Sorted Noise artist Kylee Johnson will be singing as Bachelorette winner Jesse Csincsak and Ann Lueders tie the knot today in Las Vegas. Jesse commissioned Kylee and co-writer Deanna Harper with writing a song for the couple to dance to. Bride-to-be Leuders loved the song so much that she insisted it be performed while she walked down the aisle.

The wedding will be televised and aired in a few weeks. Read more about the couple here at People.com. Here’s the latest press release from Vegas…

Keep an eye (and ear) out for the song “Feel You” when the wedding is broadcast! Congrats Kylee and Deanna!

A national Gap radio campaign…

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Song: “Ready, Set Go”

If you catch a Gap commercial on the radio and hear some sweet sounds in the background, you can bet it’s your pals at Sorted Noise…

L.A. Ink

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Song: “Sail Over Sunset”

In collaboration with Jon Ernst (Music supervisor for The Hills, The City), Sorted Noise created this track for L.A. Ink. It will be used during the upcoming season on TLC!

Pretty Little Liars

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The new hit series on ABC Family will air an episode this week where you can hear Thad strumming on the acoustic guitar, accompanying the singing of one of these pretty little liars. In the scene, Aria is singing and Chris is playing guitar, but in actuality, Thad had to watch Chris’ hand and overdub a guitar part which worked musically and matched Chris’ movements. Crazy!

We’re super excited about these upcoming placements and hope you get to check ‘em out for yourself!

Check it out:

Kylee Johnson, multi-talented singer-songwriter out of LA via Salt Lake City, recently recorded an EP with Sorted Noise which is generating buzz all over the map. Radio stations all over Salt Lake have been featuring Kylee’s music and her EP recently caught the ear of former “Bachelor” TV star Jesse Csincsak.

Jesse devoted a blog post to Kylee on his personal site which receives 20,000 hits per day. Read the full post here, which also includes Kylee’s mp3’s. We’re excited for all the buzz Kylee is getting with this latest effort!

So it was with stoic sorrow that I learned that less than a 1/4 mile from my house in Bellevue TN, where my place was high and dry, our dear friend and renowned country artist Julie Roberts was flooded up to her chest and later rescued by boat along with her mother, sister, and 4 dogs from the second story of their home.

Just days before, Sorted Noise had recorded a project with Julie, including the song “Somebody Does,” which is an inspiring reminder that no matter how hard things seems, somebody out there loves you and is thinking about you. The song is certainly timely during this difficult period and it’s been amazing to watch Julie, who despite the devastation to her own home, has continued to lend her time and talents to the recovery effort, including performing “Somebody Does” for the Nashville Flood Relief telethon which along with Vince Gill, Keith Urban and a host of Nashville’s talent was able to raise over 1.7 million dollars in funds for the relief effort.

You can listen and share the new track here…

We encourage everyone to spread this widget along with awareness of the recent events in Nashville.

Throughout this ordeal, Julie became a trusted resource for many news networks including Fox and The Weather Channel. You can read her first-hand account of the flooding below:

Our thoughts and prayers are with Julie and everyone who was affected by this tragedy.

To catch up, here are links to the past 12 weeks worth of blogs…

Part 1 – Meet The Artist

Part 2 – 3 Things That Have Let Me Quit My Day Job

Part 3 – 5 Things Music Supervisors Are Looking For in You and Your Music

Part 4 – 5 Truths About Licensing Companies

Part 5 – 5 Rules to Follow When Getting Your Music to Music Supervisors

Part 6 – The First 3 Questions of Artist Positioning

Part 7 – A Real Life, Current Example of Artist Positioning at its Finest

Part 8 – Applying Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics to an Album Release

Part 9 – 3 Key Tactics For The Release of The New Secrets In Stereo Album

Part 10 – 5 Blogs Every Indie Artist Should Read Every Day

Part 11 – 5 Keys to a Successful Fan Funding Campaign

Part 12 – 3 Examples of Fan Funding Done Right

I’ve been in LA for the past two weeks, meeting with a bunch of Music Supervisors.  I’ve been lucky enough to talk shop with some great music minds, including the vice president of one of the biggest film studios in the world, as well as the Supervisor for some of the biggest TV shows in the last 5 years.  I’m going to keep them anonymous, but trust me, they’re awesome.

Just when you think you have it figured out, you sit down with people like this, and they give you great insight.  I thought it was too great not to pass along to you.  So, this week, we’re going to expand on Part 3, and look at 3 more things Supervisors are looking for in you and your music.

1. Don’t Tell the Story.  Speak Around it.

This one is kinda tough to wrap your head around, but it’s sooooo important.  The story can only be told once.  Either by the dialogue, the visual, or the audible.  If a song is describing exactly what’s being seen visually, then the story is being told twice.  That doesn’t work.  The Supervisor that told me this did an interview in Time, and summed this concept up perfectly…

If a song tells too much of the story, it takes you out of the film. Because then you’re like, I’m already watching the story unfold, I don’t need lyrics to tell me the exact same thing.

2. Stay Away From “He” and “She”

The same Supervisor said that whenever she hears a song with those words in it, she screams a curse word that I can’t repeat here.  ”He” and “She” pigeon hole a song.  If the singer is a girl, and she is talking about a “he” lyrically, then the scene has to be a female actress focusing on a guy.  On the flip side, take the “he” out, and it could be a guy focusing on a girl, a girl focusing on a girl, the list can get as creative as you want it to.  :)

3. Song Titles Matter

In the same vein as #2, the more specific the title, the less likely it will get listened to.  Simple as that.  Keep it accessible and interpretable.  For example, I have song titles like “Tonight,” “Happy,” and “Beautiful.”

Until next week!

Josh

www.SecretsinStereo.com

www.twitter.com/SecretsinStereo

www.facebook.com/SecretsinStereo

www.SortedNoise.com

www.twitter.com/SortedNoise

www.facebook.com/SortedNoise

P.S. If you’re finding what I’m saying interesting, maybe other people will too! Pass along these blogs on Twitter, Facebook, and through Email.  Thanks!

To catch up, here are links to the past 11 weeks worth of blogs…

Part 1 - Meet The Artist

Part 2 - 3 Things That Have Let Me Quit My Day Job

Part 3 - 5 Things Music Supervisors Are Looking For in You and Your Music

Part 4 - 5 Truths About Licensing Companies

Part 5 - 5 Rules to Follow When Getting Your Music to Music Supervisors

Part 6 - The First 3 Questions of Artist Positioning

Part 7 - A Real Life, Current Example of Artist Positioning at its Finest

Part 8 - Applying Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics to an Album Release

Part 9 - 3 Key Tactics For The Release of The New Secrets In Stereo Album

Part 10 - 5 Blogs Every Indie Artist Should Read Every Day

Part 11 – 5 Keys to a Successful Fan Funding Campaign

Jill Sobule gets a lot of press when it comes Fan Funding.  And in a lot of ways, rightfully so.  This week, I want to look at 3 campaigns that you might not know about.  But, are equally, if not more impressive than hers.

1. Five Times August

Just generally speaking, if you are a DIY artist, this guy should probably be your blueprint.  Not just with Fan Funding.  He teamed up Kickstarter.com in its very early stages for a campaign, and raised over $20,000 in 31 days.  Not too shabby.  Check out his Kickstarter page here.

Besides having a rock solid foundation of fans, I see two things he did that made his campaign successful that we could learn from.  One, he created urgency with a 31 day timeframe.  And two, he created a societal element by donating half of his sales for the rest of the year if and only if they reached their goal. Very smart on both accounts.

2. Allison Weiss

There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Allison.  I hadn’t.  But, she is a prime example that you don’t have to have a massive following or a large number of backers (she had a little over 200) to make Fan Funding work.  Again, through Kickstarter, she actually far exceeded her goal of $2,000 by raising over $7,700.  That’s remarkable, as most backers stop backing once the goal is met.  Check out her Kickstarter page here.

Two things jump out at me as to why her campaign was so successful.  One, she’s real and relate-able.  Her video is very basic, but she comes across like-able.  And that’s a good quality to have when you’re trying to get people to give you money.  You can’t fake that.  And two, she was super creative and super personal with her packages.

3. Ellis Paul

Some of you may have heard of Ellis.  He got some press with his Fan Funding campaign (although I would argue not enough).  He is the perfect candidate for Fan Funding.  A large following.  An amazing artist that can deliver.  And a fan base that is older and affluent.  All this adds up to raising over $100,000.  I’m a little bit biased with Ellis’ project, because Sorted Noise actually produced it.  But, none the less, he is a great example of how Fan Funding can be a game changer.

There is a GREAT case study article by Rachel Klein from Ellis’ management company on Nimbit.com that details the specs on his campaign.  I highly recommend it.  You can read it here.

Until next week!

Josh

www.SecretsinStereo.com

www.twitter.com/SecretsinStereo

www.facebook.com/SecretsinStereo

www.SortedNoise.com

www.twitter.com/SortedNoise

www.facebook.com/SortedNoise

P.S. If you’re finding what I’m saying interesting, maybe other people will too! Pass along these blogs on Twitter, Facebook, and through Email.  Thanks!

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To catch up, here are links to the past 10 weeks worth of blogs…

Part 1 - Meet The Artist

Part 2 - 3 Things That Have Let Me Quit My Day Job

Part 3 - 5 Things Music Supervisors Are Looking For in You and Your Music

Part 4 - 5 Truths About Licensing Companies

Part 5 - 5 Rules to Follow When Getting Your Music to Music Supervisors

Part 6 - The First 3 Questions of Artist Positioning

Part 7 - A Real Life, Current Example of Artist Positioning at its Finest

Part 8 - Applying Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics to an Album Release

Part 9 - 3 Key Tactics For The Release of The New Secrets In Stereo Album

Part 10 – 5 Blogs Every Indie Artist Should Read Every Day

This week, I want to expand upon one of my Tactics… Fan Funding.  It seems to be a buzz word lately, but with only a handful of examples out there, it can be hard to know if it’s right for you.  Well, I’m just about through with my Fan Funding campaign, so I thought I would pass along what I’ve learned.  Good and bad.  It really boils down to these 5 keys to success (For each Key, there is a “Me” section where I’ll give my personal experience)

1.  DIY or Kickstarter.com

First things first.  Who is going to facilitate the campaign?  You or a third party?  (From this point forward, the “third party” will be called Kickstarter.  They are the only company I’ve seen that’s worth considering)  Obviously, there are pros and cons for both sides.  The pro for Kickstarter, is they provide a platform and a home for your campaign.  The con, they take a 5% cut.  The pro for DIY is you keep 100% of the money.  The con, you have to build a web page and incorporate Paypal buttons.

Me – I was lucky to have a friend who is a genius with HTML code.  So, it made sense for me to build my fan funding page right into my own site.  But, if I didn’t have that friend, I wouldn’t think twice about using Kickstarter.

2.  An Existing Foundation of Fans

There is no point in even thinking about a fan funding project if you don’t have a solid infrastructure set up.  By “infrastructure,” I mean an active Facebook Fan Page, Twitter account, and most importantly, an large email list.  The “if you build it, they will come” strategy won’t work here.  You are going after the most devoted of your fans.  This is usually about 10% of your email list.  So, you need to have a pretty big army to pitch to, and to have them pitch for you.

Me – I had just over 2,000 emails on my email list.  I can tell you from experience, that is about as low as you probably want to go with.

3.  Fans with Credit Cards

This one is sooooo obvious, yet so important.  Yes, you can accept checks.  But, the majority of your commerce with this, is going to be through cards.  Before you jump in, make sure you know your fan profile.  Are they 35 and middle class?  Or, are they 16 and living with their parents?

Me – Remember how I said this one was obvious?  Well, I slightly overlooked it.  I have two factions of fans.  One, is 24-35, and the other is 15-18.  So, basically, my potential funders were cut down substantially before I ever launched the campaign.

4.  Smart Price Points

This is, again, all based upon your fan profile.  If they’re college aged, then you might want to offer the bulk of your packages in the $10-$75 range.  If they are mid 30’s working class, then maybe lean a little higher, while also adding a few “just go for it” levels (ie. $500-$5,000).  You never know.

Me – I looked at some other successful campaigns on Kickstarter of bands that had, what I thought, similar audiences.  I noticed the most popular package with those bands was in the $25 range.  So, feeling confident I could get the up sale, I sweetened my $25 package by making sure it was a significant upgrade from the $10.  Also, I added a number of high dollar packages, and someone purchased my $2,500 one.

5.  Rare Content That’s Targeted

As much as we would like to think that a fan is purchasing a package to help us out, they aren’t.  They are purchasing that package because of its content.  And, the most enticing content is rare, exclusive, personalized, and targeted. It has to resonate with the people you are going after.  You have to give them a reason to buy.

Me –  My music has really connected with Twilight fans, and I have a lot of them as fans myself.  Because of this, I created two special packages just for them.  The exclusive content in the packages were based around the two songs that have really resonated with that fandom.

Hopefully, this shed some light on idea of Fan Funding.  I had a modest goal of $5,000, and even with my mistake of overlooking the fact that a large portion of my fans didn’t have credit cards, I was able to meet that (thanks to the purchase of the $2,500 package).  To be honest, it’s pretty hard to mess a Fan Funding campaign up.  There isn’t much overhead, and it doesn’t take a lot of time or energy to do it right.  So, if you can follow these Keys, go for it!

Until next week!

Josh

www.SecretsinStereo.com

www.twitter.com/SecretsinStereo

www.facebook.com/SecretsinStereo

www.SortedNoise.com

www.twitter.com/SortedNoise

www.facebook.com/SortedNoise

P.S. If you’re finding what I’m saying interesting, maybe other people will too! Pass along these blogs on Twitter, Facebook, and through Email.  Thanks!

To catch up, here are links to the past 9 weeks worth of blogs…

Part 1 - Meet The Artist

Part 2 - 3 Things That Have Let Me Quit My Day Job

Part 3 - 5 Things Music Supervisors Are Looking For in You and Your Music

Part 4 - 5 Truths About Licensing Companies

Part 5 - 5 Rules to Follow When Getting Your Music to Music Supervisors

Part 6 - The First 3 Questions of Artist Positioning

Part 7 - A Real Life, Current Example of Artist Positioning at its Finest

Part 8 - Applying Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics to an Album Release

Part 9 – 3 Key Tactics For The Release of The New Secrets In Stereo Album

I want to get off the beaten path a little bit this week, and talk about the “Evolution of Information.”  Although, I do dog the lack of real life, usable information out there for artists, there are thinkers that are a part of the solution.  This past week, I had an artist friend of mine ask me who I thought those people were.  I thought that was a great question, and it seemed the best way to answer it is to give you the blogs that I have bookmarked and read every day.  So, that’s what I’m gonna do!

Something to remember, there are a ton of obvious great music blogs out there.  This list I’m going to try to pass along are the ones you might not be aware of, and also look at a couple that you may have never thought of from a music perspective before.

1. Hypebot.com

No doubt about it, the first blog I read every morning.  Run by Bruce Houghton and Kyle Bylin, they usually post 7-10 blogs first thing in the morning, and the site is a great place to start the day.  Post topics range from the major industry news of the day to under the radar success stories of DIY artists.

I would highly recommend reading some of Kyle Bylin’s posts.   In my opinion, he is a leader in the “Evolution of Information.”  Very deep, but great thoughts.  You can check out some of his posts here.

2. Mashable.com

VERY popular blog that focuses on social media.  Although the site isn’t music focused, you can learn so much from how other industries are using social media.  This is one you will want to subscribe to their RSS feed.  They post well over 25 posts a day.

3. MusicThinkTank.com

I know a lot of you know about this blog, because my posts have been getting a ton of traffic from this site.  But, for those who don’t know, MTT.com is space that’s owned and operated by a handful of forward thinking bloggers.  Notably, Bruce Warila and Andrew Dubber.  They all contribute posts, so it’s a great place to get a lot of different views on a wide range of topics.  Also, there is an “Open” section where anyone can post.  Occasionally, there is some decent content there as well.

4. MusicianCoaching.com

This is a new one on my list, and I’m still testing it out.  So far, so good.  It’s run by former major label A&R guy, Rick Goetz.  What I love about the site is Rick gets great interviews.  He just posted one with an Advertising Agency Producer, and discussed how music is chosen and used in Ads.  Great, unique content.

5. DamnIWish.com

Short for “Damn I Wish I Had Thought of That,” this is another one that isn’t music focused (Detecting a trend?).  The tag line for this blog is “Unusually Useful Ideas For Smart Marketers,”  and that’s exactly what the site is.  The blogs are daily and short, and it’s a great place for ideas.

Like I said before, there are a ton of great blogs out there.  Let me know which ones should be on this list.  Just leave a comment!  I’m always looking for great thinkers that make me think.

Until next week!

Josh

www.SecretsinStereo.com

www.twitter.com/SecretsinStereo

www.facebook.com/SecretsinStereo

www.SortedNoise.com

www.twitter.com/SortedNoise

www.facebook.com/SortedNoise

P.S. If you’re finding what I’m saying interesting, maybe other people will too! Pass along these blogs on Twitter, Facebook, and through Email.  Thanks!

Telling a Story on the Label -Seth Godin

Here’s a $20 bottle of soap. Functionally identical to a $3 bottle, so what’s the $17 for?

Let’s assume the people buying it aren’t stupid. What are they paying $17 for? A story. A feeling. A souvenir of a shopping expedition or perhaps just a little bit of joy in the shower every morning. Let’s dissect:

1. The hang tag. It’s special because most soap doesn’t have a hang tag. Hang tags come on things that are a little more special than soap. And hang tags beg to be read. This one says a lot (and nothing, at the same time.) It reminds us that it doesn’t contain SLS. What’s SLS? Is it as bad as SLES?

2. This isn’t soap. It’s mineral botanic. Both words are meaningless, which means the purchaser can attach whatever feelings they choose to them. In this case, the marketer is hoping for old-time, genuine, down-to-earth and real.

3. It’s not made by a soap company. It’s made in a Dead Sea Laboratory. Laboratories, of course, are where scientists work, and the Dead Sea is biblical, spiritual and really salty. The company has a name (Ahava) that is onomatopoeic and reminds you of breathing. Breathe deep and find calm. [Even better, I'm told it means 'love' in Hebrew].

4. My favorite part is that it’s made from bamboo and pansy. At least a little. Bamboo because it’s fast growing and Asian and gentle and wood and grass at the same time. And pansy… well… pansy is for girls.

5. Two really good things here. First, it’s for very dry skin. This is brilliant. If your skin is dry, you don’t want to hear that it’s sort of dry, kind of dry, not as dry as that guy over there… No, you want to hear that it’s extremely dry, really dry, so dry it’s like sand. That kind of dry. This bottle understands how very dry your skin is, and it’s here to help.

Also, it’s in French! I love that there’s the language of love and sophistication and diplomacy right here on the bottle. I can imagine that models for Chanel are using it on the Rive Gauche as we speak.

6. Did I mention the part about velvet?

It took guts to take this packaging so over the top. It doesn’t match my worldview, but it might match yours. There’s not a lot of room for slightly-out-of-the-ordinary.

I think Godin is dead on target with his synopsis of what this label evokes in the potential customer. Now, many people wake up in the morning and scrub down with soap worth 50 cents a squirt when they could be doing it for a penny. And they’re happy to do so, thanks to the clever packaging. And while Godin doesn’t necessarily agree with this approach, there’s no real harm as long as the customer feels satisfied with their purchase.

Now for packaging gone wrong.

“Trump Ice”

I played a show a couple years ago in a Trump-owned casino in Atlantic City and our dressing room was stocked with bottles of Trump Ice. So basically Donald threw together a bottled water company for the express purpose of filling his establishments with more reminders of his unruly head of hair.

I find this packaging to be rather devastating. It’s just wrong all around. First of all, bottles of water usually have a picture of a refreshing spring, waterfall, or other thirst-inspiring graphic. Here we have a picture of a scowling Donald Trump. Thirsty yet? Even worse is the brief description of this water on the back of the bottle:

“Our Spring water is one of the highest quality spring waters
bottled in the world with an optimal mineral content.
It is bottled in a modern facility and continually tested to ensure
quality. Enjoy a refreshing drink of our natural spring water
and you’ll agree… The Difference is Clear.”

Hmmm…. Bottled in a modern facility? Like the Don’s bathroom? And what spring did this water spring from? A spring in Hell from the looks of this picture. And Donald Trump is the evil overlord. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a more nebulous and suspicious description of bottled water in my life.

Oh well, I drank it anyway.

And I drank it because it was the only source of clean water provided for me during my stay in Atlantic City, which is the ONLY reason someone would reach for a bottle of Trump Ice. Luckily for the Don, he didn’t create this product to compete with any other bottled water. When you’re the only game in town you can afford to put a picture of an angry old man backed by a wall of flames frowning down on a city sky line on the front of your bottled water.

Point is, even Donald Trump could stand to pay attention to some of this stuff. With some repackaging, he might be able to actually sell his product in stores rather than having to force people to drink by removing all their other options.

On that note, I think I’ll go grab a diet Coke…

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Here are links to the past 8 weeks worth of blogs…

Part 1 – Meet The Artist

Part 2 – 3 Things That Have Let Me Quit My Day Job

Part 3 – 5 Things Music Supervisors Are Looking For in You and Your Music

Part 4 – 5 Truths About Licensing Companies

Part 5 – 5 Rules to Follow When Getting Your Music to Music Supervisors

Part 6 – The First 3 Questions of Artist Positioning

Part 7 – A Real Life, Current Example of Artist Positioning at its Finest

Part 8 – Applying Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics to an Album Release

This week, I want to focus on 3 key Tactics that are being implemented during the release of my new album.  I would highly recommend opening another page with last week’s blog, so you can see my comments on the Objectives and Strategies that these Tactics are addressing.  But, just for a recap, here are the 3 Objectives for this project…

All to be reached by the street date of June 1st, 2010:

1. The Production and Distribution of the album are paid for

2. Double the size of SIS’s email list, Twitter followers, and Facebook fans respectively

3. Receive coverage from popular Music/Web 2.0 blogs

Now, having stated those, here are the key Tactics that will help meet those Objectives:

1. Fan Funding

I have yet to hear of an artist that tried fan funding and had it bomb.  Sure, there are different levels of success.  Ellis Paul, who Sorted Noise had the honor of producing his fan funded record, raised over $100,000.  I, on the other hand, have a much lower goal money-wise.  But, I’m about to reach it.  Last week, someone purchased my $2,500 package.

There are really two questions you need to be able to answer “yes” to… One, do I have at least 2,000 emails on my email list?  And two, do my fans have credit cards?  If the answer is yes to both, go for it.  You can either design the page on your own, and use Paypal buttons (That’s what I did, with the help of my buddy Jimmy Jernigan).  Or, I would recommend Kickstarter.  They take a fee, but seem to be good at what they do.

You can view my fan funded page at www.secretsinstereo.com/newalbum And, you can view a case study on Ellis Paul’s fan funding project at here at Nimbit.com

2. Utilize Topspin’s Email for Media, Re-Tweet For a Track, and Fan and Share on Facebook For a Track Widgets

Topspin is ridiculous.  The Sorted Noise crew just finished our Berklee course on the platform, and the suite of widgets they offer is game changing.  Not to mention the invaluable data you gather with them.

For my campaign, my goal is to double my direct to fan reach (email list, Twitter, Facebook).  Topspin has a widget for each one of those tasks.  For each one respectively, I will ask for either an email, a follow and re-tweet, or a become a fan and post.  In exchange, I’ll offer an download of a track off of the yet-to-be-released new album.  If a fan does all three, they’ve got almost a third of the album before it’s released.  Again, the goal here isn’t monetary (although I’m sure these actions will turn into dollars), it’s building awareness and a fan base.

3. Write Blogs Detailing Your Experience

Wait a minute!  Don’t worry, you haven’t’ been duped.  I do have a passion for this information, and I do want to help other artists.  No doubt about it.  That’s my main goal.  But, yes, these blogs do gain attention for myself and my project.  No doubt about that either.  And, you should start thinking through that prism as well.

Until next week!

Josh

www.SecretsinStereo.com

www.twitter.com/SecretsinStereo

www.facebook.com/SecretsinStereo

www.SortedNoise.com

www.twitter.com/SortedNoise

www.facebook.com/SortedNoise

P.S. If you’re finding what I’m saying interesting, maybe other people will too! Pass along these blogs on Twitter, Facebook, and through Email.  Thanks!

In Part 1, we got to know each other. I introduced myself and let you in on my motivation and goals for this project. In Part 2, I gave you 3 things that have allowed me to quit my day job. In Part 3, I gave you 5 things Music Supervisors want from you and your music.  In Part 4, I told you 5 things I wish someone would have told me before I signed that contract with the licensing company. In Part 5, the 5 rules to follow when trying to get your music to Music Supervisors. In Part 6, we discovered the first 3 questions of Sorted Noise’s practice of Artist Positioning. And last week, we looked a look at Artist Positioning in action with Kesha.

The past 7 weeks, we’ve been looking back at what I’ve learned over the last few years.  This week, I want to begin looking forward.  Over the next few weeks, we’ll dig into the details of the strategies around the release of my next album.  And then follow the results of those strategies to see what worked and what didn’t.  The goal here, is we can not only learn from the specific tactics, but also the general structure of the process.

We’ll accomplish this by looking at everything through the prism of Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics.  I’m sure you’ve heard those terms before, but have you ever used them as a musician?  Well, you’re going to learn how.  I know it’s not sexy, but if you want to be successful at this game, then you have stay focused.  Setting overall goals, then breaking them all the way down to daily tasks is the only way to do this.

Specifically, this week let’s look at my Objectives and Strategies (Tactics are a whole other animal).

First, Objectives.  The key here is that they are specific and measurable.  In other words… numbers and percentages.  You should be able to determine if you met or didn’t meet these goals at the end of the campaign.

OBJECTIVES FOR THE RELEASE OF THE NEW ALBUM FROM SECRETS IN STEREO

Remember, I have a different view of what “the release” is.  For this project, I view the release as the first day I start writing.  Because that’s when I plan to begin monetizing it.  So, with that in mind, my 3 Objectives to be met by the street date of June 1st, 2010…

1. The Production and Distribution of the album are paid for

2. Double the size of SIS’s email list, Twitter followers, and Facebook fans respectively

3. Receive coverage from Music/Web 2.0 blogs (I realize this might lack a little “measurability.” But to be honest, if I receive any coverage at all, I would consider this objective reached)

Now, Strategies.  These are your general ideas and concepts as to how to meet your Objectives.  Each Objective might have multiple Strategies.  And, then each of those Strategies might have multiple Tactics.  So, it’s just a collapsable way to break things down.  It’s helpful when you are determining your Strategies (or reading though mine), to constantly look back to your Objectives and make sure you are staying focused.  The key here is that Strategies aren’t specific action steps.  That would be Tactics, and we’ll get to that later.

STRATEGIES FOR THE RELEASE OF THE NEW ALBUM FROM SECRETS IN STEREO

Objective One

1. Connect with fans early, and give them a product and incentive to buy that product early

Objective Two

1. Create content worth spreading

2. Provide opportunities to spread that content virally

3. Reward those who spread

Objective Three

1. Create a unique story

2. Provide useful info

You observant readers might notice a few of the strategies actually being implemented at this very moment.  But, don’t worry if you don’t.  Next week we’ll reveal the real life actions that I’ve taken to meet these Strategies and Objectives, when we look at Tactics.

Until then!

Josh

www.secretsinstereo.com
www.twitter.com/SecretsinStereo
www.sortednoise.com
www.twitter.com/SortedNoise

P.S. If you’re finding what I’m saying interesting, maybe other people will too! Pass along these blogs on Twitter, Facebook, and through Email. Thanks!

In Part 1, we got to know each other. I introduced myself and let you in on my motivation and goals for this project. In Part 2, I gave you 3 things that have allowed me to quit my day job. In Part 3, I gave you 5 things Music Supervisors want from you and your music.  In Part 4, I told you 5 things I wish someone would have told me before I signed that contract with the licensing company. In Part 5, the 5 rules to follow when trying to get your music to Music Supervisors. Last week, we discovered the first 3 questions of Sorted Noise’s practice of Artist Positioning. This week, we’re going to take a look at Artist Positioning in action and at its finest.

Like I said last week, Artist Positioning is discovering what separates you from your competition, then utilizing that identity to be memorable to a potential fan.  The “discovery” part is the hard part, and is different for every artist.  But, Sorted Noise has found that once the artist uncovers what makes them unique, they become empowered and are able to make decisions with ease.  The reason why?  Because every decision is made through the prism of… “Does this drive home my message?”  That’s the key.  Repeating what makes you unique over and over and over again.  The human mind gets cluttered with thousands of messages a day.  The more you repeat your’s, the more likely you’ll grab a position in a potential fan’s mind.

There is one artist out there right now that repeats her message and identity better than anyone…

Hello.  My name is Kesha, and my position is… Party Girl.

Kesha is huge right now.  She seemed to come out of no where late last year with her massive first single, “Tik Tok.”  But, put aside for a moment whether you like her or her music.  Let’s look at her strictly from a business/marketing perspective.

I think we all agree what we see is NOT little Kesha Rose Sebert from Nashville.  What we see is Ke$ha.  With a dollar sign.  And what we hear is the creation of super-producer, Dr. Luke (Britney, Katy Perry, etc).  But she isn’t the first artist to create a character around herself and her music.  So, what makes her so successful?  More than anyone before her (even Lady Gaga), she drives home her message (aka “the party girl”) with an obsessive persistence.

She always looks like the morning after a long night of partying.  She always sounds drunk when she talks.  She always redirects interviews to her agenda of partying and getting in trouble (See Annie’s article on how to do this).   When she pops up on gossip blogs, it’s always about her partying at a club (and usually getting kicked out of it).  Her choreography is intentionally sloppy.  Of the 14 tracks off of her debut album, Animal, 10 of them have a “party” theme.  Listen to some of the titles… “Hungover,” “Party at a Rich Dude’s House,” “Dancing With Tears in My Eyes.”  Even the ballads are based around dance floors and late nights.

Having said all of that, there is one big lesson we can all learn here.  And, it’s the same reason why she is successful… After about 10 minutes of listening to Kesha, you know exactly how to describe her to your friend.

It’s that simple…  She is easy to understand, and easy to communicate.

Are you?

Josh

www.secretsinstereo.com
www.twitter.com/SecretsinStereo
www.sortednoise.com
www.twitter.com/SortedNoise

P.S. If you’re finding what I’m saying interesting, maybe other people will too! Pass along these blogs on Twitter, Facebook, and through Email. Thanks!

But what about what YOU want to get out of an interview? Or rather, what you NEED to get out of an interview?

Now you don’t want to make anyone angry. And you’d like to come away from an interview with an exchange of material worthy in the journalists mind of being documented for their readers. But with some good preparation, a focussed agenda, and a slight change of perspective you can become great at the Art of the Interview.

Knowing your agenda…

Your agenda (ex. a new record or an upcoming show) is the reason you want to be interviewed in the first place.

If you don’t have a clear, focussed agenda for your interview, you’re better off not doing one. (I’m looking at you John Mayer.)

I recently had a conversation with my friend Matt Payne on the subject of interviews and he opened my eyes to a whole new world of communication. Matt joined a successful pop band a few years back, just days before they were to embark on a massive European tour. Matt was quickly brought up to speed by a professional Media Coach in order to be prepared for the onslaught of press the band would receive and to be ready to PUSH THE BAND’S AGENDA at all costs. No matter what questions were asked of Matt, he always brought the focus back to the new record and the tour. And he let me in on exactly how to do this.

Redirecting back to your agenda…

This is the entire secret to making your interview a success. No matter what questions you are asked, bring the topic of conversation back to your agenda.

To do this:

- Prepare 3-5 points in advance that communicate your agenda for the interview.

- Then create lead-off statements about each of these points to start each sentence during the interview.

NO MATTER WHAT QUESTION YOU ARE ASKED, LEAD OFF WITH A STATEMENT THAT DIRECTS THE FOCUS BACK TO YOUR AGENDA.

(You can watch any news channel to see this in action by the way. Once you recognize how it works you will be shocked at how infrequently the person being interviewed actually answers the questions they were asked.)

Here’s an example. Say you have an opportunity to do a 3 minute interview on a local radio station to talk about the release of a new EP with songs all about your mom. The agenda you will want to communicate might be:

1. The name of the EP

2. Information about where people can purchase the new EP

3. Info on how you’ll be donating some of the proceeds from sales to a local women’s shelter.

(Keep in mind, you’ve only got 3 minutes. You can’t afford to spend time on anything other than your agenda. Often, a product must be mentioned 10-15 times before a person will consider taking the time to investigate it on their own.)

Radio host: So who are you working with on this EP?

You: Well when I decided to put together an EP featuring songs about my mother, I knew I wanted to work with people who could relate to that idea. My producer so-and-so really understtod how important it was to get “Songs for my Mom” out to the public and worked with me to create the non-profit to get the proceeds to the Ronald McDonald house. We’ll be selling the EP through my website – www.mommasboy.com

“Who you worked with on this EP” is not relevant to the agenda at hand. And while you answered the question, you didn’t go into the life story of your producer. When you’ve only got 3 minutes to get your point across, it’s imperative that you redirect the focus back to your agenda. I managed to touch on all 3 of the agenda points while answering a question that was relevant to none of them. See what I mean?

The lead-off statement here is “Well when I decided to put together an EP featuring songs about my mother…”

Writing down a handful of statements like these will help guide you to stay on track and communicate what is truly essential to getting your desired agenda into the heads (and hopefully the hands) of your targeted demographic.

John Mayer’s mistake…

Superstars like Taylor Swift and John Mayer are master media manipulators. Which is probably why they’re so famous. Mayer is particularly  unscrupulous when it comes to dodging questions that aren’t part of his agenda. That is until his Playboy interview.

And thusly why you should NEVER go into an interview without a clear, focussed agenda.

Check out this interview on ABC from 2003. This was set up by his label to promote the release of “Heavier Things” the follow-up to the wildly successful “Room for Squares.” John’s (and John’s label’s) agenda in the interview is for him to come across as a geeky, nerdy, unlikely rock star. This was Mayer’s initial position in the marketplace. And that means staying away from the subject of having a smoking hot girlfriend.

Because Smoking Hot GF does NOT jibe with a Geeky agenda.

The interview opens with statements about John being “shy.” “the quiet guy,” “the guy who didn’t have a date for the prom.” Scroll to minute 2:30. This is where Mayer masterfully redirects the 2nd interview question “Do you have a girlfriend?” in a way that is funny and charming and makes you like him even more. At minute 2:50 John even goes so far as to state “I don’t have a lot of experience, you know, with women.”

As we all now know, the dude’s a complete sex maniac who, as quoted from his Playboy interview, gets “less ass now than I did when i was in a local band.”

But at the time, staying focussed on this agenda worked for him. Unfortunately (for this particular agenda anyway) he got so popular that the “Revenge of the Nerds” position quit working for him.

And now we turn to the Playboy interview.

This interview (which is too inappropriate to post here) was presumably conducted to generate buzz for Mayer’s forthcoming album “Battle Studies.” But after reading it, I come away with 2 main agenda points it appears Mayer wished to convey.

1. He’s addicted to sex.

2. He wishes people didn’t think he was a douche bag.

John dropped the F-Bomb 23 times during this interview. Topics of a sexual nature were mentioned 34 DIFFERENT times. The new record “Battle Studies” was mentioned a total of 7 times. 4 of those mentions were on the part of Playboy. Mayer took it upon himself to bring up the new record 3 times.

The term “Douche Bag” was mentioned 9 times.

Going into an interview with Playboy magazine without a strict agenda is like jumping into a pool of sharks with half a bucket of chum stuffed down your pants. You will be devoured. And now Mayer is paying dearly for off-color comments about African Americans, Homosexuals, and Jessica Simpson.

In closing…

Go and Google interviews with your favorite artist. I guarantee you will see them redirect to their agenda repeatedly throughout the interview. Tune into the way people are doing this all around you. And by the way, this stuff doesn’t come naturally, which is why people in the industry pay big bucks for Media Coaching. Matt Payne reiterates, “It seems sneaky but it’s not. You’re doing them (the interviewer) a favor. Don’t make them dig. Do the work for them. The whole idea of Media training is for you to take control of the interview. It seems counter-intuitive since you’re not the one asking the questions, but it can very quickly and easily be done. Interviewers ask questions to find out more about you. Don’t take the questions as direct questions. Use them to help people find out more about you and your agenda.”

Now of course, none of this will work if you don’t have the social media infrastructure set up to capitalize on the press your agenda may receive. But that’s a whole other blog.

I will say that, in a way, I feel for John Mayer. People can get comfortable and let their guard down. So I’ll close with one quote that I thought was pretty right-on from Mayer’s Playboy interview. (Notice in this quote how Playboy INVITES Mayer to talk about the new CD and he STILL can’t get with the program!)

Playboy: Did you send Aniston a copy of the CD after it was done?

Mayer: No.

Playboy: Maybe she’ll download it from BitTorrent.

Mayer: If Jennifer Aniston knows how to use BitTorrent I’ll eat my f-%*king shoe. One of the  most significant differences between us was that I was tweeting. There was a rumor that I had been dumped because I was tweeting too much. That wasn’t it, but that was a big difference. The brunt of her success came before TMZ and Twitter. I think she’s still hoping it goes back to 1998. She saw my involvement in technology as courting distraction. And I always said, “These are the new rules.”

True enough!

Thanks to Matt Payne for contributing a  wealth of information on the subject of an effective interview. Payne is a super-talented drummer and programmer with touring and recording credits with several major label acts such as Matthew West -for whom he was band leader, Amy Grant, All Star United, and Hall and Oates. He’s also an Ableton Live expert and has created many fantastic instructional videos on the subject. For more tips on Media training, check out RCI Media Training’s free Newsletter…

In Part 1, we got to know each other. I introduced myself and let you in on my motivation and goals for this project. InPart 2, I gave you 3 things that have allowed me to quit my day job. In Part 3, I gave you 5 things Music Supervisors want from you and your music.  In Part 4, I told you 5 things I wish someone would have told me before I signed that contract with the licensing company. Last week, the 5 rules to follow when trying to get your music to Music Supervisors. This week, I’m going to pull from an article I wrote a while back, and look at the first 3 questions of Artist Positioning.

What is Artist Positioning?  Over here at Sorted Noise, we’ve been getting that question a lot lately.

Simply put… Artist Positioning is discovering what separates an artist from their competition, then utilizing that unique identity to be memorable to a potential fan.

But, let’s look a little deeper at how Artist Positioning came to be.

This idea of “positioning” itself is a marketing concept developed by Jack Trout and Al Ries. Sorted Noise believes this can be applied to the music industry as well. Also, It’s important to note the difference between “positioning” and “branding.” “Branding” starts with the artist, and asks… “What do I want to be?.” It’s inward looking. “Positioning” starts by evaluating the artist’s competition and the artist’s potential fans, and asks… “What void in the marketplace can I fill?” It’s outward looking.

We developed the practice of Artist Positioning because of two key shifts in music industry…

1. The shift labels made away from developing artists (less development)

2. The shift in quanity of the artists in the marketplace due to the internet (more artists)

Think about this… Five years ago, how many bands or artists were you introduced to on a daily basis? And, now, with Myspace, Facebook, the viral word-of-mouth power of Twitter, how many are you introduced to daily? I would guess a few more than five years ago. Artists might only get one shot to find a “position” in a potential fan’s mind. And, only the artists with a clear, unique identity are going to claim that position.

The journey of discovering this identity and message begins with the artist asking themselves 3 simple (but incredibly difficult) questions:

1. Who do you get compared to? (That’s your competition)
2. What are some common characteristics of that group? (That’s the identity of your marketplace)
3. What characteristics do you have that they don’t? (These are the “weapons” that will determine your Position)

How about a real life example…

Let’s take Katy Perry. Great songs. Great performer. Great looking. But, what’s her position?

Controversial.

Think about it. Her first single was released on a limited basis to blogs in an attempt to get people talking on the web. It was called “Ur So Gay.” And, her first mainstream radio single? …”I Kissed a Girl.” Pick up a magazine or watch an interview with Miz Perry. There is one constant in every piece… controversial comments. And don’t be fooled. This is a calculated move. Don’t forget. She was a clean cut Christian artist in Nashville named Katy Hudson just a few short years ago. “Controversial” is Katy Perry’s brand. Her unique identity. Her position. And, it’s the reason she will be around for a long time.

Now, let’s take a look at Howie Day. In the Spring of 2004, he had a Top Ten hit called “Collide,” He was red hot. An amazing performer, amazing songwriter, and the ladies loved him as well. The sky was the limit. He was right where he (and his label) wanted him to be. Now, here’s a question… what was his second single called? Anybody? I’ll give you a second… Don’t you go googling!

So, what went wrong? Well, having great songs and being a great performer aren’t positions. There are too many of each. It’s all about unique identity. What was Howie Day’s? I would argue nothing. Don’t get me wrong… he has a very nice track record. But, we are talking about his ability to grab a position in the Top 40 fan’s mind, and hunker down for the long haul. That was his and his label’s goal. That’s why they pushed the single to Top 40 radio in the first place.

In the end, the song became his position. This happens a lot. You might recognize it as its more dubious title, “One Hit Wonder.” Howie didn’t have a memorable enough brand, and he was just visiting that potential fan’s mind.

Sorted Noise guides the artist from day 1 on the journey to find this identity that is so crucial to longevity and success. Once that identity is discovered, it determines all that follows. What TV show’s audience would best connect with this song? Should the artist release an EP or full length album? Should the album be released digitally or on vinyl. What social media sites should the artist concentrate on? What web designer can best capture the artist’s identity? What labels should we connect the artist with?

Bottom line… the old school way of doing things isn’t working anymore.

The future is targeted. The future is a clear identity. The future is Artist Positioning.

Next week, we’ll take a closer look at one of the most blatant, real life examples of Artist Positioning out there right now.  She also just so happens to be one of the most successful artists out right now as well.  Go figure.

Josh

www.secretsinstereo.com
www.twitter.com/SecretsinStereo
www.sortednoise.com
www.twitter.com/SortedNoise

P.S. If you’re finding what I’m saying interesting, maybe other people will too! Pass along these blogs on Twitter, Facebook, and through Email. Thanks!

And just to support the theory that giving away product creates demand,                                                                                   he’s made a chapter available as a free download here.

We focused on 2 important subjects:

1. Keeping on top of so much rapidly changing information and new technology as it relates to an artists’ career

2. The ongoing struggle/need for artists to view themselves as a business

Q: 1. What is a typical morning like for you? I sort of picture you
drinking coffee and reading blogs the way someone might read the
paper. Your blog is such a great resource for so many people. What are
some blogs that you follow and recommend to your readers?

A: I actually still read the paper!  I wake up around 6:30 and read the
Boston Globe at breakfast.  Maybe this will change in the future, but I
still prefer the format of a paper to online news for general stuff, at
least first thing in the morning. Outside of that, from a music and business
standpoint, I get most of my info from Twitter.  Most of the blogs I am
interested in have their posts feed directly into Twitter, so I start there.
I use TweetDeck to segment the folks I follow based on topic, for the most
part, so in my “Music Business” Twitter segment, I follow folks like Eliot
from Wired Listening Post, Glen at Billboard, Hypebot of course,
1000TimesYes, Paste, Arthur, The Orchard, Pitchfork, Hugh McLeod from Gaping
Void, Ian Rogers, TechCrunch, Mashable, Ethan Kaplan, Jeff Jarvis,
Largeheartedboy, Gary Vaynerchuck, and a couple dozen more. I also get Seth
Godin’s daily email via Twitter, and I sometimes use The Orchard’s
aggregator for news here: http://www.netvibes.com/orchardnews#Music_Industry

Q 2. The industry is changing so quickly and with the demise of the
labels, a strong “middle-class”  of musicians are emerging. But there
are still artists who don’t want to let go of their dreams of
superstardom; i.e. “getting signed”, “video on MTV”, “world domination”
etc… As someone who’s worked in that world, what words of wisdom do
you have for these artists? Would you completely discourage them from
pursuing this old model? And who is the model even available to at
this point in time?

A: You’re right that there is, as Ian Roger’s says, a growing middle class
of musicians. There are more tools available for more musicians to get
started in music, and provide a more level playing field than in the past.
That being said, I don’t think that DIY (do it yourself) = DIAY (do it all
yourself).  I think that at a certain point, you’re going to need help to
pull of what you want to do.  I think that a label can be the best option in
some cases, and I have seen a number of bands come full circle, use the
available tools to help them build their community, and then find help (in
the form of a label or otherwise) to get them to the next step. Labels want
to sign folks that have a base – doing all you can yourself early on is the
best (and in some ways, only) course of action when you are starting off,
and you have to understand the tools and players that exists at all levels
of the industry.

I think the problem lies with the artists who say “I’m a creative type, and
I don’t want to be involved in anything that has to do with the business
side of things.  I’m too busy writing and performing music.” I think that is
flawed logic. Bands are businesses, plain and simple.  You can’t run a
business without having an understanding of all that is involved, and when
you are starting off, you have to wear a lot of hats.  This has ALWAYS been
the case.  You have to work to succeed.  And partners make sense in this
equation.  In terms of a video on MTV and the glory of getting signed, I
think that bands should look at exactly what they are being offered, and
understand that the paradigm has shifted miles away from where it was in the
90s (which wasn’t all that great for bands either, really).  Understand that
a major label deal will likely be a 360 deal with a low royalty rate, and
that they have fewer people to work your project than ever.  These are
facts.  If you are at the point of even being considered by a label (which
is rare), I would suggest that you look long and hard at the finances of
doing it yourself vs doing it with a label.  A lot of it depends on how much
control you want to keep, too.  I could talk days about the old model, but
understand that the traditional areas where a major could help you (physical
retail and radio, primarily, in addition to being a bank) are also
constricting. Lastly: a major deal is irrelevant for 95% of the bands out
there.

Q: 3. What is an emerging trend/emerging technology that is changing the
game for artists that people may not know about?

A: I think the major change that occurred happened in 2004 with the rise of
self service online distributors like TuneCore and CD Baby. Anyone anywhere
can get their music onto the major online retail services in days.  It’s a
major shift.  But of course, as distribution follows marketing, I think the
increase in music that is available has made marketing even harder.  How do
you differentiate yourself from the millions of other indie bands out there?
I think that what we are seeing now is an increase in artists service
companies that add value to an artist in more fair and equitable ways.
There are specific tools that exist now that help artists succeed in
specific marketing verticals (like Tubemogul for videos, or artist data for
social media sites), but I also thing that the full service artist service
companies that help artists marketing and sell across all verticals can be
really helpful.  I think software services like Topspin, Bandcamp,
Reverbnation, and Nimbit have the potential to change the game for artists
in a big way, if used properly (which is what my courses teach J )

I encourage everyone to check out Mike’s blog and follow the experts he’s following on Twitter to keep up to date with industry news. Check out his books (I’ve read several of them and they’re all great) and start looking for resources you can partner with to help move your career forward. (More on some killer resources later.) Thanks to Mike King for sharing his thoughts with Sorted Noise!

Mike King is the associate director of marketing at Berkleemusic, and    author/instructor of Music Marketing 201. Prior to working at Berklee, Mike was  the marketing/product manager at Rykodisc, where he oversaw all marketing  efforts for label artists, including Mickey Hart, Jeb Loy Nichols, Morphine, Jess  Klein, Voices On The Verge, Bill Hicks, The Slip, Pork Tornado (Phish), Kelly Joe  Phelps, and Frank Zappa’s estate. He also handled copyright administration for a number of active and catalog artists at Rounder Records. Mike consults as the Marketing Director and Managing Editor for the Herb Alpert Foundation’s online musicians resource,www.ArtistsHouseMusic.org

In Part 1, we got to know each other. I introduced myself and let you in on my motivation and goals for this project. In Part 2, I gave you 3 things that have allowed me to quit my day job. In Part 3, I gave you 5 things Music Supervisors want from you and your music.  Last week, I told you 5 things I wish someone would have told me before I signed that contract with the licensing company. And this week, the 5 rules to follow when trying to get your music to Music Supervisors.

Let me begin by re-interrating what I’ve said a few times over the last couple of weeks. For 99.9% of songwriters and artists, I highly recommend researching licensing companies, and partnering with one that fits you. Having said that, if your music is great and you are able to check off all of the qualifications we discussed in Part 3, then going direct to Music Supervisors can be a fruitful decision. If you are unsure whether you fall into that .1%, then you don’t. Stop reading now. Because you will burn every bridge that you want to cross over. Phew! Ok, now that that’s out of the way, let’s learn the…

5 RULES YOU MUST FOLLOW WHEN TRYING TO GET YOUR MUSIC TO MUSIC SUPERVISORS

1. Do Your Research

There’s a reason why this is #1. Before you even think about contacting a Supervisor, you should know everything about them, as well as what shows/films they are currently working on. This pre-game work can be very valuable. Once, I found an article from a Supervisor where she said Wednesday was the day she set aside each week to listen to new music. What day do you think I emailed her?

A good place to start this research, is backwards. Start with the show. What shows do you watch and think, “My music sounds like that.” Make a list. Then, find out who the Music Supervisor is for that show, and see if you can track down an email. You can usually find it just by Googling. But, there are directories out there. I recommend the Music Business Registry.

2. Be Personal and Focused

Do not send mass emails. I repeat. Do not send mass emails. Every email should be targeted to what that particular Supervisor needs. Be VERY specific. Maybe you have a song in your catalog that you think would be perfect for their show. Lead with that. Focus on that one song. Not the 5 albums you’ve recorded over the past 7 years.

3. Respect the Supervisor’s Time

Music Supervisors don’t have much time in general. Much less, to answer an email from a random person. Your email should be short and to the point… This is who I am. This is why I’m reaching out to you. Here’s the perfect song for you. Also, think about timing. Early and late in the week aren’t good times to send emails. Mondays are crazy because they are catching up from the weekend. And, Fridays are crazy because they trying to finish up for the weekend. Not to mention they will forget you over that weekend. My favorite day to email is Tuesday. The Monday craze is in the rear view mirror, but there is still a lot of the week to get business done.

4. Expect a 10% Response Rate (At Best)

If you send 50 emails out, expect 5 to return your email. That’s not a bad scenario if 3 of those 5 end up using your music. But, now you are seeing why I highly recommend the 3rd party route for most people. This road takes time, and no fear of rejection.

5. Get Permission to Send Music

I’m a big believer in the fact that there should be a purpose to everything you do. For this email, the purpose (or goal) is to get permission to send the Supervisor music. To do that, they need to hear it. So, the “Call to action” in the email should be ONE link to your music, and a phrase like… “Let me know if you think you can use the music, and I will send it your way.” But, whatever you do, don’t attach mp3’s or send music unsolicited.

If you make it to this point in the relationship, then you are farther than most. Congratulations! Moving forward, the first 3 rules still apply until the end of time. Whether you just started a correspondence with a Supervisor, or have known them for 5 years, ALWAYS do your research and know what they’re working on, be personal and specific in your back and forths, and don’t waste their time.

Next week, we’ll get into the concept of Artist Positioning. What is it? How will it help you? Who’s practicing it? All those questions and more will be answered next week.

See ya then!

Josh
http://www.secretsinstereo.com
http://www.twtter.com/SecretsinStereo
http://www.sortednoise.com
http://www.twitter.com/SortedNoise

P.S. If you’re finding what I’m saying interesting, maybe other people will too! Pass along these blogs on Twitter, Facebook, and through Email. Thanks!

In Part 1, we got to know each other. I introduced myself and let you in on my motivation and goals for this project. In Part 2, I gave you 3 things that have allowed me to quit my day job. Last week, I gave you 5 things Music Supervisors want from you and your music. And, this week, I’ll tell you 5 things I wish someone would have told me before I signed that contract with the licensing company.

There are really two roads that lead to the ears of Music Supervisors. The only difference in the roads? One has a guide (help from a 3rd party) and one doesn’t (you go it alone). I have a lot of information I want to pass along for both avenues, but this week we’ll just focus on the 3rd party option. While next week, we’ll get into the solo route.

As I mentioned last week, a solid relationship that’s built on trust is extremely important to Music Supervisors. It takes a lot of time and focus to build that type of relationship, and it’s one that most artists aren’t cut out for. That’s ok! There are companies out there that have devoted time and energy into building these relationships. And if your music is good enough, they will take it on and pitch it for a fee. I highly recommend this option for 99.9% of artists.

Of course, this is not new information to most of you. So, let’s dig a little deeper. I went back though my experiences (good and bad… trust me), and thought of…

5 THINGS I WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME BEFORE I SIGNED THAT CONTRACT WITH THE LICENSING COMPANY

1. It’s Gotta Be Non-Exclusive

This essentially means that you (or any other person/company) can pitch your music as well as the company you signed with. I’ve never heard of an artist that was happy in an exclusive deal. There really is no need for it honestly. But, don’t get carried away.  It’s not a good thing to have your music being pitched by more than 2 or 3 companies. If a Music Supervisor is getting the same music from 3 different places, they begin to ask the question, “who actually owns this?” No good. Not good for trust.

2. 50/50 is OK

I scoffed when I saw my first contract from a licensing company, and saw they wanted to split everything 50/50. But, after I saw my 12th one, I realized that was definitely industry standard. Trust me, if they’re good then they earn it.

3. Be Wary of Re-Titling

This is the practice of actually re-registering a song with a P.R.O under a different title. This new title has the licensing company as the publisher, and works as in entirely separate entity from your original song. It’s a common accounting move, but doesn’t it feel a little weird?

Well, even if it is common, here’s why you want to stay away from it… Are you familiar with the iPhone app Shazam? You play a song into your phone, and it recognizes it. Sooner rather than later, this same technology (except on steroids) will be how P.R.O.’s are going track when songs are played in TV and Film. Your re-titled song is going to sound exactly like your original one. The question is, which one will the tracking system recognize it as? Uh oh.

4. There Better Be a Way Out

Make sure, make sure, make sure there is clause in that contract that allows you to be released. This goes for any contract really, but licensing companies like to lock you in because it’s a pain for them to have to pull your music from their library. But, trust me, you do not want to be shackled to a licensing company that has been less than impressive. With that said, I do NOT recommend the licensing company Songs To Your Eyes.

5. Do Your Research

There are a ton of licensing companies out there. Good, bad, big, and small. So, how do you narrow them down? I recommend looking for two things… track record and relationships. Make sure they have recent placements. And, look for testimonials from Music Supervisors. If you don’t know who the Supervisors are that they are quoting, google them.

A list was started over at IndieMusicTech.com that’s a good place to start. I’ve personally had some decent success with Crucial Music. They are respected. For internet focused licensing, I would highly recommend Rumblefish. They license for the Audioswap function on YouTube. I just got a $3,000 check for the last quarter for internet royalties alone

As I said before, the 3rd party road is for most of you. If your music is indeed “sync-able,” these types of companies can do some serious damage for you. But, if you have a knack for the business side of things as well as the artistic, then there is another way… Straight to the Music Supervisor. And, we’ll dive into that game next week.

Thanks!

Josh

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