"This is the end, beautiful friend..."
Tonight I play with Soul Track Mind for the last time, I think. I never say never, especially when it comes to playing with people. We musicians are loyal to music and money. Yeah I said it. Actually, playing on stage is pretty easy. It's the issues with personalities, the music business and all the prep work for the stage performance (writing, arranging, rehearsing music, etc..). All the stuff that puts us on stage to make the performance great. So when you see bands get back together, its for the love of the music and performing on stage. Or it's all that and the fact that a band can make a shit load of money-see The Eagles or The Police. The battles within those bands are legendary, but in the end-music and money can salve a lot of wounds.
The tonight's show at the Hole in the Wall with T-Bird & the Breaks was going to be a nice launching pad for a big 2010. Now, I think it will show the tale of 2 bands-one going up and one going down. There is a very interesting subtext that came to light recently. A little tidbit I got from Sam, the keys man. I'll see how it plays out and report back.
Just cause I'm a sentimental guy, here is a video of Soul Track Mind at Antone's September 7, 2009. The band had some promise and a bright future...Sorry Sam, this is before you got in the band...
Showing posts with label Music Biz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music Biz. Show all posts
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Listen to This: On the Beat
I listen to On The Beat with Celia Hirschman every week. Her show covers all aspects of the music business. Her show last Wed 1-06-10 was great primer on what I think is the largest challenge for musicians-managing metadata.
This is an issue I've been intrigued with my whole life. The lifeblood of the music business is music. I've been fascinated with the music business since I was a kid-reading about what happened to the Beatles, John Fogerty and others with song rights (not to mention a bunch of blues & jazz artists). Writers & publishers need to keep track of the vital information to track record sales to get paid correctly. The real salvo in the digital rights/payment war was fired when SoundScan was implemented in 1991. The record business changed overnight. The next week when Billboard printed the SoundScan listings, some dude name Garth Brooks was all over the charts. There's always been fishy ways the record industry counted record sales-calling stores, paying DJs for playing singles to boost numbers, using shipping information (and not counting returns), etc.
With digital distribution, a guy like me can release a professional album to the masses, monitor sales and collect funds for those sales. SoundScan, though, figures to be less involved in the future of monitoring these sales. From the transcript of the show:
"Today, SoundScan collects data from their network of participating retailers and creates a myriad of sales reports for their clients. With SoundScan, labels are able to see which albums are selling best in what regions, artists are able to focus their tours in areas which have the greatest sales, and record stores can prioritize their album purchasing. Everyone can see just how well an artists' record is doing. This system works very well within the closed system of the old record business. But the digital age has brought a more disruptive philosophy in the music business. Many do-it-yourself musicians couldn't care less about SoundScan, and that's where the point of sales system falls apart.
Today, artists big and small release their music through digital retailers like iTunes, CD Baby and eMusic. And while these online retailers report all sales to SoundScan, SoundScan only recognizes those titles registered in their system. While the cost to register an album with SoundScan is free, it's that one extra step that many indie bands miss or ignore. And the result is a skewed landscape that doesn't accurately reflect true sales.
While this is disheartening, the SoundScan problem just underscores a much bigger issue in the record business. That is the issue of metadata management. Metadata is the bits of information that surround a song – for instance the publishers, the writers, the label, the musicians, the bar code and the owners. That metadata, while seemingly trivial, is actually the bread and butter of the new business. While protecting intellectual copyright is most definitely the overarching concern of the record industry, it's the good management of information behind the songs that will ultimately seed a strong and fair business environment. According to SoundScan, in 2009, over a billion tracks were sold. That's a lot of data to manage.
While many well-meaning organizations lay claim to managing pieces of the metadata pie, there's not one organization in the US that handles the complete scope. Not one. For musicians, accurately protecting the current landscape is one of the most important issues of the new year."
I'm watching my metadata for 2010.
This is an issue I've been intrigued with my whole life. The lifeblood of the music business is music. I've been fascinated with the music business since I was a kid-reading about what happened to the Beatles, John Fogerty and others with song rights (not to mention a bunch of blues & jazz artists). Writers & publishers need to keep track of the vital information to track record sales to get paid correctly. The real salvo in the digital rights/payment war was fired when SoundScan was implemented in 1991. The record business changed overnight. The next week when Billboard printed the SoundScan listings, some dude name Garth Brooks was all over the charts. There's always been fishy ways the record industry counted record sales-calling stores, paying DJs for playing singles to boost numbers, using shipping information (and not counting returns), etc.
With digital distribution, a guy like me can release a professional album to the masses, monitor sales and collect funds for those sales. SoundScan, though, figures to be less involved in the future of monitoring these sales. From the transcript of the show:
"Today, SoundScan collects data from their network of participating retailers and creates a myriad of sales reports for their clients. With SoundScan, labels are able to see which albums are selling best in what regions, artists are able to focus their tours in areas which have the greatest sales, and record stores can prioritize their album purchasing. Everyone can see just how well an artists' record is doing. This system works very well within the closed system of the old record business. But the digital age has brought a more disruptive philosophy in the music business. Many do-it-yourself musicians couldn't care less about SoundScan, and that's where the point of sales system falls apart.
Today, artists big and small release their music through digital retailers like iTunes, CD Baby and eMusic. And while these online retailers report all sales to SoundScan, SoundScan only recognizes those titles registered in their system. While the cost to register an album with SoundScan is free, it's that one extra step that many indie bands miss or ignore. And the result is a skewed landscape that doesn't accurately reflect true sales.
While this is disheartening, the SoundScan problem just underscores a much bigger issue in the record business. That is the issue of metadata management. Metadata is the bits of information that surround a song – for instance the publishers, the writers, the label, the musicians, the bar code and the owners. That metadata, while seemingly trivial, is actually the bread and butter of the new business. While protecting intellectual copyright is most definitely the overarching concern of the record industry, it's the good management of information behind the songs that will ultimately seed a strong and fair business environment. According to SoundScan, in 2009, over a billion tracks were sold. That's a lot of data to manage.
While many well-meaning organizations lay claim to managing pieces of the metadata pie, there's not one organization in the US that handles the complete scope. Not one. For musicians, accurately protecting the current landscape is one of the most important issues of the new year."
I'm watching my metadata for 2010.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Aftermath in 4 Parts: Part 1
My last post before my re-commitment to the blog was July 15, 2009. What difference 5 months can make.
Tonight starts the countdown to my termination with Soul Track Mind. It's going to be very cold tonight in Austin and normally I would stay home. To be honest, the advice my friends gave me was to leave after the New Years Eve gig. The reasons I didn't leave:
1. I agreed to play until Saturday, January 23. That's a gig with T Bird & the Breaks, which is the best gig STM has to date.
2. The remaining gigs provide a great opportunity for me to advertise my skills as a bassist if someone needs one.
3. I have a new 2008 Fender American P-Bass I just paid off I want to try out live. I'm going to get it set up James Jamerson style at The Bass Emporium later this week.
4. I love to play. Music is the ultimate drug to me. I love to play.
The interesting story is the process STM is using to replace me. I'm still friends (and will work with) some members of the band. Yesterday I got an unsolicited call from a member telling me about an audition that didn't go to well and perhaps the back-up plan after firing me wasn't exactly thought out. They will do what they have to do. That includes an option of paying me or another professional player (plus a new horn section) to sit in. With a weekly gig like TC's, that will eventually present problems from a business and performance point of view.
STM had a revenue sharing agreement of 50% went into a band fund (covering expenses such as advertising, recording costs, merchandise costs, website, etc.) and the other 50% split evenly amongst the members of the group. Revenue is based on how many people STM pulls to each gig (STM is not on the level to have a standard fee). So if STM has to pay a standard fee to me, another bassist and/or a horn section (consisting of at least 2 horns) that's an overhead cost that effects the variable amount that will go to the rest of the band. Having contract players always effects the performance (it's difficult to get professional players to rehearse once a week and gig without paying for rehearsals.) Plus, since we are not talking thousands of dollars (more like tens of dollars)it will be difficult for the band to make money to keep paying for other expenses. Those expanses are critical-gotta keep the website up, an good quality album has to get done before anything close to a success tour can happen, tour expenses are not cheap (especially with a large band), to generate revenue merchandise will need to be bought to sell, quality posters and fliers to be printed and distributed, etc. Like most unsigned bands, STM has members with different jobs and income levels. This can lead to additional financial strains on some members. Uneven performances can lead to a crowd drop off "Man, they don't sound the same..." If attendance drops off at gigs, revenue to the band and more importantly to the club will drop off. Clubs tend not to like when attendance drops off.
If that happens, there could be a hungry band that says "Can we get a shot?" TCs, like any club will have to listen.
I'm not saying this because it was me who got canned. I've been fired before and I've fired people from bands. Like Hyman Roth says, "This is the business we have chosen." When you make a move like this, you have to be prepared with the consequences. More insights to come...
Tonight starts the countdown to my termination with Soul Track Mind. It's going to be very cold tonight in Austin and normally I would stay home. To be honest, the advice my friends gave me was to leave after the New Years Eve gig. The reasons I didn't leave:
1. I agreed to play until Saturday, January 23. That's a gig with T Bird & the Breaks, which is the best gig STM has to date.
2. The remaining gigs provide a great opportunity for me to advertise my skills as a bassist if someone needs one.
3. I have a new 2008 Fender American P-Bass I just paid off I want to try out live. I'm going to get it set up James Jamerson style at The Bass Emporium later this week.
4. I love to play. Music is the ultimate drug to me. I love to play.
The interesting story is the process STM is using to replace me. I'm still friends (and will work with) some members of the band. Yesterday I got an unsolicited call from a member telling me about an audition that didn't go to well and perhaps the back-up plan after firing me wasn't exactly thought out. They will do what they have to do. That includes an option of paying me or another professional player (plus a new horn section) to sit in. With a weekly gig like TC's, that will eventually present problems from a business and performance point of view.
STM had a revenue sharing agreement of 50% went into a band fund (covering expenses such as advertising, recording costs, merchandise costs, website, etc.) and the other 50% split evenly amongst the members of the group. Revenue is based on how many people STM pulls to each gig (STM is not on the level to have a standard fee). So if STM has to pay a standard fee to me, another bassist and/or a horn section (consisting of at least 2 horns) that's an overhead cost that effects the variable amount that will go to the rest of the band. Having contract players always effects the performance (it's difficult to get professional players to rehearse once a week and gig without paying for rehearsals.) Plus, since we are not talking thousands of dollars (more like tens of dollars)it will be difficult for the band to make money to keep paying for other expenses. Those expanses are critical-gotta keep the website up, an good quality album has to get done before anything close to a success tour can happen, tour expenses are not cheap (especially with a large band), to generate revenue merchandise will need to be bought to sell, quality posters and fliers to be printed and distributed, etc. Like most unsigned bands, STM has members with different jobs and income levels. This can lead to additional financial strains on some members. Uneven performances can lead to a crowd drop off "Man, they don't sound the same..." If attendance drops off at gigs, revenue to the band and more importantly to the club will drop off. Clubs tend not to like when attendance drops off.
If that happens, there could be a hungry band that says "Can we get a shot?" TCs, like any club will have to listen.
I'm not saying this because it was me who got canned. I've been fired before and I've fired people from bands. Like Hyman Roth says, "This is the business we have chosen." When you make a move like this, you have to be prepared with the consequences. More insights to come...
Monday, January 4, 2010
Album Event: Vampire Weekend
Today I discovered Vampire Weekend was streaming their new album on MySpace. The office release date is Tuesday January 12, 2010. If anyone is unfamiliar with their music go to the Myspace and get to know the music. For me, they have a Talking Heads/Paul Simon Graceland vibe. Afro Pop light or Afro Pop White (according to Christian Lander anyway...) Hell, they even mention Peter Gabriel in "Ottoman", though mocking "In Your Eyes" as a romantic moment. Gabriel's revolutionary mixture of world music mixed with his great pop sensibilities don't directly influence Vampire Weekend. Gabriel, Byrne and Simon did open an audio world to them, I would say. Elements of English punk/ska, also.
I like the album a lot. I have to listen to it more and I will buy it when it's released. I have software to rip it from the MySpace for free, but I have never participated in file swapping. I have made copies of music for friends (burnt a CD or gave MP3 files) but never free downloading unless the artist wants to give it away. Most file music files sound like crap. A lot of people don't really care about sound quality and the art of recording is suffering. Plus, I am a major advocate of artists controlling how they want their music distributed and to be fairly compensated for it. Always have, always will. I like to look at album artwork, I like to touch liner notes as I read them. I will buy the CD and burn it. I know I pay a premium compared to downloading it from iTunes. The extra $2 is worth the tactile feeling I enjoy about CDs or vinyl. I know it's old fashion, but album releases are events to me. Albums are little pieces of history and time that can't ever be taken away.
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