{"id":2997,"date":"2010-06-03T15:36:20","date_gmt":"2010-06-03T23:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/?p=2997"},"modified":"2010-06-03T15:37:51","modified_gmt":"2010-06-03T23:37:51","slug":"the-long-haul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/2010\/06\/03\/the-long-haul\/","title":{"rendered":"The Long Haul"},"content":{"rendered":"

1.<\/span> Focus on the music.\u00c2\u00a0 Get it to the point where the audience only needs to hear it once to get it.<\/p>\n

2.<\/span> Let people listen for free.\u00c2\u00a0 Then sell the physical product as a souvenir, and put out unique product online.<\/p>\n

3.<\/span> One great track is better than ten mediocre ones.<\/p>\n

4.<\/span> Don’t worry about confusing the marketplace with more product.\u00c2\u00a0 It just allows new fans to discover a plethora when they finally tune in.\u00c2\u00a0 Meanwhile, the Internet allows the fulfillment of the true fan’s dream, a steady flow of product.\u00c2\u00a0 In the old days, you were a fan of a band in high school, their next record came out when you were married.\u00c2\u00a0 Today, you can put out new songs while students are still in the same semester!\u00c2\u00a0 And you should!<\/p>\n

5.<\/span> You must work live.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s the best way to connect with people.\u00c2\u00a0 You’ve got to be so good, you close the audience. Performing is a different skill than playing in a studio.\u00c2\u00a0 Start honing your chops now.\u00c2\u00a0 Play anywhere and everywhere you can.\u00c2\u00a0 Not focused on the money, but the development of stage skills.<\/p>\n

6.<\/span> Radio is gravy.\u00c2\u00a0 People no longer believe radio builds career acts.\u00c2\u00a0 Don’t be beholden to the airwaves.\u00c2\u00a0 See them as just another outlet.<\/p>\n

7.<\/span> Make videos.\u00c2\u00a0 Creativity is key.\u00c2\u00a0 We’re returning to the age of MTV.\u00c2\u00a0 Either play live, demonstrating your skills, which is how Andy McKee built a career on YouTube, or come up with an OK Go-type video.\u00c2\u00a0 Wow us visually.\u00c2\u00a0 The means of production are now in the hands of the proletariat.\u00c2\u00a0 Hell, you can get a Flip HD camera for $150 and you can edit on your computer…<\/p>\n

8.<\/span> Experience counts.\u00c2\u00a0 Everybody gets better the longer they do something.<\/p>\n

9.<\/span> Haters abound.\u00c2\u00a0 If you’re not being criticized, you’re not doing it right, you’re only playing in front of family and friends.\u00c2\u00a0 Hate intensifies the bigger you get, especially in the Net world, where everybody gets a voice.\u00c2\u00a0 There is no protection.\u00c2\u00a0 Wander into the world and experience the slings and arrows, toughen your skin.<\/p>\n

10.<\/span> Respect your audience.\u00c2\u00a0 Don’t send unsolicited MP3s, don’t send unsolicited fliers.\u00c2\u00a0 Everything should be opt-in.<\/p>\n

11.<\/span> Let your audience participate, let people help you.\u00c2\u00a0 They’re dying to!\u00c2\u00a0 Stay in the houses of fans on the road. Let fans design fliers and t-shirts.\u00c2\u00a0 Give them tools to promote you.\u00c2\u00a0 All they want in return is attention, and a bit of access.\u00c2\u00a0 These sneezers are your key to success.\u00c2\u00a0 Treat your core fans incredibly nicely.<\/p>\n

In the old days it was about being nice to the PD.\u00c2\u00a0 Now you go directly to the fan.<\/p>\n

12.<\/span> Put up live videos.<\/p>\n

13.<\/span> Tweet.<\/p>\n

14.<\/span> Be available on every social networking platform.\u00c2\u00a0 Of course, Facebook, but a new act could make headway using Foursquare.\u00c2\u00a0 Hell, have your fans come meet you at Starbucks!<\/p>\n

15.<\/span> Press is a bonus.\u00c2\u00a0 Press is ignored by most people.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s seen as hype.\u00c2\u00a0 Just keep thinking about being one on one with your fans.<\/p>\n

16.<\/span> Don’t think any one opportunity or gig is the key to success.\u00c2\u00a0 You never know what will break you through.\u00c2\u00a0 And most times, it’s later than sooner.\u00c2\u00a0 And, if it happens too soon…momentum tends to peter out.<\/p>\n

17.<\/span> Release dates are irrelevant.\u00c2\u00a0 You’re in constant marketing mode.\u00c2\u00a0 But the best marketing is a great track, that will be spread far and wide.<\/p>\n

That drop after the first week?<\/p>\n

It just got worse.<\/p>\n

Was 33.9% in 2000, it was 62.8% in 2009.<\/p>\n

SoundScan is spinning some phony baloney about pre-orders, old school "Billboard" is lamenting the lack of price and positioning and radio support, and you’re sitting there saying…um, seems right to me!<\/p>\n

The nineties are over.\u00c2\u00a0 Where the goal was to ship as much product as possible, create a public hoopla and not only see albums fly out of the store the first week, but for weeks to come.<\/p>\n

First of all, people don’t even want the album, they just want the track.<\/p>\n

And most people don’t care about the act anyway.\u00c2\u00a0 And they can ignore it.<\/p>\n

In other words, you’ve got to be in it for the long haul.\u00c2\u00a0 The really long haul.<\/p>\n

You’re better off not blowing your marketing budget in anticipation of the first week.\u00c2\u00a0 If you don’t have a two year campaign in place, you don’t believe in the project.\u00c2\u00a0 Or, you’re working for a major label, inured to short term results, desperately trying to make sure you don’t get fired.<\/p>\n

In order to have sustained fans, you’ve got to reach an audience with music.\u00c2\u00a0 Not with photo shoots, not with talking head TV appearances, you’ve got to make sure people hear your music again and again.\u00c2\u00a0 But you should start with a small group.<\/p>\n

That’s what old wave media doesn’t understand, how to harness the public, how to use social media to create a conflagration.<\/p>\n

Old wave media believes you use social media to spread the word.\u00c2\u00a0 No, you infect fans, and then THEY spread the word on social media.\u00c2\u00a0 And it can take a very long time to happen.\u00c2\u00a0 And if you go for profits too soon, if you don’t continue to improve the underlying product, you end up with something like MySpace.\u00c2\u00a0 A hit for a minute, then toast.<\/p>\n

This is scary to the old timers.\u00c2\u00a0 They want insurance.<\/p>\n

But that insurance can only be bought in a recording studio.<\/p>\n

Yes, creators are more important than ever before.\u00c2\u00a0 Which is why labels keep going to the usual suspects, they don’t want to take a risk.\u00c2\u00a0 But so many people are tired of this sound and have tuned out, and the oldsters are fighting over crumbs.<\/p>\n

If you want longevity, you’d better create a new sound.\u00c2\u00a0 Or at least an individual sound, a personality.<\/p>\n

A good example of the future of music is Zac Brown.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s been recording for years.\u00c2\u00a0 His album’s been out for eons and he’s still on the road.\u00c2\u00a0 Not on vacation.\u00c2\u00a0 Furthermore, word spreads about his passion for cooking, and his desire to feed fans.\u00c2\u00a0 This hook builds his audience.\u00c2\u00a0 Anybody can have a hit on the radio, but can you bring people to the show, can you get them to keep coming?<\/p>\n

My friend Jim Urie is lobbying to get ISPs to crack down on file-traders.\u00c2\u00a0 This is completely wrongheaded.\u00c2\u00a0 We don’t want to cut down any access people have to becoming fans.\u00c2\u00a0 As for acquiring music…\u00c2\u00a0 A better mousetrap is far superior to playing Whac-A-Mole.\u00c2\u00a0 Don’t take away the cheese, make it more enticing!<\/p>\n

We’re never going back to the sales figures of yore.\u00c2\u00a0 Not because of theft, but because no one can get that kind of mindshare.<\/p>\n

But you can get some traction.\u00c2\u00a0 If you’re willing to work really hard, continuously, always leading with your music.<\/p>\n

\n
Analysis: Important Sales Trends You Need To Know<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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1. Focus on the music.\u00c2\u00a0 Get it to the point where the audience only needs to hear it once to get it. 2. Let people listen for free.\u00c2\u00a0 Then sell the physical product as a souvenir, and put out unique product online. 3. One great track is better than ten mediocre ones. 4. Don’t worry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music-business"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p96vPs-Ml","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2997"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2997\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2999,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2997\/revisions\/2999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}