If you haven’t been on stage often and don’t really know how to put on a show, here are a few simple techniques and pieces of advice on how you can succeed in bringing your audience back for more and having them be your best piece of free publicity, word-of-mouth.

Practice: A well-practiced musician/singer puts on a better show. Why? If the words and chord changes are engrained in your mind and you have practiced them relentlessly, you won’t have much to worry about once it’s time to hit the stage. A well-honed piece of music means you will be able to concentrate on the audience instead of the song.

Watch the music pros do their shows: Follow the leaders. Rent DVD’s of some of the top selling concert performers in any genre of music and pay attention to both the noticeable interaction the performer has with the audience in addition to the little nuances. They are participating in audience chatter, which helps build a sense of belonging for the audience members. Some of the top selling performers that audiences expect an excellent show from consistently are:

Celine Dion
Prince
Dolly Parton
Madonna
Kiss
Shania Twain
Barry Manilow
Tina Turner

Other outstanding performers are:

Christina Aguilera
Beyonce
Jay-Z
Justin Timberlake
Britney Spears

Watch stand-up comics: Renting a DVD of your favorite comic will help you gain comedic timing for your own show. When an audience laughs with you, it makes their time with you more memorable. Pay attention to what the comic says on the DVD and watch the reaction from the audience. Listen to how the comic says his or her one-liners and jokes. Also, watch how often he/she uses current headlines in their comedy routine.

Read up on current events: Integrate current events into your audience chatter.

Pull from your past: Pulling stories and events from your past and incorporating them into your show at the right time will bond your audience with you in a deeper way. People are more interested in others they can relate to than those they can’t.

Build a routine for your show: Think of yourself as an actor and build a routine for your show. Write down things to say and memorize them. Flesh them out and put yourself in the audience’s position: Would you find that line funny? Does what you are going to say make sense in your set order?

Build a routine in your show with your band mates: Learn dance steps and fun physical routines to rock your audience out during your show. Audience members love to watch as a guitar player, a bass player and a singer move across a stage together with perfect ease and in perfect step.

Step onto a home stage: Grab a few friends and put a show on for them at your house. Use them as a mock audience and gauge their responses to your rehearsal. Poll them after to find out what made them pay more attention to you during the show and what made them yawn.

Build a rapport with your audience by learning to involve them in your show: There’s nothing that gets an audience more excited than the possibility of being pulled up on stage and sharing a mic with you or pointing them out during the show and having a chat with them.

If you mess up, your audience will forgive: If you forget the lyrics, mess up on the chord changes or pause a little too long in-between song, your audience will forgive you as long as you are humble and own up to your mistake. Play the roll of a diva and a lot of the audience won’t come back for more.

One last note: Stage fright is a common factor for those who perform. Learn to embrace your stage fright because in many cases it may help you make a much better show for your audience.

Ernie Ashworth: Well my own advice would be, if you pass a country radio station, go in there and introduce yourself. Take a CD in with you to see if they will play it or interview you.

Maybe there are some good disc jockeys out there that can do the same thing that they did for me. It’s a lot harder now than it was back in my day. But I still go in when I pass a radio station and see if I can meet the disc jockey.

I am just blessed by the Good Lord to do what I do and disc jockeys made that possible. I don’t mind stopping in there and doing an interview with them even to this day. Even though they aren’t into traditional country music and they are programmed, I still stop in and say hi to them.

Jaci Rae: How did it work back in your heyday for royalties? I don’t know if they gave you performance royalties back then. They don’t now in the U.S., but they do in Europe.

Ernie Ashworth: I made…I forgot how much I made, but most of the money was made on personal appearances. If you had a hit record back then, the price that you were paid for a performance went up.

Jaci Rae: So you weren’t paid a percentage of the profit from the sales of your records?

Ernie Ashworth: When I recorded, they advanced the money and paid for all of the recording costs. They took that money out of my record sales.

Jaci Rae: But once the costs had been paid back, did you receive a portion of the profit?

Ernie Ashworth: No. They always held that money for future sessions.

Jaci Rae: What was life on the road like for you back in the day?

Ernie Ashworth: We toured by automobile, Bettye and I. They (Hicksville Records) sent me out on 20-30 day tours at a time. There would be times when I would do a show, be done at 10 or 11 PM, and then Bettye and I would head for the next date. She was a good night driver; I didn’t like to drive at night.

Bettye would drive all night long and I’d be sleeping in the back seat. When the sun came up she would stop and wake me up. Then I would drive all day and she’d get in the back seat and sleep. Back then, the only one who had a bus was Lester Flat; everyone else drove in an automobile.

Jaci Rae: Do you remember your very first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry and who was playing with you?

Ernie Ashworth: It’s been years now, but I know I was scared to death that night. There were artists like Patsy Cline, Loretta and Little Jimmy playin’ that night. After that, I sang on the Opry every now and then. Then Loretta went to the managers (at the Grand Ole Opry) and told them she wanted me on there as a member. She’s the one responsible for my induction.

Jaci Rae: Tell me about your tour of Elvis Presley’s mansion.

Ernie Ashworth: Back then, they used to have the DJ convention in Nashville. This was before Fan Fair. It was just for artists and DJ’s. Elvis Presley was there one year and nobody paid any attention to him.

He just went around like the rest of us to the DJ’s. The very next year is when he hit big. And I tell you what! You ain’t never seen such a mad house in all your life! There were so many Elvis impersonators that when you walked in the door, women were all over the place outside.

And with so many Elvis impersonators, the women would grab just any of them thinking they were Elvis, and Elvis wasn’t even there that year! Somebody would say, “There’s Elvis!” and women would grab the impersonator!

Back then, I used to get a Christmas card from Elvis every year. To me he was just another artist, so I would give the cards to the kids. I should have kept those cards, ’cause I’d be a millionaire. Bettye and I went to Memphis and stopped at Elvis’ house to thank him. We walked up to the house and knocked on the door.

His mother came to the door and I told her “I’m Ernie Ashworth. I’m from the Grand Ole Opry. I just wanted to stop by and say hi because I’m a big fan of Elvis Presley.” Mrs. Presley said, “Well Elvis has a lot of your records and he loves your singing.”

Then she took Bettye and me on the grand tour of their house. She took us to places most people couldn’t go. I thanked her and she said, “Elvis is a big fan of yours.” That made me feel real good!

Jaci Rae: Didn’t you end up in Hollywood at one point?

Ernie Ashworth: I was lucky enough to be one of the top artists of that era, so they called me to Hollywood to make a movie called “The Farmer’s Daughter” in 1965. They had a part in the movie during a picnic scene and needed a recording artist to appear in it. So they flew me to Hollywood.

Jaci Rae: Which awards have you been nominated for, Ernie?

Ernie Ashworth: I won the Billboard and Cashbox awards for just about everything they have. I’ve won Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and others.

Jaci Rae: You were recently nominated for a Grammy, correct?

Ernie Ashworth: It was for Gospel Recording of the Year a few years back.

Jaci Rae: When were you inducted into the Grand Ole Opry?

Ernie Ashworth: 1964. I was also inducted into the Traditional Music Hall of Fame, Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame.

Jaci Rae: Aren’t you still having huge success in Europe?

Ernie Ashworth: Yes. I was voted the No. 1 most played Country Music Artist in Europe this year. I’m still getting real good airplay over there.

Jaci Rae: They love you. I’ve seen the crowds clamor for you. I love that little white, lip suit you have! Ernie, what other advice would you give to up-and-coming musicians and songwriters today?

Ernie Ashworth: When you get knocked down, stand up and keep going. ‘Cause you’re gonna get knocked down. You don’t make it in the music business overnight unless you’re one of the select few that has an immediate top ten or No. 1 record. It took me a long time to make it big in the music business and join the Grand Ole Opry.

Jaci Rae: Didn’t you appear on The Midnight Jamboree quite a bit?

Ernie Ashworth: Ernest Tubb, he really took a liking to me. I appeared with him on The Midnight Jamboree. When the show was over, he said, “You’re the only one I have ever offered this too. But I like you. I like your singing. I like your humility. I’ve never done this for anyone in all my years here at The Midnight Jamboree, but you have a standing invitation to come and be on this show every Saturday night if you want to be.”

For someone like him to do that for me was quite an honor. I didn’t do his show every week. I did it quite often, but I didn’t want to do it all the time and take a chance away from someone else.

People helped me get started and I try to help others if I can. I’ve never been greedy for a career. I’d rather help someone than hurt someone.

Jaci Rae: We’re in the process of writing the story of your life and I am so excited about that.

Ernie Ashworth: I’m very excited as well. There isn’t anyone else I would want to write it. Many people have approached me, but you’re the only one I want to write about my life.

Jaci Rae: Wow Ernie! I didn’t know that! Thank you! You’ve had an incredibly fun and diverse life. On top of everything you’ve accomplished, you’ve also accomplished an incredible marriage with Bettye.

Do you have any advice to those who are married in the music industry or are in a relationship with someone in the music industry? How can they have success in their relationship when one person may be on the road all the time?

Ernie Ashworth: It is very hard. I’ve had so many people tell me that Bettye and I are a unique couple. They say that normally a country music entertainer is married four, five, six times, and Bettye and I have been together for years. She’s helped me from day one with my career and we laugh a lot together.

Jaci Rae: What are your plans for the future once Bettye is well?

Ernie Ashworth: As soon as Bettye is better, we’re going to Florida for a vacation!

Jaci Rae: Thank you, Ernie, for sharing a piece of your life with the about.com audience.

Ernie Ashworth: It’s been great talking with you, Jaci. Bettye and I love you and we sure enjoyed the tour we did together and hope we can do it again soon.

1. Does this manager represent your genre of music? If you are Country, are they Rock and Roll only or do they represent country music as well.
2. How honest do they feel? It is important that everyone on your team is straightforward and honest. Instinct is your best gauge. You should also ask around the industry to find out how others have reacted to this person.
3. Is this manager reputable? Make sure you get recommendations.
4. Are they just beginning their career or are they already well connected. (If someone is just at the beginning of their career, they may not have the connections you need. However, they may also work harder for you and have fewer clients. You will need to consider the pros and cons.)
5. What are their work ethics? You will need to seek out others who have worked with them to find out this information.
6. what is their managerial style? Do they sit back and watch what other people do, or do they take charge of any situations that occur? To obtain this information, you will need to find other musicians who have worked with them.

Avoid anyone who asks for a monthly retainer fee or salary or states that for $5,000 – $10,000 they can redo your demo CD. Legitimate managers do not ask for a monthly retainer fee or salary and inflated costs to redo your demo is a rip off. In addition, asking for a salary is another way of stating they do not believe enough in your talents to take a risk.

Why would you want to work with anyone who does not believe in you? The sad truth is that many musicians, out of desperation for their career, make poor career choices. Desperation does not make good business arrangements.

An important piece of advice: Do not use an attorney recommended by your prospective manager. You want an attorney who is completely on your side.

“…there are things to do and not to do so we don’t get annoyed when your press kit comes in. I have received what appeared to be hand written promo kits. I’ll receive for instance a CD…no cover on it, a blank white label with an address and phone number literally scribbled on it. When I see something like that, I don’t say to myself, ‘gosh I want to quickly throw this in the CD player, listen to and call this person up for a telephone interview or add them to our artist roster immediately.’”

“It does the opposite. It probably won’t get listened too. If you’re not willing to invest a little hard work or pride into what you’re doing, you’re probably not going to do it if I represent you and I booked you for a show somewhere and had you out there in some other capacity, in turn representing us as a company. You don’t have to invest a lot of money into a promo kit. I’ve received very simple promo kits that look sharp, they look nice. I know a little time was spent on them, but not a lot of money. Simple head shots, full body photographs, with a biography. A reference fee, a demo of the musicians and a nice cover letter that uses proper grammar and a good use of English. That can be as effective as anything. ”

There you have it straight from one of the top booking agents in America (his firms books acts around the world as well). Take the time, take the pride and do it right the first time. First impressions, lasting impressions.

(If you are a really good player, and you think you can get a great take in a couple of tries, you might want to consider offering your services for hire to recording studios in your area. This may be another way for you to generate additional income.)

Additionally, sign up to be an affiliate for someone who’s product cross markets yours.  Additional income if you work it. You can’t just place an ad there and hope it sells. Most

likely it won’t. You will have to give notice to your audience that the product is there. When you have their link on your page, put a _blank target associated to the link so that another web browser pops up and your original page is still there for them when they are done.

If you decide to become incorporated and use a lawyer, the fees can range from $90.00-500.00 per hour, so choose wisely. The total cost for us to incorporate was $900, but that was three years ago.

Get recommendations from others who have done this, or go to your local Chamber of Commerce and ask for recommendations. Before you go to a lawyer, you will need to research the business name you have chosen to see if it has already been taken. To do this, find your local library and ask them if they have databases that allow you to search business names that are already in use. They should be able to guide you through the research process. It takes about 10 minutes, and there are five databases that I know of that search the U.S. and Canada for fictitious business names, Dunn and Bradstreet being one of these searchable databases. Another option to become incorporate is to file on the internet.  I recently did this with my latest company.  Check out these websites to help you.(A quick note, this route is a lot less expensive than a lawyer and you get the same service, but choose wisely.)

http://www.thedelawarecompany.com/_WhyDelaware
https://www.delawareinc.com/order/index.cfm
http://www.incorporatetime.com/Fee.htm

You may also want to think about filing in Delaware. Why? This can produce a safety net for your company against lawsuits. You will need to check out what is best for you. Check with your local Government office to ensure you won’t have to file two times, once in your state and once in Delaware, if you do decide to go this route. Delaware has a long established set of laws that protects Delawre companies from frivolus law suits and lets them focus on doing business rather than fighting expensive legal battles of this type. 

Being incorporated has its advantages and disadvantages. That’s why you may only want to become incorporated once you are making a substantial income, or if you have legal reasons to do so. Being incorporated insures that the name of your company is yours, and no one else has the legal right to use it in your state. However, incorporating will also cost you additional tax money. But there are tax shelter advantages to becoming incorporated as well. You will need to consult a good accountant who can best advise you of what would be beneficial for you as well as the ramifications of your final decision.

If you are going to incorporate, your lawyer should be able to advise you as to which kind of corporation would be best for you if you decide to go this route. Make sure you ask him/her about an “S” corporation or an L.L.C. If he/she thinks an “S” corporation or an L.L.C. would be beneficial for you, you will have to go to an accountant who specializes in entertainment taxes. If you are wondering what the difference between a corporation, an “S” corp or an L.L.C. are, you can research that on the web. Unless you are a huge company, I would not suggest going the incorporated route, I think an “S” corp or an L.L.C. are the best option for a small company. Here are the differences between an “S” corp and an L.L.C.

This is a general explanation. To get a more detailed explanation please check the Internet, your local Library, the IRS or the BBB. 

An “S” corporation grants a special tax label, which must be applied for and granted by the IRS (an EIN number is part of the process). This allows the income of an “S” corp. to be taxed differently.

In a corporation, money is double taxed.  It’s taxed when it comes in the door and then again when it’s paid as income. An “S” corporation avoids double taxation, meaning that the money is only taxed one time and it allows certain deductions to be passed through the “S” corporation and onto the individual tax returns of the owners. 

An L.L.C. (limited liability corporation) provides protection from personal liability. Additionally, an LLC provides certain tax benefits, pretty much the same as an “S” corp.  However, with an L.L.C., you can have as many “members” (owners) as you want.

It is very important to use attorneys and accountants who specialize in entertainment and tax law. You don’t want to pay an attorney or an accountant to go through school to learn the laws pertaining to your field before they even touch your files unless you can afford it. (But even if you can afford to pay for their schooling, do you really want to?)

A disadvantage of being incorporated is that you WILL need an accountant (unless you are a whiz at tax laws – and a bit of advice, a good accountant can get money back from the government for you even if you haven’t paid a single dime in taxes that year. How? Well, I am not an accountant, but I recently saw that happen with a friend and I thought their accountant was shifty. So for their protection, I went to a friend of mine who is a CPA who does corporate taxes and he said it is a fact. I am going to my friend’s accountant next year! ). 

Why will you need an accountant? Because there are different forms you must fill out on a quarterly basis. If you do become incorporated, you can no longer have your business finances and your personal finances in one account. You will need a separate business checking and savings account.

Additionally, you can no longer take deductions for your business against your personal taxes. Those deductions will now be put only against any business income the company has. Any money that comes in for your business is the businesses, not yours. Anything withdrawn other than salary (which is preset) must be documented and of course must be legitimate. The good part is that the company can own everything and then you are at a real tax advantage. For the details of how to do that, you Will need a great tax attorney or accountant who can wade you through those waters.

If insuring that your name is not used by anyone else is your main motivation, incorporating may not be the best thing for you. The same result can be achieved by trade marking your name, which currently costs $350.00 if you file it yourself. (The least expensive lawyer I found when researching this part for the book, was $500.00 to file the trademark application for someone.) Back to what you must do once you set up a business. Expenses for the company paid for out of your pocket must be put in an itemized expense report, and backed by receipts (save those receipts, even for small $1.00 items!), in order for you to get reimbursed.

If you are not incorporated, it would still be advisable to open a separate business checking and savings account. It’s more professional. Try to find a credit union that accepts business accounts. They are much much cheaper. A business account from a regular chain bank will cost you so much per month, usually $10.00-20.00, plus so much per check and so much more per check after you’ve written x-amount of checks.

There are many credit unions that charge one flat fee and that’s it. The least expensive I have seen is $4.00 per month with no per-check fees or hidden costs. Additionally, credit unions typically have higher interest rates for both checking and savings accounts, not to mention that credit unions generally use their money to help the community, so you would be a philanthropist to boot! At any rate, get the most from your money while it sits in the bank.

As far as accounting goes, you need to document everything so your accountant can write it off your corporate taxes at the end of the year, or quarterly if you must file that way. (Let me say it again – Save those receipts! My mom taught me that when I was 13.) Take care to chart the mileage on your car. Document the day, time, and mileage start/end, where you went, and why. This is often an overlooked deduction that can be quite substantial.

Log every CD you give away, and how much each CD cost you (wholesale, not retail), postage, meals that have to do with business, office supplies, travel expenses, clothes (deductible only if you only use them for business), hair-care products and make-up (if you must wear it), manicures (only while you are on tour), fees for weight loss is now a legal deduction, phone calls, etc. It is best to get a separate phone line for your business. It will be clear-cut for accounting purposes, but also the IRS will like it better. Tell the phone company you want an extra regular line, or they will charge you up the wazoo for a business line. It’s better to over-document than to under-document. Your accountant can not write off what is not documented. A good accountant who is familiar with entertainment taxes will be able to easily ascertain which of your expenses are deductible and which are not. At the end of the year, they will tell you, if you ask, what you should continue to document. The rest you will have to learn in business courses, by word of mouth, and through experience.

If you have written the music yourself, please make sure to copyright your music prior to releasing your CD. This will help you protect your intellectual property. To request a copyright application form call or write:

Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000

You can also download the forms at: http://www.copyright.gov/forms/

Do not rely on a “Poor Man’s Copyright” to protect your music. (A “Poor Man’s Copyright” is when you send your lyrics and music to yourself via registered or regular mail and don’t open it. Supposedly the postal date stamp on the outside of your envelope will provide legal evidence as to when you wrote the contents if the question ever arises.)

“In the United States, under the Federal Copyright act, copyright attaches to any work once it is in fixed media of tangible expression. As long as it’s merely an idea in its creator’s mind, there is no copyright protection for it. In the context of a book or writing, for example, the moment the author types out his or her manuscript on their computer, at that moment copyright protection attaches to the work because is has been reduced to a tangible medium of expression that others and read and understand. 

The author now has copyright protection for that work, regardless of whether he or she registers it. Most people have at one time or another purchased a home and copyright registration is analogous to that process. When you buy real estate, you go to a closing, typically at an attorney’s office. The person who is selling the house to you is at the closing and the Seller signs and delivers a deed transferring the house to you. 

The attorney takes the deed, which is your proof of ownership of the house, and records the deed in the county land records. The recorded deed is notice to the world that you now own a particular parcel of real estate. The copyright registration system is similar in its function. The author who owns a manuscript wants the rest of the world to know he or she owns that intellectual work and desires to protect it from unauthorized use. 

The author can complete a simple form; send it to the United States Copyright Office with a small fee together with copies of the manuscript. The copyright office accepts the manuscript into the Library of Congress and officially register’s it in the name of the Author. Like the deed in the land records the copyright registration gives notice to the world of the Author’s claim of copyright to that manuscript. The registration did not create a copyright, the author already owned it. 

By registering, the author has simply given the world notice that he or she has written the manuscript and that he or she is putting the world on notice that if another person wants to use this manuscript, that person must seek permission from the Author. By registering the copyright under the Federal Copyright Act, the Author is granted some additional benefits. 

For example, once the Author registers his or her copyright, if someone infringes that copyright by using the manuscript without the Author’s permission, then the Author is afforded some additional remedies under the copyright act, such as statutory damages. This allows the author to recover damages for the infringement even though he or she might not be able to prove any real damages or if the real damages are minor. For example, let’s suppose someone wrongfully uses the Author’s manuscript by printing and selling 500 copies of his or her book without permission. Let’s also assume that the sale of authorized versions of the book would have resulted in profits of $1,000 to the Author. 

The infringing party has caused the Author damages; however, the damages are small enough that the expense of litigation may not justify the Author taking any action. If, however, the Author registered his or her copyright then he or she can seek statutory damages, which provide for a greater recovery for that infringement than the Author might otherwise seek to recover for because of the small amount of damages. Registration may also allow the Author to recover expenses such as attorneys’ fees and litigation costs. 

The so called “poor mans copyright” does not give the Author the protections and benefits that registration provides. The “poor mans copyright” is merely evidence that on a certain day the Author placed his manuscript in an envelope and mailed it on to himself on that date.  Unlike registration, the “poor man’s copyright” does not put the world on notice that you claim ownership in a particular work. 

This would be like accepting a deed to real estate and instead of recording the deed in the land records; you mail it to yourself as evidence of your ownership of the land. No one else knows about your claim.  In my opinion the “poor man’s copyright” does not give very much protection to the owner. Registration is far more effective, inexpensive and beneficial means of giving notice of your claim to a particular work.”

THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AS A GENERAL STATEMENT AND IS NOT INTENDED, AND CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL COUNSEL.  EACH SITUATION IS FACT DEPENDENT AND YOU SHOULD SEEK INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL WITH REGARD TO YOUR PARTICULAR

CIRCUMSTANCES.”

Guy Miller Hogan II, Entertainment Attorney Lassiter, Tidwell, Keller, Hogan and Hildebrand, Nashville, TN Tel:  (615) 259-9344 Email:  mhogan@lassiterlaw.com

A publisher is to a songwriter what an agent is to an actor. These people will both produce and hold the mechanical licenses themselves, or they will go through an agency. The most common agency is Harry Fox Licensing Agency. It can take two to 10 months or longer to get mechanical licenses.

Some writers or publishers want their royalty fees up front. They will ask you how many CDs you are pressing, and request the packing slip from the disc manufacturer before they issue you a license. The royalty rate, as of the printing of this book, is $.085 per song under five minutes, and a higher rate for every minute thereafter. The following is a schedule so you will know to keep the length of your songs within certain time limits, which will also help you keep them “radio-friendly songs” (explained in a later chapter):

Time                                         Rate

0:00 – 5:00 minutes                   .0850 cents
5:01 – 6:00 minutes                   .0990 cents
6:01 – 7:00 minutes                   .1155 cents
7:01 – 8:00 minutes                   .1320 cents

The royalty fee schedule is as follows:

(Royalties are due 45 days after the close of each calendar quarter)

1st quarter ends March 31st                 Royalties are due on May 15th
2nd quarter ends June 30th                   Royalties are due on August 15th
3rd quarter ends September 30th          Royalties are due on November 15th
4th quarter ends December 31st           Royalties are due on February 15th

All of the above is subject to change. These were the rates and dates at the time of printing, and are only here for your reference. You will need to verify them when you get mechanical licensing agreements. Some publishers and writers may give you reduced royalty rates. You need to ask. Save money! The following is the website for the Harry Fox Agency:

Harry Fox Agency
http://www.nmpa.org/hfa/mechanical.html

Contact the Harry Fox Agency if you would like them to represent your song. They will only represent you if you are a publisher. A publisher is defined as someone who has music on anyone else’s CD except their own. If you only have music cut on your own CD, the Harry Fox Agency won’t represent you. If they represent you, they will send out the mechanical license and collect the royalties for you. If you decide to do it yourself, find the mechanical license standard form and make sure to stay on top of it. A side note to artists: Make sure you obtain mechanical licenses BEFORE you record a song. If you do not do this, there are some very stiff fines and penalties, and the publisher has the right to have your product pulled off the market. So make sure you do the business side first before the music side. Again, the point made is to educate yourself about the business side, too.

Here is a quote from Sherrill Blackman, President of The SDB Music Group and NPN (Nashville Publishers Network) for songwriters. He has represented songs on hit records recorded by LeAnn Rimes, John Michael Montgomery, Trace Adkins, Don Williams, Steve Holy, and many others, including me.

“There is only one rule in songwriting. It is quite simply: Do what’s best for the song. This includes rewriting it, re-demoing it, or even changing just one chord or one word of the lyric. If this is what it takes to make that song a better song, then so be it. But this also includes putting the song aside and moving on to another. Sometimes a song is what it is and all it will ever be.”

In order to save yourself a lot of stress, plan realistically on at least one year from the beginning to the end of your musical project (the digital world is a bit different and I will go into that later). Most likely you will finish before, but if you plan ahead, you won’t be disappointed if it does take you a year to finish the CD.

If you are going the conventional route of getting radio airplay and obtaining a distributor, and you write your own material, plan from the time you set up your own business, copyright your material, get into the studio, get the CD pressed, contact radio stations, find a distributor (if you take that route), set up digital distribution, send it out to radio, etc. This should take six to eight months. If you don’t write your own material, add an additional six months, so you can find material that suits your style.

Let me give you a time reference. The first step is the business setup I wrote about in the previous chapter. Then you will move into finding or writing material. Then it’s on to recording, which should take about a month for all musicians and vocals. (If you have optimum conditions, e.g. the studio is always available to you when you need it and it is never booked up, all musicians and singers have no scheduling conflicts, and no problems occur such as equipment failures, broken instruments, someone getting sick, a car breaking down, etc., you may finish your recording sooner than one month. 

My last CD took two days to record 11 songs, with all musicians, backing and lead vocals and mix-down, but I was working with the best in the business and because of the push, we worked 24 hours a day solid.  You may not be able to afford that right now or have the time to devout to a 48 hour stretch.)  Next you will need to have your pictures taken for the CD and/or hire a graphic designer. 

I try to have this step scheduled during the mixing process. Why? If it’s done before the CD is made, the music might not match the cover and you don’t’ want to confuse an audience with a hard rock looking cover when you ended up sounding more like Nelly. Second if you wait until after mixing, you will have down time as you wait for the film to be finished and the set up of the CD cover to be done before you can send the master for the music and the pictures to your manufacturer. 

During the set up for the CD cover, you can begin mixing and mastering, which together should take about three to four weeks, if you are on the books right away with the companies you are going to use. Once you have finished these processes, you will need to press the CD. Pressing the CD takes about six to eight weeks in a long stretch. Last but not least, there is the actual mailing. Depending on how many CDs you are sending out, and how much pre-assembling of the press kits you have already done (more later), this can take anywhere from two days to three weeks. If you add it all up, it comes out to about six to 12 months.

Now wait a minute, didn’t Mariah Carey sell well over 50 million albums since 1990?  (Strictly speaking in the dollar terms, that’s roughly 649 million dollars in album sales alone.) And wasn’t she one of the hottest acts in the past decade and in the exclusive Top Ten All Time Artist who have the most consecutive #1 hits? 

Okay, so she’s not married to the head of Sony Records any more and who cares that she had an emotional breakdown (who wouldn’t with the kind of pressure she has to deal with – I think I’d like to have a breakdown now!) – She’s considered a liability?  When her contract was reportedly worth an estimated 80 million dollars and trouble looming over an already unsteady economy, which has hit the music industry over the past several year in declining sales, especially since the tragic events that occurred on September 11^th, it’s no wonder the “ax” would fall on those with huge salaries. 

With sales from her first release on Virgin/EMI only reaching 400,000 when it was released, this album has been a disappointment to record company execs as I am sure it was to Ms. Carey who has always been at the top of the charts until now.  But doesn’t everyone have a bad hair day?  Of course, but not to the tune (excuse the pun) of 25 million dollars which is what Ms. Carey was reportedly paid for the first release, “Glitter” on her old label.  Now mind you, I would love to make that kind of money, and hats off to Ms. Carey’s people for negotiating that kind of deal, but the risk one takes in being the highest paid, is that you are usually the first one to go when times are tough. 

While Ms. Carey might have had an easier time with her old label because of loyalty to her and the huge profits she has generated and still does for them, this brand new label had nothing but dollar signs and no loyalty to her financially.  Hopefully, Alain Levy who replaced Ken Berry will be able to renegotiate Ms. Carey’s contract instead of letting her go. 

This was and still is today definitely yet another wake up call in an already floundering industry.  With Record Companies going down and out and hanging out their shingles right and left (DreamWorks being the latest).  Executives being fired here, there and everywhere.  Artists trying to duck for cover so they aren’t the next casualty; it’s a scary proposition being a musician.  Okay, so it’s always been a scary proposition.

So I ponder…why are things so much worse then they used to be?  Could it be that too much money is being paid at the top?  Is there not enough promotion?  Is there too much shifting and leveraging to get the best deal?  Is the quality of the product not meeting the demands of the populace?  Bingo!  With the fragile state of this and so many other industries, 1 hit wonders mentality must go if the recording industry wants to not just survive, but thrive. (Ms. Carey does not fall into this category; other then they are trying to find the next Mariah Carey.) Quality, not quantity.  The industry needs to stop the mass cookie cutter attitude by trying to produce the same acts with different people in them over and over again.  It’s like eating the same meal at different restaurants night after night.  Different chefs, the same recipe, but none of the meals were as good as the first taste you had at your favorite restaurant.   If you keep churning out the same act with different faces, eventually the fans will get tired of the original acts also and stop buying even their product. 

Change is a good thing and new acts come up all the time, but change is not good when it is constantly happening and no one knows which end is up.  The industry needs some stability and consistency, not only in the ranks, but also with the artists.  Too many artists are pulled off the shelves before they even get off the ground, leaving the listening audiences confused and disgruntled.  The labels have forgotten the fans and is only worrying about paying their costly mortgages, thereby losing all loyalty from the paying public.

If the audience is not happy, they won’t buy the product.  In addition, we seem to be seeing even in the bigger named artists, with only 1 song released off their albums to the listening public.  Not many people want or can afford to buy an album for $11.98 with only 1 song they like on it anymore, even if they are loyal fans of the established artist.  The general population is the ones who are suffering the most in this economy. 

If there is little or no money coming in, then the day of the big contracts is gone.  Some of the largest selling albums are ones with multiple songs on it that the listener likes.  Take Shania Twain for example.  Her albums are mega sellers with more then 1/2 the album on the singles charts at various times.  Why are her albums huge?  Because they are quality, and a great bargain.  The buying populace wants a deal.  The Record Industry seems to want to put out a little and expect to get a lot, and in doing so, they are losing the fan base in general.  People are spending their money elsewhere. 

They forgot that we are the fans and the fans have the buying power.  Without the buying power, they lose their jobs, the big deals go away, and the labels go under.  They need to stick with the artists once they have signed them, promote them, and if the first album doesn’t work, try another one and work harder with a different strategy.  Forget trying to get another Mariah Carey, N-Sync, or Shania Twain. 

Use the talent that is there and churn out more then a 1 hit wonder.  Then the buying public will come back and the fan base will be there for hopefully years to come.  Look at acts like the Beatles, Garth Brooks, Elvis Presley, ABBA and Barbara Streisand to name a few.  These acts stir the general public, and very few people have not heard of them.  They still sell records and when they do a concert, it’s sold out in a second.  This is because of quality.  They weren’t churned out and then spit out.  

Let’s take ABBA for example.  This is a group based in the 70’s, and they haven’t had a hit record in decades.  They are also one of the biggest selling groups of all times, still selling albums today.  Recently, they were offered a billion dollars to tour for one year.  The turned it down (wish I could do that!).  While that is a contradiction of what I said about those with the largest pay being cut first, it is in line with what I have been trying to say here all along – the bottom line is the fan base.  If it’s not there, the money will not come in, and it can’t be there with a 1 hit wonder.  Too much spending, and not enough quality product has caused the music industry to come crashing down to reality. 

A little side note on Ms. Carey.  I do wish all the success on her new CD (and it looks like she’s hitting the top).  She certainly deserves it.  She has worked hard and worked smart for the most part and has earned the right to a deal of the magnitude she received.

But what happens when something goes terribly wrong?  We’ve seen some very odd sightings both on the streets of LA and on the covers of various supermarket tabloids.   Burt Reynolds and Farrah Fawcett seem to have their skin pulled so tightly that their faces are actually misshapen.  Joan Rivers jokes about talking through her navel after so many face lifts. Then there’s the infamous Michael Jackson. 

A plastic surgeon on the Discovery Channel recently stated that Michael Jackson’s nose is actually dying from all the surgery.  They displayed a recent picture of Michael Jackson in court and the skin was actually peeling off his nose.  And now there is speculation that his nose is really a prosthesis.

While these particular surgeries are all considered elective, many plastic surgeries are required to correct a serous defect or repair someone after an accident, or to correct a medical situation brought about by a previous surgery. 

So, how do you choose a reputable plastic surgeon and minimize the potential disastrous effects of surgery or surgical complications?  People on the “A” list in the entertainment industry get recommendations from other celebrities who have had skilled surgeons work on them.  But, what do the rest of us do? You know, those of us who don’t make $25 million a picture or have $43 million record deals do?

The sad fact is that many individuals base their decision on whether their doctor participates in their insurance program’s PPO or HMO.  Others base their decision on the price of the surgery.  Neither of these methods guarantees a skilled surgeon, and if you’re shopping around for a bargain deal, limit that to what you can find at the local Wal-Mart, not your surgeon. You’re risking your life if you do.  There have been numerous horror stories and even deaths resulting from bargain basement surgeons promising beautiful breast or a youthful appearance.

Since it appears as if it’s almost mandatory that people in the entertainment industry get plastic surgery at some point in their careers, you need to choose wisely.  Here are a few questions you should ask when seeking out a skilled and reputable surgeon.

1. Get several recommendations from verifiable and reliable sources. 

1. Check with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to verify if he or she is in good standing.  Here is their website: http://www.plasticsurgery.org/.  Also go to the American Board of Plastic Surgeons: http://www.abplsurg.org/ to see if the doctors you are considering are listed. 

The American Board of Plastic Surgeons is the only specialty board responsible for certifying plastic surgeons approved by the American Medical Association and the American Board of Medical Specialties. Any doctor who is certified by the board must meet the following requirements:

• They must have graduated from a school, which is accredited at the time of graduation by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME), a Canadian Medical School accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS), or from a United States osteopathic school accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
• They must have completed a minimum of three years clinical training in general surgery, or complete an approved residency in orthopedic surgery, or be certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology.
• They must have completed a minimum of two to three years approved residency training for plastic surgery in the United States or Canada.
• They must have successfully passed a written, practical and oral examination in plastic surgery.
• They must maintain an ethical standing in the community as well as moral status.

You can also check with the Federal Trade Commission for instructions: http://www.ftc.gov/.  Don’t go strictly by the certificates on the wall.  Anyone can look impressive by printing up (or ordering) a certificate or a diploma and getting a good framer.

Ask questions of the doctor!!!  Find out what percentage of his surgical practice is spent performing the type surgery you are interested in.  Find out the length of time your doctor has invested in training for the procedure, as well as how many of the procedure you are choosing to undertake they have performed in total and how many years they have actually performed it. Ask how many of these surgeries were successful and how many were not.  Ask what they attributed for the negative results.  Find out what happened and why so it doesn’t happen to you.  Also find out if they are continuing their education to keep fresh in the field.

If the doctor is resentful or cops an attitude because you ask detailed questions and expect complete answers from them, walk away, going on to the next doctor on your list.  They should have nothing to hide.  There are dentists who have gone to a weekend seminar and are now certified to do liposuction.  Now that’s scary!  Plastic surgery is a very lucrative business with billions of dollars spent annually.  Everyone wants his or her piece of the pie.  Make sure to verify all information with reliable sources.

1. Tell your doctor you would like to speak to some of his patients who have already had similar procedures done.  Most reputable surgeons adhere to this practice.

1. Get a second opinion from the second doctor on your list and repeat steps 2-4 again before you make your decision.  Ask yourself an important question: “Who did I feel, gut level feeling, more comfortable with?”  Then and only then, make your informed decision.

While all of these steps may seem like overkill, and may take some time, they will save you years of additional reconstructive surgery and thousands of dollars if you ask questions, verify information and practice patience at the onset. 

A year and a half ago I had a medical need to undergo breast reduction.  I had insurance and simply chose a provider on my list.  I made my decision based on my insurance carrier.  I didn’t do my due diligence and check the doctor out as I am advocating you do.  Unfortunately, a year after the surgery, I was still suffering from infection, hardening and complete numbness in both breasts, not just in one area.   Additionally the surgery left me with a deformity on both sides that caused problems both physically and esthetically.  I had to undergo more surgery as a result, but once again I was at a loss of who to go to, or more importantly who I should trust.

A good friend of mine had a child who unfortunately needed to undergo plastic surgery.  She knew my plight and recommended her child’s doctor.  I was little apprehensive as you can imagine.

I spoke to other friends about future surgery. I mentioned my thoughts about using this doctor.  And, to my surprise, many of them had heard of him.  Apparently he is very famous in the entertainment industry and extremely well respected.

After seeing him, I understood how he had earned his reputation.  He and his staff were, and are incredible!  I have never been to any doctor who was as thorough or able to put me as much at ease.

Needless to say I’m doing extremely well now because of him and his staff’s skill and care.  After all I went through with such an essential part of my physical body and appearance, as well as my personal health, I am on the road to recovery finally. 

Take a word of warning from someone who has “been there, done that,” do your research.  If you choose poorly, especially while working in an industry that places so much emphasis on physical beauty, you may no longer have the career you once had; and more importantly, you may not have your health or your life.  Just as you practiced your craft to become the best at what you do, carefully pick a surgeon who has put the same care and effort into his training.  In this case you will get what you pay for.

You also don’t want the expense of an out of town or out of country doctor. If you don’t have insurance, check online for temporary travelers insurance.

Save money on gas and food by getting them free. Check online for surveys. I have all that listed in my Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae – How to Get Almost Anything Free or Next to it.

Scriptcopier.com has copies for two cents. This will help defray costs for the flyers you need for your street team. Make sure you have one.

Make sure you have black and white photo cards made up, inexpensively (the least expensive I have ever found are in Los Angeles). Autograph these free while you are sitting at your merch table after the show.

Always have someone staffing the merch booth. Many people will come during the show to avoid the lines.

Walk around after the show with your CD in hand and several in your pocket as well as change (dollar bills) to sell to people. Talk to your fans, don’t just sell.

Make sure to have a sign up sheet on the table at the merch booth. Say something like, “Hey, if you sign up for my touring list, we can notify you of our shows and I will give you a free autographed picture.”

To save money on hotels or hostels, contact the people who are involved with your tour. DJ’s, promo, publicity and find out if they have any friends who might want to be your host family while you are there. Do not take advantage of the host family. Be of value to them and give them autographed goods, CDs, etc.

Don’t waste your money on a lot of merchandise such as T-Shirts, etc. until you are more established and have a fan base that is actually yours. Why? You will spend a lot of money on product that may go to waste. Spend that money once you have a solid fan base that is showing up to your gigs because you are there, not because another band is.

Ask other bands in your genre if they would want to share lists. By that, I mean, when you send out a notice about your group, you also send a notice about theirs and visa versa. It’s a great way to cross promote.

Make friends, not enemy’s. You are not a diva and people don’t like them so don’t become one.

Make sure you have a contract. Without one, you can get screwed.

Learn the business. This is show business. Put on the show with all your heat and soul so they want to come back, but learn the business.

Make sample cards with music samples, not full songs on them and hand them out at the gigs. Keep costs down and make sure you get a great deal on this. Don’t waste your money if you don’t have extra.

Youth hostels are a great way to stay. Be safe.

Hone your craft and skills.

The money you make won’t be in ticket sales, not even the big stars make the most money that way. You make the money with merchandise and by sponsors.

Just because you aren’t a “big” star, doesn’t mean you can’t run in the same arena. Go to you local Joe Smogh shop in the town you live in and ask them to sponsor you band for $10, $25 or whatever. Stress that it’s a tax write-off for them and will help your band. In exchange, you will put up a banner they provide (they need to provide it). Alternatively, you will put them on the flyers. Get enough sponsors to help support your tour.

Frequently, I am asked by parents and friends of aspiring “stars” to offer my opinion about getting their child into show business. Recently my publicist, Marsha Friedman, President of Event Management sent me the following question:

“…After the performance I spoke with her mom (who was in tears the whole time) about their incredible daughter and her future. Their daughter’s dream is to be on stage singing professionally…I said I would forward some information to you – to get your thoughts.”

After much contemplation, I wrote to the parents (excerpt):

“No matter how strong your daughter or your dream is, wait until she is 18 to try for stardom. She is already doing what she most wants, and that is to be on stage. Once she is 18 and you are ready for her to sell sex to other teenagers and older men in their 20’s – 60’s, she will be better equipped to handle the response, as you will be also…”

These words may strike you as unnecessarily candid, and perhaps a touch vulgar, but the reality is that most parents and children do NOT dream of just “being on stage.” If that was the sole requirement for their happiness, then local stage performances (a much safer avenue) would satisfy their dream. Since the child may already be doing that, there would be no more questions as the goal would have been achieved. Sadly, the aim as stated is wrong. What the parents and child really want is stardom, without knowing the cost.

They focus on the Hollywood dream and convince themselves that the path to stardom will be a romantic ride. The fantasy is filled with adoring fans, endless wealth, eternal fame and glamorous travel. This illusion inevitably fades, and what remains is disappointment, heartache, bills and endless travel (in less than desirable circumstances). More ominously, some of the “adoring fans” may actually be obsessed with the child, to the point of danger. This should not be entirely surprising as the child is being sold to look like the American male fantasy of an adult woman.

Many people reading this article will be convinced that I am wrong, or at least exaggerating. I ask you to consider the last time you saw a child “star” that looked like a child in their videos? The typical images are a 15 year old Britney Spears, a 14 year old JoJo, or a 13 year old Leanne Rimes

When Spears came into the public eye, she was dressed like a Catholic school girl, seducing the audience with, “Ooh, baby baby.” Leanne Rimes was dressed in a black satin outfit singing, “How Do I Live Without You.” (It should be noted that her ‘look’ would be considered tame by today’s standards.) Why are they dressed this way? Frankly, the music industry sells sex, sex sells.

These girls (although Leanne and Britney are now adults) are talented and beautiful, yet they are strategically packaged to entice older men. The fans who are young teenage girls don’t care whether the artists are sexy when they purchase music. However, continually seeing their idols dressed seductively has made them aware of sexuality and they want to dress the same way. This contributes to the cheapening of children’s values and image, and the cycle continues.

Recently, I was running on the treadmill at the gym when I was stunned by what I saw on one of the news channels. It was a feature about a modeling contest for children limited to those twelve and under. The winner would receive a one million dollar modeling contract, which of course sounds amazing! However, as the clip continued, mouths dropped throughout the gym. Three girls (under 12 – contest requirements) dressed in skimpy bikinis were being drenched with water and gazing at the camera like they wanted to seduce each man watching. If the girls were twenty-five, aware of what they were doing and, as adults, making their own decisions, I wouldn’t think much about it. However, the participation of twelve year olds is horrifying. Child pornography is universally condemned and pedophiles treated with not only revulsion, but the full force of the law. Doesn’t this fall under the same category, just corporately condoned?

In my opinion, prostituting children in this manner is perpetuating child pornography in a purportedly “legal” manner. This practice needs to be stopped. While the music industry to date, has not participated in such an extreme level of exploitation of children, I still believe that children should be kept out of the music industry on a professional level until they are at least 18. Even with the strongest family support possible, they are not emotionally equipped to handle the issues that will inevitably emerge. Realistically, however, I know that children will continue to be signed and sold long before their eighteenth birthdays, let me offer some practical advice.

1. Protect your child from a physical standpoint. From a financial perspective, learn the business inside and out. You MUST know: Who gets what and why? How much was made or lost? What is the bottom line? If you don’t make this a priority, you will join the host of famous artists who have been forced to claim bankruptcy.
2. Put together a dazzling press kit. People receiving the kit must be enticed into opening the package, so you will have to present your child in their best light. The demo must be well produced and include four of your child’s best numbers. Keep in mind that each song will be listened to for about fifteen to thirty seconds before moving on to the next piece. It’s possible to make a pretty impressive demo on your own for about two thousand dollars, including pressing. Don’t fall victim to the scam of someone guaranteeing stardom for your child with a professionally cut demo if you simply write a ten thousand dollar check.
3. If possible, establish a track record of sales BEFORE any contact with recording labels. (Get your CD listed on Soundscan.) You’ll have greater bargaining power if you know your product value prior to negotiating.
4. If a label finances the recording of a CD, it is a loan, NOT a gift, and must be paid back. The recording industry is a business, not a charity. Beware of becoming competitors insurance. If you fall into that trap, you may lose everything. (I detail all of this in my book, The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing and Money.)
5. The phrase is, accurately, “Show Business,” and your child must be prepared to put on a “show,” just as you and they need to learn the “business.” Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Madonna and Justin Timberlake are great examples of how this is done and the work involved to sustain sell-out crowds.
6. Provide acting, vocal and dance lessons for your child, and register them for writing classes. Writers currently receive 8.5 cents per song on a CD, while the artist generally receives one point per album. Writers make the most money, with little or no initial investment. Make sure you understand how to legitimately copyright music. The aptly named ‘poor man’s copyright’ won’t hold up in court.
7. Avoid anyone stating that for an upfront fee, they can make your child a star. Managers and agents get paid a percentage in the range of 10-20%. Managers usually receive 10-15%, while agents receive 15-20%. You also need to know and understand the difference between managers and agents. Similarly, lawyers shopping a deal for your child on his/her own volition will take a percentage of the contract. (Lawyers that you hire on your own request must be paid up front.)
8. Marketing and promotion are imperative and can be very expensive. Labels have access to promotion capabilities that most individuals cannot afford. However, there is no limit or cost to imagination, so be creative! Affordable promotion can be attainable.
9. Develop personal relationships with contacts at the labels. Once you get to know people, they may offer you a special code to put on the outside of your package which signals to the front desk that your package is requested. (simply writing “material requested” on the outside of the package will not work) DON’T submit anything without permission; most throw unsolicited press kits in the garbage and a few return them unopened. Warner Brothers sends a nice note referencing legal concerns, while Disney sends a nicer more detailed note explaining their policy around copyright laws. Don’t waste valuable product and time.
10. The most important piece of advice I can offer however is to protect your child and give them an opportunity to have a normal childhood. Watch over them all the time and don’t send them out alone. Your child is your responsibility and once damage is done by someone, you can’t take it back. Be careful with them, they are precious gifts not to be used for an ego boost.

Currently, many people are considering the ‘American Idol’ route, while forgetting that only one person in the 22 million that showed up for auditions last year actually made it.

One last note: Label representation can be an awesome thing, but you must know the business first! I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.

Because of the massive appeal of digital distribution and the easy and fast access to the Internet available now to most people, unknown musical talent now has a real chance at real success.  Additionally the indie musician is not stuck with the costs of making an entire CD.  They can make a single and post it on the Internet, gaining huge success from one song.

With marketing sensibility, a little business acumen and some know how, any musician with talent can now achieve success, great success in fact on their own.  Recently, while a guest on the Sirius Satellite Radio Show The Good Life, I spoke with the host who told me that his two teenage boys get most of their music off the Internet and never listen to regular radio anymore.  Why?  Because they can obtain music from acts they wouldn’t be allowed to listen to on traditional radio.  They’re tired of the same old bands and singers being played over and over again.   “Most don’t have any talent, they’re just showpieces.”  This isn’t the first or the last time I’ve heard that statement from teenagers and adults alike.

For a DIY / Indie musician or singer who wants to reach a larger market (and you must have a good product) and receive more exposure for their product on the Internet, the first thing you need to do is market, guerrilla market and then market some more.  How do you do that?  There are many ways that I mention in my book, The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing and Money but here are a few simple suggestions:

• Join in on the music fun and know how!  It’s time to join music boards and start in on the discussion.  At the end of each of your posts make sure to put who you are and your website.  Add something to the conversation, don’t spam.  Write helpful hints and post them on the boards, etc.  If the boards don’t allow tags but they do allow you to post your email address, make sure it’s something with your website at the end.  Have a real email address but DON’T use your main email because it will be spammed.  Something like this:  musicindustry@jacirae.com
•  Get out and begin a meet and greet of your own.  By that I mean, start networking at local musician meetings and songwriter / artists forums in your region.  You can find them on the Internet.  These meetings host artists such as yourself who get together on a regular basis to discuss the music scene and present their latest creations.  It’s also a wonderful place to get the pulse on gigs you can join in on and new marketing ideas.
•  Why not turn the tables on snail mail spammers who send postage paid?  You know all that annoying spam snail mail you receive with pre-paid postage envelopes inside? Why not save the envelopes and put a little note inside that states since they were kind enough to share their information with you, you’re returning the favor.  Also, with any bill or any correspondence you send out that’s official, include a one sheet or little card that has a blurb about you and your music (watch the weight; you don’t want to add more postage).  Make sure to put your website on whatever material you have. 
•  Using modern technology can jump start your career.  Start your own podcast and post it on all the podcast sites.
•  If you don’t have the patience or money to do your own podcast, why not send your music to different podcasts.  Ask permission first.  Send them to your site where they can hear a sample or two and if they are receptive to playing your music on their podcast, send it along.  If they use your music in their podcast you may have gained new fans and sold more CDs. 

More important to your career as well as more effective than any other marketing tool is to play live.  Go to a local eatery, lunch bar, dinner, Wal-Mart, Starbucks and other local shops and ask if you can put on a free concert there.  Anywhere and any place that will let you play, do!  Make sure to have a sign up sheet where people can sign up for your newsletter.  Then create a newsletter and send it out once a month at the most.  This is a form of “Buzz Marketing” also known as “Viral Marketing.”  At the end of the letter make sure you include your webpage of course.  Tell your fan base they can pass it along to whoever they want.

With the very small list above and a lot more you can come up with, you can make headway and begin to sell more CDs.  The time for the indie musician is now.  Take advantage of it!

Until recent times, Indie Artists and the labels they set up for themselves had a hard time getting their music heard by anyone outside their own backyard pool of fans.  With guerilla marketing finally becoming common practice and online music stores becoming a main stay for the music aficionado, record pools are now open for business to the general indie population.  

What is a record pool?  Basically, a record pool is a membership of DJ’s that act as an intermediary between DJ’s and the music makers.  The power behind a record pool is that it can reach a mass, global market in lightening speed. 

As of 2005, there are over 7000 DJ’s and industry professionals who are part of this digital revolution.  In order for a DJ to belong to a record pool, they must pay a monthly association fee to obtain the latest and most current music. 

Frequently this music is available to them before it becomes available to mainstream radio, and because of that, record pools quite often have more of an initial impact than the popular mainstream outlets.

The power radio programmers have over radio, clubs and street music is now handed over to the DJ’s who participate in the record pools, allowing them to have control over what they “break.”

So how can you get an invitation to swim in their pool? No invitations necessary, but you must have a good professional product that is available in digital format (although I did find one that accepted vinyl). 

Some of the record pools now require that you have your own label, meaning that you don’t submit as your band name.  That is easily done by setting up your own label (too much information to go into here, but you can find the information inside my book The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing and Money). 

Once you have the business side taken care of, start searching the internet using the keywords, “record pool,” and then contact them to be certain that your style of music is part of their repertoire.

Don’t randomly send out your online or hard copy press kit to every record pool you find, just as you wouldn’t send your music to every station you discover.  E.g., a country record pool isn’t interested in acid rock and a classical record pool won’t be interested in spinning a blue grass tune.  Then begin to submit your CDs using the contact information you acquired.  Do you homework and beware of companies that don’t post charts or may be music collectors.

Here are a few record pools I found on the web:

http://www.americanrecordpool.com (they represent an assortment of music, including R&B, Hip-Hop and Dance.)

http://www.keystonespinners.com (they represent Hip Hop, Latin, World and Jazz)

http://www.vipchicago.com  (they represent Dance, Hip Hop, and Latin)

The time for indie artists is upon us, but you better take advantage of record pools now, before someone puts a “no swimming without a lifeguard” sign out.

You have to decide whether you are going to local and regional stations (which are a good recommendation if you don’t have a lot of money to work with and you aren’t worried about charting.), or if you are going after national stations, which is only a good idea if you are already established locally and are seeking national exposure and a chance to chart.

As with all submissions, always get permission ahead of time before you submit your music.  There are two easy ways to find radio station information.  The first is to log onto the internet and search the radio station databases available.  This method is free, but will take some time.  The best resources I have found are “MIT Radio Stations on the Web” (http://wmbr.mit.edu/stations/list.html) and “BRS Radio Stations” (http://www.radio-directory.com.) 

Most sites list the stations by genre (style of music), state, etc.  You should bookmark these sites in your Internet browser. You will find yourself going back to these sites often. The major advantage the internet offers is the ability to download information into a spreadsheet or word processing document to make labels and save data for your follow-up files. However, if you decide looking for information on the internet takes too much time, an alternative is to purchase books that already have all the information for radio stations listed in them.

When finding radio stations to submit to, it’s best to start with college radio first, especially if you are a new act without a track record.  It will be easier for you to get added on college stations, which are usually “free format” and are more likely to air something new and exciting.

If you decide on the college route, make sure you have verified they have a format for your music.  Most college stations have a variety of music styles and Music Directors.  Rock, Jazz, and Alternative Music tend to be the main stay for college stations. Country acts will have a more difficult time on college stations and there are many that have Folk Music programs. For Country acts you’ll have a better opportunity at stations that play Country Music specifically and/or those that play Americana. 

Once you conquer the college charts, you will have a solid base and track record to promote yourself to the larger stations.  It’s like a snowball that rolls down the mountain.  The more it rolls, the larger it gets.  Make sure when approaching larger stations that you ask specifically if they play independent artists. 

If they tell you they occasionally give an independent artist an opportunity, and you have the extra resources, go ahead and submit your CD to them.  You never know, they may play it.  But if you hear: ‘No.  We only play major-label releases, or artists that are in the top 50 of the Billboard charts, but why don’t you go ahead and send it along anyway.’  Think long and hard about it before sending your CD.  You’re better off to be patient, record the comment on your spreadsheet and wait until you chart before contacting that station again. 

If the goal for your music is charting you will need to make sure that all of the radio stations you submit to, report to the same charts.  This will help ensure that all of your “spins” count.  (Spins are the amount of times a song is played.)  If the radio stations don’t report to any charts, or the charts they do report to are not consistent with those you already have, you may want to think about passing on them until you have more resources.  It would be like sending an unsolicited press kit to a management firm that doesn’t accept them.  It’s a waste of time, energy and press kits. 

If you are only looking for exposure, then by all means send it to every radio station you get permission from as long as your budget allows.   However, try to stay in one local/regional area so it’s saturated with your music.  It will give you a much better chance at lining up a distributor as well as selling more CD’s.  It is easier to get added to a play list on stations that don’t report, than do.  The competition is not as fierce.    Remember: air time is an important commodity to a radio station.  Each station only has so many hours and slots they can play songs.  If you can get your song charted, you will have a better chance of getting into one of those precious slots.   You have to decide which route you want to take.

Once you have found the radio stations you plan to submit to, and you have entered that information into a database, you are ready to send the press kit out (assuming your CD is ready).  At this time, make sure to call the radio stations again and verify that all the information you’ve gathered is still the same.  The industry is very volatile.  Stations get bought and sold very quickly, and there is an extremely high turnover rate for personnel.   You don’t want to send your Heavy Metal CD to a station that is now a Smooth Jazz station.  And you don’t want to send something out with the words “Material Requested” on it, to someone who no longer works there.

You’ll need a cover letter for your press kit, make sure to suggest the tracks you think radio personnel will like, and the ones you think are more commercial.  Give them an opportunity to listen to several tracks, but don’t ask them to listen to the entire CD.  It’s not professional.  Radio promoters push one track at a time. 

Pushing only one track will show them you know what you are doing and are respectful of their time. To push a track means to tell the radio personnel which track you are suggesting at this time for airplay.  Tell them it’s the first release off your new CD.  In order to chart you must have a substantial amount of “spins”.  Here’s another major reason to push only one spin:  If you have a lot of tracks that are being played, but no stations are playing similar tracks, your chances of charting for a particular song are very slim.  While you really don’t have a choice of what is played, you can help it along by constantly suggesting the same track.

Most Program Directors (PD’s) and Music Directors (MD’s) have specific call times, on specific days, every week.  You can only call them on these days or they will not take your calls.  Once you have sent your press kit out, wait approximately two weeks, then call and confirm that your CD has arrived safely.  If the CD has not arrived, wait one more week and call again.  If at that point the CD has still not arrived, tell the PD or MD that you will send another package and then send it.  Wait another week and then follow up again. 

The life of one song is anywhere from 4 – 6 weeks.  You can’t just assume that at the end of 6 weeks the radio station is going to automatically play another track from your CD.  It’s up to you to suggest it.   At the end of your first 4 weeks of air time, continue to push the first track but also start suggesting the next track you plan to release.  Start building a rapport with the PD’s and MD’s.  Find out their likes, dislikes, and interests.  You will get much farther if you are truly interested in who they are and what they do, than if you are only interested in what they can do for you. 

Because Program and Music Directors have different call times and days, time management is essential.  To help make your job a little easier, create a database to hold all your contact information and keep track of calls and call times.  If you have succeeded in getting a station to add your music, here are some questions you should ask:

• If they are playing your CD, ask them how your CD is doing at their station.
• Ask them if they are playing the track you specified in your promotional package, and if they have had any listener response.
• Ask if there is anything additional that you can do to assist them.

More often than not, you will only be able to leave a message when you call.  If you are able to contact them directly, always ask them if it is a convenient time for them to talk to you.  If it is, keep your conversations short, as they are extremely busy people.  If it is not a good time for them to talk, ask them when you can call them back and then do.  

Keep them informed of any newsworthy items.  Every time you succeed in getting another station to add your music, go a little further on the chart, or score a major gig, send out a press release by faxes or emails, and definitely hype it on the phone during your conversations with them.  Build excitement so you keep yourself in the forefront of their minds. Keep them interested in your music.  Offer to do interviews and liners.  Liners are a small commercial you record for the station.  For example: ‘Hi! This is Joe Smoegh and you are listening to today’s hottest mix on such and such a radio station.’  I will say it again, be persistent and pleasant.

If you have not been added, or you are not receiving airplay yet, continue promoting yourself to these stations via email, fax, or doing your follow up phone calls.  Ask them if they do test spins.  If they do, ask them if they would try your CD during one of their next test spin slots. Additionally, stop by radio stations in your area and make live appearances. 

Bring something special, perhaps pizza or donuts and soda.  You will bring a smile to their faces and create a personal association.  Try to come up with unique ideas to “sell” your CD to them. Additionally, when you release your CD to radio will affect how much airplay you receive.   If everything fails, try to remain upbeat and positive with them.  Radio is very political.  Remember there is only so much air time and only so many time slots available.  Most will not pick Joe Smoegh over Britney Spears.  After repeated efforts have failed and you’re still not getting any air time, it may be time to call it quits on that particular station and stop contacting them with your weekly phone calls.  You should still continue to keep them informed of your comings and goings via email.

American Idol and Nashville Star winners and runners-up are held to strict contracts and tightly controlled careers. We hear about very few of the winners with the exception of Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood. There’s been no better time to be an indie musician – making the music and money you want and deserve.

So how can an artist move product when it seems that even the famous artists can’t sell a blockbuster?  How do you make a splash turn into a tidal wave when you’re in such a big swimming pool?

The answer: it’s all about marketing. We have heard it time and time again and that’s what it is. A rock packaged and sold as a rock is just a rock. But a rock packaged and marketed as a friend becomes a cultural phenomenon.

Here are just a few ideas to help

Use podcasts to broadcast your music.

Make use of places like Myspace and other music sites.

Do as many free concerts as you can and have plenty of merchandise to sell and a sign up list.

Start calling your local radio stations offering to help them out in exchange for an interview and a plug of your CD.  Many places aren’t able to play your CD because they are programmed, but that won’t stop them from a plug.

Take advantage of every opportunity to share your music or goods with the world. 

These are just a few ideas; you can come up with many more.  The idea is to plug your music and then your CDs will start to fly out of your hands (providing it’s a good representation of your work). 

The most important thing an artist can do is to network and market.  It’s all about perceived value.

To further your music career, it is imperative that you market in ways that are new and unique in order to catch someone’s eye and get ahead of your competition.  The first step into the guerilla marketing zone is to think outside the box.  What does that mean?  Don’t do what everyone else is doing.  Here area few ideas to get you started:

• The use of podcasts has become very popular in the past years, so why not use them to broadcast your music, helping to expose your music to a lot of people who may have never heard it before.  Make sure that you plug your website and where they can purchase your products.
• Check out your library system!  Why not go to your local library and see if can do a free concert there in exchange for a percentage of your sales of product after your show.  Libraries are in dire need of funds.
• A very easy and free way (free is for me!) to get your name out there and seen is to write reviews on every product your own, have used, read or heard.  Then post the reviews on places like amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Make sure to put a small two or three sentence bio at the end of each review that has the name of any CD projects you have done.  You can’t post your URL there; they will delete your bio.  When you post your reviews, put your vanity email address inside your “real name.”  While those sites won’t allow you to post your URL, if your URL is part of your “real name,” they don’t say a word.  Check out amazon.com and look for one of my reviews.  This is what you will see:  “Jaci Rae – The Rae of Hope. raeofhope@jacirae.com.” (Don’t use a real email address or you will end up with a lot of spam.  That is my website, but the email address if fake.)  Why is this an important step?  Because people will read your reviews and you get your name out there.  Most consumers are Internet savvy and if they are interested in you, will check you out. 

With a few ideas of your own and a little leg work you will be surprised at what your efforts will yield. A very important part of the guerilla marketing process is the business side.  In order for all of the ideas you come up with to benefit you, you have to be registered with the correct places so that when your hard work begins to paying off, other people know it as well.  Here is a list of some of the places you must register:

Broadcast Data Systems
attn: (find out who is in charge at that time)
Los Angeles
6255 Sunset Blvd., 19th Fl
Hollywood, CA 90028
323-817-1506
323-817-1511
http://www.bdsonline.com

and

SoundScan
http://www.soundscan.com
Retail   914-684-5505
retail@soundscan.com
Venue   914-684-5506
Fax 914-686-1556
venue@soundscan.com

As I said before, I am sure you can come up with a lot more Guerrilla Marketing techniques on your own.  If you want different results and what you have been trying in the past always turns out the same, then you must do something different!  Guerrilla marketing is what you need to do differently.  Go after your audience with fervor and diligence, but think outside the box to get the results you desire and the exposure for your music that you need.

That’s a tricky one.  While I have a huge list in my book, The Indie Guide To Music, Marketing and Money, you also need to get references.  Once you obtain a list of managers you want to talk to, that are also interested in having a meeting with you, and here is a partial list of questions you should ask a manager to find out if they will be a good fit for your musical career.

• What style of music do you represent?
• How big do you think for your clients?
• Do you consider and pursue corporate sponsorships, etc.?
• What territory do you cover?
• How are you paid – what is your percentage rate?

Before you can even question a manager, you’ll probably have to send them a press kit in order to get your first appointment.  As always, be sure to contact them prior to sending out packets.  Most unsolicited press kits either end up coming back unopened or are simply thrown away.

If you find that you decide you want specific recommendations for management, contact major record labels and ask the staff who they use. That will help you determine who you should contact for management. At least then you will be dealing with a manager who already has a working relationship with a major label and who can hopefully get you a contract.  Most managers, however, who are associated with major-labels, will not accept submissions from anyone other than the record labels themselves or high profile industry contacts.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t or can’t contact the managers the major labels recommended and pitch your music anyway. Someone may say yes! Most managers will take a percentage rate of any venues or money they are involved in bringing in for you and your band. When selecting a manager make sure your contract is very explicit on this point.  You should never pay your manager for income you receive that you developed on your own.  Make sure you are not locked into a contract that will compensate them for money or gigs they had nothing to do with negotiating for you.

Steer clear of anyone who asks for money up front or states that they want a percentage of any and all money you earn.  I have spoken with some of the largest mangers and management firms in the industry who stated this clearly is not reputable or ethical behavior for a manager.  There are no legitimate managers who ask for any money up front, or a monthly retainer/salary. If they do, chances are they are trying to start up their own business and don’t have the level of experience you need to succeed. 

Asking for money up front is also a way of stating they do not believe in you enough to take a risk. Why would you want to work with anyone who does not believe in you? And, why should they work for you if they are already getting paid, whether or not they get work for you?  The main point is managers only make their money if they make you money.  That should be motivation enough for a manager.

Once your package is submitted to a manager, give them a few weeks to review it before following up.  When you do your own personal follow-up, make sure you ask them what they thought of your press kit.  Ask them if they’ve listened to your CD.  Your follow-up can also provide an excellent opportunity for constructive criticism on how you can make the improvements your press kit or CD.

If both parties (you and they) decide you would like to work with each other, you’ll need to sign a contract. It is essential that you get a lawyer involved at this point. You should never sign any contract until you let an entertainment attorney who has the expertise you need advise you.

The same rules apply to booking agencies, as do managers. Never sign a contract until you have had your lawyer look it over and examine it for any hidden clauses.  Once I was given a contract that actually stated the booking agent would receive 5% on any and all money I earned, in addition to the 15% that the booking agent would receive for any venues they procured for me. That meant 5% of anything I earned, even if it had nothing to do with music would go to them.  Protect yourself.  Read your contract even before you hand it off to your attorney for review.

Finally, never sign an exclusive contract.  If you sign an exclusive contract, you will not be able to accept any gigs from outside firms. It also means you will not be allowed to follow through on any gigs that you negotiated yourself or already had in place as standing gigs.  If you sign an exclusive booking contract you could also wind up with a booking agent who may not even negotiate any work for you and your band.  Then you’re stuck.

There are only a few major booking agencies that will require you to sign an exclusive contract. One is the William Morris Agency. Their names will speak for themselves.  You can rest assured that if you sign with on of these agencies your chances are very high for getting work. If an unknown booking agency requires you to sign an exclusive contract, just say NO!

This was my first Fan Fair, so maybe I should give it a few years, but I also got the pulse of the situation from other Fan Fair attendee’s, the tried and true dedicated fans of Fan Fair.  So let me start at the beginning.  Being a novice Fan Fair attendee, I did all of the wrong things.  I didn’t make reservations, and I didn’t purchase tickets ahead of time.  When I arrived at the airport, there was a woman waiting for me with a sign that had my name on it.  (One of the perks of being part of Fan Fair I guess, but trust me, one of the very few!  And I am smiling at that!)  I arrived at my dear friend’s house and started to unpack.  The next day would be a busy one with the baseball game and some interviews. 

When the next day arrived, Nashville was hit by a major thunder and lightening storm and when calling to rent a car, there were none available.  My first lesson at Fan Fair, reserve a car! So I would be stuck hitching rides with friends or relying on taxi’s that are very cost prohibitive!  The problem was that we couldn’t get to the baseball game.  All the taxi’s were taking forever and had to be called many times and they still did not show.  The one person that was nice enough to come get us didn’t want to head in that direction because of the storm.  Okay, then I would head to the Indie fest that had already begun.

When I arrived at the Indie Fest I met up with some friends from my last European tour and saw Jack Green and Ernie Ashworth, Grand Ole Opry Stars and true stars they are.  You really should go check them out at the Grand Ole Opry whenever they are on!  I already knew Ernie from touring last year.  The Indies’ played their hearts out, Sean O’Brien being one of the best I have seen in a long time.  What a crooner, and someone else whose show you must check out if he plays in your town!  You won’t be disappointed!  And women, he’s a doll!  BUT keep your lips for screaming when he sings only, because he is married to a very lovely and sweet wife. The Indies’ were backed by some of Nashville’s finest musicians; Bess Travers who played bass was awesome!  “The Nashville Players” were there and incredible.  Then I was told by someone at Indie fest who was working there, that the Grand Ole Opry Stars who were supposed to be playing at the Indie Fest, all 22 of them, were told they could not play there.  I won’t go into the reason’s why, but when the crowd found out, they were disappointed! Stella Parton graced the Indie Fest stage as well as Bobby G. Rice. 

After the show, a bunch of us headed down to the famous restaurant, Houston’s.  While the prices were expensive, it was worth every single bite! The food was fabulous and I would recommend anyone visiting Nashville to give it a try!  While we were waiting, I ran into Jamie O’Neil and Neil McCoy (a true cowboy at heart).  Neil was very casual and friendly.  I thought wow, this is the beginning of what I expected at Fan Fair, the fans, meeting the stars and Fan Fair hadn’t really begun yet! 

After Houston’s, we headed down to Broadway, and for those of you not familiar with Nashville, this is where you will find it all.  The Ryman is less then a ½ block from Broadway, world famous Tootsies is on Broadway and of course is a must see and then there is Legends next door to Tootsies just to name a few.  All the bars had no cover charge and some of the best music I have heard in a long time.  We danced the night away and landed home around 4 AM.  The next day I hit Riverfest that had an inexpensive all day ticket of $10.00.  The first 2 hours were acts signed to major Indie labels, and let me tell you, some of the acts could not sing on key.  It wasn’t just my musicians’ ear that was tweaked, I looked around and the crowd was cringing too!  But then acts like T Graham Brown, Joe Stampley and The Great Divide came on and spiced up the crowd, giving renewed hope to audience.  They were crowd pleasers and crowd stoppers and everyone loved them. 

In between, a DJ from one of the radio stations in Nashville asked the audience how they liked the new venue.  The crowd roared a huge “boooo, we hate it!”  The DJ actually seemed overwhelmed and surprised by the reaction.  I decided I would ask one of the people who was sitting beside me why he and his wife did not like the new venue.  They said they had purchased platinum tickets to the Adelphia, where all the Fan Fair booths and concerts were held, and they were seated so far away during the concerts, that the stars looked like ants.  I decided to do some research.  I went around the crowd asking the same question, “Do you like the new format of Fan Fair.  Why or Why not?”  It was always the same answer.  Too many people.  Too much corporate, not enough stars and the few stars that actually showed up for something other then the concerts were only there for a brief time.  Extremely hard to find parking spots, and too much traffic. 

My friend took out the Fan Fair booklet and counted only 26 actual signing booths for stars out of the 100 some odd booths in the Adelphia building.  WOW!  Wait a minute.  I thought this was Fan Fair, not Gizmo and latest Gadget fair.  According to previous Fan Fair attendee’s, Fan Fair used to be held at the fair grounds.  There were a lot of stars and star booths, concerts, and everything was in one place.   No hopping about, trying to find parking and trying to make it to something that already happened before you arrived.  Another huge complaint was that the venue used to be held during the week and was longer, and now it was held during the busiest time, the weekend and it was shorter.  I did not hear a single positive remark from the fans about the new format. 

But let’s get back to my experience at Fan Fair, the Riverfest stage.  Sherrie Austin came out, and the men went wild.  She sang up a storm and sounded as good live as she does on her CD.   After she finished, a bunch of us decided to go grab a bite to eat before we watched the next round of people on stage.  We headed up to Broadway and started looking.  I went into a cute little store called Cotton Eyed Joes, to get a bag to carry some things I had in hand.  Nice little store, inexpensive, with a lot of touristy type items for those of you looking for that type of thing.  As we walked up the street one of the gals I was with said she wanted some french fries and that she wanted to go into Hooters to get them.  I said, ‘Are you crazy?!  I have never been in a Hooters in my life and I don’t want to start now.’  For those of you who have seen me live, it’s not a threat to me; it’s that I feel it’s degrading to women.  Of course none of the men in our group objected…LOL!  Like they would.  Snicker.  So, in we went, into Hooters, and my friends were pushing me in saying I should get a job there.  NOT!  Okay, so I was wrong, it wasn’t at all what I expected it to be.  Instead of the bikini-clad women I had seen in the ads, they were wearing T-shirts, which didn’t offend me while I was eating. 

Our plans were crushed, while we sat eating our cuisine at Hooters (just the name is offensive to me, sorry guys!), as the rain starting pouring and a lighting storm of huge proportions starting hitting the fair city of Nashville.  It rained the rest of the day, so our plans to head back to Riverfest to see some of the more popular artists for that week, were dashed.  By evening, the rain had stopped and we headed for the Nashville Palace with some friends.  The cuisine left much to be desired.  Not one of us liked our food or our drinks, but the entertainment was great.  Vern Gosdin showed up, greatly improved after his stroke a few years ago and sang a few tunes, much to the delight of the entire audience.  What a legend!  The house band was awesome and I started realizing how ordinary one feels amongst such great talent that is everywhere, on every corner!

What was surprising to me, was that the cover bands were playing mostly Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Willie Nelson songs to name just a few of the legends and the crowd would roar for more.  You would hear, ‘We want more Merle’, ‘Play another Dolly tune’, ‘I want another Waylon tune’.  And these requests continued throughout the night.  You rarely heard a Shania Twain or Faith Hill song, and never a Jessica Andrews song.  What I found so interesting was, whether the people in the crowd were 25, 72, 43, or 14 (and there were quite a few in the teenage group around), they all knew every single word to the old standards and wanted to hear more.  I even heard several teenagers, when one of the newer songs was played yelling, ‘We don’t want to hear that!  We want Merle!’  So the trend record labels have of letting the “old” ones go may not be what the public wants, who knows, maybe that is why Country Music is dying and record labels are going out of business.  Could it be they aren’t listening to what the people want, and only seeing the demographics of what they consider the main buying populace?  Is there a place for the “old” with the “new”?

Could it be that this industry and others that are following suit have thrown away traditions because anyone over the age of 40 is too old?   That’s sad.   It seems the people in charge have taken over what we are allowed to think, feel and see.  Somehow, in the Americanized part of the world, anyone over the age of 25 has become outdated and too old and forget it if you are 40 or older.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I love my Grandma more then anything.  I think of her more highly then anyone I have ever known.  And on top of everything else, she is a virtual library of information.  She is beautiful and interesting and fun.  No one is going to tell me that because she is older, she is not of value!

Recently, when I was viewing the site of a popular radio station, I saw a statement and list that read as follows: “Artists we play”, “Artists we respect, but don’t play”.   All the older more established artists and the legends were on the ‘respected list’, and all of the “up and comers” were on the ‘we play list’.  I called up and asked for the Program Director and asked why a certain artist, who I thought was “newer” because she had had a number one hit just last year, was on the ‘respected, but not played’ list.  I already suspected why the other ones were on there, although I did not agree.  I was told that while they respected the older artists, the artist I was referring too was too old because she had just turned 40, and they didn’t play females past the age of 40 on their station.  What amazed me was that he had the guts to tell me this.  Aren’t there age and sex discrimination laws?  He said their demographic listening group liked younger artists only.  How I wish he had been in Nashville that night! 

What an eye opener that statement was for me!  My reply to him was, “Okay, so you’re telling me that Cher, Ella Fitzgerald, and Kenny Rogers have lost their voices and can no longer sing and we should put them out to pastor now?  Right!”  I hung up on him.  Cher and Kenny Rogers have both had huge hits in the past several years and we all know they are over 40!  Okay, enough of my ranting.  Back to Fan Fair and the original point.  In the majority of the bars, the old standards were the most popular, especially Merle Haggard, and that was what people wanted to hear. 

The next day we rehearsed for singing at the Blue Bird Café, which was a huge thrill for me.  I had never been to the Blue Bird.  We rehearsed, hung out by the pool, and then went to the Blue Bird.  There was some big talent there.  So many wonderful singers I can’t name them all!  For those of you, who have never been to Nashville, please make sure to hit the Blue Bird Café.  It is very small, so get there early or there won’t be a seat for you.  If you can’t make it there or to Nashville, they broadcast live on the Internet so you can hear the talent there too.  We did the gig with Joanne and people came up to us telling us they loved it, and we were a breath of fresh air.  That was nice.  We headed back to downtown and back to Broadway to see the happenings there. 

Daryle Singletary showed up at Tootsies and sang his hits from a several years ago.  He was incredible.  What a velvety voice.  What I would like to know is why he was let go from his contract, and why isn’t he signed again yet?!  The crowd went wild for him, the women were cooing (me too…whoooo baby…what a hottie!), and the men loved him too!  Someone needs to snatch him up, or he needs to start his own label.  This was the last night of Fan Fair, and my last night in Nashville, so we had to make the best of it.  We hit just about every bar on the strip, learning new dances, hearing the talent, seeing old friends and breathing in the last of the home town country feel, or at least the best you can get in a big city.  My last stop was at the Grand Ole Opry Hotel, a real touristy thing to do and it was about midnight, but what a great last stop.  It is the biggest hotel in the world with some 2000 rooms and a wonderful tropical environment smack dab in the middle of their huge atrium.  What a sight and how beautiful.  There was a fabulous light show that happened with water just after we arrived and we spent 3 hours just walking around and looking at the beautiful architecture.  There was a lot more to the trip, but sadly, there just isn’t enough room

My general opinion of Fan Fair is that I would not go again.  There were not enough stars for the general fans and it wasn’t at all what it had been built up to be.  I would go to Nashville over and over and over again.  I love that town!  It’s a great place, a great environment, with a lot of fun things to do, and a plethora of talent that is unbelievable!  If I were doing an Andy Rooney bit about Fan Fair, I would say, there was so much air in this huge package, and once you put a hole in the package and let all the air out, there was hardly any product.  Most of the fun I had in Nashville, I could have had whether Fan Fair was there or not.  Even though I have never been part of the previous Fan Fairs, my vote is cast for the old venue to bring the stars back home! 

I don’t believe that brick and mortar will be going away any time soon, but with our fast paced society that is extremely mobile and always on the go, people prefer convenience and ease to that of trying to find a parking space, wasting money on gas only to end up at a store that doesn’t carry what you want. 

While getting into a brick and mortar star can be next to impossible unless you are a local artists or you already have a huge fan base, the same does not hold true for online distributors such as iTunes, Rhapsody and others.  It’s as easy as filling out an application and uploading your music, one song at a time.  There is an additional benefit of online distribution and that is you don’t have to have the expense of making an entire CD, you can make a single and still make money and have a hit.  It’s not easy and you will need to market and play live in order for you to achieve any sales strength, but it can be done.  Don’t just upload your music and expect the money to start rolling in. 

On the flip side, if you are an established artist, with a very large fan base and are touring frequently, you will want to get your goods into a brick and mortar store as well for additional selling power as well as playing in-stores and having a signing session there. 

Getting into a brick and mortar store is not as easy as an online store, so I will need to go into a lot of detail and the do’s and don’ts.  First, don’t give up or get discouraged; keep plugging away, even if you can’t find a distributor after months of searching.  Distributors get a lot of packages on their desks every week, so it’s imperative that you contact them first before you send them a package.  When calling a distributor, you may get them on the first try, or it may take you weeks before you get a live person to talk to.

You must contact the distributor before you send them a package.  Never send a brick and mortar distributor a package unsolicited, it might get tossed or sent back unopened.  But you may think, ‘My product is awesome!  They would never do that with mine.’  Sorry to bring you bad news, but your package may never get opened.  As a matter of fact, it may never get past the receptionist’s desk without prior clearance.  So why not make sure that your product has a much better chance of getting heard by getting permission first?

If you feel you are too shy to make cold calls, you must get over it and commit yourself to doing it unless you have a friend do the calling for you. Getting through the first phone call is always tough, but then you will see, as you make more and more calls, that it gets easier every time.  You are in competition with a lot of people who are making the calls.  If you don’t call, the chances are very slim that you will ever be heard.

Once you’ve made the first call, if you still feel that you are just too embarrassed, try making up a character and make your call as that character. Become “Jicki Wicki” from “Nagawicki.”  (You never know; it could lead to an additional career of acting!)  Make it a game.  It’s important that you submit your CD to a distributor that distributes your kind of music. The person you send it to is not necessarily the person in charge of final decisions. From the time you start contacting them, it may take you six to eight months to get the actual product in their hands and get them to finally listen to it, before you find the right distributor.    Once you finally get one, it can take an additional few months to get added to their database.  Here are few words of advice on finding a distributor:

• On your first call, tell them your name and label.  If you haven’t picked a name yet, make one up.
• Ask about their submission and distribution policies.
• Ask if being the only act on an indie label is going to cause a problem. Many distributors will not take products from Indie labels unless they have at least three to fifteen CDs in their ’stable.’  Additionally, many distributors will not take you on unless you already have established airplay.  The catch-22 is that many radio stations, while they may play an independent artist, will only do so if they have national distribution.
• Ask what they want in the press kit.  Some want an entire press kit with a CD (forego sending a headshot unless specifically asked for one), while others just need a letter of summary which contains recent happenings, targeting ideas, and review excerpts, if you have any.  It’s important to find out this information beforehand.  We found out, after much wasted time and money, that several distributors only wanted the letter.  They had opened the package, read the tear sheet, and thrown the rest away.  Once we started calling frequently, they asked for the whole package again. What a waste of resources!
• In your letter/press kit they will want to know your “SRP,” which is your Suggested Retail Price.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with retail versus wholesale, retail is the price the consumer would pay in a music store and wholesale is the price the distributor pays to the product owner.

Figuring out your SRP is an important step. You don’t want to price yourself out of the market. When you look in a music store, most major-label artists’ CDs are “on sale” for $11.98.  My suggestion is that you go at the same price or lower than the major-label artist.  Set your SRP at $11.98 – $12.98. Distributors will typically take 40-60% of your SRP as their cut (which at 40% x $11.98 gives you $7.19 per CD), and the music stores will typically mark up your SRP by $1.00 – $4.00. If you set your SRP at $11.98, and the store adds an additional $2.00 to the price of your CD, the cost to the consumer would be $13.98.  However, if you set your SRP at $13.98 and the store adds $2.00, the price to the consumer would be $15.98.  Which price do you think a consumer who had never heard of you would be more likely to pay?

• Double-check what style of music they currently distribute.
• Ask if they require your music to be played on a particular radio station.

Specific distributors require you to have airplay on specific stations before they will distribute you.  If that station does not play your genre of music, you have wasted your product, money, and time.  Let me give you an example of why this is another key question.  We had asked all of the above questions, with the exception of this particular one.  Then we shipped off the package.  When we contacted them later, they asked us if we were playing on a certain radio station.  We said no.

The station the distributor was referring to only played alternative music, while our CD is Country/Jazz.  You can see the problem.  When we approached them about this fact, they said they did not distribute Country Music. We asked when they stopped distributing Country Music.  The gentleman we spoke with during our initial call said he was considering presenting Country Music to the company, but hadn’t had the chance.  He realized that we would never be played on the station on which they require airplay, so he dropped it.  A great example of wasted time, effort, and money!

• Inquire where their distribution arm reaches.  Ask for specific states and regions.  Some distributors only distribute in certain states.  If your radio airplay, live gigs, and promotion are not in those regions, they cannot help you.
• When is the best time to reach them?
• Who are some of the major stores they distribute too, and in what areas? Call several of the stores and double-check their references.  If the stores have never heard of them, they may not be a legitimate distributor.  Save your product from an unscrupulous person who may be trying to rip you off. 

Whatever you do, don’t forget to get your music listed with iTunes, Sonymusic and all the other online distributors.  Once you actually obtain a distributor it’s an entirely different playing field, and a lot of work, but can be worth it.  You must stay on top of a brick and mortar distributor because many are really poor payers and it may take you six months to a year or longer to get any pay from them.

Your press kit is your calling card. It will introduce you and your band to the people you need to help move your career forward before they meet you or hear your music. Make it interesting, exciting and entertaining. Make it attractive (and interactive if it’s a digital press kit). Capture their attention and make them want to see, read and listen to what you’ve sent.

Your press kit should include reviews you have received for shows, information on current venues, and any reviews from your new CD when they are available. Include a head or group shot (black and white is the least expensive, but color really catches the eye and many people require it), a bio (if you don’t have a bio, create one, or get someone to create one for you), a cover letter, a CD, and a business card.

Your cover letter, should be limited to one page and should be packed full of concise well formatted information – much like a one sheet. Try to limit your press kit to 7 or 8 pieces of information. You don’t want to overload them and you want to save some excitement for later! Keep them a little curious.

You’ll want to compile three types of press kits: one for major labels, one for distributors, and the other for Radio PD/MD’s. (In my book, “The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing and Money,” I go into much greater how to present the different press kits to each one.) The most economic form of sending a press kit is the digital press kit, however, many people still do not accept this form, so please ask them before randomly sending out information about your electronic press kit.  The other form of course is the old fashioned press kit.  The order you place the information in your folders is equally as important to the reader as the content is to you. They know what they’re looking for. Your enclosures should go in the following order starting on top:

Press Kit for Major Labels:  On the right side of the folder put CD, business card (attached to the folder) cover letter (include in the letter a small list of any upcoming gigs and invite them to attend, kind of like showcase, only this one is free) and head shot/group shot.  On the left side of the folder put bio, reviews (most current on top) and any press and lyric sheets.  Lyric sheets are very important to many A&R personnel. If you already have them in your CD jacket don’t repeat them with another enclosure unless they specifically request separate lyric sheets. Save on postage.  The reason you are going to put the heavier items on the right side of the folder is due to the fact that most folders people open from right to left.  This helps insure your press kit doesn’t end up sprawled across their lap.

Press Kit for Radio PD/MD’s: d t CD (possibly two, depending on the type of station – more on this in my book.) business card (attached to the folder) and the head shot / group shot.  On the left side of the folder put bio, reviews (most current on top), any press, cover letter / one sheet depending on whether you are sending directly to a person at their request or a dept at their request.  Again include a list on the one sheet of any gigs that are coming up.

A word of advice: Certain labels will not accept unsolicited material no matter what you do. Generally, you’ll need an entertainment lawyer or manager to submit to them on your behalf. Other times major labels have an established relationship with a verifiable industry contact that must represent you. Warner Brothers is one of those. Before you send any press kit, you need to get permission first. If you don’t get permission, your product has a very low probability rate of ever getting to its destination and even less of a chance of getting read and listened to.

There are musicians who think that their music is the only thing that will speak for them. They believe that their music alone will open the doors to major labels, radio airplay, etc.  It won’t. You must have a proven track record as well as a “certain” style and look. It is after all the first thing they see before they ever listen to your music.

This is a money making business.  If you desire a major label contract you must remember that. The majors are in business. They may think you’re the nicest person in the world, but they still want to make money off of you. You are a commodity.  They aren’t really interested in taking a risk on what you think is the best music. Your CD and ticket sales will inspire them.

So make sure that you do your work! Get listed with Soundscan. Keep a record of all the airplay you receive (which stations are playing you), and sell, sell, sell before you submit to labels. Your statistics are equal to you being a low-risk prospect for a major label. You’ll have already proven yourself! And, more importantly, you’ll have a much better shot at opening the doors. 

After you have sent your press kit, make sure to follow up with a phone call to make sure your press kit has arrived safely. Then wait three weeks before you begin follow-up calls. Don’t just send the package and expect them to call. Remember, they get hundreds of packages from musicians just like you every single week.

With all of that said, going the major label route or trying to garner radio airplay in today’s market, while not impossible, may be pointless.  You can do it yourself, start your own label, distribute the product yourself and make quite a bit of money.  That’s the beauty of the Internet.  More in my book, “The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing and Money”  http://www.jacirae.com

Follow up and get noticed – but don’t become a pest or they will ignore you. It’s a fine line and you will know it when you speak with them. Once you get a response, whether you like the answer or not, politely thank them and send them a thank you card for their time. They will remember you and you may have perhaps gained an ally for the future!