NOTHING LASTS

As Rob Thomas told me, it used to be a tiny funnel, now it’s a colander. You pour your music in and it slips right through. All the hoopla of yore that had an impact no longer does. Release parties, press…all the buildup means nothing. Except if you’re a superstar, and even then you can put out a new track and it can instantly disappear. The game has changed. You’re in it for the long haul. Your customers are your fans. Be in constant contact with them. You have to be in play to get lucky. Don’t listen to the dinosaurs telling you how it used to be, that era is gone forever. You need more product, more frequently. To satiate the hard core fans and to have more opportunities to get lucky. It’s nearly impossible to manipulate the system today, the key is to keep playing and if you’re good enough, you’ll grow, however slowly. If you have a moment of impact, expect it to decay faster than ever before. We live in a hit and run economy. And it’s not because today’s younger generations have short attention spans, but incredible sh*t detectors, which is why they can stream a TV show for five hours straight but skip your track after five seconds. You can go down the road less taken, don’t worry about creating hooks in early in the song, be focused on the art, but then you’re either good enough to make it, or you’ll be wandering into the wilderness and probably die. Revel in your momentary victories, but get back to work tomorrow. What is important in the morning is oftentimes forgotten in the afternoon. Yes, you are trying to create lasting music, but that comes down to the music itself, not the game. And if you think terrestrial radio is the end all and be all, you must be in the broadcasting business, or be a Boomer or Gen-X’er working at the label. Today’s active music listeners discover music elsewhere. You need to have an online strategy first, always.

TECHNOLOGY

Don’t be afraid. However, the channel is clouded with left behind boomers and young wannabes. We are never going backward, we are never returning to the past. Don’t lament the past days when people would listen to a record and do nothing else, when they’d listen to the whole thing as opposed to cherry-picking singles. Your hard core fans will stream everything you’ve got, which is why when you go to see Zach Bryan they know every song, never mind Noah Kahan, never mind Taylor Swift. These artists mean so much to their followers that they’re all in. But never forget, Taylor Swift started in a different era, originally in country music in the aughts, she crossed over to pop a decade ago, the landscape has changed since then. Think narrow and then expand, don’t go broad and then try to create dedicated fans. We are no longer in the big tent business, but the slice of population business. Don’t worry about reaching everyone, but just some. And early adopters will be there forever as long as you don’t try to go wide and play to the masses too early. But if you think AI is the devil, you also thought drum machines were the devil. And Spotify the devil. And what do we know? They’re all here to stay, having eviscerated past models. Use them in new, creative ways, don’t lament the old days. The future only goes in one direction, forward. Sure, there’s a business in horses, like there’s a business in vinyl, but it’s de minimis, a gnat on the ass of the aforementioned horse. Vinyl is about money, pure and simple. It’s a souvenir. Despite all the hoopla, most people are not listening. And if they are, it’s on crappy systems. Streaming is where it’s at.

SPOTIFY IS YOUR FRIEND

If you complain about Spotify, the joke is on you. Sure, writers should be paid more. Sure, the bundle concept needs to be addressed. But the bottom line is streaming pays about 70% to rights holders and if you’re not making bank either the label is taking most of the money or no one is listening. The model has changed. Don’t think about selling things, but access, streams, lifelong fans. Do you still buy DVDs? No, because this material is available on demand, whenever you want it (don’t e-mail me and tell me what is unavailable, you’re a nitpicker and missing the point). Music is on demand, ownership is so far in the rearview mirror that youngsters don’t even think about it. As for the aforementioned Swift selling dozens of versions of her new album… She’s a pop star, she won’t be at her peak forever, this might generate momentary revenue, but it ultimately alienates fans. You’re in bed with your fans. Treat them like brothers and sisters. Do not rip them off and always make them primary. Hits are evanescent, fans are forever. You want fans. And if you’re a rock band, tell all your fans to stream. That’s where the revenue is. If you’re a star there’s a ton of money to be made on streaming, but first and foremost see it as a low barrier opportunity for people to hear your music. You don’t want any barriers between you and a potential fan, monetization always comes last, remember that.