This is great, keep the questions coming.
Freakwncy wrote
yes, I'm making plans to sale it on a local internet site. I definetly want it on the streets too... the fans make the stars, the record companies only sign them and their paychecks....
thanks again...
quote:
God wrote on 03-08-04 04:15 PM:
Market it so a record company can pick up the project? Who do you want the music to be 'sold' to. Do you want it pitched to A&R to get signed, or people on the streets? If you reply I'll answer it.
quote:
Freakwncy wrote on 03-08-04 10:45 PM:
Merc. and I have put together a collabo w/ me on the boards and Merc. on the mic...and hints on how to market it...
This is my response:
I think what is needed is a reality check. In no way am I going to demean you or your situation. However, I do want to shed light on the abilities for your album to become a success and the intricacies involved with the market today and distribution.
This post is going to be very long, and I will define both the independent strategy and its correlation to major label strategy in order to give you, and the rest of the people reading this, a broader picture. People must read this because it will happen.
A viable internet strategy would require the effective use of your personal time for promotion, an apt marketing plan and the ingenuity to disseminate information about your product to your targets. Friends and family can account for some sales, but in order to become viable, orchestration and timing is necessary.
FIRST:
First of all, the internet is a good way to release an album, because it enables a purchase from a remote location possible through payment of credit cards, etc. Also, it provides you a way to instantly showcase your album, press kit, to individuals from any remote location in the world. This, obviously, is something you already know, but how can you make your independent record worth the business risk?
MONEY:
The main factor is money. Money gives you the ability to press CD's, money gives you the ability to make posters, to make flyers. MONEY IS WHAT GETS YOUR CD on the front of the distributor's list sheet. MONEY is what enables you to take reporters from the local paper out to lunch, and hob-nob with the local media "elites" (what punters!) Without a significant investment behind your product, I doubt that there will be success. Most people I have seen have had some large form of investment behind them before they ever became anything. If you have enough money to flood the streets with your banners and posters, you're off to a good start, if not, read on.
GO LOCAL:
Perform at local shows. Find a connection by getting in your local music scene (this takes social skills and the ability to smoothtalk) to a major local promoter (Clearchannel, etc.) that can use you as an opening act. While doing this, try to build a fanbase by "exaggerating" the truth about who you are. The media loves this, and you should probably have some sort of gimmick. Always give the media what they want. If it's local media, they want to show that their local acts may be "better" than the mainstream, so if you are underground really really talk about how "true and underground" your music is. Most local media people are looking to get to a better paper, are usually in their late twenties early thirties, and know a lot about literature. Correlate your work with not just other rap artists, but famous writers, painters... etc. They will eat that up. If you are different from the other people in your area, you will establish yourself as somebody personable any media can talk to. Do not have an attitude with them, and always be personable. However, make sure to play your part.
LOCAL MEDIA:
Any media attention will draw some, though not extremely significant response. That's usually why bands with backing hire a press agent or public relations specialist (they have local ones, I'm sure... some thirty-something woman that always wears tight designer knock-offs, looks slightly aged but still attractive, and is trying to 'make it on her own' after she got fired or quit a reputable PR firm or advertising agency.) It is this person's job to consistently send press releases to the contacts. Furthermore, the contacts are people the press agent wines and dines to establish a relationship. The media people will be more receptive to a press agent than a young rapper because of stereotypes (oh, he's a rapper, he must not know anything) it's just their unfortunate internal discrimination against people that aren't "like them." Anyway, it has to be dealt with. So if you can't hire a press agent, hit the phones to find out who you know that knows somebody at a paper. Take that person out to eat, pretend to be their friend, and then keep pushing your information in their face. ONE PUBLISHED ARTICLE ON YOU WILL NOT DO ANYTHING. YOU NEED REPETITION. THE MORE YOU ARE IN A NEWSPAPER, THE MORE YOU ARE 'LEGITIMISED' GIVING YOU MORE POWER THAN YOUR COMPETITION. Media is fickle, you have to get in it to establish yourself. That's how people base some of your worth as an artist on..
Another more devious way, shower reporters with gifts in exchange for an article.
THAT IS WRONG, I DO NOT CONDONE THAT. Wait that also happens in radio. Don't even try to get to radio unless you have a good friend that works for a station.
So you need to get your name out in the press, also, establish a "mailing list" where your fans can enjoy benefits from being signed up to your website. Don't spam them, and NEVER EVER MAKE A WEBSITE FORUM WHEN YOU KNOW A SMALL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WILL POST. That's pathetic.
LOCAL RECORD STORES:
If people like your album, you have to consistently keep it in their face. Cut deals with local record stores. Honestly, I don't deal with such things, because department stores are a lot easier to deal with, especially when you have legal payola occurring there. Record companies pay for the positioning of a record in a store chain, so it's easier to work with one person in charge of a lot of stores, than many in charge of mom and pop stores that barely make a profit per month. With local record stores, perhaps it is possible to cut a deal with them and see what they want in exchange for placing your album in a listening station. Remember, though, that mom and pop stores deal with major record distributors, so you are competing with their money for placement in a listening station. If I owned a business why would I risk putting you in a listening station when UNI already has an established deal with me? Do you catch my point? You are new and pose a risk to the business owner.
GRASSROOTS:
Getting a grassroots movement going of people that actually follow you, and you consistently putting out music and playing shows, will over time, help you grow. That's common sense. But you have to always tour and not do it with a half-heart. However, I also know of smart record reps that have hired actors or used their interns to create a "mob scene" at a show to promote a nobody, or to push a record in a teen crowd, and then orchestrated the entire event with the local media. And this is for an artist that just got signed. The whole point is to make it "look real" without people knowing. Anyway, without such deviousness, the thing is, that people have to like your music. I have not heard your music, but people tend to be fickle. The key is to expand beyond friends and family. You have to constantly interact with your fans, make your website personable and something that is an extension of what they believe in. Have your friends that believe in you to brainwash their friends. Give them shirts and other things to promote you. Make it interactive.
***TOUR AND MANAGE YOURSELF:***
You have to be your own manager, book a tour, get a small van, and drive around. Keep playing shows outside of your city and expand your audience, even though only 15 people per venue will see you. If you are cocky and say "I need a booking agent" what booking agent will take a risk of dealing with you when you are starting off? NONE. You really need to constantly tour to stay in people's minds. Remember, when you tour, you are going to have to send press releases to every music publication in the area where you are going to route your tour. So, you have to research everything on the internet regarding contact numbers for venues and press, etc. If you don't have a lot of money, having somebody sell your merchandise at the show is the best way to get money. Tour, tour, tour... you will hate it at first, but if you stick to it, it might pay off, and you might sell 500-1000 records depending on how many cities you hit with a van. You'll probably go into debt, and that will hurt. Do you have the time to take a couple months off from regular life to tour? AND DO NOT LET A FRIEND MANAGE YOU. MANAGE YOURSELF. When you tour, after you tour, you can talk to idiot reporters about how your tour went, so it in itself is a media event.
If you are persistent, and dedicate most of your time to your dream in music, a small real independent label might pick you up (a label that is independent, but managed to get independent distribution through a national non-major distributor... one like Caroline Distribution.) The thing is, touring is an effective strategy of making money by playing shows and selling your record. The problem is that you can't SoundScan record sales at a concert, so you don't have anything to send to A&R if you want to get signed.
I disagree with you that fans will get you a record contract. I have seen it go too many times the other way, where I can make YOU get a lot of fans after I signed you as a nobody.
OK. Here is what I would do from a major's standpoint to put out a record.
My name is God, and I am president of Columbia Records.
I have to release a record that nobody has ever heard about.
I test the record in sample demographic groups (to find the audience.) OK, I found my audience. They are 12-18 year old girls. They like rap.
I call PR. I say "hype this rapper. Subcontract another company to put out exagerrated stories. Have people place orchestrated posts concerning the record. Use the punters at an ad agency to get their psychological marketing gurus to make the story about the rapper and a believable text 'plants' to hype the rapper. Have that sh#t all over the internet and in the media. Get word of mouth working. What the f*ck am I paying you idiots for." - or something like that.
I call my independent promoter. I have lunch with him at the Four Seasons. We talk sh#t about family, friends. He accepts to push your first single.
That first single will cost me 1 million dollars nationally in the US, 300.000 or more pound sterling in UK, etc. The independent promoter will assume liability (usually) for any type of legal payola he does, like buying cars for radio stations to give away for contests, in return for spins on the radio. The promoter has a good network of individuals at the major radio networks, and they will give their underlings in each market marching orders.
I will usually send my most attractive in-house radio promotions rep to different markets. She will wine and dine the GM's or the programme directors. She will serve as a relationship conduit between my company and the radio market.
The single will get spins. People will hear it. "It better be on the A-list. I'm f#cking paying for that sh*t." Usually, I'm angry.
A video, in the meantime is made. Usually for a smaller budget, and it will be give to MTV for free (as it always is) or for a "token sum." In return, I have an ad on MTV. I will have lunch or dinner with a certain executive there, who will do what I (or a promoter) says.
KICKBACKS, WHICH ARE WRONG, OCCUR.
I send his family on vacation to St. Barts, or a promoter does that. They like their new tans. Either way, the song is on MTV2.
I call up my ad reps. Is there a new product Nike wants to sell? What are they called... Air Force Twos? Okay, my artist will be wearing Air Force Twos. He doesn't like them? NO, is not a word I like to hear. HE WILL LIKE THEM. Money from Nike exposure changes his mind. In fact, the video might be recut to show them. You should also go back in the studio and say something about Air Force Twos. It will cost more, but Nike will back you. Maybe they'll have your song on one of their ads. Nike has a deal with MTV already beforehand to push product (you didn't think they DIDN'T do that, did you?) and your single will be on the air on Main MTV.
If you stop right there- I've already put you (the artist) in the ears of millions of listeners and viewers. In one month I can do much more than you are ever do going from the ground up. It's morally wrong, but it's business. You can be the best rapper in the world. I still can make the biggest garbage to have exposure, making sure that the garbage artist has the right direction from producers, etc.
Now, a friend of yours is at one of your shows, there's fifteen people in the audience. After your show your friend comes up to you and says, "Great show, man, I know you'll be great. Just keep touring for another year, somebody will see you." You look at his shoes. He has a new pair of Air Force Twos on his feet. You say: "Yeah, man, I'm trying." Later his girlfriend picks you up. She's playing a CD from MY ARTIST. Your friend tells his girlfriend to "turn that crap mainstream garbage off." She does. They put in your CD. Your friend is still wearing Air Force Twos that my artist promotes. You go home, turn on the TV, and it's my artist's song in a Nike Commercial with some athlete. I've legitimised my artist through some simple media orchestration. You hate him because he sucks. I don't care what you think as long as he brings in money.
Do you see what you're dealing with? You're competing, on some level with the mainstream. I think it's imperative you start grassroots and sacrifice, and tour as much as possible to bring in a loyal fanbase if that is what you desire. If you want to stay underground, than be AS UNDERGROUND AS POSSIBLE and play that to your advantage. If you want a major label deal, then that's a different story, unless there's a label that can make money off you (there is.) If you have a small underground fanbase that can buy your records, you may make a living.
Sure, fans buy records. But who are your fans. How big is your market? Are they sophisticated enough to care about what you're rapping about, or does someone like Nelly appeal to them when he has a "love" song. Who makes more money?
Sincerely,
God
I hope this has helped somewhat. If it didn't, post telling me how to reanalyse things.
) Even if somebody has heard your music, do you have the right attitude, are you a personable individual that is easy to work with, or very arrogant? Why would, if I was an exec, or rep, want to give you a shot when you are not out there trying to get in the circles that cound (in your country) and get your name known.
