We have all heard that the Internet has “changed the music business.” When people say this some of them mean for the good and some are talking about undesirable changes. Well, it seems this Internet this is here to stay, so I want to share with you the two ways the Internet has changed the music business for the good (who needs the negativity, right?): Exposure & Intimacy.
For along time there were basically four ways to discover new music: the radio, introduced through friends, shuffling through albums in record stores, or finding them through the local live music scene. So, for most, the radio set the musical boundary. Now, the Internet has given an avenue for people to discover music from the comfort of their own home anywhere in the world. Even if you don’t want to search all over the Internet for it, online music stores have not only made it easy to discover new music but have made it a priority. No matter your favorite genre of music, there are musicians and songs out there right now that you would love if you just heard them. Unfortunately, many of us are stuck in the old model thinking: ‘Won’t the cream of crop rise to the top?’ It depends on what you mean by “top.” To get on the radio, what most consider the top, it doesn’t necessarily matter that the music is good. What matters for radio is how much money can be made. The radio is not the determinant of what constitutes good. The Internet has given another avenue for artists not signed to major labels who have great music to share it & get it out to the public.
The frosting on the exposure cake is how musicians have creatively utilized the Internet to make the experience of the fan more intimate with the music and the musician themselves. Musicians have started blogging, posting all sorts of media (Video Interviews, concerts, streaming music before it is release), and interacting on all sorts of social networks with fans. Before the Internet, you had fan clubs and maybe a one time communication by snail mail. Now, you can be connected to your favorite artist in ways you never could before. Now you can find a musicians set list from a Portland show, see video of the artist’s performance in Philadelphia, buy merchandise, and even help promote the artist coming to your area. It has helped fans get to know there favorites and it has helped the musicians get to know those who support them.
To say the Internet has changed the music business is an understatement. It is now essential to have some sort of web presence if you are in the business. All that said (here comes the shameless plugs), Roofbeam Records wants to get connected to you guys, as does Douglas Kent. If you are not already, you can become a fan of RB & Douglas Kent on Facebook, add us on MySpace (RB & DK), and follow us on Twitter (RB & DK). Please get connected to us in someway so we can update you on all the exciting things that are about to go down. If you are already, we thank you sincerely and ask you to pass us along. Douglas Kent is a tremendous musician with a ton of talent and the bigger the grass-roots following we can create, the more exposure Douglas Kent gets. Help us out.
To help other musicians & to introduce you to other artists you might not know, every week I will start posting some links and videos for you to check out. RB has no affiliation with these artists, just as fans trying to our part. And of course, keep hitting up the Douglas Kent MySpace to hear his stuff until the album is finished. We are so close! As always, if you have any suggestions on how to make RB more fan friendly or if you just want to past a link to another artist, that is good too. Well, that’s all for this week. ‘Til next time.
jmp
Do your ears a favor and listen to these harmonies. This song ends in a round. Just beautiful.
He is hilarious in concert. Check out the rest of his stuff, you'll love him.
One more, this is a guy named Joey Ryan from LA. Here is his MySpace. Check out "Broken Headlights."
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Support Live Music
There seems to be a misconception about how musicians make money at their craft. Billboard charts, iTunes top downloaded list, and the handing out of records made of different precious metals makes us believe that musicians make their living by selling albums and songs. This is simply not the case. Some artists can do well selling their albums, but that is not where they earn their buck. This may be odd information coming from a record label, but I am going to tell you like it is anyway- artists make their money from live shows.
This is how it works: a venue guarantees a musician or a band a certain number of dollars to come and perform. If it is a venue that sells tickets, there might be a percentage of the door. Other places might throw in a percentage of the bar for the hours they play, but, for the most part, they are guaranteed a certain amount of money to play at the venue. They get paid this amount regardless of whether 3 people show up or 30,000 show up. These “guarantees” are how musicians make there money.
So why put out an album? Artists put out albums to get people interested and familiar with their music so you will come to their shows. Most record labels take a huge percentage of the record sales from the artist, especially the major record labels. So, when an artist sells a million albums, he may only be getting $0.50 to $1, if that, for each album. That sounds like a lot of money, but selling a thousand albums is not easy, much less a million. That is why the guarantees of shows are so important. It is money the artist knows is coming in and can live off.
I tell you all this for a couple of reasons. First, I want everyone to know that Roofbeam Records is more about introducing new artists and helping musicians we believe in get started, more than it is about making money. I can say this because the percentage of sales RB takes is minuscule compared to the industry standard. So, when you buy an album, such as Douglas Kent’s “The Way I Am,” you are supporting this artist. The second reason I tell you this is to encourage you to go see your favorite musicians live. Concerts are fun and you get to interact with the musicians in a way you can’t through the radio or recording. The more people who go to a musician's concert, the easier it is for them to get more gigs, at least at that particular venue. You will see that from the top mainstream artists to the struggling musicians, they are getting gigs and performing live to have a career in music.
Check out http://www.roofbeamrecords.com/ or http://www.douglaskentmusic.com/ for dates and venues when Douglas Kent will be at a venue near you. It won’t be long before the album is done. I got to see the art work for the digipak today and it is fantastic. I will keep you update. ‘Til next time.
jmp
This is how it works: a venue guarantees a musician or a band a certain number of dollars to come and perform. If it is a venue that sells tickets, there might be a percentage of the door. Other places might throw in a percentage of the bar for the hours they play, but, for the most part, they are guaranteed a certain amount of money to play at the venue. They get paid this amount regardless of whether 3 people show up or 30,000 show up. These “guarantees” are how musicians make there money.
So why put out an album? Artists put out albums to get people interested and familiar with their music so you will come to their shows. Most record labels take a huge percentage of the record sales from the artist, especially the major record labels. So, when an artist sells a million albums, he may only be getting $0.50 to $1, if that, for each album. That sounds like a lot of money, but selling a thousand albums is not easy, much less a million. That is why the guarantees of shows are so important. It is money the artist knows is coming in and can live off.
I tell you all this for a couple of reasons. First, I want everyone to know that Roofbeam Records is more about introducing new artists and helping musicians we believe in get started, more than it is about making money. I can say this because the percentage of sales RB takes is minuscule compared to the industry standard. So, when you buy an album, such as Douglas Kent’s “The Way I Am,” you are supporting this artist. The second reason I tell you this is to encourage you to go see your favorite musicians live. Concerts are fun and you get to interact with the musicians in a way you can’t through the radio or recording. The more people who go to a musician's concert, the easier it is for them to get more gigs, at least at that particular venue. You will see that from the top mainstream artists to the struggling musicians, they are getting gigs and performing live to have a career in music.
Check out http://www.roofbeamrecords.com/ or http://www.douglaskentmusic.com/ for dates and venues when Douglas Kent will be at a venue near you. It won’t be long before the album is done. I got to see the art work for the digipak today and it is fantastic. I will keep you update. ‘Til next time.
jmp
Monday, October 5, 2009
Digipaks
Douglas Kent's album, "The Way I Am," coming this fall, is going to be released in digipak format. I know digipak is a funny word that you might not have heard before so let me tell you what it is and why Douglas Kent & RR chose it.
Most of us, when we think of purchasing a CD, think of the plastic case that opens like a book with the disc inserted on a black or clear plastic trey. A digipak is a different kind of packing. It is a gatefold (book-style) paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside. It is a much more professional look. Digipaks were patented by AIG for several years with few companies in the nation holding licences to produce them. AIG just recently released the patent allowing all printing companies to produce their own "digipaks." The problem is that if the digipaks are not done correctly, you don't get the professional look you were wanting and the product you do get looks home made and, well, crappy. Roofbeam Records and Douglas Kent are going with a company out of Dallas that has had an AIG licence to make digipaks since their inception. This company produces for many mainstream & indie artists. We are very pleased with their customer service and are confident the quality that will be produced is going to be top notch.
Why digipaks? Douglas Kent and Roofbeam Records, after exploring the packaging options, determined that anyone who is going to purchase "The Way I Am" is going to get an all around high quality product. High quality in the music, sound, and packaging. We know that the music industry is changing and that many people prefer to download music from the Internet (NO PIRATING PLEASE) and the album is going to be available for digital download from many vendors, but if you purchase the physical product, we are going to make sure what you are getting is worth every penny in every way. We could have taken cheaper routes in packaging, but because Douglas Kent and Roofbeam cares for you guys we are going to give you the best we can.
I wanted to share this with you because 1) it wasn't until recently that I discovered all the different packaging options, so I wanted to share this "behind the scenes" part and 2) I wanted everyone to know the product you are getting will be first rate. Just because this is Dougals Kent's debut album and Roofbeam Records first release, we are not going to act or produce an amateur product.
Well, that is it for this week. Have a great week. Remember to keep checking the Roofbeam website, http://www.roofbeamrecords.com/, and the Douglas Kent website, http://www.douglaskentmusic.com/, for all the latest updates.
'Til next time.
jmp
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