Who Doesn't Want To Be Like Erykah Badu?

You know that one song you always hear and think, "I could do a dope remix on this," but you never do?  Take a cue from Erykah Badu and follow your first instinct.

Recently, Erykah remixed Drake's Hotline Bling with Hotline Bling But You Caint Use My Phone.  It was reviewed on Pitchfork and Wired, made national radio news, and crossed over between Drake and Erykah fans.  Take a look at the strategy behind artists such as Boyce Avenue, Justin Bieber, and Karmin.  It's hard to deny the power of a unique cover to boost audience traffic.  Create something unique, share it with your friends, and hope for the best right?  Wrong.  Thanks to everyone and their technology-challenged aunt having a microphone and the ability to record on their phone or computer, YouTube has been flooded with countless cover songs that fall flat to our music saturated ears.  To be successful gaining a greater audience through cover songs, you have to be strategic.

Above all else, make sure you're exploiting SEOs.  Include the song title, the original artist, and your artist name in the cover song title.  Hot words like "original" and "official" are effective and work if you use them to indicate that it is your original arrangement or from your official page.  Descriptive words are good if they indicate unique features in your music, such as "acoustic," "freestyle," or "instrumental." Make sure that if they don't fit in your title, you include them in the video tags.  Sharing your video on social media?  Hashtag the living daylights out of it.  It is amazing the retweets, follows, and likes I have gotten simply from #songwriter, #music, #piano or the like.  Generic tags can sometimes generate interest.

To stand out from competing covers, you can also do something creative with the title like Erykah did ("but you caint use my phone), to indicate the attitude or character behind your cover.  If you're using YouTube, avoid videos that appear unprofessional, such as you sitting on your bed using your Apple headphone speaker.  While it is a great way to show off your raw talent, most listeners are quick to skip over low quality video and audio.  We have iMovie, Garage Band, Final Cut Pro, and Logic Pro at our fingertips.  At this point, there is little excuse to not have a decent quality cover song.

Pay attention to when you are posting your music.  Research indicates that there are definite times when social media users are checking their feed but not posting.  Often early and mid-morning times on weekdays are a safe bet. (Check out this and other social media trends from AdWeek's news.)  To minimize competition, use these low-post windows of time to share your masterpiece with the world.

Is a popular artist coming to your area?  Regional searches of that artist's music will rise as the concert approaches.  Recently, Ariana Grande visited Chicago.  You had better believe she was trending in the greater Chicago area across social media.  Use that kind of free publicity to your advantage and post a cover a week or so before the concert.  Your local audience base will thank you and you will get more exposure thanks to people searching for the visiting musician's work.

Finally, there is nothing like cross-linking to make sure your video is viewed by as wide an audience as possible.  Do you have a Facebook Artist Page?  Share your video link.  (For Facebook Pages, make sure you encourage those who "like" to also "follow," or they will miss your updates.)  Tweet a quick promo, share the audio on SoundCloud, or do a quick snap on IG to generate interest (and put the link in your bio not the photo caption!!!!).  

You can find internet success with your music, you just have to make sure it's easy to find, good quality, and easy to share on social media.  Now, you've got some work to do!  Go be brilliant in the studio and share it with your fans.  If you want, post it in the comments below to share it with me too ;)

What's The Deal With Self-Publishing?

Why Are We Talking About This?

Over recent years, many independent musicians are choosing to be self-published.  This means that, instead of finding an agent who seeks out a publishing company that contacts distributors and handles licensing, the artists are doing it themselves.  Even smaller labels are choosing forgo large music publishing companies and instead are adding publishing to their business model.  While this sounds like a difficult task, third party distributors are making it increasingly accessible.

Third Party? Sounds Sketchy...

For artists with just one or two projects and little administrative support, full-service distributors who also handle licensing and offer artist website creation are ideal.  Companies such as TuneCore and Bandcamp have become popular for these reasons.  For labels seeking to handle multiple artists and projects, companies such as CD Baby are preferable.  I have been using Ditto music for D3T Productions because it offers international distribution of both music and video.  For us, that makes more sense than using multiple distributors.  [Correction: Sept 18, 2015: Ditto does provide physics distribution. ]. However, for that label, there has been little demand for physical copies of our work, so we are keeping that consideration as a secondary priority.  It makes more sense for the artist to sell physical copies at shows than it does for a fan to order it online.

The great thing about all of these companies, is that the artist or label keeps all of their copyrights and ownership of material.  You aren't signing anything away, you're just partnering with a company to get your work into the market.

So What's The Big Deal?

For a self-published artist in any media, the biggest positive is the increased revenue.  (Laidman, 2015). There is usually a yearly up-front free or a small percentage taken by the third party distributor.  The artist keeps there rest of the income to use as he or she pleases.

For a self-published label, there is greater freedom in how and where work is sold.  It also allows the label to work directly with the artist to find a distribution plan that best fits that artist’s market.  (Alemany, 2014).

Sounds Easy To Me

However, for both artists and labels, publishing become another business venture.  Some consider it to be an entirely separate business because it requires cashflow management, marketing, administrative work, and consistent monitoring. (McCartney, 2015).  While this kind of freedom is fantastic for an artist or team that is dedicated to fulfilling an overall business plan vision, it can be daunting to a single individual with little industry experience.  Many of these services also offer marketing support that, while an additional cost, can be invaluable help.  After all, it takes a dedicated team to make an artist successful.  If the artist is unable to build her or her own team, then taking advantage of other resources becomes important.  At the end of the day, no matter how a work is distributed, it cannot be successful if it does not reach its audience.


Sources:
          Alemany, Tara.  Self-Publishing: Here for the Long Haul or a Passing Trend? Business 2 Community. 2 February, 2014.  Accessed 17 September, 2015 at www.business2community.com
          Ladiman, Jenni. New Publishing Trends Reshaping Reading. Chicago Tribune. 29 January, 2015. Accessed 17 September, 2015 at www.chicagotribune.com.
          McCartney, Jennifer. A Look Ahead to Self-Publishing in 2015. Publishers Weekly. 16 January, 2015. Accessed 17 September, 2015 at www.publishersweekly.com

How To Lose $7 Million In 3 Minutes

Remember when Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines played five times an hour on the radio?  My favorite part of the song was when he ripped off Got To Give It Up by Marvin Gaye.  Gaye’s family’s favorite part was when they won the case for over $7 million plus smaller filings for individual damages.  (Knopper, 2015).  Copyright infringement isn’t covered under your creative interpretation, and neither is your bank account.  As an indie artist, it’s easy to take or remake other people’s ideas.  It’s harder to get the right to do so.  Because cases like that one have opened the door to other copyright infringement cases, artists have to be even more careful.  Gaye’s family won the case based on a comparison of sheet music between the songs.  Copywriting both the recording and the sheet music of any original composition is important for every songwriter.  If there is a riff or musical idea you find in another song, you can request rights to use it.  It is likely that you will end up sharing royalties, but you may simply pay a flat fee to the copyright holder.  At the end of the day, a little paperwork can save you a lot of hassle.  Make sure your copyrights and licenses are in order, and give credit where credit is due.

This doesn’t just happen in music.  Disney went to court over Frozen this year.  A short film director claimed that Disney stole the Frozen plot from her short film, The Snowman.  While she lost her case, twice, it is an example that intellectual property rights can be very broad and easy to allegedly infringe.  Even though the case lost, Disney settled outside of court to avoid future lawsuits and to protect rights to a sequel.  (Li, 2015). Film makers who want to remake a story, and who are obviously doing so, must request rights.  If they do not want to request rights, they need to be prepared to defend the intent, characters, storyline, and images portrayed in their work.  Beyond that, film makers must be careful with music, famous locations, and anything else for which someone may claim ownership.  (Butler, 2007.)

This even happens in graphic design.  Logos using generic objects, such as Apple Co.’s apple, or numbers, can have unintentionally similar appearances.  Sony sued Clearwire Co. in 2010 over a very similar color scheme and style in their logo.  Apple pursues companies that use an apple in their logo in an attempt to avoid brand confusion, even when the product or market is entirely different.  (Bogdan, 2011).  Unfortunately, there a countless common objects that are vulnerable to infringement cases when used between companies.  Using a unique color scheme and font when applicable, researching potential similar logos, and protecting your design will all help protect against possible infringement.

Sources
Bogdan. Logo Copyrights and Wrongs: 5 Interesting Recent Infringement Lawsuits. Top Design Magazine. 2011. www.topdesignmag.com.
Butler, Joy R. The Permission Seeker’s Guide Through The Legal Jungle: Clearing Copyrights, Trademarks, and Other Rights for Entertainment and Media Productions. Sashay Communications. 1 March, 2007.
Knopper, Steve. ‘Blurred Lines’ Lawsuit: 5 Major Music Industry Implications. Rolling Stone. 12 March, 2015. www.rollingstone.comLi, Shirley. Disney Settles Frozen Copyright Lawsuit. Entertainment Weekly. 25 June, 2015. www.ew.com.

Sarah Hamilton Interview

This afternoon, I got the chance to sit down with Chicago Recording Company's studio manager Sarah Hamilton.  She and her furry friend Hach had a lot to say about the music industry, and I had a feeling all you indie artists out there would wanna be a fly on the wall. . .

Ellie: Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me today! Let's start with a little bit of your background.  How did you get into the music industry, and how did you end up at CRC?

Sarah: I started in the music industry in college.  I originally wanted to be a sound engineer for films, so I went for engineering. . .I did a lot internships down in Nashville for a while.  I worked as an assistant down there, and I just needed a change of pace.  I had a contact--networking is everything in this business--I had a contact with Chris Shepard [the CRC General Manager], and came back and had to do the whole intern thing again. . .I was full force towards the assistant route, but living in Chicago by yourself is not easy.  I saw a need on the business side, so I went that way. . .working the business side was more attractive to me than working as an engineer plus working two other jobs to make it possible.

Ellie: Do you feel like you're able to balance the business side of things with your social life pretty well?

Sarah:  Yeah, I mean, one thing I didn't realize was how 24/7 this job would be.  But the nice thing about technology is that you can just do everything on your phone. . .I'd probably say I work 80 hour weeks. . .but at least I can answer when I'm out to dinner.  You just have to be on call all the time. . .I only have to deal with paperwork while I'm here [laughs].  The rest of it is just talking to people.

Sarah went on to tell me just how much time she spent talking with people.  Interviews, conversations with potential clients, finding the right engineers, assistants, and interns, dealing with former clients, and everything in between all require "talking."  Besides people in the studio, making contacts with rental places for equipment and labels are huge for their business.

Sarah: Basically, my job is pleasing everyone [clients, vendors, and employees] at once. . .As much as music is about networking, between clients and studios, it's about trust.  A lot.  In post [production, getting clients] is all about schmoozing. . .It's all about who is gonna win. . .Taking people to dinner, taking people to concerts. . .It's all about who you like.  All of the post studios in Chicago deal with the absolute best.  It's about who you like better.

Ellie: What are some challenges you've found in networking?  That has to be difficult with such a small community in Chicago.

Sarah: I like to play it honest at all points. . .Sometimes that's not the best for the networking thing.  I used to go to all the events and all of that stuff, but it really didn't make a difference in how much business I got.  It's all about the people connection. . .The performance when they get there.  That's what's going to bring them in and their friends. . .It's about trust, especially with the engineers. . . With the labels, the people are working really hard. . .Making sure that you kind of predict what they are gonna need.  Really listening when they call you and tell you what client you're working with and their specific needs. . .You can cater to that and pick the right engineer for them.

. . .You have to treat all of these people, no matter how big they are, like they're an average Joe.  Your friend.  Just be clear with them.  Don't fluff it up--fluff is for post--we just want the hard facts.

We talked about how to choose clients too.  Looking for artists who may not be able to pay as much, but who have a great project, is important.  

Sarah: That good credit is what you're looking for.  Sure this is a demo project, and maybe that aren't able to pay as much, but does it look like it's going to go far?  Is it a great project?  That's what you look for.

Hey musicians!  Here's a good key!  Always put your best foot forward.  Sarah said that your demo should be the best you can make it.  If it isn't radio ready, no important label, or even an indie label, is going to want to take you on.  Don't give them a project that still needs work.

Ellie:  What are some challenges you've found as a woman in the industry?  Do you find challenges?

Sarah: Well, I think there are really just two types of women in this industry.  Some have thick skin and they stick with it and they do really well.  Others are flakes and they think they want to do it and they never go for it. . .I think it takes a certain type of strength to be in this business surrounded by men. . . People automatically think that you are not as good.  But, as long as you know your crap, you're good. . .At the end of the conversation [about music] people are always like, 'Oh you actually knew what you were talking about,' and it puts them at ease.  I think it's a fight to the finish; I'm not really sure it's female specific. . .I think a lot women are more musically inclined than tech inclined, but there's no reason you can't be both.  I think you should be.

We also got around to that sticky subject of copyrights.

Sarah:  I've had people just astonished that I can teach them about copyright law.  I'm like, 'You didn't know you had to copyright your stuff, where have you been?'  . . .The more you're able to educate your clients, the better clients you'll have. . .It's always good when you can go to a lawyer or a lawyer come to you and you not look like an idiot.

What about other artist's YouTube beats or tracks?

Sarah: If you want to be a part of this industry, then be a part of it.  Don't thieve.  Contribute something of value to it.

Ellie: Any other words of wisdom for indie musicians?

Sarah: For indie artists, do nothing for free. . . Don't hold out for a favor.  The biggest thing for beginning artists is to actually pick good songs for your demo.  Pick two, three good songs and invest in them. [See above]. . . Social media is obviously huge.  Don't release your stuff for free, like on YouTube, if you can help it. . . Release it on your own website and code it so they can't take it. . . Having super social media skills is important.  I would always recommend hiring someone to do just that.  Even if it's part time. . .Connections, connections connections.

CRC works in post-production for audio as well as recording music projects.  You can visit their website booking information.  You might even end up speaking with Sarah!

Things We Love To Hate: Negotiations

Hey guys! 

Chicago’s summer music scene is going strong, and I hope you’ve all been able to take advantage of the amazing open air shows, upcoming festivals, and almost daily concerts.  Today we’re going to take a short break from the indie performance scene to chat about some most artists love to hate: negotiations.

Ellie why would you ruin my summer vibes with that?  Can’t I just leave it to my over-involved mom to handle?

I’m sorry to say, you can not.  Before business managers and (hopefully) after parents, you and I have to take care of our own music.  For an independent musician, that means handling revenue agreements at gigs, fielding offers from talent scouts and label representatives, figuring out music rights, and everything in between.  If you don’t know how to negotiate the best deal, you’re going to be living in your grandma’s basement the rest of your life.  (Granted, we don’t all live in basements.  But we also don’t want to get trapped in a bad agreement and end up there.)

So how do we negotiate?  I’m so glad you asked.  There are a number of ways to approach negotiations, but first you have to think in three main steps.

1. Figure out what you want.  (Zwier, 2010).  This could be as simple as the bigger live stage or as complex as a higher percentage of royalties and tickets sales based on fan response.  Either way you have to know what you want.
2. Decide why you want it.  The most successful way to present this to your counterpart is to be able to explain why it meets your needs as well as theirs.  Then you need to follow it up with hard facts about why you should get it.  (Neale, 2013).  Being able to do this is a process that we will talk about in a minute, and it involves something called objective criteria in addition to preparation for the negotiation.  For now, just know why you should have it.
3. Determine how to ask.  You should make every effort to work with your counterpart.  (Think along the lines of, “This is what I want, can you help me? Then, move to “I’m understanding what you want, and here is how I can help you.”)  (Neale, 2013).  Turn the negotiation away from “My needs vs. yours” and towards “Our needs being met at the same time.”

The most important part of any negotiation is what you do before going into that meeting.  Make every effort to research your counterpart and their point of view.  Empathy in your preparation may sound warm and fuzzy, but it’s your best weapon.  (Kadlubowski, 2014).  To really negotiate the best deal, you have to figure out how to help your counterpart get what they want at the same time that you get what you want.

If you are asking something that is not already on the table, you had better be able to back it up.  Objective criteria is going to be your best friend.  For example, if a TV producer is offering 15% royalties on a song you wrote, and you 30%, show Ms. Producer the numbers.  If you find that the industry doesn’t really have a standard, you have a few options.  Show them how paying a higher percentage of royalties is better than paying a licensing fee up front.  (This is not always the case, but if you can prove it, go for it.)  Determine your BATNA, the best option if you don’t get what you want, and where you draw the line between negotiating and walking away with your best alternative.  Ultimately, your objective criteria should help you determine what is optimistically possible, and when it’s time to walk away.  (Neale, 2013).  Your preparation will help you determine what your counterpart’s BATNA is, so you will also know how far or hard to negotiate.

There is so much more to say about negotiating, but I want you to most importantly remember this: If it’s not win-win, no one is winning.  Business negotiations should be about building long-term relationships.  (Kadlubowski, 2014).  If you cannot work together to solve your collective problems, you are not finding the best deal.  There is always a way to use what you have to meet someone else’s need in a way that also benefits you.  If you cannot work out a win-win, and “a no looks as good as a yes,” I would carefully consider walking away with your BATNA. (Neale, 2013).  The worst thing an indie musician can do is get trapped in a bad deal, or develop a reputation for taking the losing side of things.  Be smart.  Be creative in problem solving. Be wise about getting trapped in bad deals.  And then, get back to the music.

Resources:
Kadlubowski, Stefan.  Mastering Negotiation Skills.  London South Bank University.  2014.
Accessed on YouTube.com 24 June, 2015.
Neale, Margaret.  Negotiation: Getting What You Want. Stanford Graduate School of Business.
2013. Accessed on YouTube.com 24 June, 2015.
Zwier, Paul. Advanced Negotiations Part 1.  Emory School of Law. 2010.  Accessed on
YouTube.com 24 June, 2015.

Jonny & The Shorrbirds, and Orange Line

The Abbey in Irving Park hosts live music most nights of the week.  I have begun to develop a strong trend of never reviewing headliners at shows with multiple bands, and tonight is no different.  I'm never disappointed by the bands that come out of Chicago, and it's another example of the hidden talent in our City.  The Abbey is a great space for indie rock artists.  Its walls are covered in flyers from previous bands and its upstairs and downstairs spaces are great for sitting and enjoying a drink or watching the show.

The Tuesday night crowd was mainly band groupies, the bands who were on the roster but not on the stage, and a few music enthusiasts.  Jonny & The Shorrbirds opened the show.  This band had a nice blend of acoustic folk and rock.  The lead player, Johnny, is from Chicago and is currently studying music at USC.  His music was acoustic guitar driven, even with the band setting.  Their sound was balanced and accessible to the listener, and the lyrics were showcased.  It was clear that the music was being performed by the writer, because the different parts weren't being lost in a solo, and the words were just as emphasized as the music.  This artist has a lot of interesting things on his roster, charity events, an EP, music for film, and work with Warner Bro.'s Company.  Chicago is still the heart of his music, and he's doing a lot of creative work with it.


Orange Line describes itself as an alt/psych/space rock band.  In addition to original music, both instrumental and vocal-driven, they covered ILOVEMAKONNEN's Tuesday. . .on a Tuesday.  It was a clever nod to pop culture with their own twist.  They flavored their sound with a heavy synth and guitar pedals.  The band was tight and the music was really full.  There were some moments where the synth overwhelmed the room.  I could see that guitar parts were being lost in the overall sound.  Besides some balance issues, the music was great.  The band's best song that night was the instrumental.  It was emotional, the band was totally in sync, and they took a lot of liberties with their sounds.  The crowd loved it.

The Abbey is another classic Chicago indie venue.  The vibe, the lighting, and the setup are very similar to other rock bars in the city.  The classic format of open floor with a bar at the back, tables on the sides, and a balcony with seating upstairs works well for smaller band shows.  The blue, red, and white lights shine on every stage I've seen, and create a chill vibe for the music.  However, I would like to see a club with a more unique character.  Take what works for every other space but make it better.  Regardless, I liked the feel.  It does rock bar right, and I'll be back for more shows.

Album Release at Reggie's Rock Club

Columbia College is one of Chicago's well-known art schools, and they have great showcases every year for their students.

Wednesday, they had an album release featuring three bands developed in a year-long class.  These bands each wrote their own material and developed their own style.  Columbia's student-based record label, AAEMP hosted and promoted the show.

Something I love about these shows is that the students aren't worried about money or opinions, they are there to learn and grow as artists.  They are free to create and develop their bands however they want.  Columbia booked the show at Reggie's Rock Club, so the students also had the experience of a live venue.

Beyond it being a class performance, the music was pretty professional.  The bands had more of a blues vibe that is characteristic of Chicago's culture, and fused it with their own contemporary style.  While it still had characteristics of a student performance, they were showing great stage presence and the bands fused seamlessly.  I enjoyed their closing band, Minds of Atlantis' style.  They made sure to give a story to each song and introduce the band and writers.  While, in my opinion, the singers would be better as featured solo artists, they did well blending their styles.  It was a fun, intimate experience that seemed to be born out of camaraderie and mutual support.

These artists are not technically part of the indie Chicago scene, yet.  However, they often come out of these classes and begin using the experience to gig and perform professionally.  Colleges like Columbia enrich Chicago's art scene both through students and graduates.  For these bands, the smartest way to build off class momentum is to starting making connections and playing gigs early.  If they are dedicated as artists and performers, they will be able to build and grow from the platform their class has given them.  I look forward to seeing what they do as individual artists and as groups.

From a marketing standpoint, there are a lot of areas of improvement.  While the event may have been well-advertised on campus, there was a low turnout and no community presence.  The label's website has not been updated for five months, and Minds of Atlantis' webpage seemed to have frequent posts but poor following.  If the band continues performing, promoting its shows via Facebook, and its social media via shows, will help build its following.

Check out AEMMP's site here.  Minds Of Atlantis and other Columbia artists are featured on the college's Soundcloud.