Month: December 2013

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News

Blogger Spotlight: Tim Dickinson (The Blue Walrus)

Hello and welcome to the final blog post of 2013. Having just updated you on everything Haulix-related last Friday, we thought we’d skip the pleasantries of reflection on months long past and instead forge ahead with another new interview for you to enjoy. If you have any questions about the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more about the services we offer, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Since 2006, The Blue Walrus has been a thriving online hub for passionate music fans worldwide who wanted to discover the latest and greatest sounds. It’s the brainchild of editor Tim Dickinson, who also happens to run the news/culture magazine The Descrier, and in today’s piece we learn how he grew the site from a small UK music portal to an influential international success.

It’s hard to describe the type of music featured on The Blue Walrus, but the term ‘diverse’ comes to mind. There seems to be no barrier to entry as far as genre is concerned, and in my opinion it’s that constant state of open-mindedness towards new ideas of all varieties that has positioned Dickinson and his team as some of the brightest minds in blogging today.

If you would like to learn more about Tim Dickinson, we highly recommend you bookmark and frequent The Blue Walrus. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Let’s start with the basics. What is your name, job title, and the name of the publication(s) you write for:

T: Hi! I’m Tim Dickinson, editor of UK music blog The Blue Walrus and news/culture magazine The Descrier.

H: Everyone comes to a life in music their own way. When you think of your earliest memories with music, what comes to mind?

T: It’s a little difficult to think of the first time, but I do remember long car rides to France with my parents when I was little listening to a mixture of Paul Simon and led Zeppelin – which certainly had an impact on my tastes. I also trained as a jazz drummer throughout school, so there are a fair amount of blues and jazz influences in there.

H: Can you recall the first album you purchased with your own money? Is it still a part of your musical collection?

T: After getting through various “Now…” compilations on tape, the first album and CD I bought was Blur – Blur back in 1997.

H: From what I’ve read you first got into blogging back in 2006. What motivated to begin writing about music online?

T: I’ve always been somewhat of a web geek, having run a website about music production whilst in school, and when blogs started appearing in the early 2000s I thought it would be a good way to share my passion for new music and making mixtapes with people outside of my group of friends.

H: The name of your site is quite peculiar. What can you tell us about its origin story?

T: It’s not much of an “origin story”, but more a running joke about skipping class and lazily spending days on the beaches near Edinburgh, basking in the sunshine like a walrus.

H: So you launch in 2006. What was the content on TBW like at the time, and how has it evolved into what the site offers now?

T: I would hope my writing has improved and I think I’ve found my voice over the years, but the content was in a similar vein back then too – music from new bands just starting to make a name for themselves. Jamie T and The Noisettes were two of the earliest acts I wrote about if I remember rightly.

H: When you launched did you have any plans to bring on additional contributors? If not, when did you realize the time was right to take that step, and how did you proceed to find new team members?

T: When it started out it was just a way for me to share my mixtapes and talk to the world about the bands and artists that I was excited about – I had no grandiose ideas for anything more than that to be honest. We’ve had a rotating roster of other contributors for the last four or five years, but all of them have just asked to write for us – I’ve never really gone looking.

H: What size is your team now?

T: It changes every few months, but at the moment the team is myself, Jacinta, and Francisco

H: How would you describe the ideal Blue Walrus team member?

T: They need to have a passion for discovering new music, go to a lot of gigs, and be open to almost anything as long as it sounds good.

H: As your the site has evolved so has your role. What has been the biggest challenge transitioning from sole write to editor been?

T: I still do a fair amount of writing on the site, but the other authors are free to cover what they want, when they want – I just tend to clean-up their articles a little and change some styling. It’s not a huge change.

H: What is the current goal or The Blue Walrus, and how has that mission changed over time (if at all)?

T: The mission, as it always has been, is give smaller bands and acts a platform to get their music heard, and to give an alternative source of new music for fans outside of traditional media.

H: When it comes to discovering new music to feature on your site, where do you turn?

T: We are sent a huge amount of music these days in the post and via email, but a large number of the acts we feature tend to come as tips from friends, supporting bands we see at gigs, as well as spending time scouring SoundCloud and Bandcamp.

H: What advice would you offer musicians hoping to one day make an appearance on your site?

T: I wrote an article about this last year, and things haven’t changed much – essentially bands should take time to think whether their sound is the sort of thing we look for, and if so keep the blurb short and sweet with links to stream/download their tracks.

H: When reviewing music, which distribution services do you prefer?

T: I’m happy to receive promos on vinyl, CD, as a link to a zip-file of mp3s, or streams on Soundcloud or Bandcamp. As long as I can hear the music without jumping through umpteen hoops I’m pretty platform agnostic.

H: I’ve noticed a few advertisements on The Blue Walrus. Do you have any plans to further monetize your efforts in the future?

T: The ads pay for hosting and a few beers each month, but that’s about it. I do it because I love finding out about new artists – money isn’t really a motivator.

H: When it comes to marketing your brand and the content found on your site, which methods have you found work most effectively? Worst?

T: I don’t really go in for marketing the site – it is a pet project that I love, and we get a decent amount of traffic, but I’d prefer to spend my time looking for new bands than trying to sell the site to people.

H: What is your ultimate career goal?

T: I’m committed to making The Descrier a viable alternative to traditional newspapers for finding the stories behind the headlines. We launched it as a bootstrapped startup last summer and it’s gone from strength to strength, breaking frontpage news around the globe, but we have a long way to go. On the music-related front, the site works with some of the best music blogs in the UK for the music section, so I hope to make people more aware of the role of music blogs in discovering new music.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

T: I’d make it more transparent, so people know where their money is going. The deals with streaming services like Spotify leave a lot to be desired for artists, but the actual details of the deals are not released, so no-one outside of a few executives know the real revenue breakdowns.

H: Okay, I think that just about covers everything. Do you have any additional thoughts you’d like to share with our readers before I let you go?

T: I think that about covers it – thanks for the interview! Just a quick note to say that if you are looking for some names to watch for 2014, then alongside the BBC Sound of 2014 list, there is the alternative Blog Sound of 2014 list which is also excellent – and made up of some fantastic blogs.

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News

PR Spotlight: Vince Edwards (Metal Blade Records)

Welcome to another exciting week of music industry insight and advice on the official blog of Haulix. We have a variety of features planned for the days ahead, and today we are kicking things off with one of the most requested label features to date. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more about the promotional distribution services we offer, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

The time between Christmas day and New Year’s Eve is often the slowest of the year for music industry professionals. After months of long hours and hard work the majority of our fellow industry folk take the final weeks of the year to catch their breath and prepare for the year ahead. We spoke with the individual highlighted in the piece below just hours before his holiday break, and after learning about how he spends his days I think you’ll agree his time off was well-deserved.

For the better part of the last decade Vince Edwards has been the leading the marketing and publicity efforts at Metal Blade Records. Like many, he got his start in his local community before finding a door to the music business through college radio. By networking and continually pushing himself and others to do more Vince gained the attention of one of the industry’s strongest companies, and ever since graduation he has been fortunate enough called that place home. We asked him how he did it, and in the interview below you can learn from his journey.

If you would like to learn more about Vince and his effort at Metal Blade, we highly recommend following the label on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this article.

H: For the record, state your name, job title, and the company you call home:

V: Vince Edwards, Metal Blade Records, loosely Marketing/Publicity.

H: We like to start off these pieces by learning a little bit about your life before the industry. When you think of your earliest memories with music, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

V: I would say the most formative things…I grew up going to concerts with my mom. I met Alabama when I was in the fifth grade, so I was exposed to music pretty early. Then in middle school I heard Metallica at bowling club. Yes, I was in bowling club and it was fucking awesome, but I heard Metallica and thought, “Well, this is for me.” And yea, ever since then.

H: You started your career at WSUP in 2004, correct?

V: Yea, I did college radio while in school and from then on I essentially went right into the music industry. I played in bands and I did some show booking, but it was really college radio that was the gateway. The other stuff was good resume fodder.

H: You hosted your own show in college. What can you tell us about the programming offered by Vince Edwards in college.

V: I worked there for three years, and for two of the three years I ran the entire station. I was there for a year and then was immediately elected to program director and music director. The station was actually a legitimate format station, in that during the day it was a format DJs had to sell as a professional DJs. It wasn’t one of those free-form college stations where people just play whatever. I built clocks, which in radio are essentially where you format out an hour of time and what types of songs play when. So we actually trained people to be DJs.

The heavy metal show was basically a lot of the new shit. Whatever was new was whatever we did. I’ve been giving the new guys a hard time because they’re still using the stuff I made and I graduated like six years ago. Guys, make some new shit.

H: So how did Metal Blade come into the picture? Did you meet them through the radio show?

V: Yea, absolutely. A lot of people do not realize college radio is one of the biggest gateways into the music industry because when you’re at a good station that reports to CMJ and is really communicative with the music industry you end up knowing who those people are. My last three years at college I made connections with pretty much every label and radio promotions company, so when it came time for me to graduate it just-so-happened that the person who used to be at Metal Blade told me to send a resume because they were starting to look for someone new. My resume was all black, with blood splattered across the top over my name and that apparently stuck out pretty hard. They hired me from a couple of phone interviews, which I thought was pretty insane, so I moved across the country and here I am.

H: You are a bit of a rarity in the industry. Not many people can say they have been at the same job since graduation.

V: It is really rare. There is a lot of turnover in the music industry, but at Metal Blade for whatever reason there isn’t, and I guess that is probably because this is one of the sanest places to be. A lot of the people here have been here for a long time and that’s because we love it. [Brian] Slagel is really fun guy to work for, and we sign some cool bands, so why not stick around?

H: You have been in this position for over half a decade at this point, making it the longest job you’ve had in your life. Do you feel like you’ve become a full-blown adult?

V: I was thinking about that the other day and I hope not.

H: You mentioned playing in bands before. Do you still play music?

V: Nah, it’s too much of a pain in the ass out here. One of the big problems with LA is that nobody has a basement, and if you want to practice you essentially have to pay to rent a space. It’s just too much of a pain. I looked at a bunch of bands a while ago, but a lot of groups out here have delusions of making it, and I would rather just play in a band for the fun of it.

H: Without going too in depth, can you give us a general overview of a typical day in the office for you?

V: A general day in the office starts off with email, specifically from Europe because I get in early enough to correspond with them. A lot of physical press stuff, emails from bands, and then from there, like a lot of people in the music industry, it’s a lot of reactive/proactive work. We are pitching people on things and reacting to people coming to us seeking things. Then, for me, I have added on to that and have started building a lot of tour admits and videos. Right now I am working on a music video, and I just finished up a Between The Buried And Me tour teaser. I am always bouncing between two computers, using after effects and checking emails.

H: Do you have your own intern?

V: No, we actually do not have space for an intern right now. We have been in this space for three years and we keep saying we are going to make space for an intern, but we never do.

H: So, no internships at Metal Blade right now?

V: Yea, not right now. I desperately need an intern, but I always end up doing everything myself. We are at a point now where we are so hands on with everything where we know if we had an intern come in we’d spend a bunch of time fixing whatever they fucked up. It takes a lot of time to figure out the ins and outs of what we do. Just the curve of figuring out who manages what bands and who from each band you need to ask things takes a heck of a long time to learn.

H: So to give a little hope to the aspiring metal professional, what advice would you offer?

V: Just do it. It’s like any other art. I look at it like trying to be an actor or artist and you just have to do it. Nobody that is important in metal right now went to college for it. The big booking agents came up booking shows in their local communities. All the people that run labels just started doing. Slagel dropped out of college to start the label in his mother’s garage. You just have to jump into it. I explain it to people by saying that if you’re asking how to get into the music business then you’re already behind because you clearly do not get it. You just have to do it. Everyone has a local scene, and if you don’t then you have to create one because to get noticed in music, regardless of genre, someone has to know you’re out there doing something in order to get excited about working with you. If you’re just saying you want to work in the music industry, who is going to go to bat for you and say “yes, this person is hirable.”

H: Metal Blade has been using Haulix to handle your promotional distribution for a long time. Can I ask what it is you like about our platform?

V: Haulix is the easiest system we’ve ever used. It works. Everything from importing content, to creating releases, to sending releases to people is so self-explanatory that it doesn’t take more than one or two emails to get someone who is terrible with computers to figure it out. Also, being able to see who has and has not accessed our content is great. Sometimes we send albums out months in advance to advance and being able to know who has downloaded it makes easier to know who to follow-up with. That aspect alone makes it a great tool for us to use.

H: You have been with Metal Blade for a while and seem very happy with your position. Do you have an ultimate career goal you’re working towards, or are you more ‘in the groove’ at this point in life?

V: I’m kind of in a groove right now. I think a lot of young people in the music industry are very cognitive of the fact we are very fucking fortunate to be here. I compare it to a professional sport in that working in music is something only a few thousand people get to do professionally, and the entire internet is telling us we’re doing it wrong.

If you’re young and in the music industry you know the facts. Things can change very quickly and as a result young people cannot be above doing anything. The old school guys may think “I’m not digging through that Excel spreadsheet or calling contest winners,” but as a young person in the music industry you cannot be above anything and you have to do a lot. We are all building our resumes, but right now I am in the groove and I do not plan on going anywhere. That said, I have learned so much by doing all these things that the idea of looking for a new job is not as terrifying as it once was.

H: 2013 ends in just a few days. What can you tell us about Metal Blade’s plans for 2014?

V: A couple of big releases. We have Whitechapel, Behemoth, and Cannibal Corpse coming. We also have some new bands, like Destrage from Italy, which is a band I signed that fucking kicks ass. They’re like a Protest The Hero, Between The Buried And Me, and Every Time I Die hybrid. Look for more on them next year.

Categories
News

Artist Spotlight: Larry g(EE)

Hello everyone and welcome to a very special edition of the Haulix Artist Spotlight series. We have been working so hard on developing content for the holiday break we found ourselves with more content than days remaining before the new year and figured it was better to offer an extra feature than keep you waiting for fresh features. If you have any questions about the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more about the secure media distribution services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

We debuted a number of new features in recent weeks, and though we love them all I would be lying if I said I did not have a close to connection to our artist series. I have spent a number of years helping develop bands, as has every professional who has contributed to our Advice series, but I am a firm believer there is no better way to learn than from those who have gone ahead of you. This column connects dream chasers with those who have successfully made a career in music work, and today’s spotlighted talent is someone artists of every genre can learn from.

Hailing from the great state of Texas, Larry g(EE) is someone that we in the business refer to as a lifer. Music has played a role in Larry’s life from an early age, and as soon as he was old enough to get on stage he knew he wanted to spend as long as possible under those hot white lights. He has been in a number of bands over the years, but none that have reached the heights of the funk laden outfit that now bears his name. We spoke with Larry about what it takes to create a sustainable career without the aide of a label, and fortunately for us he was kind enough to shed some light on the subject. You can read his story below.

If you would like to stay up-to-date with Larry and his band, we highly recommend following him on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Hey there! I’m excited to finally have the chance to make this interview happen. To begin, would you please tell me your name and what you do for a living?

L: Larry g(EE) / Singer-songwriter

H: When you think of your earliest memories with music, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

L: Listening to my uncles vinyls. Everyone from The Beatles, Shuggie Otis, Michael Jackson, and Earth, Wind, and Fire.

H: Was music always a big part of your life growing up?

L: Definitely we had a home studio in my parents house that my father built himself. Session players who played with the likes of Elvis Presley and Marvin Gaye came through on the regular. I was just a baby at the time, but I was always sitting in on almost every session.

H: Before you were a musician you were a fan. What was the first album you purchased with your own money?

L: New Edition “Heartbreak album”

H: Okay, onto your life in the business. Your current band is not the only one you have been a part of over the year. What can you tell us about your first band?

L: Around 2005 I started a band with a couple of friends called Odis. It was a rock band with some pop elements. After 5 years of some local buzz and touring we basically hit the wall. I think my intentions were in the wrong place at that time. I wanted to be famous on TV and the radio. I didn’t have enough respect for the music.

H: Your current efforts tend to fall under the genres of pop and soul, which differs from groups you have worked with in the past. Where did you find the sound of Larry g(EE)?

L: It happened six months after the break up of the band. As cliche’ as this sounds I found the sound during a summer in Brooklyn, NY. Just walking around that city (NYC in general) was such an inspiration to me. I would walk aimlessly not knowing where I was going listening to Mark Ronson’s “Version” and the rest is history.

H: You started performing in the music industry before the rise of social media. Would you say promotion is easier or more difficult now than it was in the past? Do you ever have a sense of nostalgia for the days before Facebook?

L: I love social media so I would have to have to say it is so much more easier.

H: You create a lot of your music with musician and producer Beau Bedford. How did the two of you first meet?

L: During my time with my old band Odis, he was playing in another band at the time. We would also talk in passing how cool it would be one day collaborate. I’m so glad we did.

H: While on the topic of band members, how did you go about finding the other members of your group?

L: Most if not all of the band members came way of Beau Bedford. He is also a producer and works with most of the members in the band on their separate projects. Its really been a labor love as I consider everyone family.

H: You only have one EP out at the moment, which is currently available on iTunes, but as records tend to do it has also been made available online by music pirates. Some say piracy can help independent artists by exposing their music to people who may have otherwise not given it a chance. What do you think?

L: I am totally okay with it. Until the music industry figures out how to handle the whole ‘illegal downloads", I don’t have any problems with it.

H: You’ve managed to become a full time musician without having a major record deal, which is something I know many of the artists reading our blog hope to do one day accomplish in their own careers. What advice would you offer aspiring artists about becoming self-sustaining in the modern music industry?

L: Obviously consistently working on your craft is a given, but they have to be able to run their “career” in order to catch anyone’s attention in the industry. It’s important for artist’s to understand the importance of brand awareness. They need to ask questions to themselves everyday like “What is my story?, Who is my audience?, and how do I build a buzz on my own?”. Labels, managers, booking agents, and publicists aren’t going to come to you if you don’t have anything to show. They want to see an artist that is self-sufficient and fully focused.

H: We should note that just because you’re a successful independent artists does not mean you have everything figured out. What would you say is the biggest misconception people have what you do for a living?

L: That I’m actually signed to label already.

H: You were fortunate enough to appear on Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show earlier this year. Did that appearance make any measurable impact on your career?

L: I would definitely say yes. It’s opened up a lot of doors that would have never opened up for us had we not appeared on the show. It also introduced to a larger audience that would have taken years for us to get in front of. I can’t thank the people at OurStage.com for that amazing opportunity.

H: I’ve heard rumors that you have new material on the way, are those true? If so, what can you tell us about your efforts and when we may be able to hear them?

L: Beau and I have been writing and recording since our appearance on Kimmel. We’ve also opened our creative space and started writing with some amazing songwriters and producers. We don’t have a timetable on releasing new material however we’re pretty confident 2014 is going to present even more great opportunities to do so on a bigger stage.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

L: That is a great question which I don’t have an answer for.

H: At this point in life, what is your ultimate career goal?

L: To continue making good music that is timeless and eventually help other starving artists make their dreams come true.

H: I think that covers everything. Before I let you go, do you have any additional remarks?

L: This whole music thing is all about the journey so I would just encourage anyone in the struggle as an independent artist to remember that it’s not a race but a marathon and at the end of the day, your only competition is yourself.

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News

Haulix Weekly Update #19 – Managing Promo Feedback

Hello and welcome to the final update of the week here on the official blog of Haulix. We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Our team spent the last few days scattered across the country with family and friends, but we also dedicated a good amount of time to keeping things moving at HQ. In this post we’ll take a look back at everything we’ve done and give you a few hints at what lies ahead in January 2014.

Starting with the product end of things, the arrival of Santa did not stop our team for rolling out a new update to our promotional distribution system. Press contacts have long been encouraged to leave feedback on the promos they are sent and thanks to our latest update managing those messages is now easier than ever before. When clients log in to view promo feedback they can identify which comments they have already read by selecting the checkbox next to the corresponding messages. Checked messages will then appear crossed out, but will not be removed. You can view an example of this below:

***Promo feedback can only be viewed the respective Haulix client. Press contacts cannot see each other’s feedback.***

Santa may not have had an impact on our dev team, but he did make an impression on the blog. In addition to releasing two new Blogger Spotlights, as well as a timely Advice column, we issued our very first (and very brief) holiday message to readers. You can find links to every post this week below:

Looking ahead to next week there is plenty we hope to accomplish before ringing in the new year. For starters, we have two additional label spotlight we plan to run, as well as the second installment of our new artist spotlight series. Who knows, we may even find time to squeeze some additional advice. Be sure to follow Haulix on Twitter and Facebook to ensure you never miss another update.

That’s all for this week. Have a fun and safe weekend. We’ll see you on Monday.

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News

Freelance Spotlight: Carolyn Vallejo

Hello and welcome to another installment of our Blogger Spotlight series. We missed all of you during our day off yesterday and thought it best to make up for our absence with a bonus piece of content to help kickoff the weekend. If you have any questions about the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@gmail.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

We have spent the majority of the last six months talking to the people who created or currently lead the most influential music sites on the web. As we head into 2014 we want to continue these efforts while also expanding our reach to include others who have dedicated to their lives and talent to the pursuit of a career in the music industry, including freelance writers.

The life of a freelance writer is one we cover far too rarely on this blog, but in the months ahead we hope to share more stories from this side of the writing world in order to provide a more complete picture of life on the journalism side of entertainment. Today we’re diving into this effort with a feature on Boston resident Carolyn Vallejo, who has contributed to publications like Alter The Press!, Performer Magazine, and Big Cheese Magazine. You can read her story below.

If you would like to learn more about Carolyn, we highly recommend following her on Twitter and bookmarking her digital portfolio. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Hello! Thanks for taking the time to be a part of this feature. Would you please tell everyone your name, what you do, and the publication(s) you work with?

C: Hey James! My name is Carolyn Vallejo and I’m a music journalist. I work mostly with Alter the Press! but have freelanced for a bunch of music publications including Performer Magazine and Big Cheese Magazine. I’m also the editor of a financial journal in downtown Boston.

H: A life in music is not one every person would choose for themselves. When you think of your earliest memories with music, what comes to mind?

C: My mom says that when I was 3 my favorite song was “Woman in Chains” by Tears for Fears – kind of a sophisticated choice for a toddler. I remember being obsessed with the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour.” As an adult you can see how trippy and drugged-out the album is, but there’s definitely a childlike imagination to it all. I also grew up listening to my brother drumming in the house day and night and, later on, mixing electronic music. I hijacked my mom’s 12-string when I was younger, too. So it’s pretty much been everywhere since I was born.

H: Some of the people we have spoken with mention a specific moment/album/event that steered their life towards a career in music. Do you have anything like that in your history?

C: Having grown up with so much music around me, I don’t think it’s something I consciously decided to do one day. Having a career in music is more of something I feel I need to do, because it makes me happy. So there wasn’t really a specific event, but there have been certain people who have come in and out of my life who remind me that it’s actually possible to have this type of career and lifestyle.

When I was in college I changed my major from journalism to advertising at one point because I felt like it was naïve of me to pursue a career in music journalism, and that I wasn’t being realistic. But eventually I was introduced to people in Boston’s music scene who reminded me that that was the worst idea I ever had, and that a career in music isn’t a pipe dream. Those people definitely steered me back on track.

H: As a writer, who or what inspires you?

C: People are my biggest inspiration. You can stop any random person on the street and they will have an incredible story to tell, they just might not have ever been asked. As a writer you can tell those stories, and that’s something I think is crucial to the human condition. We’re so quick to judge or to not make any effort to know someone. But a writer can help you show what’s really going on inside a person. I think that’s why I love music so much, because it’s another outlet for a person to show the world who they are.

H: You’re a bit of a unique case for this blog. You have a site or two your work with primarily, but you also work as a freelance contributor. When did you first begin your career in writing, and what was your first ‘gig’? (unpaid work counts)

C: I’ve technically been freelancing since I was about 14 or 15, writing for local papers and websites. But my first legitimate job working in music journalism was writing for Big Cheese Magazine while I was abroad in London during college. My second day on the job they sent me out to a warehouse to interview Sum 41. I wanted to puke I was so nervous, but then I gained my footing and confidence and started writing some awesome features that I’m still really proud of. That was an unreal experience.

H: You first came on our radar through your efforts with Alter The Press. When did you join the ATP team, and what can you tell us about the application process?

C: I had followed Alter The Press for sometime, but in the summer of 2012 they Tweeted that they were looking for new writers. I sent in some of my work, and ATP editor Emma Garland dug it. In addition to sending in clips, Emma asked about what bands I love and what labels I follow. She’s based in the UK so everything was done online. I’d say about 90% of my freelancing gigs have actually started from Twitter connections, strangely enough.

H: There are a number of sites offering featuring the same artists highlighted on ATP. What lead you to apply at this publication over one of its competitors?

C: When you’re freelancing you totally can’t be picky, but ATP is part of a community that wants to support bands, not bring them down through scathing reviews just to get readership. ATP definitely finds a balance between objective music journalism and that need to support musicians.

I also have a great relationship with its founder Jon Ableson. He backs me up when things get hairy and trusts me as a writer. Having the support of an editor is super important and has kept me loyal to ATP.

H: As a professional you’ve managed to find a number of gigs outside the world of music, yet you continue to make strides in this field as well. What keeps you invested in music journalism?

C: In a way, it’s those gigs outside the world of music that keep me invested in music journalism. My “day job” is working as the managing editor of a financial journal. It’s taught me so much and I love the job, but writing about finance and law all day really reminds me why I love music journalism so much. It’s so important to do what you love. Of course, you have to pay the bills, but it’s worth the extra effort and time to pursue your passion.

H: There seems to be new writers and blogs popping up almost every day of the week. If you could speak to them, what advice would you offer aspiring journalists and bloggers to help them get started with a career in the entertainment industry?

C: MAKE YOUR OWN WEBSITE. For the love of God, reserve a domain name, learn basic HTML and get your portfolio online. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spoken with an editor trying to get a gig and telling them, “here’s my resume and a couple clips, but just go to my website – everything you need to see about what I’m about is right there.”

Also, be honest with yourself about what you’re writing. My worst album reviews are the ones where I focused too much on how I wished the album would sound and what I wanted the band to be. But I’ve never regretted a piece in which I was honest about an album or a band member, even if it was a controversial review. Most likely you’re entering the industry because you love music, and of course it’s great to get support from the musicians you cover. But you’d be doing a disservice to yourself by kissing up to a band for the sake of readership or being liked.

H: You’ve written a number of album reviews in 2013. What do you look for when reviewing an album?

C: The best albums of all-time can be seen as cohesive, singular pieces of artwork, from front to back. One song isn’t complete without the ones that come before and after it. So I definitely look for that cohesiveness in any record I listen to.

I also try to put the album in context, not only in terms of the trajectory of a musician’s career, but in terms of what was going on in an artist’s life while they were writing. The first album I reviewed for ATP was The Early November’s sort of comeback record “In Currents.” I did a lot of research on why the band ever took a break, how they felt about aging and marriage and getting back together. All of that really came through in the record, which helps an album sound cohesive and, in turn, helps a review sound cohesive.

H: While we’re on the topic of reviews, we might as well touch on distribution. Which services do you prefer press/labels/bands to use when sending you music and why?

C: I always prefer press to send albums you can download, not just stream. When you’re preparing for an album review or to interview an artist, you want to listen to their work throughout the day in different settings, not just while you’re at your computer. So being able to download a record, whether it be from Haulix or Soundcloud or a file emailed to you directly, is what works best for me. When I was working in London the record companies would send albums to the office, and bands would mail their demos in. I wish labels would bring that back!

H: When it comes to discovering new music, where do you turn to find bands and artists you may have otherwise never heard?

C: Talking to friends about what they’re listening is always a great way to check out new bands. You can’t be lazy when it comes to finding new music. Music publications and bands and labels are always Tweeting about what they’re listening to, so I always keep my eye on that, and I make sure to get to shows early to catch opening acts I’m unfamiliar with. If a restaurant or a record store is playing something I like, I’ll go up to the manager and ask what it is. That’s actually how I’ve found a lot of my favorite music. I’ll always look for the speakers when I enter a store so I can SoungHound what they’re playing if I like it. That app rules.

H: Without getting too specific, could you tell us a little about an average day in the life of a freelance writer?

C: Unless you’re insanely lucky, freelancers, at least when they start out, need a day job. So that means every day I go back and forth between a financial journal at an office and my music journalism. Between tasks I’ll be scouring Twitter for music news or sneaking out on my lunch break to do a phone interview with a band (I actually did that the other day to interview Frank Iero). It’s a lot of crafty scheduling and can get exhausting, especially when you get home from a long day at the office and then start writing a feature. But it’s worth it.

H: What is your ultimate career goal?

C: Realistically, I want to be able to financially sustain myself with my music writing. I don’t think I have a singular goal, more like a bunch of milestones I want to hit. There are big music publications I would like to write for, and I’m planning a move out west where there are more opportunities to write about the entertainment business. I guess my biggest goal for my music journalism career would be to keep it going for as long as possible.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

C: I think there can be a lot of negative energy in the industry that we could all do without. Whether it be feuds between bands, feuds between music publications or what have you, it’s frustrating to know that the music community can be so close-knit and supportive just as much as it can be hateful within itself.

One thing that I think is already beginning to change is the status of women in the industry. I think the idea of being surprised that there’s a girl in a band or a female manager is finally starting to get old. But there’s obviously a long way to go, and I can’t wait for the day when I walk in to do an interview and I’m not self-conscious about whether the band will take me seriously or not because I’m a girl.

H: 2013 is quickly coming to a close. Do you have any goals for 2014 you can share with us at this time?

C: I’m starting the process of moving out west where there is more of an opportunity to keep writing – I’m stoked to check out the local music over there. Other than that, I want to start mixing my own music. I’ve also set a new year’s resolution to conquer Boston’s rap scene before I leave!

H: I think that covers everything. Before I let you go, would you like to add anything else?

C: Just to say thank you for the support! It was fun being on the other side of an interview for once.

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Merry Christmas

Hello, everyone! We considered running a feature today, but instead thought it best to simply suggest everyone spend time with those they care about. Christmas comes only once a year and it’s meant to be celebrated with those who matter most.

All of us at Haulix wish you the absolute best Christmas imaginable. We’re thankful for your continued support and are very much looking forward to the year ahead. Happy holidays!

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Haulix Advice: 3 Things Every Artist Should Do Before The End of 2013

Hello, everyone! The wait for Santa Claus is quickly coming to a close, but before he slides down your chimney we wanted to share one final Advice column. This one is a bit simple, but it is fitting for the season. If you have any questions about the content of this blog, or if you would like more information on the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts.

We have covered a lot of territory in this column over the last six months, but today’s post is one that could only run in the final days of the year. We know many of you are spending time with those you care about right now, and to be perfectly honest we believe that is far more important than spending your time online. So, in hopes of informing you without pulling you away from holiday festivities, I’m going to dive right into this list and save you 3-4 paragraphs of my rambling. Feel free to add your own tips at the end of this post.

1. Reflect on 2013 and learn from everything that did (and did not) work.

As the final days of the year begin to wind down it’s easy to get caught up in sharing your victories from the past twelve months with those you love, but it is important to reflect on things that didn’t go as planned as well. Make a list of everything you attempted in 2013 as an artist/group, the victories and losses, then discuss what you can do to improve your efforts in the new year. This will help with the next tip, which is…

2. Make a list of goals for 2014 and outline what needs to happen in order to achieve them.

Every artist I have spoken with in the last month has told me they believe 2014 will be their best year yet. While I hope that is the case, it’s certainly something that is much easier said than done. By creating a list of goals for the new year, as well as outlining the steps needed to achieve them, before January 1 arrives you and your band mates will have a leg up on the competition. While others are trying to plan their next announcement/tour/album/etc. you will already be knee-deep in the battle for career progression.

3. Spend time with those you love and remember to thank those who have supported you.

We mentioned in the opening paragraphs that we feel family is far more important than life on the internet, especially when the holidays come around. With that in mind we want to encourage everyone to spend as much time with the people who mean something to them in the days before 2014 arrives. Further, it’s imperative that you take the time to thank your supporters both locally and abroad. Fans feel a connection to you and your art that is wholly unique to each individual, and taking the time to release even a generic ‘ Thank you and Happy Holidays’ message over social networks can be a good way to keep that bond strong while the music industry is on vacation. They’re excited for the new year just as much as you are because they too have seen your struggle over the past twelve months and believe you will do great things in the future. Don’t take that for granted.

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Blogger Spotlight: Dave Buck (Dying Scene)

Hello and welcome to the last full week of 2013! We know many members of the music industry take this week off to celebrate the holidays and unwind from months spent staring at monitors, but here at Haulix we’re forging ahead with a full week of new, never-before-published content to keep you entertained while the snow falls. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Essentially all of the sites we have featured hope to start discussions about music, but very few have actually built communities of their own. Before social networking became a craze nearly every major new site/blog had a forum, if not something even more in-depth, and though many may argue the age of Facebook is better you will learn in the paragraphs below there is still something to be said for building your own community of like-minded individuals.

Dave Buck is a person who loves music far more than he ever enjoyed writing, but after noticing a number of talented musicians being overlooked by the music blogging community he decided to take matters into his own hands. The results of those efforts is the now well-known outlet Dying Scene, which boasts a community of thousands of diehard alternative music fans hungry for news and tunes from bands both known and obscure. It’s a destination for people who don’t care as much about what is trendy as they do about what is simply great music, and today we will learn how it all came together.

If you would like to stay up-to-date with everything Dave Buck has going on, we highly encourage you to bookmark and frequent Dying Scene. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Thanks again for doing this. Before we dive in, would you please tell everyone your full name, job title, and the publication you’re here to discuss:

D: My name’s Dave Buck and I guess you can consider me the founder and “head honcho” of Dying Scene (the site and the record label).

H: This is one interview our readers have been requesting for a while, so let’s start at the beginning: When you think about your life with music, what are the earliest memories that come to mind?

D: Considering Dying Scene is a punk focused brand I’d love to tell you I was listening to the Sex Pistols at 5 but the truth is I didn’t discover punk rock until I was 15. My earliest music memory was listening to “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel over and over again on a little Fisher Price record player when I was 5 or 6 years old. Eventually I graduated to Weird Al and the Beach Boys and listened to them almost exclusively until I was in Middle School.

H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own it?

D: I’m sure there were albums before this but the first album I can actually remember purchasing with my own money was Nirvana’s “Nevermind”. Hell yeah, I still have it!

H: This is a bit exciting for me because even though I’ve read your site for a long time I do not know that much about its history. What originally attracted you to the world of online journalism?

D: Well, it wasn’t so much a love for online journalism that lead me to start Dying Scene, it was a love for music. I guess you could say that the impetus to starting a punk blog was my level of frustration in the coverage I was seeing in other online punk news sites. I was coming across some fantastic punk bands scouring sites like MySpace and some of the best of those bands were getting absolutely zero coverage anywhere on the web. Bands like Chaser, Youthinasia, Doesitmatter, The Bastard Suns and Skyline Collapse were just a few of the acts putting out punk albums that I thought were some of the best releases of the year and I was shocked that no so called punk sites were talking about them. I just thought, “if nobody else is gonna tell people about these bands then I guess I’ll just have to do it myself!”

H: Is your site your first foray online, or did you write elsewhere before deciding to step out on your own?

D: I’ve never written for any publication, online or otherwise, but I do have a career as a web product manager so whatever experience I was lacking on the writing side, I probably made up for on the organizational and tech side.

H: DyingScene is a name that sticks to the brain. What is the story behind the name?

D: When I was in high school I always dreamed of owning a punk record label. By the time I got to college the “EpiFat” style of skate punk that I had fallen in love with was sorta being replaced by the first emo wave. I thought that if I ever did launch a label I’d probably only want to put out albums reminiscent of the punk that I grew up on, a sound I falsely felt was a dying part of the punk scene. I guess I thought Dying Scene Records would have been an appropriate name. Fast forward 10 more years and the name still seemed appropriate. The punk scene did seem to be dying out a bit but I think it was more a factor of the existing media coverage than a lack of quality bands or interested fans. I wanted to pump new blood into the anemic state of modern punk rock and help salvage the remains of what felt like a dying scene. A new punk website was born.

H: There is more to DyingScene than news and reviews, you’re actually building a community. What can you tell us about the original motivation behind the site and its design?

D: [Think I inadvertently answered the original motivation behind the site in the answer to my last question.] The design of DyingScene.com, for better or worse, was done by me. I’m no artist so it may look a little rough around the edges to some but I believe it encapsulates the DIY nature of the punk community at large in an authentic way. Funny enough, the original header of the site was based off some cover art I designed for a semi-joke compilation album I put together for one of my old friends. It was he and I that wanted to one day start Dying Scene Records together back in high school and in the years that followed he sort of drifted away from punk in general. When I was making those amazing new punk band discoveries I mentioned earlier I decided to put together a compilation called “Dying Music From A Dying Scene” consisting of awesome songs from those bands. I wanted to show him that if we did want to start a label there were some killer unsigned punk bands out there that we could launch with. Anyway, I decided to package it up like a real CD with real looking cover art, CD jacket and all that. I thought it would take a few hours but it took 2 whole days and about 10 trips to Kinkos. By the end of the project I was so into the design I had come up with for it I decided to keep it going in the form of a website header. That lead to a whole homepage design, which eventually became an entire site design.

H: How would you describe the typical DS community member?

D: That’s so hard to say because our community has become so large and so diverse over the years. The trolls and complainers are always the loudest so its tempting to tell you that they’re all grouchy punk rock elitists who hate the Offspring and have perfect penchant for pointing out typos but the truth is most of our community are positive, left leaning (obviously) boys and girls who really, really love punk music.

H: What type of content did DyingScene produce when it launched, and how has that posting style evolved over time?

D: I’m sort of proud to say that as our site has grown the types of bands we cover has not changed at all. We still give as much attention to the smaller up and coming bands today with a monthly readership in the hundreds of thousands as we did when we were just a no name brand when we first started. Since day one we’ve done news, album reviews, interviews, band spotlights and some original content like trivia posts and band name origin stories. We still do all that today with very little changes in terms of its presentation but our processes for finding and putting together that content is ever evolving.

H: There are a number of sites featuring talent similar to what can be found on DS. What is it about the content and coverage you offer that sets you apart from the competition?

D: We cover the little guys, for one, focusing a lot more on new music discovery than your typical news site. That’s a big one. If we think the music is good we don’t care if the band only has 10 followers on Facebook. A lot of sites find it more profitable to only cover the bands with big followings because the simple truth is stories about relatively unknown bands don’t drive clicks to your website. I’ve got a great career outside of DS so I’ve never really had to worry about making sure we’re turning a profit. All our writers, myself included, do this for free and we do it because its fun and we want to share great punk music with people we think might dig it. Sure, we’ll still cover the big guys but in response to that I’ll quote something from our FAQ page:

“Imagine for a second that you’re a kid who does not yet really know about the punk scene. You don’t have an older brother that introduced you to it and your friends all listen to hip-hop. You’ve heard Rise Against on the radio and you know you like them so one day you do a search for them on the internet and you end up on a story about them on Dying Scene. Now that you’re on Dying Scene you read the next story on the front page which happens to be about a band called Part Time Killer. You’ve never heard of them, so you give them a listen and Holy Shit, you love it! You check out another band, and another, and next thing you know you’re buying the latest albums from 5 bands you’ve never heard of until today. Then you realize that the unifying factor amongst these bands is that they are more or less considered “punk” bands and now your mind is officially blown. So this is what Punk Music sounds like?! You tell all your friends about this “punk rock” deal and you introduce them to the new bands you’ve discovered on a very informative, sometimes funny and usually accurate website called Dying Scene. Some of those friends like what they hear and then they go and tell their friends, and just like that, we’ve helped dozens of smaller punk bands find new fans all because of one little article on a band the elitists shun because they think they’ve “sold out” or don’t fit their definition of punk rock. We call that a huge success.

Also, it should be noted that we at Dying Scene have absolutely no problem with punk bands getting popular and even getting played on the radio. Good for them!”

H: You mention on the site that you never launched with intentions of finding fame or fortune, but there are a handful of ads to be found if you click around. When did you first begin monetizing your efforts? Do you have any plans to expand those efforts in the foreseeable future?

D: We’ve sold advertising for quite a while now but so far all its done is offset some of the costs involved in running the site. Of course, as our traffic grows so does our revenue, and if one day Dying Scene breaks even I would be thrilled. If one day it could pay me back what I’ve put in and afford me a flight once a year to Fest I’d be beyond thrilled, but I’m not expecting it. Dying Scene serves its function as a fun and rewarding creative outlet for me. I’ve got my day job to pay the bills.

H: What is the most difficult part of this ‘job’ you’ve created for yourself?

D: Time management. We have nearly 40 contributors working on DS and that’s a lot of writers to stay in touch with and keep tabs on. There are so many moving parts at this point it requires constant attention to keep things running smoothly from an operations standpoint, let alone from a timely coverage standpoint. I’m multi-taskinging DS work and day job work all day every day, except on weekends when I’m multi-tasking DS work and life in general. It’s a ton of work but I love it.

H: There are a number of young artists featured on your site. Where do you turn when hoping to discover new music?

D: New music and new bands have a way of finding us. We get new profile requests from bands every day and I listen to every single one of them, deciding who makes the cut and who doesn’t. We also get dozens of albums sent to us every day and I listen to at least one or two songs of every single one of them. It’s actually not so much a question of where to go to find music as it is how to filter out the good from the bad amongst the constant bombardment.

H: Let’s turn the tables a bit. What advice would you offer bands hoping to gain your attention and one day make an appearance on DS?

D: If you want to get our attention go to our FAQ page linked in the footer of the site and read. From there you can fill out a profile request form and leave us a note in the appropriate box if there’s something you want to tell us. Like I said, I listen to every single band that submits a request so if you properly filled out the fields on where to go to listen to your music I WILL hear your music. If I like it enough I WILL feature you, do a story on you, or maybe even sign your band. If you want us to review an album then follow the instructions on how to do so, again written out on our FAQ page. It’s actually amazingly simple to get your music in front of us. Obviously all of this is superseded by the quality of your music. If we can’t listen to your music or the recording quality is terrible or you’re not punk you’re not getting on Dying Scene. Period.

H: When it comes to receiving music for review purposes, which distribution services do you prefer and why?

D: I LOVE bandcamp. So simple. So easy. If your album is already released and you want people to easily stream it put it on bandcamp. And its really easy to embed so if we like it, we’ll do a story and stream your music right on Dying Scene. If you’re album isn’t released yet and you don’t want the general public to hear it until it is Haulix does seem to be the best service. Easy to stream, easy to download. Clean and simple. Simple is key when you’re trying to listen to a dozen different albums a day all the while churning out never ending news stories.

H: Album leaks have been a hot button topic for well over a decade at this point. Do you feel they do as much damage today as they have in years prior?

D: If we’re talking strictly about pre-official release date leaks, here’s the deal: There’s three kinds of people when it comes to illegal downloading of albums. Those that absolutely don’t do it (or at least they’ll go back and pay for it if they like it). Those that have absolutely no problem doing it. And those who won’t do it unless its the only way they can get their hands on the album. This third case is where album leaks hurt bands and labels. They lose out on the revenue from the people that would have paid for it if they could have but they’re just so excited to hear the album they toss their morals right out the window. Having said that, I don’t think that amounts to too much so its no huge loss to the music creators. It’s hard to think of anything else as a “leak” since I feel like its inevitable for an album to eventually end up on an illegal download site. If we’re talking about that practice in general then yes, it is hugely detrimental to the band, labels, and music industry as a whole. Labels and bands don’t make nearly as much money as they once did from album sales. That’s a fact. And its a fact that it directly corresponds with illegal downloading.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

D: No more illegal downloads. Bands who work hard and put out good music deserve compensation and we should be happy to give it to them considering how much pleasure we’re deriving from their work.

H: What is your ultimate career goal?

D: I’d love to be able to do Dying Scene full time without the hindrance of a “real” job. That’s a bit of a fantasy though so I guess I’d settle for owning an online business of some sort that would allow me the freedom to live where I want and provide a little more free time to spend on passion projects like Dying Scene.

H: Thank you again for taking the time to talk to me. Before I let you go, is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

D: The pleasure is all on this side of the table, James. Thanks a lot for the interest. For those of you that haven’t already, please check out the site if you’re into punk music. Join us on Facebook and say hi (me and/or one of my editors are on there all day and we love talking to our readers).

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Haulix Weekly Update #18 – Here Comes Santa Claus

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the final Haulix recap before Christmas. We have a lot in store before 2014 ends, and this post we will give you a first look at everything on the horizon.

If you have any questions regarding the content on this blog, or if you would like additional information about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

With Christmas quickly approaching, the Haulix team has spent the last week doing everything possible to make sure our software as well as it possibly can before the end of 2014. We rolled out a number of minor updates, including some work on email, and continued developing our the long-awaited mobile platform. We do not have a launch date yet, but we will let you know as soon as more information becomes available.

On the blog end of things, we conducted more interviews in the past seven days than any other one-week period in 2013. The holidays usually leads many industry professionals to have one, if not two weeks of vacation and we wanted to ensure fresh content would continue well into the new year without issue. Every week day until the end of the year, including Christmas, we are going to be debuting some GREAT content. Label spotlights, Publicity spotlights, and more!

In case you missed any of the content we ran this week, here is a quick set of links to help Friday pass a little bit faster:

Advice: Optimizing Your YouTube Presence (Pt. 3)
Artist Spotlight: Josh ‘Chachi Riot’ Marunde
Publicity Spotlight: Kelly Walsh (Prosthetic Records)
Advice: Winter Tour Survival Tips From The Venetia Fair

Okay, I think that about wraps up our recap items for this week. We will return on Monday with a brand new Spotlight post, and we certainly hope you stop by to read it. Until then, be safe and have a great weekend.

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Haulix Advice: Optimizing Your YouTube Presence (Pt. 3)

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the third installment of our ongoing series on YouTube optimization. This will be the last installment in this series before 2014 and also one of the final Advice columns of the year. If you have any questions regarding the content of this article, or if you have a topic you would like to see address in the coming weeks, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts.

If you have been following this optimization series since its launch earlier this month then you’ll hopefully remember our coverage on metadata and the importance of profile design. This week we’re continuing our efforts to better your presence by taking a look at the importance of longterm care for your content, and why keeping tabs on the latest YouTube updates may help boost your streaming revenue.

One of the many reasons technology is so exciting is the ability for it to evolve in leaps and bounds over relatively short periods of time. YouTube, for example, has changed greatly from its original design. Videos uploaded in 2006 or 2007 now look like home movies shot on VHS in comparison to the slick HD clips of today. As an example, here is the official video for From First To Last’s 2004 hit, “Ride The Wings Of Pestilence,” which was uploaded in 2006.

A little rough, right? The clip has received nearly 2 million views since launch, which is 2 million people – fans new and old – who found this to be the highest quality version of this clip available online. They may still enjoy the song and video in its current state, but the likelihood of sharing low quality material like this is relatively low.

Now look at this video from Rise Records’ Crown The Empire, which was created when the band was still unsigned:

You don’t need me writing at length to understand the quality of the above video is exponentially better than the previous clip, even if you do not enjoy the song quite as much. A big part of this is due to when the clips were uploaded and the type of files YouTube was capable of hosting at that time. Things were simpler when that From Fist To Last clip went live, and as a result of the person in control of the account that posted the clip not maintaining its presence a beloved single is beginning to show its age.

Whether you’re a new artist on the scene, or an independent talent a decade into your career, it is incredibly important that you dedicate time to regularly update and maintain the videos you have posted online. YouTube is now the number one method of music discovery for the teen market and it is winning over more adult demographics with each passing year. Regardless of your sound video is going to play a major role in raising awareness for your music and brand if you hope to make it in the current music industry. This not only means you need to put extra effort into your video content, but you also need to maintain your presence on the video market as new technology and updates becomes available. Like songs available to stream online, you never when someone will come across your video and/or how familiar they will be with your music beforehand. Every video you post could very likely serve as a first impression for though sands of people, if not millions over time.

Another reason to care about the quality your video library is how it may or may not impact your income. YouTube offers a number of ways to monetize through its site, whether allowing advertisements or adding purchase links, and
more opportunities are being added on a regular basis. Regular maintenance of your video library will allow for you take full advantage of these opportunities as they become available, as well as offer you the ability to update the quality of your hosted clips as new capabilities are added. As we mentioned above, sharing is key to success in the video market, and maintaining a library of high quality clips will go a long way towards encouraging social engagement.

Music videos do not have the same characteristics as most viral videos, but many do possess the potential for high virility if marketed correctly. Music videos, like great songs, are something people will share with friends and family for years to come. When future generations study the music of the past, videos will play a large role in understanding not only the song, but the culture that inspired it. That is, after all, what music videos represent. Whether or not you want to admit there is no denying the influence Miley Cyrus has had on pop culture in 2013, and a large reason for that impact is owed to her music videos. “We Can’t Stop” presented the reinvented Miley to the world, and within days the clip racked up tens of millions of plays. “Wrecking Ball,” which followed a few short months later, did even more impressive numbers while featuring a far more naked Cyrus. Some of us laughed at the clip, others found their new pop idol, but regardless of where you stand the song changed how you viewed the world. For days, if not weeks after you and friends joked about Miley, her twerking, and all the teens online trying to copy their newfound heroine. Her album, Bangerz, did none of that, and almost soon as it hit shelves it was no longer part of the conversation. That’s not a slight against Miley, but simply listening to her ‘wild new style’ is not enough to generate the type of headlines made from singing the same material while straddling construction equipment in the nude. The album may (probably) be forgotten, but the videos live on for as long as sites like YouTube exists, and they will continue to be a topic of conversation every time someone talks about culture in 2013 until the end of time. The same goes for your content, and you should not take that knowledge for granted.

We cannot tell you how to make videos that will go viral, but we can tell you that high quality footage goes a long way toward winning over increasingly distracted young minds. By regularly maintaining and updating your video library you are positioning your content to be received by viewers worldwide in the way that represents you best. Do not underestimate the power of first impressions.

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