The Artist Manager

Do I need a manager? If so, what should I look for? This is a question that is heard from many up and coming artists, actors, models, and any other person that wants to be in a certain entertainment industry. Everyone does not need a manager. However, if you are not “business smart” you will fall fast and end up in a situation that you could have avoided.  So what is the primary role of the artist manager?

Research conducted by Tunecore (2012) found that 53.71% of the voters felt that business development for the artist was the most important part of the artist manager’s job. Howard (2011) found that the artist manager used to focus mainly on getting the record deals and being the middleman between the artist and the label. In today’s time, the artist manager has to and is focusing more on the business development of the artist. Business development consists of branding, revenue, and building partnerships (Howard, 2011). Without the correct branding the artist will not generate revenue. Without revenue, the artist cannot thrive. Business development has to be the focus behind any artist and their manager.

So what do you look for in a good artist manager? I always tell up and comings to look for someone that is honest, trustworthy, has a good rapport with people, and has knowledge of and credible resources for the industry that you are trying to get into. Howard (2012) found that the artist manager has to focus on getting fans and then getting those fans to generate more fans of the artist. This puts majority of promotion on the fans. Take Beyoncé for example. She took business into her own hands, did the research, and built a team that wanted the best for her. Her recent release of her album “Beyoncé” generated the largest buzz in social media without any type of promotion. She posted a collage of her songs and videos on Instagram and Facebook and let her fans do the rest. Within three days, she sold 80,000 copies of the album. 80,000 times $15.99 a piece, you do the math!!

Beyoncé did what every good manager should do.  She studied the development of her business and has made her business work for her. Howard (2012) also found that a good manager has ideas and goals that are aligned with the artists’ ideas and goals. If you are looking for a manager, find one that has the same goals as you do. You have to be on the same page or you will be setting yourself up for failure.  Also, do not just depend on your manager to do everything. Do some research for yourself. Take a business class, go to a training, attend seminars, and better yourself for where you want to be so that you are knowledgeable about your business. After all, no one knows you and what you want to do better than YOU!

Indie Artist: Should you pay to play?

Every up and coming artist wants to get their song on the radio or perform in front of thousands. The question that comes up is rather or not the artist to pay the venue or the radio station to have their music played or performed. There are some pros and cons to this method.

Letang (2013) defines the pay to play method as payola. It is when someone pays a radio station to play their record on the radio or a DJ to spin their record in a club. It is illegal unless the payee informs the audience that they were paid to play the record. It is a constant topic among up and coming artists and their managers. So, do you pay to play?

Dardis (2013) has found that it has become harder for the independent artist to receive radio play. This is because many radio stations play what is on the billboards and not what is up and coming. Artists are now investing in payola to get their music heard. It has gotten so bad that clubs are now using the artist as a source of revenue (Dardis, 2013). The artist is paying the club to have his/her music played. The only benefit for the artist is that hundreds or thousands of people have the chance to hear your song once throughout the night. There is a slim chance that they will remember it or that you will get big off of that one night.

Letang (2013) feels that you shouldn’t. I happen to agree with him to a certain extent. His reasoning is that the venue is asking you to pay to play because they are not making enough money off of their audience to begin with. In the end, you are just paying to keep them open and you are not making a profit from it nor are you earning enough followers for it to be worth your money. It would be more beneficial for the artist to perform at open mic nights, showcases, and shows that you put on.

The reality is that sometimes you have to pay to play. After all, if your music is bringing a crowd then why should you get paid? Like with any other business opportunity, artists should weigh the costs and benefits before deciding to pay to play. If it’s worth it, then go for it. If not, then market yourself, sell your own tickets, and make your own show!

Let me know what you think! Would you pay to play or not?

Affix Music

Affix Music is a music licensing company based in Atlanta, Georgia. They specialize in placements of independent urban music in television, film, and advertising. Their program is music synch and licensing for unsigned, independent artists. Affix’s definition of urban music is that it is music that can be Rap/Hip Hop, Electronic, Techno, etc. It is music that represents today’s sound and pays respect to the history of that sound. They streamline the process of obtaining music, clearing it, and getting it in the right hands.

Affix is currently using a catalog that artists and other music industry professionals have direct access to. They recently went with a streaming system that removes the commercials and allows music to be streamed instantly. This allows for quicker feedback and a quicker listening session. Affix uses their licensing program to help the “unknown” artist get their music in front of the major labels and music supervisors. Affix does this by allowing a streamlined method that reduces the stress of legal issues, schedule A’s, and other important music business complexities.

Affix has and is still affecting the music industry because they are the voice for the independent artist. They provide the opportunities that most cannot get on their own. They have made a name for themselves and they are living up to that name. Affix is continuing to grow and evolve to fit the ever-changing processes of the music industry. Without this company, many unsigned, independent, urban artists would still be trying to get their music heard on television or advertising.

In speaking with Simon Horrocks, owner, Affix has plans of creating a one-stop shop for artists and music professionals all around. Their catalog is continuing to grow and their list of placements is too. Affix has the potential of being the biggest music synch and licensing agency in Atlanta!

http://www.affixmusic.com

Gary Vaynerchuk Do what you love (no excuses!)

The old saying “do what you love and you will never work a day in your life” resonates strongly throughout my life adventures. TED.com speaker, Gary Vaynerchuk, did a speech about doing what you love and making no excuses about it. He gave two viable points to start off his speech. One must have patience and one must have passion to accomplish any goal.

Gary Vaynerchuk informs his audience to first “stop doing the stuff that you hate.” He said that you could be “happy as hell” and lose just as much money. So there is no reason to do anything that you hate doing. Gary then goes into his story of how he stopped doing what he hated because he became one percent not happy with selling wine. He took over his family business and built it into a 50 million dollar company and walked away. He wanted to do what made him happy.

He then progresses into how to go about doing what makes you happy. He stated that you have to “care about everything” but you have to start with yourself first. He made a statement that hit home with me and I believe everyone that was listening to him. He stated to ask yourself “what do you want to wake up doing everyday of your life.” Whatever the answer is, that’s what you need to do. I believe that once this question is answered, you have found your passion and now you have to go for it.

He began to close out his speech by saying your “legacy is greater than your currency.” One must realize that money does not buy everything. Granted, it can set up your children and their children for a brighter future, but your legacy is what they will carry on and cherish. Gary Vaynerchuk turned down over 40 television deals because he knew that something bigger was coming and he did not feel that he had to share his brand equity with anyone else. After all, it’s his!

He concluded his speech with explaining how to start doing what you love. He said that you have to get a business model and make cash along the way. If you work a 9 to 5 job then you have to let go of the television shows and start working after hours. We all have time to do what we love; we just have to do it. His parting statement was “if you want it, work. That’s how you get it.”

Gary Vaynerchuk’s speech was a fire that I needed to be lit so that I can start going after my dreams 100%. I work a lot in the field that I love, entertainment business. However, I am not working hard enough to get what I want. This speech has encouraged me to work harder and to go after what I want to wake up doing everyday of my life. One day I will be living out my passion and not working!

Retrieved from: http://www.ted.com/talks/gary_vaynerchuk_do_what_you_love_no_excuses.html

You have your music and your website, now what?

Your music is on point and your website showcases you and all of your glory! What now? You have to have promotion to generate traffic to your website and social pages. So, do you hire a marketing and promotion team or do it yourself.

I say start off promoting yourself! Nobody knows you better than YOU! Social media is one of the places to turn to. It allows you to connect with your fans and make conversation. It gives people that one on one connection that we all look for in our favorite artist. Places such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and SoundCloud, are perfect places to start.

Now, you can't go and just make these pages and not put anything on them. A good social network promotion consists of constant updates, links to your other pages, and of course great content. Content is the most important point to remember when developing your social media pages. Fans need something that keeps them involved. This will drive your subscriptions, followers and likes up. Having dedicated fans will help you with promotion as well. Ever heard of getting rid of the middle man?  The middle man may be a label, marketing, or public relations person. I am not saying that you will never need them, but starting off, you have to work with the funds (or lack thereof) that you have. Eliminating the middleman and focusing on your fans will actually shift the heavy load of promotion from you to your fans! If your fans like you, then your fans will give you the promotion without the need to pay someone to help you get it! They'll also help you generate funds if you give them links to your music.

With social media, your success in it starts and ends with you. You have to make yourself stand out and wanted. Be creative, tell your story, and make it interesting. Post short statuses that involve little tidbits of information about you, your music, successes, failures, etc., Make your fans want to know more. Make them say "hey, that's how I feel" or "I learned something that I didn't know." Keep them involved and they will help you get to that next level!

Steps to building your artist website

You've started your marketing and promotion, but you do not have a place to send your fans or potential fans to.

Every band, promoter, artist, producer, etc., needs a website. As stated in the previous post, you have to have a main place that you can send your customers to. From personal experience, most music supervisors, labels, and other artists look for websites, Youtube pages, and/or Soundcloud pages to view and listen to music from an up and coming artist. Not to mention, it's a great place to post your upcoming shows or placements. So how do you go about doing this?

A website is super easy to make. With sites such as Wix.com, GoDaddy.com, and others;  all it takes is some creativity and something that makes it stand out from everyone else's. Why not let that be your music? An article entitled Making a website isn't as hard as you think, gives reasons as to what makes you special and how your "specialness" can promote you to the next level. Your website has to have this same "specialness." Your website should be a digital you. It should allow the viewer to step into your life as an artist.

5 vital features for your band website gives great advice on key factors that should be a part of every artist's website. Here are a few things that you should include based on the article and personal experience:

1.  Photos: Your fans want and need to know what you look like. You may be like Deadmaus and not physically show your face, but they need to know that. They need to know what your "gimmick" is. The group that I am the Project Manager for called The Beat Geeks, has a producer who wears custom masks. Anytime a fan sees the mask, they know that it is Bobby Drake of The Beat Geeks. That's his "gimmick." You can also include photos of you at events, charities, or with other celebrities.

2. Bio: You have to have a bio. People want to know the real you and how you got to where you are. They want to be able to have an emotional connection with you. Include people that you have worked with and who has helped you along the way.

3. Music: Of course you need your music. Put your top 5 songs on the site. More can be added as needed. You want to pick the best of the best and ensure that it is a variety of music. After all, you are directing everyone to this page. You never know who might Google search you and fall in love! You also want to include links to your music for downloading.

4.  Videos: If you have professional videos, you should post them on your site. People love visuals. Even if it is photos of you and your band with the music playing over the photos.

5. Contact: The most important part of your website is your contact page. You have to have someone listed that can be reached. Always include a name, e-mail, and a phone number if possible.

These are the most important items needed on your site. What else would you add to make your site stand out?

Steps to getting your music heard? Part 1.

So you have great music and you know without a doubt that everyone will love it if only they could hear it...what now? 

Many people in the entertainment industry are unaware of what avenues to take to get their music out to the public. One of the first things that I have noticed is the lack of internet presence. Every artist needs a main page or site to direct potential fans to. This can range from a music page on Facebook to your own personal website, which I recommend. The Importance of Having a Website for Any Business explains that people immediately research your name or business to find out more about it. If you do not have a website, potential customers, fans, and even record labels have nothing to go to as a point of reference. Your website should consist of your bio, professional photos, music, performances, press, videos, contact information, and links to your other pages (i.e, LinkedIn, SoundCloud, Facebook, Twitter, etc.,). It should be a "one stop" shop. It becomes your electronic resumé.

Once you have your website up and running, now you need to start promoting and marketing yourself to drive traffic to it. How To Make It In The Music Industry - 4 Key Factors lists key points in making it in the industry. One of those points is to know how to market the right way. Anyone can sit at the computer and tweet their music out to a limited number of fans. This is not the correct way of marketing and promotion. A good artist needs a team that can not only build up internet presence but also build up "real world" presence. This consists of going out and handing out hard copies, performing at small venues, linking up with a non-profit, and of course taking the internet by storm. By no means am I saying that Twitter is not a great place to network. However, it should not be your only means of getting your music out. 

These are just a few steps to pushing your music out to the public. Ensuring that you have one main location to send everyone to and also having a strong team behind you is important to any artist that is up and coming. My question to you is what avenues are you taking to lay the foundation for your career in the entertainment industry?