|
By Sahpreem King
Being in the music business these days is becoming quite similar to being
in the movie business. With all of the corporate bankruptcies, takeovers, and
consolidations transpiring, you are likely to be signed on RocNation on Monday
and by Friday you're on Island-Def Jam, provided you ever got signed in the
first place. Getting a record deal these days is about as rare as getting struck
by lightning and about as relevant as two-way pager-remember those? Today's
artist is faced with trying to find the money to do his or her own thing-without
the financial backing of a record label!
Problem is, when you ask artists what they do to market themselves, the room
goes quiet. When you ask them how much money have they invested into their
music outside of buying the new Air Jordan's and a few pieces of jewelry they
act like you're speaking a foreign language? Let's face it; they are not spending
their money wisely.
Okay, they are probably working a day job, and we all have to eat, but their
extra money should be invested into their craft not into trendy footwear and
shinny chains.
Don't be ashamed that you have a real job in order to support yourself and
your music career, most people do. There is no dishonor in making a living;
however, there is dishonor in being dishonest to yourself. You can lie to everyone
else, but you cannot lie to yourself. If you haven't invested one red cent
into your music career you are an idiot and need to find another hobby. If
you want to be an independent music vendor then you must learn how to sell
music.
Upstarts like Young Money have earned hundreds of millions of dollars annually
not because their music is so overwhelmingly titillating, but because they
are masters at marketing and promoting music. Oh, BTW, if you are a man and
you step out in public wearing a pair of zebra print leggings, I will laugh
in your face. You've been warned! For the record if you are not a Rock-n-Roll
star from the nineteen eighties then leave the stretch pants alone.
Now back the topic of marketing,
without it you couldn't sell lemonade to
thirsty people in the desert.
Flow with me for a few ticks...the man who came up with the idea to sell bottled
water is an unadulterated genius. Hell, why not sell bottled air? If you really
think about it, bottled water is just water from the ground wrapped in an attractive
package and chilled for your convenience. If you took a shovel and dug deep
enough, you will find water for FREE. In many cases regular old tap water has
more vitamins and fluorides than bottled water. The point is anything can be
sold if is marketed properly including your music.
There are tons of FREE articles and information about music marketing floating
around on the internet and waiting to be read and utilized. There are literally
thousands of books written on the topic and available for FREE at your local
library, so what is your excuse. Get your music career out of the toilet and
get your mind right. You will never get your money right unless you take off
your artist hat and put on your business hat. I will repeat this same information
as much as necessary.
The other day I was on a popular Hip Hop news and video website. As I looked
over a few of the independent artist's videos I noticed a trend. All of these
artists shot music videos using music from other already famous artists. Wow,
what a big waste of time.
Imagine, even if they shot the video for FREE, it cost somebody something,
whether time, bartering, resources, or food. You cannot shoot a music video
without a crew, food, tape or storage device, and location. There is no such
thing as a 100% free music video, I know because I am a music video director
and own a production company.
Okay, now someone will have the nerve to argue that maybe the artist who have
made these questionable videos are ballers and can afford to waste time and
money, making a video using other people's music, but that is a stupid argument.
If they we're ballin' then their video would be in rotation somewhere other
than a free website and they could have afforded to purchase a track from an
up-and-coming or known music producer as well as, shoot a video with a fresh
concept.
See this is the dumb stuff that keeps artists starving and pissed off. My
only mission in life is to help artists like these get pass themselves and
start making a real career out of being in the music business. Do me a favor
once you read this article pass it along to ten friends in the music business.
Let's build an army of educated and financially successful independent artists.
As always my advice and services remain FREE...peace and blessings
King is the author of the best-selling book Gotta Get Signed: How to Become
a Hip-Hop Producer, published by Schirmer Trade Books. As an author his articles
and commentary have been featured in music trade publications (digital and
print) worldwide ranging from DJ Times magazine to The Source magazine. Sahpreem
has been a panelist, keynote speaker, clinician, and expert consultant for
music industry conventions and conferences including the Winter Music Conference,
Atlantis Music Conference, and DJ Times Convention.
Sahpreem holds an associate's degree
in Business Management from Kaplan University, a bachelor's degree in Information
Systems & Technology from Kaplan University,
and a master's degree in Education Media Design & Technology from Full
Sail University. King also is a member of the board of directors of P.A.T.H.
Preserving, Archiving, & Teaching, Hip Hop; a Miami based non-profit organization
that focuses on Hip Hop pedagogy and community outreach.
|
