| Fast
Forward Archives – Trade Secrets |
Digital Stocking Stuffers
Mobile digital multi-track recorders have found many fans among musicians, podcasters, and audiophiles alike. It’s no surprise. These nifty, all-in-one devices are to the digital age what the TASCAM 4-track was to the generation before. They provide the ability to record audio in multiple applications, anywhere you go. |
Home Project Studio: Part II
This three-part series takes a real world look at the why’s, where’s, when’s, and how’s of creating a professional-grade home recording studio. The articles were written as things happened, and include enlightening anecdotes, technical twists, and surprising turns as veteran producer/engineer Michael Tarsia attempts to actualize a vision that is shared by many recording enthusiasts. |
Home Project Studio: Part I
This three-part series takes a real world look at the why’s, where’s, when’s, and how’s of creating a professional-grade home recording studio. The articles were written as things happened, and include enlightening anecdotes, technical twists, and surprising turns as veteran producer/engineer Michael Tarsia attempts to actualize a vision that is shared by many recording enthusiasts. |
Networking and the Songwriting Business
Nashville's networking guru Doak Turner offers some practical insights into the art of networking. |
The Music Advisors
These days, most artists are presented to record company executives through a manager, lawyer, agent, producer, or publisher. By the time that they are even heard by an A&R rep, the artist should have already been developed, recorded a demo, and created a significant buzz. |
Choosing a Record Producer
The most important thing to a musician is the music you create. But be warned, all the hard work you’ve put into creating your sound may not be enough to create a successful record. Producing a great album is an art form in itself, and it will likely require the expertise of an experienced professional producer. A producer can actually make or break your career. |
Preproduction makes the most of your recording time
Like any functional working relationship, the producer, engineer, and artist work best when parameters, expectations, and roles are clearly defined. "The first part of courting a band is the personal relationships," says Drew Raison Raison of Big Sky Audio, "and it’s about setting boundaries. Some artists want a producer to help them structure, shape, and create a final product. Some just want a stunning recording of their material. My role as a producer is about understanding somebody’s vision." |
Getting
The Best Deal On Equipment
Producer Jim DeCicco suggests that if you know a few friends who are
in need of equipment at the same time as you, go down to the store
together and buy it on one ticket. The sales guy will have so much
more room to work on a package deal than on a single piece product.
It actually looks better for the sales rep to move more products at
a lower price than to blowout one piece of equipment at a similar
discount. Remember, retailers are typically in business to move as
much quantity as possible, so they’ll be willing to work with
you on the price. |
From
Making Music to Making Masters
The process of transforming your musical ideas into a finished product
that you can share with others involves a series of steps leading
from the original recording sessions through to the delivery of your
packaged CDs. Because the choices you make at each step affect the
quality of your final product, familiarizing yourself with this process
will help ensure the best possible results for your project. |
Street
Teams and Credit Card Machines: Make the most of every gig
Generating a buzz can seem like a daunting logistical task, but it
doesn’t have to be. You have valuable assets available that
you may not even realize: fans. This is where street teams can make
your life and your show promotion a whole lot easier. |
The
Keys to Power of Performance, Pt. I
Adapted from his book, How To Make It In The Music Business,
we explore Jim Halsey's keys to Power of Perfromance. Keys 1-5 are
included here. Stay tuned next month for Part 2 of this series. |
The
Keys to Power of Performance, Pt. II
Adapted from his book, How To Make It In The Music Business,
we explore Jim Halsey's keys to Power of Perfromance. Keys 6-11 are
included here. |
Staying
in Touch with Your Fans
Finding a voice is something that can greatly benefit your emails.
There
are many different approaches, but establishing your correspondence
as something worth reading is always in your favor. Does your music
have a political slant? Include links to articles or topics you feel
motivated by. Are you
part of a group of performers or have affiliation with other artists?
Work
that into your communications. |
Gigging
and Touring as an Indie
There’s a focused and an unfocused way to go about booking and
playing gigs, and the difference can spell success or failure. A focused
approach can help you establish goals and work toward fulfilling them.
Are you playing to bigger and better crowds? Are you playing better
rooms? Are you actually making money? |
Building
Band Recognition
Independent bands and artists need to market themselves in order to
gain exposure. In advertising it’s called brand recognition,
in the music industry it’s called band recognition. It doesn’t
mean you have to become a regular at every local battle of the bands.
Sometimes one opportunity is all it takes to start making things happen.
|
Networking
opportunities – the business side of music
Music conferences are the places where you’ll find the most
opportunities at any one place and time. Music industry types make
up the panels and are all out en force to interact with and instruct
anyone seeking their advice. The challenge is holding their attention.
These folks are being bombarded with material from artists all the
time. It takes something special to illicit a response. By attending
a conference or two, you might begin to see what it takes to make
an impression. |
Making
it Indie
Whether you’re an indie artist ready to record an album’s
worth of new songs or an indie label looking to take flight, Justin
Goldberg (founder of indie911) has some hard-earned advice to share.
Adapted from Goldberg’s book, The Ultimate Guide to the New
Music Industry, here’s a first-hand account that highlights
some easy mistakes to avoid when you’re getting things started. |
Being
Healthy On The Road
Being healthy is not just about what you eat, it's about how you live.
Eating better and living a healthier life on the road can provide
you with
more energy, better moods, greater self-esteem, and weight loss –
all of which can positively affect your songwriting, performances,
and relationships. |
Indie
Goes Digital
A recent report indicates that digital download sales are up 106%
from last year, represent 11% of music sales worldwide, and add up
to $945 million. Meanwhile, physical music sales (CDs, etc.) are down
10%. Digital distribution is big money, and when labels see a loss
of revenue from a product they own the rights to, they will try to
find ways to recoup and limit their losses. |
Digital
Download Glossary
With help from Wikipedia, we've put together a comprehensive list
of some of the common terms used within the realm of Digital Downloads. |
Grammy
Camp
This year marked the second annual Grammy Camp, a 17-day interactive
experience held in July in the Los Angeles area. A group of 77 students,
ages 15-19, assembled on the campus of Citrus College and other local
venues. As the business guy, I presented a seminar called “Doing
the Numbers: Setting Realistic Personal and Financial Goals in the
Music Business.” |
Raise
the Roof!
Benefit concerts have been organized as a means of raising money and
awareness for those in need since the 1700s. In more recent years,
Live 8, Live Aid, Farm Aid, and countless Katrina relief concerts
have benefited huge numbers of people and have put causes like famine
in Africa, the plight of the American family farmer, and third word
debt relief in the spotlight. |
Can
You Hear Me Now?
Jaded Era must be getting used to attention. Just last year, Cleveland
Scene Magazine voted the group “Cleveland’s Best Rock
Band” for the third year in a row, they opened for Bon Jovi
(to add to their list of notable stage shares), and they performed
as a finalist in Disc Makers’ Midwest IMWS showcase in Chicago.
Now their song “Invisible,” written and released by the
band in 2002, is chart-topper Ashlee Simpson’s current single. |
Disc
Makers' SoundLab Unveils Its Brand-new Mastering Suite
On July 1, the SoundLab, Disc Makers’ in-house mastering facility,
re-opened its newly-refurbished and largest suite. Now the SoundLab
boasts four mastering rooms, a video editing room, and a staff of
eight engineers. Fast Forward caught up with director Paul Elliott
to talk about what’s new in the SoundLab. |
Podcast
Primer
iTunes alone has over 150 different independent music podcasts available,
and there are other directories out there that list hundreds more.
If you’re a user looking for indie music, the problem becomes,
“How do I find the good stuff?” As an indie musician,
the problem is, “How do I get my music heard?” |
Licensing
Your Music
“If you look at it, it’s one of the only real ways of
earning money off your music,” says Eric de Fontenay. “The
music industry is changing, but the revenue channels aren’t
changing as quickly as the industry. Principally, artists are making
their money by gigging and selling merchandise. After that, if they’re
advanced enough, it’s licensing. |
Television
Music
In the early days of television there were three networks and only
slightly more channels. With the advent of cable and satellite transmission,
the average American home has 60-100 channels of programming and virtually
every show needs music. On top of that, there are a lot more countries
other than the U.S. that have TV's with music-hungry programs, with
more channels popping up every day. |
More
Than Just a Prize
There's a trade show for just about every industry you can name. There
are conferences for all sorts of niche specialties and hobbies held
every day all over the world. Why should it be any different for independent
music? There has long been a definable indie community, and for decades
there have been indie music conferences that pull these factions together
to interact, showcase, learn, and network with each other. |
Find
a Conference That Benefits You
For those of you looking to attend artist/songwriter conventions in
the near future, asking yourself a few key questions can be beneficial
in making your decision. In this article we'll discuss some of the
positives and negatives of various types of events and how you can
really benefit from your convention experience. |
Time
is Money...
Especially in the studio. Pre-production makes the most of your recording
time. Whether you’re entering the studio for the first or fiftieth
time, successful recordings start with some form of pre-production.
It could be as simple as a one-time conversation with the studio manager,
but for most projects, pre-production is a much more involved process
that allows the artists and production team to define things like
which songs will be recorded, the key of each song, and their tempos. |
Project
Rooms On a Budget
With a little forethought and some simple rules, making your project
room a decent sounding, mellow environment isn’t that hard at
all. Let’s look at how to avoid some common issues, as well
as real world practical applications that don’t cost an arm
and a leg and will help you accomplish your goals. |
Breaking
Up the Band
Make
no mistake, bands are complicated interpersonal relationships. Being
in a band, particularly one where members are writing original material,
requires a level of trust and a type of closeness that goes beyond
any casual friendship. |
Case
Study: Letting Someone Go
All
group situations are unique and dynamic, but there are parallels that
can stretch across genre and specific personality issues that ring
true. In this intimate account, culled from a longer interview, we
hear from the drummer of an indie band recounting the issues and dilemmas
involved with the band’s ultimate decision to tell their singer
they were moving on without him. |
Songwriting
As Fun
Sometimes
we can forget that business pressures, outside criticism, and even
our own ego can get in the way of what we really want to do. But to
a true songwriter, writing a song is how you feel right with the world. |
Dividing
Songwriting Credits
A copyright grants you the exclusive first right to reproduce, distribute,
perform, and sell your compositions to the public. But what happens
when an original idea is formed between two or more people? |
Swipe Your
Way to More Gig Sales (Spring 2003)
Thanks to a new program by CD Baby, indie musicians can now accept
credit card sales at their gigs. |
Real
Advice For Those In & Trying To Get Into The Industry (Fall/Winter
2002)
Isreal Vasquetelle, publisher of Insomniac Magazine, sounds
off on what indies musicians should and shouldn't do if they want
to be taken seriously. |
Amusement
Park Gigs (summer 2002)
Who knew amusement park gigs could be so lucrative? Celtic-rock band
Off Kilter did. Their gig at Epcot Center has helped them sell over
30,000 CDs. Read how... |
Everything
You Wanted to Know About Bar Codes (and then some): (spring 2002)
What are they? Why do we need them? Where can we get them? How can
companies like Disc Makers offer them for free? Is "bar code" one
word or two? Click here to find out. |
Spotlight:
Electric Angel (winter 2002)
The Bay Area electric harp trio Electric Angel has sold 1,000 copies
of their debut CD, Dream in less than a year. And while that
may not land them on the Billboard charts, it is something a lot of
indie artists who have CDs sitting in boxes in their basements would
love to do. While we often interview clients who have sold a lot of
CDs, we felt that Electric Angel had some interesting insights into
the business of selling CDs. |
Radio
Airplay 101, Part II (winter 2002)
By Bryan Farrish
In Part I, we looked at college radio and its associated charting
magazine, CMJ. We now look at commercial radio, focusing on specialty
and mixshow airplay, and give you some guidelines on how to choose
where to spend your promotional dollars. |
Radio
Airplay 101, Part I (fall 2001)
By Bryan Farrish
No conversation about music marketing would be complete without
the word radio rearing its ugly head time and time again. Few songs
sell well at retail without it. None sell millions without it. We
will look at what radio avenues are realistically available to indie
bands and indie labels, whether or not you use an independent promoter. |
How
to Spend your Promotional Dollars (winter 2001)
Dr. Gene Foley discusses the best ways for an indie band to promote
a new CD. |
Ask
a Lawyer...Copyrights (winter 2001)
Q: I keep getting conflicting information. Can I copyright my band's
name? If I do copyright it, does it mean I have exclusive control
over it? How does it work? |
How
to Get a Sponsorship (fall 2000)
Carolyn Ballen, producer of the Indie Music Forum, talks about how
to find companies who may want to sponsor your band. |
Why
You Should Sell Out
How Rich Hardesty got free CDs and a trip to Jamaica. |
Press
Release Tips
What's the best way to get your message to the media?
Click here to find
out. |
International
Licensing 101
Learn how to make money selling your CDs overseas. |
The
Importance of Money
There's nothing more crucial to launching and sustaining a music
career than money. And it's also the most misunderstood element among
artists. Read more... |
The
Law Regarding Sampling
If you're going to use any samples at all, you need to read this
to learn what you have to do to protect yourself. |
The
Deal with Spec Deals
The spec deal can seem like the perfect opportunity for a musician
with no money: Make your album now, pay later. However, unless the
musician is careful, they can easily get into a situation where they
can't finish their album or wind up tremendously in debt. Click here
to learn how to avoid such problems. |
The
Truth About Mastering
What it is, how it works, and why it's necessary. |
Assembling
the Team
Years ago it was fairly common for a band with no representation
to be discovered and signed to a major label. The outcome, often,
was that the band signed a bad deal and never made any money from
their music. Click here to learn how to avoid this scenario. |
Music
Publishing
Music publishing is one of the most lucrative aspects of the
music business, yet it is often overlooked by artists. If you write
songs and want to earn the maximum money from your compositions, click
here. |
Independent
Doesn't Mean Alone
Cliff Perkins of the legendary R&B act Soul Generation talks about
being a mentor and a student. |
Trade
Show Tips
Industry vets share how to work the trade show circuit for fun and
profit. |
Recording
Tips
You want your CD to sound perfect. You want fans to love it as
much as that record that's been their favorite since they were a teen.
To have the best recording experience and maximize the quality of
your recording, read on. |
College
Gigs
Maybe playing colleges and resorts aren't the most glamourous
gigs, but they pay well and expand your fan base dramatically. See
how. |
Touring
Tips
To get ahead in your musical career, take your act on the road.
This article covers all the ins and outs of setting up a tour and
setting out on the road. |
SoVoSo
Out from Bobby McFerrin's shadow, SoVoSo strives to stretch the
bounds of a capella. With their radical jazz style, it's not unlikely,
either.
|
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