Month: August 2016

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News

The best advice I can offer anyone pursuing a job in the music business

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If every idea or plan I ever heard in every conversation I ever had with an aspiring industry professional or musician the music business would be a vastly different place than it is today. I’m not sure that is for the better or worse – depends on the project – but what I do know of from my time working in the industry and my admittedly puddle-deep exploration through its many ranks has become the stuff of legends to myself and anyone who may have been there in that moment those words were shared. Big bands, small bands, PR professionals and startup masterminds. Name a thing in music you could aspire to become and there are at least 5000 people who tell people they also want to do that thing every day, and that’s likely just in North America alone. 

I am certain there are a variety of reasons things didn’t work and a number of people who could be, should be, or would be held responsible if things had gone another route, but in many cases it comes down to your willingness to fight, but in many cases it comes down to your willingness to fight and your ability to evolve. Both sound easier than they really are, but they are absolutely essential traits for anyone hoping to make it in this business.

There is one upside: Everyone is fighting this battle in their own way. 

Everyone hoping to do anything in this business wakes up with the prospects of going to war. It doesn’t matter whether it should or shouldn’t be like this because the fact of the matter is it is the way things are at this point in time. The boom of access through technology and the internet happened much faster than the music industry was able to adapt. Even if the industry were able to see the changes the internet would present in advance and had ample time to prepare it’s hard to imagine a world where there are anywhere near enough reliable full-time jobs in the creative area you want to work in to allow everyone a place of there own guaranteed. That’s not how life works and it’s not how music works. 

The best you can do is to wake up every day and put action to your dreams. Start today. If you want to write the next song that is going to change the world, it’s probably time to take mastering your instrument and songwriting seriously. If you want to manage the next big band, find a band you give a damn about and do whatever it takes to make sure me and everyone else feels the same way this time next year. If you want to pitch Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, XXL, or anyone else, learn how to form a good pitch and start sending emails. If you want to be a publicist, find an artist you believe in and make the rest of us feel the same through any means necessary. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

You’re going to fail, but there’s another upside: Everyone Fails.

Everyone fails a lot, in fact. More bad songs are written every day than future classics, just like more bad press releases are sent than those that make people who receive hundreds of press releases a week actually read what they wrote. It’s not about a single try and it’s not about a single day, week, or month. Building a career of any kind in any field in the music business is an ongoing series of trial and error where you and everyone you know hopes to succeed in some way more often than not. We take our chances and we take our bruises. We complain about the way corporations have devalued music while making billions of the art that musicians create while hoping streaming payouts really do lead to the bright future we were told would come. We claim we found the next best band in the world when we really just heard a good song on the internet. We put our faith in people that turn out to be nothing like we expected and we in turn sometimes surprise ourselves. 

Some failures hurt more than others, but that’s okay. You learn to take the good with the bad because you remember that hope only gets you as far as you’re willing to fight in this business and that everyone else has ups and downs too.

Be honest with yourself and others. You cannot do everything. In fact, some things you probably shouldn’t do, and that’s perfectly okay.

To attempt anything is to accept the fact you may fail. Everyone fails, as we mentioned above, but if you find yourself failing again and again without ever finding a sliver of success you may need to take a hard look at your goal and ask yourself whether or not they can be achieved. The hard truth of the matter is that only a very small amount of those who dream and strive to work in music every actually make a career for themselves in this business. If you are not one of them it does not mean you are a failure. You rose above being a failure the moment you decided to try and chase your dreams. You wouldn’t believe how many people never even take the first step towards getting what they want. If things are not working out after a long enough period of time you need to consider the possibility that there may be other fields and areas of expertise where your particular set of skills could be of value. The world needs motivated souls, and you are one. Find a way to make existence a bit better for others and do that thing. Music will always be here, and you will always have it in your life, even if it isn’t what pays the bills.

You are never alone, though it’s going to feel like that sometimes. 

When you’re working with others in any capacity you begin to realize your individual performance really does influence their ability to pay their student loans and cover their share of rent in the apartments they more than likely share with anywhere from one to six, seven, or even eight people depending on the metropolis they were forced to move to in order to take their time in this business ‘seriously.’ (You don’t have to do that, by the way. Be the biggest thing you come out of your spot on the map, and don’t forget to thank the internet – and this author – for your success down the line.) You, like them, were once just a kid who really loved a particular band or sound and that somehow turned into a career where you’re now responsible for doing something (or more than likely, many things) in exchange for money. Compared to the way most people approach finding a career in something, that’s crazy! We’re all a little crazy and we many of us deal with the same stresses and bouts of self doubt that you may experience from time to time. We’re strongest when we work together, and that means being open and honest with one another. Recognize that we are all crazy fans deep down inside and we all know of the power music has to impact lives. We are all working toward the same thing, and that is to lift up the art that gives us the ability to wake up every day and fight. 

There is power in numbers. Work together.

As much as my individual drive and talent has helped me make a way in this industry, all my greatest accomplishments were the direct result of projects I worked on with people I believed in. Surround yourself with like-minded people who fight for the things they want and understand that real work that lies ahead. This may be the friends you know now or it may be a group of strangers you meet only after you take it upon yourself to start chasing whatever it is you want to do. The bonds you form with these people will last a lifetime, and they will come to mean more than any paycheck possibly could. 

Commit. 

There is no denying that finding a career in music is often driven by networking, but even the best connections still require commitment. Music is considered one of the easiest industries to get your foot in, but no one ever stops to tell you everyone and their brother currently has a foot in the door of this business. It takes nothing to do the bare necessities required to claim to have a presence in music and that is a beautiful thing. It’s also a litmus test of sorts to separate the truly driven from those who will eventually turn to a more reliable and suitable (and arguably sane) career. If you want to do anything you have to make yourself known, and it’s both as easy and as hard as committing to working towards your goals every single day. To borrow from Nike, “just do it,” and soon things will begin to fall into place.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine and a 10-year veteran of the entertainment business. James has spoken about careers in entertainment and how to achieve them at festivals, conferences, and college campuses across the United States, and he is currently working on his first book on that very topic at this moment. If you like what you have read here, please make it a point to follow him on Twitter. If you have questions about this or anything else related to working in the entertainment business, please email him: james@haulix.com.

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News

Blogger Spotlight: Jason Bales (Face The Noise)

Jason Bales and his brother, Justin, began their adventure in music writing as a way to share their love of rock music with the world. Those simple ambitions quickly turned into something greater, and not long after an early version of what would eventually become Face The Noise was born. Covering all areas of rock, the Bales brothers use their site to connect with music fans all over the world with a clean site design and timely updates. We recognized their passion for writing the moment we set eyes on their site, and we knew immediately that we wanted to capture their journey while it was still in its infancy.

HAULIX: Thanks for doing this, Jason. Can you start by telling me the origin story of Face The Noise?

Jason: Absolutely! Thanks for having me. Face The Noise really started a few years ago under the name ‘Rokonnection.’ My brother, Justin, and I were playing video games one summer day, bored out of our minds, and we decided to start a website devoted to rock music. At the time, we were pretty one-sided with what we listened to. Both of us were still in high school, and my computer skills were at a pretty beginner level, but nonetheless, Rokonnection launched and actually had a little bit of success. It wasn’t until a couple years into my college career that I decided to take it seriously. Rokonnection seemed too one-sided, so a name change was in order. After all, there are plenty of great genres of music other than rock. I graduated with a degree in Music Business and Philosophy, and after graduation started up Face The Noise. It has actually only been active for about two months, and we are starting to get back to where we were, as far as views are concerned (content quality surpassed Rokonnection immediately), with the other website.

H: Is there any story behind the name or how you settled on it?

J: The name actually just came to me. Rokonnection took quite a bit of back and forth between Justin and I, but Face The Noise popped into my head without any warning. I loved it immediately and just stuck with it.

H: I know you cover a variety of genres/styles on your site. How would you describe your blog to someone who had never visited it before?

J: Our blog currently does not have the manpower to keep up-to-date with every little thing that happens in the music world. However, we pride ourselves on outstanding and well-written content and an as unbiased as possible view. Our bread and butter, if you will, is our reviews and interviews. We strive to make them interesting and fun to read or listen to.

H: Is there one genre in particular that you feel you cover better than others, or is there a certain type of feature that you feel is the best example of your publication?

J: Absolutely. Face The Noise covers rock and metal more than any other genre, and that is because of my background. I’ve been working with rock and metal publicists for years now, so I obviously have a lot more relationships formed in that area. I’m hoping that the other genres will catch up by 2017, so if you are a publicist that handles genres other than rock or metal, feel free to contact us!

H: What was the first thing you wrote about on your site, and how did that set the tone for what you do today?

J: Oh, wow. I honestly can’t remember what the first thing I wrote for Rokonnection was, but I do remember setting up an interview with Hollywood Undead. Remember, we were very beginner at this stage in our lives. Justin, Kyle (my best friend), and I started looking into doing interviews and what not. We had a couple under our belts, but nothing as big as Hollywood Undead. Their publicist hooked us up with an interview at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it was one of the greatest moments of my life. We went backstage and met the band. The interview went well. Everyone was so down to earth. That was probably when I really realized how cool this hobby (it is a hobby until you get paid, right?) really is. I think this really pushed me to succeed because I wanted more experiences like that.

H: What separates Face The Noise from similar music blogs?

J: Going back to a couple of questions ago, our well-written content and unbiased perspective is quite unique. Without stepping on any toes, I see a few music websites and blogs that tend to look more towards what one might consider ‘click-bait.’ Face The Noise will never let that happen. Of course, our social media may attempt to intrigue a viewer to click into an article, but that article will always be exactly as advertised. The content will be relevant and well thought out. I saw an article the other day while scrolling through Facebook, by a rather large music publication, that had a title something along the lines of “[insert band name] sucks, finally set to retire.” That is as rude as it is unentertaining. I’m sure it picked up quite a few clicks, but at what cost? We treat music as art at Face The Noise.

H: On the topic of blogging, there are some who say the necessity for music sites is dwindling as social media becomes the launching pad for the majority of conversation online. Why do you feel blogs still matter?

J: I think that blogs, at least the good ones, provide knowledge and information that some random Joe on Facebook could never provide. Album reviews and interviews are engaging and entertaining. The same is generally not said of Facebook comments or Twitter tweets. This may come off as egocentric, but music websites provide a bit of expertise in the subject.  

H: You obviously receive a lot of advance music for consideration on your site. What service do you prefer and why?

J: The absolute best way to receive music is through the mail. Absolutely nothing beats opening a package and finding a brand new CD to listen to. That said, bands just do not have the money, and publicists do not have the time, to do that sort of thing any more. It is changing rapidly with streaming and what not. Haulix is great, as far as online music promotion services go. I promise no one paid me to say that! I hear a lot of good things around the publicist community about it, and it is so much better than getting an album through Dropbox.

H: Are you currently hiring at your site? If so, how can people submit an application?

J: Well, let’s define “hiring.” If by hiring you mean providing volunteer writers and photographers with a relaxed atmosphere to share their work, then yes. Money will not be involved. Simply put, we aren’t currently making any money. If we ever start, so will our staff members. An application can be submitted under the “Jobs” (and we use that term loosely) section of the website.

H: What are your longterm goals for Face The Noise? Short term (year or less)?

J: Our long-term goal would have to be to become the best music website in the world. We want nothing less. I would love for this to become much more than a hobby. As far as short-term goes, it would be cool to start picking up a couple extra writers and expand our content, increase the number of interviews we have on YouTube, get a few extra e-mails every day, finally get to exclusively premiere a song, and meet Tyler and Josh from Twenty One Pilots. The last goal is the only one that should take more than a year.

H: What’s the easiest way for people to keep up with everything you do?

J: Social media – Our Facebook and Twitter for news and reviews, and YouTube for interviews.

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News

5 signs you have the mental toughness to succeed in music

The following post is the latest in our ongoing content collaboration series with the fine folks at SonicBids. If you enjoy this post, please check out their blog and platform whenever your schedule allows.

For those who engage in physically demanding sports, like mountain climbing or a long-distance running, the phrase “mental toughness” is thrown around quite a bit. Even outside the realm of sports, the word has caught on with business gurus, personal trainers, and, yes, even musicians.

Playing the guitar and climbing a mountain obviously take some sort of physical action, but that’s not all there is to it. The psychological attribute of mental toughness can be the extra ingredient that takes your playing to new heights.

So what exactly is mental toughness? To be quite honest, it’s a rather controversial term. The loose definition of mental toughness refers to any type of positive attribute that can help a person overcome a difficult situation. Some don’t see music as one of these difficult situations, but not everything has to be an epic, physical challenge.

The fact is, mental toughness is beneficial to your music career. Some are naturally gifted with such a trait, while others have to work a little harder at it. If you’re on the fence about your own mental toughness, the following five signs should help figure out if you’ve got it going on.

1. Complete control of focus

Having control over focus is a sure sign of a tough mentality. As a musician, there are times when you really need to channel your focus, and there are times when you need to shut it off. For example, during a performance, an intense focus is needed, but when you get off the stage during an intermission, that focus should be turned off.

The mentally weak don’t have any power over this quality. As a result, they’re left with a fleeting focus that’s hard to control.

Not only can you benefit more from relaxing your focus in music, but focus can help with situations outside of music, too. Music may be your life, but it’s not immune to the myriad of personal-life distractions. There may be unpaid bills, dirty dishes, conflict with family, or other obligations that all attempt to derail your focus. The mentally tough can deal with these distractions while still remaining focused on their music career.

2. Quick recovery from failure

Staying positive and in control of your mind, even in the face of failure, is another sure sign of mental toughness. You may have gotten lost on the way to a gig, played a song horribly, or gotten sick on the road. The life of a musician is full of these issues, but the mentally tough will not let them stand in the way of their success.

Failure is painful and demoralizing. It leaves some deep emotional wounds and can impact us on a subconscious level. If the psyche is damaged from failure, then that will eventually interfere with aspects of your music. That’s why it’s necessary to stay focused and in control of your mind even in the face of devastating failure.

3. Confidence

Do you believe in your musical skills and abilities? Can you easily navigate through times of challenge and conflict? Are your social skills well formed?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then it’s likely you’re a confident person. People who define themselves as self-confident believe they can succeed despite any obstacles they may face. These mentally tough individuals don’t back down from competition. In fact, they actively try to put themselves in situations like that. They take charge, make decisions, and have large amounts of courage, even if fear is involved. These people crave the limelight – not for the fame and fortune, but for the challenge.

Anyone who wants to truly succeed in music needs to have this quality of mental toughness. Perhaps you have a fear of large crowds or are intimidated by a better musician. That’s a natural feeling. If you want to overcome those feelings of anxiety, you need to develop a confidence-building strategy. You need to throw yourself in uncomfortable situations until that confidence develops. Once you can confidently say to the world, “I’m a great musician,” you’re on your way to mental toughness.

4. Embracing challenge

Embracing challenge means you thrive and actively seek out environments that present difficult opportunities. While these challenges are far from easy, they ultimately help you learn and grow. Most people tend to hide from such events for fear of failure or out of sheer laziness. People who embrace them, however, have a certain ability to think outside of the box.

Challenge-seekers enjoy giving their creativity a workout. They love to explore the lesser known parts of innovation. Some may think these people are crazy for willingly seeking out a risk. But think about risk taking for a second. When you or anyone else takes a risk, either in music or life, do you ever seek out a negative outcome? Of course not. You take risks with a hope of a positive outcome.

This is the essence of a challenge-seeker: they are purely focused on the positive. They realize that challenges and uncertainty are concepts that lead to change. They’re natural parts of life that shouldn’t be avoided, but instead embraced.

Constant change is needed to improve as a musician. That won’t happen without embracing the challenge. It’s a difficult habit to get into, though, which is why it helps make you mentally tough.

5. Committing

Sure, having confidence and the ability to embrace challenge are great qualities, but if you don’t commit to anything, they’re useless. The deepest part of you has to know that music will be your career. If you’re truly serious, you’ll realize that this isn’t just a stepping stone to something better down the road. Once you have that mindset in place, it’s time to commit.

Musicians are often unsuccessful in their mission because they fear commitment to their deepest values. They may think they want to spend months away from family, grunge it out in nightclubs, and practice their craft every day, but when it comes down to it, some just aren’t that committed.

These same people believe success is an act of evolution. Unfortunately, you can’t inherit competence. True success is the result of hard work, focus, and commitment to finding the end result. Success doesn’t happen overnight, and this frustrates the mentally weak.

A fully committed, mentally tough individual always finds an innovative solution to their challenges. That’s because commitment comes from passion. Those who are truly passionate will stop at nothing to pursue their goal.

If you think you’re lacking commitment or any of these other qualities, it’s never too late to work on your mental toughness. It’s similar to a muscle in that repeated practice will make it stronger. Combining a tough mind with musical skill will only benefit you in the quest for a successful music career.

Anthony Cerullo is a nomadic freelance writer and keyboard player. In his spare time, he can be found reading, hiking mountains, and lying in hammocks for extended periods of time.

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Job Board News

Haulix Weekly Update #141: “Never throw a butcher knife in anger.”

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the final Weekly Update of August. Can you believe we are almost eight full months into 2016? We swear time speeds up right around the time summer arrives. 

We have some news and tidbits for you to enjoy, but first we wanted to share this wonderful little ear worm:

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:

As you have surely noticed by now, the old version of Haulix has been functioning normally for well over a week at this point. We learned some big lessons from the problems we encountered with our recent platform launch, and we learned even more when we decided to roll back to the version of our site that is now live at Haulix.com. These were the biggest takeaways from that experience:

– Moving forward, we need to be absolutely sure a new platform will function properly before pushing it live. We did a lot of testing this time around, but clearly there were things we missed. Next time we will be more thorough.

– The design itself was a bit overwhelming for some at first, but most users who got to click around the site came to appreciate the changes. We are sticking with the new UI moving forward for the most part, but there will  be a few changes made before we try to push it live again.

– Speaking of pushing it live, we currently have no timeline on any potential re-launch of the updated platform. We want to make it happen sooner than later, but we first want to make sure it is as good as it can possibly be.

– Duplicating campaigns needs to be easier

– Journalists need/want the option to see all their promos at once, but filtering tools are needed as well. 

– People love headers, and we need to be sure the option to use them is present in campaign customization.

If you have additional feedback for us regarding your experiences with ‘new Haulix,’ please email them to: james@haulix.com

Blog news:

Things around the blog have been picking up as we move further away from the recent issues with platform development. We shared a full week of content in recent days, and we have plenty of entries to keep you entertained and informed planned for the weeks ahead. Our goal is to resume posting 6-10 new articles a week, in addition to an increased presence on social media.  If you missed anything as of late, especially our podcasts, please head over to our archive and catch up ASAP.

That’s all we have for this week. Check back here on Sunday for an all-new music industry job board.

XOXO

-Haulix-

Categories
News

Blogger Spotlight: Jessica Klinner (Highlight Magazine)

It has been way too long since we updated our Blogger Spotlight series, but whatever delays have come up in recent months end today. We have a string of interviews with the next generation of music writing leaders to share in the coming weeks, and we think among them will be one or two people whose work you soon come to depend on in order to know everything great in the world of entertainment. We only promote the sites and people we believe in, so you can rest assured that if you’re learning of them here on Haulix Daily then there is something to their work worth reading. We get the future we support, and this is our way of hoping to influence a positive change in how we discuss music. Enjoy.

Jessica Klinner has been building her reputation in the worlds of alternative music and journalism for several years now, but 2016 has found her coming of age in a big way. After taking lead of Highlight Magazine earlier in the year Jessica has continue to carve a path for herself in this industry that has quickly established her as one of the more knowledge and intelligent voices found within the world where Warped Tour mainstays and pop-rock newcomers collide. We turn to Jessica’s work whenever we need to find the next band who will remind us of the positive power music can wield, but also to learn about the young writers she has chosen to take under her wing. Few websites have a contributing staff as talented and driven as Highlight, and Jessica’s work behind-the-scenes is partly responsible for that. Here, in a rare discussion about her journey, Jessica tells us how she made it this far, and offer a quick tease as to where she may be headed in the future.

Haulix: Hello, Jessica. How are you doing today? Is it as hot there as it is here in Minneapolis?

Jessica: I’m doing great! I don’t know how hot it’s been in Minneapolis, but it feels like Satan’s armpit here in central Alabama! The humidity is absolutely stifling. Hopefully you’re not experiencing heat to that awful of a degree!

H: You have a long history with Highlight Magazine. Can you tell us how you first learned of the site, and when you initially joined the team?

J: I’ve been involved with Highlight since the very beginning. I was brought on as a writer before the first issue launched in April of 2012. I had been following co-founder Ashley Osborn on Tumblr because I was a fan of her photography. She posted that she was starting an online magazine and needed writers and photographers to join the team. I had just finished my first semester of college and had no clue what I wanted to do with my English degree at the end of my undergraduate career. At the time, I had dreams of becoming a photographer, but didn’t think I was anywhere near good enough to shoot shows for an outlet. Instead, I submitted an essay I wrote for a college scholarship (because it was the only writing sample I had up to that point) and got an email about a month later asking me to join the writing team. They must have not had very many writers apply because I’m pretty sure that essay was terrible haha!

H: You’re a great writer, so I imagine you wouldn’t have much trouble finding a place willing to share your work. What made Highlight the place for you?

J: Thank you! At the time that I joined Highlight, no content had even been published on the site and no issues had been released so I wasn’t sure what I was getting into–I just knew that I wanted to write. Since the beginning, Highlight has been based around positivity and highlighting the genuine artists in the music industry. That was set in place when I joined the team and I loved that concept. Throughout my time at Highlight, that focus has become even more important to me because of how negative the industry can be. I also just loved the community surrounding Highlight. We were all just a bunch of kids working on a passion project. So many of our contributors have gone on to do amazing things in the industry.

H: You’re now at the helm of the site. When did that happen, and how?

J: I took over the site in April of this year. Jenn Stookey (former editor in chief) and Cara Bahniuk (co-founder and art director) had been discussing the possibility of stopping the monthly issues. They approached me to see if I was up for taking over the site because they didn’t want Highlight to end completely. I had been serving as managing editor for the magazine for over a year and was more than ready and willing to take over.

H: For those who have never run a site before, can you give us a rundown of your duties and responsibilities?

J: Absolutely! I spend most of the day replying to emails and sending out pitches for future features. This is probably my favorite thing to do because I love connecting with people in the music industry and discovering new artists/bands. All this is done between juggling my real job functions at an 8-5. When I get home, I normally answer more emails and schedule posts for the next day. I also edit through all the posts, set up photo shoots, request photo passes for our photographers, and many more things I’m currently forgetting about.

H: How would you describe Highlight Magazine to someone who has never heard of it before?

J: Well first and foremost we are a website focused on positivity and highlighting the genuine artists in the industry. When Highlight first began, we were mainly focused on the Warped Tour scene, but as editors have changed, we have grown outside of that and now cover a wide variety of genres. We LOVE featuring up-and-coming acts and running fun features. We aren’t so much focused on news posts as we are presenting quality content to our readers.

H: Now that you no longer publish a digital monthly magazine, what are the main draws of the site that separate Highlight from your competition?

J: When we were putting out our monthly issues, we used all in-house photographers for every single feature that we did. There were exceptions at times because of scheduling conflicts and other complications, but I’d say out of the 50 issues we produced, 98% of the photographs were taken by our staff photographers. When we moved to just a website, I was nervous that we would lose that. I wanted to still be able to give our photographers the chance to do photo shoots with bands, but didn’t know if publicists would be up for it since we were no longer doing the issues. Luckily because of the history we have, our photographers have still been able to do photo shoots with bands.

Also we really try to feature all different types of artists. We want to expose our readers to artists and bands who love what they do. You won’t find us featuring a band that has a bad reputation. We really want to give credit where credit is due. We don’t post as much news as I’d like, but I’m really proud of the content that is posted on the site every day.

H: Looking toward the future, where do you see Highlight Magazine in a year from now? Two years?

J: Before the end of this year, I want to go live with a brand new website. We are in desperate need of a digital face lift at Highlight. Beyond that, I would love for us to be able to get to a point where we can pay our contributors. It’s something we’ve been trying to work out for years, but just haven’t been able to make it happen yet. And in a dream world, I would love to go back to making monthly issues and get Highlight in print. That’s the ultimate goal.

H: What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were just getting started in music writing?

J: It’s not as glamorous as you think. I was drawn to music writing because I read Alternative Press religiously and looked up to the editors and writers who were on staff at the time. But as I got more and more involved in the industry, I started to see through the facade and realized that everything is not as it seems. The bands you look up to aren’t always the nicest and people are often more concerned about money and sales than featuring bands that deserve recognition.

H: If the site disappears tomorrow (and we hope it doesn’t), what would be your favorite memory from the you spent working on it?

J: There’s been so many, but I think my favorite memory would be just getting to know all of the contributors. I’ve made some really great friends through Highlight, and I get to visit with many of them on a regular basis and meet new ones whenever I travel. I wouldn’t be who I am without Highlight, and I’m so thankful to Jenn and Cara for giving me a shot at running the site 🙂

Categories
News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #88: Chris Farren Returns!

On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell calls Chris Farren to discuss his upcoming SideOneRecords debut album, ’Can’t Die’. This episode marks Chris’ second appearance on the show, and together with James he details the artists that influenced his latest recordings, his fast-approaching one year wedding anniversary, Jeff Rosenstock, and how he copes with the understanding life is shorter than most of us would like it to be. There is talk of death and the futility of existence, but don’t let that get you down! This is one of our favorite discussion in some time, and we hope it encourages you to support Chris as he begins the next chapter of his already prolific career in music.

The music you hear in this episode of the show is “Still Beating,” which can be found on Chris Farren’s new album, Can’t Die (out September 2).

You may already know this, but Inside Music is available on iTunes. Click here to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Categories
News

Blogger Spotlight: Corey Kleinsasser (Concert Crap)

Look, we get it. You may have read the headline above and scoffed when you saw we were trying to get you to read about a website with the word ‘crap’ in its name, but trust us – this one is worth you time.

Corey Kleinsasser may have an interesting approach to developing a brand for his work, but that is only one of the things that makes him unique in the world of writing. Kleinsasser has found a way to penetrate the world of concert reviews, which has been overflowing with contributors for the better part of the decade, with unique insight informed by an almost constant presence at live events. Concert Crap scours the world of live performance for the best and most peculiar stories, including those that involve acts most of the world has yet to discover. The site’s inclusive approach to coverage, coupled with their clear passion for helping developing talent, has made their front page one of the many bookmarks we keep in our browsers, and we believe after learning of Corey’s journey you will become a regular visitor as well. Enjoy:

HAULIX: Thanks for agreeing to chat with me, Corey. Let’s start with the history of your website. When did you first decide you wanted to write about music?

Corey: I first started Concert Crap in October 2013, initially for a class in college. I had always wanted to start a blog even before and this was a good excuse to, and to continue even after the class ended. I had gone to many concerts before, during and after the class ended and at first it was going to be just journal entries to look back on years later but it grew into so much more.

H: Is this site your first blog, or did you start somewhere else and step out on your own?

Corey: This is my first blog and writing gig. I have always had a passion for writing and music so this was the perfect combination.

H: Concert Crap is a pretty straightforward name for a music blog. Why did you choose it?

C: Honestly, it was the first thing that came to my mind when thinking of a name. “Concert Stuff” sounded pretty boring, and crap was a little more appealing.

H: From a marketing/business perspective it seems like the name of your site might limit your reach and the type of artists you’re able to work with. Have you found that to be true at all?

C: My only negative experience from this was one artist representative tell me that the name wasn’t very appealing, and it did get me thinking that it may not be the best title, but there has been much more positive feedback from it than negative. People usually have to do a vocal double take and ask again what the name is. But when they do, they say it’s a great name.

H: We should probably discuss the content of your site if we’re going to talk about its appeal. How would you explain the content found on Concert Crap to someone who has never visited your site before?

C: We focus on all things music. The biggest thing we do is interview artists. Many up and coming, and some you may know. We cover all types of genres. We also review albums, shows, songs, have show and tour announcements, photo galleries, and recently we’ve been adding talk show segments to engage more with our users and each other.

H: You claim to be someone who has attended many concerts. How many would you say you’ve seen, and which was your first?

C: I’ve gone to at least 100 concerts in my lifetime. My first was in 2004 and the local radio station here in Southern California, KROQ, hosted their annual summer concert Weenie Roast. The first band that played was one of my favorites at the time, and still now, Story of the Year. Others that played were Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Yellowcard, New Found Glory, The Hives, Velvet Revolver, and more.

H: How often do you go to shows? How about your staff as a whole?

C: During previous years I used to go to 2-5 shows a month. It’s been cut down recently to 1-3 shows a month because I have a full time job on time of Concert Crap and a girlfriend and others I enjoy spending time with outside of music. The Concert Crap staff usually goes to about 3-7 shows a month at the moment but we’re definitely going to increase that number soon.

H: Has there been any one band to really impress you in a live setting this year?

C: From Ashes to New is an amazing band to see live. I just recently saw Myka Relocate for the second time, as well as interview them a second time before their set and their great dudes on and off the stage. I saw both of these bands at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, both play to a small crowd, but I hope both can become much bigger than that over the next few years.

H: You do offer a lot of content that is not coverage of live events. Are there any specific genres/styles you focus your editorial efforts around?

C: Usually, I enjoy interviewing bands that I want to get to know more on a personal level. I’m very much into the post hardcore, metal, metalcore scene and I always love covering those artists to get to know them better. Those seem to be the artists that I get many press releases for as well. But we are open to all genres and artists.

H: There are a lot of music blogs right now. More than ever before, in fact. What sets your site apart from the rest?

C: We cover artists that you know and many you may not know. We post consistently on our social medias and engage with our audience and cater to many of their needs. We share their content and ask for their opinions on many things in music. Come for the artists you know and stay for the ones you may not know. We’re just like the casual fan and are viewing a explaining everything through your eyes.

H: How do you market your website and its content? Have any methods shown better results than others?

C: We cover all the major social media platforms. Instagram is the one we have the most fans on and the one we post the most for. We always post breaking music news and entertaining content to keep our fans happy, not just on Instagram but all our socials. I have yet to try to advertise since I haven’t made enough money to do that quite yet.

H: There are currently no ads on your site. Do you have plan to monetize your work moving forward?

C: When we gain more traffic I driven to the site we can monetize for ads. I’m hoping that will be very soon.

H: You obviously receive a lot of advance music for consideration on your site. What service do you prefer and why?

C: I LOVE Haulix. It seems to be the easiest advance music site. It’s very neat and clean. Organization is key and I’m just like this in person. Everything fits on one page and it’s visually appealing. If I need to download the album, it’s quick and very easy to use.

H: Are you currently hiring at your site? If so, how can people submit an application?

C: Yes, we are always hiring for writers and photographers. They can contact me at corey.kleinsasser@gmail.com.

H: What are your long term goals for (I think you meant Concert Crap) Face The Noise? Short term (year or less)?

C: I am hoping that I can eventually do this full time with a full time staff. If we can have our own business space that would be even better. My short term goals are just to keep growing it as much as I can at a greater speed than I currently am.

H: What’s the easiest way for people to keep up with everything you do?

C: Follow us on all our social medias and Youtube and always visit our site consistently as we’re ramping up content much more than ever.

Categories
News

Monday Motivation: Butch Walker

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.

The catch-22 of all good art is that it changes the expectations placed on the artist – both from the public and from the artist themselves – moving forward. Being the creatures of habit that we are we tend to believe that once something is good it will always be good, regardless of the circumstances that helped make that thing something we admired in the first place. This is also probably due to our culture’s love of underdogs, and how we like to feel personally responsible for the success of others whose art we believe in. If your favorite unknown band suddenly becomes a household name, you will more than likely tell people the you knew them before they were big. We say this because we associate the success of the people we look up to with our own ability to succeed, and the same goes for their ability to fail. In the mind of a fan, an artist who has made it is made for life, and everything they produce going forward will (read: “should”) up the creative ante for themselves and their peers.

While this is all good and perfectly normal behavior it is far from honest living. The truth of creativity is that it rarely, if ever, stays the course as far as quality is concerned. An artist may be able to tap into the kind of genius that brings together people from all walks of life once or twice in a lifetime, and that is only if they are among a very select few who ever achieve such levels of creativity. The vast majority of artists are lucky if they ever write a song that people beyond their immediate circle of peers care about, and there is another plateau of achievement just above that for those who are able to reach beyond their audience more than one or two times in the entirety of their career. To assume or expect momentary greatness has lasting value is a fool’s way of living, but unfortunately many bands and artists like succumb to such idiocy every single day.

This has all been a long way of saying that the world needs more artists like Butch Walker who, despite having momentary major success from time to time, never allows themselves or their audience to believe the top of the charts is where they will forever belong. Walker has had a number of hits throughout his career, and in the digital age the longevity of those songs has been extended thanks to the recommendation tools found on most streaming services, but to say he has become someone who is known at the same level of, say, Bruce Springsteen or Eric Clapton would be false. This is not to say that Walker is not as talented as those rock legends, in fact I would argue just the opposite in most situations, but it is to say he is another breed or artist whose longevity in music is defined by something other than his hits.

The reason people care so much about Butch Walker is because, like them, he lives a relatively normal existence highlighted by flashes of genius or sheer luck that remind us of every individual’s potential for innovative thinking. More importantly, he does this while writing music about the human experience that is relatable to practically anyone of a certain age, yet each work is undeniably the product of his own life and the things he has lived through. When a song Walker has recorded finds its way onto charts or into the lens of the media those who follow Walker’s music celebrate because they know there is still hope for regular people who lead fairly regular lives to stand out. His success tells us that even though EDM and songs about boundless joy or romance may be the norm, there is still a place for reality in the often uber-fictional land of entertainment.

With his new album, Stay Gold (out August 26), Walker continues his trend of grounded storytelling while further exploring the roots of American rock and roll with a collection of tracks that fans new and old won’t soon forget. The record is a showcase for Walker’s wide-ranging and ever-evolving talent that spans the great terrain of rock without once compromising the flow of the album as a whole. You can play select songs out of order or blast the entire record front-to-back and walk away satisfied with your choice because Walker has taken the time to ensure every piece of music work both on its own and as part of the album as a whole. The kind of coherency and consistency is increasingly rare in a world where more and more emphasis is placed on singles rather than proper albums, but it’s par for the course for Walker. He’s never been one to play the game of sacrificing the flow of an album in order to try and deliver a radio smash, which further substantiates why he is the type of artist we need more of in the world today. His pleasure from creativity comes from a place of personal satisfaction instead of public acceptance, though I am sure he hopes for both with every release, and because of this he has been able to maintain a standard for quality that has kept people glued to his every move for nearly fifteen years.

As you enter this week, try and learn from Butch Walker by asking yourself what you need to do in order to be happy about your personal creative output. Once you have an answer, chase those goals until you achieve them, and once you do that you will be ready to share your latest creation with the world at large. They might not get it, but that won’t matter or hurt as much as it would otherwise because you will know it is the best you could make at this point in your life. I cannot promise millions, or even thousands will ‘get it’ the way you do, but people will recognize your confidence and they will respect your output. Those who do that will be the greatest fans you could ask for, and with their faith in you secure you will have a strong base from which to build an army of dedicated followers.

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 (RIP). 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.

Categories
Job Board News

Music Industry Job Board (8/21/16)

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.

New openings:

Campaign Manager (Vevo – Los Angeles) 

Job summary: As Vevo’s Ad Operations Campaign Manager you will play a key role in the functioning of the ad operations group. This role is responsible for management of digital advertising programs, custom advertising implementations and partnering with the Revenue Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Product & Technology teams and vendors to identify and implement new solutions within Vevo’s ad serving technology

Marketing Coordinator, Social Impact (Spotify – NYC) 

Job summary: As the Marketing Coordinator for Social Impact, you’ll be a part of building programs that use music to change the world.Spotify is a growing global organization and social impact is becoming a larger part of our culture.  We need a dynamic, passionate, and persuasive person to lead our internal communications and employee engagement.As the Marketing Coordinator, you’ll need to work collaboratively and autonomously with every part of the organization.  You’re excited about the challenges of creating an open and compassionate culture within a global company.

Brand Coverage Assistant (CAA – NYC) 

Job summary: The New York office is seeking an Assistant to work in the Brand coverage division. This team is focused on Multicultural business development within our Lifestyles Department. Our lifestyle experts work across the agency to help extend the “brand” of artists, personalities, lifestyle properties, brands, and agency clients by developing new and creative opportunities. This area has extensive crossover and supports all departments across the agency and works directly with advertising agencies and brands.

Playlist & Streaming Marketing Manager (UMG)

Job summary: Your role will include being responsible for content decisions by crunching large data sets, analyzing the results, and gaining insight across Label Relations, Artist Services, Licensing and Content Operations within the group. It is a role that requires strong communication skills across the various central, territory teams at USM as well as other parts of the UMG business. Streaming and subscription based music models now account for one third of our catalogue revenues and it is growing. We are focused on providing the right music for every moment. We connect vast numbers of people to their favorite songs and created a service that people use to discover and share music they love. Your insights & recommendations will ensure that we can execute initiatives that will help drive our KPI’s to success.

Customer Marketing Manager (Bloomfield Hills, MI)

Job summary: The Customer Marketing Manager is an individual contributor role, and part of a cross-functional team assigned to support automotive car manufacturer (OEM) customers.  Utilizing knowledge of Bose Corporation’s “Essence and Values” together with Divisional and customer team strategic objectives, the Marketing Manager will represent Bose to customers in North America.  The Marketing Manager has responsibilities that include supporting business development initiatives, defining & leveraging market intelligence in the pursuit of new business development opportunities, leading vehicle program launches, and supporting customer relationships management activities.  Travel expected is around 25%

Director Music (Paramount – Hollywood, CA) 

Job summary: Support the President of Music with all day-to-day operational needs.  The primary focus will be on Television programing. Responsibilities to include, but not limited to:

  • Interact with talent to ensure that all music needs are met from pre-production thru post-production
  • Supply ideas before principle photography
  • Work on pre-records for on-camera scenes
  • Provide replacement options in post-production to ensure we meet our budget
  • Secure necessary filmmaker/TV executives’ approvalsInterface with TV Development, Production,  & Post-Production executives to service general music needs
  • Ensure elements are at the correct destination to make key deadlines
  • Ensure continuity between production & promotional activitiesSecure necessary paramount approvalsFunction as an in house “music supervisor”
  • Breakdown scripts in the creation of music budgets

Senior Manager of Live Operations (TuneIn – San Francisco) 

Job summary: TuneIn is seeking a Senior Manager for our Live Operations team. You should have a strong background in building and scaling operational process, managing cross-department communication, and a vested interest in providing the best interaction with TuneIn for our users and partners.   Live Operations at TuneIn includes two main disciplines: user/broadcaster support and product operations within our application. Live Operations is a new, heavily user-focused initiative at TuneIn; you’re basically responsible for ensuring our user and broadcaster happiness from end to end.  This includes using tools like content featuring, editorial highlights, push notifications, and live event scheduling as part of product operations to deliver the world’s best listening experiences; on the flip side you’re our first line of defense ensuring our customer’s problems are heard, triaged, escalated, and resolved in a timely and efficient manner.  

Audio Designer (2K Games – Baltimore, MD) 

Job summary: Firaxis Games is looking for an exceptionally skilled Audio Designer to help take our games to the next level. As an Audio Designer you will work closely with the Project Art Director, Lead UI Designer, Lead Producer, and Lead Designer to create compelling and original audio experiences for our games. We’re looking for someone who is excited about contributing to our unique and popular franchises and is eager to work with our experienced and award winning audio team and development teams.

Production Manager (Cleveland Institute Of Music) 

Job summary: The Cleveland Institute of Music is seeking a highly organized and self motivated person to serve as full-time Production Manager responsible for CIM performances and special events on and off campus. In addition, the Production Manager is responsible for production support of all non-CIM events which take place in CIM’s facilities as appropriate.

Account Manager (SoundExchange – Washington D.C.) 

Job summary: The Account Manager, as part of the Account Services Department, processes incoming registrations and supplemental documents by creating new accounts and making updates to existing accounts. The Account Manager is also responsible for the initial assignment of royalties to the accounts they create and for providing excellent customer service to their clients. The Account Manager is expected to accomplish these duties in an efficient and accurate manner to provide clients with timely service and maximized pay-through rates.

Marketing Coordinator (Guitar Center – Frederick, Maryland)

Job summary: The Project Specialist will assist in the financial management of the marketing departmental budget; in the implementation of the national and regional events; and in the execution of marketing initiatives. This person is responsible for maintaining and updating the marketing budget database with the applicable expenditures. This person is responsible for coordinating logistics, securing our registration to national conventions exhibits, and managing vendor relations. This person also assists in the execution of marketing initiatives for these events. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Program Director (iHeartMedia – Madison, AL)

Job summary: Leads all aspects of radio station’s on-air experience in a leadership and operations role, responsible for talent, content, programming, and online presence.

On-Air Talent (Townsquare Media – Tuscaloosa, AL)

Job summary: Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa, AL includes well-known brands like B101.7, 95.3 The Bear, Tide 99.1, and 92.9 WTUG. Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa, AL has a rare opportunity to join our on-air lineup. If you have an outgoing personality and enjoy entertaining we want to talk with you! Applicants must be social media savvy, regularly contribute content to the station’s website and YouTube channel, and the successful candidate must be able to connect and engage with the station’s target audience by keeping up with relevant trends and pop culture. This person wants to be in Tuscaloosa, and is eager to build relationships and value in our community. This person also wants to be a part of a successful and growing radio company who highly values our brands, our talent and our family of employees. We take great pride in winning with radio, digital and live events.

Administrator, Call Center Operations (BMI – Nashville)

Job summary: Responsible for the daily administration of the call center technology, planning and implementing call center and workforce strategies and improving systems and processes. Essential Functions:

  • Maintains and improves call center operations by monitoring system performance, identifying and resolving problems, and providing call and agent audits/analysis.
  • Assists in managing a blended call environment; including, but not limited to, creating and loading campaign lists, managing system performance, user set-ups, creating IVR’s, and monitoring adherence to pre-set call center parameters.
  • As directed, works in conjunction with the department leadership and IT to limit dialer down time; perform system restarts and testing following an outage, planned or not, system upgrade or any other dialer affiliated system need.
  • Supports monthly and daily workforce and contact center forecasting.

93.1 JACK FM Promotions Assistant (CBS Radio – Los Angeles)

Job summary: Are you pursuing a career in Communications, Media, and/or Marketing? JACK is looking for reliable, hard-working, outgoing, creative individuals to join the JACK Promotions Department. Responsibilities include assisting with the daily operations of the JACK Promotions department including, but not limited to:

  • Planning and organizing events
  • Contest fulfillment
  • Listener interaction
  • Website development
  • Driving station vehicles
  • On-site execution
  • General office duties

Senior Sales Associate (Guitar Center – Orlando, FL)

Job summary: Retail Sales Associates are responsible for consistently achieving individual sales goals to support the store’’s sales and profit objectives, while providing superior customer service. Major responsibilities of the position are listed below. To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to execute each essential duty satisfactorily. Other duties, assignments and specific projects may be assigned at the discretion of management. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Sr. Manager, Subscriptions (Pandora – Oakland)

Job summary: Pandora is looking for a Sr. Manager within the Subscription team to help lead the business strategy across internal Marketing and Product teams and our external channel partners. This analytical all-star will report to the Vice President of Subscription and be at the forefront of Pandora’s exciting new Subscription growth strategy.

Artist Management Assistant (Ineffable Music Group – Emeryville, CA)

Job summary: Ineffable Music is looking for a detail oriented, organized artist management assistant whose work ethic matches their love of music. We are a small company with a start up vibe and a family atmosphere. We are looking for a team player and out of the box thinker, who is ready to grow and innovate.

Director of Fund Development (Motown Museum – Detroit)

Job summary: Under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Director of Fund Development will cultivate and solicit private contributions and investment to the Motown Museum from annual fund giving, major and principal gifts, either outright or through deferred giving, effective donor stewardship, membership and event management.The ideal candidate will have at least five years successful fundraising experience and an aptitude to lead a development team through strategic, visionary leadership. The successful professional will be a creative, enthusiastic team member with the ability to clearly communicate the mission and values of the Motown Museum. Professionals who would be fulfilled by working for a dynamic organization that is passionate about preserving and growing the iconic Motown brand should consider a career at The Motown Museum.

Account Executive – Music Licensing (Los Angeles)

Job summary: The Account Executive is responsible for increasing revenue and market share by effectively managing relationships, developing new business opportunities, and increasing music licensing with clients and prospects within television and film markets. Individuals will have the support of sales and account coordinators to provide full service infrastructure.

Copyright Analyst (Sony/Columbia – NYC)

Job summary: The Columbia/Epic Analyst will work as part of the Copyright team at Sony Music to ensure that the wide range of copyright issues related to products released by the Columbia, Epic and other labels as required are addressed in an effective and timely manner. The Analyst will be responsible for assigned releases, coordinating with several parties inside and outside of SME to obtain and properly assess the information necessary to clear rights with publishers and pay them accordingly as required.

Office Manager (Loove Music – Brooklyn)

Job summary: Brooklyn based startup building a new fair-trade marketplace for media projects seeks an articulate and organized Office Manager to support a range of office activities. The Office Manager will be a driving force in keeping our office running and will be asked to be in charge of an ever changing range of projects. The candidate should be proactive, observant, detail-oriented and demonstrate a spirit of thoughtful accountability and leadership that matches our energetic, fast-moving developing business.

Business Development Manager (Redwood City)

Job summary: Shazam is looking for a Business Development Manager to come and weave some magic across the media and technology world. If you have a proven track record in sales and/or account management, great people skills and a passion for making great things deals happen with Shazam and partners, come and talk to us.To thrive in this role, you will love variety, work independently, communicate well and be super organized. 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, negotiate and execute new business within a range of exciting new sectors.

Programming Manager (Kimmel Center – Philadelphia)

Job summary: The Programming Manager is responsible for booking and/or producing shows, events, and programs that meet the organization’s artistic, financial, and audience goals within the venues on the campus of the Kimmel Center of the Performing Arts. This position will also work with the Artistic Director on booking and/or producing free programming, family shows, the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, among others. The Programming Manager assists with all department functions and management of department budgets.

Manager, Business Intelligence (ASCAP – NYC)

Job summary: As a key member of Data Strategy you will collaborate with product, strategy, data science and data visualization teams to build innovative products and capabilities. Reporting to the Director of Business Intelligence you will be a data analytics thought-leader in designing and developing innovative analysis that will allow internal users to make data-driven decisions faster than ever before. The Manager of Business Intelligence will also present highly technical analyses and recommendations to senior executives.

Sr Label Relations Manager (Amazon – Seattle)

Job summary: Amazon Music is fast becoming one of the major global players in digital music. We are changing the way customer enjoy music through Amazon Prime. This team is responsible for innovating on the content in the service and managing strong relationships with our external Music partners. As a Sr. Label Relations Manager, you will partner with our key label partners to provide the best music experience for our customers. Label Relations own the existing music relationships, drive collaborative efforts internally and externally around content launches, events, and promotions, and negotiate business terms to drive healthy margins. Label Relations Managers work closely with Marketing, Merchandising, Content Acquisition, Operations, and International teams.

Categories
News

A Conference for Music Bloggers: Could it Work?

As many of you know, we here at Haulix spend a lot of time and money every year making appearances at music festivals and conferences, as well as a number of college campuses across the nation. We do this both to raise awareness for our work behind-the-scenes of the industry and to help aspiring music professionals find their own paths to success. Our experiences up to this point have been nothing short of life-affirming, and with each new event we find another reason to believe in the future of the entertainment business.

After three years of working to build a reputation on the industry speaking circuit we have found one area of the industry that is almost completely overlooked in the world of conferences: Journalism. Whether you’re a music blogger working for free from the comfort of their parents’ house or a paid contributor to Rolling Stone, finding a panel or event that caters specifically to your work and interests is almost impossible in 2016. There were less than three journalism related panels at SXSW this year, and that event is considered to be the largest annual industry gathering in the world. Smaller conferences often only have one, if any, panels or events built around the world of journalism. 

Our big question is: Why? Artists depends on writers to help expose their work to potential new fans, just like labels rely on writers to help maintain brand awareness. Writers rely on both of those groups in order to develop their publications, and they often attend conferences or festivals to help those events get more recognition on a national/international level, so why are they so underserved? 

We continue to pitch panels on writing and the relationship writing has with music promotion to any event or school willing to hear us out, but we have come to the conclusion that the best course of action may be to give bloggers/journalists/writers of all varieties an event of their own. A blogger conference, if you will, where the topics of ethics, monetization, industry growth, career development, artist relations, and more can be discussed at length by writers for writers.

Here’s the problem: Conferences are expensive and they require months of planning, not to mention sponsorship dollars, in order to make a reality. On top of this, we would have to convince people to come. We are passionate about the idea of such an event existing, but we fear wasting a year of our lives on a project that only interests us and the circle of industry friends we have surrounded ourselves with over the years. Something like this requires the interest of thousands with the hopes that hundreds end up participating. 

So we have to ask – Do you think a blogger conference is a good idea?

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