Fan Funding?

I recently recieved an email from a struggling band due to the economy according to them and this led me on a search to help them find ways to still do what they love to do in these tough economic times. The number one thing a band can do is continue knocking on doors finding places to play live and the number two thing is get creative. There are numerous creative possiblities as to how you can still earn money as an indie, you just have to think outside of the box. The Guerilla Marketing Handbook by Bob Baker is a great source for creative marketing ideas for bands that you might want to check out to get those creative juices flowing. Anyway, on to today’s topic. Fan Funding. What is it? It is just as it sounds, a person’s fans funding them to do music. In the most specific case it is being done to help indie bands create new CDs. There are several services out right now that are doing this: SliceThePie.Com CashMusic.Org Bandstocks.Com are just a few of these services. They all have a similar idea but work differently. Some bands have recieved thousands of dollars for their projects by doing this and in some instances they only had to credit the donors in their CD booklets. IndieMusicLounge.Com in the future will be offering a service like this for musicians and even one for producers looking to get studio equipment. The model seems to be working so I figure why not give it a try and help out some more financially struggling indies. This form of cyber-begging as it has been coined it turns out has even been successfully used for other things like MyFreeImplants.Com. A site where guys go and donate money to help women from across the world purchase breast implants at no expense to the women. This cyber begging phenomenon is in its infancy but expect many other sites to start to cash in on this interesting business model as years go on. Checkout the fan funding sites and if you’re interested in them sign up and let me know how it goes.

Identity- Who am I really?

Of the many questions that you shall have thrown at you as a musician the question of who you are stands the most important. This holds true for indies even more than major artists. It’s through this question and your answer to it that people decide whether you are worth their listening in the first place. Generally speaking the first thing that shoots out of most novices mouth is that they are an original, someone with great creativity that bares comparisons to no one else, and of course that their style is very versatile. On the surface this seems like the right
answer, the most engaging answer that leaves open a lot of room not to offend anyone persons musical taste. However, that is exactly why this is such a bad choice of explaining who you are.
Think about it, how many new artists on the major scene have you heard use these statements and still, even with a major label push and dough, fell short of making the lasting impression needed for future success. Simply put, this answer is too wide. You need to narrow your answer in hopes of finding your true core fans, the people that will ultimately lead you to the worldwide scene. I know baby steps aren’t fun for anyone, however, the snowball effect created from this method tends to lead to a more fulfilling and longer lasting career. Many big time acts have used
the power of offending towards their own use, Kiss, Cher, Madonna, Green Day, and countless others have clearly defined not only who they are, but who they are not.
This of course led them to finding that core group of devoted fans that truly felt connected to them and wanted to see them succeed. And from there they then were able to target their market song-wise, promotion-wise, and as a whole musically. Everyone feels the need to connect and one of the greatest ways for this to happen is through defining who you really are. Let it all hang out, everyone won’t take to you, but in those that do you may of found a profound union, pushing you to succeed in your goals.

Get Out There And Manifest Your Career’s Success!

Your Support Team

As an indie you are left to formulate and strategically plan for many things. Of the many things you will have to do, without a question, formulating your inner circle of support for your career is the most important. The team you form will be just as important to your success as the music you make, if not more. Today’s industry is driven by lawyers, publicist, managers, and agents more than ever before. If you cannot put these key elements together right, your chances of
making it to the Big Time are slim.
The first key person in your team should be the manager. Naturally, unless you have incredible skills and are already somewhat known you shouldn’t expect to reach the top managers of the industry. This is due to the fact that managers are actually hired by you. You are the one that pays them. If you aren’t proven to be profitable or able to show that you’re an amazing talent, there is no reason for them to pay you any attention early on. However, it is still key to have a
manager. A manager is the person that will lay out your course of actions, keep you focused, and go the extra mile to get you out there, again due to the fact that its through your success that they reach their own. In your early days a manager could simply be a relative or friend that you absolutely TRUST to handle all business and financial happenings. They should preferably have at least a little industry knowledge, but most of all believe in you without fail. Many top acts
today and many legends have been led by family members and friends into top level success, most recently Usher, who’s managed by his mother.

After establishing a manager the next step is to find an agent. This is usually handled by the manager as well as the formation of the rest of your teams key members. The agent is super important to your being known because they are responsible for getting you gigs. Without them or a hard working manager you can find yourself splitting your time between arranging gigs yourself, remembering the gigs you set, handling payment issues with promoters (there will likely be some along the way), along with all the many other tasks you have in the studio and writing and most likely your 9-5. A percentage of your shows’ income will also go their way so it is also in their best interest to work hard on your behave, however, the manager should do just that, manager them, to make sure this is happening so that you are not shelved by the agent and also that your money is distributed properly.

After you have gained some local clout and clout in surrounding areas. You should be ready to seek out an entertainment lawyer. Your manager again will play a key role in this. Again, finding someone that you can trust is vital. The lawyers more and more are becoming the key person that A&R persons turn to looking for new artist. Why is this? They more than anyone one your team are mostly all about business. There is seldom a case of lawyers putting their name out on the line without there being strong numbers and thus a higher calculated chance that
you’ll be profitable. Or in other cases some lawyers that feel they have a ear for music and have contacts in the industry, if they deem you to be a true creative talent, will go ahead and take you on as client. Lawyers are responsible for many of the transactions that leads to someone becoming a household name now-a-days. They are the ones introducing the branding plans and seeking out opportunities for their clients to be seen beyond the music scene. Which also makes them that much more important if that’s your goal. It is worth really taking your time to find
your right match, the person that shares your vision the most, because the right lawyer can get you to your desired destination.

Finally, the last person you need in your inner circle is a publicist. They are responsible for making known to the worlds population that you exist. They like all the other members are very choosey of who they’ll take on. Simply because they too get paid from your success. The person that meets your needs, has the best roster of artist, networking and experience is the one you’ll want to choose. They have contacts all over the media scene and will press those contacts to give
you exposure. They along with you and mostly your manager will decide target markets and the course of action over your media blitz. Everything from autograph-signings to magazine covers are up to them so they are vital for you once you reach a certain level of success. Also due to their many contacts it has been known for publicists to actually be the key player in getting an
artist signed. So they can be important in that way as well.

So this is your team. The manager, agent, lawyer, and publicist. There are many variations on the order in which you assemble your team, but I often tend to have artists seek out management first and foremost. They stand as your guiding light, much like that of the producer in the studio.  They keep everyone on task and oversees the actions of the rest of your team. In short, they act as your coach, so make sure you choose the right person for this position. Though assembling your team will take time, money and a lot of effort, once they are all in order you’ll begin to see the fruits of such a team as they work alongside with you to fulfill all of your musical dreams and aspirations.
Now, Get Out There And Manifest Your Career Success!

Tila Tequila Music Video

Pyeng Threadgill Performs