Comments on: Why I am an Idiot http://blogs.sxsw.com/idiotsunite/2007/02/06/why-i-am-an-idiot/ blogs.sxsw.com/idiotsunite Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:35:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.5 By: Rain Perry http://blogs.sxsw.com/idiotsunite/2007/02/06/why-i-am-an-idiot/#comment-6 Rain Perry Thu, 15 Feb 2007 17:30:30 +0000 http://blogs.sxsw.com/idiotsunite/2007/02/06/why-i-am-an-idiot/#comment-6 Hi, Celia - thanks for this very detailed response. I appreciate it. I hear a lot of complaining about the music business right now - how impossible it is for an artist to make a living, etc. - and it can be disheartening at times. But - I don't know - I think we're in a new minstralsy era, which a far more organic way to connect with people than the big record company model. Take care, Rain Hi, Celia - thanks for this very detailed response. I appreciate it. I hear a lot of complaining about the music business right now - how impossible it is for an artist to make a living, etc. - and it can be disheartening at times. But - I don’t know - I think we’re in a new minstralsy era, which a far more organic way to connect with people than the big record company model.

Take care,
Rain

]]> By: celia http://blogs.sxsw.com/idiotsunite/2007/02/06/why-i-am-an-idiot/#comment-5 celia Thu, 15 Feb 2007 13:58:21 +0000 http://blogs.sxsw.com/idiotsunite/2007/02/06/why-i-am-an-idiot/#comment-5 Thanks Rain. You are so right - recod marketing is completely different than it was just a few years ago. I looked you up on Myspace. Helpful to build that friends list. This is a network of supporters to be there for your career potentially. Never has an artist had so much access to their fans. Work with it and develop it. Let your fans know you care about them. Change things on myspace often. I assume you play out. Build your fanbase there too. Give your audiece a reason to come back to shows. It's one of the most important aspects of career development. No one can ever take an artist's audience away. It's yours for a lifetime if you want it. Postcards, flyers, posters - anything to collected the dots with fans - if you're not excited about your career, to let people know what you're up to, why should they be? Build professional relationships with other like minded artists if you're a good collaborator. Co-write, co-headline, co-op together. If you prefer the solo route, be prepared to be very prolific. Digitally release your music - Whether you use Ioda, The Orchard or Tunecore - get your music out there so you can capture bucks, and more importantly, build your fan base. Record marketing in the new millenium is all about building a relationship with your fans - enough so they want to stay actively involved with your latest developments. Send copies of your record out to like minded communities on the web for reviews on sites and blogs. Some will accept mp3 files - others will want a cd burn or cde. Pressing records is very good, but be exceptionally realistic about where you are selling them. Physical retailers are not interested in many titles these days, unless there are tangeble drivers to move the records quickly in stores. The traditional marketing elements like radio distribution, publcity, and instore positioning are important as well, but all in the right time. Unless you have bucks on or behind you, manage the steps to your career well, even if that means investing in others to help. At the end of the day, this is your career. Have fun building it. Enjoy the ride. Thanks Rain.
You are so right - recod marketing is completely different than it was
just a few years ago.

I looked you up on Myspace. Helpful to build that friends list. This
is a network of supporters to be there for your career potentially.
Never has an artist had so much access to their fans. Work with it
and develop it. Let your fans know you care about them. Change things
on myspace often.

I assume you play out. Build your fanbase there too. Give your audiece
a reason to come back to shows. It’s one of the most important aspects
of career development. No one can ever take an artist’s audience away.
It’s yours for a lifetime if you want it.

Postcards, flyers, posters - anything to collected the dots with fans - if you’re not excited about your career, to let people know what you’re up to, why should they be?

Build professional relationships with other like minded artists if you’re a good
collaborator. Co-write, co-headline, co-op together. If you prefer the solo route, be prepared to be very prolific.

Digitally release your music - Whether you use Ioda, The Orchard or
Tunecore - get your music out there so you can capture bucks, and
more importantly, build your fan base.

Record marketing in the new millenium is all about building a
relationship with your fans - enough so they want to stay actively
involved with your latest developments.

Send copies of your record out to like minded communities on the web
for reviews on sites and blogs. Some will accept mp3 files - others
will want a cd burn or cde.

Pressing records is very good, but be exceptionally realistic about
where you are selling them. Physical retailers are not interested
in many titles these days, unless there are tangeble drivers
to move the records quickly in stores. The traditional marketing
elements like radio distribution, publcity, and instore positioning
are important as well, but all in the right time. Unless you have
bucks on or behind you, manage the steps to your career well,
even if that means investing in others to help.

At the end of the day, this is your career. Have fun building it.
Enjoy the ride.

]]> By: Rain Perry http://blogs.sxsw.com/idiotsunite/2007/02/06/why-i-am-an-idiot/#comment-3 Rain Perry Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:56:20 +0000 http://blogs.sxsw.com/idiotsunite/2007/02/06/why-i-am-an-idiot/#comment-3 I enjoy your show, Celia - it's a bright spot for me. Your post is a propos right now, because I'm about to release a new album and wrangling with what "release a new album" means right now. Just because we don't know the answer doesn't mean that it's not a good time to be a musician. It just means it's an uncertain time, scary but exciting. Thanks for helping us figure it out! Take care, Rain Perry I enjoy your show, Celia - it’s a bright spot for me.

Your post is a propos right now, because I’m about to release a new album and wrangling with what “release a new album” means right now. Just because we don’t know the answer doesn’t mean that it’s not a good time to be a musician. It just means it’s an uncertain time, scary but exciting.

Thanks for helping us figure it out!

Take care,
Rain Perry

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