[This post was written by guest-contributor Richard Lee Jackson, drummer and co-producer of the independent rockband Enation. Their music has been featured on ‘One Tree Hill,’ ‘General Hospital,’ and MTV.com.]

As a musician, playing live in front of an audience is one of the most thrilling parts of being an artist. To feel the immediate connection and response from your fans, or even the challenge of ‘winning over the crowd’ is oftentimes exhilarating.

Weeks or months have gone into preparing for your shows. Sometimes you’ve rehearsed or gigged so much that it seems like the songs can play themselves. On stage everything is falling into place, and the atmosphere is electric with possibility.

But what about those moments or gigs when things don’t go the way you’d hoped? What about the major mistakes you make on stage that almost seem to shut down the song, or even worse, the entire show?

If you’re a musician who plays live gigs, chances are you’ve made at least a couple of gaffes on stage at some point in your life. Some mistakes have probably been worse than others. As the drummer in the rock band Enation I have had my fair share over the years.

For instance, early on when I’d really get rockin’ I’d sometimes accidentally lose grip of one of my sticks and watch it fly away from me like a wounded duck into the audience (or somewhere over my head). Not the desired effect I wanted for the song or the show. I would then have to try and make my (still formulating) drum brain tell my independently-operating-somewhat-autonomous-empty-hand to grab another stick from my dangling drum bag attached to my floor Tom — most of the time quite clumsily — all while trying to keep the hemorrhaging beat alive with my kick drum and singular stick. This was usually at a point in the song that needed both sticks and the crescendo would be, well, less than climactic.

This didn’t happen just once. This seemed to happen once per show.

There were other shows where the whole band felt awkward. Even though we were playing on click it just seemed terribly slow, and the crowd, it seemed to us on stage, felt about as interested as a group of high school students at a ‘Taxes 101 Seminar’.

Even though years of practice and gigs have rid most of those rookie mistakes, even now with much more experience under my belt, I still occasionally screw up. (Ugh. I want every gig to be a flawless one!)

Just recently one such blunder happened to me. It was one of the biggest gigs of our lives. Our band had spent months preparing for a Nashville showcase, the kind of gig where big shots in the music industry come out and see you play as part of the process to decide if you’re a band they want to throw their industry muscle behind. The room wasn’t filled with Enation fans – these were fairly jaded music executives who were there to, essentially, judge you. I had done quite a bit of groundwork in setting the showcase up, so my heart and mind were full of the months of hard work getting to this point. All of the planning, rehearsals, emails, phone calls, and travel came down to this moment.

As we started to play I could feel nerves kick in. If you ever get them you know what I mean. Not so fun. It’s that feeling when your whole body tightens up and your mind starts to race. Those nerves usually aren’t there for me at gigs now, but this time they were — and it took a lot more concentration to play well. I started thinking about lots of things; what the execs thought of us, worrying about making a mistake, wishing my mix was different in my ears – and then I thought about how I shouldn’t be thinking about any of those things and that I should just focus on playing the song well and enjoy the moment. Stop thinking about thinking is a hard thing to do.

On our second song the nerves kinda got the best of me. Just before the guitar solo I completely botched one of my drum fills. Something in my brain froze and it was like I forgot what I was supposed to play — I almost stopped playing during the fill it was so awkward.

I wasn’t sure how bad it sounded to my band or to the audience, but to me it felt as if I was a little kid standing in the front of my classroom, naked, with everyone staring at me. (Okay, I don’t really know what that would be like but when I imagine that scenario I think it’d feel very similar.) Then my thoughts went to ‘I wonder if anyone is going to leave now. They might assume we’re not ready. This makes us look terrible. I’ve just botched the biggest gig of our life.’

Experience has taught me no matter what is happening during a show on stage, you have to play through it. If you have a defeatist mentality the audience will pick up on that. If you play through it, there are still chances for brilliance.

Laker legend Kobe Bryant has a great philosophy about his failures. He has said that if he misses a shot he doesn’t think about it. He thinks about making the next one. And if he misses the next one, then he thinks about how he’s really due to make the next one. I think that’s a great way to look at our live concerts and songs.

After the showcase I put on a good front… but honestly I was disappointed in myself. It’s hard for me to feel like a big moment wasn’t performed at the top of my game.

However, after the showcase what our band got was incredibly positive feedback. We had follow-up meetings and great interest from many of the executives and companies who came to see us play. No one said anything remotely close to what my thoughts were like on stage. No one said, ‘Well, we really love your band, but your drummer needs some work.’ It was, in the grand scheme of things, not that big of a deal.

Often times, (miraculously, thankfully!) our mistakes aren’t registered by our audience. And even when they are, most audiences are forgiving.

My mistake was bigger to me than to anyone else.

It was also comforting to think about some of my favorite bands and knowing they, too, have made obvious mistakes at their gigs; and not just ‘early on’ in their careers. Take U2 for example — arguably the biggest (and arguably the best) band of their generation. On more than one of their live concert DVD’s the Edge, one of the best guitar players in the world, has made obvious mistakes. Just flat out hit the wrong note. One of the shows he grinned and kept playing, as if to say, ‘Oh well, it happens.’ But at a different concert when the band made a pretty big mistake, he threw his guitar down in anger and yelled at Larry Mullen, Jr., their drummer.

I understand both reactions.

Most likely our audience will react to obvious mistakes the way we do. If we tense up and are upset by them, they’ll notice that and see it as a big deal. If we grin and laugh it off, or play through it with that much more conviction, they’ll take their cue from us on stage and continue to be engaged and have fun with us.

Everyone makes mistakes, in life, as well as on stage. If we allow our mistakes to define us we will get lost looking back. If however we allow our mistakes to be the catalyst for improvement through grace, then we will be focused on the brilliance that lies ahead.

But we need to play through it to get there.

—

www.EnationMusic.com

@Enation on Twitter.

[Oops image from Shutterstock.]

Richard Lee loves music, writing, and hoverboards — and can’t wait to buy one when they’re finally on the market in 2015.

What do you think? Leave us your comments below.

Sell your music on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Spotify, and more!

Busking takes guts.

But if you do it well, street performance can be great for building chops, winning fans, and making money.

Are you thinking of striking out into the wide, intimidating, and rewarding world of busking? Check out a few of our favorite articles on the topic:

1. 6 Tips to Busking Success

2. Taking it to the Streets: Busking Tips from Veteran Street Performers

3. Outside-the-Box Busking Tips: an interview with Headwater

[Photo of busker from Shutterstock.]

Sell your music on iTunes, Amazon, Facebook, Spotify, CD Baby, and more!

[This post was written by guest contributor Jon Ostrow and originally appeared on the blog Mic Control.]

Is Your Music Marketing A Blindfolded Cliff Jump Or A Well Executed Dive?

As an advocate of well executed social media/blog-focused music marketing, I think it’s crucial to understand not only why you should be marketing your music, but how you should be marketing your music.

Taking the step to becoming a proactive, marketing-savvy, social musician can mean the difference between success and failure. Yes, it is that cut and dry, and yes, it is that simple.

However, before you dive right in and just start marketing your music to anyone and everyone you can, there are a few different things that you’ll to consider and have prepped and ready to go. Having a grasp on the following will ensure that you are ready to start marketing your music, and that your efforts are worth the time and effort, even from day one.

1. Original Concept

So obvious and yet so overlooked, making sure that your music is good and your concept is original is the absolute first step to ensuring your are ready to market your music. No matter how much time and effort you spend on networking, blogging, tweeting, and engaging with your fans, if your music sucks or is flat out unoriginal, people will go elsewhere.

 2. Identifiable Brand

This is a simple mistake the almost everyone makes… hell, I even made it when I first started marketing my own music. Your image, your sound, your personality, your mission; all of these things make up your brand. It is crucial that your brand is instantly recognizable by anyone and everyone, especially if you are going to be seeking out blog features and are hoping that the publicity will lead to retaining new fans. Long story short, no matter how good your promo is on blogs and other online publications… if people can’t EASILY find you, you’re wasting your time. The two most important ways to ensure that your brand is ready to be instantly identifiably online are:

1) Consistent URLS (i.e. YourBand.com, Twitter.com/Yourband, Facebook.com/YourBand)
2) Same profile pic on all social networking accounts

3. Understanding of your Fans and Niche

Marketing without understanding exactly who your fans are, and whom within your market can actually help you to grow your fan base is like opening the phone book, picking a name completely at random, calling them and telling them to listen to your music.

If this sounds laughable… it’s because it is.

Just like any product or service, properly marketing your music requires that you understand your target market (your fans and your scene) as well as the major promotional players within that market (local, regional and national blogs, online magazines, etc.).

4. Content Strategy

Probably the most important part of marketing yourself online is having a proper content strategy in place. Not only should you consider the style of content (remixed music, covers, blog posts, etc.), but the format (youtube, soundcloud, etc.) and even the frequency (once a day, once a week) should be fully fleshed out before you begin to execute your strategy.

Doing this before you begin you execute your strategy will help your fans familiarize themselves with your brand and presence as early as possible, ultimately helping you to increase the dedication of your fans as quickly as possible.

5. Fan Retention Strategy

Ultimately you are marketing your music and your brand through social media for the sole purpose of retaining new long-term fans. So, you must have a strategy in place to do so before you dive into your marketing campaign.

The most obvious way to retain fans is to create a mailing list (editor’s note: using a service like our very own HostBaby) and use a pre-built widget to collect the email addresses of your fans through Facebook, your blog, your website and/ or any other place you can think of.

However, just asking fans for a email address many not be as simple as you’d think. With so many artists asking for email addresses, fans begin to choose carefully and become less interested in giving their email address away. So, you need to create a strong call to action in the form of a FREE giveaway (i.e. an unreleased song, access to an exclusive cover video, etc.) that is desirable enough that your fans will want to join.

What Else Do Artists Need To Consider Before Marketing Their Music?

How else can artists make sure they are making a well executed dive into their music marketing strategy? Leave any suggestions below in the form on a comment!

Whether you hit the road for 3 months at a time or just tour regionally on 3-day weekends, Touring as an Indie offers you expert advice on booking strategies, assessing your band’s tour-readiness, budgeting, and more.

Topics covered include:

• * Are you ready to tour?
• * Booking strategies
• * Using social media
• * Getting resourceful with accommodations
• * Maximizing your earnings
• * Budgeting for your tour
• * And much more!

Learn how to book better gigs, play better shows, travel cheaper, sell more merch, and stay sane while you’re away from home. Ready to take your show on the road? Download our free guide: Touring as an Indie.

Yesterday, Hypebot posted this article about CD Baby’s partnership with Look Sessions to shoot video of over 2 dozen bands playing intimate arrangements of their songs during the 2012 SXSW festival in Austin, TX. Thanks to Clyde Smith for covering the story. Click here to read about Andrea Alseri’s method and mission for these “one mic, one camera, one take” collaborations.

Have you ever shot a “takeaway show” (a live, usually stripped-down performance caught on video in a strange location like a bus station, a soup kitchen, the back seat of a taxi, etc.)? How did it go? Let us know– and send us links– in the comments section below.

Oh, and here’s another of the latest Look Sessions for your ears and eyes to feast upon:

Q:  My band found a website that allows artists to download free beats for use in their music.  I write poetry and want to use these free beats as background for our next commercial release.  Can I, and are there any red flags I need to watch out for?

A:  Great question.  Even if you do not use free “beats,” this discussion applies to anyone that wants to use free fonts, free stock footage, free stock images, or other free “fill-in-the-blank” stuff that you find on the Internet and hope to be able to use in your music, album covers, music videos, etc.

The quick answer to the question, “Can I use these ‘free beats’ in my next commercial release?” will sound like the ever-familiar cop-out: it depends.  And before closing my laptop and sending in what could be my shortest and most useless blog article yet, I will expand my answer in an effort to be a bit more helpful: it depends on the nature of the license being issued to you.

Now, some of you may be scratching your heads right now, thinking “I never signed a license, and the website says ‘FREE BEATS.’  What is she talking about?”  Well, U.S. Copyright law is what it is, and if you dig a little deeper, I’m sure you’ll find that most, if not all, of these “free” beats websites include certain “terms of use” – however simplified in form – that define the scope of a license, and identify under what circumstances you may use those “free beats” in your music.

The terms will most likely be tied to an action on your part, such as the act of downloading the beats, or the act of clicking on a box stating that you have read and agreed to the terms of use.  And wham!  A (potentially) legally binding contract that you may not have read or understood has been created.  This can really catch you off guard, kind of like hiring a back-up singer only to find out half-way through the show that she has Tourette’s.

Since the licenses offered vary greatly among different sites, I searched some of the top websites offering “free” beats, and broke down five of the most common terms appearing in their online agreements, so you guys would know what to watch out for in deciding whether the license arrangement being offered works for you.

In no particular order, and without identifying the companies I discovered in my search, here is what I found:

USAGE / LICENSE

Every agreement I reviewed offered a “limited license” arrangement, where you could use the “free beats”, but only under a limited set of circumstances.

Some terms were clear that you could not use any of the “free beats” for profit or commercial use, but you could purchase an exclusive or non-exclusive license in order to commercially exploit the beat.  If you find language to that affect, you know that the “free beats” can only be used on your next commercial release if you are willing to pay for them (at which point, they are really just “beats”).  This is basically the web equivalent of offering “Free Drink” coupons at an AA meeting; the “free” part is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Some sites allow you to use their “free beats” for commercial gain, but limit the number of tangible copies (e.g, CDs) that you can reproduce and sell.  Pay close attention to the language in these clauses.  A few were unclear, stating you could use the beat for “one commercial use,” but failing to define what they considered a “commercial use.”  They gave some examples that made it even more unclear as to whether both a physical and digital release were considered one “commercial use,” or multiple uses (thereby violating the agreement).  If the terms of use are ambiguous, it invites dispute, complete with litigation and attorneys’ fees, misery, and ultimately ending with you taking driving lessons from Thelma & Louise.

Now, it’s not all doomsday here.  The best terms I found offered downloadable beats for free, with an unlimited, non-exclusive license that allowed you to create a derivative work by adding your poetry to the beats, and to use your master recording commercially, in unlimited mediums, with unlimited distribution in any recording medium, and in for-profit performances or concerts.  Hooray!

The key here is to make sure you understand what is expected of you.  If you violate their terms by using the beat in a way that exceeds the scope of the license, you may find yourself standing in your doorway one day greeting a process server named Boscoe, sporting a Mohawk and an “I heart Mom” tattoo, and staring blankly at a bunch of papers he just handed you that say “COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT” on them.  And trust me, you do NOT want Boscoe at your door.

CREDIT AND OWNERSHIP

All of the agreements I reviewed state that the creator of the beat retains ownership, control, and copyright over the beat itself; hence the need for a limited license.

The terms also require the person downloading and using the “free beats” to give attribution, or credit, to the beat’s creator.  Some terms spell out precisely how credit is to be given; others simply request credit that is “fair and reasonable”.  Again, make sure to read the terms to see what works best for you and your band.  And remember – this is something that is expected of you; if appropriate credit is not given, Boscoe may come knocking at your door.

INDEMNIFICATION CLAUSE

(I just love legal titles, don’t you?)

Generally speaking, an indemnification clause provides that, if the company allowing use of their “free beats” gets sued for something you did with the beat, you are going to hire an attorney to represent them in court, and you’ll pay any judgment entered against the company if they lose at trial.  In other words, if Boscoe comes knocking on THEIR door, you are once again on the hook.

While it may sound harsh, the company has a right to want to protect itself from any liability that its users cause.  For example, if you write some horribly slanderous song about an ex-boyfriend and use it over a free beat, and your ex ends up suing you and the company you downloaded the beat from, it would be fair for the company to want you to cover them in that situation.  (And fair for you to want to write a sequel to the first song, but without posting it all over the Internet this time).

Not all indemnification clauses are built alike.  One clause I found was so overly broad that if the beat infringed on someone else’s copyright, they could argue that you are required to indemnify and defend the company in a lawsuit!  Of course, this is absurd, and I doubt that is what they intended when the contract was drafted.  Still, an appropriate indemnification clause should be limited to your artistic contributions to the beat, and nothing more.

The most favorable terms I found did not include any indemnification terms, and that is obviously your ideal scenario, assuming the rest of the agreement is a fit for you.

MODIFICATION CLAUSE

All of the terms I read contained a modification clause, where the company reserves the right to change its terms, and its license fees, at any time, effective as soon as they are posted on the website.  By continuing to use the beats after that, you are said to have agreed to their changes.

So, in theory, you would need to check the website every day for as long as you use the beat to make sure they didn’t change the terms of use, because if they did, and you are now in violation of some modification, hello Boscoe!  (Yes, in case you haven’t noticed, I am trying to coin a new “catch phrase” for getting sued for copyright infringement.  Let’s see if it catches on).

While all the contracts I reviewed included modification terms, not all clauses are equal.  Ideally, you want to look for terms that require the company to give you written notice of any changes.  My search of the top websites offering free beats did not reveal any modification clauses this favorable to the artist, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

GOVERNING LAW / ARBITRATION CLAUSES

In a “governing law” clause, the company providing free beats pre-selects the court of its choice in the event of a dispute.  Basically, if anything goes wrong, this clause tells you where you’ll have to travel to resolve your dispute.  If the contract terms say Timbuktu, you better start calling your travel agent, or looking for better terms.

An “arbitration” clause means the parties are agreeing to present their case to an arbitrator, who will decide who is right and who is wrong under the law.  Often, arbitration is considered “binding,” and you may be giving up important rights, like the right to a jury, the right to discovery, or the right to file an appeal.

A FEW MORE WORDS TO THE WISE

Interestingly, the most arduous terms I found were in one of the shortest agreements.  Short does not always mean you are not giving up a great deal.  It just means they have less room to slip a “first born child” clause past you.

Also, many companies have a FAQ page which attempts to summarize their “terms of use”.  Be cautious, and never use the FAQ page as a substitute for reading the actual terms of the agreement.  There is a reason that attorneys are seemingly overly verbose in contracts (or legal blogs), and I find that any time a lay person attempts to “summarize” key terms, something pretty major is going to be left unexplained and misunderstood by the artist.  My favorite website of the ones I reviewed did not have any FAQ page and made no attempt to summarize its terms; it always re-directed you to the actual license agreement.  Smart.

So, let’s do a quick recap on what we’ve learned:

•  Despite the title, “free beats” are not always “free.”  Generally, by downloading these beats, you are agreeing to a limited, non-exclusive license arrangement, and your ability to use the beat for commercial purposes will vary widely depending on the company you go with, and the terms they offer for their limited license arrangement.
• Ideally, you want to avoid “terms of use” that are unclear as to the scope of the license, or terms that require you to indemnify and defend the company providing the beat (if possible).  Watch out for other red flag terms discussed above, and make sure you understand what you are required to do under the license arrangement.  Otherwise, you could find yourself in breach of the license agreement, and liable for copyright infringement.  (Tweet #Boscoe)
• Don’t assume a short contract is written in your favor, and don’t rely on FAQ pages that attempt to summarize terms.  Read the FAQ pages for overall background information, then read every term, and make sure you understand before agreeing to be bound to them.

And, just in case you wanted a bit more legalese, let’s see some fine print.

© 2012 Christiane Cargill Kinney.  All rights reserved.  This Blog contains information of a general nature that is not intended to be legal advice and should not be considered or relied on as legal advice.  Any reader of this Blog who has legal matters involving information addressed in this Blog should consult with an experienced entertainment attorney.  This Blog does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader of this Blog. This Blog contains no warranties or representations that the information contained herein is true or accurate in all respects or that it is the most current or complete information on the subject matter covered. Christiane Cargill Kinney is a Partner and Chair of the Entertainment Industry Team of LeClairRyan, LLP.  Oh, and say hi to your wife and kids, Boscoe!

[DJ image via Shutterstock.]

Mike was kind enough to let us re-post the full interview (originally featured HERE) below.

Also, if you’re looking for the most up-to-date education on the music industry, Berkleemusic’s next term starts June 25th! Click HERE to download their free guide “The Music Business Handbook, Vol. 2.”

An interview with Mike King

American Songwriter: 2011 is over. I just recorded the best song I ever wrote. What’s the new model for getting my music heard? What to do with my demo?
Do I post my music on Facebook, or is there a better place for music?

Mike King: This is a long answer. I think there are really so many paths and so many options for musicians now to get their music heard. That’s both a blessing and a curse. I think the key is to think about this from a consumer, or fan standpoint. For consumers, there has never been a better time to listen to music. It’s everywhere. The floodgates are open, and if I want to check out practically anything I can do so in a matter of seconds.

I think the tricky thing, and something that a lot of folks are trying to figure out, is curation. Although larger gatekeeper-based vehicles still do have an effect at exposing folks to music, like commercial radio exposing folks to pop music, I think that for the most part consumers are moving towards niches, and are finding new music through trusted sources within these niches. For example, there are some rooms on Turntable.fm, and some DJs, that I totally trust to turn me onto new music. In one of the soul/funk rooms I’m part of, one of my favorite DJs is also a musician, and occasionally he “spins” his own music – which I love. So for me, that DJ is a trusted source, and that is where I am finding some of my new music. Same thing for blogs. A site out of LA named Rollo and Grady has the exact same taste in music as I do, and I have been turned on to some great music there. The other way I find new music is by providing my contact info to artists that I love, and I let them deliver new music to me. For example, I found a band Fanfarlo a couple years back, and because I gave them my email address, I am among the first to get new music from that band prior to release, and then can be one of the first to purchase when a new record is out.

All of this should filter into how bands release their music, and their plan for getting heard. I think that everything in a marketing plan should be integrated, and there are a lot of moving pieces that include live events, press, online retail, your own site, PR, and more, but from an overview standpoint, I think that realizing that A) fans are more niche based and look to certain outlets to curate music for them, and B) it’s possible to connect directly with fans to deliver music to them, are both key. I would approach both of these areas separately, using some of the developing marketing / technology tools and best practices. Starting by identifying who you think your core fans are, and then looking at pitching the niche outlets where they hang out is a good first step. I think that acquisition is also extremely important for all artists, and I suggest using email for media widgets from Topspin, Official.fm, SoundCloud or other marketing/technology companies [editor's note: CD Baby's sister company HostBaby has an email-collection feature that allows you to share an MP3 download link in exchange for contact info]  to help retain a permission based contact for future communication and up sell. I also think that optimizing your site for the search engines, and making your site an awareness and conversion engine by providing media in exchange for an email address is a best practice, too.

Finally, I think you have to develop a content plan for your release. This is something that I think Metric did a great job with for their last record, Fantasies. Metric sketched out what type of media (single, acoustic version, live version, demo versions) they were going to release on their site and through widgets on third party sites prior to the release of their full length. This allowed them to acquire email addresses prior to the pre-release of their record. They were then able to reach out to these folks across the full timeline of the record release, and engage with them, make them aware of what they were doing, and also provide them with the opportunity to buy. I think that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Thisismyjam.com, Turntable.fm, YouTube, and more could all fit into your plan, but I think having a plan is key.

American Songwriter: If I do post it for free, will anyone want to buy it?

Mike King: The short answer is that case studies, examples, students experiences, and data I have seen say yes, but I think the long answer is more nuanced. My personal opinion is that artists have to think about sales differently. I think artists have to romance new fans a bit – it’s really kind of like dating. I don’t think going in for the kill immediately makes for the best long-term relationship, you know? I mean, I suppose sometimes that works, but I think a better option for retaining a fan for years, which is much less expensive than finding new fans for every record, is to treat your fans respectfully, offer then what they want, provide them with some free gifts, communicate with them regularly and effectively, and then offer options for monetization. Again, not so different than any other relationship you might have in your personal life. This is the difference – artists now have an option to provide music for free, and engage with their fans in ways that was not quite possible before. I think the new technology / marketing companies that have emerged to foster this relationship have been really helpful.

But to say it simply – I think that providing free music is key to building up your larger community, and I think that in terms of sales, you are going to want to sell a variety of items to your fans from your own site, with the idea that you can sell items that are more personal, and not available in traditional retail. Talk to any of the third party direct to fan companies like Topspin, Nimbit, Pledge Music – they will all tell you that the average revenue per sale is over $20. This is because artists have this relationship that they have built with fans, and they are monetizing much more than a single song on iTunes.

American Songwriter: Should I sell it on iTunes, CDBaby, Spotify? What sort of cut will I get?

Mike King: Yes, absolutely. There are folks that only buy music on iTunes, and are not interested in buying from an artist directly. I think for some larger artists, the volume they see from third party sales on iTunes is much greater than what they will see on their own site, but I think that the margin has the potential to be much greater by selling from your own site. In terms of the cut, every service is different. iTunes takes 30%, and if you use CD Baby as a distributor, they are going to take a 9% fee, too. So for a $.99 cent sale on iTunes, an artist would see about $.63 if they were using CD Baby. TuneCore takes no fee on sales, but has an annual fee for distribution. I consider Spotify now as more of a way for folks to discover music, not unlike radio, and I think that artists have to be there. They certainly don’t pay artists anywhere close to what iTunes pays, but I tend to think that is more because of the deals the labels / distributors made with Spotify than it is an inherent problem with the service itself. I am optimistic that as the service, and other streaming services grow, we’ll see better deals, and larger payments to artists. But I think worse than the lower payments from these streaming services is being anonymous. I have Spotify and Rdio open all day long, and if I hear or read about a new band, I have the option of immediately looking these artists up on a streaming service to check out the whole record. If I fall in love with it, I’ll then check out their site, perhaps download something interesting, and the relationship between the band and me starts. The band now has a direct, permission –based contact with me, and can up sell me on live events or other items. This all starts on Spotify. If I didn’t see the band on a streaming service, I am likely to move on and find some other music to listen to.

American Songwriter: What if only ten people buy it? Will I still get digital royalties? Via Soundchange? How do I protect my recordings?

Mike King: There’s a lot of confusion around how digital royalties work. SoundExchange collects and distributes royalties from statutory licenses, including digital cable and satellite television services, non-interactive webcasters like Pandora, and satellite radio services like Sirius XM. SoundExchange only covers performance rights, and doesn’t collect for downloads, interactive services (like Spotify, Rdio, Mog, Rhapsody), or traditional radio or TV. It really depends on where the “sale” originates to determine how much you will be paid. So, 10 sales on iTunes will pay you much more than 10 listens on Pandora or Spotify, and 10 sales off of your own site has the potential to pay you much more than all of these services. In terms of protection, copyright exists as soon as you have a tangible version of your music, such as sheet music and/or CDs. In the US, you can register the copyright to your music here: www.copyright.gov/eco. I also think that Creative Commons, which sits on top of copyright and reserves some rights, can also be a positive thing for artists who are interested in allowing their fans to participate in their work via remix contests or other forms of “participatory culture,” as Clay Shirky would say.

American Songwriter: Next, how do I get people in the industry to hear it, so I can get a record deal or have it placed in a commercial?

Mike King: You have to build up leverage. I think you can look at some recent success stories to see how other folks have done it, but all paths are different. For the most part, a label is not going to care about you unless you have leverage – unless they see that you have a base of fans that you can leverage to sell your music. Things are much harder for labels now, and while I think some labels can be great for artists, I think that artists should really consider building up their own base, hopefully with a smart in-house team. Once they have some leverage, then can then determine if they want to keep things in-house, or partner with a label. I think Karmin is a good example. Amy, Nick, and their manager Nils focused on creating great content on YouTube for years. They slowly built their base through some really great cover songs, and then did a cover of Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now,” which exploded with over 30 million views on YouTube in a couple months. They got on the Ellen show, they were featured on Ryan Seacrest show, and built up a huge following on Twitter, Facebook, and via email. This is leverage. The labels saw this, and Karmin had deals with all of the majors on the table in the course of a few weeks. They ended up signing to LA Reid’s Epic sub label on Sony. All paths are different, but I think leverage is a component to whatever you do.

American Songwriter: The response has been great but I haven’t been signed or picked up for a commercial — what’s my next move? Tour? Hire PR?

Mike King: It’s different for everyone. Getting in a commercial is great, but if you are having problems with getting folks interested, perhaps you have to look critically at yourself and see what you can change or do better. There are so many data points musicians can analyze these days, supplied by companies like Next Big Sound, Google, Topspin, and many others. If you are not building up a base online through strategic release of content, if you are not generating interest on your site, if you are not seeing an increase of fans at your live show, I think it makes sense to look at what you are doing from a holistic standpoint. Perhaps your music isn’t there yet. Maybe your live show isn’t quite right. Perhaps you’re marketing to the wrong people. Data can help you to see what is working and what isn’t, and I think you can iterate your campaign and your approach. Also, I think that not everyone is going to make music their full time career. Steve Albini has a good quote that I think is accurate: “Not everyone can become a professional artist. Maintain a realistic perspective on your art that allows you to enjoy doing it.”

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Here are 5 tips to help you bring a crowd to your next out-of-town show:

[Note: These same tips can help you build a following in your own town if you're new to performing, or returning after a long hiatus.]

1. Forge relationships with bands in other cities- Opening for established acts in other towns is the best way to build your out-of-town draw.  Befriend them on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter. Repost their content. Once you’ve become chummy (and I don’t mean the ground up bait-fish, although some people might feel that way about networking) with other bands, it’s time to write them and see if you can swap gigs; you open for them in their town– they open for you in your town. For more information on gig-swapping, see our article “Touring: Friends, Favors, and Fun.”

2. Look for the smaller, quality venues- Bands that can consistently draw 300 people in their hometown are lucky if they can draw 30 people in a different market. You may be a hometown hero, but check your ego at the city limits. While you’re not entitled to play at the best club in every town, you shouldn’t have to play the crap-dive with the busted 80′s Peavy PA either. Most bigger music towns have small, intimate clubs that host quality music and treat bands professionally. Try to book yourself in those clubs. An added bonus to smaller rooms is that when you DO bring out 30-50 people, the room looks PACKED! And a tiny club that is sold out will seem way cooler than a deserted mid-sizer. For more info on this approach, check out our article “Touring Tip: How to Book Your Band So You’ll Sell Out Every Show.”

3. Advertise your show on Facebook- Facebook ads are cheap and effective if done correctly. Target these ads for people who live in or near the zip codes for the clubs you want to play, AND limit them to people who are interested in your genre of music. Depending on your approach, you can use these ads to simply get your band name out there and garner Facebook “likes,” or you can specifically advertise your events. For more information on Facebook ads, check out our article “How to Promote Your Music with Facebook Ads.” (Note: some details may’ve changed since Facebook Band Pages were updated to Timeline, but the principles still apply.)

4. Be active on blogs and forums that focus on your target market- Yes, I just said “target market,” and my copy of Radiohead’s Meeting People is Easy just self-destructed. But seriously, whether your target is professional contacts in a town (bookers, promoters, bands, etc.) or the music fans in that town who you hope will attend your show, locally-based music forums and blogs are a great way to get a conversation started. As with all things, don’t be pushy or spammy!

5. Don’t forget the usual promo stuff- We focus so much of our efforts on social media these days that it’s easy to forget the basics. Remember to send a press release about your tour-stop to the local newspapers, weeklies, and radio stations at least 6 weeks before your appearance. Offer an interview, concert tickets for giveaways, and anything else you think will help spread the promo love. Send posters to the venue and local record stores well in advance. Inquire about in-store and in-studio performance opportunities at record stores, radio stations, and on local TV news shows. Also, call everyone you know in that city and beg them to come out to your show; bribe them with promises of magic beyond their wildest imagining; let them know tardiness and absenteeism will be rewarded with dire consequences. For more information on approaching local radio stations and podcasts, check out our guide “Getting Radio Airplay.”

Do you have any tips of your own to add? We’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments section below.

Lastly, thanks to Chris Seth Jackson of How To Run a Band for sparking a few of these ideas.

Photo of John Wesley Harding's Sprinter from Magnet Magazine

Touring Outside Your Home Turf: How Bandago Can Help

This post was written by guest contributor Richard Lee Jackson of the band Enation. 

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If you’re an independent touring band like us then most likely someone in your band is going to deal with the logistics of traveling. When the gigs are close to home (or even on your own coast) then it makes life pretty straightforward.

But what about those times when you have a tour, or a gig, on the other side of the country?

Unless you have some serious money in your bank account and own your own private jet (or happen to hang out with Bill Gates and he lets you ‘take it for a spin’ once in awhile), then you’re left with some ground transportation options. Buses, RV’s, and SUV’s are all common, but by far the most commonly used option is what some might call a staple in the indie band’s touring world: the tour van.

My band Enation is from WA State, and our tour consisted of gigs in the New York / New Jersey area, and then another week in Nashville. After doing the math several times (we’re musicians, not math majors) we decided it would be cost effective to fly over to the east coast and rent a van, then fly to Nashville and rent another van for that week.

But what’s the best and most cost effective way to do that? Well, thank you Google. That’s when we found Bandago.

Bandago is a great company that was formed to give touring bands like us as much ease as possible renting vans for their tours. They have several locations around the USA – including Portland (OR), New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.

As I mentioned, our tour consisted of gigs in the New York / New Jersey area, and then another week in Nashville, so their locations couldn’t have been better for us.

They had great van options at reasonable prices. We almost rented their ‘Sprinter’ van – a decked out van with leather ‘captain’ style chairs, wi-fi on board, and a taller roof so you can stand and stretch out – until we realized they were twice as expensive as a regular 15 passenger van, like the one we use from home. Our better senses kicked in and we cut our van expense in half and settled on the 15 passenger. (Sprinter = $195 per day vs. 15 pass van = $95 per day. Other companies in the area were twice that for a 15 passenger, around $170-$180.)

To make things even sweeter Bandago offers backline rental for all the gear we’d need. Their supply was limited to the essentials, but it was all quality stuff, no off brand’s we had never heard of and would be worried about malfunctioning. (For instance, we rented two Roland KC 550 amps, a Yamaha weighted keyboard, an Ampeg bass rig, etc. Good stuff.) I spoke with several employees from Bandago and each one of them was professional and helpful. When I requested the second Roland KC550 amp, they mentioned they didn’t have another one in stock, but they would check with the owner to see if they could get another one. I got a call back the same day and they had purchased the second amp because of my request. Now that’s service! They didn’t have everything I requested (like a Taylor acoustic guitar, they don’t carry guitars as backline) but what they had was essentially all I needed.

Places like SIR Studios had more options in gear, and carry guitars galore, but the price was much better at Bandago. We rented our whole acoustic show backline for $770 a week, whereas it would have been $400 per day at SIR. Plus, the ease of renting a van and having the gear right there when you arrive got rid of one more routing hassle.

Some details to keep in mind; each Bandago business seems to be independently run (the NY location was in an industrial garage and the one in Nashville was run out of a business style house) so their locations are distinct from one another. You’ll need a photo ID and valid Insurance card for any driver – however, that wasn’t a hassle we just brought our insurance card along with us in our wallets (and even called one in as a fax for our third driver).

I would highly recommend using Bandago if you’re touring outside your home turf, or need a van or backline rental for a gig in a major US city. They made some of our touring logistics a lot easier, and were cost effective for our budget.

For more info visit the Bandago website: www.bandago.com

[Editor's note: and for another positive take on the Bandago experience, check out John Wesley Harding's story about Bandago van rental from Magnet Magazine.]

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Richard Lee Jackson is the drummer and co-producer of the independent rock band Enation. Their music has been featured on ‘One Tree Hill’, ‘General Hospital’, and MTV.com.