Because….KITTEHS!!

Because cats jumping about randomly will make you smile no matter how bad your day might be. Enjoy, my peoples. Enjoy.

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Posted by Beirutpress on Thursday, June 25, 2015

What Makes You So Special: How to Separate Your Brand from the Masses

Whether you are a music artist, a music manager, a studio owner, or any other type of business in the music industry, your uniqueness is critical to developing your brand. The process of setting yourself and your business apart from all the others is key to being successful. So how do you go about defining that separation and using it to your advantage? The following are some ideas that may prove useful on this journey:

1. Find a need and fill it. If you see a need in your community or industry that is currently not being served by others, or if you have an idea for a certain type of music artistry that hasn't been explored by other artists, then you've found a need and can begin to take the steps to fill it. Being able to find your niche and then become the leader in that particular area will set you apart from the rest of the business or artists that are trying to do what you do. For example, as an artist manager, I don’t just address the business needs of the artists with whom I work. I also incorporate life coaching in my work with them so that their decisions about their life, their career, and how they will form their brand will put them on the right path for success. As Eric Thomas once said, “Your talent will take you places that your character can’t keep you.” Integrity and character go a long way towards being successful in any endeavor.
2. Define your specialization. You want to make sure that you define what you do in a way that others can find you. When searching for business on the internet, keywords are a very important part of search engine optimization. If you have a niche market, how is that niche market defined? If you are a niche artist, how do you define your sound? The keywords you use to describe what you do will be the difference between being on the first page of search results and being on the other pages that get no views. One way to start brainstorming the best keywords to use is to ask the people closest to you what words they would use. The more people you ask, the better idea you will get of words that are common between several people. Using keywords that the majority of people would use allows you to optimize the ability for search engines to find you. You can read more about defining niche marketing here.
3. Learn that less is more. When you are first starting out, you are best off if you focus on doing one thing exceptionally well. Don’t try to be everything for every market, because it just won’t work. You will get lost in the white noise of every other company or brand that is trying to do the same thing. Instead, consider being known for one or two phenomenal aspects. The marketing plan contained in your business plan should be as detailed as possible so you have a clear vision of how you are going to separate yourself from the competition. This will serve as your road map on the journey to becoming a successful brand. The clearer the vision, the easier the decisions will be that you must make in developing your brand. Keep it simple by focusing on doing one thing great instead of doing five things that are average.

This is just a start to get you thinking about the idea of separation and market differentiation. In this day and age, it is more important than ever before since we have become a global economy. Your competition is not just in your own back yard anymore. The competition is now anyone in the world who does what you do. It’s crowded on the bottom, because it’s easy to be average. It takes effort and focus to be phenomenal. In the end, however, it is definitely worth the effort. If your goal in life was to be average, you probably shouldn't have become an entrepreneur to being with. 

The Benjamin Franklin Principle

As Benjamin Franklin said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." A well-written business plan can mean the difference between a successful, thriving business, and one that fails miserably. Many entrepreneurs underestimate the value of this important aspect of starting a business. For most, it will be impossible to get capital for start-up costs without a clear, concise plan for their business. As with any field of study, there are experts in the art of business plan writing. These experts can be a good resource for a new business owner as he or she embarks on the path of business ownership. Here are two of these recognized experts and their views on business plans.

David Giampaolo

Giampaolo is a recognized expert in the area of business and entrepreneurialism. He is originally from Florida but now resides in the United Kingdom, and is the CEO of Pi Capital. (Jacobs, 2010) Pi Capital is a London-based investor club with a few hundred members. (Duff, 2008) Giampaolo has been investing in business since he was 15 years old and is characterized as a born entrepreneur. He made most of his money from establishing and then selling health club chains in both the US and the UK. (Jacobs)

When discussing how he decides when to invest in a business, Giampaolo and his Pi Capital investors look at what expectations the business owners have in their business plans. If the expectations are unrealistic, they don’t even entertain the idea of investing in them. (Moules, 2009) In another article, Giampaolo talks about the importance of a new business having a good management team in place. (Southon, 2008) Giampaolo and his investors are more likely to invest in businesses that have strong management. They want to be fairly hands-off approach, so it’s important that the management team be effective and know how to take leadership of the business and implement the business plan.

Garrett Sutton, Esq.

Sutton is the managing partner at Sutton Law Center in Nevada and is also an accomplished author in the area of business and entrepreneurialism. He is so accomplished, in fact, that he serves as one of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Advisors at Rich Dad Coaching. Robert Kiyosaki authored the best-selling book, Rich Dad Poor Dad and is in his own right an accomplished author, businessman, and investor. Sutton has over 30 years of experience in the area of corporate law and has written several books on starting businesses and writing business plans. He studied law at the University of California at Berkeley and graduated with his J.D. in 1978 from Hastings Law, the University of California’s law school in San Francisco.

According to a review of his book Writing Winning Business Plans on Kirkus Reviews, Sutton makes clear that the true differentiator of a good idea versus a prosperous business is a well-written business plan. He also says that a business plan should be the “intersection” of everything inside the business and everything outside of the business. Most new entrepreneurs put too much focus on the “inside” aspect of their business plan, and not enough focus on the “outside” in the form of competition, market trends, political forces, etc. Again, as with Giampaolo, Sutton stresses management as a key for an effective business plan. Many a good business plan has failed to attract money not because of the deal itself, but because of the people in key management positions who are making the decisions in the business. Sutton emphasizes that it’s important to have a solid team in any business venture, as one person cannot be strong in every area that the business requires. (Sutton, 2012)

Regardless of the venture on which you are embarking, it is clear that the planning that comes prior to starting that venture is of key importance. You would be amiss to think that you can jot down a few nice-sounding words and call it a business plan. Any investor can spot a well-though-out business plan versus one that was quickly and haphazardly put together. Take the time to make your plan right, and the payoff will be a solid foundation from which to build your business.

Sources:

Duff, A. (May 2008). Profile: David Giampaolo, chief executive, Pi Capital. Director. Retrieved from: http://www.director.co.uk/magazine/2008/5%20May/giampaolo_61_10.html 

Jacobs, E. (December 9, 2010). 20 Questions: David Giampaolo. Financial Times. Retrieved from: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/87aba42a-03d2-11e0-8c3f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2vD1Jt0vM

Kirkus Reviews. (2012). Retrieved from: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/garrett-sutton/writing-winning-business-plans/

Moules,  J. (April 4, 2009). When an angel could turn out to be a devil in disguise. Financial Times, London Edition 1. Retrieved from : http://www.lexisnexis.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=7VCG-HSJ1-2PB1-823C&csi=293847&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true

Southon, M. (March 15, 2008). The pursuit of happiness. Financial Times, London Edition 1. Retrieved from: http://www.lexisnexis.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=4S2C-3B10-TW84-P1C5&csi=293847&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true

Sutton, G. (2012). Writing Winning Business Plans. BZK Press, LLC.

How To Improve Your Digital Marketing Efforts By Working Smarter, Not Harder

We all know that social media has changed the game when it comes to marketing. Not only is it free, but it also reaches people on a global scale. Both are important when independent, unsigned music artists are trying to get their name and music out to their supporters as well as gaining new supporters to join their fan base. But just like any form of marketing media, there are ways that work and ways that don’t work when it comes to actually using social media as an effective marketing tool. Many musicians or bands think that simply putting up a Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace page and begin sharing content should be enough to start gaining enough fans that will lead to world domination. This is unfortunately far from the way it works. If these few steps are all a band ever takes, they will no doubt be frustrated at the results they are getting from their social media marketing efforts. Just creating pages and sharing content is only the beginning of the process.

Another important piece of the marketing puzzle is creating a website. Without a website, a musician or band will not be taken seriously by most industry professionals. In addition to social media, a dedicated artist website is the best tool with which to interact with fans and allow them to find all the needed information they will want to know about the artist. But it’s not enough to just have a social media presence and a website. In order to see what fans and followers respond to most, an artist also needs a way to collect data on those sites in order to improve them and allow them to best accomplish the goal, which is to get the musician’s or band’s music to new ears and continue to build the fan base. For without people listening (and at some point, buying), music is only just a hobby.

One service I found that can help accomplish this is Section 101. Section 101 is an online platform where an artist can build a website and also integrate audio, video, social media, merchandise, tour dates, and any other desired aspect of their business. They also include Google analytics and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in their services, along with various other important factors that will allow an artist to analyze how their digital content is performing. There are numerous things that can be managed all from one platform, making this tool especially useful for an upstart record label or music management group that may be managing the content of several different artists. There is a “Build-It-Yourself” feature that costs $24 a month, or a VIP package available that is priced based on the individual needs of the client. The VIP package includes Website Design and Build, Digital Marketing Strategy, Creative Brand Development, Ongoing Website Evaluation and Recommendations, Dedicated Client Service Representative, plus all of the BIY features. Due to this extensive service, it can get somewhat pricey. But it is definitely a tool worth looking into.

With so many artists being independent and using social media, anything that can create separation from the masses is a tool worth checking out. Remember, if becoming the next Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were easy, everyone would be doing it. But if an artist is willing to put in the work, the rewards will definitely be worth it! Just remember to work smarter, not harder.

The Business Side of Show Business: Some Points to Consider

One of the things that often comes up when I begin working with a new music artist is the concept of making their music and their name a commercialized product. Most of the artists with whom I work are just starting out in the music industry and have never really thought about the fact that they are a brand, and that brand should be marketed in every way possible. Making the jump from music being a hobby to music being a way of life that earns an artist an income involves many things. One just doesn’t go to a studio, record one’s music, and suddenly become a professional music artist. There are many aspects to becoming a professional in the music industry that must be put into place before an artist will be taken seriously.  For the next few blog posts, I will being reviewing a list of basic points that I go over with each artist with whom I work in order to help them understand the commercial aspects of making money with their music. After all, if they weren’t planning on making money, then their music endeavors should just stay on the level of being a hobby. I’ll begin with the basics:

1. Do you have a logo? As an artist, your logo is likely something that involves your artist name. Or maybe it’s a symbol or some initials in a creative font. Whatever it is, make sure you have one. Take some time in developing your logo. Don’t just slap something together and call it good. It will be the visual identification to your brand for the foreseeable future, so make sure it’s done well.

2. Have you trademarked your name and logo through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)? If you intend to earn money using your artist name, then you need to protect the name of the business earning that money. Here is a great video on some basics when it comes to trademarks and using them in businesses:

3. Do you have a website? Now, I’m not talking about an artist account on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, ReverbNation, or elsewhere (although those are important as well). I’m talking about actually purchasing a domain name through GoDaddy.com or some other domain name service, and building a functional website. If you have basic computer skills, you can easily build a site through free html editors such as wix.com or kompozer.net and then connect your newly purchased domain name to that site. But to really look professional, it’s worth it to invest some money into having your site done by someone whose business is web design. At a minimum, however, invest in the domain name. Once you have the name, you will want to put your music on the site. And whatever you do, DON’T put anything on autoplay. Nothing is more annoying than going to someone’s website and having music play without being prepared for it. Another reason for having a professional create your web design is so that you can actually SELL your music from your website. A link to iTunes or some other digital music vendor is nice, but often that one extra step will be too much trouble for some people. You will sell more if fans can actually just purchase the download directly from your site (in addition to distribution on other digital music channels).

There are hundreds of thousands of unsigned, undiscovered music artists out there. Many of them are extremely talented, but don’t know how to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. If you are willing to put in the work and demand excellence in every aspect of your career, then you may just have a chance at making a living doing this thing we call music. Tune in next time for more tips on marketing your brand, distributing your music, and other topics that will create that separation from the masses that you will need in order to stand out as a music artist and a true professional in the industry.

You Created a Masterpiece...Now What? - Music Distribution 101

You’ve worked hard at creating your music. You’ve mastered it to perfection and created artwork for the physical CD and even gotten some pressed. But how do you really get your music out to the ears of the listening public? After all, you didn’t make your masterpiece so that it could sit on a shelf or in a file in your computer. So how DO you get distribution? Well, here’s the not-so-short and not-so-decisive answer on the subject.

In order to get their music out there, an artist must have either a distribution deal with a record label (which is rare these days) or an artist can self-distribute through many of the available sites that are online. There is a great article written by entertainment attorney Bart Day called The Different Kind Of Deals Involving Record Labels: A Thumbnail Sketch where he identifies the different considerations that an artist can have with a distribution deal with a label. Mr. Day does a nice job laying out the different deals that can be made with major labels and distributors, but most artists will not be in the position to be distributed by a major label right away. The age of the Internet has given today’s artist a viable distribution alternative, which is the Publish-On-Demand (POD) concept.

There are several online services that now assist in the distribution of an artist’s music. One of these services is TuneCore.com, where an artist can pay a flat fee ($9.99 for songs and $29.99 for albums) and TuneCore will make sure that nearly ever digital outlet in the Internet market (including iTunes) will carry that artist’s music. TuneCore is exclusively for music distribution, and it is the favorite of many of the artists with whom I work. They like it because they are able to keep the royalties from the sales and they don’t have to sign away any licensing rights.

Another service that does POD services for music is called CreateSpace.com. They only connect with one digital service, AmazonMP3, so they have less distribution power with the digital outlets. But they have a great option for physical CDs where they create CDs on demand. An artist doesn’t have to worry about spending money to press CDs and then have them collect dust. With CreateSpace’s system, the POD means exactly that…the CD is printed ON DEMAND once the ordering customer pays it for. CreateSpace takes a percentage (a fixed charge of $4.95 plus 15%). The breakdown of what an artist could expect for royalties from selling a physical CD with CreateSpace can be found here under the Pricing & Royalties tab. The nice perk about this system is that the artist doesn’t lose any money because of unsold CDs, but they can still market their catalog of CDs to fans who might buy them due to being able to publish or print on demand.

Last but certainly not least, probably the most commonly know POD site for music artist self-distribution is cdbaby.com. CDbaby is unique in that customers can actually purchase music directly from their site, and they also distribute your music to a few other digital markets such as iTunes, AmazonMP3, Spotify, and others. They don’t distribute to as many as TuneCore, but they certainly cover the main digital markets that most people visit.

Now, all three of these sites are set up for an artist to sell his or her music. Often though, in order to build their fan base, an artist will give away free downloads. This can be done in a lot of ways, but some of the most popular are ReverbNation.com, Soundcloud.com, HotNewHipHop.com, and Myspace. All these sites allow artists to upload their music, and then allow those who wish to download it the ability to do so rather easily. Many new artists must start this way, as they don’t have enough of a fan base to be successful at selling their music yet.

Whatever path an artist chooses, they should understand that just putting their music out into the world will not necessarily get them the attention that they need to make sure that the music sells. They still need fans to buy it, a way to get the word to the fans where to find it, and a way to create buzz about their single or album so that they get some press coverage for that press kit that I discussed in my last blog post. Just knowing how to self-publish or distribute, however, will go a long way towards making that phenomenal music career a reality.

Press Kits: What's In Them and Why Do They Matter?

During my Entertainment Media Publishing and Distribution class this month, we have had some discussion about press kits and how important it is to have an effective press kit to be taken seriously as an artist. There are two types of press kits. One is the actual tangible, physical press kit complete with a folder of information on the artist such as bios & press clippings, likely a demo CD, maybe a demo video DVD, and any other items that an artist may feel will get him or her noticed. Then there’s the Electronic Press Kit, or EPK, where everything that would be in a physical press kit is displayed on a website. This option, along with other electronic options, can really save an up-and-coming artist a lot of money. And when an artist is young in the business, unsigned, and just trying to get themselves out there, often the one major obstacle that an artist has is a lack of money! So EPKs can be a great way to have a professional press kit for very little investment.

Before discussing EPKs at length, just to give you an idea of how much money a good, quality, professional-looking physical press kit will cost, here’s a quick breakdown of what should be included. So let’s discuss the elements of a press kit. It all starts with a great biography of the artist or band. It should be professionally written with no grammar mistakes. Some artists actually hire professional writers to write their bios. No matter who writes it, it must be professional. Amateur grammar and spelling mistakes make the artist look like an amateur in the music industry and will likely be discarded. There is a great blog article that talks more about writing a professional bio here. And don’t forget a cover letter that is personally tailored to whoever is receiving the press kit. Being personal is very important. It shows that an artist took the time to find out the decision-maker of the company to which they are sending their press kit. That speaks volumes as to how serious they are in their career.

After the great bio is written, the next piece will be a media and press section. Choose media clips that highlight you as an artist. If you have little to no press coverage to include in your kit, here’s a great article on how to triple your odds of getting music media coverage from diymusician.cdbaby.com. Along with press coverage, it is helpful to include reviews of the artist's albums or singles.

The heart of the press kit is the artist’s music itself. This should be either a full-length album or professionally recorded demo. A burnt CD from a recording off of an iPhone or a basement lab is not acceptable. Those receiving the press kit will expect that an artist takes his or her craft seriously, and a professional recording is a must. An artist shouldn't skimp on mastering their recording either. To see why, read my previous blog post here. If the kit includes an album that has been released commercially, then also include a One-Sheet. Think of a One-Sheet as a press release for an album. It should contain as much information about the album as possible, including the style of the music, any pertinent information about the recording process, a track listing, and anything else that will make the album stand out. If an artist is sending a press kit to a potential distributor of their music, a One-Sheet is an absolute must. An equipment list is also important so that venues will know what an artist will need for a performance.

Artists will also want to include some professional photos. An artist should include at least one head shot, one full body shot, and possibly a few performance photos. Don’t overload the press kit with photos, however. The music should be the star of the kit. Just make sure, as with everything else in the kit, that the photos are professionally done.

Finally, the artist and booking contact information should be included on every piece in the kit along with a professional business card from the artist or their representative. The packaging can truly make or break an artist, as unprofessional packaging will likely never get opened. Now here’s where we get into the cost of the press kit. To have a professional-looking package, it is best to use a printing company. One such company, InkRockIt.com, creates beautiful packaging, but at the best pricing, an artist can get 1,000 kits for $999.00 (including shipping & handling). That works out to about $1 per kit, which isn't bad when you see what you get (see price breakdown & samples here), but then again, it’s still a dollar shy of a Grand. That can be tough to fit in the budget for a struggling artist. Thus, using the EPK format can mean a professional kit at a huge savings.

An EPK will have the same elements, but those elements will be hosted by a website. The cover letter portion will simply be the email that is sent with the link to the EPK attached. One great website we got to use in our class was Power Press Kits. An artist can create an account and try their service for free for 15 days, and then if they want to continue to use Power Press Kits, the cost of hosting the site starts at $7.99 per month if one pays for an entire year in advance at the cost of $95.88. This may seem expensive, but when compared to the cost of making 1,000 physical kits, it’s a tenth of the price. This fee allows an artist to send an unlimited number of press kits to any number of potential interested parties. Or artists can create their own websites on many of the free blog sites. But the advantage of using a site that is specifically set up to handle EPKs is just that…they are SPECIFICALLY set up to show an artist’s EPK in the best possible way. They have the capacity to handle all the high amounts of data that an artist will want to include, and Power Press Kits comes with a media player that can play music as the reader flips through the different photos, press clippings, and other information.

No matter how an artist decides to create his or her press kit, one thing is certain. It must be created. The music industry will not take an artist seriously without one. For the artist without a press kit, music is only a hobby. It’s worth it to put some time and research into creating a press kit that shows how serious the artist is about their craft. The time and money invested will pay off in spades down the road.