It's not about the album - to Record Deal thread posters
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 6:50 amIt's Not About the Album
Part 2 of a series:
As I wrote earlier, what works, and sells, are acts that build their audience digitally and then sustain their fans through touring.
Ten years ago the online world meant an artist web site and low cost promotion.
Five years ago online promised widespread distribution.
Today online not only delivers on huge distribution via MySpace, YouTube, and P2P, it is THE place to be to gain credibility, similar to the rise of MTV 20 years ago in breaking new music.
The artist's path to success may or may not include a major label. But that major contract now just means a regular paycheck, not a guarantee to riches.
I'll let Bob Lefsetzs say it in his own personal way.
God, I could go on and on, but the point is selling albums IS NOT the point. It's about establishing careers, and making money from all 360 degrees of revenue.
Hell, don't even put out albums. Why keep yourself out of the public eye for all the time it takes to make them?
Watch your tour grosses, not your album sales. They should be going up in every market.
No one hears most of this crap. Let people hear it for free or you're playing with one arm tied behind your back. Make it available on MySpace, YouTube and your own site. In an era where most people have not heard the number one record, what chance is there that they're going to hear YOURS?
And don't throw in with the major on other revenue streams. There's no one working there anymore and none of them know the tour/ancillary business. Cliff Burnstein and Irving Azoff can recite the numbers in their sleep, they know where every dollar is buried. The label guys know the restaurants and the number of the limo company. They know lifestyle, not career. They just care that SOMETHING hits. Whereas the manager has to have essentially ALL of his artists do well. Hell, no one's gonna sign with a manager who has over a hundred acts.
Or, one can ask, how hungry are you? A manager doesn't get paid unless you do. That's a great incentive.
As for discs themselves... We live in an iPod world. And ONLY an iPod world. You think it's about DRM? No, it's about that connector on the bottom of each device, that slot that not only transfers your tracks and charges your iPod, but the one that hooks up to a WORLD of accessories. No one's invading the iPod's turf. Hell, Creative just started emphasizing iPod ACCESSORIES!
Get your music on that iPod. Where not only its owner can hear it, but his friends, at the beach, at parties, via speakers. Radio used to be the gatekeeper, now the iPod is. Shit, you should PAY Apple to sell the device pre-loaded with your crap. But Apple won't do this, because they know it's crap, and they know we live in an individualist society, where people only want EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT! Which touches their souls, not their little sister's...
The revolution is here! The fact that the major labels can't figure out how to play, can't figure out a reasonable form of online distribution, has NOTHING to do with the music itself. Music is getting healthier by the minute. Unrestrained, musicians are following their creativity. The fact that we're not exposed to much of the good stuff? That's gonna change. Word of mouth already helps, but someone's gonna establish a great filter, and it won't be Pandora or MTV or Yahoo, but something closer to http://criticalmetrics.com/. And then we'll know where to go.
As for now, these SoundScan numbers are like the Dead Sea Scrolls. Evidence of a long lost world that's never coming back.
"Bob Lefsetz is the author of "The Lefsetz Letter." Famous for being beholden to no one and speaking the truth, Lefsetz addresses the issues that are at the core of the music business: downloading, copy protection, pricing and the music itself. His intense brilliance captivates readers from Steven Tyler to Rick Nielsen to Bryan Adams to Quincy Jones to EVERYBODY who's in the music business. Never boring, always entertaining, Bob's insights are fueled by his stint as an entertainment business attorney, majordomo of Sanctuary Music's American division and consultancies to major labels."
http://www.p2p-weblog.com/50226711/its_ ... _album.php
Part 2 of a series:
As I wrote earlier, what works, and sells, are acts that build their audience digitally and then sustain their fans through touring.
Ten years ago the online world meant an artist web site and low cost promotion.
Five years ago online promised widespread distribution.
Today online not only delivers on huge distribution via MySpace, YouTube, and P2P, it is THE place to be to gain credibility, similar to the rise of MTV 20 years ago in breaking new music.
The artist's path to success may or may not include a major label. But that major contract now just means a regular paycheck, not a guarantee to riches.
I'll let Bob Lefsetzs say it in his own personal way.
God, I could go on and on, but the point is selling albums IS NOT the point. It's about establishing careers, and making money from all 360 degrees of revenue.
Hell, don't even put out albums. Why keep yourself out of the public eye for all the time it takes to make them?
Watch your tour grosses, not your album sales. They should be going up in every market.
No one hears most of this crap. Let people hear it for free or you're playing with one arm tied behind your back. Make it available on MySpace, YouTube and your own site. In an era where most people have not heard the number one record, what chance is there that they're going to hear YOURS?
And don't throw in with the major on other revenue streams. There's no one working there anymore and none of them know the tour/ancillary business. Cliff Burnstein and Irving Azoff can recite the numbers in their sleep, they know where every dollar is buried. The label guys know the restaurants and the number of the limo company. They know lifestyle, not career. They just care that SOMETHING hits. Whereas the manager has to have essentially ALL of his artists do well. Hell, no one's gonna sign with a manager who has over a hundred acts.
Or, one can ask, how hungry are you? A manager doesn't get paid unless you do. That's a great incentive.
As for discs themselves... We live in an iPod world. And ONLY an iPod world. You think it's about DRM? No, it's about that connector on the bottom of each device, that slot that not only transfers your tracks and charges your iPod, but the one that hooks up to a WORLD of accessories. No one's invading the iPod's turf. Hell, Creative just started emphasizing iPod ACCESSORIES!
Get your music on that iPod. Where not only its owner can hear it, but his friends, at the beach, at parties, via speakers. Radio used to be the gatekeeper, now the iPod is. Shit, you should PAY Apple to sell the device pre-loaded with your crap. But Apple won't do this, because they know it's crap, and they know we live in an individualist society, where people only want EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT! Which touches their souls, not their little sister's...
The revolution is here! The fact that the major labels can't figure out how to play, can't figure out a reasonable form of online distribution, has NOTHING to do with the music itself. Music is getting healthier by the minute. Unrestrained, musicians are following their creativity. The fact that we're not exposed to much of the good stuff? That's gonna change. Word of mouth already helps, but someone's gonna establish a great filter, and it won't be Pandora or MTV or Yahoo, but something closer to http://criticalmetrics.com/. And then we'll know where to go.
As for now, these SoundScan numbers are like the Dead Sea Scrolls. Evidence of a long lost world that's never coming back.
"Bob Lefsetz is the author of "The Lefsetz Letter." Famous for being beholden to no one and speaking the truth, Lefsetz addresses the issues that are at the core of the music business: downloading, copy protection, pricing and the music itself. His intense brilliance captivates readers from Steven Tyler to Rick Nielsen to Bryan Adams to Quincy Jones to EVERYBODY who's in the music business. Never boring, always entertaining, Bob's insights are fueled by his stint as an entertainment business attorney, majordomo of Sanctuary Music's American division and consultancies to major labels."
http://www.p2p-weblog.com/50226711/its_ ... _album.php
someone hold me back... i want the TRUTH...
It may even evolve into the artist sponsored by the corporation does the commercial jingles for the sponsor. Oh wait a minute, that's already been done.