Today's Music Biz

I’m told by some that Drake is a “reverse rapper”.  Most successful rappers go to TV. Drake was a teenage TV star on Digrassi The Next Generation before his rap career took off.

Either way, there is no denying DrizzyDrake is everywhere with the fan base to follow.

So what are some of the secrets to Drake’s success in Today’s Music biz and what mistakes can you avoid?

1)  Build your brand.

If you Google Drake you’ll come up with DrizzyDrake (Drake’s AKA) and Octobers Very Own or OVO.  Drake’s brand. He built this brand before he signed to a label.

2) Listen to constructive criticism from your fans.

In a recent interview with Billboard magazine, Drake states that he’d “rather have great reviews than numbers”. Implementing feedback can take your music to the next level. I’ve seen it happen.

3) Positivity matters.

Drake’s song “Successful” and the lyrics to the majority of his songs are aspirational.  They talk about what he’s accomplished, or wants to accomplish (even if it’s marrying Nicki Minaj).  This is how he connects with many of his fans.  You have to have dreams and goals to be successful in Today’s Music Biz.  You have to believe in them, sing or write them to act on them.

4) Get your music cleared before announcing a release date.

Drake’s first album Thank Me Later release was pushed back due to licensing issues after the date had been announced.  It may work for someone with a large enough, established, fan base but you don’t want to build anticipation and then let your fans down by not being able to release your album on time.

5)  Leaks can be good.

He’s quoted in Billboard.com saying “the night that it leaks is the night by album release is…that’s when you start hearing feedback. That’s how we gauge things now”.  His latest release ended up dropping on the night of an awards show where he had the opportunity to let everyone know on national TV during his performance that it sold 700,000 units.

6)  Be loyal to those who give you a chance.

Drake’s first album with Lil Wayne’s Young Money hit #1 on Billboard top 200. His most recent deal for the release of Take Care was signed with Young Money/Cash Money/Universal to make sure Lil Wayne got paid off everything he did.  Just for believing in him!  This album just hit #1 on the Billboard top 200 as well. My guess is he’ll be winning more awards next year and thanking Lil Wayne.

 7)  Fame is fleeting.

Drake Says you get 30 days for an album, of media and radio air play. Drake connects with fans by singing about situations they are going through.  But everyone’s situation changes day by day.  Whats hot in music changes from day to day. That’s why we teach you to The ABC’s of Music Marketing.

There are  more lessons to be learned from this successful rapper.  One we’ve talked about many times at TMB is collaboration.  Drake’s success in working with others such as Trey Songz,  Jay-Z,  and Mary J. Blige and so many more has been phenomenal. Drake even wrote Un-thinkable (I’m Ready) with Alicia Keys.  Collaboration done right always leads to success and other opportunities.

We’re here to help you Succeed in Today’s Music Biz.

Before Dave Grohl became Lead Singer of Foo Fighters, he was in a Rock Band you may have heard of named,Nirvana. Dave formed Foo Fighters after Nirvanas’ Lead Singer,  Kurt Cobain tragically died in 1994.

20 Years Building A Fan Base Pays Off Big For Dave Grohl

Fast forward 17 years to April 2011, the month that Kurt Cobain passed and Dave Grohls’ Band Foo Fighters sell 235,000 copies and top Billboard and SoundScan Sales Charts.

I’ve kept my eyes on Dave Grohls’ rise to the top. Hearing his songs have made me…and millions of music lovers fans of Dave Grohl.

Today, I’ll give you my view of how Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters turn Fans into buyers. Hopefully you’ll use the following 5 suggestions to further your career in the Music Business.

1. Be Original: Nirvana defines Grunge. No sound was more original than Nirvana in the 1990′s. When you hear the sound of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, you know you’re hearing something original.

Click Play Below To Listen To Foo Fighters Chart Topping Hit “Rope”

2. Be yourself.  Even in today’s techno auto tune dominated music market, Foo Fighters connect with Fans who love Rock Music. That’s because they come across as a Rock band. Foo Fighters are not a Pop Band and they don’t pretend to be anything but a Rock Band.

3. Be Fun. People are attracted to fun personalities. People avoid people who are too serious.  Feel free to show a sense of humor if and when the moment calls for it. Stay away from making negative statements. The only thing Foo Fighters are serious about is their music craft. Otherwise they are busy being upbeat and having fun.

4. Be Available. If you look up on this post, you’ll see Foo Fighters song “Rope”. The band made that single available on their  Foo Fighters SoundCloud profile. The awesome thing about the Internet, is that you can be available 24/7. Being available means giving Fans the chance to sample and buy your music.

5. Be Willing. Be willing to keep your dreams in the Music Biz alive. Be willing to keep at it. Dave Grohl has been rockin’ for more than 20 years. Sure, he got a big break early in his career, but he was willing to work hard to get those breaks. After Kurt Cobain died, Dave Grohl could have ended his music career. Instead he formed his own band, kept rockin’ and the rest is what I call music biz success.

“Imagine yourself as the person you want to be. Then live up to that image”

~Legendary Songwriter / Actor
Kristoffer “Kris” Kristofferson.

Fonzworth Bentley completed “C.O.L.O.U.R.S. (Cool Outrageous Lovers Of Uniquely Raw Style)”The recording was to be released on Sony Urban. But it was never released. It was not promoted (“shelved”). Why? His record label was “dissolving” underneath him.

Mr. Fonzworth Bentely

Who is Fonzworth Bentely? You may remember him as Sean P.Diddy Combs side-kick. At least that is how I remember him. What most people don’t know, is that he has sold to a market of fan’s by focusing on four paths that are unseen by many. Today, I’ll show you those 4 paths.

1. Create Your Space:

Be different. Fonzworth Bentley created space himself by being different. In marketing it’s called having a U.S.P. “Unique Selling Proposition“. You also may have heard of it as “positioning” in the market.

Mr. Bentley was able to make space in the music business by relying on visual images to separate himself from the thousands other would-be M.Cs. in Hip-Hop. Fonzworth made himself different from other Rappers by wearing a bow-tie, argyle sweaters, expensive dress shoes and umbrella.

His message? He was the gold-standard for hip-hop. His style? One of a millionaire. Unlike every other Rapper from Atlanta, who wears the sagging pants and un-tucked shirts. Fonworth wears old money clothes. That is being different.

Have you created a unique image?

Every successful artists from Elvis Presley, to Freddie Mercury, to Nicki Minaj, to Lady GaGa, Elton John, Shaggy…all and more, have made room for themselves using visuals to create room to get into a crowded and competitive music market.

2. Generate Awareness

In what ways can you generate awareness of your Music Business?

C.O.L.O.U.R.S. (Cool Outrageous Lovers Of Uniquely Raw Style) got Mr. Bentley noticed. But he shelved the release because his record label was crumbling. He held off on releasing the project until he could generate enough awareness and have a fan base ready to buy.

The result: Bentley sold 90,000 singles in 6 months and over 120,000 videos for the single “Everybody” (featuring Kanye West and Andree 3000 of OutKast).

According to Mr. Bentley, selling leads to the kind of success that creates a “Situation of Awareness”. Major label are willing to deal with you…on more fair terms…once you have built awareness.

3. Watch Your Step

When Sony Urban was “dissolving”, Fonzwoth was offered an opportunity to release his first record anyway. He declined. Instead, Fonzworth waited until the Music Industry settled down.

The Music Industry changes every 6 months. It’s an unlucky fact that some of the greatest artists never have a chance. They are shelved…

Alicia Augello Cook, was shelved because her record label had no idea where to “position” her music in the market. She was signed to Jermaine Dupis’ So So Def Recordings, but the parent company Columbia Records didn’t know who would buy her music. So she signed to Arista Records which dissolved a short time later. 

Clive Davis, one of the greatest Record Executives – ever, started J. Records and signed Alica. She released “Songs In A Minor” and the world became fans of  Alicia Keys.

Keeping in mind the lessons learned from the mistakes of other recording artist, Fonzworth waited to release his record. This smart step saved Fonzworth the frustration of  having his record under-promoted while Sony Urban was dying a slow death.

Imagine if Fonzworth had of released his record?  It would have went un-promoted or “shelved” (as the say in the Music Business).

It’s a good thing that he decided to take a step backward to generate some awareness. This step allowed him to move forward with more control to chart the direction of his career.

4. Watch Your Thoughts

Mr. Bentley has removed three words from his vocabulary “Can’t”, “But” and “Trying”. Think about it? Those 3 words can prevent you from having the success you really desire. “I’m trying to get my music out there but I can’t because…” LOL

Below are some helpful insights:

• Watch your thoughts.
• Listen to what you say to yourself.
• Attitudes become beliefs.
• Beliefs guide conduct.
• Conduct leads to consequences.

Dr. Amen, in his groundbreaking book, “Change Your Brain – Change Your Life” discusses “A.N.Ts (Automatic Negative Thoughts). More specifically Dr. Amen suggests that you crush these ANTs as soon as you notice them.

In today’s Music Biz, each must chart their own path. Hopefully,you will take the right paths along the way.

What are the 4 Music Business Marketing Elements that every Musician promoting their music should know?

We’ll get around to that in a few. But first, imagine your music product done? Your music is ready. You’ve got your song ready. Heck, you may have even went to DiscMasters and got a few hundred CD’s pressed and ready for sale.

The problem is, you haven’t done any ‘Music Marketing Research’. So you stand there with your head spinning with ideas to “get your music out there”.

The not-so imaginary scenario above is common among musicians, songwriters, producers, managers…Everyone at some point has to figure out how they will “get their music out there”. With this in mind, below I’ll go over the 4 Elements of Music Marketing

1. Product: Why does Jay-Z, Willi.i.am, L.A. Reid and other Professionals in Music Promotion speak of their music, they say “Records”? Because they understand that a Record is a “product”. A product is anything that can be brought or sold.

2. Place: The great Rapper Rakim said, “It ain’t where you’re from it’s where you’re at”. I’ll bet if you’ve dabbled in any kind of Marketing, you’ve heard the word “placement” being thrown around. Picture placement as the location? You’ve most likely heard the phrase, “Location…location…location”. There is a sound reason for this.

3. Promotion: After you’ve got your Product, and figured out the places you want to be, it’s time to focus on how you want to promote your music. Did you know that a great majority of excellent records fail to sell because of a flawed Promotion Strategy? How you promote your music product is as important as where.

4. Price: iTunes, Ticket Master and many big players in the Music Industry have heard back-lash from Fans and Recording Artist (like Prince). That is because some people believe those companies charge too muc. Yes, you can charge too much money for music.  You can also charge too little money for your music. Charge too much and you’ll turn off too many. Charge too little and your fans may turn your offer down.

Speaking of Prince, I few day’s ago I heard him say, “People tend to de-value stuff they can get for free”. I’ve seen it myself in the products that I sell. Doing a favor for a friend, for free will likely be forgotten – or, keep them coming for more free stuff.  The same is true of Music Buyers. Today’s Music Fan asks, “Why pay if you can get it for free?”

The good news is that successful Music Marketing is now easier than ever before. That’s because I’ve shared the basic marketing structure. You didn’t get this valuable information from me for free. You had to pay some attention to what I was showing you.

My Argument: Today’s Business Of Music Marketing Still Requires Myspace In the Mix

Myspace is still a relevant place for Musicians to Market to

Myspace is still an important for every Musician Marketing themselves today.

That’s because for one…somewhere in the Music Business there is a transaction going on between two people. One of them is a Musician and the other is a fan.

The fan is looking for music and entertainment and the musician is looking for as many Fans to sell as much music to as possible.

The second reason why Myspace is still relevant for Musicians trying to market their music is because the site has the number one digital music interface.

Take a peek at the image of the Musician, ‘Pink’ above to your right for a second?

Thanks. The reason why I share that image is not only because my love for Pink as a Musician…it’s because I needed an example to show you.

Pink is number one…yes #1… in Digital Music Sales this week on Billboards top 100!

As a fan, when I went to purchase Pinks latest single,  “F’**in “Perfect”

So, what purchase option did Billboard offer for purchase?… I bet you guessed it already… Myspace.

Although I have extensive experience behind-the-scenes in the Music Industry…at heart… I’m a fan of music and entertainment

I seek new music to buy, download and play back. I’m a Music Buyer. More importantly…I am only one of BILLIONS of fans looking for music to buy on Mysace!

Unlike your average Fan, I have the experience and background to give you well informed advice on marketing your music as a musician. Myspace is still a very valuable piece of digital real estate.

I don’t know if you’ve heard that Myspace is up for sale. I say ignore those reports.

Why?? Even if Mysapce is sold, the link equity and authority that the site has (in search engines like Google) can be so valuable that it would be a mistake to not utilize it to sell more music.

tech claim: 59S55K7FBM6G

Rapper Lil Wayne gets a Qwiki
(pronounced “quickie”)

Lil Wayne Gets A Quickie

There is a new social experience being created on the Internet. Lil Wayne is on of the beneficiaries of this great experiment. The website is called “Qwiki”…Think of it as a quick wiki like wikipedia. You can check out Lil Wayne’s Qwiki here.

A few years ago, I had the once in a life-time experience of meeting Eric Benet. If you haven’t heard of Eric Benet, it’s because you do not listen to R&B Music. That’s ok.

Even if you don’t know Eric Benet, know one thing. He is a success in today’s music biz.

I had the pleasure of recording Eric Benet back in 2005. I was the Creative Services Director at Start 94.5 FM and he stopped by to promote his song I “Wanna Be Loved”.

How to Succeed in music like Eric Benet

First, Eric is a P.I.M.P. Professional in Music Promotion. Eric Benet didn’t show up unannounced. He personally reached out to the powers that be at the Radio Station and requested an appearance.

 Eric Benet showed up on time and as planned, and did a planned interview on-air. Then as Eric walked toward the Production Studio, at least 20 of his fans were waiting. He had been invited to meet and greet the soulful singer at the Radio Station.

Eric gave hugs to the women (some with tears in the eyes) and gave the men a fist-pound. Behind his pleasant attitude I could see Eric Benet was there to sell more records. He had a professionals attitude which is a major key to success.

Don’t Hesitate to Display Your Talent

Once in the Production Studio, I asked Eric to sing a couple of bars of “I Wanna Be Loved”. Eric immediately, broke into the song with no hesitation. I was impressed because he did not hesitate to display his talent.

“It takes a great student to become a master”

I realized early on in my Marketing Career, that to become a master, I had to first be a great student. I tell anyone who asks me, “how do I succeed in music”, to become a student of the business first.

As in any business, there are tricks, tips and techniques that every upcoming recording artists needs to know to reach the success they desire. One of those is knowing when to accept helpful advice. A great student is humble enough to realize that there are things they don’t.

Most importantly, a great student knows and uses only the things that do work (for example getting radio airplay like Eric Benet).

Above are a few starter tips to succeed in today’s Music Industry. To stay updated on the latest tips, join Today’s Music Biz on Facebook.

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