Mobile Marketing Can Level the Playing Field in the Music Industry

Some people who dare to dream or aspire to be great balk when I present the idea of Mobile Marketing to them. My question is why? Why wouldn't someone want a more rounded approach to marketing themselves? The idea is to get your name out there to as many people as possible. I like to use the term, covering all your bases. In this case it would be utilizing all the media tools available for you to use. If you are not using all of them to some degree, you are missing out on building a larger and more adoring fan base.

One question that I often get asked is, Why would I want to pay for a service like Text Marketing when Facebook and Twitter are free? You can't beat free advertising right? Well, Mobile Marketing is not designed to compete with Facebook and Twitter. It is a tool to be used in addition to them. It's a tool to be integrated into a complete marketing program designed to maximize your exposure to the greatest amount of people possible. That's how you become a star. That's how you make sure people are talking about you. Once they're talking about you and thinking about you, your goal is to make sure they never stop!

Let me add that contrary to what many believe, not everyone is crazy, active, or savvy about Facebook or Twitter. You have to literally reach out to the others. Market and build your empire and they will come.

Text Message marketing is not just for the big record labels, or the big time artist management teams. Text marketing is not expensive to the aspiring artist either. All major superstars incorporate Mobile Marketing, Twitter, and Facebook. Some additional examples of marketing tools are Radio advertising, Print ads like in Newspapers, or magazines, even Flyers and I'm telling you, all the superstars are using each of these marketing and advertising tools more or less in an overall approach to keep their names fresh on the minds of their fans. I'm telling you, it is wise to incorporate some form of each tool into an overall marketing campaign.

Personalities like Rihanna, and Beyonce use it. Many rock bands use text marketing with great success too. The main point I want to make here are that each of these artists use an overall marketing approach and you can do it to. Of course they do it on another level but remember, a snowball doesn't automatically start out large when it begins to roll. It becomes bigger and bigger as it's moving along and as you grow in popularity, you will also be advancing to another level as you're moving along. Got it?

For some eye popping statistics on Mobile Marketing and ideas on how Mobile Marketing can be integrated into a complete Marketing campaign visit my blog http://www.mobile4boom.blogspot.com/

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Finding the Beauty of Music Where You Are!

I recently went on vacation to Northern Saskatchewan and was mildly surprise at the amount of talent that was all around me. There were musician every where and I wasn't even looking. Most of us always think that Musicians reside only in the "Big Cities". I found out that was not true.

First, I went to a Tuesday night Jam where every one got a shot at singing, playing, or doing what ever. When I walked I was expected to see the typical set up. You know a sign up sheet and a bunch of musicians sitting around for the one time shot at fame. I was really wrong. And I mean, I was wrong! There were a bunch of seniors sitting at the tables and a bunch of seniors on stage. There was 2 Accordion players, 2 guitar players, Fiddle/Banjo player, Bass/Sax player and no one under 60. No way was I going up there!

So I took a sit and listened. What I heard was incredible. They were playing songs from every era you could think and from many genres too. But the most amazing thing was every one was up and dancing. They dance to almost every song. I started questioning my prejudices against their ability and whether I wanted to be up there. They called up a young lady who wanted to sing, so I used this as my chance to "Sneak" up on stage and join them.

The Bass player (Erma) a lady of 89, who told on me and the leader had me perform a couple of song. To my surprise the players where incredible. The guy next to me, Bob the fiddle player and Erma's Husband, was 91. After I play my first song the audience was incredible. Loud and warmer than any audience I have seen in a while. The Audience was there to hear MUSIC! It did not matter where it came from, when it was recorded, and who recorded it. They were there for one reason and one reason only - MUSIC! It was so refreshing. I know that these situations are rare but the point is that I found it in the most unlikely place. At a resort in North Saskatchewan, Canada. And the story Continues!

Two nights after I went to a Marina to see a local artist perform. That is right I said a MARINA, where you keep boats and get fishing licenses. Again, I was blown away. I even got a warm welcome from a couple of musicians that were at the Jam the night before. two of the most unlikely place to find music and I found it! The following night there were three people performing on the Lake by the break water with Amplifier and all. Talk about a hard gig. Who would have thought that I would walk out onto the break water and there in front of me is a raft, actually 2 canoes with a sheet of plywood connecting the two, would be there with 3 performers on the plywood performing.

I guess the point of this article is that where ever you find people, you will find Music! Look for music in the unconventional places. Coffee shops, Marinas, Resorts, On canoes on the Lake, almost any where! All you have to do it LOOK! So Find the Beauty of Music where you are.

Emo LeBlanc is a Country Music Artist who has performed all over the USA and Canada. Emo LeBlanc has been in business for 10+ years. Emo LeBlanc is based out of Nashville and lives elsewhere. Emo LeBlanc has performed all over the USA, Canada, Spain, and France. (731) 327-4EMO (4366)
http://www.emoleblanc.com/
emo@emoleblanc.com

Emo LeBlanc is a proud member of the following:

FNO, CMA, ACM, SOCAN, AMIA, and CCMA with Excellent Standings in All!

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Making Money With Your Music in the UK

Making, performing and releasing music may sometimes feel like labour of love - why, sometimes we are even expected to pay to play gigs. Yet so much cost can be involved: equipment, instruments, recordings, studying, coaching/music lessons... not forgetting the hours we put in for composition, practice, marketing and promotion. And we can't expect the world to owe us something (or a lot) for what we choose or need to do. It's survival of the fittest, right? The strongest music gets the income.

Well the strongest and/or most popular music may get most of the income and the big bucks. But they are not necessarily the only ones making money with music. OK I may not be talking millions or new cars or houses here. But small amounts of revenue can be accrued by the most lightly active musicians. If you perform gigs at live music venues, release or sell your own music or get play on less mainstream radio shows you can still make some money with music.

Of course there is a few things you need to do first to make sure the world is aware of you music. I will cover the UK here as this is what I know of living and publishing independent music here. You need to join the bodies PRS For Music and the PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd). You then register any recordings and releases (if you do not have a label to do this for you) with the PPL and acquire ISRC's for each track. An ISRC is a unique code for each released recording and needs to be included in the metadata during the mastering process. Ask the mastering engineer to include them or research this further if you are mastering your own material.

If you are playing live shows at your local pub, even at an open mic event you can still be making a bit of money with your music and claiming music royalties. By joining the PRS in the UK you can claim for each performance in a venue that is registered with a PRS music license. There is a PRS license sticker in the window of these places and ask the manager if they are licensed. Most of the time they have to be - even sandwich shops and hairdressers have to have licenses to play music in public. Which has it's pros and cons I know, but as a musician you can take a share of the moneys allocated by registering your tracks/setlist even if it was a small gig with very few audience members.

If you do send your music to radio stations and shows that are likely to like and play your music, then you may very well get some airplay and this can also accumulate. They are free to join and take a small percentage from music royalties they claim for you. And they hunt them down internationally. Research radio stations that may specialise in your music - I make quite unique or weird creative music and still find enough outlets to play and support my independent music.

Third party companies such as Sentric Music can make this process a lot easier as they are free to join and claim music royalties for you. As payment they take a small percentage from music royalties they claim for you, and their registering system is a lot more straightforward and accessible than I have found by going directly to PRS site. You just let them know when your music is played on any radio show you know about and tell them of any live shows with set list. They also send out regular requests for music for adverts for TV etc. Now that is can be artist's dream that can come true music royalties wise.

Finally selling your independent music yourself has surely never been easier. Sites like CD Baby and Bandcamp mean you can offer your independent albums and singles at whatever price you like. And you receive most of the income. Through CD Baby you can also get your music onto the likes of iTunes and Spotify which can mean more listens, sales and royalties. On Bandcamp you can give away your music for free or set a price to pay per download/item purchase. Alternatively, you can set a minimum amount an will invariably find a few supporters will pay more than this.

So we can't all be making loads of money from our music but you could be missing out on some moneys you are due. You could actually make quite a bit of money from your music. I have only shared a few avenues of revenue I know of and reap rewards from making my creative music. It can be straightforward and could be a surprising amount. More advice and information can be found at PRS for Music, PPL and Sentric Music websites and a thorough search engine search.

Caro Churchill aka caro snatch is a producer and performer of her own brand of creative music, toying with conventions of spoken word, electronic and avant-garde pop. Her latest independent album - Til You're No Longer Blinkered - has received many encouraging reviews and radio play, including BBC Radio 6 and Radio 3's Late Junction show.

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Tips For Making It Big in the Music Industry

Make A Quality Product

If the first time you hear your finished song and you have to convince yourself that its "OK" and you not jumping up and down with excitement, throw it out, yea that's right start over. If You can't convince yourself its the best song out how do you expect to make someone else believe it is. You are always going to be your biggest critic.

Get Heard

There's no simple solution to this basically exhaust every avenue possible. Shows at local clubs, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, the many music dedicated web communities, and even passing your cd out on the street. If you actually have the talent or even something catchy SOMEONE will notice and it wont be long until people come looking for you instead of the other way around.

Representation

Once you've created a decent buzz get legal and professional representation to further your own professional growth. Without it chances of getting taken advantage of are higher. Plus most labels don't accept unsolicited material (content not negotiated with reputable manager). ALWAYS record any monetary transactions and have it signed by both parties.

Presentation

Make sure all CD's have a label and look professional (first impression is everything). Make a press kit containing bio, events, and anything else possible to present yourself in an enticing manner in the labels eyes.

Promote

Keep promoting just as before but now start your demo submissions to major record labels. Just a quick search on Google you can find the address, emails, and even phone numbers to some of the best labels.

Don't be modest, its your JOB to convince everyone the NEED to listen to you. If you don't have the persistence and backbone to take denial then this is not for you. Keep your fans up to date if all they hear is the same thing all the time they will lose interest so keep your content fresh without giving them too much. You want to have songs on reserve to show a variety and to keep your audience be willing to pay for more.

ALWAYS READ

Have Someone that understands the legal terms on any contract to aid you in the negotiation. Most standard contracts have so many loop holes it can screw you in the end.

Remember: Any tips given here all depend on YOUR work ethic there is no miracle way to get signed it takes hard work and determination as well.

Hope this helps!

Aljehr also knows about hip hop image and producer honesty.

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Music in Film - The Top 3 Ways Music Publishers Can Increase Future Synchronization Revenue

The following is a quote that I personally heard from a highly regarded television Music Supervisor at the last conference I attended: "I have hired an intern just to empty my inbox once a day of MP3s sent to me, because they're crashing my system." That's the reality music publishers are facing. There are major problems where the rubber meets the road in music licensing.

Digital technology has spawned a music revolution that ushered in an era of freedom for every artist to create without being judged. The creators present their music exactly the way they want it heard and with a click of the mouse, soar over the heads of the music industry directly into the film industry. You might be visualizing doves in a blue sky making graceful landings, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's more like bugs hitting a windshield...thousands of bugs. Full on access is backfiring! Legions of underdeveloped artists and songwriters who are not ready to be licensed are choking off the many who are, making it increasingly difficult for the serious publisher with serious songwriters to be heard. Even the major music publishers with a back catalogue of hits are finding it hard to make their way through the glut.

Traditional methods of pitching music cannot continue as the sole way publishers secure synchronization. All Music Publishers must consider a new synchronization model that directly invests in the end user and establishes an in-house environment for their copyrights and songwriters.

The first change is to create and fund Co-Publishing Companies with Filmmakers. Multi-National Music Publishers should buy as many film scores as they can get their hands on. Some of the majors already administer music for major film companies, but they do not benefit from all the additional revenue that can come from those relationships.

If you're a smaller publisher, allocate monies out of your A&R budget and invest in film scores. If you're signing five new writers a year--sign three writers and two filmmakers instead. Those two filmmakers will give your writers and catalogue primary access to their films. Show the filmmaker how to make money owning their underscore and you will see some of their licensing budget heading toward your songs. Investing in a film score that has its own promotion money is a shared risk. Investing only in songwriters is 100% the publishers risk. That songwriter has to write the hit, get it recorded by a top artist and hope the record company can make it successful. Not that easy to do these days. For those of you who may think I'm anti-songwriter. Not a chance. I am pro-songwriter all the way. These ideas are to help the songwriter and songs by creating opportunity. What good is it to have five great songwriters and no opportunity? Signing fewer writers may even help you sign better ones!

The second change is to offer Music Supervision services as a publisher. Build it or buy it and then focus primarily on independent film, which in my view is the last open market. A global market! Hollywood is investing in films all around the world as affordable film technology enables all filmmakers to tell their stories. It makes sense to have in house supervision services in your U.S and European offices.

The third change is to make the Back Catalogue of your most popular writers affordable. So much focus is given to the hits and so little is given to the hit-makers back catalogue. Make the unknown songs from the known artist accessible to independent film. I have found that most artists' favorite songs are not the hits. They are more than willing to discuss pricing scenarios that help move their most cherished songs into the film world. The phone will ring for the big hits. The radio is promoting them every day. Spend a little time promoting the lesser-known songs and pricing them fairly. Be creative and don't be afraid to innovate. Identify the foreign countries where your artist and songs may be very popular and market them, with your affiliate, to the film industry in that country. You will see a new revenue stream coming from filmmakers who never thought it was possible to have a song by a big artist.

Technology has changed music publishing forever. We have to change with it. The songs and songwriters are counting on us.

David Polemeni is a music publisher specializing in film and television music. His previous position was SVP of Film and Television for S1 Songs America, LLC representing the catalogues of Sheryl Crow, John Denver, Evanescence, Lifehouse and Billy Strayhorn. His current focus is on creating and financing music publishing companies for filmmakers and building new synchronization divisions for multi national music publishers.

http://www.davidpolemeni.com/

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How To Make DJ Music - Online Resources

The Benefits If You Make DJ Music

Even if your tracks don't see the same success that Justice, Deadmau5 and other artists do, even if you are relatively well-known or just well know to a few, there are still lots of advantages when you make DJ music.

The top DJ produces don't get the best gigs because they sweated through clubs with their little DJ kits, reading guides on how to DJ and trying to mix.

It's because they made a few dancefloor filling bomb-dropper tunes that electronic music fans around the world ALL know about!

That gives them license to DJ at Ibiza nightclubs, capital city top clubs and the best festivals around.

Make DJ music that gets played in 10 or 20 different countries and make it work. Then watch the offers for gigs ROLL in.

Get yourself an agent! You're going to need one.

I discussed this in my interview with DJ Sean Gallagher recently. We've noticed how certain new music producers get huge gigs really fast and we were wondering how they learn to DJ so fast.

If you start make DJ music yourself AND you're good at it, you could well be one of those guys who gets amazing gigs right away!

The Benefits If You Make DJ Music

Even if your tracks don't see the same success that Justice, Deadmau5 and other artists do, even if you are relatively well-known or just well know to a few, there are still lots of advantages when you make DJ music.

Don't be this DJ

Imagine, you sweat for years working your way into clubs as a DJ, competing hard with other guys to get a coveted residency. But you have no remixes or tracks to your name.

Then, on the day of a huge event, you get pushed aside because the promoter and owner want someone else to DJ instead.

They want a producer who's only ever DJed once in his life to play instead of you! This producer has just made one killer track in his life, but everyone knows it and loves it!

This happens all the time. Regular DJs who don't make their own tunes are forced to make way for producers whose music is known by everyone.

Don't be that DJ who gets pushed off the decks! Make your own DJ music instead.

If you need a few reminders why you should start, I'll give them to you:

1. Better for getting gigs

You can get club gigs a lot easier if you have a few of your own tracks.

Put yourself in the place of the promoter. They get emailed and called all the time by DJs claiming that they're the next big thing. He or she will be reassured if you're a DJ with a few tunes to your name.

As well as sending the promoter a link your DJ website and video of you mixing, you'll throw in the links to your youtube tracks (where you've added some comments!).

Promoters are far more easily swayed by DJs with their own music.

2. Prestige

As soon as you start making your first tracks, your status changes.

When you talk about your DJing, you'll be able to introduce yourself as a DJ Producer. You'll no longer just be a DJ!

This is better for you in terms of prestige. Add it to your business card, put it on your website tell it to your friends.

The DJ Producer is in town!

3. Chances of massive success

It doesn't happen to everyone who makes DJ music by themselves, but some get to experience huge success.

Think of one hit wonder kings Stardust and their tune, "Music Sounds Better With You". This tune went around the world and kept going!

I'm not saying you should aim to make a one hit wonder but you do have the chance of making the same impact that these guys did.

4. Better money

If you manage to sell 40,000 downloads of your cool track by marketing it yourself, you'll be in for a nice payday.

You can keep the royalties and get as much as 70% of the cash back for yourself!

If you sell your tune for $1 and keep around 70% of proceedings:

70% of $40 000 = $28 000

Knock out 5 tracks a year and you're doing ok!

But the real money is in the gigs you'll get. As soon as you make DJ music and one of your tracks takes off, you'll get offered gigs all over the world!

Legacy

How long will it be before people forget Fatboy Slim's first album?

Never.

Our musical memories are so good they seem to be better than any other parts of our memory.

And Fatboy Slim's tracks will be getting played and danced to in 20 years time, I can guarantee it.

Imagine being the one that made those great tracks. You'll rock and be remembered for years and years.

Find out more with my articles on how to make DJ music and where to start.

This article and many more other DJ tips, reviews, advice and a free guide to getting DJ gigs can be found at The Total DJ Blog

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Indie Music Promotion: Email List + Google Traffic = More Music Sales

Indie music promotion strategies are the same as the music promotion techniques used by major artists. The main difference, however, is that indie musicians do not have as much financial resources at their disposal as the major record labels do.

As an indie artist, you may not get your music advertised to millions via the various forms of offline media, such as in a TV, radio or magazine. You might not even be able to afford to be able to create your own CDs to sell at gigs. But the good news is that no-matter how limited your resources, you can still reach a large audience and make good money using indie music promotion strategies on the Internet.

Whether an indie musician or an artist with a major label behind you, the primary aim of the online music marketing techniques is the same: to develop a relationship with fans to help make sales. When you have developed a relationship with people, it is then much easier to make sales from them.

OK, so let's look at how indie musicians can promote their music on the Internet by using search engine traffic and an email list.

The Email List

The email list is the best way to make sales of your music. Now, when I say "sell your music", this does not have to be CDs that are sent through the post - this can simply be MP3 files that are downloaded.

The email list is such a powerful resource to use in order to make money from your music. It is especially important for indie musicians who do not have all the promotional resources in the world at their disposal.

The email list is so powerful because the people that have joined your email list have an interest in your music - otherwise they would not have signed up! Even with a small list of subscribers, you can make good sales if you handle your email list correctly.

The email list should be used to develop a relationship with your fans. You should be encouraging discussions of music in general with them, asking their thoughts, giving them cool members-only gifts and special offers, and announcing general news in the music world that is likely to interest them. When you have developed a relationship with the readers of your email list and have gained their trust, then they will be so much more likely to buy your music and merchandise when you promote this to them.

Many bands just use the email list as a way of sending out the monthly newsletter. A monthly newsletter is very important (and you should have one), but I think the contact with your fans should be more frequent than the just monthly newsletter. The communication does not always have to be about promoting something. Just sending out general emails to discuss interesting topics is a great way to develop a rapport.

OK, great, "but how exactly do I build my email list if no-one knows about my band in the first place?!" I hear you ask.

Fear not, we will get on to this. But it is important for you to first understand that you should have a means to capture the email addresses of your fans before you start an indie music marketing campaign.

So presuming you have your own website with an email opt-in box in the sidebar, we can now get down to business with getting people to your website. This will be done by using search engine traffic.

Search Engine Traffic

Having your website rank highly on Google for certain keywords can do wonders for your exposure. The good news for musicians is that it does not cost any money to get a high Google ranking and it can be relatively easy to achieve high rankings for certain keywords.

I am sure if you type in your band or musician name into Google, your website will already appear on the first page if you already have a http://www.yourbandname.com domain or social networking page that is. This is great, people who already know that your band exists can now click through to your website and learn more.

But what if people don't know that you exist yet?

It can be very powerful to have your band website appear on the front page of Google for a wide range of search terms other than just your band name.

You should try to get your website ranked highly for more generic terms such as the genre of your music, the geographical area of your band, the type of gigs you perform etc. This way people who are trying to find a new artist in a certain part of the world can find you with a generic search such as "New Jersey Punk Band' or 'Rock Music Gigs in Ontario'.

For certain keywords on the Internet, it can be very hard to rank for them. But music related keywords are much easier to rank for because they are not directly related to selling a certain product. Also, most musicians are not aware of the Internet based indie music marketing techniques that can be used to help them to rank highly on Google.

For example, it would be hard to rank highly on Google for terms related to buying an iPhone as many businesses are in competition for these terms, but competition for music related terms are going to have much less competition.

Think of as many relevant keywords as possible that people could type into Google in order to help them stumble across your band. Then you can try to make your band website (or separate blog posts on your website) rank on the first page of Google for as many of these keywords as possible.

You may find it impossible to rank for very generic terms such as 'indie band' or 'rock music', but more specific terms such as 'indie band Pittsburgh' or 'wedding band Cambridge' or 'singer-songwriter similar to Nelly Furtado' will be more achievable.

In order to rank highly for a certain keyword term you need to have this keyword phrase appear a few times (or at least once) in the text of your website and you also need to have other websites on the Internet linking to your website using your keyword as the anchor text link.

The anchor text is the keyword you wish to rank for, and appears as a link that is highlighted in blue and underlined on a webpage. If many other web pages around the Internet link to your website with this keyword, then Google will rank your band or musician website highly for that term.

The link to your website from another website on the Internet is known as a backlink. The more backlinks you have, the higher your website will rank.

Then as you get more and more traffic to your band website from Google, you will start to build you email list, develop a relationship with more fans, and make more sales.

The author is an internet marketer whom teaches musicians how to promote themselves online. Learn more about how to apply online music marketing techniques to promote your band, visit the Band WordPress Theme website.

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House and Electronic Dance Music DJs - Use a Playlist or Tracklist on All Your Mixes!

A tracklist will help you get found
Including a tracklist or playlist with your mix set is an essential part of promoting your career as a house or electronic dance music disc jockey. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro, a proper play list is the best way to ensure your mixes are easily found by house heads worldwide. With each tracklist, you provide Google an opportunity to index key search terms such as song title, artist, vocalist, remixer, and label. Use this as a tool to be found by fans that follow and support the same style of house music as you. The bottom line is, tracklists are GOOD!

In the world of house music, there are SO MANY underground, unsigned, and aspiring artists it's amazing how much music never makes it to the mainstream market. Even then, what our culture considers "mainstream" is still considered "underground" in the world of major labels. It's important that your listeners can identify the artist and title and this can only be accomplished with a proper playlist.

Playlists are an Industry Standard
House and electronic dance music has always been about discovering new music. As a DJ/Artist, it is your duty to educate your fans and audience. Don't be afraid to include a playlist with all your mixes - It's an industry standard and without one you can easily be misinterpreted as lazy or holding back.

Minimum format: ARTIST - TITLE
Preferred format: ARTIST - TITLE - REMIXER - LABEL
Example: DJ Smith feat Mary Jones - "It's getting funky" (Funklord Club Remix) - K1 Music

Show your Support
The fact is, it's rare that you will become a world renown artist based solely on your DJ sets. Most disc jockeys do more than just play music. They often have a combination of elements working for them including a radio show, remix/production, a club residency, promoting their own night/event, or a record label. A natural progression for many DJs is getting into music production or remixing. One day, your music will be a part of someone else's mix, and you certainly hope they give you proper recognition. Show your support and make sure you acknowledge their talent by including their information on your playlist.

Our Future Depends on You
With a tracklist you are providing a service to the artist or label in the event the listener wants to buy that song/track. Whether you're a fan or DJ - Think about the all the times you've listened to a mix, and NEEDED to buy a certain song. You found out what it was, and you bought it on iTunes, Amazon, Traxsource, Beatport, or your favorite digital music store. With a proper tracklist, you're saying YES to the future of the digital music industry.

dj Brian Cabalic has been selecting music for others to dance to since 1989. He graduated from UCSD with a BA in Human Development and currently works as a Network Engineer. He has successfully combined his passion for house music, knack for technology, and knowledge of human behavior into one website http://www.ilovehousemusic.com/. The site is a social network dedicated to the progress of house music culture and electronic dance music by through online interaction. Sign up today for a FREE Artist or Fan account and learn more about house music and underground dance culture.

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All About The Music Business

In this article I am going to offer some pointers that can help identify the good deals that come our way:

When a music business deal takes you into a new territory or brings you into a new market; great, consideration needs to be given to it. In other words even when a deal does not offer you what you might consider to be great terms you should still consider the deal. Why? As a new artist, you need all the help you can get when it comes to exposure and opportunities. I am not suggesting giving away your product but at the same time you are not YET a Beyonce or Iron Maiden so be aware that you are in the process of progress.
Let me say this; sometimes people teach textbook concepts that have no place in the reality of how a business works in practice. Let us take an example. If you are given a contract to a territory like the USA without an advance you might say that such a deal should be avoided. But if you are a new artist and the offer is from a credible label you seriously need to give it some thought. One may look to get better royalty rates; better option terms or get the company to pay for a flight ticket and book some gigs. These could be some ways to offset the 'No Advance'. Someone might ask 'why should I do that?' The answer is simple. If nobody knows you in the USA and a company is going to put up some funds to publicize you as an artist; you will be reaching new fans. The point I am making is never turn up your nose on a deal just because it doesn't look good outwardly, always think about making it work before you give up on it.

Obviously a deal that is just an outright robbery should not be considered.

However, even artists can sometimes ask for ridiculous sums of money which is just a sign of naivety rather than good business sense. How much of an advance can a new artist get? First, it depends on who the record company or music business is. If you are talking to an Independent label with ?100k turnover then asking for a ?50K advance is simply ridiculous. If on the other hand they were a Major Label asking for ?50K could be the way you are choosing to gain their commitment!

Another factor to consider with this example could be for us you to understand your selling potential. Here is what I mean. If you have hardly sold any units or downloads you do not know your own potential. Here is where a lot of artists might even sell themselves short. The point is if you sold 10k units on your own and a label becomes interested you already know they could sell 5 times as much. With such knowledge you can ask for advances that reflect 20-30K units of sale.

The point is: think carefully before you say no!

Do you want to learn more about making money with your music? If so, download my brand new free 5 week music business training course here: http://www.musicbusinesstools.com/

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Competing Within the Music Industry

With so many different genres of music and so many bands and musicians competing within each genre, it can be tough to get your music heard.

If we think about the diversity of music; you've got rock, punk, singer songwriter, metal, soul - the list is endless and there are so many sub genres within these main categories too.

The promotional strategy will vary within each different style of music but the fundamental basics will always be the same. You need to target people who are interested in your genre first and foremost. There is no point in a metal band targeting an audience who are going to be listening to chart music. Of course, many people have a varied taste in music so there may be individuals who listen to this music that will be interested in yours, but generally people sway more towards one genre than another.

Start with your friends. There is a good chance they are into the same music as you. Ask them to spread the word and ensure that they come along to any gigs that you perform. Word of mouth is a great way of promoting your band.

Use the internet. The internet connects people regardless of geographic location. If you can find people with a common interest, connect with them. Use social networking, online communities and forums. These are great ways of making people more aware of the music you create.

Post videos on YouTube and other video sites. If you perform covers of popular songs, these are likely to be picked up by fans of the song in question. Performing live music online can be a great form of promotion. If they like what they hear, there is a good chance they will listen to your own material you have uploaded and hopefully visit your website or other social media profiles. This can be a great way of attracting an audience.

Communicate with music bloggers and make a personal connection. If you can do this, they may promote your website on their blog and post a review of any material you release. Music blogs receive a great number of visitors and along with this, receive a lot of requests. Make sure any correspondence you send their way is personal and genuine. Offer to return favours if you are asking for them as it can't just be a one-way street.

You should combine any promotion you do offline with what you do online. Make the two consistent and integrate them. The internet should not replace what you do in the real world, but it's power and potential cannot be ignored.

If you find there is a market for your music within another genre (if the two cross over for example) then expand your promotion to this audience too. Try to keep your targeting as specific as possible as this will yield the greatest results.

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Dr Luke, The Music Studio Producer

Dr. Luke is an acclaimed music studio producer of our generation. The talented musician and producer has worked with some of the biggest names in the pop world, on top of having performed with international artists and been a part of the Saturday Night Live house band for years. His input in the music industry is undeniable and his impact on pop albums and recordings can be heard on the radio all around the world. Dr. Luke has been nominated for Grammys and is recognized to be the producer of the decade so far.

Native from Rhode Island, Lukasz Goldwatt, was born in September 1973 in a jewish Polish-American family. Luke have always wanted to play the drums but finally decided to practice on his sister's guitar after his parents denied the permission of having drums in the house. He would practice for hours and hours. He tried to recreate every interesting guitar lick he would hear on the radio and on his favourite albums in order to perfect his craft. He then moved on to attend the Manhattan School of Music, a renowned institute in New York City.

After studying at the School of Music for two years, Dr. Luke participated in an audition held by Saturday Night Live in order to find a lead guitarist for their house band. Out of 80 applicants, Dr. Luke scored the position and went on to play for SNL for 10 seasons, which the contract ended in 2007. During that time, Dr. Luke had also become acquainted with the underground hip-hop scene of the Big Apple. He has also appeared as a DJ at various events. He also met up with Max Martin, a producer, who proved to play an important role in Luke's successful career.

It was with producer Max Martin that Dr. Luke co-wrote and co-produce one of Kelly Clarkson's biggest pop hits, Since U Been Gone, which was released in December 2004. The song topped the charts and Dr. Luke switched his focus to production: he has then been producing tracks and albums for Britney Spears, Pink, Avril Lavigne, Sugababes, Kelly Clarkson, the Backstreet Boys, Vanessa Hudgens, Katy Perry, Adam Lambert, Ke$ha, Flo Rida and many other pop fixtures of the 2000's. As a music studio producer, Dr. Luke has been nominated at the Grammy Awards twice and was named Number One Producer of the Year by Billboard in 2010.

For more music studio producers and their music, try popular karaoke songs, and recapture the essence of their songs today.

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Kara DioGuardi, The Music Studio Producer

While Kara DioGuardi has been having a very successful songwriter and music studio producer career for many years, it wasn't until she appeared as a judge on American Idol that her name exploded in the industry. Her ability to craft and produce award winning songs one after the other for many different artists has made DioGuardi one of the most sought-after pop songwriter and producer of the 2000's. Her collaborations have included no other than pop royalty Kylie Minogue and Christina Aguilera, as well as Meat Loaf, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Theory of a Deadman and many others.

Born on December 9th 1970 from a Albanian and Italian descent, Kara DioGuardi was used to being in the public eye from a very young age: her father is no other than former Republican Congressman Joseph J. DioGuardi and she happens to be a distant cousin of TV sensation Regis Philbin. Her initial career path did not lead on to believe she would end up in the music industry: DioGuardi is a political science graduate from Duke University. It was only after earning her degree that she landed a job at Billboard Magazine as an assistant and then advertising sales representative.

From then Kara DioGuardi certainly took a liking to the music industry and decided to invest her time wisely in the industry by becoming a professional songwriter. Her unique abilities certainly made her one of the prolific and successful writers of the industry in the last decade. Her catalogue, which counts many hundreds of songs, also includes 279 songs released on major record labels, 169 songs on multi-platinum albums and 50 international chart toppers. Her songs have not only been featured on incredible popular albums of our generation but also in motion pictures, television shows, radio spots and international commercial campaigns.

After her brief stint on two seasons of American Idol, DioGuardi returned to songwriting and production with an even more active interest. Some of her biggest achievements include songs by Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Meat Loaf, Theory of a Deadman, Kylie Minogue, Demi Lovato, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Hilary Duff and many other international acts of the decade. Her input in the pop culture of the last 15 years is undeniable and she has been recognized many times for her achievements. As a songwriter and music studio producer, Kara DioGuardi certainly established herself as being a force to be reckoned in an industry mostly dominated by men.

For more music studio producers and their music, try popular karaoke songs, and recapture the essence of their songs today.

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George Martin The Music Studio Producer

Sir George Henry Martin has certainly established himself as a music studio producer. One of the most respected and well-known producers of all-time, Martin is the name that brought to our ears the sweet sounds of the Beatles, with the exception of one single album. After more than 60 years in the music industry, George Martin is still active up to this day as chairman of the Associated Independent Recording Studios' board. His work is impressive and his career is of the most interesting progression of events.

It all started when Martin was 8 years old and his family made the welcomed acquisition of a piano. Young George then developed an interest - he took a few lessons and then proceeded to keep teaching himself the art of playing the piano. While his musical interest was quickly developing, Martin didn't consider making it an actual career before finally enrolling at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama right after his service in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. His studies in both piano and oboe gave him essential knowledge and developed his ears in a unique way, allowing him to become the successful producer he is now known as.

George Martin first worked for the BBC Classical music department and ultimately became the head of EMI's subsidiary Parlophone Records. His position allowed him to record anything he wanted; he started with Baroque and Classical music, included original cast recordings of famous plays and even comedy records. His career was already flourishing healthily when he was approached by then Beatles manager Brian Epstein. From here, the rest is history. Martin went on to produce and record an impressive amount of records with the legendary band and was often the brain behind some of the most risque creative decisions of The Beatles' career.

While his work with The Beatles is definitely notable and certainly an integral part of what makes George Martin one of the most respected figures in the music industry, Martin has also collaborated with many other successful artists as a producer. Credits include work with Elton John, Celine Dion, Paul McCartney solo, Gerry & the Pacemakers, America and many more. George Martin is a recognized name within the world music industry. As a music studio producer, George Martin stands behind 23 #1 singles and 19 #1 albums in North America alone, as well as 30 #1 singles and 16 #1 albums in the United Kingdom.

For more music studio producers and their music, try popular karaoke songs, and recapture the essence of their songs today.

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Dr Dre - The Music Studio Producer

Far from being only a solo artist, Dr. Dre is also a highly recognized music studio producer. His successful career has given him the knowledge needed to produce and consult many budding artists and discover raw talent where it's at. From the small streets of Southern California to being a respected producer and rapper, Dr. Dre certainly shows us that his skills are to be noticed and that his career is still well on its way. After being a star member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru and collaborating with N.W.A as well as releasing his own solo material, he is now focusing on production and providing valuable advice to many international artists in the hip-hop and r&b genre.

Dr. Dre was born Andre Romelle Young in February 1965. His interest in music didn't start to show until years into high school, when he first started to show up at the Eve's After Dark Nightclub to observe DJs and rappers performing. He had his first try at being a dj, until the pseudonym Dr. J; he then quickly switched to Dr. Dre. It was not long after that he joined the ranks of the World Class Wreckin' Cru, a very popular rap group of the time on the West Coast scene.

From his days in the World Class Wreckin' Cru Dr. Dre moved on quickly to collaborate with N.W.A., a pioneer group of the 'gangsta rap' genre, along with Ice-T. It is after leaving N.W.A to release his own solo effort and founding his very own record label Aftermath Entertainment that he really decided to focus on production as opposed to be a performer himself. His first successful production credits include no other than 3 tracks on Eminem's highly successful Slim Shady LP. From then it was very clear that Dre's knack for production was slowly unveiling itself and needed to be nourished by further opportunities.

Excluding many collaborations with Eminem, signed to Aftermath, he has also produced tracks for Mary J. Blige, Eve and Gwen Stefani, 50 Cent, Snoop Dog, Jay-Z and more. To this date, Dr. Dre is still producing highly successful singles and albums amongst the hip-hop and r&b community and remains a pioneer figure in the industry. Many modern artists such as Kanye have quoted Dr. Dre's sound as being inspirational and influential; Dre is now considered to be an acclaimed artist and quality music studio producer.

For more music studio producers and their music, try popular karaoke songs, and recapture the essence of their songs today.

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Indie Music Publicity - 4 Vital Tips to Getting Your Own Effective Music PR

Ever wonder why it's so difficult to advance your career to the next level? Why some artists are getting media coverage, radio play, digital plays, and gaining Facebook fans, drastically increasing their fan base day by day, and selling records and digital downloads like they're going out of style with the ultimate result being... serious expansion of your fan base, creating awareness for your project, selling CDs and digital downloads, and gaining the attention of the record labels and professional artist management companies?

So What's the Answer? Well it's really a no-brainer...

The Answer Is -- "MUSIC PUBLICITY"!!

Pretty much nothing happens without it - no matter what level of the music business you have obtained. Every artist must have it.

Understanding the "guidelines to publicity in the music business" can be a difficult task for the independent artist. A well connected music publicist or indie music publicist creating a buzz, a story, a history... getting your record reviewed, writing and distributing press releases, and feature articles and interviews will increase your chances of getting noticed. Simplified; a good media relations expert generating the music publicity awareness you need to get noticed among the massive sea of artists all striving for the same end goal. It can be very difficult to do your own independent music PR as a relatively unknown indie artist. This is how the help of an effective music publicist can help. A good indie music publicist, that has built all the relationships for you can greatly expedite the process and increase results if you have the budget and can afford the fees of a music PR professional. If you can't, there are ways to do your own music publicity.

1. Do Your Due Diligence -

Do the necessary online research to uncover the media portals that may be appropriate for you to submit to on your own.

2. Follow The Media Outlets Submission Guidelines -

Make sure to follow their submission guidelines closely. Nothing aggravates a music journalist more than being bombarded with inappropriate submissions.

3. Do Not Follow Up -

Once you have submitted your CD for review, feature, or interview - Be Patient. These portals receive 100's of submissions weekly. It may take months before you are considered. (This is where a veteran music publicist can help - their relationship can supersede the process.) Don't follow up - If the music journalist wants to do the review he or she will let you know.

4. Simplify and Expedite the Process for Faster Results -

Cut down on all that research and media outlet documentation - It can take you months to put together and continually update your music media database. Purchase a comprehensive indie music publicity resource guide (very inexpensive) that has the database already laid out for you and formatted for immediate use. There are a few out there but hands down the most effective DIY Music Publicity resource is the Indie Bible. It is updated monthly and contains the most comprehensive lists of music media outlets that will review your CD and provide radio play.

All and all - getting effective media coverage for your project is not an easy task to do on your own. I recommend if you have any budget at all for music promotion and music marketing that you consider hiring a good indie music publicity company. If they are a reliable PR firm, they will get the job done faster and far more effectively - and ultimately get the results you are looking for.

©2011 Ken Cavalier All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Ken Cavalier is an Indie Music Publicist, Music Marketing Consultant, and founder of Allure Media Entertainment Group, Inc. (New York - Philadelphia) a fast growing music publicity and indie music marketing company. As a former artist, his passion for helping indie musicians realize their career goals has enabled him to launch and manage extremely successful indie music publicity campaigns for hundreds of independent artists over the years. He is a voting member of many distinguished music industry organizations including The National Academy of Recording Arts and Science (™The Grammy Association).

For more details and information on his company and his services visit:
http://www.indiemusicconsultant.com/musicpublicity.html

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Get Signed! The Right Mix For Music Biz Success

To get signed by the record label of your choice, you need to have what it takes. Check this list, and see how you stand:

Originality

Hundreds of artists get signed each year. Thousands of artists release CDs. In order to stand out from the rest of the releases, you need to be different. Do you write killer songs? Do you, or your lead singer, have unique vocals? Is your style or image different from what's out in the market now? Take some time to think about your act and how it compares to others currently on The Billboard chart.

Sometimes it helps to write down a description of your act and its music. Ask a few friends and fans to do the same, even asking for comparisons to popular bands. Compare the notes, and see where you agree (or not). The results will be interesting. Pay close attention to the descriptions given by those who come to see you play. They may see things that you might never notice from the stage.

Vocals

In pop music, vocals are crucial. The voice is the main thing that listeners hear when they play music. A phenomenal guitarist is great, an amazing drummer is wonderful, but the success of a song literally hangs on the vocals.

It helps if the voice itself is distinctive, but it's more important that the vocals be clear, in tune, and capable of conveying an emotion, whether it's anger, joy, or love. The voice, along with the song, should inspire others to sing along and replay often.

Live Appearances

For a performer, live appearances are your where it's at. Live shows bring you closer to your fans, and they also help attract new ones. There's nothing like seeing musicians playing their hearts out on stage, and giving a great show. When done right, these performances inspire the audience. There is a direct correlation of successful shows to CD sales.

Another part of live appearances is being in as many places as possible to promote your record. Perform as much as you can in your hometown, and be sure to network at music industry events. You never know where you'll meet your next collaborator.

The Right Image

If you noticed, I wrote the right image. As in, the right image for you. We live in a media driven society, which creates a demand for artists and bands to have some kind of "look": grunge, bad girl, glam rocker, etc. However, it's important to note that your image is an extension of who you are, and should be believable. If you're an earthy singer/songwriter, bright makeup, cleavage, and stiletto heels will only make you uncomfortable. If you're not used to wearing those items, it will be noticed in photos and in person.

A "Hit" Song

Even if you don't want to get signed, having a song that has hit quality will take you far. Hit songs, for the most part, are those that hook the listener, and are easy to sing along. Can you picture a group of girls (or guys) in a car singing along full voice to your song on the radio? That's a good test.

To improve your songwriting ability, write often. Classes and workshops are another option, and are also offered by music industry organizations and performing rights societies. These are good places to meet potential collaborators.

The Right Teams

Your "team" is the group of professionals whose job is to help you on your way to success. The members include an entertainment attorney, a business manager/accountant, and a manager. Your team may also include a publicist. Effective teams are made up of people you can trust, who fully believe in your talent.

Identification

Identification comes into the picture when your audience decides, usually pretty quickly, if they feel the way you do. When Mariah Carey sings a love song about loving someone always, there are many people who identify with her. Not only do they know what it's like to feel that way about someone, they also believe that she has as well. Fans identify with the artists whose image that they believe. When you decide on your image, choose one that feels authentic, not artificial. This is a great way to attract loyal fans.

Carla Lynne Hall is a musician and music marketing consultant based in New York City. Her mission is to make music and share her knowledge with other musicians. As a musician, she has released three CDs on her own label, and has toured the world as a singer/songwriter, and professional vocalist. In addition, she also has spent a number of years behind the scenes in the music industry, in publishing, management, publicity, and radio promotion.

Carla has given indie music lectures at many venues, including ASCAP, Songwriter's Hall of Fame, The Indie Music Forum, and Philadelphia Music Conference. As well as being the former music business columnist for Vibe Magazine, Carla has written articles for http://www.musicdish.com/ and other publications around the world, and is the author of The DIY Guide to the Music Biz and Twitter for Musicians. Carla blogs about the life of the indie musician at http://rockstarlifelessons.com/

Promote your band, build your fanbase, and sell your music!

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DIY Music Marketing Tools - The Must-Haves

When it comes to DIY Music Marketing, the name of the game is hustle. What you don't have in dollars, you will have to make up in effort. Leave no stone unturned in your quest to let the world know about your new CD. But, before you leave home, make sure that you have the following tools for any opportunities that come your way:

Business card

Business cards are inexpensive, and can even be printed at home. If the information on your card has changed, for goodness sake, replace them. Nothing spells amateur like handwritten cards! When you receive cards from other people, make notes of what the person talked about, and follow up on your conversation at a later date.

Music Flyer

As soon as you book your next show, make a batch of flyers and give them to everyone that you encounter before the show. Make the flyer colorful and interesting, and include a description of your music. Make larger versions of your flyer to serve as posters and hang them everywhere that is appropriate and legal.

CDs/Demo/MixTape

As soon as you are ready, create a recording. With so many home studio producers available, this does not have to be expensive. It just has to be something you're proud to share with others. Have at least two CDs with you at all times. You never know who you'll meet. But don't force it on anyone who's iffy on receiving it - it'll end up being wasted money.

Web Site

Having a web site makes it easier on a global level for people to find you and listen to your music. If you do leave home empty handed, you can direct people to your site. Make it easy on yourself and pay for your domain name. Free web sites are nice, but the addresses can be long and hard to remember.

Email list: You'll need a place to store the email addresses of people that you meet at shows and in your travels. Create a system to capture email addresses when you meet people offline. Put a "fan collector" widget on your site that gives new fans a free MP3 in exchange for their email address.

Electronic Promo Kit (EPK): If you somehow don't have your own website yet, set up a free EPK where people can see your photos and videos, and hear your music. Okay, this item is optional to carry around 24/7, but you do have one, right? It should have your photo, bio, CD/tape, and press clippings.

Carla Lynne Hall is a musician and music marketing consultant based in New York City. Her mission is to make music and share her knowledge with other musicians. As a musician, she has released three CDs on her own label, and has toured the world as a singer/songwriter, and professional vocalist. In addition, she also has spent a number of years behind the scenes in the music industry, in publishing, management, publicity, and radio promotion.

Carla has given indie music lectures at many venues, including ASCAP, Songwriter's Hall of Fame, The Indie Music Forum, and Philadelphia Music Conference. As well as being the former music business columnist for Vibe Magazine, Carla has written articles for http://www.musicdish.com/ and other publications around the world, and is the author of The DIY Guide to the Music Biz and Twitter for Musicians. Carla blogs about the life of the indie musician at http://rockstarlifelessons.com/

Promote your band, build your fanbase, and sell your music!

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Coachella Music Festival 2012 - A Double Week Whammy

Ten years ago I bet you would have never known where Coachella Valley is, but now it's been put on the map by the enormous success of the Coachella Music Festival. The last few years it has sold out early, and each year it sells out quicker than ever before. This year they sold tickets a year in advance and they sold out in under two weeks. They had no choice but to extend the Coachella Music Festival from the normal one week, to encompass two weekends. They will be selling tickets in advance for the second week later in the year.

Why is it that this music festival has done so well? It is my theory that it is close to Los Angeles, which is known for hosting some of the largest record labels on the planet, with probably most of the rock 'n roll stars living within the proximity of The Greater Los Angeles area. Coachella Valley is only a hop, skip, and a jump, and less than two-hours away from LA. Also, the weather is always good that time of year, and always sunny, perfect for an outdoor music festival.

The performers next time will be able to stay for two weeks, or two weekends, and it will also help all the cities around Coachella Valley with tourism as tens of millions of dollars in tourist money flow in during that festival. The promoters of this great event have had incredible success over the years, and it just keeps getting bigger, with bigger names and more people. It is now the largest event in the entire area. And mind you this is an area that has national PGA golfing, professional tennis, and enormous corporate events due to the 150 golf courses in the area here.

The cities of Indio, Coachella, La Quinta, and Palm Desert are welcoming tourists into the area with additional things to do while they're here. And it's only 15 miles away from Palm Springs, another hot tourist spot. The best thing about the Coachella Musical Festival is there is all types of music, not only name bands, but also new bands which are getting popular and trendy. And after that Festival ends, there is another one called "The Stagecoach Country Music Festival" - with all the top country singers on hand.

Indeed, I'd say that the music industry has put the Coachella Valley in California on the map once again. We are a tourist hotspot for corporations, sporting events, and now music to. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 23,500 articles by mid-day on June 23, 2011 is going to be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off..

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Country Music Fans

"Did you guys ride all the way up here from Nashville in that bus?" a fan at Stepping Stone Ranch in Escoheag, Rhode Island asked when the bus pulled up to the stage to unload. Or how about this one: "Gee, Stonewall, you're one of my biggest fans!" Or: "The next time you see Johnny Cash, would you give him this song I wrote?"

Country Music fans. They supply the money that keeps the entertainment chain, which starts when a songwriter writes a hit for a star to record and ends when a picker spends his last five bucks on a 6-pack and a hot dog at a Mapco Express on the way home from a gig, running smoothly. They dress funny and ask dumb questions and still want the Greatest Hits on 8-track, but ya gotta love 'em, because Ernest Tubb said so.

They come around to the motel, or the truck stop, or the theater, or the club, and want to meet the star. "Hey, tell Faron I was in boot camp with him at Ft. Bragg." "Faron wasn't at Ft. Bragg." "Yeah, he was. We used to get drunk together." Greasy sweaty guys who look like they just changed out the transmission in their '72 Monte Carlo come tottering up to the bus sucking on a Lone Star: "Tell Alan that Billy Bob's here. I'm his cousin. I gave him his first git-tar." Girls want to know what motel y'all are staying at, including room numbers. If they can't connect with the star, they'll settle for the front man, any other singer, any band member, the road manager, or the bus driver, usually in that order. The motherly types bring baskets of fried chicken around for you and, if you look like you're under thirty, want to know what your parents think about you traveling around the country with a bunch of hairy-legged country musicians. The fatherly types eye you suspiciously if you get too near their womenfolk.

Local musicians come out to see you. Sometimes they bring a bottle of cheap whiskey to share with you and then want you to autograph their guitar and introduce them to the star. The older ones have stories about the time they cut a record in Nashville or played with Red Foley or some other dead singer who can't substantiate their claim, and the younger ones want to know if they should move to Nashville. They think we all drive Cadillacs around from studio to studio down here and party with Tanya Tucker and Travis Tritt in World Famous Printer's Alley. Hee! Haw! Tell 'em to come on down! Fans want to know what it's like on the road. (Do you guys live in that bus, or do you check into a motel sometimes?) They want to know what the star is really like. (Does he get that drunk all the time?)

Pickers ask if you're getting tired of playing the same old show. "How long you been with Faron, eighteen years? How many times you played 'Hello Walls'?" "Three thousand five hundred and forty six and a half times." "How ya get a half a time?" "There's been lots of half a times."

Fans get to be old friends when they come out again and again to see their favorite singers, and it's nice to have friends out there on the road. They might loan you their car for a pizza run, or help out loading equipment or selling T-shirts and tapes, and even help you drag your star to his stateroom in the back of the bus when he's passed out on the floor blocking the beer cooler. Fans you met on the road show up in Nashville and get you out of bed at the crack of noon, and you have to show them Dolly's house, or where Ernest Tubb is buried, or where Randy Travis used to wash dishes, and then you have to get them in backstage at the Grand 'Ol Opry and then show them the exciting Nashville nightlife. You never thought they'd really call; shoot, you tell everyone to call.

A scary thought, all the fans you ever met coming for a visit. Imagine a horde of camera-toting, autograph-hunting, laminated K-Mart straw hat-wearing, cheap plastic souvenir-buying, Reba and Garth-ogling country music fans descending on Nashville to turn left from the right lanes and complain about the heat and the humidity. Gee, sounds like it ought to be an annual event......

But fans have been instrumental (pun intended) in the development of country music into a big time salable commodity and have elevated it from its lowly beginnings, in the hills and hollers of the Southeast and the dusty plains of Texas and Oklahoma, to the corporate boardrooms of big record companies in New York and Los Angeles so it could be bastardized, sanitized, commercialized, and packaged and sold like Tide to housewives who wouldn't know a pitchfork from a pitch pipe, but who long to be on the Chattahoochee with Alan Jackson and who really believe that they can look like Lorrie Morgan with enough aerobics and the right haircut.

If it weren't for the country music fans, there would be unsold stacks of "Your Cheatin' Heart" on 78RPM warping in somebody's attic down on what would have been Music Row, and Reba McIntyre would be back in Oklahoma taking first place in hog calling contests. If you're in the music business, remember that you work for the fans. They've helped create a huge industry in which you can toil. They pay your salary, such as it may be, and you owe them a good show when they buy a ticket and come out to see you. Smile and act like you're having the best time of your life, like you haven't played these songs three thousand five hundred and forty six and a half times and haven't heard these jokes before, and maybe they'll buy you a beer and ask for your autograph.

Cal Sharp
Writer/Steel Guitar Player
http://steelguitarmadness.com/

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Brian Eno The Music Studio Producer

Straight out of the prolific music world of the United Kingdom, Brian Eno is a successful musician, composer and music studio producer still active up to this day. His career includes an impressive amount of credits related to some of the most successful albums of the last 2 or 3 decades. His involvement in electronics and technology in music has somewhat changed many musician's approach to composing and his often minimalistic and ambient solo efforts have defined a genre of their own. Eno is also highly involved in politics and have been since the beginning of his career.

This producer was born Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno on May 15th 1948. Born in Suffolk, Eno was educated at St. Joseph's College, where he met Tom Phillips, a teacher that would encourage his musical interest. After working with Phillips on what was called 'Piano Tennis', Eno began an involvement with Cornelius Cardew's Scratch Orchestra. From this collaboration emerged Eno's first released recording, featuring his voice. In the early 1970's, Brian Eno became a part of Roxy Music, a glam/art rock band from London; Eno was playing synthesizers, working sounds with a tape recorder and was even found singing background vocals.

Roxy Music became a successful British act but divergence of opinions between Eno and lead singer Bryan Ferry forced Eno to seek a solo career and leave the band. His solo career is still going strong up to this day; Eno is considered to be a pioneer in the ambient music genre and has released a string of albums highly acclaimed in the precise style he specialized in. His knowledge of sound and sound processing had him produce albums all throughout his career; Eno has worked in collaboration with Genesis and David Bowie before producing many of U2's successful albums through the years.

While Eno's production credits are rather selective, they nonetheless include no other than U2's Joshua Tree, The Unforgettable Fire, Achtung Baby and All That You Can Leave Behind. Brian Eno was also approached by Microsoft in the 1990's to come up with a 3 and a half seconds 'song' to use as their start-up sound; The Microsoft Sound, the well-recognized sound from Microsoft 1995 was composed and produced by no other than Eno. While Eno may not be known as a high-profile music studio producer, he is nonetheless an important part of the music industry and has been an inspiration and influence for many other acclaimed producers.

For more music studio producers and their music, try popular karaoke songs, and recapture the essence of their songs today.

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