Well, the old industry appears to be in its final death throws. Rather than holding our breath and waiting for it to officially bottom out, we’re ready to move on. The alternate industry is booming and the trails blazed here are becoming paths for others to follow. What am I talking about? Quantifiable success and the return of indicators. Good news for those who rely on indicators to know what’s good and what isn’t, but the best news here is for artists.
The opportunities available in this alternate industry are plentiful. Through social networking, online advertising and promotion, and digital distribution, artists can not only build their fanbase, but make enough money to quit their day jobs at Starbucks to tour full time. Artist services ranging from merch design to bio writing to online booking to budget mixing and mastering to organizational programs specifically designed for bands have cropped up via the internet and given artists affordable opportunities and the ability to control the direction of their careers. Every aspect of major label inner workings have not only been duplicated, but improved upon, and available for at least 20 times less than what labels pay for it.
However, despite all of the access and bargain services available, that doesn’t mean bands will have it easy. If anything, navigating the alternate industry can be significantly harder and more time consuming than turning over the reigns to a label. Between approving comments, responding to fans and keeping them active, managing a MySpace profile is a full time job by itself. Add in maintaining the numerous other profiles artists have, booking shows, performing shows, writing new material, practicing, seeking out new opportunities, promoting and advertising, networking locally with press and radio, etc etc, and its a wonder that such a large number of kids actually want to be musicians. It’s grueling and it’s time consuming, and you can’t skip any of it. So much work can be overwhelming to artists, which is why many of them are quick to jump into bad deals or align themselves with anyone promising to alleviate some of the work load.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, despite being on a major label, are seen by many as the flagship internet artist. In interviews, RJA credit sites like MySpace and KOAR as being integral to their career. They worked the hell out of the MySpace profile, building up a large national fanbase long before they ever left their hometown. They interacted with new fans and maintained those relationships so when the record did come out and when they did come to town, they were selling out shows and charting the record immediately. More recently, artists like One Less Reason and My Favorite Highway are making between 5 and 10 thousand dollars per month just on downloads. Independent artists who play their cards right actually stand to make more money on their own than their major label counterparts. No big advances to pay back, no staff of thousands of people you’ve never met to support, no splitting profits among people who don’t help you, no expensive office building in an expensive city relying on you to keep the lights on, and most importantly- no one trying to change your vision to make it more profitable for them.
If it weren’t for the internet, would anyone know who The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is? Honestly, yes. Sure, they worked the hell out of their MySpace profile and KOAR gave them the industry exposure that led to their signing, but working MySpace and being on KOAR does not guarantee a record deal. In the end, its always about the music, and the band writes hits. More importantly, the band put the work in. What they did off-line was just as important as what they did online. For the couple years leading up to their signing, this is a band that was giving it away. Hanging around malls and other young people hot spots, handing out cds, flirting with girls, and being rockstars. They literally gave their music away because they knew that no one was going to buy something they have never heard before. But, if they give it to people for free, perhaps they will invest in the band in other ways…the ways that pay off in the long run. They were right. It worked. One Less Reason is working hard for radio exposure. It’s a similar idea to RJA- making the music available and letting people decide for themselves whether or not they like it. One Less Reason puts the work in. They know how to schmooze radio, they know which songs to work, and for as ridiculously arrogant as their frontman is, he clearly has star power.
The internet isn’t a vacuum. It takes the combined efforts of working online, working in person, and working on stage to get people to notice. No matter how kick ass your MySpace is, if your music sucks, nothing will happen. Having a million friends on MySpace is irrelevant unless they’re true believers in your music and actively supporting you. The internet is cheap, but it isn’t free. If you’re an artist, you need to be making money, because you’re going to have to spend some. Recoup your own expenses and turn your own profit by making smart investments and spending wisely. No, you don’t need to buy a tour bus unless you’re actually on the road significantly more often than not. No, you don’t need 35 different t-shirt designs readily available at all times. No, you don’t need to spend $10k buying onto a tour with a band that doesn’t draw a big crowd. I know musicians aren’t businessmen, and articles like this probably bore the piss out of them, but it is imperative that artists do these things on their own. Their job is to rock…hard, but artists shouldn’t pick up management with the hopes that there will someday be something to manage, and they shouldn’t pick up management simply because they don’t want to put the work in.
The alternate industry exists. It’s a real thing and it’s beginning to produce results. At this point, I am not sure why any artist would want a major label deal. I have said before that for the right artist, the old industry still works, and I believe that to be true. But I don’t think most artists are ‘that kind of artist.’ The majority of what we post on KOAR would sound ridiculous on Top 40 radio sandwiched between Beyonce and Daughtry, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It just isn’t Top 40. Most bands aren’t. The alternate industry has given the artists willing to work for it, no matter the genre, a place to be heard and be successful, without compromise. Don’t get it confused though, ‘the alternate industry’ is not synonymous with ‘the internet.’ Its merely a new way of doing things. Taking back the power. Putting the control back into the hands of the artists. The internet, of course, was integral in demolishing the old system, but the change in mentality across the board is what has allowed the alternate industry to evolve so quickly.
AJ, KOAR
Grand Slamm K.O.A.R.!!i believe that most of us would hope that a major label would swoop in and just save the day for most of us.and it would be partys.booze and ladys.maybe for a few but not for the most.sadly i believe that a lot of us would want a major to if anything validate us as a band.a band like OLR does have an advantage being signed to a major even for a short time still gives them an insight and does make a difference.and being a good band don’t hurt either.we are getting ready to go to Des Moines Iowa from chicago.gas is 3.20 a gallon it cost 94 bucks to fill the van just to go.will the place be packed? will we sell enough cd’s to get gas money to come home? who knows.at times the wheels of the music buisness seem to turn real slow and for us who don’t have the insite to what works and what don’t are hard lessons to learn.so you learn to stand on what you believe is your best effort in what you play.so you get up at 5.am to start working the net and sometimes dream that your band is hated because you sold over 14 million records.for what its worth, art or for the money and fame when a truly unsigned band sells units that can compete with a major label band then will you see the end of the major label and all that goes with it.but untill then ….
“at times the wheels of the music buisness seem to turn real slow and for us who don’t have the insite to what works and what don’t are hard lessons to learn”
You’re a manager, yes? I like that you say things like ‘we’ and ‘us.’ Managers are a very important part of a band because they’re the ones that handle those things that the bands don’t get. “The fifth member.” Hopefully this article and future articles can help you direct your band in a positive direction.
“when a truly unsigned band sells units that can compete with a major label band then will you see the end of the major label and all that goes with it”
Flawed statement. In the alternative industry ‘units’ are irrelevant. Sure, sales are always important, but any unsigned band trying to compete on the retail charts is completely wasting their time. Not sure how many times it can be said- CDs aren’t selling at retail. That’s not just because they are major label bands or because the music isn’t that good…people have moved on to other mediums. If you’re not giving your fans music in the format they want it, you’re pissing in the wind.
CDs can still be worth buying…I believe this be true. But I think they are going to turn into collectors items, much like vinyl. If that is the case, make it a collectors item. The album and a lame video is not a collectors item…be creative and make it worth more than you could charge for it.
Unsigned bands are already competing with major labels. One Less Reason makes nearly 10 grand just in downloads??? In one month??? That’s competition.. most new major label bands dream of “big money” like that. Sad, but true.
[...] Bands Making Money From Downloads KOAR have an interesting article up about how the internet is changing the musical model. They mention how bands like "One Less [...]
This article is brilliant! Thank you for writing it.
Great writing Dean. As a promoter for an indie band I find that it’s 10 times harder than expected but once you make the breakthrough there are dividends for all your hard work. My advice for an artist trying to break through is to get a Sonicbids epk and send it to every reviewer, podcaster and online radio station you can find. Forget terrestrial radio, they aren’t going to play you. Some promotional sites are better than others. Music Submit is very powerful as is numberonemusic and indie911. A relentless guerilla campaign mixed with consistent live shows and great music is definitely a recipe for success.
This article is SO very true!
It’s something that every artist should realize.
Although the music industry isn’t what it used to be in the 80’s or in the 90’s, in the end it’s all about the songs… This is the essential, everything else is just accessory. Even the “production”… A good production is a good song! PERIOD!
Great article! This is where the industry is heading, though we may not be calling it that for long. The business model will change, and I think we will see the line fade between “indie” and “major” artists. And frankly I am happy about it, it can hopefully only go up from here. Keep up the good work!
This article is very true, i agree with every single word of it… even the part where i was called ridiculously arrogant!LOL But all in all the music biz lost the music along the way and it is time to get back to that. The people have made the decision that they want music not some fashion queen that doesn’t know which end of the mic you’re supposed to sing into, and it shows in the decline of record sales over the last year. People are done buying J Lo records just because she was on TRL the day before. I have seen and toured with countless unsigned bands that should have had major label success years ago but were passed up because they didn’t fit into the hot lil click that certain people at the labels were looking for. We are about to have some exciting times in music. People have freed themselves of major labels force feeding them shit while being told its candy. I have met alot of A&R guys out there that really know what good music is and what makes money…. but will they ever grow the balls to back it?? I guess the record sales in 2008 will tell.
are you kidding?i get up at 5.am make coffee and grab a pack of smokes and hit the K.O.A.R.page.i re-read every artical every comment and hit every link knowing i must have missed a tip on how to improve what we do.and as a band manager at times i spend more time being a “cheer leader”for the band.when cd sales are down or have a bad show and when a band starts second guessing what they do and who they are.last week i was in the driveway putting upper ball joints and tie rod ends on the bands equipment van it was 37 degrees out.all i could think about was some guy tapping me on the shoulder and saying “here a fat advance and oh yea..there’s a new warm tour bus out front.it isn’t just the bands who have the dreams.but at times you do feel like your a “mom and pops store”up against Wal-Mart.
another olr fluff piece.
Wow…OLR must be making some good progress. A piece about how they’re finding success in spite of having no label and how a similar path led to great success for RJA has been labeled an “OLR fluff” piece. The more haters, the more success the band must be having!! Thanks for the pep talk KOAR. Makes me feel like there is hope for those of us trying to make it in this business if we’re willing to put in the time and effort. Helps to have good songs that people like too, but if hard work really does start to pay off, we’ll see more bands seeing higher levels of success and that can only encourage more new music. I think a lot of bands just give up because they can’t break through the wall that is built to keep unsigned acts out of the limelight. How many good bands have we missed out on because of that?? Maybe things are starting to look up…
Things will REALLY look up of H.R. 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act passes. If it doesn’t, all bets are off.
As always your articles are very informative! This article is BANG ON!Good work, Dean…keep it up!
The real question here is what business model will take the place of the label? If the label’s aren’t making money they’ll close, so something must pop up to replace it. Either that or the label will look drastically different in ten years. People in the industry need to be looking out for that model and invest in it. It will be internet-based and will probably put the music before anything else. It won’t work otherwise. The new digital age will not be made up of downloads alone.
My guess is that whatever new model comes along will be a low cost version of what we already have…along the lines of Southwest and/or Jet Blue in the airline biz. Any mature (read, “OLD”) company tends to get really bloated, especially at mid-manager level. People have to get promoted…sometimes because they deserve it and sometimes because they can’t be fired and “promoting” them to a position where they can do less damage is better for the company.
I’m not super familiar with the inner workings of record labels, but every major company I’ve seen that’s been around a while has this problem. And all it does is unnecessarily drive up costs.
If a label could just start from scratch without all the dead weight, you’d see much improved bottom lines. On top of that, I’d say get a handle on distribution, ’cause I’m sure there’s added cost in there somewhere. Heck, a band can buy fully packaged CD’s with a nice insert for a buck or less depending on volume. Ship it out via USPS for a couple of bucks and walk away with their $7 to $10 profit. A label buying and shipping larger quantities should be able to cut out even more cost. And of course, in the long run, CD’s will be a thing of the past and there will be virtually no distribution cost to get it to the consumer.
The key is still the marketing. If you can get people to hear your music without having to go through a bloated major label, there’s tons of money to be made. With everybody and their brother with a top notch ProTools set up in their den, production costs for a really well-done album can be far lower than in the past. And if a band is willing to do the legwork to get their music out, the money is there. A small label with a motivated staff could do this for several bands with minimal costs. And the key is…with less money invested, you don’t have to sell 1 million albums to break even. We end up with more people making a decent living, providing a greater variety of music, and opening the business up to folks that otherwise might not even bother.
If we could just crack through the whole corporate radio problem, that would open even more doors.
Anyway…my 2 cents for what it’s worth.
“another olr fluff piece”
Can it really be a fluff piece if it’s true?
Great stuff man. This is our philsophy and for our first album, it has worked very well and we’re continuing to hone the process.
All I really would like, is to be able to quit the day job. Make enough to support myself with music. Being rich is a dream and we all know it. I’d be nice, but it’s a dream. But if I was to quit the day job, when would I get all the MySpace networking done !?!?!!? I’m sure there are TONS of musicians using their time during work to focus on their band. I’m guilty right now !!
[...] favorite My Favorite Highway who has embraced the ‘Alternate Industry’ just passed 1,000,000 plays on myspace and just sold out 2 nights in a row at Jammin’ Java. [...]
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