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Daylle's News & Resources |
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Issue # 26 |
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Hello
to you all! I hope that your passions are keeping you warm with the cooler weather. People can get more lethargic in winter. Please don’t let that happen to you! Winter, summer, spring and fall, the season is what you make of it. So heat up the winter with your music! And let the new year begin with resolve to do the best you can. --------- Feel
free to contact me about my fees if you need CONSULTING on how to make
progress in your music career or need a shot of motivation by using my
CAREER COACHING. I do it in person and by phone. You can email me at consulting@daylle.com
for more info. I now give discounts for booking at least 3 sessions. --------- I
NEED VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE A SHORT VIDEO: I have a new relationship book
coming out in February and want to make a 5 - 10-minute video for it.
Since I have no equipment and am a bit technically challenged (hey, a
girl can’t do everything!), I’m looking for volunteers who can help
me film and edit it properly. It will get a lot of exposure IF it’s
good. Those who work on it will be credited. The project will be a lot
of fun. If you’re in the NY area and can help with it, please email me
at daylle@daylle.com. Thanks! --------- Please
forward this newsletter to your mailing list or anyone you'd like. If
this was forwarded to you and you'd like to subscribe, send me an email
that says "subscribe" in the subject header with your name and
city/state. If you'd like to post it on your site, please ask for
permission and I'll give it. Read past issues at http://www.daylle/monthly.html
If you prefer to be taken off my list, please say unsubscribe in the
subject header of an email. --------- My
other newsletter, Self-Empowerment Quarterly, for the body, mind and
spirit is also free. This
WON’T come to you automatically. If
you don’t receive it and would like to subscribe, please send an email
to subempowernews@daylle.com with you name, city/state. Read back
issues at http://www.daylle.com/daylle/newsletter-growth.html --------- Please
visit my website, http://www.idontneedarecorddeal.com/ to take
advantage of the many resources for developing a career in music. Also,
please come and be my friend at http://www.myspace.com/daylle. : ) --------- I’m
very excited about this issue. It has great suggestions for marketing
music on YouTube. I was blessed to be invited to interview the 4 bands
who won the YouTube Underground
music video contest when they were announced here in NY on Good Morning
America. The bands were all fantastic and I have a compilation of the
interviews below. I also interviewed Jennifer Nielson, marketing manager
at YouTube. Bob Lefsetz, who writes the well known Lefsetz Letter, has
allowed me to share one below. The
rest is written by me.
Please feel free to send suggestions and questions that I can include in
future issues. --------- Revenge
Productions http://www.daylle.com
---------- 1.
Do
you really want it? 2.
Interview with Jennifer Nielson, marketing manager at YouTube 3.
Daylle’s Seminar & Books 4.
Concert
Tickets by Bob
Lefsetz 5.
Interview with YouTube Underground
music video contest winners 6.
Minding Your Music Biz: Gig Contracts Part 2 7.
Ask Daylle ----------- 1. DO YOU REALLY WANT IT?: Most people at my workshops, during consulting, and in emails say they want to succeed at their goal. Whether it’s creating a full time indie music career, getting a record deal, doing serious touring, placing music in film and TV, attracting sponsorship, etc., everyone says it’s what they want. If that’s so, why do so many never reach their goals? Because they don’t want it badly enough to do everything it takes. Everyone
says they want something. A majority look to me for magic answers, which
I don’t have. There are few ways around the hard work needed, often
long hours that lead to little more than frustration. That’s the way
it is. You can read all the books and get advice from me and others but
if you’re not prepared to implement what you learn, it ain’t gonna
get you anywhere but more frustrated. When
I did my 3-month national Indie Music Tour, I made hundreds of call to
colleges and other places before I had it together. Getting sponsorship
took even more. When I just wished for it all to just happen, it
didn’t. It would be nice if a wish fairy would wave her wand and
sprinkle fairy dust when we need something, and have it materialize.
Unfortunately, life isn’t a fairy tale and there’s no music fairy
godmother. YOU have to make it materialize. The good news is you can IF
you REALLY WANT IT. After
a month of calls, I felt burnt, and found every excuse under the sun not
to make them. Relaxing felt great. But, I wasn’t making headway on my
tour. After doing some soul searching, I asked myself if I really wanted
the tour. YES! I did. That’s when I knew I had to get busy. I made
signs that said, “DO YOU REALLY
WANT IT?” as a reminder that I did. Here are some tips to use a
similar sign to fuel your desires and help you get off your butt to make
it happen:
n
Success
begins in your head. No matter what it is you want – for work or in
your personal life -
you must want it badly enough to have to best shot at achieving
it. And when you know that you do, keep reminding yourself that you do
REALLY WANT IT by using signs to stoke your fire. Get your head straight
and your passion can help push you forward to your goals. 2. Interview with Jennifer Nielson, marketing manager at YouTube: I
asked Jennifer
to help you understand a bit more about this website that’s exploding
on the Internet. Here’s what she said: What
was the original intention for YouTube? We
originally started as a way to help people deal with video online and
quickly became the leading video entertainment destination on the
Internet. How
would you describe the site? YouTube
is a community for people to watch and share video. There is something
for everyone on the site and that is why YouTube has one of the largest
and diverse communities on the Web. People have the opportunity to
upload and share videos with people around the world and connect with a
new audience. What
kind of videos get the most attention and why? Videos
that make you laugh out loud or that are bizarre or simply brilliant get
the most attention on YouTube. There is no real formula for a video to
go viral, but original content and opinions are popular as well as
videos that express emotion and tell it like it is. Check out our most
popular users in the Channels area of the site. This is where the most
popular content is and the users who have the largest audiences. What
do you think made so many people went to the OK Go video?
OK Go created something truly original that makes people laugh and ask
how they did that. The band has been uploading creative videos for most
of the life of YouTube. Their first viral hit was the video for A
Million Ways, and then they came out with the video for Here It Goes
Again. They continue to
find ways to capture people's attention and create really entertaining
content. How
can a music video stand out? One
thing musicians should know is they don't need a slick and expensive
music video to have success on YouTube. All they need is a little
creativity and a camera to create something truly original. YouTube is
about connecting with people and showing your personality through video.
Bands should pick up a camera and start filming their day-to-day lives,
what makes them original and why should people should watch and listen
and to them. This is the best way to connect with a new audience on
YouTube. Are
there ways to drive people to see a video on YouTube?
It's important to become a part of the YouTube community and understand
what is happening on the site. Watch videos, subscribe to your favorite
channels, participate in discussions and upload entertaining content.
This is the best way to become a part of the community and help yourself
rise up. What
members rate videos and how do videos get featured? Members
of the community watch, rate and share videos on YouTube. We have an
editorial team that chooses the videos to be featured on YouTube.
How
much technical savvy would someone need to get a video on YouTube?
YouTube is extremely easy to use. People can simply watch videos on
YouTube or create their own Channel to broadcast their talents to the
world. How
can someone use tags to attract more viewers?
Putting
tags on videos helps users find the content they want to watch. Bands
should use keywords that best describes their music to help people find
it. What's
your best advice for someone who wants to get the most benefits from
YouTube? Just
get on the site and start creating videos that express yourself
creativity and personality. You never know what will become a viral hit.
Find out what other people are doing on the site and learn from them.
The community will be your best resource. ----------- Check
out http://www.YouTube.com I’m going to launch some videos as soon as
I can get some help recording them. Below are the perspectives of
musicians who’ve had success using videos to market their music. ----------- 3. DAYLLE’S SEMINAR & BOOKS: My
February Start & Run Your Own Record Label seminar was the last I
put together on my own. I've been doing these for over 10 years but my
time is getting tighter. From now on, I'll only speak when someone puts
an event together and brings me in for it. If you want more info about
booking me to speak, please email me at booking@daylle.com. ---------- My
latest book, I Don't Need a Record Deal! Your Survival Guide for the
Indie Music Revolution, continues to do really well! The focus is on
making money from musical talent. It guides you to creating as many
income streams as possible and has specifics on how to pursue the
variety of opportunities. It’s the only book I know of with so many
specifics on how to tour and license music in international markets.
People are surprised to find chapters on taking care of your physical
and mental health too. But part of surviving and thriving includes
taking good care of YOU. You
can order this book from me by sending $25 ($20 + $5 priority mail
return) in check or money order (made out to Daylle Schwartz) with your
name, address, and email address. My other books, The Real Deal: How to
Get Signed to a Record Label and Start & Run Your Own Record Label
are also available from me at the same price. Please specify if you want
it autographed. Send it to: Daylle Schwartz PO Box 8016, FDR Station New York, NY 10150 You can use a credit card here 4.
TICKET PRICES:
by Bob Lefsetz (reprinted with
permission) Last
night on KLSX a caller in Orange County, an early TWENTYSOMETHING,
reported that he had paid $4,000 for front row tickets to see Paul
McCartney. Yes,
that was the topic. Ticket prices. What was a fair price. Stunningly,
the only people complaining that prices were too high were those who never
go. As for the regular concertgoers, the biggest bitch was not the price,
but the fact that they couldn't GET tickets. Thinking about all this I
realized the problem facing the concert industry was not outrageous ticket
prices, but few acts people wanted to see. There
are the momentary superstars, like the Spice Girls, or the Backstreet
Boys, who can work arenas briefly and then essentially can't work again.
But as for acts doing solid arena business year after year...the only acts
that can do this are those that have been around seemingly FOREVER! Oh,
there's the rare exception, i.e. Radiohead, but nobody seems to want to
see today's stars at almost any price.
Oh, not nobody. But
certainly not numbers that fill LiveNation's amphitheatres.
It appears that we've got club business and geriatric arena
business. And nobody seems
poised to permanently graduate from the small venues to the bigs. Those
yearly concert gross totals. They hide the real issue. When the baby
boomer acts die off, who in the hell is anybody going to want to SEE? Blame
MTV. For the channel created INSTANT superstars. Who fell back to earth
almost as quickly. I mean what kind of business could Gerardo do today?
Never mind Haircut 100. MTV's
out of the music business, but that's not an option for concert promoters.
Oh, they can fill their buildings with ice shows and circuses, but if they
want to book musical acts...they're up against a wall. But
it gets worse. LiveNation and HOB have stockholders. They've got to put up
revenue. They've got to book shows. They can't afford to sit on the
sidelines, bringing the value of non-sellout acts down. Used to be if
there was nothing to book, promoters didn't.
Before they all owned amphitheatres, before Robert Sillerman rolled
up the fiefdoms and built the Clear Channel/LiveNation colossus. It's
kind of like baseball. The promoters have to lock the acts out. To get the
agents to take less money. Some kind of revenue sharing deal maybe. But
baseball has got an antitrust exemption. And it's a club no one can
compete with/penetrate. Whereas collusion is right around the corner if
concert promoters all refuse to pay exorbitant fees. AND, indies could
come in and penetrate the business anyway. And
while the agents and promoters feud, the talent pool continues to dry up.
It's [screwed]. Now
that MTV is essentially done with music and terrestrial radio has
capitulated to the major labels' interest, what we're left with is the
aging superstars who don't need either, the overhyped newbies who can't
sell a ticket, and the plethora of indies marketing on the Net. Who can't
fill buildings that will put a Mercedes in the driveway of ANY of the
traditional players, whether it be promoter, agent or manager.
Well, a good manager can make a lot. If he builds his act. But
getting to the point where he's got a cash cow, throwing off dough to all
the ancillary players...one has to ask, where he's going to get the
exposure? How's he going to amass all the eyeballs? So
we're back to the sixties. BEFORE Woodstock. When you had multi-act bills
and cheap tickets for an alternative universe.
Will a new Woodstock come? Probably not before the aged acts are
too lame to walk the boards. ----------- Bob
Lefsetz is an entertainment business attorney and has worked with many
major labels.
He writes
the e-mail newsletter, The Lefsetz
Letter, read by many celebrities and music business honchos including
Steven Tyler, Bryan Adams, Quincy Jones, and Irving Azoff. I met Bob last
year when I did a keynote talk for California Lawyer’s for the Arts and
he was on the panel right after. I was blown away by his candor, something
I don’t hear much. Bob is known for not being concerned about rocking
the music industry boat and says what he really thinks. You can subscribe
to The Lefsetz Letter at http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
It’s free and Bob sends
out his thoughts whenever he has something to say about the music
industry., which can be many times a day.
He does give you a lot to think about. ----------- 5. INTERVIEW WITH YouTube Video Contest Winners: On
November 29, 2006, YouTube, a consumer media company that allows people to
watch and share original videos on the Internet, announced the winners of
their Underground contest on Good Morning America. Four musical acts won
in the categories of Most Creative video, Best Live video, Best Song, and
Best video. I talked with members of the winning bands to get a
musician’s point of view about promoting through videos. The
bands are at different levels of development. Most haven’t released a
full CD yet. Maldroid hadn’t even toured prior to the contest. The
others have played local and regional gigs. All feel hopeful that exposure
on YouTube will help them get a lot farther. The bands are: MOST
CREATIVE: Ostrich Head (Nowonder aka Steve Montez, Loreaxe aka Jaime Jorn,
Mess E Recspin aka James Morgan, Say What aka Lyndsay Haldorson) BEST
VIDEO: Maldroid (Rasmus, Ryan
Divine, I.Q., Todd Brown,
Cpt. Sean Shippley) BEST
SONG: Greenland: (Tres Crow, Matt Goetz, Michael Green, Evan James,
Patrick Rickelton)
BEST
LIVE: Pawnshop Roses: (Paul Keen, Kevin Bentley, Justin Monteleone a.k.a
Blaze, Rich "Figgs" Fogg) ----------- WHY
DO A VIDEO? Ryan (Maldroid):
We have quite a few videos in the works. We wanted to launch the band by
making videos. We’re all creative artists. We knew we had the capacity
to do so. YouTube has given us so much exposure. Just the ability to put
something on the Internet to be viewed instantly is amazing. Musicians now
have the capacity to get yourself out there without anybody’s help. Paul
(Pawnshop Roses): We wanted to film a live performance and get a DVD out
of it. We had clips and heard about the contest so we submitted to it.
We’re releasing the DVD in January. Kevin
(Pawnshop Roses): Having the video has absolutely helped us. It’s a
medium that didn’t exist five years ago – another way for us to get
our music out. People from England or Germany now comment on our music.
When first started our band it wasn’t an option but it is now and it’s
fantastic. YouTube is the best platform to display your talent. 75% of the
population is on there and if you tell someone to type in your name while
there, they’ll do it. It far surpasses handing out flyers. Regardless of
the contest, I think we’re on the right track making contacts through
having a video on YouTube. Contacts came out of nowhere. All the people
we’ve met are really going to help. Calmentz
(Ostrich Head): It’s the
easiest way for a humongous audience to see our video and get exposure to
the entire world fast. Instead of handing out DVDs to everyone were could
just send them to YouTube.com and type in Ostrich Head to see our video. Michael
(Greenland): The video was something we could show anybody – this is us,
we can figure out how to do stuff. We knew that even if we didn’t win
the competition we’d have that to set us apart. Patrick
(Greenland): People were more willing to listen to us because they knew
there was a video connected. Loreaxe
(Ostrich Head): YouTube allows independent artists to be seen and heard by
the world. ----------- WHY
MAKES YOUR VIDEO APPEALING? Say What (Ostrich Head): It’s colorful and
exciting. The whole concept of freak shows. We have alternate characters
– normal and freaky. Colorful stuff is going on with all these
characters from real life and fantasy life. We have our alternate egos
going so it’s kind of funny. People relate to the characters because
they’re freaks just like us. Loreaxe
(Ostrich Head): I think it’s a good combination of something that’s
fun and at the same time has an underlying, deeper point to the song. The
video reflects the song really well. Ryan
(Maldroid): People see the level of professionalism about it. I think
people still don’t believe that I actually animated everything myself
but I did. Patrick
(Greenland): There’s an exuberance in the song and the video as well. It
makes people happy to watch it. ANY
TIPS FOR MAKING A VIDEO? Kevin (Pawnshop Roses): If you want to represent
your band on YouTube, you should have something good. Don’t just put
anything on there. Have your contact info with it. Michael
(Greenland): You need time and creativity. We definitely put in the work.
We recorded it on a little camcorder I borrowed from my neighbor and made
the video for less than a hundred dollars. Say
What (Ostrich Head): Do it and do it well. Get as creative as you can. Ryan
(Maldroid): I knew how to do animation but putting it together, I learned
as I went. If you’re
willing to put the work in – it’s very time consuming – you can
learn how to put a video together. The editing software and using cameras
right takes time. Take the time to learn how to do it right. You don’t
need a budget. Anyone with a webcam can put something up. But you have to
make it something desirable. Tres
(Greenland): Do something that’s gonna catch people’s attention. Do
your best to make it look somewhat professional. YouTube has created a
sort of bottle-neck in a way, in a good way, for bands to get noticed.
It’s hard to separate yourselves. Anyone can make a crappy camcorder
recording and put it on YouTube. It’s a lot more difficult to get the
resources together to make a good-looking video. So if people see that
good video, they pay attention and think the band has something if they
could put it together. ----------- HOW
DID YOU PROMOTE YOUR VIDEO? Ryan (Maldroid): One thing I did on YouTube is
I went to the Take on Me video of the 80’s. To anyone that commented
positively on it, I said, “hey, you should check this out if you really
like this video. It’s a it’s a similar theme and I think you’ll like
it.” You don’t have to Spam everyone on the world. You can find people
who have specific interests and target them. I send them to individual
people. Patrick:
(Greenland): We invited people through emails, at shows and everyone we
talked to to see the video. If you put it on YouTube, people aren’t
going to find it by happenstance. There are millions of videos. You’ve
got to tell them where it is and promote it as much as you can. Sean
(Maldroid): What’s so cool about YouTube is you can find what people dig
and connect with them very easily. Paul
(Pawnshop Roses): MySpace and YouTube are definitely the big promotional
tools right now for any band. We have a lot of friends who will post
around, put comments on MySpace to check out Pawnshop Roses. Hopefully
that will lead them to the MySpace page. We have the YouTube video
embedded on the MySpace page so people can see it from there. We’re
definitely doing our best to let people know about us. ----------- If
you can get a camera and are super creative, you can post a video on
YouTube that can get people excited about your music. That’s why I’m
looking for help to do one based on my next book. Everyone tells me it’s
not hard to get the video up and your fans can easily help promote it.
Scooter Lammey, creator of the Pawnshop Roses’ video, adds, “A great
thing about YouTube, is you upload a video, and anyone can link it, favor
it, put on their MySpace page, because they can just cut and paste the
HTML. So anyone can go and look. It allows people to promote your band and
you don’t even have to know them!” Check out all the bands’ videos
to get an idea of what works and then try your own! Ostrich
Head http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGm-gwHwgcQ Maldroid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHGvh3i35Uk
Greenland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P9EonMpzlM 6. MINDING YOUR MUSIC BIZ – Gig
Contracts (Part 2): Written
agreements are the best proof of what was agreed to. A
simple one-page contract clarifying what both the promoter and you agree
to provides a better shot that the gig will go smoothly. Email
confirmations offer some protection but a real agreement must be signed by
a pen, not by hitting a send button. Even faxed signatures don’t hold up
as well. Some artists fax the agreement immediately and then send a signed
copy by snail mail. Create your own agreement. You can find them online
and tailor it to each gig. Colleges tend to have their own but many venues
don’t. Avoid getting caught short if the venue asks you to send yours by
having one. A
non-refundable deposit (preferably 30 days before the gig) protects you
and provides upfront money for expenses. Try to include as many amenities
(food, drinks, lodging, etc.) as you can in the agreement. Some venues
won’t agree. Many will. It can’t hurt to ask! Also include any
specifications you may need for sound and what the venue agrees to
provide. It’s awful to arrive at a gig and learn that there’s no mic
or the drum kit they promised isn’t there. When you have it in writing,
you have a better chance of getting the venue to accommodate your needs. Remember,
ask and ye shall receive! Ask for everything you can and then negotiate
for a fair agreement. I
will continue this series on contracts in the next issue and include more
info on gig contracts. 7.
ASK DAYLLE:
“I
met someone with good contacts who set me up to meet with a potential
manager. I don’t know yet if the manager will sign me. Should I email or
call to thank the one who set me up with the introduction now or wait
until I get an answer from the manager?” Thank
him immediately. When someone helps you, whether it works out or not, send
a thank you NOTE by snail mail. Most industry people get more emails than
they can read. A handwritten note will stand out and make a great
impression. My friend Terrie Williams wrote the book, The Personal Touch: What
You Really Need to Succeed in Today's Fast-Paced Business World (Warner
Books). She emphasizes the importance of sending notes and interacting
with people using a personal touch. It’s
so easy to send an email and people don’t like to be interrupted by a
phone call. Sending a note sets you apart. Those small things can make a
person want to work with you. While you’re writing, send the manager a
note too to thank him or her for their time. Any time someone meets with
you or does something they don’t have to, send a note to say thank you.
It can truly make them want to work with you or help you again. ----------- A
Danish proverb says, "He who builds to everyman’s advice will have
a crooked house." It works the same with your music. There are a lot
of know-it-alls in the biz who will give you advice and insist it’s the
only right way. Then you get a different take form someone who also swears
to be the expert. You do everything that people tell you to “improve”
your music and it becomes a different song – and not the one you wanted.
What’s a musician to do? Follow your gut! Everyone
has opinions, often strong ones. I’ve actually had people bully me into
doing my music their way. When I had my label and wrote songs, many
thought of me as the rappin’ teach and didn’t take me seriously. I got
sick of being told that I had much less experience than my latest
know-it-all and therefore I should defer to their opinion. My gut told me
I knew what to do but I was inexperienced and unhappily bought into their
beliefs. I
once wrote a dance track and worked with a know-it-all engineer, a
producer, and another pro. The mix didn’t sound the way I wanted it. No
one listened to me since they saw me as less experienced. I argued but was
ignored. The beats didn’t feel strong enough. I did insist on using a
baseline I created. The reviews were pretty good but all noted that the
beats were weak. Yet they loved my baseline. So much for experience! I
still regret not taking charge to follow my gut. Listen to advice but
don’t change your songs in ways that don’t feel right. So-called
experts can be wrong. It’s your music. Stay true to your gut! Until
the next issue..... Keep
your passion strong, Daylle ©
2006 Revenge Productions http://www.daylle.com
http://www.idontneedarecorddeal.com/
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