This may be the only Haulix company update of the year that falls on a holiday, and to be honest we haven’t the slightest clue how to make the most of the occasion. We do love Halloween however, and we love music that sounds inspired by the holiday even more. Take Harley Poe, for example. Hailing from Indiana with music that could double as the song version of your favorite horror film, this folk punk outfit offer unique thrills and chills that make it possible to enjoy Halloween all year long. Check it out:
Each and every Friday we like to take a brief break from our regularly scheduled programming to update and reflect on everything happening at Haulix HQ. We are far more than a music blog, as many of you already know, and posts like this give us an opportunity to share more our efforts with all of you.
WE HAVE A DEV UPDATE!
Last week was the first in over a month to not end with some kind of major development update, and it looks like that will remain the case for the foreseeable future as our team of creative minds continue to churn out releases that improve the Haulix experience for clients and members of the media alike. This week, our development team released a Promo Grouping feature that allows for clients to better organize and assign their team efforts. Here’s how it works:
Continuing our recent string of platform updates, we are pleased to announce Promo Grouping — a feature that will simplify your organizational efforts. This tool is one we have received many requests for, and we think you’ll find implementing it to be incredibly easy:
Sign into your Haulix account. On the Dashboard you will see your current promos listed at the bottom of the screen.
To begin creating Groups, first click the ‘Promos’ tab at the top of the page. When the new page loads, click the ‘Groups’ button at the top of the page. A new window will open and ask you to name your new group. Enter the desired title and click ‘Create.’ Another window will ask you to confirm the information. Agree and your new group will appear on the left rail of the ‘Promos’ page.
Once the Groups have been created, it’s time to organize your promos. Using the list of promos on the left rail, drag and drop each promo name underneath the group you want it assigned to. If you would like to organize the order in which the groups appear, use the arrows next to each group title to move them up or down the list.
You can also assign your new promos to a group as they are made. When editing a promo, click the ‘Groups’ dropdown list on the promo screen and select the group you wish to assign that particular promo to:
The Groups created on these pages and the promo order set in place will immediately be reflected on your Dashboard and Invitation screens.
Deleting a group is as easy as creating one. Return to the ‘Promos’ screen, click ‘Groups,’ then click the red ‘X’ next to the Group you wish to remove. Deleting a group will not delete the promos contained within that group.
Please note: Promo groups cannot be added or deleted by Sub-Administrators. Only Master Account holders are able to create and organize promo groups.
On the promotional side of things, our very own James Shotwell appeared on the 100 Words or Less Podcast. He spoke of Haulix and our plans for the future, as well as his own life experiences. Click here to check it out.
Our own podcast, Inside Music, is taking the week off. We will be back next Thursday with a brand new episode and plan to continue delivering new content every week in November. Fun fact: James turns 27 this month. He’s the youngest on our staff, but soon we won’t even be able to call him young! Where does the time go.
In case you missed anything this week, here is a rundown of our latest content:
That’s all the updates we have for you this week. Have a safe and absolutely insane Halloween. We’re taking tomorrow off from posting new content, but will return Sunday with a new Job Board update. Thank you for your continued support and readership.
Hello, everyone! Thank you for finding time in your busy life to spend browsing our blog. We have never run two Journalism Tips columns in a single week before, but today that changes with the help of an editorial on the topic of writer’s block. The post you’re about to read was written by James Shotwell, otherwise known as the guy who writes essentially every post on this site. He has Twitter, but he asks that you follow Haulix first.
This blog exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
I love my job here at Haulix more than I have ever loved any career, but some days I wake up and know almost immediately that the last thing I want to do that particular day is create content. My job involves a lot more than keeping this blog maintained, but ensuring there is at least one post featuring industry-facing content live every single day is a big part of how I spend my time. Between brainstorming features, doing research for advice columns or interviews, scheduling interviews, conducting interviews, transcribing interviews, drafting the actual content, editing my content, and promoting said content once it’s live I do not have a lot of free time on any particular day to sit around and stare blankly at the word processor on my computer screen. I need to create, whether or not I feel like it, and truth be told that has been the case nearly every day since I decided to start music blogging seven years ago. The only difference is, nowadays I have a slightly better understanding of what it takes to work at that level, and even though I hit walls from time to time I have found methods of getting around those mental roadblocks that can easily be applied to your life as well.
Before we can tackle writer’s block, we must first address the reasons why we write, and more importantly why we must stick to a routine in order to excel. This has been written countless times in the past, but the only reason anyone should be pursuing a career in music writing at this point in time is out of a sheer passion for the art form. The chances of finding a lasting career in this industry are slim to none in most cases, but those who do make it through to find steady employment do so because they use their own thoughts and feelings to forge a connection with the world at large. They speak and write in their own voice, staying true to themselves even when their opinion is not the most popular. They wake every day and do whatever they can to further connect with the outside world through their content creation, which is kind of like signing up to feed a growing monster whose hunger is never able to be full satiated. Ever worse, that monster will move on to another person with content to feed it should your efforts begin to slip. This is why falling into a routine is a must. Writing every day keeps an aspiring writer’s name circling the web. It also ensures that the writer is continuously refining their craft, setting aside time every day to focus on their passion and improving their ability to do it well.
Establishing a writing routine is a relatively simple idea to put into action, but maintaining your dedication to that routine is another story altogether. As I mentioned above while sharing my own personal experience with writer’s block, some days creative people do not feel all that creative. They may be distracted with other concerns, tired, burnt out from having worked too hard for too long without giving their mind time to relax, or something else entirely. The number of reasons for why people feel unable to create are as numerous as the amount of ways people can cure their so-called writer’s block. Every writer experiences these moments of creative burnout, but rarely are these events caused by the same reason. Just as every writer has a voice entirely their own, so must every writer have things that both inspire and distract them from further creativity. For me, trying to do too much is often where I find my creative drive beginning to stall out. If I need to create an article to go live the same day I write it, my mind begins to stress over all the other tasks and conversations that must be set aside in order for that content to be created. Once that panic has passed, I then usually realize I have no immediate concept for my article and panic a second time fearing whether or not whatever I do come up with will be as good as whatever ran the previous day. The fear of not topping what was created in the past is something very familiar to me, and when I let it creep up on me without thinking my ability to move forward is stunted.
The key to overcoming these encounters with writer’s block is as simple and, at the same exact time, incredibly difficult as learning how to step away and distract your mind. Forcing yourself to be creative will only result in mediocre output, and the more you push yourself the more your work will suffer as a result. There are times in life when pushing yourself to work, be it to meet a deadline or simply get something you have no interest in complete, can be a good thing, but when it comes to making an impact on the world and ensuring your voice in writing is recognized almost nothing good can come from making yourself write when you have nothing worthwhile to say. This is not the same as abandoning your routine, as writers should at the very least attempt creativity at a set time/place on a daily basis, but it may cause you to break from your plan on occasion. Remember: One day away will not be the end of your career. I know it may seem that way, especially if something incredible breaks while you are away, but if you are truly putting your all into your work then taking short breaks from time to time will not stall your career progression.
For me, in order to step away from writing to the point I become focused on anything else in the world requires a great effort. I need to get out of my house, which also doubles as my office, and out into the world at large. Sometimes this means going to the grocery store or running errands, but more often than not I find myself headed to the movies (alone). I am not sure I could ever explain why the movies are the place I feel most at peace, but for whatever reason when I enter a cinema my mind is able to unwind and reenergize while actors play pretend on the big screen. Even if the reason I felt unable to write previously was because another element of my life was distracting me, going to the movies has always been a surefire way to cure my creative block. Sometimes that is due to the fact I leave feeling inspired by the creativity of others, but other times it’s because whatever I saw was so dull I feel compelled to create something better out of spite. No one will ever know that is the reason, of course, but in my mind I am constantly waging a way against mediocrity, and every time I manage to draft something I feel confident in I have taken one more step toward eradicating the works I perceive as bad or otherwise underwhelming. Is that necessarily true? Not really. But that does not change the fact that going to the movies allows me the escape I need from reality in order to once again sit down and begin creating content.
I cannot tell you what your escape will be, but I will say that you are probably already aware of the activity or place you need in order to relax your mind long enough for its to refuel its creative juices. Whatever that thing is, I urge you to never take it for granted and never allow anyone to tell you it’s stupid, dumb, or anything of the sort. Each writer’s journey is different, and therefore the things we need in order to continue moving forward are varied as well. What works for me might not work for you, and if your thing involves a lot of physical activity it probably won’t appeal to me. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not hard for random assholes inhabiting this planet to make you feel weird about your own choices. Don’t let them do that to you. Stay true to yourself and in time you will find the best means to unwind, which will lead you to defeating writer’s block.
It’s not all about finding an escape however, though that is a major part of defeating writer’s block. You also need to be conscious of your personal expectations for your work. I think Malcolm Gladwell said it best when he wrote:
“I deal with writer’s block by lowering my expectations. I think the trouble starts when you sit down to write and imagine that you will achieve something magical and magnificent—and when you don’t, panic sets in. The solution is never to sit down and imagine that you will achieve something magical and magnificent. I write a little bit, almost every day, and if it results in two or three or (on a good day) four good paragraphs, I consider myself a lucky man. Never try to be the hare. All hail the tortoise.”
A lot of people will tell you lowering your expectations is the first step in a slippery slope to embracing mediocrity, but I have to disagree. Without the ability to lower our expectations it would be incredibly easy for us to hate ourselves because of our inability to achieve certain self-imposed goals, regardless of how unrealistic they may be. In order to achieve greatness people must first attempt what seems impossible. If they can pull it off, the bar is set even higher. If not, the bar must be ever-so-slightly, but only so that we do not become discouraged with our ability to do more than we are currently capable of achieving. When we hit that new goal, albeit lower than we initially hoped, we feel a renewed sense of determination for continued growth. At that point we can again try to reach our original goal, and from there we continue to explore just how far our ability will take us. We might fall on our face, sure, but it’s only human to make mistake. It’s not ever trying that’s the true failure.
There are people in this world who will tell you that writer’s block is only results from the fear of being confronted by our lack of abilities, but my experience in this industry has taught me that is rarely the case. Writer’s block is something that occurs because we push ourselves to the breaking point and expect nothing to give. We recognize the internet’s endless need for content and wish so much to fulfill it, even if doing so means sacrificing precious time and relationships. We get it in our heads that if we push ourselves just a bit more then maybe – just maybe – something will change and our lives will never be the same. The truth is that the only way something like that happens is from sustained quality content creation. It’s not about the day to day as much as it is the big picture, and if you want to stand out against the sea of hopeful music writers you will need a history of quality content creation to back up whatever it is you’re doing today. Find a routine and stick with it, but also listen to your body and know when you need to step away. There is nothing wrong with taking a break. The internet will almost certainly still be here tomorrow, and your readers will be waiting. Take time for you so that you’re able to make content for them. It’s more important than you know.
Hello, everyone! Thank you for finding a few minutes in your schedule to spend learning about the industry with us. We did not create the post you’re about to enjoy, but after reading it earlier this month we knew we had to make room in our content schedule to highlight what it has to share. Bobby Borg is an incredibly talented writer, and we’re honored to feature his work on our site.
This blog exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Sales promotions are short-term incentives intended to stimulate a quick buying response in your target customer. Coupons, one-time exclusive offers, customer loyalty programs, two-for-the-price-of-one discounts, and limited-time prizes with purchase are all examples of sales promotions in the consumer world. While it’s true you’ll have to give away your music for free to build awareness and help start a buzz, sales promotions can be applied to everything, including merchandise, studio time, music lessons, concert tickets, and more. From choosing the right type of sales promotion that fits your band, to executing your sales promotions tastefully, these eight tips will help you create a strategy that brings light to your products and services and generates healthy sales.
1. Decide on the type of sales promotion that fits your band
Whether you choose to utilize discount ticket coupons that you allow fans to print out from your website, or you announce a “one-time exclusive offer” to purchase your music at your record release party, remember that you must always stay in sync with the desired image you’d like to project into the marketplace. An anti-capitalistic punk band must obviously use sales promotions very subtly (or not at all), or they might otherwise come across as being phony.
2. Decide on the different media you’ll use to deliver your sales promotion
Remember that sales promotions can be delivered using internet techniques (email and your personal website), guerrilla marketing techniques (postcards and flyers you hand out to people on the street), direct marketing techniques (brochures you mail), and face-to-face selling techniques (pitches you make to music students and recording clients). The idea is to utilize a couple different mediums to ensure you thoroughly reach your intended audience.
3. Decide exactly when the sales promotion will begin and end
Sales promotions must have a clearly defined beginning and an end. Will it be just for the night of a show, for two weeks, or for the entire holiday season? Whatever it is, make it very clear. "Urgency" is a key ingredient in sales promotions and in getting your fans to ultimately respond.
4. Test the sales promotion on a limited number of people
Before printing a few hundred coupons to send off to your fans, be sure to get some feedback on the words and graphics you use. The idea is to create the most effective promotion that will push your fans’ buttons and get them to take action. Test out your sales promotions on a small sample audience first and make any necessary adjustments. You’ll save time and money.
5. Keep the purpose of your sales promotion clearly in mind
Be clear on why you’re holding a sales promotion and what you’d like to achieve. Is your goal to sell a specific number of units so that you can take your musical act out on the road? Or is it to raise a certain amount of money for your Kickstarter or GoFundMe campaign to produce a live concert that will benefit a charity? Whatever it is, state a very clear objective.
6. Control the number of promotions you hold
Remember that too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Sending out emails every other week telling people that they can record in your studio at a “one-time specially reduced price” just looks bad. Always be tasteful, truthful, and subtle.
7. Stick to the rules of the promotion
Don’t be tempted to make an offer that’s not in line with the rules of the promotion. Doing this can clearly compromise the integrity of the promotion and even your brand. Stick to your own rules! If you say the promotion ends on December 24, the promotion really needs to end on December 24.
8. Remember that “sales” is not a bad word
Some people think of marketing as sleazy or pushy. This reaction is usually due to bad past experiences with deceptive advertisements or pushy marketing tactics. But as media critic Douglas Rushkoff said in a PBS special entitled The Persuaders, "Don’t let your marketing show.“ If you can focus on the creation of products and services that uphold your vision, satisfy fans by giving them what they need, and present your offers in a non-intrusive manner that make fans feel like they’re part the process, people won’t even know you’re marketing to them.
Unless you’re just a hobbyist, at some point you have to start generating some type of income from your music. Sales promotions cause fans to take action and help increase your sales. So make no mistake: if you want to make it, you have to market.
We have become big fans of Andrew Jones’ work in recent months, and every week or so we like to share some of his unique industry insight on our blog in order to provide a different perspective on this crazy place we call the entertainment business. Today’s post is a little sillier than the others, but it still has a good message to share.
This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
“So, what do you exactly do all day?”
As an artist manager people ask me this all the time, and it’s always a little complicated to answer. There are a variety of answers to this question, and honestly every manager is different. Even one manager may handle slightly different tasks for different clients or handle something for one season but hire a third party for another.
However to me being a manager ultimately means doing whatever it takes to break your artist. Whatever.
To that effect here are a few of the things I have done as an artist manager:
1. Network 2. Encourage artists 3. Route tours 4. Try to get bands on large tours 5. Invite other bands onto tours 6. Help pick singles 7. Give notes on demos 8. Give notes on mixes 9. Help determine track order 10. Record video 11. Edit video 12. Design websites 13. Consult on social media strategy 14. Apply for grants 15. Deign posters 16. Design merch 17. Book dates (don’t do this if you live in California or New York…) 18. Find sponsors 19. Speak into band conflict 20. Talk to publishers 21. Take songs to music supervisors 22. Find publicists 23. Work with publicists 24. Track songs to radio 25. Stall for time 26. Negotiate into a record deal 27. Negotiate out of a record deal 28. Buy digital advertising 29. Chase down money from promoters 30. Design webpages 31. Find local bands to join bills 32. Work with promoters on advertising 33. Line up radio station visits 34. Line up newspaper interviews 35. Blog 36. Maintain email lists 37. Write email blasts 38. Pitch to agencies 39. Write bios 40. Create presskits 41. Create riders 42. Go to conferences 43. Submit music to podcasts 44. Stay on top of digital trends 45. Edit press releases 46. Write press releases 47. Solicit album reviews 48. Set-up photo sessions 49. Approve photos 50. Approve album artwork 51. Upload music to all platforms 52. Find sponsors 53. Track stats 54. Fill and update calendars 55. Set-up interviews 56. Promote local shows 57. Fill showcases 58. Take the blame 59. Text a lot 60. Increase Hype 61. Build a street team 62. Write letters 63. Work with charities 64. Create pre-order packages
…And most importantly….
65. WHATEVER IT TAKES
This post was written by Andrew Jones, editor of Checkered Owl. It originally ran on his blog, but we loved it so much we felt it deserved to shared once more on ours. If you like his work and want to read more of his writing, or if you want to be super cool and offer him full time industry employment, reach out and connect with him on Twitter.
Hello, everyone. We are so thrilled to learn that you were able to find time to spend with us today. It has been a minute since we were able to share a new artist curated advice column, but we finally have something great prepared that we think you are going to love. If you have ever wanted some fresh insight on what it takes to raise money for your music in 2014, this post is for you.
This blog exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
It’s funny how fast the music industry changes these days. A year ago many people would have claimed that crowdfunding was the future of the music business, but as many independent acts have learned over the year this is not always the case. Some audiences will be able to support the dreams of their favorite musicians, but that is not true for every talented musician with a diehard fans following their every move. For some, it takes a lot more than launching a free web page and asking for money, and today we’re going to take notes from one Massachusetts based group who recently cracked the fundraising code and raised the long-awaited funds needs to create their first full length album.
Nemes are not the smallest band in the world, but if you asked your average alternative rock or folk fan outside of the New England area it might be hard to come across anyone who is all that familiar with the Worcester, MA outfit. They have been together for a number of years however, and in that time have been featured on countless music blogs, as well as appearing in a handful of influential music publications. All that exposure helped the band tour and scrape together enough money for a few EPs, but eventually the band knew they needed to do something bigger if they were ever going to advance their career. They settled on recording a proper full length in a real studio with a producer who could help develop their sound, and soon set off to raise the funds needed to make that dream a reality. They turned to fans first, but instead of depending on their loyal followers to cover expenses once again they also turned to the general public through a series of off the cuff performances. The money eventually came in and today, October 28, the band is releasing the album they first conceived almost two years ago.
We were so impressed by Nemes and their efforts to create a truly DIY release that we asked them to share their secret to success with our readers. You can read a blog written by the band below, but first let’s take a moment and enjoy their music:
Hello all! Alex from Nemes (pronounced knee•miss) here. In case you haven’t heard of us, we’re a folk-rock indie quartet out of Boston, MA. Our music has been called, “an embodiment of extremes” and our performances, “a nuclear power plant’s worth of energy.” Both of these things are prevalent in our new album, I Carry Your Heart. I’m writing this from a coffeeshop in Brighton, MA the night before it is released (October 28th). We worked our toosheys off to fund and get word out about this thing without the help of a label or traditional management.
Our band has been around for a little while now, but this release is the first album recorded in a legitimate studio on a semi-legitimate budget. We even got Rick Kwan (My Morning Jacket, Oasis, Jim James) to mix it. After self-producing several EP’s and gaining local exposure in Worcester, MA, our band migrated to Boston where we put our collective nose to the grindstone to work on this release.
The first step was funding. This album was funded in 3 main ways:
The first, performing in the subway. Every free morning for around a year and a half, our band put out a guitar case and experienced the incredible generosity of Boston’s citizens.
Second, we performed everywhere we could. And I mean everywhere Bars, venues, weddings, pizza shops, police precincts (okay maybe not police precincts); we did everything we could to turn our music into something we could do full time. We learned dozens of covers (and are now better for it) just to be able to pay certain events so we could put more into this album.
The last thing we did for funding was turn to our fans. We reached out on Kickstarter and asked our incredible supportive, generous fan base to help us make this piece of art. They came through in a way we never imagined and helped us raise more than 120% of our initial goal. Because of this we were able to get the album professionally mastered, pressed to vinyl, and duplicated with incredible CD packaging that showcases everything exactly the way we feel it should be experienced.
Haulix actually took an interest in what we were able to accomplish and asked us to compile a list of tips for other artists when it comes to putting together the funds for a record. Here goes nothing!
Plan ahead. Have a goal, and don’t go in blind.
Realistically shoot for the stars. This can be hard, but if you take a step back and look at the trajectory of your band, you’ll be able to gauge approximately what you’d be able to do.
Don’t be afraid to ask! Ask everybody, everywhere, for anything they can help you with. Show them your music and be confident about it. For instance, we were able to partner with local record label Antique Records to put together some exclusive items.
Cut costs on the road! We sang for food, asked for leftovers, and did research on where we’d be able to get free resources.
Otherwise, just be creative. It can go a long way to think outside the box and figure out what works for you.
I’d really like to invite anyone who reads this to give a little bit of their day to I Carry Your Heart. It is comprised of 11 songs. Each has a distinct personality, almost fitting into its own genre, but all of the tracks work together to accomplish a singular feeling; an emotional core that does its part to represent the theme, “I Carry Your Heart.” We’d like to thank Haulix for taking an interest in us, and add an extra thanks to them for all the incredible work they do in general.
Hello, everyone. Welcome to the latest installment of our ongoing Journalism Tips series. This column is dedicated to helping the next generation of music blogging professionals advance their career, and for this particular article we have decided to highlight the work that must be done in the days, weeks, and months immediately following college graduation.
This blog exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
The vast majority of music bloggers get their start in the industry while in college, and it’s not hard to understand why. College allows young minds the time and space they need to explore the various paths open to them in life in order to find a career field that is best suited to their skill set. For those that believe music writing is their calling, that same time allotted for self-discovery can be used to create content. As time goes on, the student makes more and more time for blogging because they realize it’s a far faster way to connect with the music business than whatever access can be achieved through homework or long hours spent studying. This is not a bad thing necessarily, but it does set a precedent for that person’s ability to create timely content in large quantities that is almost impossible to maintain in a post-graduation world. Once the freedom of being a full time student has become a thing of the past, every single music blogger begins their own unique journey through what I like to call ‘the patience test,’ and today I’m going to explain what you can do to navigate these often troublesome waters.
Here is something no music writer currently in college wants to hear: You will probably not have a paying job waiting for you in the music business, let alone in music writing, when you graduate. The odds are immensely stacked against you, which has been the case for every person who has ever attempted to enter the entertainment business without family ties, and the sooner you are able to face that reality the better off you will be. The problem is, most do not seem to grasp this concept, and once their final internship comes to a close they are faced with the difficult decision of how to support themselves while continuing to pursue a dream that shows no signs of providing income in the immediate future. For some, this is a breaking point. I’ve come to believe that those who give up at this point in their journey were never all that dedicated in the first place however, so for the sake of moving forward let’s just assume everyone reading this now will not let a silly thing like their first post-college setback make them abandon the dream they’ve kept for years. Good? Good.
When you find yourself on the other side of the college experience with a degree in hand and a growing blog following online it’s important to understand that there is no way for you to continue posting with the same frequency you maintained in college unless you sacrifice the pursuit of a real world job. That is not an option for most people, and I am going to wager the same can be said for you. We all need to work in order to make a living and support ourselves, whether that be covering basic needs or paying off all that wonderful student loan debt you acquired over the last few years. Whatever the case, the first thing you need to focus on is finding work. The ideal situation would be something that keeps your nights and weekends free while putting you in front of a computer with little supervision during the week days. These jobs exist in every town and city nationwide, but whether or not there are openings that apply to you is something only further research will reveal. At the very least, you should try and find something that allows you to take time off whenever its needed for coverage or additional ‘dream job’ related events. Can you take off for Warped Tour? What about NAMM? Think about the demands of the industry you want to be in and consider them when seeking jobs in other fields. If you want to keep pursuing music, you will have to make time to do that, and grasping everything that continuing those efforts entails is key to properly preparing for your next move.
Once you find a job, be it full time or part, you will need to outline your new work schedule and see how your week shapes up. Some jobs will have rotating schedules, which makes planning far more difficult, but most will be the same or close to it from week to week. If seeing this schedule causes you to stress about your ability to pursue the music industry then try and take a little pride in the fact that your drive for music continues in spite of the less than ideal situations you find yourself in while trying to reach your goal. Most don’t have that kind of drive about anything in life because they never had the opportunity to find what really speaks to them. You have, and though it’s not coming your way as fast as you would probably prefer you are taking the steps necessary to be the person you hope to become. That’s more important than almost anything else in life as far as I’m concerned, and if you can remember how fortunate you are to possess such self-awareness then you can also find the strength to push ahead and begin your new – hopefully temporary – role outside of music.
I spent two years after my initial college experience trying to find a job in music, and in all the time in between those two moments I was working jobs I’d rather not admit to having worked. The tasks asked of me were never all that difficult, but they were also not at all fulfilling in any way. I simply showed up, did my part, cashed my check, paid bills, and then went back and did it all again. I could support myself and buy whatever I wanted to, but I wasn’t doing anything that I felt held any kind of significance in the world. Anyone could do what I was doing, and the only time that was not true were the moments I made an effort to create content for my music blog. Time was rarely my friend, as I was able to find full time employment that required long hours, but anytime I sat down with a blank word document it felt like every other task I had to complete to get to that point was worth it. I had a platform and a voice and it was being put to use. I was saying things I wanted to say that reflected the way I truly felt and it was making an impact on artists and music fans alike. My efforts were not as constant as they were in college, but in some ways they were more rewarding because of the release I felt being able to focus on something I loved.
Making time to write was not easy for me, and it probably will not be easy for you. Once you begin a new job you will have a new world of things to think about and focus on, which in turn will pull you further away from music. If you want to remain connected it’s almost entirely up to you to make an effort to stay an active part of the industry at large. I cannot tell exactly you how to do that, but I can say that making it a point to write and create every single day is incredibly important. As Brian Clark once wrote:
“Write. Write more. Write even more. Write even more than that. Write when you don’t want to. Write when you do. Write when you have something to say. Write when you don’t. Write every day. Keep writing.”
There are going to be a lot of days when you wake up and want nothing more than to relax until the workplace beckons for you, but those who choose to live that way never reach their full potential, let alone achieve their dreams. To make your dreams a reality you must make sacrifices, and that begins with setting aside time every single day for content creation. Be it a feature or a news post, create something everyday that can be posted in the immediate future. This keeps your name out there and gives people a reason to check your site every day, but it also strengthens your abilities as a creative person. When that dream gig does come your way, the skills you refined during this time will be very important.
Speaking of your dream gig, never stop looking for opportunities to get your foot into the industry you desire. The hunt for jobs is tiresome and often leaves people feeling defeated, but unless you’re constantly on the prowl for opening good opportunities will pass you by. Check job boards regularly, join sites like LinkedIn, and ask everyone you network with to keep you in mind should they learn of any new positions within the industry. Skills are only second to connections in this business, and if you have both you might as well be unstoppable.
I decided to call this period in life the patience test because that is the one thing every writer needs to keep in mind when going through this period in life: Patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and unless your resume goes viral for some random reason your career in music will also take a while to take shape. That’s just the way things are in music writing today, and truth be told the competition will likely on grow more cutthroat in the years to come. The best thing you can do right now to ensure you have a more successful future is continue to write, every day, without fail. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but as time goes on that commitment is harder to keep, and you will find it necessary to make various sacrifices in order to continue making time for creativity. If you slip, that’s okay, but you must get back into your routine as soon as possible. When the industry does call they will expect you to be informed, skilled, and ready to begin working immediately. Getting into the habit of writing every day, whether you feel like it or not, will aide you in prepare for when that day arrives, There will be no question of if you can do something, only how soon they want it to be accomplished.
The length of the patience test is different for everyone, but with constant dedication to your craft the industry should begin paying attention to what you have to say a lot sooner than most. Remember: It’s not about the destination as much as it is the journey. Work hard and stay focused, but don’t keep yourself from enjoying all the good that comes with each level of personal growth. Take in the sights and sounds at the bottom, so you can reflect on them as you rise to the top. I know it feels like it will take forever to get there, if you ever reach those heights at all, but trust me when I say that good things do indeed come to those who work hard and remain patient. You can do this. I believe in you.
Hello, everyone! We typically fill this blog with advice and insight on modern music industry, but this afternoon we have an internal announcement we’d like to share instead. We have been receiving requests for a grouping feature since at least 2012, and today we’re rolling out a new tool for clients that does just that. Don’t worry – we’ll have more info on life in the business for you soon.
This blog exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
New Feature – Promo Groups
Greetings!
Continuing our recent string of platform updates, we are pleased to announce Promo Grouping — a feature that will simplify your organizational efforts. This tool is one we have received many requests for, and we think you’ll find implementing it to be incredibly easy:
Sign into your Haulix account. On the Dashboard you will see your current promos listed at the bottom of the screen.
To begin creating Groups, first click the ‘Promos’ tab at the top of the page. When the new page loads, click the ‘Groups’ button at the top of the page. A new window will open and ask you to name your new group. Enter the desired title and click ‘Create.’ Another window will ask you to confirm the information. Agree and your new group will appear on the left rail of the ‘Promos’ page.
Once the Groups have been created, it’s time to organize your promos. Using the list of promos on the left rail, drag and drop each promo name underneath the group you want it assigned to. If you would like to organize the order in which the groups appear, use the arrows next to each group title to move them up or down the list.
You can also assign your new promos to a group as they are made. When editing a promo, click the ‘Groups’ dropdown list on the promo screen and select the group you wish to assign that particular promo to:
The Groups created on these pages and the promo order set in place will immediately be reflected on your Dashboard and Invitation screens.
Deleting a group is as easy as creating one. Return to the ‘Promos’ screen, click ‘Groups,’ then click the red ‘X’ next to the Group you wish to remove. Deleting a group will not delete the promos contained within that group.
Please note: Promo groups cannot be added or deleted by Sub-Administrators. Only Master Account holders are able to create and organize promo groups.
A lot has been written about the supposed dire state of the music industry, but truth be told there are a number of successful and growing companies, including record labels, that are thriving in 2014. In this column we bring together every job opening we can find from the companies responsible for building the future of the business and present them to you, our reader, in hopes of aiding you on your journey to join the global music industry professional family.
Each Sunday we scour the internet for the latest and greatest job postings throughout the music industry. You can help us better serve our community by sending any job openings you find or have to james@haulix.com. Be sure to include the name of the company hiring, a detailed description of the position being offered, a desired start date, contact information, and any additional supplemental information you feel may be needed.
Job summary: As a Marketing manager, you are a fully dedicated business leader, shaping the future of one of our many Google products. Whether you’re on a consumer product (like Gmail, Search, Maps, Chrome, Android) or a business product (AdWords, AdSense, DoubleClick, Analytics), you take part in a complete marketing experience as you lead every facet of the product’s journey. From determining positioning, naming, competitive analysis, feature prioritization and external communications, you help shape the voice of the product and help it grow a loyal consumer base. This means you work with a cross-functional team across sales, corporate communications, legal, webmasters, product development, engineering and more. The role enables you to shape the product development process, organize product launches from beginning to end and form future marketing strategy.
Job summary: As part of the US Latin Marketing team, the Marketing Content Coordinator is responsible for creating and keeping current a “holistic view” database / portfolio of artist-specific marketing assets that will support multichannel marketing programs, business development / licensing presentations, digital sales initiatives, physical sales initiatives and other programs as might be required.
Job summary: The Marketing Operations Coordinator will lead the daily implementation and coordination of marketing activities, requests and communication across internal and external project teams. The individual will respond to requests from internal (principally Marketing Services Specialists) and external clients by using system tools to implement marketing tasks. He or she will assist in managing and scheduling regular updates for clients and assist the MSS team as required in day-to-day delivery of tactical marketing activities.
Job summary: Bose Corporation was founded in 1964 by Dr. Amar G. Bose. Today, the company is one of the largest and best-known audio technology developers and product manufacturers in the United States and throughout the world. Bose is known for home entertainment systems and speakers, the Wave® products, premium automotive music systems, noise reducing headsets for consumers and pilots and sound for public spaces and musicians. We are seeking a new Sr. Product Marketing Manager to further these efforts.
Job summary: This position is LA-based. Reporting to the VP of Sales & Marketing, the Director of Digital Sales & Marketing will be responsible for developing and fostering key relationships with the sales & marketing teams of worldwide digital and cable retailers. He/she will champion the Orchard’s growing slate of theatrical and digital releases, driving incremental revenue, merchandising and marketing opportunities and overall category management of the portfolio.
Job summary: Pandora is looking for a Digital Marketing Manager to join the growing Marketing team in Oakland, CA. The Digital Marketing Manager will be responsible for creating, managing and analyzing direct response mobile and web marketing campaigns as well as continuously identifying new opportunities for Pandora to acquire and reengage users.
Job summary: This successful sponsorship sales professional will be responsible for creating and selling branded, high-impact music marketing programs across our music properties. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Create, package and sell solution-based music marketing programs for Live Nation amphitheater, club, promotional and digital properties and assets, as well as meeting or exceeding revenue and key account goals.
Job summary: This position is responsible for marketing the Warner Music Group catalog across the online spectrum. The individual in this role will work with the Sales and Marketing Department, collaborating to bring creativity, strategic direction, and best practices in all online marketing efforts across company websites, social media properties and streaming partners. This role is also responsible for outreach to potential online partners to further expose the Warner Music Group catalog to new fans. This position is also responsible for staying in tune with the latest online marketing trends, constantly searching for new partnerships and opportunities to expose the WMG catalog across all online platforms and digital distribution channels, including internal and external partner websites, social media, streaming partners, and apps.
Job summary: The Sales Representative secures high-quality licenses in accordance with the licensing sales process by performing the following duties: Manages all assigned opportunities. Assist in the marketing function, and develops territory plans for approval by team management. Performs traditional sales calls as dictated by the sales process. Makes collections calls as specifically assigned.
Job summary: The role of the Segment Retention Manager – New Customers is to drive customer and competitive insights into the strategic market planning for new customers. The Segment Retention manager will initiate the segment analysis and on boarding journey to lead the transition to segment market plan and metrics. The manager works in tandem with the segment team to weave Planning and Insights seamlessly into customer marketing efforts to drive discovery and engagement. Create customer touch points in support of renewal & retention strategies and leverage digital media and other mediums to achieve strategic goals.
Job summary: The Engineer selected should possess the technical expertise to support all facets of a medium sized Cable Network Post department. The selected candidate should be capable of the following duties: o Perform diagnostics, troubleshooting, routine and preventive maintenance of all equipment in post-production department including tape decks, routers, servers, encoders, graphic and editing system including Avid Interplay/Isis, etc.
Job summary: This individual will direct Cafe sales and marketing efforts ensuring that the business is financially successful and that it represents our brand identity in its entirety, therefore positively impacting our global operation.
Job summary: Responsible for daily management of the digital marketing team and genre-specific oversight of digital marketing strategy. Director also manages a roster of high-profile artists online, including content development and management, grassroots community building and marketing, the Atlantic “artist.com network,” tastemaker sites, and genre-related digital marketing lifestyle outlets. The Director of Digital Marketing is focused on the creation and building of Atlantic’s artist communities as they serve as the core of the direct-to-consumer initiatives and future product development, and guiding their direct reports in executing the digital strategy for the label.
Job summary: The mission of The Juilliard School is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers, and actors from around the world, so that they may achieve their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens.
Job summary: Responsible for providing premier administrative, project, and research support for VP of Alternative/Rock Formats, Director AAA/Adult Promotion, VP of Rhythm/Pop and VP of Adult/Pop Promotion. This should be done in addition to working independently and following through on all assignments.
Job summary: Pay Grade 38/Full-time/Non-Exempt Position. UT School of Music seeks a Communications Coordinator to publicize all music concerts and events, and who is also talented in graphic design and copy editing. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: brochure design, sending e-newsletters, working closely with the School of Music Recruitment Committee and Advisory Board, other on-campus communication’s offices,off-campus news agencies, purchasing advertising, and overseeing all related public relations for the School of Music. Some attendance at evening and weekend events may be required.
Job summary: Boston University College of Fine Arts seeks a music educator at the rank of assistant professor who will be part of the department and is familiar with innovative approaches to music learning and pedagogy; special consideration will be given to candidates who bring expertise related to curricular design, non-traditional music students, advocacy, technology integration, and community engagement. This is a non-tenure track position.
Job summary: We are seeking an outstanding data mining scientist who is interested in designing, developing, and fielding data mining solutions that have direct and measurable impact to Apple. This person will work within and across teams to help identify viable data mining opportunities and then implement end to end analytical solutions. The role requires both a broad knowledge of existing data mining algorithms and creativity to invent and customize when necessary. We are seeking an outstanding data mining scientist who is interested in designing, developing, and fielding data mining solutions that have direct and measurable impact to Apple. This person will work within and across teams to help identify viable data mining opportunities and then implement end to end analytical solutions. The role requires both a broad knowledge of existing data mining algorithms and creativity to invent and customize when necessary.
Job summary: As a member of Business Development, you will be responsible for researching, generating, and contacting potential clients that may benefit from CrowdSurge’s ticketing technology and services. You will cultivate in-depth knowledge of CrowdSurge’s current product and product roadmap to compliment your expert knowledge of the applied markets, allowing you to understand prospective clients’ needs and to convey our services in compelling manner, which underscores how they might enhance the client’s business. You will be responsible for converting prospective clients to incoming clients, and will handover the client relationship seamlessly to the Client Services team. When experiencing difficulty converting prospective clients, you will provide useful insights internally regarding the hurdles faced, in order to grow the company and its products. You will keep abreast of trends in the ticketing space and continually revise your approach to prospective clients based on the current landscape.
Job summary: Successful candidates are individuals who thrive on collaborative teams where everyone works on everything, and everyone is encouraged to contribute ideas across all levels of the organization. You should desire to work in a fast moving and adaptive start-up environment but with the stability, compensation and benefits of a successful company.
Job summary: As a Data Analyst, you will help TuneIn analyze, learn, gain insights, and report on the data underlying our products. With the success and wide adoption of our listening service, our challenges involve very large scale and complex datasets. The collection, analysis and gained insights from these data are crucial for the continued success of Tunein. The Data Analyst will work alongside our product, engineering, and business teams to help ensure we stay informed about the performance of our popular service and its features.
Job summary: This successful sponsorship sales professional will be responsible for creating and selling branded, high-impact music marketing programs across our music properties. Responsibilities include: create, package and sell solution-based music marketing programs for Live Nation amphitheater, club, promotional and digital properties and assets, meet or exceed revenue and key account goals, building, refining, updating and maintaining a pipeline of prospects, and more.
JOb summary: FiXT, a growing Midwest-USA-based, internationally known record label, online music & merch store, artist services, and publishing company, with extensive list of FIlm/TV/Video Game Placements is seeking a motivated and talented full-time Label A&R / Distribution Manager specializing in Alternative/Rock/Metal and Electronic/EDM genres. FiXT is a forward thinking independent label with emphasis on direct-to-fan sales and embraces streaming revenue models such as Spotify, YouTube Content ID and more. The FiXT label roster includes world-renowned artists Celldweller and Blue Stahli. The ideal candidate for this position will be motivated to become an active part of the team to accelerate company growth, contribute to the continued expansion of the company and client roster, be extremely organized, and should be capable of multitasking and handling multiple deadlines simultaneously. Candidate should have 3-5+ years of experience in a related field with a portfolio of proven accomplishments and a strong work ethic.
Job summary: Feld Entertainment is looking for a creative, driven, enthusiastic promoter to join our team and help spread the word about The Greatest Show On Earth, Disney On Ice, Disney Live, Feld Motor Sports, and Marvel Universe Live! We currently have an opening for an Event Marketing & Sales Manager based in the Northeast Region (Boston). Plan and execute comprehensive marketing, PR, and promotional campaigns for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Disney On Ice, Disney Live!, Feld Motor Sports, and Marvel Universe Live productions in Northeast US markets to maximize revenue and ticket sales. Bottom line, the job is to sell out shows and have fun doing it!
Job summary: Responsible for daily management of the digital marketing team and genre-specific oversight of digital marketing strategy. Director also manages a roster of high-profile artists online, including content development and management, grassroots community building and marketing, the Atlantic “artist.com network,” tastemaker sites, and genre-related digital marketing lifestyle outlets. The Director of Digital Marketing is focused on the creation and building of Atlantic’s artist communities as they serve as the core of the direct-to-consumer initiatives and future product development, and guiding their direct reports in executing the digital strategy for the label.
Job summary: We are seeking a gear-crazed musician to curate and manage listings on the site, contribute to our growing content wing, and help turn Reverb into the most trusted, knowledgable and extensive gear resource on the internet.This is a great role for anyone interested in the world of online startups and what goes into building a world-class website. This is an incredible opportunity for anyone who loves music gear and technology, and wants to combine the two in a meaningful and cutting-edge way.An ideal candidate for this role will apply with an already robust knowledge of the music gear world across many different categories, brands, and eras.
Good afternoon, everyone! We hope this update finds you doing well and looking forward to the weekend ahead. We have been itching for Friday all week long it seems, and a lot of it is owed to up and comer Makonnen. A member of the OVO family, Makonnen has been climbing the urban charts for the past several months, and earlier this week he took his exposure to new heights with the release of his official video for “Tuesday.” It’s a track dedicated to those who are not afraid to party during the work week, but it plays just the same when the weekend rolls around. Pick up some good vibrations and discover what Makonnen has to offer:
Each and every Friday we like to take a brief break from our regularly scheduled programming to update and reflect on everything happening at Haulix HQ. We are far more than a music blog, as many of you already know, and posts like this give us an opportunity to share more our efforts with all of you.
If you have been following our last several updates then you no doubt understand just how busy our development team has been in recent weeks. From email design to profile creation, our dev team rarely take a moment to catch their breathes. We do not have any major updates to unveil this week, but I am allowed to tell you that there will be a new tool for members of the press available early next week. We’ll send out an email when it’s ready, but you can also count on seeing that update mentioned in next week’s recap.
On the blog side of things, this week was not unlike others in recent moment. We recorded a slew of new interviews, planned even more, and spent at least one full work day focused on transcribing conversations that took place over the last month. The result of all that hard work will soon be available for your entertainment, but until that time we have collected links to all our recent posts for you to review:
If I had to choose one piece of content this week that cannot be missed I would have to say that the latest episode of ‘Inside Music’ takes the cake. I think our podcast has come a long way in its three months of existence, and it seems with each episode we are improving in every possible way. The latest episode is also the best, so please don’t let it pass you by.
That’s all the news and updates we have this week. Please check in over the weekend for an updated job board, as well as the potential for additional new content.
This blog exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
A lot of the people we have featured on our show and through this blog have been incredibly outspoken members of the modern music industry. Whether they be artists, bloggers, publicists, or something else entirely, the vast majority of industry professionals working today rarely shy away from an opportunity to promote themselves. I’m the exact same way, as are most the the people I associate with, but one person who tends to stay a bit more in the shadows than most is Modern Vinyl founder Chris Lantinen. Today, he steps into the light and indulges James in a little music business conversation.
You may remember when we featured Chris and his work on our blog back in 2013. What you may not know is the fact that interview was the first he ever did that used his full name. For Chris, writing about music and running his site are not attempts at fame or any kind of celebrity status. For him, writing is a passion that allows him a platform to speak his mind on the the various things that interest him. Modern Vinyl has become much more than that in the years since it launched, but Chris’ views on why he does what he does and what he wants to do moving forward have remained largely the same. He’s one of the most down to Earth people I have ever known, and it was a pleasure to have him as a guest on this week’s show.
If you would like to learn more about Chris and his ongoing efforts, please make it a point to follow him on Twitter.
