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Having my own marketing and events firm didn't hurt, but it was about making many financial and PR mistakes and learning from them that actually created the sustainability. Give your marketing person a piece of your potential profits and all the love you can muster as this type of support is such a precious gift to an artist. There is a ton of great music and lots of talented artists out there, but there seems to be very few talented marketers in the music industry.
It's a copyright license you put on your music that allows you to let others download your music for free and use it for whatever they want. They just have to give you credit for it. This is a very unique and new marketing strategy that will get you many new fans.
If you are not comfortable doing this, that's understandable, because I was not at first. Why would we spend hard-earned money and time writing, recording, mixing, and mastering my music only to give away for free? I argued for a long time with my partner about it, and the value of art. It wasn't that I wanted to make a ton of money off of my music, but I wanted to stand for the value of all art in general. But in the end I trusted his instinct -- giving away all 5 of my albums for free. I also am not into the monetary system as it is anyway and loved that anyone could have access to music, even if they couldn't afford it.
These sites host CC music and have large member bases so you'll immediately start to see plays and downloads. You have begun to build a fan base!
I partnered with someone that loves my music and loves marketing, and it helps if you love and What in the world is Creative Commons? Next, start messaging content creators on Youtube and let them know your music is. Maybe that's the next format for the music industry,” joked Potts as an . in the footsteps of what Neil Young has done with his back catalogue. Dear labels and streaming services: here is where you can send my idea fee.
There are definitely more of these types of sites -- Google them. You are, but there will still be people that want to support you by purchasing it. Then there are the people that won't even know your music is free - they'll also buy it or stream it on Spotify. Even though Spotify only pays less than a penny a stream , don't worry about money, just be happy that you actually get streamed and are growing a fan base for your art!
Those are the only ones that really matter IMO. Let Others Make Money Off Of Your Music This may seems strange and make some feel uncomfortable, but yes -- let others make money off of your music, without paying you anything.
What does this mean exactly? Remember that Creative Commons license you signed up for?
You already agreed to this. You're letting others use your music for their own financial gain as long as they give you credit.
Good news -- this will get you even more fans!!! Here's how you can let others make money off of your music:. What's a Youtube content creator? Search on Youtube how to paint your nails , how to grow tomatoes , how to downgrade windows 8 , how to learn karate!
There are tens of thousands of content creators with millions of videos, and these videos need music! In most cases, Youtube will not allow them to use traditionally copyrighted music and so much is , and these content creators risk getting their video deleted, or even worse, getting their account banned. Music that is licensed by Creative Commons allows these Youtubers to use your music and credit you in the description.
Guaranteed people will be watching a video on how to do X, Y or Z, and they come across your song, like it, google your name since you are credited in the description, and end up following you on Twitter or Facebook, and buying your song on iTunes. And yes, that Youtube content creator will be getting ad money from Youtube on the video they made using your music. Sign up for Tubeassist.
Yes, content creators on Youtube will be making money off of a video with your music in it I am all about sharing abundance, but you have to be also. There are over 12, videos and counting on Youtube that use my music. Also, an added bonus Since you uploaded your music to Jamendo, Frostwire and Free Music Archive - many content creators go to those sites to find music for their videos.
Youtube search your name and sort by latest upload date and see if any videos using your music are popping up!
They won't actually get you new fans, but they will allow you to interact with them. Here's what I suggest when starting out:. These people believe in you and most likely care about what you care about, which is so precious and beautiful. Everyone has a gift to share and you will likely learn and hear amazing art and ideas from them too.
On Facebook, post about your personal life. On Twitter, do the same. The maneuver made record executives rethink the already-controversial practice of releasing albums by major artists exclusively on one platform , which may help drive subscription numbers, but frustrates fans and encourages piracy. Up until that point, big-name exclusives practically defined the year in popular music: Spotify refuses to play this game.
Meanwhile, the concept of the album itself became ever more fuzzy, thanks to visual albums i. With so much change in the last few years, what could possibly hold? Here are our predictions. All told, about million people are believed to subscribe to music services. Just look at Apple Music.
And they both keep expanding. When Pandora finally launches its subscription service, it will have 78 million listeners to potentially convert into paying subscribers—not to mention a newfound possibility of expansion beyond the U. Streaming music is also breaking free from the confines of our smartphones and laptops. Thanks to the rise of smart speakers like Amazon Echo, Sonos, and Google Home, more listening is happening at home, making the prospect of treating music like a monthly utility an even more sensible one. None of these services has made an enduring profit, although Spotify is working aggressively toward that goal as it gets ready to go public next year.
Big tech companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon can afford to run their music services at a loss indefinitely. Both Tidal and SoundCloud were the subject of acquisition rumors in , and rumors continue to swirl around the prospect of Pandora selling itself off. Bandcamp would make a very attractive acquisition for Pandora or Spotify, but the artist-centric music and merch marketplace is well positioned to stay independent if it prefers: The company has been profitable since and its cultural influence is only growing.
Expect to see fewer music services this time next year.
Also, an added bonus AI could also augment the creative process for flesh-and-blood songwriters. Here is my EPK , as an example:. Meanwhile, the concept of the album itself became ever more fuzzy, thanks to visual albums i. Don't Worry About "Getting Signed" 95 percent of signed artists fail.
At least one of these companies is bound to get acquired or go under altogether. Universal owner of Def Jam may have sworn them off, but the other major labels have remained silent on the issue. Besides, in an age when many artists have an unprecedented capacity to chart their own course, does it really matter what the labels think? Apple and Tidal are apparently willing to shell out a ton of money for these exclusive deals. Despite some controversy, the exclusivity approach seems to work for most artists: Drake was the most-streamed artist on Spotify this year, despite Views only being available on Apple Music when it debuted.
Username or Email Address. The challenges and opportunities around how streaming should evolve were a topic up for discussion in a panel at the FastForward conference in Amsterdam today. The truncation of the album cycle, for one. The album may now be a culmination of a campaign, in other words. Jenniskens talked about the trends FUGA sees. At what point do they start promoting their own artists? Pritchard compared playlist-pitching in the streaming world to radio in the s and s.
Some people are further ahead in their relationships with DSPs. How can artists and labels thrive in that world?
Complete and correct metadata is crucial, said Jenniskens. Are there other ways that streaming is changing the way music is written and recorded, though? So less engaged, and more casual, like traditional radio?