Recording Artist Advocate: Use video to sell music...

You need to be using YouTube to promote your band… but probably not like you think.  

I need to take a step back to explain.

Advice for your career can come from anywhere. Business advice will apply to your career, but it may apply to relationships or anything else in your life.  So:

I was reading the Monday Morning Memo http://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/ from Wizard Academy,  and Roy Williams said that businesses that have a lot of YouTube videos are able to answer their customer’s questions and solidify a buying decision even before the person contacts the business. We know it’s true because we all do it. You search for information on the internet before you do anything else. We don’t want to be “sold” anything. We are just looking for information.

So how does this apply to you or your band? Think about the questions people ask you when they get you on the phone. Could you do a very quick YouTube video to answer that question?

Then do it and put it up. Make sure there is a way to contact you during the video, and put up more videos as the ideas keep coming to you.

It’s not the only thing you need to do, but it is one thing you must do.

Excuse me. I have to take the same advice and get busy making some YouTube videos for Rough Wood Recording Studio.

Recording Artist Advocate: Stay sharp...

Hope your Christmas gigs were good and that your new year’s gig will be fantastic! This is a great time of year for working musicians. You may want to party along with the audience, but don’t let it get out of hand or your performance will suffer. This doesn’t have to be a buzz-kill. Talk to band members ahead of time about how to help each other out before anyone slips.

I knew a bass player who would politely accept drinks from happy fans, but had his own drink ready. In the dim light no one ever caught on and he could stay sharp. He said he wasn’t going to let some drunken fan mess up his show or his reputation.

It’s sad to see once successful musicians or singer/songwriters who can’t get through a show or barely stumble through. They let down their bandmates, the audience, and themselves. Don’t let that be you.

This is a case where little things add up to big things and just not getting drunk sets you apart from so many other bands. You will be asked back. You will have a longer career. And you will make more money.

Recording Artist advocate: When theres nothing to do...

The winter storms kept clients from being able to come record today. I took the 4 wheel drive truck out and saw plenty of cars and even other trucks in the ditches. Even the big stores were pretty empty. I bought some new video monitors for the studio and got back as quick as I could. 

It’s a funny feeling when you are planning on working, but there’s nothing to do.

I set up the new monitors, moved some things around in the studio… even worked on equipment. Even though I was “working in the studio” nothing compares to actually working in the studio recording bands.

If you play music you know exactly what I mean. Getting a new instrument is exciting, but playing it is even better, and playing for people is even better than that. When you have down time there is nothing better than working out a part or lyric that’s been bouncing around in your head. It’s part of who and what you are.

You're a musician.

There are people that just play music, and there are people who have it in their blood.

If you are a musician, I’d like to introduce myself to you.

I’m Robert Snyder and I’m a recordist. That means I love recording and mixing music as much as you love writing, playing and performing music. 

We should get together.  

Recording Artist Advocate: Think like it’s your bar…

When you want to get booked into a place you are a big question mark to the person your talking to. Do you know how to entertain their crowd? Will their crowd like you? And most important, will they make more money with you there?

That’s about it… and will you show up when you say you will.

The first time is about proving yourself. So talk to the people at the other places you play and ask important questions. Do they notice a different crowd when you play there? Get their take. If you bring in a crowd that spends money tell every manager you meet that so-and-so said that. Or that you don’t just appeal to kids. (who don’t have money and can get a bar in mucho trouble) Whatever they say that’s good, tell everyone. You have to create your own buzz.

Don’t be afraid to ask those questions. I see bands get their money and head for the door.  Don’t do that. When the money is in your hand start asking questions.

Did you notice people staying longer or ordering more?

Did you see new faces?

I saw people singing along. Did your regulars seem to like us?

Who do you want to attract here?

If you’ll just ask questions, you’ll learn a lot about the bar business. A good bar manager knows what the average customer spends and how long it takes. When one customer spends their money and leaves, and is replaced by another customer, that’s a “turn”.  The more turns the better. They know exactly how many turns they need to have a good night. It’s simple math. You only have so many tables or standing room. Move enough people through and you can make more money from the same space.

People like to tell you how smart they are. So let them! Pay attention and you’ll know exactly how to get booked again and at the next place. 

Recording artist advocate: Don’t write off the deaf guy…

I was recording a band. A really good one. As we were putting a rough mix together, one of the principals told me he was almost deaf. Not just the kind of deaf you get if your not careful, he actually has large parts of the audio spectrum that are just gone. And yet he was able to tell me exactly how he wanted the mix and took an active role in the process. I wanted to tell him to leave it to the folks who could actually hear, but I didn’t, and was impressed when the things he asked for sounded great.

I had a singer in recently who impressed me in the same way, especially when I realized she was just as hearing impaired. Another artist had a terrible time with his headphones at ear-splitting levels but was able to match the lead singers backing vocals with amazingly tight harmonies.

All this is to say that people will surprise you. The guy who can’t seem to put a sentence together may write a song that could make your career. The person asking you to play a song or say happy birthday may hire you for a private party at twice your going rate. Or a nearly deaf person may know how to make your music sound great.

Keep an open mind. Oh, and get yourself some ear-plugs or sound reducing inner-ears so you can protect your hearing.