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.

Although I’ve never been a real fan of Rihanna’s, the uniqueness of her voice makes her superbly recognizable. I can’t help but be impressed by her level of success in the music biz. I love her life motto: “Never a Failure, Always a Lesson”

So what Music Biz lessons can an upcoming artist learn from of the multi-platinum International musician, Rihanna?

1. Determination. Rihanna started a musical trio at the age of 15. She left school and moved to the US when she was 16. It took a year to record a 4-song demo to be pushed to recording companies. Jay-Z, the President of Def-Jam listened to her demo. Although hesitant at first, he had her come in and audition in front of himself and L.A. Reid. They signed her to the label the same day.

2. Be your own person; a unique influence. Rihanna has never pulled punches on being who she is, (or how she dresses) even if it causes controversy.

Rihanna’s voice and music have unique influences. Her mother is Guyanese, and her Father is Barbadian and Irish. Her music has a Reggae Caribbean feel with hip hop influence, all of which is definitely part of her appeal.

3. Diversify: Set yourself up for the long haul. I’ve heard this many times in my life in regards to business. As a business person, Rihanna has used her brand to get into many markets with endorsements from Secret, J.C. Penny, Cover Girl, and Nivea. She’s also started Vita Cocoa water with Madonna. She’s founded The Believe Foundation to help kids and has performed countless benefit concerts for different causes.

4. Not everyone you involve yourself with, will be a good influence for your music business. This includes people that involve themselves with you, claiming to be there for you. The people around you can make or break you. We’ve heard a number of very successful musicians say they want to get out of the music biz. Why? It’s not because they don’t like making music any more. It’s because they are fed up with the people around them; the influences in their lives and musical careers.

It was unfortunate that we all got to watch Rihanna and Chris Brown’s relationship, not only fall apart but end up in violence in the public eye. Before that, they seemed to be one of hip-hops hottest couples. At some point before this incident, this relationship should have been evaluated for cracks. Make sure you evaluate the relationships around you. Are they really beneficial to your career? Do they support your ideas and dreams? Or do they give you reasons why they won’t work or can’t happen? Fortunately, Rihanna was able to come back and make music history performing California King Bed with Jennifer Nettles at the 2011 CMA’s.

5. Don’t give up. Rihanna has come back from controversy, public humiliation and a bad break up. Most recently she was slammed by the media for walking down the streets of her Barbados home town revealing…herself. Later she was photographed and talked about for “dressing like a teacher…and showing no skin”. She came back from that one fairly quickly. What obstacles are you facing? What will it take for you to overcome them, move on, and Succeed in Today’s Music Biz?

The ugly truth is that the Music Biz is not easy street. There will be challenges and obstacles to overcome. Rihanna, a young girl from Barbados went on to sell over 20 million albums in the US alone. This is not including her latest release Loud.

Remember Rihanna’s words and learn from situations that are difficult for you. “Never a Failure, always a lesson”

If you’d like to share your challenges or your story join us on facebook. www.facebook.com/TodayMusicBiz

Jay Z and Kay West Come Hard As A Mutha...

Yo! What’s Good?…

This is ya Man…Jeronimo Black with the songs I predict you’ll hear on Radio over the next couple of weeks.

Beware! You will get tired of hearing these songs over…and over…on the radio.

Let me kick it off, with a Dirty South Joint form Kanye West with Jay Z – H*A*M Hard As A Mutha F—Not their best work but worth a listen.

Skillz “Rap Up” 2010

Ahhh…2010 is over. And as usual  M.C. Skillz wraps up the year with his “2010 Rap Up”. It’s always good to hear MC’s that can work word-play as well as the Mic. Listen to Skillz Rap Up 2010 by clicking play on the video below.

Other Hip-Hop and R&B Artists Getting Radio Airplay Include:

• Dev-Back Seat
• Tinie Tempah feat. Eric Turner-Written In The Stars
• Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland-Gone
• Snoop Dogg-Sweat
• Eminem feat. Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Ca$his, 50 Cent & Stat Quo-Syllables
• Alicia Keys feat. Eve-Speechless

Are You Ready To Hear Your Music On the Radio?

If you really are, you should take a look at Radio Promotion Secrets. Radio Promotion Secrets shows you how to  get your songs heard on any Radio Station that your Genre of music fits in.

Radio Airplay is STILL The Best Way to Become A Music Star”

• Once your music is played on the air, you’ve turned your ”Star Machine” on. Once your music is heard on radio… people who doubted that you would “make it” start believing in your success!
• You can be like many artists who HAVE become rich and famous with only one song on the radio!
• Radio Airplay gets you noticed by the Record Label!
• Radio airplay brings tons of more people to your shows!
• Radio makes it possible to sell millions of your CD’s!
• And much more!

To learn more about how to get your music heard on radio click here

“Jay-Z is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America”

When no major record label would give him a record deal, Jay-Z and two of his associates started their own record label, Roc-A-Fella Records. Jay-Z would not be as successful as he is today if he hadn’t taken risks in his musical career. No one’s risks have paid off more.

Here are 5 risks that are well worth taking to advance your music business and succeed in Today’s Music Biz.

Incorporate. This means register your music business at the state level. There are several types of business structures. You’ll have to research to find out which is the best for your situation. If you are still not sure, hire an attorney who knows corporate music business law. IRS.gov/business is a good place to begin your research. It’s not difficult to register, but there are fees associated with it.

File your taxes. Now more than ever before, there are benefits such as tax exemptions for small businesses. Some tax benefits are specific to the music business. It’s best to hire a tax professional who is knowledgeable in Music Business tax laws and provisions so you can take advantage of all the exemptions available. Make sure you prepare though out the year by saving any receipts related to your Music Business, including travel, equipment, and business meals just to name a few.

Brand yourself. Make sure your image is consistent with your message. Then stay consistent. If you are a record label owner, think about what you want your label to stand for. If you are a musician or band, you are your brand. Make sure to represent.

Reach out. You never know what opportunity is on the other side of a click. Fans need to connect with you, so use the resources available to you to communicate with them. I check out many artists, just because they sent me a nice email or a dm on twitter and we usually end up interviewing them on our BlogTalkRadio Music Biz Podcast. Today’s music biz is about relationships. So always remember to be professional. Nothing on the internet is private.

Write your goals. This is the most important of them all. It could be a very important aspect missing from your music business. Writing down your goals and visualizing what you want to accomplish brings you one step closer to achieving them.

What risks have you taken or are considering taking in your music business? Do you write down your goals? Tell us what you’re trying to accomplish in Today’s Music Biz. Please comment below.

Do you want to sell more Indie Music? If so, it’s helpful to remember what former Indie Music Legend  Jay-Z, is famous for saying;

 As an Indie, how you see success is in your own head. For you, success could be finally getting your debut single or album released. It could be performing live, or hearing your song played on the radio.

No matter how you view success, successful Indie and Major Record Labels understand that the reality is, sales equals success. Sales is the driving force behind every Major Record Label release. That’s why winning Major Record Label Marketers do not go by gut instinct alone. Good Music Marketers use data, to connect them to what the Music Market wants.

Great Music Marketers know that connecting is tapping into what the market wants. Tapping into what the market wants brings a rush of attention and interest to their music.

How To Not Connect With Your Music Market

Some Indie Marketers and Musicians have a hard time understanding how to connect. That’s because for most Musicians and Marketers, connecting is all about them – not the Market. So many Indie Music Marketers, walk around with their head in the clouds. This is not the way to connect with the market. 

Recently, we shared some feedback with an Artist, with distribution by a Major Label. We loved one song on the release, and thought it could be a successful debut single. The Artist’s Manager disagreed. The song is “shelved” (not promoted). Sadly they are pushing a song that nobody is connecting to. 

“Successful Music Marketers Connect by Keeping An Ear To The Ground”

Gifted Music Marketers know that connecting to the Music Market requires looking for trends, sensing emotions and listening for what the Market wants. They have an ability feel the pulse of their audience.

In the case of Jay-Z, he has “painted pictures with poems”. These pictures are not the creation of his ego alone. The pictures were also created by the vibrations he humbled himself to feel, as well as the images of the Brooklyn Streets where he was born and raised.

In the case of Jay-Z, the numbers don’t lie. At last estimate, Jay-Z is worth is around 150 Million Dollars. Jay-Z connects with his market and connecting is the key to sell more of your Indie Music.


Feel free to connect with us on facebook and tell us what you think.

What Music Biz related topics would you like to hear us cover? Join Today’s Music Biz on facebook and give us your view. Or feel free to post your opinion below.

This Music Marketing blog post is brought to you by the letter’s A. B. and C
The are three fundamentals for Marketing Music in Today’s Music Biz. What are they?  Stick around and keep reading for today’s answer. You can jump ahead of the class by watching this video.

What is Music Marketing?

“Music Marketing is the science of selling more music, to more of your fans –  more often”.  

That quote isn’t entirely mine.  I learned it from Sergio Zyman.  Mr. Zymans’ book, ‘The End of Marketing As We Know It‘, was revolutionary.  In that book Mr. Zyman shattered a lot of the Marketing missteps and helped me to focus on what was important for my clients; selling more of whatever they marketed.

As the title of today’s post suggest there are three components to marketing music to gain more sales. The ABC’s of Music Marketing are:

• Audience
• Benefit
• Conversons

In fact, there is an easy to remember formula to use when marketing your music to Fans:

“Audience + Benefits = Conversions”

Audience:

Who is your audience?  In marketing terms, what ‘Demographic(s)’ are you trying to sell to?  Here are some good questions to ask:

• What age range are your fan’s? Are they Women 18 – 24 or are they Men 35-54?
• What are they into?  
• Where do your fans shop? 
• What life-style do they lead?
• How do your fan’s vote?

Once you have a grasp of the Demographic Segments (“Demo) you’re trying reach you’ll save a lot of time formulating your marketing plans.

One thing that frustrates me is when an Artist asks me for help but they don’t have a clue as to whom the Artist is trying to reach.  If I had a dollar for every time a talented Indie Artist said, “I’m trying to reach everybody”, I would have retired long ago with a fortune.

 The sad fact is, every song won’t sell to every one.  For that reason, it’s important to pick your Target (Market / Demo) carefully.

Benefit’s:

Benefits include what’s in it for the ‘Buyer’.  Benefit’s should not be confused with features.  For example, if you’ve got some great graphics as Cover Art, those graphics are features.  On the other-hand if those graphics can make the buyer relax, that is a benefit.

OK, let’s take another example.  Say you go to buy some speaker wire and you’re on a budget?  You find all kinds of colors, lengths and price ranges.  Since you’re on a budget, the higher priced wires are features, prevent you from buying.  Whereas the speaker wires that fit your budget will provide you a benefit.

Now let’s say the sales person at the store is trying to sell you on the various colors of the wires (but at a much higher price).  How will that benefit you? It won’t. Unless you find a benefit in color coordinating your sound system you’ll buy any speaker wire that fits your budget. Fan’s buy based on benefits – not features.

Conversions:

A “Conversion” is any action that your fan takes, based on your call to action. Marketing Professionals have a saying that, “nothing matters until after the conversion”. Nothing could be more accurate in Today’s Music Biz.

For example, Jay-Z has a new website (Rock4Life.com).  This website allows visitors the opportunity to convert and follow all of “Rock Nation’s” artist.  How does he do this? By allowing visitors to make their own profile page on the site.

Every Music Marketer should have a feature that allows for small conversions to turn into big conversions later.

So there you have it, the ABC’s of Marketing.  Do you have anything to add?  Maybe you have some questions?  If so, feel free to comment below.
Click Here to Discover the Secrets of Success in Today’s Music Business. Or log onto www.simbiz.info.