Good afternoon, everyone! If you’re reading this the day it goes live then there is a decent chance you’re doing your best to look busy while running out the last few hours of the work week. Don’t worry, we won’t say anything. The first week of November has been a crazy one, and we’re ready to settle into the weekend as much as you are, but first we need to spend a little time reflecting on all that has occurred.
We did not have any major development updates or releases this week, but we did manage to put together an in-depth guide to creating great looking promos using transparent backgrounds. Check it out:
Creating an eye catching design for your next promo is really easy. In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to make a cool design utilizing our transparent background options.
I used Adobe Fireworks CS6 to create the background graphic.
1. Start out by finding a large image that will fill the screen. This can be anything you want, from an abstract design to a photo of the band them self. Choose something large. I started with an image that was over 3000 pixels wide. I first opened the image in Fireworks and resized it to 2000 pixels wide. Make sure to click the lock icon to scale the height down as you decrease the width.
2. Click to “Fit the Canvas” after resizing.
3. If you were to use the background in your promo the way it is now, the text would be hard to read. The next step, is to add a block in the middle that will be slightly darker than the rest of the background. This will make the text pop.
4. Use the rectangle tool and drag out a rectangle that is 870 pixels wide. Drag it to the exact center of the background image. Use the eye-dropper tool and give the rectangle a fill color that is dark and something that matches the overall color scheme of the background image. I chose a dark blue.
5. Give the rectangle an “Opacity” of 50% so that the background shows through.
6. Export your background image. Try to size it down as much as possible without losing quality and use .jpg as the type.
7. Sign into your Haulix account and click on Promos. With your promo selected in the left column, click on the “Design” button.
8. In the upper right Template Designer, select “New…” from the drop down list. Give the template a name and click Create.
9. Click to upload your new background image. Check all of the “Transparent” check boxes and un-check the background repeat check box. This will allow the background to peek through while anchoring it in the center of the screen.
10. Update the rest of the colors so that they pop. I used a white text for this design. Click the “Save” button once finished.
11. Click the “Preview” button and check out your promo. You are done!
Developing our marketing content, as well as planning future features on this blog, took up a lot of our time this week. We conducted three interview, wrote five interviews, edited two podcasts, and planned at least half a dozen more interviews for the week ahead. On top of this, we also planned and edited guest features, in addition to creating original content ourselves. We are trying to make November a month that find our blog filled with diversity, and so far I think we’re pulling it off. Here’s everything that ran in recent days:
Hello, everyone! We are thrilled to learn that you found time in your busy schedule to spend a few minutes browsing our blog. There has been a rising demand for interviews as of late, and today we hope to satisfy those readers with an in-depth conversation on the topics of talent buying and concert promotion.
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.
Before we get to the interview we have in store for today I must first issue an apology. We started this blog with the mission to highlight all corners of the music business, but in recent weeks those efforts have skewed heavily towards the digital/blog side of the industry. We love every feature we’ve done, but in the interest of keeping things fresh we’ve gone out of our way to try and ensure November is one of the most diverse months we’ve had on our blog to date. Those efforts started several days ago, and now we’re happy to take them one step further by sharing an interview with someone who I’m relatively sure has never been much of a blogger. Ready? Let’s begin…
If you live in New England and enjoy live music you more than likely owe Richard Collier, founder of Keynote Company, a thousand thank you notes. For the better part of the last year Richard and his team of promotion gurus have been putting on shows in Boston, Providence, and beyond. All that effort has helped develop a budding concert empire that continues to grow in leaps and bounds with each passing year. Richard has been the mastermind behind these efforts since day one, and late last week we convinced the nationally recognized talent buyer to share his insight on the music business with our readers. You can learn about his life, the development of Keynote Company, and where Richard believes the industry is headed in the years to come, below.
As a longtime resident of Boston, I’ve known about Richard’s work for a number of years. We’ve spoken briefly in the past, but this interview was the first chance I had to really learn about the man who makes so many great events happen. If you would like to learn more about Richard beyond what is contained in this post, please make it a point to follow Keynote Company on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Hello, Richard. How are you this afternoon?
R: Hello, James. I’m doing quite well right now. Keeping busy per usual!
H: It’s great to have you with us. I’ve been wanting to feature you on our site for a while, but scheduling got a little messy at the end of summer. Things cooled off a bit and here we are. Has October treated you well?
R: I appreciate you having me! October was a pretty solid month. Honestly we had a pretty rough summer so it was a nice turnaround month. We had a lot of great shows, but a lot of them under-performed and were high finance shows this summer. July was the toughest month we’ve had financially in my seven years of booking. That being said we are back on pace now though heading into the end of the year and 2015.
H: When would you say is the busiest time of year for you? I’ve heard from other people in your position that the fall is usually pretty hectic.
R: It’s tough to say. I mean tours are definitely more frequent in spring/summer from my viewpoint. Every high school band is off and wants to get out on the road so usually I’m bombarded with “Hey were x band from x town just seeking x.” It’s tough because I want to help everyone, but the realistic viewpoint is I can’t with where we are at. We are seeking nationals with a respectable draw and locals that are looking to build the scene.
H: You and I have known each other through industry connections for a bit, but truth be told I don’t really know much about your history. Where do you think your interest in music comes from? Were your parents big on live music?
R: My parents weren’t really big on music. My dad likes classic rock and my mom had a musician friend Matty B that I would listen to, but it wasn’t like a major influence to pushing me by any means. I guess some of my early memories with music would be watching TRL on MTV after school back when they played music. I would listen to N Sync, Jay Z, and Limp Bizkit a lot… so I had a pretty eclectic taste. I just loved everything regardless of genre so I guess that’s where it would start for me. My interest in live music came from school. To be honest I was pretty much a loser in school and I didn’t really have friends. A group by the name of Another Option (still going as War Games now – check them out) started playing out locally in the vfw/legion/school and I started getting into live music. It was also around the time of Myspace so I met a lot of people online. I just would start making a lot of friends and what would later be connections by seeing bands like A Loss For Words, Vanna, Therefore I Am, Four Year Strong, etc… all the bands that MA is proud of today.
H: What was the first concert you can remember attending? Any details you can give us from that experience would be appreciated.
R: I honestly don’t know what my first show was which really bums me out sometimes considering what I do haha. I think it was my mom’s friend Matty B at like some local place, but if not it had to be Another Option in a hall probably. I will say whatever first local show I went to I don’t remember much, but it definitely got me interested.
H: I’m sure you had no idea when you attended that first concert where your life would eventually lead, but I am curious when your interest in the business side of the music industry began. Can you recall what was happening in your life at that time?
R: I mean definitely didn’t expect for my life to be what it is today from being that loser back in middle & high school. I always had an interest from day one that something would happen in music, but I didn’t believe I’d book bands I cherished and people that I see on TV and the radio. It’s just wild. The business side was definitely started in college though. I was approached by my friend Alex Mazzuchelli about helping his booking company. I was always into the booking part, but never knew how to really start so I give him the credit for pushing me. We collaborated on an Eyes Set To Kill show at The Living Room that did fairly well, but I think it lost a few hundred bucks or at the least wasn’t well in the green. So that was my first sign that a quality lineup didn’t equate success. Following that my first personal show was Vanna’s first RI show. We soldout the Riverside legion with the bands I saw in high school – Orchestrate The Incident, Follow The Flies, Outrage (now Raindance), In Response To You, and Dour Cursiva in those halls in all over the southcoast of Massachusetts We even had to sneak people in. I was hooked and there was no looking back!
H: I know you attended Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island. What did you study there, and how involved were you in the music community at that time?
R: I studied Sports/Entertainment/Event Management there. I was very involved in the music community and would be at The Living Room 2-3 times a week. It was a bummer because I’d always see all these awesome shows in high school going there, but I didn’t really have friends to go with so I’d miss out. I’d walk to most of the shows and start meeting more people and making friends there. I honestly think the RI scene hasn’t had as strong mid level shows as The Living Room days and wonder if it ever will. I saw so many great shows there that I just don’t see any venue filling what they did. The other part of attending so many of those was doing papers in the wee hours of the night/morning and waking up at 7/9 AM and losing sleep. All completely worth it though.
H: Did you finish college?
R: I did finish college. I graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree.
H: This is a question that comes up in almost every interview we do. It would be possible to argue that your career today is not a direct result of your time in college. A lot of what you have accomplished is owed to your own drive and hard work. That said, do you still feel college was worth your money and time? Why or why not? Would you suggest others hoping to enter the entertainment business pursue a college education?
R: HAH. Absolutely not from the college itself standpoint and that’s nothing against JWU persay – it is a great institution, but for what I do they definitely didn’t get me much in terms of career parth. I will say that dorming in Providence allowed me to be engulfed into the music scene and making connections which would help me later on. That being said I have 100k in loans that luckily are split between me and my parents, but it sucks flat out. I could have went to community college for free, but it has that stigma that it’s “not as good” or whatever. Yes, I learned things in college that goes without saying, but nothing like my own experience taught me. I’m really passionate in what I’ve told people about industry vs college. You can get great grades and learn all sorts of stuff by the books in college. That’s well and good, but when “shit hits the fan” day of the event you need to adapt. It takes a lot of patience and a certain mindset to run events successfully. That’s not to say myself or anyone in this industry isn’t without making mistakes – we all have and will as nobody is perfect at what they do. I’ve done some pretty stupid stuff over the years haha, but I feel I’m definitely very good at what I do. You constantly learn just like anything else. It’s a high stress environment that’s for sure. You’d be better off learning time management than certain things in a class. I strongly encourage people not to attend a high cost private institute if they are looking to get into the music business. Start at the ground level and work your butt off like you never have to showcase your worth in whatever position you can get – even if not directly related to what you want – referrals like anyone will help. Network with every single person possible – you never know who will help you in life and don’t count anyone out because it could bite ya later. One of my best connections in this industry who always offers great advice – Mathew Barletta – was in a small band that I booked several times in a pool hall to tiny shows. We went from a random booking to solid friends that can always relate industry talk. So never ever count out someone because you never know what the relationship can develop to. I answer every single message / e-mail I get even if I can’t help just because that’s who I am. If you want to go to college (which you should) get a degree at a community college and save yourself the money. The other thing is especially for a while the music business isn’t going to be lucrative. You’re going to likely scrap by and not want fat loans to pay off. So that’s my thoughts on all that… def a big subject for me.
H: Keynote Company started in 2007, which would have been during your time in college. Did you intern, work, or otherwise train with another booking company/group prior to launching your own venture?
R: As I stated previously I worked with Alex on a show, but it wasn’t formal interning or anything. I honestly have never worked for anyone else I just observed and knew what to do and who to do it with. I basically behind the scenes studied what worked and didn’t and would learn my own lessons. That’s why I was saying in the previous answer like – books can teach you one thing – you learn so much more by doing it on your own.
H: I really like the name Keynote Company, but for the life of me I don’t know why you chose it for your business. Can you tell us the origin story behind this name?
R: It’s funny because I don’t think really many people know what the name means. Originally with Alex we were X-Mothaz booking. I have NO clue why he chose that ridiculously bad name. I think we were just joking around and were like well whatever it’s just for fun. When I knew that Vanna show was hyping up and it was what I wanted in life I knew I needed a more serious name. Basically everyone assumes the company is Keynote and company is attached as a formality like a company. The name is suppose to be separated – Key (right fit / top notch) Note (music) Company (meaning the company of friends). So essentially it’s a behind the scenes meaning is the right fit top notch music booking with good company. It’s a little trick so I never really explain it that much. Basically though the name was just suppose to reflect that it’s not just about booking shows. It’s about trying to book the best shows with the right company and making them feel like a community.
H: How big is the Keynote Company? I know you’re the leader, but how many people work with you for promotion/marketing/etc.?
R: Honestly right now it’s basically just me although I do have friends that help out. Over the years my best friend Derick Swiader was booking with me, but he left this year to pursue other endeavors in life. I’ve had countless people help me, but the most mainstays that are worth namedropping are my other best friends Nichole Bishop, Erin Rice, Lauren Sullivan, my brother Jason Collier, and definitely my dad and mom have helped a ton as well. Also right now I take a lot of great advice from various promoters in other markets – most specifically Jake Zimmerman, Anthony Cabrera, and Sage Keber.
H: Are you looking to expand your team? I’m sure a few of our New England readers might want to join your efforts.
R: I take pride it my company as like it’s my personal baby. I do want to expand, but the relationship would have to be strong and the person would have to bring a lot to the table. I’m always open to networking and collaborating, but I don’t see myself officially adding anyone to the team anytime soon. I would love for someone to have enough to offer to the company though and change my mind absolutely.
H: Without going too in depth, can you walk us through your typical day at work?
R: I would just say there is no typical day. That’s the beauty of it I can wake up and have a ton of great emails or a ton of spam. Everything can go right or mostly everything can go wrong til I fix it and adapt. I love it. It beats waking up in an office 9-5 and a routine schedule. My owning my own company I can work when and if I want. I don’t have to answer your e-mail right away or I can sit and read them as they come in. It’s a beautiful thing to have that freedom. That being said I still end up working 60-80 hours a week on average.
H: Is Keynote your full time job? If so, how long has that been the case?
R: Yes it is my full time job and always has been. I started in December of 2006 and my first show was February of 2007. So were closing on just about 8 years although I host my anniversary as February to the first show. It’s crazy to think about and I still have people that talk about the early days. Let’s hope they do down the road when were even older!
H: Do you have any advice to offer show promoters and talent buyers about maximizing profits and ensuring they stay profitable?
R: Work work work. There’s the good, the bad, and the ugly. Like I mentioned earlier this past July was incredibly discouraging. I never expected to just take hit after hit after hit. I lost almost 70% of my life savings in one month. It was really eye opening, but as down as I got I knew I wouldn’t quit. It just goes to show you can work super hard and think everything is gravy and a show can just not perform. Unfortunately that month it happened several times on some of the biggest finance shows I’ve had.
H: How far out do you typically book? I know shows sometimes come up at the last minute, but generally speaking how far ahead are you planning? For instance, it’s October now. Are you booking for 2015?
R: Yupp I have 3 shows on the books for May 2015. One is already fully confirmed. Typically I’m 2-3 months out which is the standard for most average booking. I’m not getting One Direction so I’m not getting stuff a year out haha. Maybe someday… but I was pretty stoked on confirming a May date… in October.
H: What would you say is the most difficult part of your job? How about the most rewarding?
R: Definitely the stress and time. As a single person business owner doing 20 shows a month is tough. I definitely will say thanks to my family and friends for dealing with me. I’m not always the easiest, but I think most see what I have to do to make myself succeed. The most rewarding is the finished product really. Watching a show go off without a hitch or when the headliner hits the stage to a packed/soldout show. Or when 20 kids watch an unknown touring band play for the first time and just give them the attention. Sometimes it isn’t about the big shows. Those little things count too. So definitely that and also the same thing I got into it for. I see friendships form and relationships. I see people meet people literally saved their lives. The fact that what I do literally saves lives and changes them in such a positive manner is worth so much more than any dollar. I feel like I’m making a difference and that’s really a powerful feeling.
H: Keynote company has been around for close to a decade at this point. What are your longterm goals for the company? Do you think you will ever have a venue of your own, or would you prefer to stay in the booking/promotion realm?
R: My longterm goals are just the simple “bigger and better”. I’m not content with just booing 500 people shows. It’s been my goal to book Lupos / Palladium downstairs and pack it, but it hasn’t happened yet. It’s on the near horizon and was suppose to happen several times this year, but things feel through. I want to sellout Gilette Stadium or the Dunk one day. Anything is possible if you work hard enough. I don’t doubt that someday it could happen. It’s a bit ambitious and crazy right now… but hey that’s what entrepreneurs get super successful are anyways. I would like to own my own venue someday potentially too, but I rather diversify and book several different markets. Maybe when and if I do have a staff of people someday I’d open my own though. That’s been something I’ve though about a lot before too.
H: What would you say is the biggest misconception about what you do?
R: Easily that I’m just cashing in on talent. It’s so far from the truth. Do I make decent money right now? Yes there’s no denying that. But it’s no different than I would (and likely way less) if I used my college degree to pursue a job. It took me 7 years to make significant money really. I was always profiting yearly from the get go, but I’ve invested a lot back into building the company up. People get a false idea when I work the door and have a fat wad of cash. Just because it’s in my hand or pocket doesn’t mean it stays there. The expenses on shows are a lot higher than most people realize. Promoters aren’t all rich or we’d have fancy houses and cars haha.
H: I know you work with talent from essentially every genre of music. Is one genre typically more difficult to book/promote than others in New England?
R: For once I don’t have that lengthy an answer. I think anything can succeed, but I would feel like country is a weaker genre in the Northeast. Metal and hardcore are more prevalent in MA because they are known for that.
H: What are the biggest challenges facing Keynote Company in the year ahead?
R: That’s a tough one. I think I’m at the stage of branching out from under 500 people to shows that draw 1000 or 2000. It’s definitely going to be nerve-wracking shelling out that money for the artists and venues that bring that crowd in. Yeah… that’s going to be the biggest challenge. Learning how to effectively do those types of shows.
H: I know we talked about the company’s plans, but what about you? Do you have any addition goals you’re hoping to achieve in the next year or so?
R: Not really. I’d like to have some time to travel and maybe attend Fest in Florida this year, but my schedule is tight around traveling definitely.
H: What advice would you offer to those reading this who are currently considering the pursuit of a career in your line of work?
R: As I said before it’s just about hard work and networking. Learn from your mistakes and don’t get too discourage by them because we all make them. Don’t put the word quit in your vocabulary or if it is make sure it’s just out of frustration. You’ll go through hard times, but just strive and adapt to get the success you want.
H: Where is Richard Collier five years from now?
R: Hopefully as a household name in booking on the east coast. I’m not ever going to be Livenation or Bowery because of their financials, but I definitely think we’ll be making a statement and providing quality shows.
H: That’s all I have, Richard. Thank you for your time. Do you have any closing thoughts you would like to share?
R: I appreciate you reaching out to me for the interview. I hope everyone that reads this gets some more insight to what me and my company are about. You can find us at www.keynotecompany.net and keynotecompany on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter and Youtube. We hope to hear from you as we love meeting new people!
Hello, everyone! Thank you for finding time in your hectic schedule to spend a few minutes learning about the music industry with us. We actually ran a shorter version of the feature you’re about to enjoy not long after our initial launch, but with the recent reports of snowfall and the growing presence of holiday nonsense in stories it felt like the perfect time to deliver an update take on the hot topic of seasonal cover songs. There is a lot of marketing to be done with solid covers, and as we’ll soon explain you don’t always need to worry about licensing fees when adding your twist on many holiday classics.
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 topic of cover songs can be a tricky one. Not everyone loves them, but every year a number of artists new and old rise to the top of their respective music scenes by adding their own take to an already well-known song. The problem with covers as far as young artists and groups are concerned usually involves royalties and whether or not they can afford to market their recording beyond streams and videos. Today we’re going to look at holiday covers, and how you can leverage royalty-free songs to reach new listeners who otherwise may have never discovered your music.
You may or may not be aware of the term ‘public domain,’ but it refers to works whose intellectual property rights have expired, have been forfeited, or are inapplicable. In other words, works that are unavailable for private ownership or are otherwise available for public use. You do not need mechanical licenses to sell your version of these works, but certain arrangements me be copyrighted (do your own research). Below is a list of holiday songs currently in the public domain:
“Angels We Have Heard On High”
“Auld Lang Syne”
“Away In The Manger”
“Deck The Halls”
“The First Noel”
“Go Tell It On The Mountain”
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
“Hark, The Herald Angels Sing”
“I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day”
“I Saw Three Ships”
“It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”
“Jingle Bells”
“Joy To The World”
“Come All Ye Faithful”
“O Holy Night”
“O Little Town Of Bethlehem”
“Silent Night”
“There’s a Song In The Air”
“Toyland"
“The Twelve Days of Christmas”
“Up On The Housetop”
“We Three Kings"
“We Wish You A Merry Christmas”
“What Child Is This?“
Many classic Christmas songs that are presumed to be in the public domain are in fact copyrighted, so make sure to double-check your sources before deciding a track is public domain. PDInfo Online (www.pdinfo.com) is a good starting point if the liner notes and copyright information are unavailable. Here are just a few notable songs that would require a mechanical license: Christmas Songs NOT in the public domain
(Writer/Composer)
“Winter Wonderland” (Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith)
“The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells)
“Sleigh Ride” (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish)
“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin)
“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” (Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie)
“White Christmas” (Irving Berlin)
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)
“Jingle Bell Rock” (Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe)
“Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” (Johnny Marks)
“Little Drummer Boy” (Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone)
“It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” (Edward Pola, George Wyle)
“I’ll Be Home For Christmas” (Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram)
“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” (Johnny Marks)
“Silver Bells” (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans)
“Feliz Navidad” (Jose Feliciano)
“Frosty The Snowman” (Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins)
“A Holly Jolly Christmas” (Johnny Marks)
“Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)” (Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman)
“Carol Of The Bells” (Peter J. Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich)
There is no question that some of the songs mentioned above have been reinterpreted by so many artists that putting an original spin on proceedings seems impossible, but it’s often the most challenging of endeavors that prove to be the most fruitful. By taking a holiday classic like the ones above and making it your own you’re further engaging already devoted followers while simultaneously creating an amazing opportunity to reach new fans. The holiday season generates a large amount of sales and internet searches for seasonal music, and with proper tagging your efforts will reach countless new listeners who could very quickly be converted into fans.
Good afternoon, everyone! We are thrilled to learn that you found time in your busy schedule to spend a few minutes browsing our company blog. We have received a ton of requests for additional photography columns, and starting today we’re thrilled to announce the return of those posts with a little help from our new friend Connor Feimster. Don’t know him? No worries, you’re about to learn his story in his own words.
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.
Hi! My name is Connor Feimster and I’m a music photographer based out of Philadelphia. I’ve been asked by Haulix to talk about my start in the music photo world by describing my first “official” shoot. For starters, I’ve been taking a camera to shows since 2006, using a Canon point-and-shoot that could easily be hidden inside my right Chuck Taylor. I didn’t start “officially” (can you tell I don’t fancy that term?) shooting shows until quite recently.
My first big-boy shoot actually fell into my lap on a whim. I was lucky enough to have won passes to see Anthony Green, my favorite musician on the face of the planet, perform a studio session at Radio 104.5 in January of 2012. The passes also came with a pair of tickets to his headlining show at Union Transfer later that same night. Once my friend and I were able to sit inches from Green’s godlike presence, we waited in a short line to share a few words with him.
(At the time, photographing shows was simply a mere hobby of mine. It wasn’t anything I constantly strove to achieve with any ticket I had to a show. I didn’t work for any publication or anything; I just had a camera and a Flickr account.)
After chatting with Green, my friend and I began to depart the studio until some weird feeling of confidence swept over me and I ran back upstairs to where the remaining fans were patiently waiting. I then found the first person with a tour laminate and the words just flew out of my mouth: “heymaniwaswonderingificouldmaybeshoottheshowtonight?” It turns out that the poor soul who had to deal with my shaky execution was Green’s tour manager. But it wasn’t until he said “of course, what’s your name?” that I realized I may have done something right. Just like that, I not only had a photo pass, but an extra ticket to the show.
Fast-forwarding to the show, I had my glorified point-and-shoot (a Canon PowerShot SX30 IS) and the beautiful press badge in tow when I entered Union Transfer. I immediately noticed that the venue had no barricade, and therefor no photo pit. My whole being succumbed to a temporary bummer until I asked a guard what I could even do with “this thing”. He then opened the backstage door for me and said “go up there and do your thing!” My eyes widened and I think my jaw may have dropped a little bit.
Thankfully, my friends who were with me knew how important this was to me, so they were fine with me departing for a majority of the show to stand side stage and try to do something right. After running into members of opening band The Dear Hunter (who would later become good friends down the line) for the first time ever, I was already pretty euphoric and starstruck. During their set, I was shooting from pretty far back at first, and noticed that Green and his wife Meredith were standing beside me to watch the set. Green then extended his hand and said “glad to see you up here!” and I silently screamed my little fanboy heart out.
Following The Dear Hunter’s set, I stepped off stage and returned to the backstage corridor and began going through photos and weeding out the bad from the good when a curious woman tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I got any noteworthy shots. I turned and noticed that she was a tad more mature than most Green fans and that she was with a man who was more than likely her husband. After showing her a few photos, I had a sudden realization and, again, just threw words out of my mouth: “This may sound like a weird question, and I hope I don’t offend you, but are you Anthony Green’s parents?” to which she smiled and nodded. I followed up with “I’m guessing you guys are pretty proud of your son’s endeavors”, Green’s father responding with “Every single day.”
Once my time with Green’s parents came and went, I jokingly said to myself that I don’t even need to shoot his set and I could go home and remember this night forever as is. But I had a duty to perform; this pass wasn’t given to me to look like a doofus backstage. So I stuck it out and excitedly texted my friends about everything that just happened in just a window of minutes. The lights went down and Green and his friends in Good Old War took the stage to open with “She Loves Me So”. The set was astounding, as it was the first show of Green’s tour supporting his sophomore solo record Beautiful Things in his hometown. Once his set was finished, I finally ventured back to my friends to watch the encore with them, which held the surprise of Saosin’s “Seven Years” and everyone went ballistic.
I only left that show with four or five salvageable photos (like I said, I didn’t really know what I was doing just yet) and was, at the time, “strictly against editing” for whatever dumb reason, but I left the happiest I had ever been from my time at a show. I don’t think I’d have had my first shoot any other way.
You can check out a few (not very great) photos, still untouched, from that show below!
Hello, readers! We are thrilled to have you join us today. This post is intended for current Haulix clients, but it may also benefit those of you trying to better your digital marketing efforts. If you would like to learn more about Haulix and the way we help industry professionals worldwide safely distribute unreleased music, please visit our official website.
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 no great secret that the number of artists vying for attention from the music industry is almost always on the rise, which means the chances of being quote/unquote ‘discovered’ based on a single post or article is forever almost always shrinking. We can discuss the merits of creating a quality product before focusing on other aspects of the music industry all day long, but having the greatest material in the world matters very little if you’re unable to make people talk about your art. Success in music today requires the creation of a dialogue with consumers, and the best way to make that happen after all this time is still through working with the press and other pop culture influencers to make the world aware of your existence. Haulix helps labels and independent artists kickstart these efforts through our journalist-approved digital distribution platform, but we’ve found it’s often true that simply sending a promo to someone is not enough to make them engage with it. You need to be proactive in your efforts, and one way to do that is through sending follow-up messages, including warnings regarding the deletion of certain materials.
There is a weird belief amongst many young professionals that PR efforts should be limited to one, or at max two email/messaging blasts for each big update. While I can appreciate their desire to not overwhelm certain writers with a flood of messages that would only pile on top of the countless other pitches they are receiving, it’s incredibly important that aspiring public relations professionals realize that constant communication and follow-ups are key to being great in music PR today. Some people may claim you’re being annoying or aggressive, but in fact you’re just doing your job, and if you do it well people won’t have anything negative to say about your efforts. There is a difference between pitching someone the same story multiple ways and shoving the same copy/pasted information into someone’s inbox until they work up the gull to unsubscribe from your email blasts. Figuring out what works best for you will take trial and error, but it’s not figuring out what works for you is a lot easier than, say, rocket science.
If you notice you Haulix Promos are not receiving the amount of attention from the press you had hope, our first suggestion is always to reach out to members of the media individually and tell them about your talent. This is a time consuming effort, but there is no marketing more effective than person-to-person communication. If you can make a writer feel like their opinions and traffic not only matter, but that they are also important to you as people, they will be a lot more likely to take a chance on whatever new release you deliver to their inbox. On the flipside, writers receiving promos from artists they don’t know sent by publicists they have no relationship with have next to no reason as to why they should make time for those promos. Writers often have very little time for new music discovery, and they are not likely to spend those brief moments taking chances on truly unknown talent. Just like anyone, writers take the suggestions of people they know before those they don’t. As a publicist of band trying to get recognition for your promo, forging that relationship falls on you, and I can tell you right now it’s going to take more than a single email to make that happen.
Writing follow-ups and still not getting a response? Trust us, we’ve been there. You may have to eventually face the fact not that many people are into your talent, but until that time arrives you can still make one last effort to gain engagement by sending out messages that notify press of promos that are set to expire in the near future. Many members of the press put off tasks and other things they think time will allow for in the future, but unless a deadline slaps them in the face they may never actually return to whatever it is they chose to set aside in the first place. Informing press of an approaching expiration date may spark enough interest to earn a click from someone who never engaged before, if only to know whether or not they were missing out. They might not cover the talent, but at least you’ve got a bit of engagement from them. Next time you email promos, those people who clicked last minute will be more likely to see what’s new.
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 have spent the better part of the last decade running a music website that was launched from my frozen Michigan dorm room at the tail end of winter 2008. Since that time, well over a hundred different contributors have joined the team, and though many have left some have stuck around for multiple years, developing their careers alongside my own. One of those diehards is Matthew Leimkuehler, a man I have often thought to be a far better writer and leader than myself, and today we’re going to highlight his underrated work in the music business.
I first came into contact with Matthew in 2012, and to be honest it did not take long to realize he was someone with the skills to make it in this often treacherous industry. He’s smart and cunning, with writing and editing skills that would make any large publication squeal with joy. More importantly however, at least in my mind, is his undying dedication to the music and artists that inspire him. Matthew is the type of guy who gets behind an artist he believes in and does everything in his power to help them become household names. In my mind there are few ways better to spend your time in music than doing that type of work, and Matthew has made it his mission to help as many young artists as he is able. In this interview we discuss his passion for music, as well as the importance of editors making sure every interview is special. You can stream and download our chat, in full, below:
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 Social Media Coordinator, you’ll be responsible for overseeing the social media profiles for a handful of music and/or entertainment clients. You will be charged with creating a social editorial calendar, bringing unique / creative ideas to the table, and executing a defined strategy. The position focuses on ensuring our social media campaigns are fully optimized, forward-thinking and possess consistent movement towards client goals (engagement, growth, awareness, etc.). The social media coordinator will also seamlessly integrate social campaigns with our internal marketing team. This position is a support position, but candidates should be comfortable expressing thoughts, marketing strategies, analytics and general campaign status to clients be it via phone, e-mail or in person.
Job summary: Reporting to the Senior Manager of Marketing Services, the Partner Marketing Manager is responsible for helping Ticketfly clients maximize their marketing potential. This role will serve as a strategic marketing consultant to Ticketfly’s top venue, promoter, and festival partners to help drive important goals like building brand awareness, acquiring new customers, and selling more tickets. The Partner Marketing Manager will act as Ticketfly’s in-house subject matter expert on digital marketing best practices, diving deep into client marketing activities to develop marketing plans, guide implementation, and measure results.
Job summary: This individual will be responsible for a broad range of digital marketing and event coordination activities. They will develop social media campaigns to managing customer leads through Hub Spot. The individual will couple the social media campaigns with industry/customer events designed to drive interest in electric vehicles. You will be part of a small team that manages all marketing, branding, public relations, digital activities and events. This position is responsible for all digital activities.
Job summary: 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: Responsible for all marketing, advertising, promotional activities, and participation in product development. The Marketing Manager is responsible for developing and maintaining market strategies to meet organizational objectives and reports to the Chief Operations Officer.
Job summary: In this role, you’ll be part of a team responsible for growing a vast world of events—from large conferences to weekly meet-ups, from tech to healthcare to nonprofit to education sectors. You will develop strategies and execute key activities designed to grow our market share in target segments and convert more organizers into Eventbrite advocates. You’ll work cross-functionally across our Marketing, Sales, Product and Design teams to drive initiatives forward, and ultimately help accelerate Eventbrite’s growth across these core markets.
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: ReverbNation is currently hiring for an articulate, motivated, and skilled marketing professional to become our Content Marketing and Community Manager. This hands-on position will report to the Director of Corporate Marketing and manage the company’s core content marketing efforts, social media and Artist-facing communications.
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.
