buying something like a key chain or lanyard (if your jump drives doesn't come with one) to help you and whoever you give the jump drive to, to keep up with your jump drive.
Thedy B, Attoprney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
http://myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
http://hitsamillion.ning.com/
Thursday, January 10, 2008
In Songwriting News -A Creative Way to Distribute Music!
As songwriters, we study music which means buying music and in times past, meant buying CDs. But who wants to haul around CDs?! If, like me, you've carried around CD binders with 200 plus CDs, you know that that's a heavy load to carry. So I was happy when the IPod came out and happily bought one (though I've had to return it three times due to technical issues either with the Ipod itself or the updates which is a whole nother blog!). Now Sony introduces MP3 Album cards! So for all of us indie artists and songwriters who bought blank CDs & CD burners, or who are paying companies to make CDs to distribute our music, we now need more creative ways too to distribute our music! Check out the songwriting videos in this blog on how to do that or go to http://thedyb.magnify.net and watch over 75 videos on the business of songwriting in this new technology age!
from billboard.com
Sony BMG To Debut MP3 Album Cards
January 07, 2008 - Retail
By Ed Christman, N.Y.
Sony BMG Music Entertainment will roll out its Platinum MusicPass series of digital album cards beginning Jan. 15 at Best Buy, Target and Fred's, with Trans World and Winn-Dixie coming to the party by the end of January.
In Canada, participating retailers include Best Buy, CD Plus, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Wal-Mart with HMV coming on board sometime during the first quarter.
As reported previously, the move marks the company's first commercial foray into MP3s in the U.S., a strategy that until recently it resisted in favor of selling files with digital rights management capabilities.
The digital album gift cards, which retail for $12.99, will be artist-specific and feature album artwork, and will come with bonus material. The card will contain a scratch-off that will reveal a PIN number that can be redeemed for a download at MusicPass.com.
"We see MusicPass as a great way to bring digital music to the physical retail space," said Sony BMG Music Entertainment global digital business & U.S. sales president Thomas Hesse in a statement. "We believe it will have strong appeal for a broad range of consumers, and that it will ultimately expand both the digital and physical markets for music."
Among the titles receiving this treatment are the Backstreet Boys' "Unbreakable"; Brad Paisley's "5th Gear;" Bruce Springsteen's "Magic"; Celine Dion’s "Taking Chances"; John Mayer’s "Continuum"; Three Days Grace's "One-X"; and Tony Bennett's "Duets." Compilations include "70's Pop Hits"; "Sensational 60's"; "Country Gold"; and "Everlasting Love."
In addition, as part of the launch, two titles--Kenny Chesney's "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" and Celine Dion's "Taking Chances"--will also come with expanded offerings that retail for $19.99. In addition to those complete albums, the expanded MusicPass offering on those titles will include bonus material and the choice of one additional album from that same artist's catalog.
To see what the cards look like, go to: http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3i017145c042c6bedacb734078d47045db
from billboard.com
Sony BMG To Debut MP3 Album Cards
January 07, 2008 - Retail
By Ed Christman, N.Y.
Sony BMG Music Entertainment will roll out its Platinum MusicPass series of digital album cards beginning Jan. 15 at Best Buy, Target and Fred's, with Trans World and Winn-Dixie coming to the party by the end of January.
In Canada, participating retailers include Best Buy, CD Plus, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Wal-Mart with HMV coming on board sometime during the first quarter.
As reported previously, the move marks the company's first commercial foray into MP3s in the U.S., a strategy that until recently it resisted in favor of selling files with digital rights management capabilities.
The digital album gift cards, which retail for $12.99, will be artist-specific and feature album artwork, and will come with bonus material. The card will contain a scratch-off that will reveal a PIN number that can be redeemed for a download at MusicPass.com.
"We see MusicPass as a great way to bring digital music to the physical retail space," said Sony BMG Music Entertainment global digital business & U.S. sales president Thomas Hesse in a statement. "We believe it will have strong appeal for a broad range of consumers, and that it will ultimately expand both the digital and physical markets for music."
Among the titles receiving this treatment are the Backstreet Boys' "Unbreakable"; Brad Paisley's "5th Gear;" Bruce Springsteen's "Magic"; Celine Dion’s "Taking Chances"; John Mayer’s "Continuum"; Three Days Grace's "One-X"; and Tony Bennett's "Duets." Compilations include "70's Pop Hits"; "Sensational 60's"; "Country Gold"; and "Everlasting Love."
In addition, as part of the launch, two titles--Kenny Chesney's "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" and Celine Dion's "Taking Chances"--will also come with expanded offerings that retail for $19.99. In addition to those complete albums, the expanded MusicPass offering on those titles will include bonus material and the choice of one additional album from that same artist's catalog.
To see what the cards look like, go to: http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3i017145c042c6bedacb734078d47045db
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