Tag: Indie Hotspot

Sky Rocket Your CD Sales, Fan Base, and Indie Music Career

Who Else Wants to Sky Rocket Their CD Sales, Fan Base, and Indie Music Career?

If YOU Answered YES, Then Start an Online Newsletter…It’s Easy, Here’s How!

I’ve always praised the benefits of using a newsletter to promote your music, but this article gives a bit more detail into how to go about it.

First, there are tons of different providers out there that can send out your email newsletter. Some are expensive while others like cafepress.com allow you to make one free if you sell products through them. Although this isn’t EVERYTHING you could do, it is a good starting place.

Define the letter. Is it going to be strictly about your band or other acts in your genre? You might be able to pick up other readers/listeners who weren’t aware of your music, but know other acts if you go broader.

Develop a schedule. Are you going to do it daily, weekly, monthly? Whatever you choose does not matter. The most important part is to stick to it. Once people get to reading and enjoying your newsletter, they’ll expect to receive it on time, all the time.

How much content will it contain? Are you going to have one page or six pages? Try to make the content the same size each issue.

K.I.S.S. – Yet again, keep it simple, stupid. That means staying on topic and writing in a tone that is both understandable and friendly.

Ask for reader feedback. Perhaps someone might have an idea for a new feature or they may have a hot news tip. Always answer your readers’ requests and emails regardless of if you use their idea or not.

Keep copy short and in the active voice. Avoid passive words if you can, and give your articles some kick. You’re writing for people, not Harvard educators, so keep your tone to one that people will enjoy looking at each week.

Have an extra set of eyes. Always have an extra set of eyes look over everything you send out. Even with our newsletter and sites,www.MusicIndustrySuccess.com, www.Order-Yours-Now.com andwww.TheIndustryYellowPages.com, we always have someone look the pages over for typos, spelling, grammar, etc. You want to inform people, but you also want to come off as intelligent when you do it.

A newsletter is not a difficult feat; in fact, you can easily get started in an afternoon. If you lack the time and skills, then hire someone to do the task; or see that your manager and/or promoter informs your followers of all the news they need to know.

Written By Ty Cohen

Should You Sign with a Major Label or Stick to Indie?

Simply put, there are two types of record companies, Independent labels and Major labels. As you probably know, both have their advantages, and both have their disadvantages. Really, it all boils down to what type of record deal you are looking for personally. Before you try to figure out how to get a record deal or how to get signed, you really need to decide which is the best fit for you and your music style.

Let’s start with the major labels. These guys have virtually everything at their beck and call. They have a department for everything, and if you get signed with a major label you will have the opportunity to get unbelievable exposure. The disadvantage to a major label is that all of that literally comes at a price.

First off, when your albums hit the market, your royalty take home will only be somewhere between 12-20%. Keep in mind though that if you were given an advance or tour money, you will have to start paying that back. Once the debt is paid back, then you will start seeing some profits. So, before you work on how to get a record deal, you must decide if major is right for you.

Independent labels are just as they sound, privately owned small companies usually started by an individual who takes a hands-on approach to finding and signing music they respect and enjoy.

An Indie record deal can be made for anything from a single to several albums. If there is an advance offered, it will not be as large as one from a major label. But they will still generally finance recording costs and allocate some sort of budget for paying agents, media, and some tour support.

On the advantages side, once your album hits the market, there is less of a debt to recoup; and royalties are usually distributed at a higher rate, in fact, sometimes as much as half! On the downside, an Indie label cannot usually allot quite as much money for marketing and tour support as a major, so it might take longer to gain as much exposure as with a major label.

Lastly, we will quickly talk about publishing companies because they are an important aspect of how to get signed and what happens after. Publishing companies control the rights to the copyright of any material you write while you are signed with them. They will also continue to control the rights for a term of up to around 25 years after your deal with them is over.

Publishing companies receive their royalties from mechanical, performance, synchronization, and grand right royalties. They will take their percentage, naturally, and then pass the rest on to you. The terms and rates of the contract totally depend on the contract you sign. Remember, you can sign with a publishing company before you even sign a record deal and they may even assist you in finding the right label for you.

It is up to you to decide which type of label to pursue. It all depends on your personal style, your wants and your needs. It is your career, and you should be comfortable in any path you choose.

Written By Ty Cohen

Ingrid Michaelson – Indie Success Via Prime Time

Indie pop crooner Ingrid Michaelson found fame in the unlikeliest of places —Old Navy. While her singles had already put the un-signed artist toward mainstream success, thanks to the January 2007 episode of Grey’s Anatomy, the national exposure via the clothing company streamlined her career—with a million downloads and a Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit. Unlike other indie artists who have found their way into mainstream success via “selling out” and overexposure, Michaelson was able to lap in the luxury of ultimate creative freedom, thanks to the television shows and advertisements who liked her just the way she was. If you love the soundtracks of Grey’s or simply can’t get enough of this singer/songwriter from New York, hit uphttp://www.stubhub.com/ingrid-michaelson-tickets for your Ingrid Michaelson tickets and more!

After the success of her second album, Girls and Boys, and under the pressure of keen fans, the artist released Be OK, a compilation of never before released singles along with some old-school covers (which even included a new version of her hit single “Way I Am”). The title track and video’s profits are benefiting Stand Up to Cancer, while part of the album’s profits go to the organization as well. “I wanted to put something out as a gift to my fans,” the 28-year-old singer told Songwriter Universe Magazine. “I still feel funny saying the word ‘fans,’ but people who’ve responded really strongly to my music know a lot of these songs because they’ve heard me play them live. A lot of people have said they really wanted to be able to have them to listen to, and I wanted to give them that.”

And though the singer first gained attention for not working with a major label, the independence has left her position in the music industry even more lucrative. Creating her own record label with manager Lynn Grossman, the indie artist found that the only real shot at seeing success was through a global distribution deal. The deal allows her albums to actually make it to stores, along with bonus promotions that hook up her with radio and surprise, surprise, connections with licensing companies that pitch her material to film supervisors. Without a major label, however, Michaelson is able to keep her creativity to the extreme, without big-time execs breathing down her neck. “The key to thriving as an indie is finding the right people to work with and who believe in you—but I don’t look down on artists who feel that a major is the best way for them. If I ever do hook up with a major, I would probably consider a joint venture which would allow me to retain my independence, keep rights to my songs and maintain artistic control.” Since the success via the hospital drama and a sweater advertisement, the soft rocker has seen her singles appear on WB’s One Tree Hill, as well as the soundtrack for the Sarah Jessica Parker hit Sex and the City: The Movie.

Written By Meaghan Clark

Lancelot and His Debut Solo Album, Your Time Your Chances Your Say

With the dollar being so weak against the euro, singer/songwriter Lance Smith (Lancelot) came to Los Angeles, CA, to work with rock producer Rich Mouser, who lately had been cultivating and producing Irish talent (Paul Toal and Jaded Sun). Lancelot heard about his work and made the decision to collaborate here in L.A. Lancelot had been playing the guitar ever since he was a kid. His uncle lent him an amplifier, and Lancelot got a guitar at age 11. Even though he played sports and had other hobbies, they weren’t the things he was passionate about. Playing guitar and doing music won out as his number one love. He played with a band for a few years but then decided to record his first album as a solo artist.

I know that you had a little bit of success with a single with the band you were with back home.

Yeah, back in Ireland we released a single. We got lots of playlists and national radio and made some charts. It was decision time, whether I wanted to pursue that with the band and go to the next stage. But I was with a band that was in so many different directions, ideas, styles . . . and my gut told me that this is what I should be doing [being a solo artist]. I wasn’t quite happy with the way it sounded. It wasn’t the band’s fault or even my fault. It was just a difference of opinion, and here I am now.

So tell me about this record, Your Time Your Chances Your Say.

I broke up with the band and found my direction. I wrote a lot of songs, developed a sound. Got in contact with Rich Mouser and sent over songs to him. I told him I wanted a fun record, upbeat tracks, something free.

What style would you say it is?

It’s got touches of singer/songwriter. At the same time it has an indie feel. There’s always a chorus and a hook. It’s hard to say, until people start putting you into a bracket: “Oh I didn’t know I was rock opera!” (Laughs) Oh, is that really what we sound like?

What is your role as an artist?

I’m playing drums and guitars on the demo to develop the sound. That’s what I’ll do live. It’s so much freer than being in a band. Building a live show around this album, you can work it around the people you choose. The live show can really replicate what we did on the album.

Dublin seems to be a hotbed for rock and indie music, huh?

Yeah, for the size of the population, there’ve been quite a few bands out of Dublin that have been pretty huge internationally. It’s just one of those cities that has been really creative. There’s always a turnover of really good bands whether they break Ireland or not. Even at home there are always 10 or 15 good artists that are just playing in Ireland. There are gigs all the time, and it’s a relatively small city. I don’t know . . . maybe it’s something in the water.

Tell me about some of the songs in your records. Do you have a favorite song? What are the themes of some of the songs?

There are some love songs without being lovey-dovey, my life, people, places, etc. . . . whatever captures your attention. You can float around, and then all of a sudden a spark hits you and you just go off on it.

Are any of your songs based upon personal experiences?

“Country Life” is a song I wrote at 6:00 in the morning one day in London. It was like a chant. I was shouting it on the phone to some friends. It’s just about getting out of the city. There was one little moment where I had the seed of it, and it just wrote itself like some songs do.

I hear that a lot. When you talk to artists, musicians, painters, actors, writers . . . people who are creative and inventing all the time, a lot of times they say that. Sometimes the spark of inspiration came 5 years ago and it’s been sitting there waiting for it to manifest itself.

That’s the way it happens. Sometimes the inspiration is just sitting there waiting for you to develop it, to grasp it, to run with it. Sometimes you don’t get that straightaway. Sometimes you have this idea sitting in the back of your head and it takes a long time before you realize where they’re supposed to go or where they’re trying to go without trying to force them, just let them happen themselves. Those are always the best songs.

Did you have any challenges in recording this album?

It was a pleasurable experience. There were a few days where I was tearing my hair out to get a song right, worrying about a guitar or vocal line. Considering the amount of hours you spend working on a project in the studio, it’s really been quite easy, straight-forward in a lot of ways. I didn’t expect it to be as smooth (aside from the days when you want to throw yourself in a ditch!).

You used to model. Tell me about that.

I used to do a lot of things to pay the bills, but modeling came up in Dublin. It’s not like New York. It was relaxed. In Dublin it was easy and enjoyable. I did a few good jobs, and it paid the bills. I was with Assets Model Agency in Dublin. Lots of print, TV ads, catwalk shows.

Did your modeling help to define your image for the album?

Going in to making the album, I just wanted to make the album. I consciously didn’t even think about my name, photography, the artwork, the image, or the website. I just wanted to spend all the energy making 10 songs.

That’s really good. That means the music is the most important thing to you.

There’s so much else you can do that takes up so much energy and time that you can get ahead of yourself and start putting energy into areas that don’t matter as much. At the end of the day, the music has to be right. If it’s not right, you can put up all the websites you want. It’s not going to make any difference.

A lot of people would say that what you did was very ambitious. To leave your home and go to another country and work with someone you didn’t know personally, was that a little scary for you? Making the leap of faith to come from Ireland and go to LA.

These days with the internet and communication, it’s so easy to fly material around. I flew material around to people located in London, Australia, US, Dublin. I was trying to match up with a producer who could get what I was trying to do. This was the best option. I heard some previous work. Everything clicked, and it just worked.

How long did the recording take?

30-40 days.

What’s the next step for you?

The music industry is so open these days. It’s a matter of finding what’s right for you, the record, and all the rest that goes with it. It’s exciting.

If you were to sum up the body of work for your album, how would you describe it in one sentence?

Melodic, strong melodies, fun with a bit of oomph to it! At the end of the day, really, I just wanted to make an album that made me happy, and after that everything is a bonus. The first step is done, and I’m happy.

To learn more about Lancelot, visit www.myspace.com/lancelotmusic

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

Review of the Short Film SPIN, Directed by Jamin Winans

I ran into this interesting and creative online independent short film while I was surfing youtube. The film is called Spin and it is an 8-minute short, directed by Jamin Winans. The short is about a mysterious stranger who seemingly appears out of nowhere. The obvious visual suggestion is that he fell out of the sky and landed in a deserted alleyway. A split second later a few heavy-duty metal steel latched cases fall next to him. He picks them up, one in each hand, carrying them by the handle. He walks toward a busy public street and witnesses a bicyclist getting hit by a car. He opens the suitcases, and inside there are turntables. He assembles them, preparing to play manually, rotating the turntables with his finger. By doing this, he is able to control the accident by either rewinding it as he manipulates the turntable, or fast forwarding it, giving him the power to control time and space. He saves the bicyclist and changes the outcome of other similar tragic events.

I found this eight-minute independent short to be very creative, extremely well shot, with great timing and editing. Winans utilized a lot of intricate shots; including the editing direction in conjunction with the cinematography and placement of the cast. All played a key factor creatively and aided in establishing this compelling story.

This director definitely has a signature style. Spin is not a unique story . . . but what really is original these days? Be advised, anyone who sees Winans’s work should just enjoy it for what it is . . . a well-told, creatively shot story.

Spin has appeared in over 80 film festivals and has won over 40 awards. It stars Hayz II, who plays Scratch. The crew members are as follows: producer, Joe Sekiya; director of photography, Jeff Pointer; writer, director, and composer Jamin Winans.