Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for carving a small bit of time out of your surely busy schedule to browse our company blog. The month of April has been ridiculously productive for us, and we hope the same goes for you. Each and every week we like to take a little time to sit back, reflect, and review everything that has transpired at HQ in the recent days. Before we get there however, we wanted to share a song that has been on repeat around our offices in Minneapolis. Check it out:
As I mentioned above, 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:
There was a time not too long ago when we teased the release of our much anticipated new platform as being something we expected to happen this upcoming weekend. Well, believe it or not, we’ve been forced to push back our release to the middle of May. Everything is moving swiftly, but we need a little more time to ensure everything is as good as it can possibly be. The end is in sight however, so please don’t let this delay leave you feeling disheartened. Good times are on the horizon.
Blog news:
With all the planning and work being put into the next phase of product development we have admittedly put our blog efforts on the back burner a bit. That said, we are still churning out 5-10 original columns every week, including our podcast (Inside Music). We may not be hitting the same quantity we did six months back, but we believe the quality of what we create is better now than ever before. Don’t believe us? Head over to the archives and see for yourself.
That is all the news we have to share this week. Have a wonderful weekend and be sure to check back tomorrow for a brand new Job Board.
There was a time in music when being really good at one thing was enough to secure some form of employment. If you could talk to people in radio about new music and sound convincing, you could get a job. If you could hustle merchandise at shows and keep good records, you could get a job. If you understood how to find and contact music writers about new artists, you could get a job. As long as there was one thing you could show others you understood how to do better than they themselves could do it, you could find a job somewhere in music.
For better and worse, those days are now long gone.
In today’s music business, having a plethora of skills is key to securing employment more often than not. The budget for staffing is tight across the board in music, so employers are actively seeking individuals they believe can fulfill the needs usually met by a team of people. As a result, simply knowing how to do one or two things really well is no longer enough to justify the need for someone to give you a job. Aspiring professionals today need one or two strong skills, as well as several other skills or talents that can be applied to whatever role they seek. If you’re looking to do publicity for example, writing and sending clever emails is no longer enough. Those competing for publicity roles today are good at emails, cold calling, social media outreach, and they have a good ear for finding new talent because, more often than not, they started their own PR firm and have already worked with several small time artists they know through school or friends. These people are essentially unpaid professionals, and they have already worked on everything that a paying role would ask of them and then some. That is what you have to assume anyone competition with you for a job has already accomplished, and you need to make sure you do some of those things yourself if you want to even be considered for a role in this industry.
It wouldn’t be possible for me to outline everything you need to do in order to make yourself appear as a strong candidate for any job in the industry as the needs for each individual role will vary greatly from job to job. I can, however, help you make one change to your current behavior that will enable you to expand your skill set while still refining the skills you’ve already developed. To do this, you need to recognize that your current to-do list is a mess, and you should also understand most other people have horrible to-do lists as well because they, like you, expect to much. They seek to ensure they do everything they can to position themselves for employment, and through doing so create a list of tasks so daunting that completing the tasks can feel next to impossible. The reminder of how much remains undone eats away at you in time and, slowly but surely, you begin to doubt your ability to reach the next level of this business.
To fix this, not to mention simplify your life as a whole, throw out whatever to-do list you currently maintain and start creating today lists instead. By this, I mean creating a new list of goals each and every morning that outlines everything you need to do that particular day in order to be ready for the next morning. The amount of things you need to do in a week or month will not change, but the feeling you have toward what is left unaccomplished will because you won’t be looking at several days or weeks worth of work at once. Instead, your brain will see 5-10 things that, with hard work, can most likely be accomplished between sunrise and sunset on a single day. With each completed task, that already small list shrinks, and as you near the end of your daily to-dos your confidence in your ability to maintain this level of output over the long haul will grow.
But how does this help me find employment in the music industry?
Good question. Employers at every level are going to expect you to tackle multiple projects at once, and each of those projects will have their target completion date. If you tell yourself you can do it all at once you’re only going to end up frustrated and exhausted, but if you break down your longterm goals into manageable daily chores your ability to progress on each item from day-to-day will flourish. Your brain will stop worrying about the overall deadline and start concerning itself more with tasks at hand, which in turn will relax your mind enough so that you are able to think clearly and creatively amidst the chaos of this business.
I’m not going to lie to you: Finding steady employment of any kind in music today is next to impossible, especially if you’re just starting out. The competition for any job, big or small, is fiercer now than at any other point in the history of the entertainment business. This frustrates job seekers and complicates the selection process for most business owner, but at the end of the day it’s actually a blessing because it means only the truly talented and hardworking individuals end up working full-time. The people who find themselves in a position to influence real change not only know how to make change happen, but they possess the organizational skills needed to make the most of the opportunity they have been given.
The following post is the latest in our ongoing collaborative series with Sonicbids.
For brand-new bands, landing that first gig can sometimes be a catch-22 dilemma: Booking agents and talent buyers want acts that draw a crowd, but you’re still trying to establish yours. How can you begin to cultivate a local following if you can’t score a show?
Luckily, booking isn’t so cut-and-dried. Maybe you can’t convince a mid-size venue to take a chance on you, but there are other routes to building your fanbase for live shows. Here are five realistic options for working your way up to securing those bigger gigs.
1. Open for more established bands
Talk to local bands who are booking at the level you’re reaching for about opening slots. If they’re iffy about allowing you to join a bill, offer to perform a short set for free. Make the most of the opportunity by manning the merch table, where you can interact with interested attendees. Let them know how to find you on social media and to stay tuned for your next date.
Venues aren’t too keen on featuring fledgling bands on Fridays and Saturdays, which is fair, because even clubs that are true champions of their local music community are still businesses with plenty bills to pay. If you can’t get in on a weekend, try organizing a show on a slower night, and offer to perform for free. Get a few bands to join you, so there are more reason for folks to come check out the show, or try a weekly residency for a month or two to help generate a buzz.
3. Hop on an existing event
This is different than asking to open for a more established band. Why not offer to play a set at an upcoming pop-up market event? If your music is danceable, you should try the same with a reliably well-attended DJ night. Any event that doesn’t already feature live music could be an opportunity for your band to add that component – and earn yourself some new fans, too. Same with the previous two options, performing at no cost to the organizers is usually your best bet for convincing them to accept your proposal if you have no existing track record.
4. Organize a show at a nontraditional venue
If you can’t book at a club, turn another spot into a temporary music venue. Know someone who’s willing to host performances in their home? Can you convince the owner of a local business – a restaurant, a clothing store, whatever – that a one-off concert could be mutually beneficial? (It definitely could be!) A free event is ideal in these kinds of situations, but you can ask for donations to help raise funds for the bands and host.
5. Use your social media following as leverage
While venues and booking agents do want proven results in terms of show turnout, bands that haven’t performed much or at all can use their social media followings to demonstrate their expected pull. (Tips for growing your following can be found here.) If this method doesn’t help you land a Friday or Saturday night gig at the club you’ve got in mind, refer to the aforementioned four ideas for working your way up to that level.
Jhoni Jackson is an Atlanta-bred music journalist currently based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she juggles owning a venue called Club 77, freelance writing and, of course, going to the beach as often as possible.
Our friends at Entertainment One (eOne) have long been on the cutting edge of music, but they have truly outdone themselves with their latest announcement. ‘Floodlight,’ a new music platform created in partnership with Secret Location, aims to enhance and forever change the fan experience through state-of-the-art video technology and a wealth of unique engagement opportunities no other platform can match.
The idea is simple: Floodlight will bring audiences closer to their favorite eOne music artists with exclusive content and unique one-time experiences, delivered directly by the artists. We love music journalists as much as anyone can, but the key to strengthening support for your artist in 2016 is through allowing fans to feel as if they are able to connect directly with that artist from anywhere on the planet. Floodlight cuts out any middle man that may exist in that process, be it a music blog or a third party service like Facebook Live, and offers fans access to their favorite artists presented by the artists themselves. Engagement does not get any more direct than that until you can place a hologram in everyone’s home.
The first offering on the Floodlight platform will be an exclusive 3D virtual reality video for the song “Take it All” by Pop Evil. The Michigan based rock act has sold 1.3 million singles to date, and their current album Up debuted at #1 on the Billboard Independent Chart last fall, with 14 million streams to date.
The video for “Take It All” was shot at the 2015 Aftershock Festival, using two 360 / 3D camera rigs that captured every angle of the event in 3D. The footage was edited and stitched together to create an immersive virtual reality music video. When fans put on a headset they find themselves on the stage, above the crowed and inside the music. Pop Evil VR is designed to immerse fans in the energy of the band and provide the ultimate concert experience.
Here are two quick teasers for the video, including one that demonstrates the 360 experience:
360:
The pre-order site for Floodlight’s Pop Evil 3D kit is now live. The bundle will include a Pop Evil branded Google Cardboard 3D viewer, a Pop Evil 360 APP, an autographed CD and a Pop Evil t-shirt, previously unavailable for online purchase. The video can then be viewed on the APP with the viewer beginning on May 27, 2016. The VR app will also be available for independent download from the App Store and Google Play.
Additional Floodlight exclusives have yet to be revealed, but we expect more news on the platform to emerge in the coming weeks.
As the reach of individual posts on social media continues to fall, more platforms like Floodlight are no doubt possible. The key to their success will be offering something that is not found anywhere else online that has equal or greater value to consumers than what is already available. The ability maintain something like that, not to mention scale it, will require constant planning and dedication on the part of the artists, as well as the people around them.
If you know of another platform like Floodlight, or if you have an idea to improve fan engagement online, we’d love to hear it! Email james@haulix with your comments and we’ll reply within 24-hours.
Move over, Periscope. Facebook has its eyes on being the leader of live video broadcasting online and they are some would argue they’ve made it there already with Facebook Live. Made available to the public in early 2016, Facebook Live brings all the immediacy of Periscope and similar live broadcast applications to one social media site even your grandma knows by name, thus further eliminating the need for anyone to ever go anywhere or use anything else.
We’re not saying Facebook Live is better than Periscope (though we’ll probably compare them at some point in the near future), but it would be foolish to ignore the simplicity of attracting more people to your live broadcasts that Facebook Live promises. Even people who claim they don’t use Facebook likely have had or currently do have an account and know their way around the site. All the barriers that would typically come between your fans and live broadcast platforms up to this point (people need to know the app exists, have the app, and have an account on the app) do not exist with Facebook Live.
Getting started on Facebook Live is easy, but making the most of your time spent broadcasting is another task altogether. These tips will help:
Understand the requirements that need to be met in order to use Facebook Live
Facebook Live is available to anyone with an account and a decent internet connection. Before going live, make you that you have a fast enough connection to broadcast high quality live video, which generally means using WiFi or 4G. If these needs are not met the ‘Go Live’ button will not activate and you will be unable to broadcast.
Good promotion is key
Until you become Beyonce-level famous you are going to need a good plan for promoting every step of your career, including live broadcasts. Lucky for you, fans want more interaction with you, so promotion for these shows should be fairly straightforward: Set a date and time for your show, tell people when it’s happening, and remind them regularly until (and while) you’re live.
Building a crowd may take time, so don’t be afraid to broadcast for a long time.
Since anyone can use Facebook Live, many people do use Facebook Live, so the competition for attention can be fierce. Facebook recommends broadcasting for a minimum of ten minutes before you decide whether or not to remain online. Promotion will help get some people to your show on time, but others will arrive once your broadcast has already begun. See how things develop before you decide whether or not to continue using Facebook Live for your outreach.
Respond to comments, and remember to use the name of the commenter whenever possible
People like to be recognized. Let your fans know they are more than just another supporter to you by using their names whenever responding to comments during your show.
Be clear about what you’re going to broadcast
The biggest mistake you can make as an artist or brand when using live broadcast apps like Facebook Live is to go in without some form of a plan. Fans want to know what they’re going to see, and you should know what you’re going to share. You should also leave room for the unexpected, as you never know what may happen in the moment, but you need to start somewhere that is going to hook people before your broadcast even begins. Maybe you promote a Q&A with your bandmates, or maybe you share an acoustic performance from your practice space. Figure out what your fans want to see and promote their opportunity to see or experience that thing through Facebook Live.
If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.
As I’ve grown older in music I have come to understand that every generation has one or two artists that parents both conservative and liberal label as being demonic, satanic, or otherwise bad for their children. These are artists that, despite whatever imagery accompanies their work, find a path to mainstream exposure that infuriates small town minds and inspires throngs of church-going citizens to plan some form of midwest protest in response. For my grandparents, this figure was Elvis and his unstoppable hips. For my parents, it was Kiss and the rise of rap in mainstream culture. For me, and probably for everyone else born just before the 1990s, it was Rob Zombie.
To be completely fair, Rob Zombie is not someone people of my generation discovered in the classic sense. Zombie, born Robert Bartleh Cummings, had already proven his rock pedigree as a member of White Zombie before he started a solo career, but none of his success with that group could prepare him or anyone else for what would come when he was untethered from the rest of the rock community. Hellbilly Deluxe, Zombie’s first solo album, was a veritable smorgasbord of rock goodness and horror movie sensibilities. Zombie created a visual component to his musical art that was, and remains, unmatched in the greater hard rock community. His videos were essentially short horror movies, and his songs were like horror audiobooks set to the kind of electric orchestration one might expect to here accompanying the arrival of satan on Earth. In one album, Zombie usurped Marilyn Manson as the king of shock, and through doing so claimed a throne in the world of music that put him in the crosshairs of every conservative music fan on the planet.
I was 11 when Hellbilly Deluxe came out. You could say I was too young to appreciate everything Zombie was trying to convey through his music and imagery, but everything I did understand won me over in no time at all. The first time I heard “Dragula” was also the first time I recognized that I was listening to something my parents would never approve of me enjoying, and I knew right away that I had to stand my ground. This, I soon found out, was far easier said than done. I had no money of my own, and I couldn’t buy anything without first making my parents aware of the the thing I wanted, so to make my goal of enjoying Rob Zombie regularly a part of my life I had to convince several friends to burn me copies of his album on blank CD-R discs that I would later label as something else entirely just in case mom and dad looked at my music collection. There was more than one occasion where my plan was uncovered, and such happenings were almost always followed by me being grounded for a week or more, but part of me didn’t care. Rob Zombie had given me an excuse to rebel, and I had fallen in love with the notion I was doing something others might find weird or wrong.
As time carried on and Zombie continued to release music, my fascination with his world of horrors only grew, and when he transitioned into the world of filmmaking I followed suit. Horror was always my favorite genre, though as a young teen I had admittedly not seen much of it, so once again I followed Zombie where he chose to lead. House Of 1000 Corpses was the kind of film the kids at my school talked about as if it were the holy grail of things we were not meant to see. Anyone with parents absent enough to let them attend such a feature did so two or three times over during the film’s short run in theaters just because it was the most violent, absurd, and altogether original thing any of us had ever seen. The notion such horrific things could not only be created, but distributed on a global scale, opened our collective minds to a world of possibilities none of us had ever really considered. It was as if we had spent our entire lives blindly assuming all mainstream art, be it film or music, was so easily available because it was intended to entertain as many people as possible. With Rob Zombie, this was not the case, not was it ever what he desired for his career to be. Zombie made things for people like him, and for many people in my generation that included us, or at least we thought it did in that moment.
Almost two decades have passed since Hellbilly Deluxe cracked open my skull to expose my curious mind to the possibilities of self-expression without restraint, and to this day Zombie continues to define himself by his own standards. The quality of his work can and will be debated for the rest of time, but at the end of the day there is no one who walks away from something Rob Zombie has created feeling as if he had to change his original vision or idea in the slightest. His new album, The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser, is proof of this being true. Zombie creates for himself, just as he always has, and through being honest about who he is he inspires others to do the same. The people who enjoy Rob Zombie’s art do so because it makes them feel something they cannot find in anything else because it’s something that can only be achieved by Zombie himself. They recognize that, be it in music or film, Zombie is constantly trying to deconstruct what makes him tick and showcase those things to the world. The kind of unflinching honest is rare, but when it is found it attracts swarms of followers that no amount of catchy songs or epic movies can match. It’s the same power possessed by Beyonce, Prince, and David Bowie, and it’s something we are forever needing more of in entertainment.
What I mean to say is, regardless of whether or not Rob Zombie creates the kind of art you typically enjoy, there is no way you can see what he makes and feel it comes from anywhere other than some place true. The authenticity of his work is never questioned because anyone who experiences his work recognizes that it could only come from his mind. That kind of work is what we should all inspire to create in our day to day lives, and in my experience there are few better ways to inspire that level of authenticity than through exposure to others whose work reflects that. We don’t need another Rob Zombie, but we do need more free spirits like him to share their unique perspectives on the world around us, and that could easily include you as long as you’re willing to work at it.
The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser hits stores this Friday, April 29.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager 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.
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 2016. 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 week 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: We are looking for an outstanding Ad Sales Account Director to join our team in San Francisco.We’re looking for someone with a proven record of revenue generation and a deep interest and passion for online media and innovation. We want someone who loves our product and knows how to sell creative solutions for clients and partners. You should be confident without ever being arrogant and you work hard, but know how to have fun. Above all, your work will impact the way the world experiences music.
Job summary: Supporting the Director of Music Hall Operations and Music Hall Manager with all day-to-day operations and overall business conditions for a given shift
Job summary: You will be expected to grow revenue through the sale of radio sponsorship messages, digital media and events. By utilizing a consultative sales approach you will make cold-calls to decision makers at local businesses, meet with them to understand their marketing needs and develop proposals that offer marketing solutions to help them grow their businesses. This is a full cycle sales position in that you will prospect, conduct needs assessments, create and present proposals, close the deal, write copy and service the account.
Job summary: Pandora is looking for an experienced Account Strategist who has a background in digital or radio advertising with a proven track record of building and maintaining strong client relationships. This individual will partner directly with the sales team and campaign specialists to build strategic media partnerships while providing a high level of client service for assigned Advertisers, Agencies and internal Clients. This position involves sales and client support, project management, execution and reporting.
Job summary: We are seeking an Office Assistant/Music Coordinator to join our small but very busy company. This position will work closely with and be an integral part of the team. The successful candidate will be a sharp, professional and responsible individual who is self-motivated and able to multi-task several projects at a time. This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to broaden their entertainment experience where the fields of Music, Film and Television overlap. In this role, your responsibilities will include managing meeting schedules, answering phones, travel coordination, handling incoming/outgoing mail, creating excel spreadsheets, simple website and database management, general filing, managing billing, expense tracking, organizing/duplicating CD/DVDs, interoffice distribution, equipment maintenance, working with the building management and IT teams to resolve technical issues, maintaining office supplies and other various tasks.
Job summary: The New Media Licensing Account Manager is responsible for effectively executing team strategies that are aligned with overall organizational goals. Such strategies are centered on licensing (negotiation, account management), operations (systems, work-flows) and new business development (growth/improvement opportunities). To fulfill responsibilities and achieve goals, the Account Manager will work closely with his/her teammates, Vice President-Licensing, Director-New Media Licensing, Analyst-New Media Licensing and numerous other individuals and teams throughout the organization, most notably Broadcast and General Licensing, Business & Legal Affairs, Information Systems and Revenue Accounting.
Job summary: In an effort to provide superior service to our internal and external customers, the Repertory Representative is responsible for the analysis, research, reconciliation and maintenance of the ASCAP repertory. As a result, ASCAP members and foreign affiliated parties are payable with each quarterly distribution.
Job summary: Help create the future of digital music with Amazon! We are looking for a smart, motivated, analytical professional to support the Vendor Management team for Amazon Digital Music. The individual in this role will be a primary point-of-contact with music labels, as well as a central part of the day-to-day business operations of the Vendor Management team.
Job summary: The Account Management Team builds and maintains customer relationships with a focus on support, engagement, and growth. At Eventbrite, we believe that innovative technology and a customer-centric mindset are key elements to building a successful business and creating world-class customer experiences. Our dedicated, sharp, and creative Account Management Team works with our largest and highest value customers to ensure that they are fully leveraging our platform and have the knowledge, training, and support they need to exceed their business goals. The team works together and cross-functionally to create exceptional experiences for our customers, and ensure the longevity of our most valuable partnerships.
Job summary: Pandora is looking for a Sr Manager, Sales Marketing in our Oakland office who exemplifies the Pandora principles of self-motivation, passion, collaboration, and experience. If you wield excellent marketing, relationship building, multitasking skills, and an intelligent strategic lens, this role is for you. As a Sr Manager, Sales Marketing, you will own the marketing strategy to drive revenue for our key vertical Financial and Political, including creating sales materials, executing B2B marketing, and leveraging current ad products. Because we are in a fast-paced, growing business, you may be required to pitch in and lead additional projects beyond Financial as those opportunities arise.
Job summary: The Administrative Assistant, Touring & Marketing Planning will work with Tour Marketing and Marketing Planning team, who oversee the planning, budgeting and travel for tours, promotional events and live performances for artists of Epic Records.
Job summary: Marketing writer to partner with Design, Editorial & Retail creatives to create innovative, engaging and original copy around cross-functional initiatives for iTunes, Apple Music, the App Store, and iBooks.
Job summary: As our Email Marketing Manager you will work with production, technology, and marketing peers in Napa, California to develop and execute opt-in and revenue generating programs for ArtistWorks online music instruction. Your primary responsibility will be the creation and management of email campaigns within the Hubspot platform that drive first-time conversion and retention of our customers over time. We’d like to have you work in the Napa office/studio as frequently as possible – team collaboration is key to our success.
Job summary: CAMI seeks career-minded individuals, with a passion for the performing arts, to fill an administrative assistant position in our Booking Office. Prior administrative experience is essential, as well as a Bachelor’s and/or Master’s Degree relating to the field.
Job summary: The Executive Assistant will report to the CEO, and general duties include: assisting CEO and other Executives with day to day tasks, handling both personal and business day-to-day needs, maintenance/management of office space and occasionally the CEO’s home, assisting with office administration and third parties, organization of personal and company travel arrangements, etc.
Job summary: Alternative Press Magazine is seeking a smart, self-motivated and resourceful individual to join our team as our Marketing Coordinator. Our company is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio and prospective candidates will preferably live in the general Northeastern Ohio area or willing to move. Candidates should be highly organized and adaptable to our dynamic work environment. Qualified applicants will have had experience in similar marketing roles (preferably within the media and entertainment industry).
Job summary: At Backstage, we’re focused on providing the best career platform and marketplace to match actors and performers with talent seekers. The marketing team at Backstage is responsible for building brand awareness, focusing on growth and retaining our user base of performers. We are looking for a creative, technical, strategic and analytical marketing professional to join the team as our Marketing Associate. The role will report to the Vice President and Digital Director of Backstage and will work closely with product, marketing, engineering, and content teams across the business. You will be tasked with demand generation, traffic growth, strategic partnerships and conversion optimization using inbound and outbound marketing tactics. You will set up and use comprehensive analytics to support your strategy and execution of user growth. As a company we really value problem solvers and being able to learn a new technical skill (in a day).
Job summary: We’re looking for someone to spearhead our marketing strategy. That someone is philosophical about messaging and analytical about results. Cares deeply about music and the people who make it. Is passionate about technology, can keep up with the speed of innovation. Wants to be a part of something positive, and can infect others with their excitement about it.
Job summary: The assistant will provide support in our speakers department. Administrative duties include handling phones, coordinating meetings and schedules, drafting contracts, light accounting task.
Job summary: Assist the team with the production-related requirements of the show. Develop ideas to drive ticket sales. Create forecasting simulations for planned events. Legal – Basic understanding of contracts. Coordinating with venues for avails, ticketing set up, etc. Work closely with the marketing, promotion and events team to assist in day to day coordination of activities on social media, print, email, publicity, etc
Job summary: The Social Media Analyst is responsible for discovering, analyzing and presenting insights related to the Tory Burch social media footprint and brand sentiment. This individual will prepare reports and findings that drive action with respect to social media efforts. He/she will help identify and track the success metrics, benchmarks and KPIs that measure our social media effectiveness.
Job summary: Join us in being a part of the global music community by shaping the delivery and experience of digital sheet music! The e-Commerce Marketing Assistant will assist in the management of Musicnotes’ online and offline marketing initiatives, including updating on-site merchandise links, managing customer product reviews, editing and testing marketing e-mails.
Job summary: Universal Music Group is currently looking for an Assistant to support the CFO / EVP, Business Development of Interscope Records. The ideal candidate will have experience supporting at the SVP level or higher, and have great judgment with discretion and confidentiality. This exciting role requires superior attention to detail, great organizational skills, the ability to meet tight deadlines, and to juggle multiple critical requests. A high level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information, and professionalism in dealing with senior professionals inside and outside the company is important. Must be very efficient and highly attuned to the smallest of details, as well as being able to multi-task and working on tight deadlines in a high pressure environment is crucial. No task is too small and no challenge too great. A “can-do” attitude is essential.
Job summary: Stanford Jazz Workshop (SJW) is seeking a full-time Development and Marketing Assistant to support the Development and Marketing departments. SJW is a 44-year-old independent nonprofit organization providing jazz education programs and producing the annual Stanford Jazz Festival in June through early August. Working primarily out of our San Francisco office (Inner Sunset) and seasonally on the campus of Stanford University, this position is under the joint supervision of the Development and Marketing Directors.
Job summary: Spotify is looking for a marketer with strong quant skills to join the Global Product & Performance Marketing team. The Engagement Marketing Manager will be responsible for improving how we convert newly registered users into active, loyal advocates of Spotify. With Spotify’s spectacular growth, this role has the opportunity to shape the music experience for millions of customers, with clear accountability and credit for results.
Job summary: The Digital Marketing Specialist supports the development of digital marketing promotions and is responsible for facilitating the implementation of market strategies and the coordination of digital marketing activities.
Job summary: TuneIn is seeking a Product Operations Associate with a passion for audio content, operations experience and a mind for metrics-based decision-making. This individual will manage operations and product improvements surrounding our on-demand content, which includes podcasts, audiobooks and on- demand sports content.
Job summary: The goals of the MakeMusic Marketing team are pretty simple: create awareness of our products, drive eyeballs to our websites and generate leads for our sales team. But how we go about achieving those goals is anything but simple. We are data driven, content based and focused on the lifetime value of our customers.
Job summary: Warner Bros. Distributing Inc. seeks an Administrator, Content Licensing for the Marketing Services department. Focuses on support of audiovisual content credits and clearances.
Job summary: The Director will support the faculty to facilitate the programming of the Whitney Center for the Arts to ensure it meets the mission and vision. The Director is responsible for all managerial activity associated with the WCA academic visual and performing arts programs and events. The Director will develop the WCA’s annual budget, supervise student employees and schedule maintenance. The Director in conjunction with faculty develops and maintains a calendar of college performances, exhibitions, and events.
Job summary: Responsible for increasing Corporate Sales Team revenue by providing proactive support related to prospecting, lead generation, market research, and administrative tasks.
ASK A PUBLICIST is a recurring column on Haulix Daily where we pose a question about music promotion and publicity in 2016 to the team at Catalyst Publicity Group. If you have a question for the team, email james@haulix.com and we’ll try to find the answer.
QUESTION:What value is there in ‘social media takeovers,’ and what should artists hope to gain from such exposure?
Social media is a wonderful tool to gain additional exposure. The value in social media takeovers in particular is that as an artist you are introducing yourself to a whole new group of potential fans. By partnering with a publication, a non-profit, a brand, and so forth you are inviting those social media fans into your world by giving them a sneak peek of your project. Often times during a social media takeover artists will give fans a behind the scenes look at the making of an album, a music video, tour life, or a significant day for the artist such as a festival performance and so forth.
Think of social media takeovers as a more targeted approach to reaching a new audience (who will already likely enjoy your style of music, if the brand you are taking over aligns right). Typically when an artist takes over a social media account, whether that be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope, and the likes it is important to remember that not all of those fans on said platform will know who you are or follow you back on social media. If you want to be remembered and attract new fans, don’t forget to consistently re-state your name, use a particular hashtag to follow the takeover and tag your social media accounts. It is as beneficial as sharing with your own fanbase, and then some. You are giving an “elevator pitch” and a glimpse into your life, so make it meaningful and powerful to keep those new fans intrigued about what you have going on. Don’t forget to give it a more personal approach, giving fans (old and potential) a look at life behind the scenes, the work you are putting into your career, and what it takes to be in a band. It draws a higher level of respect towards and interest in the artist.
In music today, success is hard to quantify in numbers because success is so much more than just likes and followers. It’s also how many people are talking about you, will come see you at a show, or at least recognize your name enough to check you out when you pass through their town on tour. Will you get more followers from takeovers? Probably. Will it be a lot? Probably not. But your name is out there to a whole new group of people who didn’t know you before, and that’s the takeaway lesson for today.
After you read this column, head over to our free job board and find the next step in your music career.
The music business is easier to enter now than at any point in the history of the recording industry. The barriers preventing you from recording a song, promoting a song, writing about a song, or performing that song for people live, be it in person or in real time through the power of the internet, are lower than ever. There are good and bad ways to look at this, but pretty much everyone you ask would agree now is an exciting time to be part of the entertainment business, and that as long as you’re willing to work hard there could be a place in it for you as well.
Depending on what it is you want to do in the music business, the paths to establishing a lasting and profitable position for yourself in that field will vary greatly in comparison to your fellow aspiring industry professionals. Still, there are several universal rules that will help anyone on their search for a career in music:
Be a reliable self-starter
There was a time when the music industry was still relatively new that saw people with zero experience in the entertainment business hired for employment at companies big and small, but that era came to an end before the start of the new millennium. Today’s music business it’s all about incremental progression, and it begins with you taking it upon yourself to enter the music industry. You can do anything you desire, from starting a music blog, to starting a band, promoting for a local venue, recording podcasts with your friends about music, or even by simply reaching out to an artist you admire and asking how you can help them in whatever it is they need to further their career. Find something in the industry you feel is missing or that you could improve upon and make it your mission to do that thing. In time, people will notice, and if they like whatever it is you’re doing they will have something else for you to do. The music industry supports people who support the music industry, but you have to take the first step.
Learn to commit
They say it takes roughly 30 days of repetitive action for a new behavior to become a habit. Even the most driven industry professionals wake some days with no desire to get out of bed and answer the dozens of emails and calls they have waiting, but the ones who make a career out of music find a way to power through each and every morning. You don’t have to put in forty-hours weeks right out of the gate, but you should make a commitment to work on your career and your skills every single day, especially when you don’t feel like it.
As a writer, my goal every day is to write at least five-hundred words. This can be an editorial on something, or a story, a screenplay, or anything else I develop, but I have to sit down and write at least one thing that is a minimum of five-hundred words each day. A lot of the time what I come up with is rather mediocre, but I’m not trying to write award-worthy material as much as I am simply trying to write and continue to push my creative thinking. Many of the best songwriters do something similar with songs, stringing together new melodies and lyrics every day without necessarily trying to create something that will ultimately be shared with the public. Commitment to the public comes after you’ve mastered commitment to your own talent, and that begins with daily exercise.
Networking is everything
With competition for industry positions at an all-time high, possessing strong networking skills is perhaps more vital now to landing employment, or even internships, than ever before. Everyone wants the best person for the job, but everyone already knows a few people who have more than likely been vocal about needing employment in recent months. The first people considered for any position are almost always those who have demonstrated strong skills on their own and established a connection with the label, publicity firm, studio, or brand where they wish to work. This is why finding a way to showcase your skill set and then sharing that skill with peers is so important. Show people what you can do so that they can come to you when they are in need of the skills you possess.
Self care is key to longterm success
When you’re first starting your career in music, often before you even consider yourself active enough to be legitimate part of the music business, you recognize that a lot of people work a lot of ridiculous hours to keep this industry moving. The amount of hard work and determination it takes to make it in music is hard to overstate, but if you do not make time to care for yourself, your relationships, and your mental health you will hit a wall that is probably best referred to as being burned out. The music business never sleeps, but you need to, even when it seems like you don’t have that kind of time. There will be instances and periods in your career where early morning and late nights come with the territory, but it is absolutely crucial that you not work yourself to the point of exhaustion.
The music industry is small
The old adage that everyone know everyone is more or less true in the music business. If you don’t know someone, chances are you know someone who does and they can digitally introduce the two of you in less time than it takes to make a cup of coffee. If you’re rude or otherwise unprofessional with someone chance are that it will become known throughout the industry. Black lists are very much real, from journalism to bands labels are willing to consider signing, and you do not want to be given that designation. Follow the golden rule of treating others as you want to be treated and you will be just fine. Regardless of someone’s job title or what that job entails, everyone you encounter in this business started their career because of the same exact passion that drives your every move. We are all working toward the same goal of seeing the art we love succeed, and now more than ever we have to work together to see our industry and the artists we believe in continue to thrive.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine and the host of the Inside Music podcast. He currently resides in Minneapolis with his two fat cats, Paws Von Trier and Chub E. Chubs. You should follow him on Twitter.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Cam Boucher from Sorority Noise to discuss his band’s incredible new EP, It Kindly Stopped For Me. James and Cam have been internet friends for a while, but this is the first chance they have had to have an in-depth conversation. Together the two cover the new release, its origin, the way the world has changed since the band’s last release, and a little bit of everything in between. Cam also shares his love of jazz, his tendency to play air sax instead of air guitar, and the story behind a song that was cut from the new record due to time constraints. If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to be part of a band who spent the last year being told you were the new leaders of the alternative genre, this is one conversation you don’t want to miss.
The music you hear in this episode is taken from Sorority Noise’s breakout 2015 full-length, Joy, Departed. The song is titled “Using” and it’s discussed at length in this episode of the podcast.
You may already know this, but Inside Music is available on iTunes. Click here to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
