The Good Life.

The Good Life.

The Challenges Facing Musicians In 2013. Free Research Report.

Back in June Right Chord Music launched The Big Survey in association with  Farida Guitars.  Our aim was to better understand the realities of being a musician in 2013. The online survey was completed by 200 musicians, of which three-quarters were unsigned or independent. Two-thirds of the respondents reported they had released at least one single.  The vast majority of respondents came from three countries: UK, Australia, and the USA.

Results highlight the increasing number of sites and services used by artists to promote their music. It’s no surprise that Facebook dominates, but it’s interesting to see the growing importance of Soundcloud and Bandcamp and the much heralded fall from grace of Myspace.

Just over one-half of the respondents reported paid live shows were the primary source of their monthly income. Digital download sales (13%) and CD sales (12%) were second and third respectively. Over six different incomes streams were reported. Although average incomes from live shows were not captured in this survey Right Chord Music would expect income from live shows at this level to be between £20-£50 per show, and a band to be playing a maximum of three paid shows within an average month. It’s clear once income is divided up between 3-4 band members and petrol, parking, hire, and rehearsal costs are factored in, income does not necessarily mean profit.

Bedroom and DIY culture is very much alive and kicking, with just under one-half (49%) of respondents reporting they record all of their music at home. Twenty-eight percent (28%) reported they record demos at home before heading to a professional studio to add a professional touch to their work.

To professionally promote music costs money, Right Chord Music estimates between £300-500 for online PR, and £600-£850 for radio plugging for a minimum of two months. Then there is press and TV, the cost continues to rise. Based on these costs, and their unsigned status, it is no surprise that the vast majority (87%) of respondents in this survey reported they have to promote their music themselves.

Respondents reported over seven different ways they sell their music, with selling CDs at live shows remaining the most popular sales channel. Bandcamp’s growing influence among the unsigned community is clear with as many respondents reporting they use Bandcamp as iTunes to sell their music. Ten percent (10%) of respondents reported they sell their music directly from Facebook.

When respondents were asked to highlight the biggest challenges they face as musicians two dominated: ‘Getting our music heard’ and ‘Making enough money.’ But equally noticeable is the large number of challenges they recognise and struggle to overcome. It is certainly not easy to be a musician in 2013.

To download your FREE copy of the full report visit: http://www.rightchordmusic.co.uk/faridaguitarresults

Hoan Kiem Lake by Matthew Wilkinson

In an ideal world I would wake up in the morning to a fresh cup of hot coffee. I would enjoy it as I check my e-mail and skim social networks to check up on friends and my favorite bands.

I would immerse myself in an online community of music lovers, songwriters, and musicians sharing, caring, and building with each other… NOT blasting commands to “check out my new hottest thing”.

I see enough billboards on the interstate.

In this world:

Bands would stop acting like rock stars and start acting like leaders

They would build self-sustaining tribes

They would listen to their fans

They would understand that growing organically will always win over view counts

As a music blogger, my inbox would NOT be full of one-liners and YouTube links I only see as distractions. Whatever happened to “connecting” with someone?

Unfortunately, this world does not exist. From where I’m sitting, the average indie band sucks at using social media and its ruining it for everyone else. Most importantly, your potential fans.

What are we doing wrong, you say?

Oh boy…where do I begin?

Me, Me, Me Marketing

You might have been raised in a world of billboards and commercials, but using social media as a one way street is killing your promo game.

It seems too many people are missing the social half of the phrase, social media.

You need to engage with fans and listeners instead of blasting them with links, videos, and nonsense about buying your album.

Sadly, most bands qualify [as what the marketing world refers to] as spammers.

Engaging is easier than you think and should come naturally (assuming you are not a recluse).

Share albums, videos, and news about other music you enjoy or local bands you play with.Ask others what they think.

Share news related to the music industry or issues that reflect the personality of your band and use them to engage in conversation.

Instead of posting links to the same videos and songs repeatedly, post clips of the band working in the studio or upload a demo mix and allow fans to share their opinions so you can take the art to another level. Involve fans in your process(es).

Network with bands in other areas to create an atmosphere for gig swapping and collaboration as well as cross promotion of content.

This list goes on but the takeaway here is engage in a way that results in feedback and interaction.

Build a community.

Focusing on the wrong metrics

Your follower count means nothing unless you see conversions.

Huh?!

More important than a follower, view, or like:

How many fans have signed up for your mailing list?

Do you pass around a mailing list signup sheet at your show?

How many people have you met at shows? (You do hang out with the audience after the show…right?)

How many people have bought a CD or t-shirt?

Stop putting all your energy into increasing numbers on social sites and focus on converting the followers you have into loyal fans.

Use social media to funnel music listeners to your website where you attempt to convert them into a mailing list signup, song download, or merchandise sale.

Would you rather have 1,000 likes or 100 fans spending $1,000 on music, merch, show tickets and crowd funding campaigns?

Show me the money!

Continue Reading

Want a Job in the Music Business? These Are the Cities You Should Live In (From the Magazine)

Big cities like New York and Los Angeles have more music industry jobs, but you're more likely to have a neighbor in the biz in Nashville.

In today's DIY music business, people can perform their jobs from just about anywhere. But as economist Richard Florida pointed out in 2009, the trend in music industry jobs has been increased concentration in a small number of cities. From 1970 to 2006, Nashville was the only city in the country with positive growth in music industry jobs using a location quotient, a measure of a particular industry's share of the total employment in a given location. "In effect, it sucked up all the growth in the music industry," Florida wrote.

Nashville's 27,000 music industry jobs are vital to the city. The jobs earn an income of nearly $1.7 billion and contribute $5.5 billion to the local economy. The multiplier effect means one job can help support additional jobs. In all, the local music industry supports 57,000 jobs and creates a total economic output of $9.7 billion.

None of this has gone unnoticed by the City of Nashville. A report by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Music City Music Council, a group of professionals assembled by Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, boasts of music's great impact on Nashville and the resources available in the modestly sized metropolitan area of 1.7 million. Using economic data compiled by Economic Modeling Specialty International, the report shows how Nashville stacks up to other music hubs.

In terms of concentration of music industry jobs, Nashville is tops with 7.8 per 1,000 residents, according to EMSI data in the report. Los Angeles is a distant second with 2.8. Austin is third with 2.6. At 2.0, New York actually falls beneath the 2.1 of Charlotte, N.C.

It should come as no surprise that the cities with the three highest concentrations of music industry jobs also have the best-paying ones. Los Angeles tops all markets in average music job earnings with 175% of the country's average salary. Nashville is second at 156%, and New York is third at 147%. Music jobs pay less than the national average in Charlotte (99%), Austin (94%), Atlanta (85%), Memphis (79%) and New Orleans (73%).

Those good salaries go far in Nashville. The city's cost of living is 11.1% lower than the national average, according to the ACCRA Cost of Living Index. New York is 125% of the national average. Los Angeles is 31% above it.

5 Tools to Make Your Life Easier as a Band Manager

Band managers don’t exactly have it easy. They’ll typically book the shows, do the accounts, negotiate deals, promote the band, manage the merch, and provide a legal foundation for the band. In short, they’re a jack of all trades, and in this post we’re going to look through a few tools that can make a few of the tedious management tasks a bit easier.

#1 A tablet / good smartphone

With so much travelling around and going between meetings, a tablet is a handy investment for any manager. Not only does it mean you don’t have to lug around a hefty laptop, but it makes your journey time a little bit more productive, as you can quickly edit contracts on the bus, or post social network updates on behalf of the band.

I’d also advise that if you’re going to do anything copy-heavy e.g. writing blog posts, editing contracts, updating the band website, that you get yourself a tablet keyboard case, as they’re great for speeding things up.

#2 A good lawyer & a set of contracts for every situation

As a manager, you’re likely going to have to negotiate a number of deals for the artist you’re working with. Many larger organisations in the music industry have exceptional in-house legal teams who can make your life very difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing. Find yourself a brilliant lawyer, and get a set of music contract templates so that you know what a standard agreement should look like, and why the deal you’re negotiating differs.

#3 Use SaaS (software as a system) tools to save you time

Nowadays, there are so many SaaS platforms to save you time in every aspect of your career. Whether you use accounting software like Freshbooks, CRM software, or even music-specific platforms like Dizzyjam to print and manage your merch, SaaS can be a great way of cutting down the time you spend on tedious jobs, so you can free it up for the important stuff.

#4 Contacts, contacts, contacts

When it comes to management, who you know is important. Invest your time networking at music industry conferences to develop your network of contacts – you never know when you might need them.

#5 A Blog

In my experience, blogging is invaluable – yet it’s impossible to predict why in foresight. I no of no blogger who hasn’t seen the value in blogging, and yet few of the bloggers I know could have predicted why it’d become invaluable to them. Because of this blog, I’ve had my content featured in the Singapore music education syllabus, I’ve met countless friends around the globe, who have also become important contacts. Blogging is an excellent way of reaching more of the people you want to meet – whether that’s for you as a manager, or for the band that you manage.