post by Johnny Dwinell on Music Clout
In
my job, I get to speak with many indie artists who are at different
points in their journey. They consistently make these common major
mistakes. Changing your approach will change your career. I made this
personal to drive the message home.
1. Your Songs Suck
– Consumers will instantly click past a crappy song to thousands of
online radio stations till they find a good song that really moves them
in the first 10-20 seconds. You better have GREAT songs. It’s a CRAFT;
it always has been. Treat is as such. You need to seek out a few
mentors to teach you what they know about their CRAFT and apply your
unique vision and perspective to that knowledge. Easy to do with all
the online writing societies.
2. You’re Producing Yourself
– Have you ever wondered why a record label would NEVER let you or your
friends produce your own record? Have you ever wondered why most of
the iconic Superstars STILL use producers? Why aren’t they saving money
by producing themselves? Surely a producer at that level is pretty
damn expensive! Get it? Just because you can work Pro-Tools or Logic
doesn’t mean you can or should make a record. The label would put you
with someone who is not only experienced at the entire process of making
records, but a way better musician than you. The smart artist always
thrives being around true pros that are better than them to soak in the
education and grow to a new artistic level; fearless of the journey.
Most artists will tell people why they can’t or won’t afford a producer
and spend their money on their 25th guitar and new plug-ins for the
home studio; avoiding the journey. Do you want to make great records or
collect gear?
3. You’re Not Marketing…At ALL
– Putting your music on iTunes, Spotify, CD Baby, ReverbNation, etc. is
digital distribution NOT marketing. Marketing is the art of
influencing buying decisions. Having your CD available for purchase
“wherever it’s sold” isn’t influencing buying decisions. Twitter, Vine,
Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Live Shows, Music Blogs, Indie Radio,
Internet Radio, and PR are the marketing tools you need to master.
These tools create awareness and drive traffic to your squeeze page
where you get the consumer’s email address. It’s through their email
that you will influence their buying decisions.
4. You’re Operating With An Out-Of-Date Business Model-
You are still trying to cut cheap demos to shop to a record label to
try to get a deal. You still think radio is the key to marketing your
music. You still think that radio will be a powerful marketing tool
when you do get your deal. You still think the labels make money
selling records. You still think that if you get a deal that’s when
you’ve made it. Wake up, that ship sailed a decade ago; you have to
develop yourself, today.
5. You’re Not Thinking Like A Record Label
– If you got signed today, the label would surround you with people
that make a living writing songs, engineering, producing, doing public
relations, marketing, promotion, booking bands, image consulting,
Photographing, etc. All these people would be highly professional and
much more dialed in to the market and process than you and your friends.
If you’re thinking like a label, you are looking for a team of people
to help you with at least some of these important items.
6. You’re Not Selling Your Music On Your Website
– . If you were truly DRIVING traffic anywhere to purchase your music,
you would drive them to YOUR site and take all the money. Everyone
needs a presence on iTunes, CD Baby, Reverbnation, etc., but why on
earth would u pay someone 30% of your record sales to do what you can do
with a free plug in on your WordPress site? If it don’t make dollars,
it don’t make sense.
7. You’re Not Posting Regular Videos To YouTube
– YouTube is your new Radio with an amazing potential for reaching
millions, no wait…now BILLIONS of people and you don’t need to spend 1
million dollars to bribe a freaking Program Director for a CHANCE at
getting a few spins. The “shelf space” is unlimited (Unlike radio) and
they pay royalties and advertising revenue. “I don’t get it because I
just want to make music” is a cop out. why aren’t you learning
everything you need to learn about this amazing opportunity?
8. You Suck At Project Management
– If Steve Jobs approached the first products from Apple the way most
of you approach managing your musical projects he would have died
homeless. Jobs was a true artist, the first computers he and Wozniak
made looked good, worked good, were packaged well, and were made in his
garage. Instead of making 500 crappy computers with the limited budget
they had, he made 50 AWESOME computers and the market place responded;
the opportunities that came from the first run of AWESOME computers
provided the momentum they needed to reach the next level. If you want
to find someone to cut your songs for $300/song, I PROMISE you will find
them. Record your 3 BEST songs for the same price as what you have to
spend on 12 and do it RIGHT with a TALENTED TEAM. It’s gonna cost
money, so think of it as an education. Then watch the market respond!
9. You’re Waiting For Your “Big Break”
– Deep down you wish it was the old music business because, on the
outside (from the cheap seats) it seemed easier when the labels took
care of everything. Well they did and you would have paid dearly for
that “EZ Button”. I got news for you, the Superstar Artists that are
still around today, never let the labels take care of everything. They
worked smarter and harder than that in a sea of sharks. You have to
create your own opportunities, your own momentum. There’s no way around
it. Nobody gets “discovered” anymore so get off the couch, put the
bong down next to your baggage and get to work!
10. You Still Think Record Labels Develop Talent
– Record labels don’t develop talent like Coca-Cola doesn’t repair
cars; they don’t care about your music, they care about your current
cash flow, and how many fans you have a measurable connection with.
They care about what kind of market you created for yourself and if
they can make money by adding fuel to the fire you already started.
Think YouTube and Google. Google didn’t develop YouTube, they
purchased them. So those smart guys at YouTube had to PROVE their idea
had value in the market place; so do you.
11. You Don’t Think Of Your Music As Product – Until you do, nobody is going to hear your art.
12. You’re Self Sabotaging
– This is the most common and most destructive mistake of them all.
Let me save you the suspense, you’re gonna make mistakes. You’re gonna
hit speed bumps. You’re gonna be rejected. You’re gonna have to get
over it! You have to get out of your own way and just move forward.
Stop making excuses. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll
keep getting what you’ve always got. PERIOD. So make a change and
watch massive amounts of energy quickly flow your way.
13. You Are Too Sensitive To Take Constructive Criticism
– You would be amazed how many of your favorite Superstars were
brutally schooled by the label on their first record. They were green
just like you! “Go back and write us a single we can promote on the
radio or we’re gonna drop you”. If you’re too dumb to know that you
don’t know, you’ll never make it. Be professional and LEARN. It’s
always better to stay quiet in a room and appear stupid than to open
your mouth and remove all doubt.
14. You’re Listening To Haters
– When you do start to get momentum, people you don’t know and sadly,
many that you do will spit poison into every part of your life. Get
used to it. You are doing what they can’t.
15. You Haven’t Defined Your Lane
– You are afraid to pick a genre because you write in many. Consumers
need ONE lane to connect with you in. Just because you pick one doesn’t
mean you are ignoring the others. Get some traction in 1 lane first,
that will help expose a project in a different lane to more people.
Think John Mayer with his first few pop records and then he did a blues
project. That blues project got a TON of exposure because he was now
John Mayer the pop star.
16. You’re Live Performance Sucks
– Nothing is more disappointing than seeing a decent band with great
songs and nobody sings background vocals; except for a crappy band with
crappy songs, and everyone singing background vocals.
17. You’re Not Capitalizing On Your Live Performances
– Today’s music market is about endless content and email addresses.
You should have constant video footage to market on social media. You
should have boatloads of email addresses after every show. You should
be moving product from the stage at every show. You should be gaining
twitter followers at every show…THEN you can get laid. J
18. You’re Putting Too Much Stock Into Your ReverbNation Ranking
– A #1 ranking for your small town or big city on ReverbNation + $2.54
will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. How are you getting paid for
your songs?
19. You Don’t Know What You’re Doing On Twitter
– Twitter is a simply amazing surgical marketing tool that allows you
to SERIOUSLY target your specific market. When done correctly, your
following will constantly grow. 1 year from now you could have well
over 10k followers and now you have the means to drive tons of traffic
to a squeeze page, or a YouTube video, or to….Get my point? Your fans
are out there, go find them.
20. You Think It’s All About Music, Not Marketing
– The truth is that it sure is nice when they expertly market a killer
record, but if it was only about the music, there wouldn’t be any crappy
songs on the radio. Think about that for a second. Without marketing,
nobody cares about your music because they haven’t heard it.
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