Recording Artist Advocate: Don’t do what I do.

My recording studio tends to be different every time you see it. Each band has different needs. Pretty much anything that’s not attached to the walls or floor gets moved around to accommodate each band.

In the same way, the configuration of my studio equipment changes a lot. Some producers EQ first, some compress first. If you don’t take good notes, you’ll never know how things were when a particular band recorded.

There was a restaurant we went to when I was growing up. I remember really liking it the first time we went there. But the second time it was a different place. Each time we ate there it was a different restaurant. They quickly went out of business because their customers never knew what to expect when they walked in the door.

I can make a good excuse for configuring Rough Wood Recording Studio to fit the needs of each band or client, but in the band business, like the restaurant business, that won’t work.

Your customers, I mean fans, need to know what they’re in for when they see your show or purchase your music.

Your fans define themselves by the clothes they wear, the car they drive, and the music they listen to. Your band is part of that self-identity. You can mature with your audience, but you can’t go off and leave them.  So you better figure out who you are and plant your flag. The people who see something of themselves in you will gravitate to you.

Have you ever liked a band or artist and then they just changed so much you had to drop them?

If they found a new, bigger audience then good for them, but it usually doesn’t work that way. 

Recording Artist Advocate: “Hippy Dippy Crap”…

When you learn to ride a motorcycle they tell you to look where you want to go, or “where you look is where you’ll land.” You have to keep your focus in the right place. Your brain can react lightning fast if you let it. Don’t give your attention where it slows up the process.

A new age – Hippy Dippy guy (keyboard player) told me when you focus on your goal it’s as if you grab on to something and get pulled along… or something. I can’t take those folks seriously.

A drummer told me that when he injured his ankle the doctor told him to keep his head up and look at where he was going instead of looking at the floor or his leg. He realized the truth in it when he had to walk up several flights of stairs. He was doing great till he started to hurt and looked at his leg. He said the pain instantly got worse. Remembering the advice, he raised his head up and looked at the top of the stairs. As soon as he focused on his goal he moved there more easily. So, maybe hippy dippy guy was on to something.

Have you ever talked to a person who tells you everything that’s wrong? Everything that hurts, or every bad thing that's ever happened to them? They give so much attention to the bad they can’t see the good. If you‘re not careful they can bring you down with them.

Just like you can spiral down, you can spiral up too! When you’re about to go on stage, think about the best show you’ve had. How the crowd reacted and how everything went right. Take that memory with you.

Some performers have taken this to the next step where they look at something as if it already happened, and it was great.

A fighter described how he was in a match and felt like he was watching himself execute perfectly. He said it was like the scene in the Matrix where Neo finally figures out he’s indestructible. He anticipated his opponent’s moves as if he remembered what was going to happen.

A comedian described how before each show he says, “Remember how great this show was.” Since he’s changed his focus to the great result he expects, he even comes up with better material while performing.

You’ve done the hard work to get to this point. Written great music and practiced till you can perform with your eyes closed. Now you can anticipate great shows and fans who respond back with the same energy you give out.

Remember how great your next show was?

Recording Artist Advocate: ROI…

ROI is return on investment. Most people just say “return”. Another term you’ll hear is “margin” for the difference between what something costs and what you sell it for. If you buy band shirts for $5 each and sell em’ for $10, you have a $5 margin. Using those numbers, when you sell half your shirts, you'll start to have some return. 

Here’s a break-down for a recording project: Spend 10 thousand dollars to record 10 or 12 songs. Send em’ through TuneCore to iTunes and others, and duplicate a thousand CD’s. Now you have something to sell at your shows and give radio stations and reviewers. Sell the first batch of CD’s and you’ve made your original investment back. Your second batch can make you that much again. I know of several Texas Country bands that spend thirty thousand or more to produce their CD’s. (That’s just production with no CD duplication or downloads.) Obviously they sell a lot.           

Think about how many ways you can make more money as a band. You get paid to perform. You sell CD’s and merchandise. Can you get sponsors? Will a company pay you to wear their clothes? Drink their beer on stage? You’ll never know if you don’t ask. 

As you get more popular it gets easier. With a break-out song you can think about licensing for commercials or movies. Are you willing to make money that way? Some folks aren’t. You have to decide how you feel about that.

My advice is to know who you are and only seek out or accept sponsorships for something you would do anyway. If you already wear Vans, why not get paid for it. Or Levi shirts… or whatever.  

Your fans will follow your lead. If they perceive that you like something they will look at it more favorably. There is value in that. Don’t waste it.

In the same way you are willing to invest in t-shirts and CD’s to make more money, (...return) companies are willing to invest in you to sell more of their stuff.  

Recording Artist Advocate: Your best sound…

A big part of promoting your band is getting your music played on radio, internet stations, and getting it in front of reviewers.

Don’t send them practice tapes. Unless it’s so good they could go on a CD, you’re not giving them your best.

I take that back. Some things that go on CD’s are still pretty bad. So just don’t send in a recording of a band practice... no matter how good you think it sounds.

In front of a crowd you have your sound, your looks, your stage presence… and the audience is there to see a show. You can almost get away with murder in a live show. But recorded music is different. The standards are higher because all you have is the recording.  

A really good band practice recorded well may be alright to play for a bar owner to help you get the gig, but don’t expect them to listen to more than a minute of one song. They just won’t take the time.

I’ll do an article on a “Get the Gig” presentation for Electronic Press Kit (EPK) or just to put up on your website soon.

So, if you have several songs worked up but can’t do a CD right now, choose one or two songs that you feel really good about and produce those. If they turn out to be good enough to get attention, you are in a better position to produce the rest of the CD.

It would be great if every band could pony up the money to produce a full CD and do it right, but sometimes you have to break it down into small parts. The end result can still be a CD that will make you a good return on your investment.

And a CD you are proud to send to radio stations and reviewers.      

Recording Artist Advocate: It's not about talent, always...

You play and practice. Put together a tight set list, and try to put on a good show. Heck, a great show. But people who don't play as well, or even write as good make a lot more money.

What is the difference? What sets the high earners apart?

The most successful performers are entertainers. In addition to everything else they truly surprise and entertain and basically work their asses off in front of a crowd.

But they do more.

Surprise is good. I've talked about how your brain loves to be suprised and how you can open your audience up and really get in their heads. Do all that, but you still have to do more.

OK. I won't drag it out anymore. You need to attract an audience. That's the bottom line.

It's bodies through the door or tickets sold or downloads or views. That's it. If you can deliver an audience you will get paid.

So look at yourself. Look at your band. Do you stand out or blend in? Does the crowd root for you or do they even know you from the rest? Find that connection and use it to build an army. That's what it takes.

Reach out to them and thank them for joining. "Send us an e-mail telling us where you saw us play and we'll send you an mp3"or "Send in your pictures showing how great a time you had at our show" Do things that only visitors to your website (and their friends) can know about. Gain their loyalty and don't let them down. Create the club they want to be a part of.

What could you do if just a thousand people really liked your band?
What if it was ten thousand? or 50?

Are you starting to get the picture?