Recording Artist Advocate: Opportunities are all around you.

As a musician or a singer/songwriter, you have opportunities to play and make money. What are some that come to mind? Live music venues like bars and coffee houses? Can you think of anymore?

Anyone?  (Echoes)

Bueller?

Yea, me too.

I want the artist I work with to make money and further their craft, and recording with me… but how can they make more money if they don’t get out and preform?

Smart artist find places to play, and there are more places to play than you might think.

Here’s one:

A friend told me his band was asked to play at a school for anti-drug, or was it anti-bullying. Well, anyway, it turns out there is money set aside for different school programs to teach kids about things the administrators think are important. They have to check off the boxes and you might just be able to help them with a program. Or just to be a part of a show. Find where you can fit in, grow your audience, and get paid too.

You know how awful these programs can be from when you were in school, so make yours better. You probably already explore some of those same themes. Explain how your music fits in with their program.

You have had experiences you wish you could warn your younger self about. So tell those stories.

Now comes the most important part. Say these words exactly:

“What do you have budgeted for this?”

Don’t say anything else. Wait for the answer. You may be surprised.

Oh, yes. It was anti-drug. He told me he was pretty drunk when he showed up but got through the show without anyone realizing.

Recording Artist Advocate: Go along with what people already believe... and still change the world.

You can’t change someone’s mind if they aren’t listening to you. But if you get them really listening, you can even get them to accept a new idea at odds with their beliefs.

Here is how it went in one study: people were asked to read news stories that went against their beliefs. Immediately after they were asked about the stories and sure enough they rejected them. But, weeks later they were reporting back the content as fact. So, getting in someone’s memory is the important part.

No researcher is making someone listen to your music, so that part is up to you. Tell a story that your listener wants to hear. Use the themes they expect and then turn the tables on em’.

Plus, your brain likes to be surprised. “I see dead people” meant so much more when you realized, along with the main character, that he was a dead people too.

Now you know what to do. Go and change the world… but use your new power for good, please.

Recording Artist Advocate: Under pressure or getting in the flow?

Some engineers want the artist to feel a little pressure to get the best out of them. Others want a relaxing atmosphere where the artist can be their most creative. Which one is best?

I start by trying to make things relaxed and loose, and then turn up the pressure if needed.

 I definitely don’t want artist to feel like they are having to slog through just to get something good recorded, so we start off pretty easy. Where a little pressure can make a difference is usually self-imposed by the artist when they feel they need a better take or get a part done.

For tracking, a little self-imposed pressure can be good to get the band together and get the best takes. But, I never want a singer doing final vocal tracks to feel pressured. One time I had a singer just sit quietly and focus on breathing. It saved the session and allowed him to get quite a lot of work done in the time we had scheduled. He also wore a brain stimulator (Alpha-Stim) to help get to the perfect relaxed but focused state. We did in 3 hours what would have taken 5 or 6 any other time.

 So, “Your both right”… but I prefer the flow.  

Recording Artist Advocate: Makin' it Easy...

An artist told me his website wasn’t making him any money. He was trying to sell his CD’s from his online store.  He started getting e-mails from fans saying they couldn’t navigate the store at all. He finally found a third party vendor that made buying his music easy. He pays a small percentage but now he makes money from his website.

That’s not even counting his iTunes and other online music retailer income.

You have to make it easy for people to give you money.

You may give up a small percentage, but less of something is better than all of nothing.

Hire a cutie to work your merch table and you’ll definitely make more. It may mean a small percentage, but in the end you’ll make more.

In this business you have a lot of people with their hand in your pocket. Be careful about that, but be willing to pay a fair cut if it makes you more money.  

In the end you’re making it easier for your fans and for yourself.

Recording Artist Advocate: More money than you need...

You likely know down to the dollar how much it takes for you to get by.

That’s good when you think about how many paying gigs you need to get by each week or month.

What if you doubled your per-gig pay? What would you do?

Some people would work half as much. They will never be very successful.

Some people would just spend the extra money. They won’t be successful either.

If you really can get by on what you’re making and you are able to double your income, save that money. You will need it. Things always happen. You will need it to get through those dry spells.  You will eventually get to where you can spend more, but be patient.

This is how you have a long-term career:  

Get great at your craft.

Attract an audience.

Get paid what your worth.  

Don’t blow it all.

That’s it.

You will see other, less disciplined artist come and go. Just keep at it. The music business can be a “last man standing” proposition.

When you do spend money, invest in things that make you more money. Like studio time at Rough Wood Recording Studio.