On 9/2/20 8:06 AM, Len Ovens wrote:
> On Wed, 2 Sep 2020, Louigi Verona wrote:
>
>> I would like to discuss a couple of things here: the illusion of a music
>> release and distribution platforms.
>
> All very good points. I could add a few points:
>
> 1) Todays music favours an unknown musician making a backing track for
> a newly known singer.
Well, I have a friend that's a singer/songwriter. He writes commercial
pop/hiphop music. He's not a musician - plays no instruments whatever.
He doesn't hire any musicians, either. He puts everything else together
using VTS and software.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rYv2c6Cyqw
I don't believe he's ever made any money from music. He wants to, but
nothing so far. Not so easy for someone living in Hawaii that doesn't do
Hawaiian music!
> This is what I hear most on the radio. The singer seems to be the new
> talent for the month and when they can ask for more money... the next
> one steps up. In general I can not tell one from the other. The fact
> that it has airplay indicates to me that the marketing is done by a
> "label". A band, even less a new band, has almost no chance. Yet I
> enjoy the interaction a band brings. Marketing is important and worth
> paying for in this case I think... in the same way having a second
> party do mastering can make a difference.
>
I think that making personal connections with fans is far more important
than anything else.
I'm a writer (poetry, fiction) and can tell you that publishers do
little or no marketing unless you're already a risen superstar. If
you've already established your own "marketing platform" (blog,
Twitter/FB/Instagram/et al) with an established following and email
newsletter distribution, etc - they'll look more kindly at your book
when you submit it. Otherwise, your book has to be really great.
Otherwise, they won't take it.
One advantage of being a writer vs a performing musician is it takes a
lot less equipment to write a book. ;)
Musically, playing live is fun. I also like being able to put things
together at home by myself. :)
> 2) Superstars are a myth. They are top to bottom marketing. I have not
> yet been anywhere that does not have local talent as good as anything
> that comes to town for a one nighter at high price or has airplay.
> Calling a small number of people "super" is just a way of getting the
> best return on investment. Go watch/listen to your local talent, the
> cover charge is worth it. If you as an artist are not doing anything
> live, you should be (we are talking about singles and albums here not
> sound tracks or jingles which are different animals).
>
Superstars are often frauds. Especially in some genres like pop music.
For any superstar voice performing somewhere (in the days when live
performances in front of audiences weren't virus-spreaders), there are
probably a thousand lesser-known or unknown singers that are better or
at least as good.
Example: When my sister was in high school, she had a high school friend
(Karen) that sang country music. Remember the famous country song "Stand
By Your Man" sung by Tammy Wynette:? My sister's friend sang rings
around Ms Wynette. Karen was an awesome singer. She had performed
professionally with her first husband until she divorced him at age 16.
> Anyway, anyone like me doesn't know the first thing about marketing...
> even enough to know if someone offering that service is any good or not.
Me, neither.
-- David W. Jones gnome@hawaii.rr.com authenticity, honesty, community http://dancingtreefrog.com "My password is the last 8 digits of π." _______________________________________________ Linux-audio-user mailing list Linux-audio-user@lists.linuxaudio.org https://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-userReceived on Sat Sep 5 04:15:02 2020
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.8 : Sat Sep 05 2020 - 04:15:02 EEST