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!

The recent flooding in Nashville has been shocking and heartbreaking. And while we’re so grateful that our studio in Franklin was spared of the water, our hearts go out to everyone who has been dealing with this tragedy. It’s also been inspiring to watch as our artists and communities have come together to pull through this disaster. As a transplant to Nashville via post-Katrina New Orleans, I’m no stranger to floods, nor to the seemingly random manner in which certain homes escape devastation, while others right up the street are inundated and destroyed.

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.

Welcome to Part 13 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. For the last 12 weeks, and over the next 4, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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!

Welcome to Part 12 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. For the last 11 weeks, and over the next 5, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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!

Welcome to Part 11 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. For the last 10 weeks, and over the next 6, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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!

Welcome to Part 10 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. For the last 9 weeks, and over the next 7, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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!

This is a re-post of one of Seth Godin’s latest blogs on how much you can communicate (and separate yourself from the competition) with ingeniously repackaging what might not be a totally remarkable product. You can learn a lot from a label in a very short amount of time so clever, targeted packaging is key. For musicians, packaging is often your web presence so make sure you’ve got one that’s an attention grabber and communicates how very much your target demographic will enjoy your product. To prove my point I’m going to compare Godin’s soap bottle to a truly disastrous marketing experiment done by Donald Trump; Trump Ice Natural Spring Water. Gross.

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…

Welcome to Part 9 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. For the last 8 weeks, and over the next 8, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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!

Welcome to Part 8 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. For the last 7 weeks, and over the next 9, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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!

Welcome to Part 7 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. For the last 4 weeks, and over the next 12, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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!

Now more than ever, each and every artist needs to be prepared for an interview. Be it for a radio show, a blog, or even a fan asking you questions via email, an artist should be prepared to give clear, concise answers backed with a targeted message to help promote their brand. And there’s a lot of information out there about how to give a great interview. But much of it is written by journalists offering their “insider perspective” on what THEY feel constitutes a good interview. Tips like “Don’t recite pre-scripted answers” and “Answer the question asked of you” may seem valid points.

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…

Welcome to Part 6 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. For the last 4 weeks, and over the next 12, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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!

I recently had the opportunity to pick the brain of prominent music business and marketing expert Mike King. Mike is in the thick of it, creating and teaching many of the courses for the Berklee College of Music’s online school on the subjects of Music Business and Music Marketing, including their new class on Topspin, a game-changing marketing tool for artists. He maintains a killer blog which is a great resource for artists, and he’s written several books on the subject of navigating a career through the changing industry, his latest being “Music Marketing: Press, Promotion, Distribution, and Retail.”

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

Welcome to Part 5 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. For the last 4 weeks, and over the next 12, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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!

Welcome to Part 4 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. All of last month, and over the next 3 months, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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

P.S. If you like what you are reading here, be sure to spread the word. Retweet. Share of Facebook. Digg. Google Buzz. Do it all!

Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Ariel Publicity, a New York based digital PR firm who’s Cyber PR Campaigns place musicians and authors on blogs, podcasts, and Internet radio stations and helps facilitate authentic relationships with key Social Media makers and fans. So she’s a total badass who’s on top of marketing trends and is a big mover and shaker in the world of web 2.0. Needless to say, we’re pumped that she chose Secrets In Stereo as a featured artist in her continuing series “In Defense of 1,000 True Fans.”
Check out the killer interview below:

In Defense of 1,000 True Fans – Secrets In Stereo 2 Years + No Live Shows = $97,000 – Part VI

Here I go again…. It’s Part 6 in my 1,000 True Fans series.

For this installment I asked my new friends at Sorted Noise in Nashville to introduce me to some of their artists who are doing it right. I am happy that they introduced me to Josh Ryan. Josh fronts the group Secrets in Stereo and in just two years has made some impressive inroads by using social media (blogs) to bond with a tight knit community of fans who support him. What is interesting about Josh is the fact that he makes a lion’s share of his money from TV/Film placements and not from live shows.

Ariel Hyatt: Do you believe that 1,000 true fans is a theory that can work?

Josh Ryan: (quoting directly from the article) “Someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work.”

Then, geez…absolutely. Obviously, this means that it’s the artist’s responsibility to continue to crank out content, and give them something to buy. And I think (as you are finding out with previous “In Defense” interviews) the number is much lower than 1,000 for a solo artist because of the low overhead. Although I write, record, and promote under a band name, I’m actually a one man show. So, this applies to my situation.

AH: Are you currently making a full-time living as a musician from your music? And How many years did it take you from day job to part time job to F/T Musician?

JR: Yes. My head is above water at the moment. When I moved to Nashville 3 years ago, I forced myself to only work part time. I live by this thought process… Whatever you spend the most hours in the day doing, then that’s what you are. If you work in a warehouse for 40 hours a week, and write songs and play shows on the weekends, then you aren’t a songwriter. You’re a warehouse worker. Writing songs and playing shows is just your hobby. Like watching football.

I know that thought process may rub some people the wrong way, but it worked for me. I didn’t move to Nashville to be a waiter or a warehouse worker. And, if that meant trading in financial “security” for time in the day to spend on my real job, then that’s what I had to do.

But, to answer your question more directly… I’ve been fully supporting myself financially with music for two years.

AH: If possible I know you may not want to share this information), can you share the amount of money you have grossed in the last 12 months?

JR: I’ll give you a larger sample if that’s ok. Let’s look at the two years I’ve been self sustaining. Also, I’ll break it down into Direct (money made directly from Secrets in Stereo music) and Indirect (money made from outside opportunities created by Secrets in Stereo music). I will get into the details of each in the next question.

Direct Gross = approximately $80,000

Indirect Gross = approximately $17,000

Total Gross over the last 2 years = $97,000

:. Can you give us a breakdown percentage wise of the following:

JR:

DIRECT

A. Licensing for TV/Film/Advertising 59%

I made a decision early on to make this my focus for Secrets in Stereo. Obviously, it is. And, that will be reflected in the following numbers as well.

B. Live shows 0%

Yep… that number is right. For a few reasons. One, I live in Nashville. You don’t make money playing in Nashville. You lose money. And, two, my overhead is very high to take what I do (and do it right) on the road. Partly, because I use hired guns and those hired guns are good and expect a certain amount of pro level pay (Again, remember, I live in Nashville). And partly because I have a fairly elaborate show. Lots of players, lots of tracks, lots going on.

I intentionally listed “Live Shows” second, because I want to illustrate a point… There are more ways to make money in this business than those on the traditional route. Hitting the road makes A LOT of sense for A LOT of bands. It just didn’t and doesn’t for me. When I play shows, they have to count. They have to have a purpose. And that purpose (for me) isn’t necessarily to make money.

C. Digital Sales 14%

This is securely connected with licensing. Placements equal digital sales. And the best part about these sales, is you don’t have to do anything (outside of the placement, of course) to get them. You make money while you sleep.

D. Fan Funding 5%

This is an on going campaign (as of Feb’10) for my next album.

E. Merchandise 5%

F. Physical CD Sales 2%

My focus is on digital.

INDIRECT

A. Licensing other artist’s music 9%

B. Consulting 5%

C. Session Singing? 1%

AH: How many die hard fans, fans that will buy everything and anything from you, would you imagine that you have?

JR: About 100.

AH: How long did it take you to build up this many fans?

JR: From the day I launched my Myspace (wow… that sounds so stupid now) until today. 2 1/2 years. It’s definitely a snowball effect. It was pretty hard at first. The key for me was not only having small tipping points but being able to attack and capitalize on them.

My first being my first placement 2 years ago… a 2:30 feature on an MTV show called Engaged and Underage. The second that episode went off, I was all over blogs and message boards making sure everyone knew who sang that song. Some of those fans I made then are what I would consider “die hard” fans today.

AH: What Do you mean you were “All Over Blogs? This seems like a very interesting tactic! Can you elaborate – what type of blogs did you hit?, how did you find them? what did you say when you got on them? how did you make “fans” out of that?

JR: There are really 3 levels to this tactic…

1. First things first. I needed to be found when someone went to Google or Yahoo to search for me after they’ve heard the song. I call it “Proactive Searchability” Although MTV has gotten better at this, at the time, it was hard for viewers to find who sings a song they heard on a show. So, when I found out my song was going to air, I went to Yahoo Answers and Google Answers, created a profile, and asked the questions that I thought a viewer would ask. Something like, “Who sang the song in Episode 7 of Engaged and Underage with the lyrics ‘I don’t wanna live a day with out you, I just wanna make you happy’?” And this would all be before the airdate. Then, I logged in with my Secrets in Stereo account, and answered the question (with links of course). Voila! Proactive searchability.

2. The next thing site I targeted was MTV itself. They have a cool blog for everyone one of their shows called MTV Remote Control. Engaged and Underage has been off the air for a while, and they had a blog post yesterday. So, it’s pretty active. For this site, I just went through the comments and looked for people asking who sang the song. Then, I just answered them. Simple as that. Also, an answer is always better than just posting a comment announcing who you are. If no one’s asking who you are, then your music didn’t connect.

Also, on MTV, they air all episodes online. This is a great opportunity to become a part of the conversation as it happens. The Hills gets over 1,000,000 plays online alone. So, when I had a song or two in that show, I would stake out the live forum, waiting for someone to ask who sang that song.

3. The third level of this tactic, is all the 3rd party blogs, forums, etc about the show. All I did was Google “Engaged and Underage,” and a slew of sites popped up. Obviously, Facebook groups were a great place to start. But, there were also a handful of independent blogs that were ecstatic about hearing from an artist that was on their favorite show.

AH: Do you have a strategy with long-term and short-term goals in place to get to 1,000 true fans or for any future looking aspects of your music career? If so, can you share these goals?

JR: I have long-term, short-term, mid-term, weekly, daily, hourly, minute-ly goals (OK, maybe not “mintute-ly.” That’s not even a word.) But, all of those goals point towards my overall objective… Grab a potential fan’s attention, collect their info, convert them to a die-hard.

Tactically, that might play out like this…

1. A potential fan hears one of my songs on Grey’s Anatomy

2. I’ve written a blog on my site about the placement entitled “My song Not Today featured in the November 17th episode of Grey’s Anatomy.” So, when that potential fan Googles “who sang the song with the lyrics, ‘not today, not tomorrow’ in the November 17th episode of Grey’s Anatomy,” guess who they find?

3. On my site, I give away a lot of music in exchange for emails.

4. 3 months down the road, my new fan knows all my songs by heart. I send her email asking her to join the subscription portion of my site (A big goal for me in 2010). She does. And, now she’s a die hard.

AH: Have you ever made money from social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, or Ustream? Can you please tell us exactly how and correlate them?

JR: I don’t really see them as money makers. Although, I’m sure the sites have effected sales. If you’re smart and use them tastefully and creatively like Amanda Palmer’s auction, then it works. But, even with that example, she didn’t look at Twitter as an ecommerce solution. She looked at is a communication and community building solution. It just so happens money was involved. The moment we start looking at Twitter and Facebook as money makers, they will become Myspace.

AH: Has your connection to the podcasting and online world, and your popularity with podcasters helped you to earn more money?

JR: I made a big push with PMN [Podsafe Music Network] a while back, and got great coverage. I need to revisit that.

AH: What are your next steps to continue to help yourself move forward in your own career?

JR: My ongoing goal, is to continue to get TV/Film/Advertising placements, and build buzz and a fan base from the exposure of those.

A big 2010 goal is build a well put together subscription portion of my site. When you look at artist like Matt Ebel, it’s refreshing and exciting to see how that can be such a profitable platform. If you do it right.

Beyond that, who knows where the industry goes. Let me say this… I’m not one of those major label haters. I think they aren’t really a logical solution for 99.9% of artists right now. But, they aren’t going away either. And they shouldn’t. At some point, they are going to have to see working with an artist as a “joint venture” or “partnership” where the artist is bringing just as much value to the table as they are. And when that day comes, they might make more sense to me as an artist.

I’m looking forward to the day when an artist (hopefully me) comes to a major label and says… “Ok, I don’t need help with all this other stuff you offer. But, I’ll partner with to you release and promote my record, and you get X number of points per sale.”

AH: If you could give a band or artist any type of advice on how to start in social media, what would you advise them to do?

JR: The strategy of a few years ago was “be everywhere.” And I think that’s true to a certain extent when referring to being “Googleable.” But, I would say, go to where the people are. Not more musicians. Don’t waste your time building profiles on social media sites that won’t be around in a year. Do your research, and stay up to date with new sites and trends. I recommend hypebot.com, mashable.com, and musicthinktank.com (of course).

AH: If you had $500 to spend on marketing and promotion, how would you spend that money?

JR: If it was just money that was given to me, I would experiment on a thing or two that I’ve been wanting to try. Google Ad Words. Facebook Ads. Things like that.

AH: Is there anything else you would like to say about 1,000 true fans?

JR: As I read through my answers (and think about them from a reader’s perspective), I need to make one point. Obviously, I can’t make a living solely based on the finances of 100 True Fans. And I don’t, as you can see from my percentage breakdown. That doesn’t mean that the theory is bogus.

If I had 500 True Fans (and hopefully I will sooner rather than later), then I could never get a TV/Film placement again and be fine financially.

But, that’s the beauty (and reality) of it. You don’t have to depend solely on those True Fans. They are the foundation of what you do. They give you security. But, then you’ve got all these other peripheral revenue streams to compliment and build that foundation.

AH: How do you use analytics to your advantage? What are your measurable online results, and how do your measures help you with your music career?

JR: I’m a big data geek, but I realize most people aren’t. If someone just wants basic info that might open their eyes and answer some questions, the “Insights” section of your Facebook Fan Page is a great place to start. It’s fairly basic, but it’s got some great info that can help an artist begin to shape their target audience profile.

AH: On a scale of 1 to 10, would you say you share a lot (a 10) or are you guarded in what you exposure on social media sites about yourself and your personal life?

JR: I share things that I would want to hear from an artist. As long as you’re personal at some level, you’re using Twitter correctly. A fan doesn’t know what you’re leaving out.

AH: What would you say to a fellow musician, that thinks that Twitter is just sharing “eating a tuna sandwich” and is stupid?

JR: Not much. I got tired of trying to help artists that don’t want to help themselves a while back. The reality is, if they don’t see the value in it, then they aren’t going to use it usefully. Therefore, for them, it would be stupid.

Come hang with Secrets In Stereo
Official Website – http://www.secretsinstereo.com
Twitter – @SecretsInStereo
Facebook Page – http://www.facebook.com/secretsinstereo

So many artists ask me how to get their music placed in Film & Tv and Josh is blogging in deep detail about his experiences and hopefully he will give us all some pointers for how to generate placements. Josh is writing a series of detailed blogs on www.sortednoise.com based on his experiences up to this point, as well as about his experiences over the next 4 months as he writes, records, promotes, and releases his next new album. He says about the blog posts: “I’m basically talking more in detail on what I’m referring to here in these answers. It’s going to be focused on TV/Film placement.”

Here are the links to the first two…

http://www.sortednoise.com/a-living-breathing-case-study-of-a-diy-artist-part-1-meet-the-artist/

http://www.sortednoise.com/a-living-breathing-case-study-of-a-diy-artist-part-2-3-things-that-have-let-me-quit-my-day-job/

Thanks to Ariel for this amazing shout-out. Make sure you visit arielpublicity.com to keep up with her tremendous industry insights!

Hello from LA!

Welcome to Part 3 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. Over the next 4 months, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

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. This week, we’ll begin focusing on the most important of those “things”… getting your music into TV, Film, Advertising, and every other medium out there.

It’s fitting that I’m in LA as I write a blog on this topic. I get out here every other month, mainly to meet with Music Supervisors. A lot the information I’ll include in this blog is pulled from these conversations. Straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

I know this is an area that A LOT of songwriters and artists are interested in right now. And, there is A LOT of information I could pass along. So, with that in mind, I’m going to break this down over two weeks. This week, I’ll focus on the things you need to do before you even think about getting into this game. And then next week, I’ll get into how to actually play the game.

Also, this isn’t Licensing 101. Remember, my main motivation in this series of posts is I saw a need for an “evolution of information.” So, I’m assuming you understand the basics TV/Film Licensing. I’m also assuming your music doesn’t suck. There are plenty of books and blog posts out there that can catch you up on the basics if you need it. But, the information found here is beyond those basics.

So, with that in mind, let’s look at…

5 THINGS MUSIC SUPERVISORS ARE LOOKING FOR IN YOU AND YOUR MUSIC

These 5 things are the components of a word I hear over and over again from Supervisors in describing the type of music and artists they are looking for… “sync-able.” Sync-able doesn’t just refer to lyrics and melodies. There is a nuts and bolts element to it as well. Before you can even think about hearing your music in Grey’s Anatomy, you need to check these off the list. Let’s jump in, shall we!

1. Master Quality Recordings

No demos allowed. (Step up onto soapbox) Do demos even exist anymore? Considering how easy and economical it is to record high quality stuff now days, why would anyone limit that recordings’ opportunities by making it a demo. (Step off of soapbox)

If you’re confused about how to define “master quality recordings,” the easiest thing to do is listen to recordings and artists that have been successful in the TV/Film world already. I recommend you go listen to a few friends of mine like Perrin Lamb and Lee Hester. Of course, you can go listen to my stuff as well. We’ve all been lucky to have some successes with placements, and it’s partly because of our high quality product.

Some other indie artists that get used a lot are Tim Myers, Katie Herzig, and Matthew Perryman Jones.

2. 100% Ownership

If you’ve got a major pub or record deal, you’re reading the wrong blog. There is a reason why Supervisors use indie artists. Because they don’t have to deal with slow, haggling publishers and record labels.

A lot of times (especially in TV) a Supervisor doesn’t have time to get 5 people to sign off on a license. And they might not have flexibility in a budget to negotiate for 200 more dollars. These are all things that are avoided when a single artist can sign off on a use.

3. General Themed Lyrics

In TV and Film, music compliments the dialogue and visual. As oppose to driving it. With that said, lyrics should be general or metaphorical enough to be interpreted in as many ways as there are viewers. The song should fit into the story that the viewer is seeing. What the viewer is seeing CAN’T be forced to fit the song they are hearing. It doesn’t work like that.

In other words, if you are detailed story teller, then you are going to have a hard time in the TV/Film world.

4. Feel Good and Break Up Style Production

Obviously, there are a million different music needs out there. But, in my experience, a good 80% of the uses fall into two musical production styles. I call them “Feel Good” and “Break Up.”

Feel Goods are uplifting, anthemic, mid-tempos. Usually with positive, universal lyrics. They do exactly what their title says… make you feel good. Think U2 and Coldplay. Here’s an example of a Feel Good. It’s my song, “Not Today,” and it’s been used in Grey’s Anatomy and The Real World.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The other style, Break Ups, are broken down, acoustic or piano, relationship-themed ballads. Here’s another one of my songs as an example. It’s called “Step Outside,” and it’s been used in The Hills.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

5. Instrumentals

If you don’t have instrumentals for all of your songs… get them now. Sometimes Music Editors need to work around dialogue. Or, maybe they love a track, but lyrically it doesn’t it work. You want to give them that flexibility. They will love you for it. Not to mention it will give you a ton more opportunities.

All of the things I’ve listed here will make you and your music more sync-able.  But, more importantly, it builds a foundation of something that is essential in a relationship with a Supervisor… Trust.

Next week, we’ll get into some smart and effective strategies for getting your music into the hands and ears of Music Supervisors.

See ya then!

Josh

Hello again!

This is Part 2 of an ongoing, immediate experiment. Over the next 4 months, we’ll learn together as I (Secrets in Stereo) write, record, promote, and release my new album.

Last week in Part 1, we got to know each other. I introduced myself and let you in on my motivation and goals for this project. This week, I want to give you 3 things that have allowed me to quit my day job. Two of them, anyone can do. And you can start today. The third isn’t for everyone. But, it’s a game changer. Let’s dive in, shall we!

1. I SOLD MP3′S FOR THE PRICE OF AN EMAIL

That title is for all the artists that cringe at the idea of giving away music. But, whether you like it or not, MP3’s have a value of $0 in the consumer’s mind. And if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can’t change the consumer’s mind once it’s made up. You have to adapt. Now, I’m not saying that your music has a value of $0. I’m saying that the low quality sounding, easily copied MP3 format of your music has a value of $0. Big difference. If you disagree, you might want to jump to #2.

At the level that you and I are at, our goal should be simple… Get our music in as many ears as possible. As an unknown, the most obvious way for me to do that was to give it away. I view an MP3 as my business card. And I view a potential fan’s email address as theirs. With that mindset, it makes sense to exchange business cards, with the notion of doing business together in the future. That’s the key… be confident that there will be future business. If you throw a hissy fit about giving away MP3’s, then you probably don’t have other products/experiences to sell.

There are a few great ways to facilitate this exchange of business cards. I’m a fan of Reverbnation’s Fan Collector Widget. Currently, I use this nifty little gizmo from Topspin…

This thing is supercharged. Unbelievably viral.  And I have all kinds of useful data that I can access on the backend. But, we’ll get into that further on down the road.

I’ve been giving away my music for a little over a year. I started with my 10-song debut album, and now my entire catalog to date. I’ve got close to 2,000 people on my email list, and I now average about 12 email adds a day. Without any type of active promotion on my part. These people are my “go to” people. Not only when I’ve got a new product to sell. But when I need help spreading the word about something, when I need input on a decision, or just to engage in conversation. They are indispensable. And if there’s one thing you do today… I recommend that you start passing out those business cards.

2. I IDENTIFIED AND ENGAGED LIKE-MINDED FAN-DOMS

This is easier said than done. Sorted Noise’s process of Artist Positioning gives you killer tools to the accomplishing this. And, again, we’ll get into that in more detail down the road. But before Artist Positioning even existed, I kinda fell into my first experience of a Fan-dom. It was eye opening to say the least.

Before I go on, let me define what I mean by a “Fan-dom.” This is really any group of people that are bound by a common interest. Not necessarily music. Read that last line again. But, back to my first Fan-dom experience…

It just so happened that the Fan-dom I fell into was the mother of all Fan-doms… Twilight. Very randomly (or maybe not), one of my songs was used in a fan made YouTube video about Twilight. All the video was, was a list of the songs on the soundtrack. You got it… a glorified track listing. Well, the song connected, and now that glorified track list has been viewed well over 1,700,000 times. Pretty crazy.

I could have been quite content with the exposure it garnered. But, what I did next to engage the Twilight Fan-dom was the most important tactic of this whole scenario.

I launched a campaign to write and record a song to pitch for New Moon (Twilight 2), with the help of the Twilight Fan-dom. I documented the whole writing and recording process on my blog, and asked for input all along the way. The project was covered by a ton of Twilight blogs (and there are 100’s of them), and really took my relationship with one of the largest Fan-dom’s in the world to another level.

What are your likes and loves outside of music? These could be good places to start finding Fan-doms you could relate to and engage with.

3. I LICENSED MY MUSIC TO TV, FILM, ADVERTISING, WEBISODES, DVD’s, TRAILERS, ANIMOTO, PHILANTHROPIES, … YOU GET THE PICTURE

Over the last 2 years, my 16 song catalog has generated over 50 placements in every kind of medium you can imagine. It’s the best exposure you can get… if you can get it. Sure, I’ve had songs in Grey’s Anatomy and The Hills. But, I’ve also had songs in independent internet shows like Palisades Pool Party.  I don’t discriminate.  I used a careful set of strategies and tactics to accomplish this. And there are absolutely rules you have to play by.

Like I said, this third one isn’t for everyone. It’s an animal in and of itself. (Get ready for the American Idol style cliffhanger) Which is why next Monday in Part 3, I’m going to talk exclusively on my strategies for getting your music into TV, Film, Advertising, and every other medium you can think of.

Until next week!

Josh

WHO ARE YOU AND WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY

Fair questions. And ones that I would want answered before I started reading a blog like this. So, with that said, my name is Josh Collum, and I’m really two things…

1. A living, breathing, self sustaining DIY artist. I write and record under the band name, Secrets in Stereo, and I’ve released 2 projects (a 10-song album and a 5-song EP) in the past 2 years. All 15 songs have been featured in TV/Film/Advertising. Over 50 placements total, on shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The Hills, Young and The Restless, Private Practice, and the The Real World. If you want to know more about me on the artist side of things, you can go to www.secretsinstereo.com

2. A member of Sorted Noise. The progressive thinking, Nashville-based team that specializes in advancing artists’ careers. We see changes in the music business as opportunities. We embrace new media, artist direct-to-fan relationships, and have developed and practice “the next generation in artist development.” We call it Artist Positioning. Along with being an Artist Positioning “coach,” I also spear head our TV/Film/Advertising wing.  If you want to find out more about that (and you aren’t already on the site) go to www.sortednoise.com

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS CASE STUDY

I don’t know about you, but I’ve grown frustrated of the generic “tips” and “advice” like… “you need to embrace social media” and “you’ve got to connect with your fans.” When I hear those things, two words come to mind. The first word is “no.” And the other rhymes with “spit.”

There is a whole class of DIY artists that have evolved past this level advice, and it’s time the advice itself evolves as well. In my view, this evolution of information should come from artists themselves, or managers that are working with artists day to day (as oppose to a former this, a former that, or marketing specialist). There are two reasons that I feel artists and managers are the best communicators for this info…

1. As most of you know already, the journey of an artist changes daily. We have to be agile and flexible, always ready to try the new thing and discard the ones that won’t work. Who better to pass along that important info, in an immediate fashion than the people that are in the middle of it? Our fans want immediate content. Why shouldn’t we?

2. We’ve got mouths to feed, and being an artist is how we feed them. Not speaking on panels, consulting, or selling advertising on our blogs (Not that there’s anything wrong with that). We have a hunger to find out what works and what doesn’t. Because our livelihood depends on it.

I’ve been inspired by recent attempts at this delivery of evolved information. Topspin’s Ian Rogers’ documentation of his managerial journey with Get Busy Committee (I wish it wouldn’t have sputtered out after 2 blogs. He’s a busy guy) and, the ongoing guest posts of Hope and Social’s Rick Huxley on www.creativedeconstruction.com are great examples of this.

THE DETAILS OF THIS CASE STUDY

Every Monday for the next 4 months, at www.sortednoise.com, I’ll be blogging about the ongoing writing, recording, promotion, and release of my new album. My goal is to not only let you know what’s worked for me in the past, but give you useful info every week about what’s working and (more importantly) what’s not with my current project. I’ll be a living, breathing, case study. An immediate experiment. Specifically, I’ll cover these topics and more…

1. Specific things that have allowed me to quit my day job
2. Thought process and implementation of giving away my music
3. Thought process and implementation of a fan funded project
4. Tips and advice about the TV/film/advertising world
5. An inside look into Sorted Noise’s Artist Positioning
6. An inside look into the Topspin platform
7. Viral promo tactics that work and don’t work with my Topspin-powered release

So, bookmark www.sortednoise.com, and check in every Monday. My hope is that every week, we all come away with an idea or tactic that we can use moving forward. Next week, I’ll be looking back, and passing along a handful of strategies that have allowed me to quit my day job.

See ya next Monday!

Josh

High Flight Society’s 2nd single from their Sorted Noise-produced EP Par Avion, has shot to the #8 spot on Billboard’s CR Chart. Called “Inhaling a Bullet,” the song is released as a follow up to their first Top 10 single off of Par Avion, “Run From Yesterday.” This time around, all the major radio stations were ready and eager to add them quickly, and within 6 weeks the second single has moved into the Top 10.

High Flight Society is a marquee example of Sorted Noise’s Artist Positioning at work. Finding ways to separate yourself and your sound from all the noise out there is at the core of Artist Positioning. High Flight Society was ready to take a chance and break the mold in a way that remained authentic to their developing sound. We’re excited about all the success that this project has had and look forward to what’s in store for HFS.

Ellis Paul’s Sorted Noise-produced record “The Day After Everything Changed” has been released to the public. You can grab a copy anywhere that sells music, including iTunes, Barnes and Noble, CD Baby, etc… so check it out! Here’s a cool review that popped up on CMT.com

 - The reviews keep pouring in with accolades for this latest release. We’re very proud of this record and hope you will get your copy asap!

Ellis’ song “Annalee” from the forth coming Sorted Noise-produced release “The Day After Everything Changed” is available as a FREE download today on amazon.com. Get over there and get yours!  Hello, it’s freakin’ free!

You can download it here!

“The Day After Everything Changed” -the latest Sorted Noise-produced release from Ellis Paul is available exclusively for download on amazon.com until Jan. 12th, the official release date. The album is listed on the home page of amazon mp3 under the heading “New and Notable MP3’s.”  You know, next to Usher. 

At the time of this posting, “Day After Everything Changed” was the 4th most downloaded record in it’s genre. You can download it in mp3 form here. 

The album continues to capture rave reviews on amazon:

“This is Ellis Paul’s best work to date! One of the best produced albums I have heard. The songs and the performances are so honest. Nobody does it better than Ellis Paul!”

“First time I have heard this artist his voice is magical and a refreshing change from the mostly mediocre counter parts ,have to say the best album download of 2009 for me ,which have been many!! I am at a lost though how I have never heard of this artist before?”

We’re excited to report on the continued momentum that this record is generating!

The latest Sorted Noise release from Perrin Lamb – “Sometimes the Night..” is available on briterevolution.com. Brite Revolution is a super-cool subscription-based service where for $4.99 a month, you have exclusive access to some of Nashville’s best artists. 10% of every subscription goes to a charity of the artists’ and your choosing. Your subscription gets you access to all of the artists, each one posting exclusive content for Brite Revolution twice a month. You can only get the new EP here so go sign up today! 

We’re really excited about the new music and the opportunity for Perrin to team up with Brite Revolution. It’s good vibes all around. Check it out!

WUMB in Boston, Ma. one of the nation’s most influential acoustic music stations just released their WUMB Top 100 Artists of 2009 ….

The radio station surveys thousands of listeners to tabulate these results. We’re pretty psyched to see Ellis’ name amongst these giants of folk. Read the full article here…

Ellis’ latest release “The Day After Everything Changed” – produced by Sorted Noise – continues to generate rave reviews amongst fans and critiques alike. Congratulations Ellis on this latest honor!

Our crazy rockin’ friends from Atlanta have just released the second single from the Sorted Noise-produced EP Par Avion. The news is spreading and being streamed on such high profile music sites as tunelab.com, a premiere mainstream rock website which receives around 12,000,000 unique visitors a month. The track “Inhaling a Bullet” is already gaining momentum at radio and we look forward to witnessing the same success which was had with their first single, the Top 10 hit “Run From Yesterday.”

The video has generated a couple thousand views in a matter of a few days as well as an outpouring of fan support for Ellis’ new record “The Day After Everything Changed”, produced by Sorted Noise.

Fan Commentary:
“If you purchase this cd you will not be disappointed – every song is amazing!”

“I could not have said it better. Phenomenal artist. Phenominal person. A truly nice guy. And the CD is his best to date and I own them all. Way to go, Ellis.”

“Listened to the new recording all the way through for the first time today. I thought I knew what I was in for, given how many EP years I’ve clocked listening to his now substantial song catalog. I was, instead, astonished. There is depth here that he has been building on for these many years, and holy trapezoids, wh…at thoughtful and spot-on production. I’m breathless. It is possible to be surprised and delighted, drawn in and moved, sparked and irrigated, in a way that shows an artist growing and growing. Thank you. And wow.”

Secrets In Stereo’s track “Starting to Rain” was featured on MTV’s “The Hills” recently for those of you who indulge. In addition, the SIS song “No Such Thing” is being featured heavily in CBS’ promos for their latest medical drama “Three Rivers.” We saw the commercial about 30 times while watching football last weekend which was totally awesome. We’re excited to be creating music which is being so well-received on the air waves. Keep an ear out; more to come!

Ellis Paul’s song “Once Upon a Summertime” was featured yesterday on USA Today’s Playlist, a piece the paper runs recommending great music to the public. The song off the Sorted Noise-produced album “The Day After Everything Changed” is generating a lot of buzz and seems to be a favorite among critics.

For more on Ellis, visit ellispaul.com

Sorted Noise produced artist, Perrin Lamb, was a featured performer at the popular music festival, Next Big Nashville. A veteran of the Nashville indie scene, Perrin debuted one of his newest tunes, “Make it By Morning,” 5 stories up on a downtown rooftop venue called Aerial.

Check out the video shot by Sorted Noise friend and general superstar, Becky Fluke…