Should beginning bands give music away for free?

Yes.  Here’s the scenario…

Antonio’s band is just getting off the ground in the Boston, MA area.  They’re about half way finished recording their debut album and are starting to play out around the area.  There seems to be a bit of a debate on whether or not to give some of the music away for free.  One side of the argument is…hey, after all the time, energy, and money we put into recording this it makes no sense to give it away…the other side is, let’s focus long term, give tracks away, and encourage word of mouth with hopes to find more fans.

If you’re an independent band, with no label support, just getting off the ground…you absolutely need to give some of your music away for free..and not the left overs..you need to share the best songs you have!  If you don’t…how are people going to hear your music?  Naturally gravitate towards your myspace page?  Doubt it.

Here’s my advice…make everything you have available for purchase.  Get your tracks on iTunes (and everywhere else), link your sites to it, and let people know they’re available for purchase if you’d like to support the band.  You’ll be surprised how many will purchase to support.  Your current FANS will support, but the new one’s wont..they’re not yet convinced and are testing your water.  You need to convince them with your music.  Give it to them, let them live with it, enjoy it, and guess what…if your songs are good enough…they’ll react!  And if they react, they’ll buy the other songs and maybe even a t-shirt and ticket to the next show…that’s what you want.

And really?  Is $0.99/track really going to make any difference in your career right now?!  No…be real.  It’s not..If you’re working for $0.99 then you’re way too short sighted and wont make it…besides..just a reminder..you’re doing this for the love of music, remember?  And there’s nothing better than sharing your music with new people, right?!  Share your music now, think long term, and the money will come…LATER.  Don’t bottleneck yourself this early.

So what’s the best way to give your music away?  I’m a fan of getting a little something for the free track.  I’ve started working with loudbytes: loudbytes.com.  You can get 1000 band cards for next to nothing that have your artwork on the front and a download code on the back.  Hand them out at shows and to the people you know.  When they go to loudbytes to download your track, loudbytes grabs their e-mail address and sends it back to you.  That’s cool.  Now you can hit everyone up who checked out your tunes and personally invite them to your next show.  These guys can attach your music via download codes to cards, button, hangtags for t-shirts, stickers…whatever.  I’ve even started using them to cut out the cost of CDs.  I put music on hang tags now.  So rather than sell a shirt for $10…I sell it for $15 and you get the album as a digital download for “free”…now you’re thinking like a business..cutting cost of goods sold.

So yes…give it away in one form or another…your fans will appreciate it and like I said…if the music is good enough people will react.

Ben

Should we release an EP BEFORE singing to a label?

I just got off the phone with a manager friend of mine who works for a great firm representing bands most of you would know.  They deal regularly with both indie and major labels.  She’s great…very smart, works incredibly hard, and loves her bands.  One of her acts is in the process of figuring out WHAT to do.  They were dropped from a major-indie label about a year ago and have since continued to write, record, and play as much as possible.

They’ve found themselves, yet again, with a few label A&Rs kicking their tires… The band wants to release an EP…but do you wait for the deal to happen, if it happens, or just throw something out to your fans without any major push in the meantime?

THROW SOMETHING OUT TO YOUR FANS!!  I told her…look…IF a label signs your band again it’s going to take AT LEAST 12 to 18 months before the antiquated sloth of a business could turn around a new product.  You think your fans are going to wait that long?  If you do…best of luck.  Labels are dying.  I keep saying this and you know it.  You need to keep your fans engaged and entertained.  You cannot exist on your myspace page alone and assume people will come to you…you need to reach out to them.  You need to provide something worth keeping their interest…and that’s great songs.  That’s your job.

Get out of the album mentality.  When you have a great song…record it and release it…we have the means to do this now!  Albums exist so that labels can make money… I highly recommended to her, and you, to record what you have and offer it to your core fans.  By doing so, you’ll keep the fans you have entertained while the label drags along.  Further, her band will then OWN that EP…and if you own it you keep the money from it.  I questioned why she wanted to sign her band to a label again, but some still go for the gold…and god bless ‘em…but you have to understand what you’re getting yourself into at the moment..particularly with the majors.

Quality songs over quantity….I’d rather you offer me 3 great songs than wait for 15…from which I’ll most likely only buy 3 from iTunes…so why wait?  Get the songs out there….because if you wait…you’re A&R guy will most likely be fired, the album budget will disappear, and you’ll most likely get dropped and the album shelved.  And I’m not being pessimistic, this is what the current situation is and the reality for most new bands.  Bet on yourself.

Ben

War Stories – Hangin’ On

Evan Robinson (Singer) : “We’re not a political band by any means..in fact we’re the furthest thing from 4 politicians…but as artists we can’t help but be inspired by and write about the world we see.  So take from this what you will…it’s not a soapbox, only one perspective.”

Hangin’ On VIDEO

This is cool.   War Stories released their debut album 8/19 and is currently #15 on the specialty radio charts.  They’re playing locally, press is gravitating, and they are finding true fans one at a time.  They wrote this song after the album, but rather than just sit on it, wait for another 9 songs for an album, and miss the opportunity to impact at a relevant time…they recorded a follow up single, offered it digitally, partnered with a great organization, and made this video.  All for about $200.

Whether you like the song or not, there’s something here for you to learn.  Flexibility and striking when the iron is HOT!  Don’t wait to record and offer a great new song and product…keeping content fresh keeps fans engaged.

Ben

Is it worth touring if you don’t have music to sell?

You’re out there…on the grind!  Trying to get shows, building a name, saving money to record, doing everything you can to accomplish your goals.  You’re musicians…you want to write and share your music.  Sell it to fans for them to go home and enjoy what you do.  So is it worth driving 2 to 5 hours away to play shows if you don’t have any music for potential new fans to walk out the door with?!  This is the question Eric recently asked me.

Here’s a little more info, Eric has 1 song recorded and available as a free download on myspace, they’re working on their EP, playing locally when they can, and have been offered a few gigs 2 to 5 hours away.  He’s wondering if they should push touring before music?  How important is a CD at the merch booth?

Eric…ABSOLUTELY!!  Here’s a rule…and please, everyone…take this to heart.  If you are not yet at a professional level where YOU are headlining and selling tickets…you do not say no to a live performance.  Why?  Because you never know if there will be another.  And when you say no, I guarantee another band a little more hungry is happy to say yes.  You need the impressions, the fans, the relationships with the promoters and venues…you need to play.  2 to 5 hours is reasonable enough…if you said 10…maybe, if it’s the right show and people will be there…but 2 to 5 is your backyard.

But here’s the real reason why….

Your long term success is NOT dependent on albums sold…it’s dependent on TICKETS sold.  You are not a career musician until you can sell enough tickets to pay your bills.  One of the greatest examples is Social Distortion.  Never had that unbelievable “commercial hit”, multimillion selling album…but fricken 30 YEARS LATER…Mike Ness and the boys are selling out 10 nights in a row at the OC House of Blues then driving 50 miles north and selling out another 10 nights in a row at Sunset House of Blues and still touring the WORLD..it’s amazing.  How many of you even know who Social D is?  Please tell me you all do.

Eric, you need fans…and chances are, if you’re at a level where you don’t have an EP yet..you must take advantage of opportunities that place you and your songs in front of an audience.  If they like you enough, they’ll go online and download the song…chances are they’d steal it anyways.  If I were managing you, I’d say pack it up, play the show, and before you go…burn your 1 song onto 50 CDs and hand them out free to every person who signs up on your e-mail list (see below!).  I know you value music, the disc, it’s artwork…but you’re a musician, not a fan…it’s a different experience and perspective.  Soon, music will all be digital and bundled for free with every piece of merch purchased.  I just ordered stickers for one of my bands that has a code on the back for 2 free downloadable songs.  We’ve been handing those out at every show…and guess what..the shows are getting bigger!  That same band I had drive from San Diego, CA all the way to Austin, TX to play SXSW 3 months before we had EPs in hand..so we burned 3 songs on some CDs, slapped a homemade cover on there, and handed them out for free.  Next week our myspace plays, friends, and e-mail opt-ins went up.  Share your music, fans will appreciate it, follow you, then support you by purchasing the album once you have it available.

So go…make friends!

Great question, man…I appreciate it and hope it helps.
Ben

What’s the best way to keep our fans informed?

It’s hard to stay on top of everything.  If you’re moving forward as a musician you should absolutely put as much time as possible into writing better songs…that’s your job.  However, you must also never neglect the marketing of yourself and those great songs you write.  I know, common sense, right?  But I’m amazed at how many artists don’t take advantage of the FREE tools available for their use.  Jason is wondering what tools I’ve found to be most useful for keeping in touch with fans.

Great question…something every new band needs to not only know, but utilize.  There’s no excuse not to.  If you want to rise above the clutter you need to actively promote yourself, find new fans, and stay in constant contact with those fans…they are you’re lifeline.

You absolutely need a mailing list.  I know, I almost feel ridiculous saying it…it’s one of the least techy tools out there..but still the most important.  Contrary to what you might think, not everyone is on myspace.  So what good is posting a tour date or news bulletin that people may not see.  Some might, but others wont.  You need direct contact.  It’s also a great indicator of how many true fans you have.  You may sit on tens of thousands of myspace friends…but you know as well as I that only a fraction really care.  I highly recommend ReverbNation’s mailing list tools.  They really are great.  Very easy to use, provide a ton of statistical information, and best of all…FREE.  Go to http://www.reverbnation.com and set yourself up with an artist profile if you haven’t already.  While you’re there, you’ll find other valuable tools like street team functions, tour widgets, banners, and “tunepacks” (links you can send to people to hear your music).  With all the options and distractions your fans have, why rely on the assumption that they’ll continually come to you for information?  You need to feed it to them.  Seriously.  You wouldn’t believe how many times I’d receive messages on my bands’ myspace pages asking “When’s the next time you’re coming to ‘insert your city here’?” when it’s right there in our tour dates…trust me, the best way to keep your fans informed and a part of what you do is still e-mail.

Also, don’t just exist on myspace.  I often wonder what would happen to the independent musician community if myspace went bye bye…think about that.  You’re trying to start and run a business and most likely your main point of contact, information, and media is 1 website that you have no control over.  You think that’s wise?  Trust me…I know it’s a pain updating ALL the various community sites…but do it.  Set up pages on the top 5 or 6 and link them all together.  It offers more exposure and less dependence on one source.  By the way…I heard myspace is no longer going to allow ANY external links from band pages!!  No links to merch, youtube, itunes, mailing lists, touring…nothing.   I don’t know if it’s true or not, but if it is…you might want to start thinking NOW about setting something else up…like your own website.

I can go on and on…but the question is staying in touch with fans.  Set up your mailing lists and send out at least 1 newsletter a week with interesting information!!

Ben