UK MARKET VS US MARKET

Scott Hoffman fom New York based 70's style rock and disco band the Scissor Sisters talks in this article about the US music market and why the Scissor Sisters can be virtually ignored in their home countries but adored in the UK and Australia.

An interesting look at the differences of the UK/European market and the US market.

Scissor Sisters looking for a little love at home

[Resource http://www.mlive.com/music/flintjournal/index.ssf?/base/features-2/1173201669309520.xml&coll=5]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, indie, market+your+music, scissor+sisters, indie, independent, musician

HOW TO GET A GIG IN WALES

Here's a nice little resource I came across on the BBC website.

There's a How To Get A Gig article and if you're wanting to tour Wales, there's a bunch of handy venue links at the same site.


[Resource http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/howto/pages/get_a_gig.shtml]

GigShare-A FREE Global Network of Gigs and Resources

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, promote+your+live+music, free+gig+resource, live+music+wales, how+to+get+a+gig, indie, independent, musician

NINE INCH MARKETING

Seems that coming up with a unique and creative idea can get you more publicity mileage than traditional and expensive marketing campaigns.

With a strange but simple enough idea Trent Reznor from NIN has produced a sort of game, story, treasure hunt based on the Internet.

The idea or game has caught on and has a huge cult following around the world chasing and deciphering clues on various websites.

It all started from this NIN tour t-shirt.

Rolling Stone write about it here and this forum at EchoingTheSound you can read up on the history and story behind this marketing concept.



[Resource http://www.prohiphop.com/2007/03/def_jam_icon_la.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, internet+music+marketing, promote+music+online, market+your+music, indie, independent, musician

DISSECTING SONGS

Pandora Podcast Series is as it says, a series of Podcasts dissecting songs to find out what makes a particular song sound distinctive or give it that special sound.

Here's what they say:

"We thought it might be interesting for folks to learn more about what goes into songwriting. These podcasts are our attempt to give you an inside look at the techniques musicians use to put their signature on the music they write and perform."

Click here to subscribe to Pandora Podcast

[Resource http://blog.pandora.com/podcast/]

technorati tags:recording+techniques, recording+your+music, indie, independent, musician

NEW BUSINESS MODEL FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY

New business models are vital as technology changes the way people shop and purchase.

With many landmark music retail outlets disappearing fast (Tower Records in the US, Sam the Record Man in Canada) and owners of these type of stores say that "the music business is changing, and changing rapidly."

The bad news for retail outlets is good news for musicians, one of the biggest factors being that music is easily distributed over the Internet and does not require physical storage and shipping.

So while the music industry tries to catch up to these changes with a new business model, musicians have the world at their fingertips.

For some statistics and further reading from Canada's TheChronicleHerald read:

New business models vital as technology changes

[Resource http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/561147.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, internet+music+marketing, indie, indie, independent, musician

HOW TO MAKE AN AMATEUR RECORDING SOUND PROFESSIONAL

Uneven vocals, fake drums, overused reverb, muddy vocals...and the list goes on.

Don't let your recordings showcase your songs as being the work of a novice.

Here's how you can learn to recognize and address these traits in your own recordings, and produce more polished, professional mixes: 10 hallmarks of amateur recordings


[Resource http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/]

technorati tags:independent+music+recording, home+recording, promote+your+music, demo+recording, professional+recording+techniques, indie, independent, musician

CREATING A BUZZ

There's no question that building a successful music career is a lot of hard work, but it can be done. You have control over your career and you can create your opportunities and create your own buzz. How? Here's some tips on: Creating your own gigs, getting press, getting your fan numbers up and networking.

Read this article Create A Buzz: If You Build It They Will Come!


[Resource http://www.xanga.com/Artistopia/574198048/create-a-buzz-if-you-build-it-they-will-come.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, indie, independent, musician

"TIME AFTER TIME" - THE INSIDE STORY

Get an insider look at a professional recording studio experience.

Producer/Engineer William Wittman remembers the techniques and equipment he used to record Cyndi Lauper's song "Time After Time".

This came from ProSoundWeb.com, community forum - Time After Time (the inside story)


Time After Time:

started in Record Plant Studio B which had an API and an MM1200.
Westlake monitors (in fact one of the very FIRST Hidley control rooms).

the studio had been rebuilt by the staff and was a medium sized but EXTREMELY live room.
Bouncy, splashy, diffused.. sounded like an empty warehouse. But GREAT.
But uncontrollable.
People either loved or hated recording in there.
I loved it.

We started that track with a Linn drum.

to that we overdubbed Rob Hyman playing a Juno 60 (which is the main synth) using its internal stereo chorus.
and at the SAME TIME, Peter Wood, playing a Memory Moog, doubling the basic part in real time.
To get some stereo variation, when the "horns" come in on the B-Verse ("You say , go slow..."), it's another Memory Moog part but it's double tracked, one on the left and one on the right.

The bass is Rob playing on I THINK a Prophet V (rev 1) but it COULD be the Memory Moog.

We also overdubbed Anton Fig playing the cross stick and bass drum, but the Linn shaker remains.
RE20 on the bass drum under some packing blankets.
KM-84 on the snare.
IN the mix I took the shaker (I just realised we always CALLED it a shaker, but actually it's the Linn Cabasa), through an Eventide Flanger to make it dance around in stereo a bit and get it out of the dead centre, where it was too demanding.
It sounded better being a little diffused... less artificial.

We did a pass of the guitar downstairs in Studio B... but this was very near the end of the record (it was the last song to go on) and we were due to move upstairs to the Mixroom

The guitar was Eric Bazilian's Strat through Record Plant's 50 watt Marshall 2x12 JMP combo.
It's got an 87 on it, probably compressed a bit with an La2a.
the first pass didn't seem to be "it".

The vocal is a U-47 - API 525 compressor.
the Verses were SO soft that I had the pre quite cranked up to get a good, full shot at It.
Then she'd hit the chorus and BAM.. distortion.
After experimenting a BIT with multiple mics and trying to ride the pre or A/B switch pres and other wanker-y, we ended up just overdubbing the choruses separately.

it DOES still have a kind of slightly distorted quality in the chorus, but that's also just part of how she SOUNDS in that range.
If you stick your ear in front of her mouth, you hear that sound.

Rob overdubbed the harmony vocal and that was that.

Then we moved up to the Mixroom, which had a customised Trident 56 in TSM.
we set up the same amp and Eric overdubbed the final guitar playing in the control room between the two speakers with the amp in the little overdub room.
At that point Cyndi mentioned Don't Stand So Close as a way to think about the verse guitar... since that said "chorus" to me, I put the Publison DHM-89 harmoniser on it and set it for a very short delay with a bit of pitch shift on each side, one side up the other down.

and that's the guitar chorusing.
If I SAW a DHM-89 I would probably remember just how i set it, but it was a kind of chorus-y ADT sound that i had sussed on the thing already.
I'd used it on a vocal on another record.
I don't think I'd used it on a guitar though.

In the final mix, I actually bring in the scratch track from downstairs in the "solo" section as an extra guitar.

the mix was fairly straightforward. I remember I did do a different delay for the chorus than for the verses so that the chorus would open up a bit.
again with a Publison DHM-89.

the stereo mix has an Audio&Design Recording Compex (F760x-RS) on it in a kind of "parallel" compression.
The TSM had a quad pan pot and a network that summed the rear quad busses into the front for stereo.
So I put the A&D on the REAR buss inserts and then could use the front-rear pan pots to determine how much a sound goes into the compressor.
I know I, for example, didn't put any shaker into the compressor, and had the vocal about half in half out.

The only reverb is an EMT250.

it's mixed (with no automation, just edits as necessary) to 1/4 15ips 456 at 6 over 250 nW/m on at ATR 102.
That was the multi alignment as well but at 30ips.

no NR.

and it was mixed very much on the big Westlakes, and fairly LOUD.
not on bookshelves.

I was CHECKING the mixes on ROR cubes (kind of like Auratones that don't suck), and when I'd listen on the ROR's I'd throw on 20:1 heavy compression... just to get an idea of what a car radio tuned to FM was going to be like.
Just as a quick, how's the vocal? how's the snare?" kind of thing.
Mostly I MIXED on the bigs.


[Resource http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/15674/220242/15109/#msg_220410]

technorati tags:music+recording+tips, recording+music, indie, independent, musician

ELIMINATING WRITER'S BLOCK

Want to eliminate writers block forever? This is from Corey Stewart.

Here s a link to a free e-Report called 11 Ways To Eliminate Writers Block FOREVER!


[Resource http://quikonnex.com/channel/item/26144]

technorati tags:eliminate+writers+block, song+writing, free+resources, indie, independent, musician

CREATING REALISTIC SEQUENCED DRUM PARTS

Drummers have long been the target of musician jokes and often regarded as replaceable, after all you can get a drum machine but you can't get a singing or guitar machine.

But finding an acceptable substitute for your drummer is not easy and many recordings require the sound of 'real' drums. Although a sequenced part will never be a perfect imitation, there are a number of things you can do to make it sound more convincing.

This article goes in to some detail about Creating Realistic Sequenced Drum Parts


[Resource http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct99/articles/20tips.htm]

technorati tags:recording+music, recording+drums, sequenced+drums, electronic+drums, indie, independent, musician

MAKE YOUR OWN VOCAL POP FILTER

For the definitive collection of DIY pop filter instructions visit HomeTracked where you'll find a method to suit your crafting abilities.

Needlepoint, coffee can lid, sock, gaffer tape, coat hangers and even fake fur!


[Resource http://www.hometracked.com/2006/05/28/homemade-pop-filters/]

technorati tags:make+your+own+pop+filter, vocal+tips, recording+vocals, indie, independent, musician

SCRIGGLE IT

Here's a website with what looks like some great free features for managing your fans, creating a EPK and creating a fan email list.

Check it out at Scriggle It

[Resource http://www.scriggleit.com/]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, internet+music+marketing, promote+music+online, indie, indie, independent, musician

FREE DIGITAL VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE

Adobe has just launched a Web based video remix and editing technology. A partnership between Adobe and Photobucket integrates this new technology with the Photobucket user experience.

This will give the 35 million Photobucket users direct and free access to world-class digital video editing tools.

Click here for a tutorial on "Creating a Remix with Adobe"

[Resource http://remixtheory.net/?p=132]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, photobucket+video+editing, free+music+marketing+tools, free+video+editing, indie, independent, musician

THE BASICS OF VOCAL HARMONY

Here's a podcast that will take you through some basics of vocal harmonising including : tutti harmony, unison singing, parallel and contrary motion, call and response.

When you've had a listen to the podcast, you can check then out audio examples which also include a description of the song's production qualities. Very nice!

Great stuff for budding producers, singers and recording enthusiasts.

The Basics of Vocal Harmony

[Resource http://blog.pandora.com/archives/podcast/2006/11/this_is_my_firs.html]

technorati tags:singing+techniques, music+production, music+recording+tips, recording+vocals, indie, independent, musician

CREATING THE RIGHT DIGITAL MUSIC MARKETING MIX

Here are some "Insights On Creating A Digital Music Campaign".

"As more marketers attempt to partner with established online music and video hubs like MySpace, and upstarts like Ruckus Network, GoFish, and Music Choice, they need to figure out which programs work, how to execute them, and how to measure their effectiveness."

The moral of this article is try and test what works for you. There are many tools on the Internet that can help your career, try them, find out how they work and measure their effectiveness.

[Resource http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2007/03/01/insights-on-creating-a-digital-music-campaign/?rss1]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, sell+your+independent+music, internet+music+promotion, indie, independent, musician

CREATING AN INTERNET BUZZ

Florida band The Postmarks are "excited and nervous" as they wait to see how their debut self titled Cd sells.

The Postmarks are one of a growing number of bands using the Internet to gain a following and they are now waiting to see if the buzz they have generated translates into Cd sales.

"With the release of the band's self-titled debut album.....(they) have been the subject of building Internet buzz and "a tsunami of publicity. Their first single, "Goodbye," has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, and the song has made the top 10 of the college music charts.....Remixes of the album's tracks were made available for free download via their MySpace blog, and college radio and new fans gobbled it up."

Read this story here - Postmarks put their stamp on marketing in the blogosphere

The Postmarks at MySpace

[Resource http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0702280026feb28,1,681554.story?coll=chi-techtopheds-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, internet+marketing, indie, myspace+marketing, indie, independent, musician

QUEEN OF MYSPACE

It could only happen in Hollywood! Or maybe not.

Tila Tequila (from Hollywood, California, USA) is well known on MySpace for being "the most popular female" on MySpace. Not a bad effort! But that's not enough, her next big challenge is to change the music industry.

Tila joined MySpace in 2003 and has since attracted 1.7 million friends - getting in early on MySpace no doubt helped.

But that's not all folks - seems Andy Warhol might just be right about the 15 minutes of fame thing. Tila has had a cameo movie appearance, made history for her music video for "I Love U", the first video to be specifically shot for cellular phones and has turned down 2 record deals to prove she can make it big on her own.

Just in case you thought I had made a typo - no, I checked: 58,124,729 views (I thought it might have been her phone number!) and 1,921,328 comments. As of this blog's posting.

Is that more friends than Tom has?

Another thing that probably doesn't hurt her profile. The young, sexy and revealing photos. Oh well, sex sells and good on Tila I say. Use marketing savvy but always be true to yourself and your own unique image.

PS If you're reading this blog - I am a real person behind all this digital stuff! Maybe you could visit my MySpace site and add me as your friend, don't be shy. The link is at the top left of this blog.

[Resource http://thesouthend.typepad.com/tsenews/2007/03/tila_tequila_an.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, internet+music+promotion, myspace+music+marketing, indie, indie, indie, independent, musician

CAN YOU DIRECT STRAIGHT LINES?

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a music clip director, head over to MySpace Silverchair and enter a comp to create a clip for Silverchair's new song "Straight Lines".

You don't need software - you can get it free via this website for Mac or PC. You don't need a camera, all the chosen shots are ready to edit!

The winner will get a signed (presumably by Silverchair!) gold record plaque, the band's new album and you'll get to meet the band.

Anyone else seeing a trend in artists 'out sourcing' various marketing to their fans - and for free!

I guess it keeps everyone happy.

[Resource http://www.myspace.com/silverchair]

technorati tags:create+music+video, music+video+silverchair, music+video+competition,

WHY GIVING AWAY MUSIC IS GOOD FOR SMALL BANDS

DRM may be bad news for large bands but for smaller bands and artists it can be exploited for your benefit.

Write songs for the purpose of attracting fans and getting them to your live shows. Make your income from live performances and selling merchandise and you'll find that fans still buy your Cd's.

The 'personal touch' and 'real experience' of seeing and hearing music can't be downloaded.

In this article I came across, a small independent music producer tell this story of his brother's band:

"Small bands need to give their recorded music away freely online in order to get more people to come to their shows. My brother's band Maps & Atlases [maps-atlases.com] just went on a 7 day tour to the East Coast and ended up in a tiny university town called East Stroudsburg, PA. Instead of showing up to no crowd, the venue was packed -- a rarity for the town and venue. Why did this happen? Maps & Atlases released their EP for free online. They sold out of their first EP (2000 copies) during their 2006 tour, and they're coming up fast on selling out their second pressing, even though the music is easily downloaded online. Why do fans pay for albums? They get face time with the band, they get autographs, and they know that buying the merch direct will keep the band writing and touring."

Click here to read the full article.

This is not too different from a previous blog post I made called

GIVE AWAY YOUR MUSIC AND SELL YOUR SHOW


[Resource http://slashdot.org/articles/07/02/28/1633233.shtml]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, independent, musician

THE DRUM MACHINE THAT LEARNS FROM DRUMMERS

This came from the Website CreateDigitalMusic.com where you can read the full review.

A newly developed software called BillaBoop, and here's what the creator has to say:

"BillaBoop is a real-time audio driven drum controller which allows the user to control up to 3 drum instruments. The user can control any drum synth with the voice (beat box), or any object or musical instrument. Unlike other audio-driven systems which require a lot of parameter tuning to be able to discriminate the sounds you are playing, BillaBoop incorporates an efficient Machine Learning component which enables the system to learn by demonstration."

[Resource http://createdigitalmusic.com/2007/02/23/play-drums-with-sound-via-software-that-learns-from-you/]

technorati tags:digital+music, indie, independent, musician