Indie Music Marketer .com

Licensing you music into films is a great extra income stream for you as an independent artist. But, as with any other aspect of the music business, you have to go through the learning curve and networking process. My experience with film licensing, just like everything else, revolves around whom you know. 

Your first (or tenth) licensing deal probably wonít be the next Hollywood blockbuster, but thatís ok. There are a zillion independent films that need and want your music. No, you wonít be immediately rich and famous from having a song in an indie film, but you will probably get paid, and youíll get some good exposure. Remember, a good ling music career is not built on one big hit. Itís built on a series of small projects and successes building to bigger ones, and, of course, multiple streams of income. 

With that in mind, independent films are a great place to start. So where do you begin? Well, listing sites like Versus Media, Film Music Network, and Taxi are a good place to start, but itís hard to rely on a steady income from people youíve never met. Also, something Iíve learned recently from a couple of music supervisors, is that follow up on your package is not required, nor particularly appreciated. So you really are relying on your package and your music being picked out of the pile. However, the listing services will give you access to projects you may not have known about otherwise. They are, therefore, a good investment. 

An even better way to hook into independent films is to go out and meet film people. As musicians we tend to get stuck in our own little world. Hanging out with musicians, going to music workshops and events, etc. You must take your product to the people who need it instead of waiting for them to come to you. 

A great place to start is Indie Club. This is a worldwide organization of independent filmmakers, actors, crew, and everyone else. Find your local chapter through the IndieClub.com website. Itís free to join. Where I am, San Francisco, we have the countryís largest chapter. Join their discussion list and introduce yourself as a music artist. Go to their meetings and get-togethers. When I went to my first Indie Club meeting, I was one of two music artists in the room. The cries of ìWe need you!î were not just the voices in my head (this time). That room full of independent filmmakers was looking for good music that they could license and still stay within their budget. 

I scored my first licensing deal within an hour. Two songs in the same film, one Iíd already written, the other to be written specifically for the movie. My tactic was simple. Ask them about their latest project. Theyíll be happy to tell you about it, I assure you. Theyíll ask what you do. Tell them, but donít exaggerate. I explained that I had not yet written for films, but just came to see where I fit in. This particular filmmaker then explained to me that he couldnít find a particular song for this one scene he was working on. I told him Iíd be happy to custom write it for him. And there it was. I was being paid up front to write a song. How much? I received $100 for the new song, $50 for the previously written and recorded one. Like I said, you wonít get rich off of these. But hey, $50 to let him use a song that Iíd paid for long ago is free money to me. 

For the new song, the director arranged for recording time at the local recording arts school where his sound editor was studying. This was fortuitous, and not necessarily normal. Most other project I have to record myself. Because I kept the copyright for the song (which you should always try to do), I was able to release the new song on one of my future CDs, which put more money in my pocket. Thereís that multiple streams of income again. And, as a topper, I was able to perform at the premier and sell more CDs there as well. I got all that just for showing up to a meeting and talking to people. I made a few other deals at that meeting too. 

So the moral of the story is to just go where filmmakers are and talk to them. Besides Indie Club, Iím sure there are other film clubs and organizations in your area. Find them and make yourself a part of them. Get to know everyone, and you have your tunes in the movies in no time! 

Next time: How to get your music in movies by getting yourself in movies! 

Today I want to talk a about getting an agent. It is perhaps the most important thing on the minds of artists. Yet, despite all the interest, it is perhaps the one area least understood. 

In my lifetime, I have gone through a number of them. But the question should never be how do I get an agent; but more, "How Do I Get A GOOD agent?" Agents are a dime a dozen. Most are overwhelmed with clients. So if you happen to sign with one of those, you'll be another name in their client book. Even Spike Lee admitted that when he signed with William Morris they never called him for work. 

So let's throw out the idea of getting one for the sake of just having one. Sometimes, believe it or not, a smaller agency that really believes in you can do more for you than a big-time agency. And as with any agent, it takes time to build up rapport and trust. As I said, because they have so many clients YOU need to stand out. Opening the channels of communication is the best place to start. 

What bothers me is the fact that actors walk around with the notion that if they get an agent, all their problems will be solved. The agent will send them out on calls or get them studio work, etc. It doesn't work that way. Agents want actors and writers who are going places. If you are sitting back complaining, "If I only had an agent things would be different," then you need to get out of this industry. Why would an agent want anyone not willing to put the time and effort in, on their own, for the advancement of their career? Think about it. 

Who wants to work with a lazy person? If you want a good agent, then you have to get their attention. If you are out there getting work on your own and making a name for yourself, then the agents will come to you. Trust me on that. After I did my first feature film, one of the biggest agencies in Hollywood, International Creative Management (ICM), called me! The best part about that is, if you have demonstrated that you are a hot commodity, then you may have more than one agency after you. So you'll have options and won't necessarily have to sign with just the first one that comes along. But on the other hand, if you are sitting at home eating potato chips and watching "Family Guy," then it is going to be really hard to get any agent's attention, good or bad. 

It's your career. You have to treat it like a business. If you want a certain agency to represent you, then you have to bring something to the table. What is your body of work? What do your resume, reel, writing samples and or portfolio look like? Don't just have this magic idea in your head that your agent will put all that together for you. Sure, there are agencies out there that will sign you just because you have a dynamic look. But don't hold your breath on that one! 

You should also build a list of names of every agent out there. Get to know them as if they were your personal friends. In LA there are certain restaurants, department stores and events they frequent. You should make it a point to frequent them as well. Some time ago, I attended an event in New York where I happened to run into a very famous director. The next day I had to fly out to LA to attend another event. Guess what? That same director was there as well. He was so surprised to see me that we become friends. He called me Mr. Jet Setter because it seemed I was bi-coastal. He even tried to help me get financing for my first film! 

So, I want you to start thinking in terms of getting things moving on your own. Hit those auditions. Build your reel. Take your acting classes. Write more than one screenplay. Network with everyone in the business. Send out a press release. Put yourself on the radar screen! If you are truly working hard, I guarantee you an agent will find and discover you! Opportunity meets preparedness. Peace! 

New websites allow anyone with an internet connection, a microphone, and a webcam to get their shot at stardom. You audition, America decides... 

October 6, 2006 - The next American Idol may never be on the show. He or she may never see Randy, Paula, or Simon before building a huge worldwide fan base of their own, getting their own record deal, and becoming a bit of a celebrity. And all this without ever leaving the house. 

Websites like Bix.com provide anyone the ability to submit their own video karaoke performance online for free, 24/7. Simply choose the song you want from their list, sing it into your webcam and your video automatically uploads to their site. Next, ask a few friends to vote for you, and suddenly you may find yourself in the running of a major nationwide singing contest, with record label execs watching your every move. 

It can be a tremendous boost to your singing career without all the hassle (time, energy, travel) required for American Idol. 

I know firsthand what people go through during those tryouts, because I am one of them. 

Not sure if it's the "get rich quick" or "overnight success" mentality or just the chance to get on TV, but every year, more than 100,000 people try out for talent shows like American Idol. Add in "Dancing with the Stars," or "Rock Star: Supernova," and that number grows closer to half a million! 

People ask me all they time why I tried out. "Why'd you put yourself through all that?" they ask. "Do you really think you're a better singer than the 10,000 other people you stood in line with?" 

Truth be told, it's that elusive shot at fame. It's like playing the lottery. You know you can scratch off 100 tickets and still win nothing, but that little voice inside your head says, "Yeah, but what if you try just once more? You just might hit it big." 

"What if Simon picks you? What if you make it to the final round and suddenly all of America knows your name and your hometown and just how good you can really sing?" 

And so... against all odds, we voluntarily put ourselves through the dreaded tryouts. Here's how mine went: 

The alarm clock buzzed again at 4am the morning of the audition, and I subconsciously hit the snooze a couple of times before I remembered what day it was. We grabbed our pre-packed lunches and protein bars and hopped in the car 2 hours before sunrise and sped to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where we proceeded to join the cast of thousands of hopefuls already in line. (5:30 am) 

After 2 hours in line, the sun started to come up, and we had moved a good 20 feet or so. 

Finally, with wristbands intact and stadium seats procured, we got through the gates about 9am, and the boom cameras rolled, taking shot after cheesy shot of a falsely hyped-up crowd pretending to be ecstatic to be there. (Side note: it's awfully hard to act energetic when you've been on your feet for 5 or 6 hours straight with the August sun beating down on you.) 

More time ticked by... Some people were singing. Some were blabbering about how great they were and how they shouldn't even have to try out. One guy proclaimed he could have easily been in the top 5 finalists last year. It's just that his voice got "a little dry" when he first auditioned... riiight... 

So we sat and sat, in cramped little Rose Bowl stadium seats built for skinny short people, baking in the Southern California sun until about 1pm, when they finally called our group number. I stood in a group of 4 pretty darn good singers, complete with catchy outfits and good looks to match. We each took our turn in front of a junior producer at one of 14 booths lined up on the opposite side of the stadium, trying to sing loud enough to wow the judge over the neighboring booths. 

I belted out Amazing Grace to the best of my ability. Complete with bluesy slides in my own unique arrangement I'd never heard anyone do before, sure that they'd appreciate my throwback to Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. 

But my best effort just wasn't good enough for this producer. In fact, no one from our group got through. Maybe it was the heat or the dehydration. Maybe the producer we got was just having a bad day. Either way, I went to all that effort for nothing. Or so I thought... 

On the way out of the stadium, thoroughly exhausted and sunburned, someone handed me an invitation to try out for something called an "Online Second Chance" contest. A bit jaded from the whole experience, I said, "Thanks but no thanks," and kept walking. 

I let that invitation sit on my desk for a month before I finally picked it up and went to the website. When I realized what a cool opportunity this was, I had to rush, because there were only 9 days left in the contest. 

Within 72 hours, my audition skyrocketed. People discovered me! My version of the song "Chariot" (Gavin DeGraw) took second place in the Audio category, which made me a Top 10 Finalist overall, heading into the final round, where I'm competing right now against 9 other finalists. 

This time I'm singing another Gavin DeGraw hit called "I Don't Want to Be." 

I'm still pinching myself, but in the last 3 weeks, I've earned over 1,500 new fans, emailed back and forth with record label execs, and am competing for a cash prize that will more than pay for a real record in a real studio with a real producer. Not bad for never leaving the house. 

If you are - or have ever wanted to be a singer - I recommend you take your shot online. 

To view my Bix.com submission and vote, visit http://www.bix.com/entry/9015. But hurry, the contest ends Oct 14. 

Internet forums and discussion boards have become a valuable medium for establishing an online presence, building a reputation, networking with peers, and getting feedback on relevant topics and ideas. With that said, there are many forums and discussion boards on the Internet specific to music artists, musicians, and songwriters. These music forums are packed with wisdom that thriving artists can leverage for their professional development advantage. By becoming actively involved in music forum communities, artists can find themselves absorbing an abundance of music industry knowledge that can help in furthering their respective career agendas. 

Registration at music forum communities is generally free, however, the more prominent and private communities charge nominal fees for memberships. To find the right forum community for you, we suggest you go to a popular search engine like Google (www.google.com) or Yahoo (www.yahoo.com) and perform a search on "music forums". Browse the search engine results one by one, and keep in mind that each forum community has its own mission, theme, guidelines, and attitude. After visiting a few music forum communities, you will quickly learn that not all music forums are the same. Taking your time in finding the right community is key because you will want time spent to be an investment and not a waste. To help you find the right music forums for your needs, Artistopia offers the below suggestions. Note that at the end of each suggestion below, an explanation is provided on how it applies to the development and maturing process of an artist in the music industry. 

1. Carefully select a forum community you can settle into for the long haul. Take your time researching them by reading existing posts, and making sure conversations, and music styles, meet your learning goals and objectives before making your selection. Relation to professional development: Finding the right music company or business that will develop you thoroughly is key to helping you mature in the business properly. Always know that haste makes waste. 

2. Focus on building a well-respected reputation within the forum community. A reputation in any forum community is earned by a member's cumulative interactions and contributions over time, and not within a few posts. Keep your reputation untarnished because repairing any damage done to it is always twice as hard as building it in the first place. Relation to professional development: Your reputation as an artist in the music industry is your integrity, and tarnishing it could lead to alienation and possible ousting. Wounded lions drag the rest of the pride down. 

3. Keep your posts clean, respectful, and productive no matter what direction the conversation or message thread takes. It will be tough to contain yourself at times, but learn to exercise patience and calculated response tactics. Misunderstandings often happen in forums, and when they do, you will need to know when to respond and when not to. Relation to professional development: Being an artist in a multi-billion dollar music industry is a job and not a party. Learn to be professional at all times and costs. 

4. Be careful not to offend senior members and administrators. Forums tend to foster loyalty amongst the members, so measure each word in your posts and focus on being productive, not destructive. Egos and arrogance need not apply because no one knows it all. Smooth over the senior members with wit and intelligence, and you will receive a warm welcome. Relation to professional development: Simple, offend the wrong music professional and it could mean your career. Be open to constructive criticism and always yearn to learn from all those around you. 

5. Use the forums to "subtly" promote your personal website or Artistopia profile, which will give you more exposure (brand name building) and help drive your overall numbers (song downloads, profile views, etc.). Most forum administrators frown upon direct promotions and blatant advertising, but they will allow you to represent the website you are from. Always consider yourself a visitor and respect the guidelines set forth because administrators will ban without hesitation. Relation to professional development: Identify and exercise all marketing opportunities that will promote your artistic talent without igniting a turf war. Know your boundaries and how far you can push it by thinking with your head, and not with your heart. 

6. Make full use of the signature functionality in forum communities to brand yourself, especially by putting a slogan, a quote, a banner, or a link that points to your Artistopia profile or personal website. This is permissible at most music forum communities, and is helpful for others in learning more about you when reading your posts. Relation to professional development: Every professional artist is known for a signature of some sort, even if itís lyrics, beats, looks, or wardrobe amongst many other aspects of branding. Start thinking of yourself as a brand that sells and start establishing your market or niche. Become known for something distinct and keep building on it. 

7. Engage the readers by articulating your ideas intelligently, making sure your posts are flawless of grammar and spelling mistakes, leaving out slang terms and not using excessive caps, and ensuring your writing flows smoothly. Readers are quick to place judgments based on your ability to write and communicate your thoughts effectively. Relation to professional development: The music industry is about building your fan base and keeping them. Gain their confidence by displaying the ability to walk the walk and talk the talk, professionally and effectively. Let them know through actions that your position in the industry was earned and not handed to you overnight. 

8. Frequent the forums and post messages on regular basis. Appearing often will demonstrate your loyalty to the community, and your resolve to building your name and reputation. More importantly, you will be consistently marketing yourself time and time again. Members that disappear for long periods of time are perceived for not being focused or serious about their agenda in the community. Relation to professional development: Half of the battle to making it in the music industry is keeping your brand afloat and marketable. Being a star is the farthest thing from a walk in the park or a picnic. Stars have to do many performances, appearances, interviews, and anything else that will put them in front of a camera to keeping their brand alive. Absence will deplete your popularity. 

9. Network, collaborate, and create as many contacts as possible. Do not be afraid to step out of the forum community box and work in-person on projects with fellow artists, musicians, and songwriters you meet in these forums. More importantly, always fish out and befriend members that you feel will further your agenda. Do not hesitate to share your ideas with other members, because if you donít you will be isolating yourself. Relation to professional development: The music business is about who you know and being at the right place at the right time. To increase your chances of unearthing opportunities, collaborate with as many peers and professionals as you can. You never know who will open the door for you. 

10. Do not spread yourself too thin by participating in more than 2 forum communities. Stay focused on establishing your presence and building a reputation in a few places only. Diligent research up-front will lead to wise decisions on the forums you elect to settle in with. Relation to professional development: Productivity is key, especially when you aren't getting paid. Start small and build your way up. Every single decision you make, no matter how small, will impact your overall progress. Learn the politics of the music business and use them to perfection. 

Building a presence in any forum community can challenge the most open-minded socialite mankind can offer. However, by exercising the above suggestions, you can be sure you are not marching in blindly. Exercise each of these suggestions in moderation, be patient as it will take time to build up your reputation, and always act professional so others can respect you. Forums will ultimately teach you people skills and politics. 

Once you perfect the above forum tactics, then it is time to move on and fish out real life music circles by attending networking happy hours, conventions and conferences, and any other gatherings that congregate music artists and professionals in one place. Most important is for you to keep in mind that being a music artist in this business is a job and not a party. Good luck and tread safe!