1. Endorsements

They put money in your pocket, but they shorten your career.  Anybody who tells you otherwise is just taking a percentage.

In order to have a lengthy career, people need to believe in you.  And what they believe in most is your music.  Which hopefully comes straight from your soul.  Show your soul to be compromised, show yourself to be expedient, and the public no longer needs you.

2. Singles

Either write them or don’t sign to the major label.

The major labels employ a formula.  Get exposure and see if something sells.  The only way they can get exposure on an unknown act is the TRACK!  Something that can be aired on Top Forty radio.

DON’T fall for the hype that they’ll get you synched to some TV show.  That just isn’t enough to break you.  Furthermore, your image is tarnished by the association with said show.

Now if you MAKE music that is single-oriented, that can be aired on Top Forty and licensed out, SIGN WITH THE MAJOR LABEL!  The doors are closed to almost all other purveyors.  If for no other reason than none of the others have a steady stream of product around which relationships can be fostered.  And it’s all about relationships in the barter world.  Yes, you do something for me, I’ll do something for you.  And those exchanges involve the exec, not the artist.  The capital rests with the suit.  In other words, if you’re in the singles business, you’re a pawn in their game.  You’ll last about as long as a football in the Super Bowl.  There are always more acts ready to sell their souls for a rise to the top.

3. Time To Make It

If you’re not a ten year overnight success, then you’re probably not any good.  Talent doesn’t appear fully-developed instantly.  No, there’s a seed, which must be nurtured.  The key is to find out who you are.  And then explore different avenues of expression.  This process can be shortened by depending on others.  Songwriters, producers…  But then you end up with the problem above, no one believes in you.

4. Let Your Music Do The Talking

PR people are under as much pressure as radio promotion people these days.  They’ll take a story from almost anyone, and they’ll say you’re god-given.  The only problem is, you’re not.  The sell is not in proportion to your talent, never mind your career.  If you’re not soft-selling in the beginning, you’re turning off your potential core audience.  Who will break you.

5. The Long Tail

So everything sells.  Big fucking deal.  It’s kind of like blogs.  Anybody can have one, but only a SLIVER of them get any page views.  The point of Chris Anderson’s book is if you put it up on the Web, someone will want it.  Enough to quit your day job?  Good question.  Probably not.

So, if you have a MySpace page.  And friends.  And are getting hits.  WHO GIVES A SHIT!  Everybody has friends.  Can you convince those with no loyalty?  People across the country who don’t know you?

That depends NOT on your marketing techniques, but your talent.

6. Sound

If you want a brief career, fall into a genre.  You’re just another in a long line.

But if you have YOUR OWN sound, then your cadre of believers will be even more loyal, will spread the message around even more.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN IF YOU’RE DIFFERENT YOU’RE GOOD!  You probably suck.  But Queen didn’t suck.  Nor Yes.  Nor Pink Floyd.  Each one of these bands didn’t sound like what came before.  As a result, IT TOOK THEM A LONG TIME TO BREAK!

Furthermore, each one can still tour today.  Queen without its lead singer.  And Pink Floyd as competing solo acts.

It isn’t about how any of the members look, it’s about the sound.  Do you have a SOUND?  If not, I hope you’re cutting singles, because your career is going to be brief.

7. Managers

Are probably gonna be around longer than you are.  You’re just a pawn in their game.  Their loyalty is to the game.  You’re just fodder, a few bucks at the craps table.

If you want someone truly interested in you, get a newbie, someone not in the business.  But if you do, their inexperience might cost you.

8. Attorneys

Fucked in the new system.  Fewer record deals for fewer dollars.

Lawyers may have a code, which they must live by, but they’re also businessmen.  Their advice is tainted by their need to feed their families, pay for the Mercedes, go on vacation to Maui…  Be even MORE skeptical of the attorney.  But, the manager probably will make you sign a deal which will be HELL to get out of.  So just know, when somebody says they’re on your team, DON’T BELIEVE IT!

9. The Road

If you don’t cut singles, you must play live, and be very good at it.  This is DEFINITIVE!  Don’t tell me you’re the new Steely Dan, not wanting to tour.  Steely Dan had AOR to do their work for them, there’s no radio format to air edgy, inventive stuff anymore.  Not one with any traction anyway.  Stop complaining and start rehearsing.

Don’t browbeat fans/potential attendees.  An e-mail blast is irrelevant unless people WANT IT!  Make signing up for the list at THE FAN’S option.  Only send to those who want to know.  These are the only ones who’ll spread the word.  These are the ones you must nurture.

10. Recording

In order for you to break outside the singles system, potential fans must be able to hear your track once, and become enraptured.  So, the version available must be well-recorded, and well-mixed and mastered.  Fans will put up with any rendition.  Someone kicking the tires needs to be helped in.  PAY for someone to help you make your record better.  It’s your CALLING CARD!  Not the graphics on your site.

11. Video

The golden age of video was about inventiveness.  If you’re not doing something edgy, it better be performance only, LIVE performance.

And I’m not talking about MTV.  Unless you’re a singles artist, NEVER EVER MAKE AN EXPENSIVE VIDEO!  Not only will it cost you money, it will make you look less credible and shorten your career.

YouTube is your medium.  Do something CONCEPTUALLY interesting, a la OK Go.  It’s not about money spent, but INSPIRATION!

12. P2P

You know the Chili Peppers song, GIVE IT AWAY!

And by that I mean MAKE IT AVAILABLE!  Don’t e-mail it/send it to anybody who doesn’t want it.

If you’re in the singles world, you’re beholden to the label’s policy.  But if you’re on your own, give your music away free on your site, as MP3s at 128 kbps.  You’re BUILDING!  You’ve got to know WHEN to charge.  It’s not about making small bucks today, but BIGGER BUCKS TOMORROW!  It’s gonna COST you money to go on the road.  Don’t go unless you can get a lot of people to come.  And you do this by spreading the music around!

13. Labels

An indie can’t break your single.  If you’re a singles artist, don’t sign with an indie.

14. Money

The less you take, the less you owe.

It’s kind of like being a politician.  Take from enough people, and you’re OWNED by them.  Whether it be the label, the corporation, the…

Take a van unless you can AFFORD a bus.

15. Distribution

HK.  ATO.  Those fuckers can get paid.  But the other dude, who says he’s got an indie, and can get your record out there, he’s just trying to build a business on your back.  To get into stores you must have relationships, and a steady stream of DESIRABLE product.  That’s NOT the indie with twenty worthless bands.

If you can really sell tonnage, make the most favorable deal with the real label you can.  NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO GO TOTALLY INDIE!  Not while CD sales are still the bulk of revenue.  Partner with the major for distribution, or the aforementioned HK or ATO.  Otherwise, you’re pissing in the wind, and I hope you’re making a ton off merchandising.

16. When To Sign

The English bands have this down.  They generate heat, and THEN cash in.  On terms favorable to THEM!  Don’t worry about instant money.  If you can create a story, you can get a short term deal and own your masters when it’s done.  You see majors need the BILLING! But they’re not gonna give you a great deal unless they’re convinced you’re gonna move product, i.e. they NEED YOU!

17. Be Good

Sure, the Ramones capitalized on minimalism.  But that was a different era.

In an age when people don’t expect it to be real, when they figure you’re act’s going to be on hard drive, to be able to knock it out of the park by yourself gives you GIGANTIC CRED!

And cred is the building block of long term success.