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There's never been a better time for Indie Artists.
Agreed.
The tools to record, produce and market Independent music are abundant.
Agreed.
You no longer need to sell your soul to "the man." You don't have to give up 85% of your revenue to a Major Label. You get to keep all of it, minus the expenses associated with producing and marketing your music.
Agreed, agreed, agreed!
More Tools Than Home Depot!
You can write and record your songs as often as you like. You can sell your music on all the Indie music retail sites. You can even sell it next to the iconic, multi-platinum, Major Label artists on the Holy Grail of all online music retailers — iTunes!
You can tweet, blog, friend, MySpace, Facebook, RSS, Digg and monitored your online sales until your fingers are raw from typing.
You've come to accept that the "new, better-for-independents" music business requires you to spend half your time on creating music and the other half on business. Mostly the business of self-promotion. But at least you're in control of your own destiny and the profit. Right?
If Everything's So Wonderful,
Why Aren't You Raking in the Big Bucks Yet?
So, with all those amazing free tools and marketing channels at your disposal, why aren't you making any real money with your music? Am I being too presumptive?
Let's answer some basic questions.
- How much money did you make last year from selling your music to consumers and fans online?
Okay, I lied! That was the only question. For the purpose of this discussion, I'm not asking about CDs sold on tour, or money you've made from licensing your music for Film and TV.
I just want to know how much you've made selling your music to the people who buy it online in the last twelve months? Go ahead, break out the calculator. I've got a minute.
And the Answer is...
"Not very much." That's what the vast majority of musicians tell me anecdotally. That's also what I learned when I did a formal survey of songwriters and artists and got responses from 1162 of them. When asked to define what "Not very much" meant, the respondents said their annual income from online sales averaged below $100!
Maybe that's the reason the ballroom is packed to the rafters every year during the Major Label A&R Listening Panel at TAXI's annual convention, the Road Rally. Could people still be interested in Major Label record deals?
I guess a lot of musicians have discovered that going the Indie, Do-It-Yourself route is really hard, and even modest success can be very elusive. In the end they'd rather make a deal with the devil and earn a little piece of something big than own a huge piece of nothing.
How to Succeed as an
Independent Artist or Songwriter
If you're really determined to make it as an Indie, then you need to do something to get yourself noticed. You need to get people talking about you.
But all the music marketing and promotion in the world won't work very well if people don't love your songs enough to tell somebody about them. I know that you love them. And I'm sure that your friends, family and the folks at your live gigs love them too.
But will total strangers love your songs enough to tell somebody else about them or send them a link? That's what it really takes!
Not a better mix. Not more gear. Not a Facebook page or a Twitter account.
No, the most tried and true way to succeed in the music industry is to just write great, contemporary songs with unforgettable hooks.
How Much Music Business Success Do You Want?
That's the big question. If you're only looking for personal validation, not mass appeal or commercial success, then write whatever pops into your head and heart. Enjoy the hundred bucks a year you make selling your music online. Revel in the glory that somebody from Sweden or Costa Rica bought your CD. It's all good.
If you want to have a real shot at the major leagues, then read every songwriting book, go to every music conference, watch every songwriter video, study every hit song, collaborate with other songwriters, and write songs every day.
That's still the best way to succeed in the music industry, even in this "golden age" for independent musicians.
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