Hello, everyone. Welcome to our blog. The fast-rising temperatures tell us summer is not far around the corner, and as we look around the office this afternoon it’s clear everyone is excited for the weekend ahead. We don’t want to impose on your plans, but if you need a fresh soundtrack for your life you could do a lot worse than this:
Each and every weekend 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.
Development News:
We have said this before and I will say it again, there is no new development news to report this week. As most of you know, we are currently in the midst of a complete platform makeover, and as such there are many big and small projects being tended to at one time. We have been making advancements. In fact, we have made many each week, but right now we are working on things that behind-the-scenes and we don’t feel like boring you with the details of all that entails. When something client facing is changed, we will let you be the first to know.
Blog News:
Our little blog turns 2 years old this upcoming week! We have a lot of big ideas for what we’ve dubbed (for obvious reasons) “year 3,’ and we’ll be rolling out various new efforts in the months ahead. In fact, this weekend the entire Haulix team met in Minnesota to outline just what the future holds, and I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that what lies on horizon will be far more substantial than what has been shared up to this point. For now, catch up on this week’s content:
All in all, this was a shorter week than most for us, which explain the lack of fresh content. We’ll be back tomorrow with a new job board, followed in the immediate days after by various types of original content. See you then!
The past month has been a weird one for me. After just over seven years of running my own music blog I was faced with the question of whether or not to continue, and it wasn’t brought about by anything I did. Several years ago I sold my site to a media company in exchange for hosting, a larger chunk of ad revenue, and a general backbone of support to aide whenever a problem should arise. The relationship was never what I thought it would be, but it did take care of the costs associated with running a website (hosting fees, etc).
To make a long story short because 1) it’s not all that important to this post, and 2) I’m still not sure what I can legally discuss at length, the company is cutting back the number of properties they own and I am being given my site back, in full, free of charge. This is great news with respect to my desire as the site’s creator to also be the one who decides how, when, and/or if it dies, but it also created a problem as I had not been planning to begin paying out of pocket to continue running the site. I always assumed I would when my contract ended (if it ever did, and if I got my site back when that happened), but actually having to face the reality of taking on yet another bill was something I had to think long and hard about. For the first time in over half a decade I had to make a conscious decision whether or not I wanted to continue running a site had long surpassed its original goal of simply aiding me in meeting people who could potentially point me in the direction of places looking to hire within the music business.
If you listen to the Haulix podcast, Inside Music, then you may have heard our most recent episode with former music writer Chris Harris. After nearly two decades in music writing Chris recently decided to walk away from everything after coming to the realization he has more or less wasted numerous years of his life pursuing a time consuming passion that was yielding little to nothing in the form of financial gain. He never set out to write strictly for profit, of course, but there is a big difference between writing about music while in high school or college and writing about music when you also have to juggle a full time job (or multiple part-time roles) alongside other real world, post-college obligations.
I should be clear: Chris’ breaking point came not from simply contributing to music sites, but from running his own site. You see, writing is just the tip of the iceberg when you’re the guy who calls himself ‘editor.’ There is new writer recruitment, pitches to be fielded, industry contacts to be made, events to attend, content to plan, social networks to establish, and a number of additional things that must be done in order to ever develop something that may in some small way possess the ability to either 1) become financially successful, or 2) become popular. (Preferably both.)
What we don’t say enough in the podcast, and what I sincerely want to stress today is that you should absolutely, 100% write about music if it is something you feel called to do. If you have even a slight interest in trying it just for fun you should give it a chance. If you just need something to change up the repetition of daily life, you should close your browser, bust out some paper (real paper), and lay some pen to it as soon as possible. You could type it instead, but why not go all in?
What you should think twice about is launching your own music blog. I know I’ve written about this before, but the purpose of this post is different. This isn’t about the horrors of running a blog, but rather the joy of committing yourself fully to writing. If you really want to change the world through your work it will be accomplished much faster if you pen something of quality that garners exposure on the largest networks available today. Who runs it should matter little in your mind as long as the words you wrote appear as you intended.
More importantly, focusing solely on writing gives you more room to develop quality material without the distractions of ‘building a new digital empire.’ Don’t stress about how many followers your recently-purchased URL has reading its automatically posted headlines, or how many of your friends from high school are still cool enough to ‘Like’ a budding music publication on Facebook (hint: Not the ones with kids), and instead dedicate the vast majority of your time to better understanding, describing, and discussing the music and artists you claim to want to share with the world. There, and only there, can you find the kind of longterm satisfaction so many blog owners yearn to find while duking it out with other, equally young blogs for exclusive premiere from bands with only slightly larger or smaller followings than the site(s) looking for their content.
If you want to be a writer, be a writer. You don’t need a site of your own in order to achieve that goal. If you begin writing and find a demand for your work to have its own hub, then maybe you should consider launching a site. Most people, and in hindsight I should be included in this group myself, don’t really need their own site. All they and you need is to work as much as possible to further refine their craft. Keep working, keep creating, and keep distributing your content. In time, if you continue to push yourself to be the best you can possibly be, there will be others who recognize your hustle and want to help you succeed. All it takes is a lot of hard work and patience, both of which I believe you are capable of finding within yourself.
So please, write. If you have even the slightest notion that maybe writing is for you, or if you just want to share your thoughts on the last band that changed your life, write. Don’t let me or anyone else stop you.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
The Voice has claimed the throne of music-related reality television programming long held by American Idol, and as a result the vast majority of aspiring vocalists are now turning to NBC’s hit series to help take their careers to the next level. There is no denying that an appearance on a singing competition could potentially help your career, but just how much it aides you and what, if any lonterm benefits exist is something very few have taken the time to address. Today, in a very open editorial, singer/songwriter Jane Decker talks about her journey on The Voice and how she feels about the experience now that she’s spent some time away from the popular reality series.
Hello Haulix readers! My name is Jane Decker, and I’m a solo artist from Cincinnati. My music is more of an 80’s pop vibe – I like my tunes to be funky fresh and perfect for a dance party. I just turned 21 years old, and it’s crazy to think that I’ve been in the music industry this long. When I say “Music industry” I mean I’ve been hustlin, trying to get my name out there.
I started out in a pop rock band at the age of 14. We were called Delta Delta! and then renamed Formulas after being picked up by a management company. It was a really cool first experience for me. We recorded our first EP with Kevin Gates (Nevershoutnever, Cady Groves, Breathe Electric) It was the first time I was in a real studio recording music that would be sold. I learned a lot from the band. For instance, I didn’t know that people wouldn’t come to your shows if you didn’t promote them. To be honest, I was kind of an idiot back then. I just didn’t get anything (not that any 14 year old girl would.) While I was still in Formulas, my brother told me that if I was willing to record some of the other songs that didn’t fit for formulas, that he would pay for it. I of course took the offer, and then Belle Histoire was born. Belle Histoire did some cool stuff in my opinion. We toured, had interest from agents, were signed to a small label, and had good management.
I loved that band, it was important. In the middle of a tour, I was basically encouraged from an old manager to try out for THE VOICE. I thought it was lame, I didn’t get why I would do that. At the same time, It seemed dumb for me not to try out. I felt I had a decent chance, I was young, and my voice was at least kind of interesting. In July, my mom, brother, and I all flew to New York so I could go to this audition. I was terrified, every other girl in the waiting room was absolutely beautiful, and also seemed to have the “look” that girls on reality singing competitions have. I was kind of terrified, but also pretty confident in that fact that I wouldn’t be there unless I had something that was making sense for the casting team of the show. I sang my songs, and then they say thank you and let you leave. They don’t really tell you if you’ve made it or not, there is a lot of waiting for that.
Three months later, I was in Pittsburgh in the middle of a tour with Belle Histoire, I get a call from an unknown number basically saying “You’ve made it, you are gonna come out to this location and fulfill the rest of the audition process for the show. It felt pretty incredible, because I honestly didn’t think I would make it. Fast forward to my Blind Audition. I felt pretty confident, but I was also super nervous. By the time I auditioned in front of the judges, there weren’t many spots left on teams. So I honestly felt like the judges were being picky on who they wanted. It felt kind of crazy that I didn’t make it, but at the same time, I don’t feel angry about it. I followed my season, and I noticed a huge trend. Unless you win the show, you don’t get a ton of crazy opportunities. Yes, being on the show would’ve been best for me, but I also think that being identified as a singing competition show contestant isn’t the most prestigious form of "Making it”. I think if I would’ve kept going in the show, I would’ve felt a feeling identical to the one I had when I was initially asked to audition – Fake. I know it’s kinda silly to say “This is my craft, my art, blah blah blah” since I’m a pop singer, but it really is my CRAFT. I really like that I got to decide what songs were gonna be on my EP, and that I get to decide if a show if worth it for me to play.
It’s definitely gonna take me longer to get where I want to be, but I’d rather have an opinion on how I get there. What I want is to start building a bigger fan base, get a really good booking agent, and then use all of that as leverage to sign a deal with a label that I really feel confident in. I don’t want to ‘pre-sign’ a contract that a random attorney is looking at telling me it’s fine. This may seem like a very backwards way of looking at how I want my career to be, but I think it’s the most honest. I don’t really care about selling out stadiums, or being a celebrity. I want to be paid for writing good music. For me to do that, I need to get good licensing opportunities, play effective shows, have marketable merchandise, and have a lasting brand that people feel is able to be relied upon. I don’t fully know where all of that plays into the infamous “getting signed” that all artists want but know nothing about, but If a label can help me do that, then get this girl signed!
As for right now, I have a really great manager, and a great publicist that’s helping get my name out there. It been very helpful for the begininng of the Jane Decker journey. I’m already very lucky to be in the place that I’m in.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Chris Harris, longtime journalist, to discuss his decision to walk away from music blogging. Chris has worked with MTV, AOL, and other high profile outlets, but for the last five years he dedicated the majority of his time to building a satirical metal news site called GunShyAssassin. Earlier this year Chris made a plea to readers to help save the site, but ultimately he came to realize that he may have, in fact, wasted the last half decade of his life.
The music you hear in the intro to ‘Inside Music’ this week is “Separation Anxiety” from Faith No More. You can learn more about that song, as well as the album it hails from, on the band’s official website.
You may already know this, but ‘Inside Music’ is now available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.
Inside Music is also on Twitter. Follow us for show updates and clues to who will be our next guest!
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: Rowman & Littlefield is seeking an experienced Acquisitions Editor to assume responsibility for its list of music titles which includes general interest, college text, reference, and professional titles.
Job summary: With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Cordless, East West, Elektra, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word, as well as Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world’s leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide.
Job summary: SoundExchange Regional Reps should be the “it person” or “key tastemaker” in their local music scene and be heavily involved in many campus and community activities. The SoundExchange Regional Representative Program is designed to deepen your understanding of and exposure to the current music industry with a focus on the digital space. It is an opportunity to take that first step in establishing yourself in the music and entertainment business. As a college representative you will be expected to dedicate approximately 10 hours per week to interact with the music community within your immediate environment to assure high awareness for SoundExchange.
Job summary: The main job is picking acts that will be successful and then working with the act to find the right producers and writers. The process is very much a nurturing one to ensure the band or solo artist impacts at the right time with the right material. Besides scouting for new artist the a&r manager also manages the current roster of artist. Duties include booking performances for artist, updating social media for artist,booking tv appearances and publicity for artist, booking recording studios for artist and much more.
Job summary: The Marketing Associate will be responsible for helping to drive listener growth and engagement through various marketing programs. The ideal candidate will be metrics-driven and will have experience trafficking, managing and optimizing various marketing campaigns from email to paid mobile ad network and social media buys.
Job summary: The National Project Manager (NPM) is responsible for the creation and management of new and existing sales and promotional objectives for national clients in multiple markets. The NPM will also assist National Account Executives in securing new business by developing promotional concepts that align with station partnerships. Candidates should have experience with promotions, vendor negotiations, contesting and events.
Job summary: 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 5+ years of experience in a related field with a portfolio of proven accomplishments and a strong work ethic.
Job summary: The Account Director will manage business plan for designated high volume/visibility digital and mobile accounts, including development and execution of sales and marketing campaigns and goals. This person will manage excellent relationships with digital and mobile accounts, be able to hit sales objectives and create incremental sales objectives and opportunities. Sales and marketing will involve all facets of UMG digital and mobile products.
Job summary: We currently seek a Customer Success Manager to drive the refinement, execution and tracking of our customer success program. The Customer Success Manager will serve as an advisor to our users, helping them solve their toughest recruiting and booking challenges through quantitative insight and performance metric tracking. In addition, this role will evangelize our product and develop engaging and entertaining content that helps sustain customer engagement over the course of time.
Job summary: The Vice President, Industry Relations will assist the Vice President of Booking in generating programming opportunities at Barclays Center and other affiliated properties. The incumbent must have a proven track record of booking high profile events and developing, cultivating, and maintaining strong industry relationships. The incumbent must be a self-starter with superior communication skills and strong independent reasoning and problem solving skills. This position plays a vital role in the company’s growth, therefore, the incumbent must be able to anticipate needs, think proactively and suggest new ways to contribute to the department and organization’s mission, while maintaining a positive attitude. The incumbent will serve as a liaison between the venue(s) and promoters, agents, and managers based primarily on the west coast and will be able to work long, flexible hours, including different time zones (EST). The position reports directly to the Vice President of Booking.
Job summary: You will be central to providing our partners with the information and support they need to effectively use our real-time platform. A principal component of the role is working with teams across the company to anticipate and address both the routine and uniquely complex needs of musicians and partners we work with. Another will be to use internal tools to identify meaningful metrics to prepare then present to our partners.
Job summary: The Tour/Production Associate will sit within the Global Touring and Global Attractions divisions of IMG Artists. The roles purpose involves the servicing and logistics coordination of concert dates, performances and tours worldwide for a variety of dance companies, attractions (world music, musical ensembles, theatrical attractions, etc.), film with orchestra projects, and symphony pops, and individual artists involving ongoing touring activities, individual dates and extensive tours as well as servicing the day-to-day activities of a wide variety of artists.
Job summary: Unit Job SummaryThe Performance Program Coordinator provides scheduling and logistical support for the Department of Music Performance Program and its sixteen ensembles for their concert performances and other activities across campus.
Job summary: In partnership with the Executive Director, the Membership and Programming Coordinator has responsibility for achieving planned and budgeted objectives of the organization and providing day-to-day coordination in five key areas.
Job summary: Dead Horse Branding is a branding agency with very highly skilled and versatile representatives. We are after a team member who has experience in Marketing, Publicity and Sales. The three essential skills you need to successfuly complete either one of those jobs.
Job summary: This position is responsible for developing music marketing strategies, tactics, and programs in direct partnership with music content providers for iTunes and Apple’s streaming music products as a leader of the music marketing team. These programs and campaigns will be well-integrated with, and driven in part by domestic and international priorities established by iTunes Label Relations, Music Programming, iTunes Marketing, Product Marketing, Sales & Marketing and Apple Marketing Communications teams. This position and team will focus on best-practices, priority and special projects across the music industry and across media verticals where music is a key component.
Job summary: Middle West is in search of a driven full-time day-to-day assistant to work with its Minneapolis-based managers. Ideally, applicants should be Twin Cities-based or willing to relocate.
Job summary: Sony Corporation of America (SCA) is seeking a Marketing Specialist to join the Customer Journey and Cross Marketing group. This position will be located in San Diego, CA. The primary responsibility for this position is to execute CRM programs across several Sony business units to drive revenue, increase engagement and build proof points for global program roll out. The marketing specialist will use first party data to better create, target and measure customized consumer experiences that drive loyalty and customer value. This position requires good organization skills and the ability to handle many projects simultaneously to meet deadlines. The Marketing Specialist must work with many individuals across Sony as well as with outside partners and Sony business units.
Job summary: CraveOnline is seeking an Integrated Marketing Coordinator to join a high-energy, collaborative team of designers, marketing specialists, developers and project managers to manage and to facilitate the creation of integrated marketing campaigns across several sites. We are focused on providing integrated and innovative experiences to our clients. The Integrated Marketing Coordinator is based in NY and reports to the Senior Director, Integrated Marketing who is based in NY.
Job summary: The Coordinator of CRM Analytics’ primary role is to support the practice of WMG’s CRM analytics and strategic planning operation. Sitting on the team’s CRM Analytics group, the Coordinator’s primary duties include independently managing a variety of day-to-day activity of key CRM projects and operational support for analytics programs, specifically but not limited to: Design and documentation of analytics processes and operations, critical support to develop meaning analysis for global consumer marketing teams, and day-to-day analytics and marketing technology support. This person is entrepreneurial-minded and technically savvy who does not mind digging deep into the technologies or data, as well as exercises excellent communication skills and the ability to multitask across multiple projects.
Job summary: Join the Boston Symphony, in a dynamic position as the Associate Director, E-Commerce and New Media that encompasses the management, implementation and creation of all internet and New Media platforms. You will be responsible for supporting the overall marketing strategy by utilizing a variety of online and media platforms to enhance the corporate brand, explore new initiatives and enhance revenue content opportunities. To be successful, you will need to be a creative self-starter who can analyze and adapt new technologies and strategies to support the overall organizational goals.
Job summary: Key administrative support person for day-to-day digital marketing in the Digital Media & eCommerce department, focused primarily (but not exclusively) on our broad “urban” roster of artists, covering rap, hip hop, R&B, and beyond. Experience in community development, editorial/content and marketing support. The ideal candidate is interested in the intersection between consumer online behavior, music and technology. This person reads blogs (tech / entertainment / lifestyle), installs every new app just to try it out, and has a passion for leveraging the Internet to drive artist careers and revenue. They live on social media, lifestyle blogs, and discover new music in interesting ways.
Job summary: We are hiring a person, not a position, for the Sound Productions marketing team. We believe in providing every tool and opportunity to our team members and growing them for success. We don’t have employees, only team members, and are very proud of that. We invest in each of our highly effective and talented team members for their professional growth and aligned goals with the other Sound Pro teams.
Job summary: Our Seattle, WA-based client produces pro-audio and music products with brands known worldwide! The company is currently expanding their product lines, incorporating mobile devices and cross-platform UI applications within specific digital products. If you love music (or the technology around making music) and have experience building mobile apps (iOS/Android) you will love joining their engineering team.
Job summary: While iHeartMedia employs over 20 thousand worldwide, the iHeartRadio Division based in New York City runs more like a startup. We are looking for a Director of Digital Monetization to serve as the key touch point between our digital product and national sales teams. This role will be instrumental in identifying digital revenue opportunities and developing our go-to-market strategies. You will work with a variety of key teams including editorial, programming, operations, sales and marketing groups and have the opportunity to meaningfully impact the revenue line of a growing organization.
Job summary: The VP of Consumer Marketing is responsible for planning and implementing off-channel marketing campaigns for MTV. With a key focus on innovation in the marketing space, this position will manage the development of campaigns in support of all priority programming and events. The ideal candidate will actively employ data to inform the planning process, and to ensure that all plans have clear goals, and the creative approach needed to achieve them.
Job summary: This successful sponsorship sales professional will be responsible for creating and selling branded, high-impact music marketing programs across our music properties.
Job summary: The Marketing Coordinator will be accountable for leading the development of the venue’s event and marketing program that includes new innovative ideas, talent recommendations, marketing partnerships, promotional activities, advertising recommendations, and VIP Host, social media and public relations coordination. This position will also execute the events and programs on-site. In addition, the Marketing Coordinator will be very creative and will find ways to increase customer spend and find new sources of business. The Marketing Coordinator will be responsible for the over-site of the venue’s brand, including market position against competitors.
Job summary: The Interactive Marketing Manager will be the main digital strategist for their own roster of artists and/or projects. They will craft and execute the digital campaign for those artists spanning promotion, social strategy, community engagement, e-commerce, and partnership opportunities with inter-departmental (marketing, radio, press, product development, etc..) input and coordination. They will continually look for new opportunities, services and platforms with which to partner and/or utilize. In addition to their work directly with artists, they will have a loud voice in forming overall departmental strategy and direction as operational digital specialists. Every campaign will come with mutually agreed upon goals and targets that the marketer will striving to achieve.
Job summary: New York Public Radio seeks a publicist who will work with the Senior Director of Publicity to develop and execute PR strategies and campaigns to reach consumer, trade and online audiences.
Job summary: To direct marketing focus & strategy, product development, label identity and artist relations for assigned RECORDS projects. The product manager will work side by side with the Co-founder- assisting with the execution of marketing strategies and artist development. The ideal candidate has an entrepreneurial outlook and will able to work creative and operational executives across all functions.
Job summary: To thrive in this role, you will love variety, work independently, communicate well and be super organised. Experience of working with digital media within an entertainment, broadcasting or publishing sphere is essential. The right candidate will have ability to oversee complex deals with and have the ability to negotiate and execute new business within a range of exciting new sectors.
Job summary: Reporting to the VP of Marketing, the Director of Public Relations will manage all corporate communications and messaging for Vevo. You will serve as the primary point of contact between the company, its executives and the press community for all Industry and Consumer press.
Job summary: This is an exciting marketing role focused on executing tactics to drive success for the TouchTunes sales team and B2B channel customers. You will work across business groups and leverage multiple marketing channels to drive engagement with the TouchTunes network of smart jukeboxes, mobile app, and other in-venue solutions.
Job summary: Complex Media is looking for a motivated and successful Account Director to join our leading young men’s platform. You will be a part of a top-notch sales team, selling integrated marketing programs across desktop, mobile, video, branded content and print. We have an entrepreneurial culture where you can lead the sales and marketing efforts for your client list. This role is based in our NYC mid-town headquarters.
Job summary: The role of the Digital Media Buyer is a day-to-day focal point and is tasked with executing digital media planning/buying and client service activities associated with assigned accounts. You will be integral in the development and management of effective digital strategy and media buying/. This role will report to the SVP of Digital Marketing.
Job summary: We have a new opportunity available for a Digital Account Manager to drive growth in market share, revenue and artist exposure across digital music platforms. Reporting to the Director of Digital Strategy, the successful candidate will develop sales and marketing strategy and create opportunities to further enhance Universal’s presence across these services.
Job summary: This successful sponsorship sales professional will be responsible for creating and selling branded, high-impact music marketing programs across our music properties.
Job summary: The Licensing Marketing Manager will be responsible for developing plans and executing projects that support the Sales & Marketing strategy surrounding ASCAP’s Licensing team responsible for licensing the musical works of ASCAP’s members to hundreds of thousands of businesses – from traditional media to venues to online services. This includes day-to-day management of marketing and analytics for ASCAP’s Licensing pipeline from new leads to completed licenses. The Manager will collaborate with the Licensing, Product, Marketing and Website teams to execute marketing/communications, increase conversions, launch new initiatives, and track analytics, as well as facilitate an effective workflow between the Marketing Department and all other cross-functional teams.
Job summary: As our Creative Director you will: drive brand guidelines and standards, help us nail compelling online assets, raise our game on marketing site designs, consumer-facing content experiences, and asset for online ads, grab our customer’s attention through awesome email templates and compelling sales collateral, all while leading our team of ridiculously talented Communication Designers.
Job summary: Two New York-based musicians (Michelle Citrin and Galeet Dardashti) seeking Project Manager with a passion for working with artists. Starting date flexible – spring, 2015. $20/hour approximately 9-12 hours a week part time with room to grow. Work in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn based studio, with possibilities for telecommuting.
Job summary: Responsible for community development and campaign execution for a diverse roster of artists. Includes day to day promotional activities, creation and maintenance of artist web and social channels as well as coordination with partners overseeing web development, operations and production.
Job summary: The Marketing Coordinator will assist in developing and implementing marketing and advertising ticket sales campaigns and ABC media campaigns for CMA Music Festival, CMA Awards, CMA Country Christmas and Songwriters Series through traditional media outlets as well as online and social networking mediums. Responsible for fulfillment of all advertising and promotional needs. Assist in developing strategic media partnerships and coordinate fulfillment of contracts. Responsible for general department support as needed.
Job summary: Full-time Publicity Manager is responsible for generating and executing publicity campaigns with online outlets and social media influencers. This includes press release creation, pitching and securing publicity for company’s client roster by generating relevant stories, securing interviews and mixed-media placements while keeping internal staff and clients up to date progress. This position demands high level project management and creativity. Familiarity with online and print media advertising is ideal but not required.
Job summary: The Licensing Marketing Manager will be responsible for developing plans and executing projects that support the Sales & Marketing strategy surrounding ASCAP’s Licensing team responsible for licensing the musical works of ASCAP’s members to hundreds of thousands of businesses — from traditional media to venues to online services. This includes day-to-day management of marketing and analytics for ASCAP’s Licensing pipeline from new leads to completed licenses. The Manager will collaborate with the Licensing, Product, Marketing and Website teams to execute marketing/communications, increase conversions, launch new initiatives, and track analytics, as well as facilitate an effective workflow between the Marketing Department and all other cross-functional teams.
Job summary: Manages all aspects of team sales efforts including, universe of prospective customers, existing customers and key accounts. Ensure continuing new business market penetration and preservation/growth of customer base.
Job summary: The ideal candidate will work closely with colleagues in Artist Services, partnering with a team of Producers responsible for artist websites and fan clubs. The Digital Marketing Manager will work with Creative, Engineering, Tour Marketing and other internal departments throughout Ticketmaster and Live Nation to execute on the artists’ digital strategy.
Job summary: This role is responsible for managing initiatives to support business development to drive Digital Licensing sales. This role will give direction to Sales for growing new business through targeted prospect areas. Included in this work is developing and delivering tools for significant business areas; sales lead generation, new licensee prospecting, prospect validation, market and service analysis, and music use memoranda. The role will also include managing others as needed.
Job summary: The Cleveland Orchestra is currently seeking a dedicated individual with a passion for music to join the Operations team as the new Operations Coordinator. This newly created position supports the Orchestra by coordinating the planning and implementation of concert logistics and assisting Operations Management in researching and planning orchestra needs for tours and runouts. The Coordinator will support concert productions and events at both Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center and assist with tour preparations. He/she will act as a primary liaison between external vendors and internal departments to communicate and secure production needs.
Job summary: The Director, Database Marketing will actively support the Company’s effort to acquire and leverage customer leads in the previously owned vehicle segment. This individual will manage a team of two, including himself/herself. The main focus of the role is to help SiriusXM acquire and evaluate customer names and addresses for new owners of used vehicles with inactive radios with the goal of marketing trial or subscription offers to those subsequent owners. On a monthly basis, SiriusXM acquires millions of leads through various sources: third party list vendors (3PL), service dealers (Service Lane), and others tbd. This group will be responsible for designing and implementing a database marketing strategy that can efficiently evaluate the best leads to activate and market to, based on external and internal data. He/she will report to the SVP, Direct Sales & Marketing.
Job summary: As Business Development Associate, you will play a key role in building our sales and marketing engine to support our fast-growing business. You will work side by side with our CMO to support all sales and marketing initiatives and will report directly to the CEO. Through high value communication you will work to establish the credibility of Jamplify and our brand within the live events market. You will make our organization top of mind for customers when they market and book concerts.
Job summary: We’re a unique collection of engineers, musicians, designers, marketers, and world-class sellers with a common goal: to enrich lives by delivering effortless personalized music enjoyment and discovery. People—the listeners, the artists, and our employees—are at the center of our mission and everything we do. Actually, employees at Pandora are a lot like the service itself: bright, eclectic, and innovative. Collaboration is the foundation of our workforce, and we’re looking for smart individuals who are self-motivated and passionate to join us. Be a part of the engine that creates the soundtrack to life. Discover your future at Pandora.
Job summary: Representative will generate revenue through proactive outbound and inbound calls with established accounts. In addition to making and logging sales they will assist customers with any non-credit needs such as product information and order tracking information when necessary. They will work closely with their credit representative, referring all billing and credit questions to that department. They will also follow up on leads for new accounts, utilizing information lists received from in-house reports and other sources. They will build and enhance relationships with accounts through consistent sales and service.
Job summary: You will work with the Music Editor and wider editorial team to deliver world-class news content for Shazam, specifically around headlines and picture selection, helping to deliver a compelling and successful editorial product for the company. A real all-rounder, you’ll be creative with words, images and treatment ideas on the biggest musicians in the world. This is a newly created role.
Job summary: You will act as liaison between music users and copyright owners. As a Licensing Specialist, you will call on dance schools, restaurants, bars, hotels and other businesses that play music in order to sell performing rights licenses.
Job summary: Recruits and assists prospective writers, publishers, producers and artists to BMI by performing the following duties either personally or through the direction of others.
Job summary: This position is responsible for assisting the Merch Production department. Admin, data entry, and work flow system support which includes sourcing Merch items online, accessing art files, creating PO’s, tracking production schedule and tracking shipments.
Job summary: We are seeking an individual with expertise, experience and deep passion for music. The person in this role will curate genre pages/channels on the PledgeMusic website and across our other music channels such as: Soundcloud, Spotify & YouTube. They will also be the conduit for determining the content and features for the PledgeMusic weekly newsletters. This individual will support PledgeMusic’s Head of Marketing and should have experience in monitoring social media, running digital marketing campaigns, data analysis and creating strategies for digital campaigns in music and entertainment.
Job summary: The Coordinator, Advertising will coordinate advertising initiatives for RED/’stache media by developing strategic marketing campaigns that not only drive awareness and sales for RED artists but also bring in additional revenue for ‘stache media.
Job summary: As a liaison between Market Manager, station Account Executives and advertising clients, the Sales Assistant provides general support to the radio/digital Sales Department including the preparation of recaps, sales reports, creating sales proposals, correspondence, sales pieces, competitive requests, faxing and/or emailing spot times to clients, answering phones, and maintaining contract files.
Job summary: This successful sponsorship sales professional will be responsible for creating and selling branded, high-impact music marketing programs across our music properties.
Job summary:Bandcamp is seeking a mind-bogglingly talented individual for our design team to help us create new products and features, improve existing ones and make our site and mobile apps shining beacons of wonder for all who gaze upon them. You will design. You will code. You will have a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of artists and their millions of fans each and every day. You will feel good. You will feel as good as I do right now.
Job summary: Seeking an Operations Manager who is responsible for the day to day and event operations at the newly developed Amphitheater in Nashville, TN. This includes but is not limited to de-winterization and winterization of the facility, managing event staff, reporting and maintaining incident logs, and on-site, day of show operations responsibilities.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for carving a little time out of your busy schedule to spend browsing our blog. We have been working incredibly hard to up the ante for all content produced, and in recent days I think we finally hit that goal. Before we get to all that, however, we want to share with you a song that has been on repeat all week long. Check it out:
Each and every weekend 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.
Development news:
We’ve said this before and we will say it again, so we might as well write it here as well. You already know the Haulix development team has been working hard to build a new version of our platform, and that our goal is to have a finished ‘2.0′ ready to go by the end of the calendar year. You also know that we believe this to be a process that will take a little time to show results, and that is why I have no new developments to share this week. Progress continues, and it always will, but until we have something substantial to relay we probably won’t share too many details. The wait will be worth it, though. We promise.
Blog news:
The last seven days have been pretty exciting for those of us working on the blog. It’s not that we created anything all that different or unique, but we did realize that we are less than two weeks away from celebrating two full years of content creation! In the time this blog has existed we have interviewed more than 200 industry professionals, written well over 150 advice columns for bands, launched a podcast, detailed how to get into music photography, and touched on a variety of industry topics and trends that we never imagined discussing when we first launched this effort back in 2013. You have stuck by our side through three separate redesigns, as well as days where our content was slow to post, and we cannot thank you enough for your dedication. Our goal is to make year three the best yet, and with your support I know that is a goal we can achieve.
In case you missed anything posted this week, here’s a list of links to help you catch up:
That is all the news and updates we have to share this week! Stop in over the weekend for a new job board, then again next week for a whole slew of content you won’t want to miss!
Jessica Hopper’s new book may be titled The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic, but based off of the 80+ wide-eyed, eager, and attentive faces packed into the basement of Seattle’s Elliott Bay Book Company, you’d almost start to believe that the night’s guest of honor was a rock star.
Ironically enough, music journalists can be seen–they’re ever seen–as unsung heroes. Readers seldom take the time to get into the heads of and learn the history of, the person behind the byline. Zines and blogs are a dime a dozen in today’s culture, but when someone like Hopper comes into town, people take the time to stop and listen.
Why?
Because she’s one of our own.
Hopper’s left a big imprint on the punk zine scene through one of her career-defining works, Hit it or Quit it, a riot grrrl-centric series that had spanned from the early 90s to the mid 00s. Towards the end of that time period, her freelance repertoire had expanded to include a smattering of major publications, such as Spin (you know, back when it was a magazine?), Chicago Reader, and Village Voice.
Today, she continues to freelance across the board, but most of her time primarily goes towards serving as the Senior Editor of Pitchfork, where she takes pride in helping the young guns of the site in tactfully expressing themselves.
With a varied history like that, it’s obvious that there’s much to learn from spending time at something as simple as a book reading and q&a event. And learn we did.
There’s Always a Story Behind the Story. Find Yours and Use it. –
Hopper spoke in great length about her personal history in feminism, how that’s affected her writing later in her career. Roughly half of the audience present for the q&a had asked about how she’s taken on some questionable projects involving R Kelly, Tyler the Creator, along a 2002 essay calling out the gender exclusion found in emo music. No two music writers come from the exact same walk of life, so there’s no reason you should be writing the exact same articles as others around you.
Everyone Has their Reasons –
Preceded by a short (yet meaningful) introduction, the book truly starts off with one of Hopper’s earliest pieces, I Have a Strange Relationship with Music. It’s a detailed personal essay of the power, frailty, joy, gloom, and everything that can be found in-between that, in music. This mantra was put together long before the weightier assignments came along.
Have you ever thought long and hard about why you do this?
Perfect Music Journalism –
Don’t lie to yourself on this, perfection is a lie. However, there is such thing as a well-written, honest piece that motivates the reader to react in some way, shape, or form. A reoccurring topic that came up through the event was the concept of a “bullet-proof” opinion that relies on facts and can’t be torn to shreds by the reader. This is something that can easily be achieved from looking at the subject from multiple angles, and we’ll get to that later.
An Honest Look at an Artist –
A memorable moment from the night came when Hopper spoke about some of her most difficult assignments, moments where she’s done feature stories on artists who simply didn’t want to do an interview. For example, her 2012 Chicago Tribune piece on Chief Keef, which was written at the peak of his career, following the release of his debut album, Finally Rich and leading into one of the biggest performances of his career at the Pitchfork Music Festival.
What happens when a trip across Chicago into the notoriously rough southside for an interview turns out to be practically fruitless? You improvise. You take a look at everything, from an artists’ demeanor on and off stage, to those that surround him.
The Balance –
Music journalism is home to the proverbial tug-of-war between subjectivity and objectivity. Fledgling writers often try to hold on for dear life to the latter, in efforts of appearing more professional. Some of the most entertaining pieces are the ones skewing in the opposite direction, but the best ones are those that teeter on both ends.
Standing Behind Your Work –
Journalists and editors will butt heads until the end of time, and that’s instinctual. A great, confident writer should stand behind their work, and their risky statements, and a good editor should keep the publication’s best interests in mind.
Towards the end of the event, Hopper waxed poetic on the hours upon hours she’d spend fighting over the most miniscule edits. Why? Because she did (and still does) believe in herself, and how important her writing is. She may be on the other end of that fence these days, but it’s obvious that she hasn’t forgotten her roots.
Adrian Garza is a freelance music journalist and publicist based out of Seattle, WA. Give him a follow on Twitter where you can find him cracking wise at the Nu-Metal Revival and obsessing over bands from his home state of Florida.
We have written at length about Snapchat and the way its ability to instantaneously share messages that will self-destruct moments later can be leveraged by artists to grow their fan base, but like all good companies with a heart for music the social application is still finding new ways to help artists engage with their followers. Good on them.
This week, Snapchat unveiled plans to begin working with musicians from all walks of life to help expose their talent to the world through the platform’s recently-launched ‘Discovery’ effort. The first group to be featured is Goldroom, who will release four music videos on Snapchat, each made with the company’s involvement and shot in a way that takes advantage of how people hold their phones. This means the videos will not be shot like classic TV shows or movies using widescreen framing, but instead each clip will make use of vertical, or ‘portrait’ format. You know, like all those live videos on YouTube you hate to watch because you can only see 1/10 of what is going on.
If that name Goldroom rings a bell, it may be due to the fact Snapchat collaborated with the same band nearly two years ago in order to rollout the company’s ‘stories’ feature. Here’s a quick refresher:
The first clip for this campaign, “Embrace,” will be released next Tuesday, May 26, followed by another clip each day through Friday.
Josh Deutsch, CEO and co-founder of Downtown Records speaks highly of the partnership saying:
“Snapchat is a powerful content distribution platform and we are excited to partner and share these beautifully shot videos, designed mobile first, with fans around the world. As music discovery has become more fragmented, the Snap Channel takeover is an innovative way for us to introduce Goldroom to a young, engaged audience.”
The New York Timeswrote at length about Snapchat’s decision to dive into the world of music videos earlier this week, and in their article there is some discussion about what this move, as well as the launch of the company’s ‘discover’ tool back in January, may mean for the future of content consumption:
In January, Snapchat introduced its Discover feature, offering bite-size content from major media partners like Warner Music, Vice and ESPN. Peter Hamby, a CNN correspondent, announced last month that he wasjoining Snapchat in a journalistic capacity, and even the television star Sofía Vergara recently said she would do a reality show on the platform.
All of that, analysts say, suggests that Snapchat has landed on a formula that it believes can help media companies capture the attention of fickle young viewers.
“We’re living in a world where consumers feel they can get online content anytime, anyplace,” said Richard Greenfield, a media analyst at BTIG Research, “but what Snapchat has done is create urgency with content that only lasts 24 hours.”
Snapchat, based in Venice, Calif., has become one of the hottest technology companies, raising more than half a billion dollars and last valued by its investors at more than $15 billion.
We have been talking a lot at HQ about the decision to premiere videos via Snapchat, and I think the one question we all have is how exactly the company plans to scale this tool in a way that will have a meaningful impact. If everyone can upload a music video, then the platform will be just as crowded as ever. At the same time, if Snapchat only allows this features to be used by artists directly collaborating with the platform the question becomes whether or not the company will be open to all types of artists or only those that play well with their brand/image. An artist like Goldroom is buzzworthy enough to make the company seem like it cares about developing talent, but whether or not they will continue to work with mid-level artists remains to be seen.
Like anyone working in music today, we welcome any business that wants to put time, money, and effort into promoting great talent. That said, we also want to see the focus of those companies remain with developing acts, and so far Snapchat hasn’t been all that transparent with their plans moving forward. A tool like this could easily become something embraced by artists on the same level as 5 Seconds Of Summer or Nicki Minaj, but can we say the same about someone like The Wonder Years? Only time will tell.
There was a time not that long ago when the vast majority of musicians believed the only way to get anywhere in the entertainment business was with the help of a record label. This was before the digital age we live in now, of course, back when record labels were viewed as gatekeepers to the world at large because, frankly, they were. Their influence meant everything in relation to a band’s potential for international exposure, and their distribution deals were every artist’s ticket to substantial album sales. That isn’t the case today, or at least it doesn’t always appear that way, and in the latest episode of Metal Injection’s On The Record video series a group of industry professionals finally sit down to debate whether artists today should seek a record deal or focus instead on being the best DIY band in the world.
Sometime I think life was better in the day before it took less than 10 minutes for someone to record a sound, upload it to the internet, and then share that recently created material with everyone in their various social media circles. As a label owner, as well as seasoned music writer who cut his teeth during the rise of social media I have seen the abundance of bands and labels vying for attention increase tenfold over the last few years. There are so many labels operating in equally numerous ways that the question of whether or not to sign is never as easy or obvious as it might have been twenty or thirty years ago. At the same time, I have witnessed many great bands choose a DIY approach over working with a label only to see their career peak at a point of influence and attention far below what everyone believed they were capable of achieving.
The reason I say all this is because the video below actually finds a way to cut through the noise and create an easy-to-follow narrative that shines a lot of light on the realities of DIY culture, record label culture, album sales, distribution, and fan engagement in the 21st century. It also features a ton of people who rely on or engage with Haulix on a regular basis, which admittedly makes us pretty happy.
Whether you’re an artist wondering what course to follow with your own career or you’re an aspiring industry professional dreaming of starting your own label, this video should not be missed.
We are less than one month from the official start of summer, but thanks to the crazy weather of 2015 most of the United States has only recently begun to feel the heat of the impending season. The vast majority of our population has spent the better part of the last eight months indoors, keeping themselves company with the glow of their laptop or smartphone screen. If you’re in a band, you probably also spent this time mastering your online marketing skills. If so, bravo! This post is for you.
In the time since summer last gave way to fall you have gained hundreds of digital followers across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Periscope, and Tumblr, not to mention having finally found a way to network with the people who run some of your favorite music blogs. People are tweeting about you and posting photos of the merch they ordered from your online store, which you love and gladly reply to because you’re not a heartless artist expecting money from strangers (and it requires next to zero effort on your part). You probably even have a summer tour in the works, or at least a handful of dates with a festival appearance or two. You may even be on Warped Tour. If so, again, bravo! You are well on your way to turning your digital buzz into real world success, but in order to do that you will need to shed the safety net of digital engagement and learn to interact with customers, as well as potential customers, in a real world setting. Be it slinging merch at an upcoming show or working the line outside a major festival, there are several things to keep in mind if you want to maximize the impact of your time and marketing efforts.
1. Prepare in advance. Be quick and efficient whenever possible
It’s relatively easy to plan for on site marketing and merch sales, but being prepare to act on those plans is another story entirely. Before you ever step foot in a venue or on festival grounds you need to make sure you have everything you need organized in a way that makes accessing it quick and easy. If you’re selling merch, make sure to count stock, organize and arrange you product prior to arriving on site. If you’re working lines or festival grounds with music, make sure your iPod has battery life, additional chargers, and at least two sets of headphones. If you need signs, make them the day before. Time spent setting up or dealing with unorganized merch is time lost with music fans.
2. No ones like a hard sell
When you’re an up and coming artist depending on merch sales to get to the next town, let alone eat, it can be very tempting to try and push your merchandise on music fans. RESIST! You may have the best music in the world that no one has heard, but it’s never going to go anywhere if people feel like they’re being sold something the moment you begin speaking with them. If you come across as friendly, helpful, and knowledgable you will have a far better likelihood of gaining (and retaining) consumer interest. Share with people why you do what you do, and what it is about your music and message that sets you apart. Leverage your authenticity to make yourself more appealing to customers, but be careful to not push too far and come across as cocky or overly confident. People need to know you believe in yourself, but no one wants to support someone who likens themselves to a god.
3. Think of every interaction as a new opportunity to network
It’s great when people buy things and ask for more information about your music, but even if they walk away from their initial encounter with you and your art empty handed they can still aide your longterm marketing efforts. You never know who they may know, and being a generally likable person will go a long way towards leaving a good impression. Also, person-to-person interactions are a great way to learn about your fan base, as well as the regional scene as whole. Do people support unsigned bands in this area? Are there a lot of venues you could play at on future tours, or is this more of a one basement town? These things matter, and the best way to get accurate insight on the climate of any music scene is from the people who help it thrive day in and day out.
4. Try and get feedback, even if it’s not what you want to hear
This bit was written more to those sharing their music with first time listeners than those selling merch, but it can and should be applied to both. Wherever you go, make it a point to listen to people as much, if not more than you speak to them. If you’re sharing your music, ask them what they do and don’t like about it. Ask them who they think you sound like and whether or not they could see themselves catching your live show at some point in the future. Take the wins with the losses, and always do your best to be polite. There may be people who treat you like crap or speak ill of your art, but it is of the utmost importance that you find the power within yourself to rise above and treat that the same way you would a regular fan. Music, like everything creative, is subjective, and they are not wrong or bad simply because they do not like the art you create. By accepting that fact and taking the time to hear their complaints, you open yourself up to the possibility of seeing, hearing, or otherwise understanding your own creation in a whole new light.
5. Smile and be polite
Following the point made above, kindness is next to godliness in this world, and the quickest way to win over the heart of a consumer inundated with advertising is through being a generally decent human being. This probably goes without saying, but people are for more willing to engage with people who seem friendly and inviting than those who look pissed at the world or out to make a buck. There was a time when businesses could succeed through deception, trickery, and wordplay, but in the modern age you need to forge a relationship with consumers they can trust and that is best accomplished through kindness.
