Christmas is right around the corner, and with it comes a unique opportunity to show your appreciation for fan support that happens only once a year. Your fans, like those you look to please with your holidays shopping list, deserve to be reminded of just how much their continued faith in you matters. We don’t suggest attempting to buy every single person who supports you work a gift, though you absolutely could if money and time allows, but we do believe there are several ways musicians can express their gratitude that will resonate with fans for months and years to come.
1. Free Music
There is an old adage about the easiest course in life often being the most obvious one, and that is very much the case with this suggestion. Your fans support you all year long in hopes that you will both come to their town and continue to release music that touches their lives. Though you are unable to be everywhere at once on Christmas, you can make your music available for anyone who has yet to add it to their personal collection. Whether you choose to make a song, album, or even your entire catalog available as a free download, you should see a rise in engagement as a result. People who have been waiting to buy your album when they see you live won’t be able to resist the free download, and there is a high likelihood they will recommend your friends take advantage of the offer as well.
2. Record and release a holiday cover (maybe give it away as well)
The world has heard countless covers of holiday classics, but the world has yet to hear your take on famous seasonal staples, and that is why you can still use them to give back to fans this Christmas. I know my favorite Christmas covers are those performed by my favorite bands, and I’m willing to bet the same can be said for most music fans. Record a holiday cover, be it in a studio or in your own home, and share it with fans in the days leading up to December 25. You can even take things one step further and ask fans about their favorite holiday songs in advance, that way your cover will have an even higher likelihood of being shared by your followers.
3. Surprise your fans with free stuff (no contest necessary)
Everyone is thinking of others during the holiday season, or at least they should be, so many fans may not have money to buy the limited edition winter merch items you have available in your online store. To show fans you understand their dilemma, consider offering a give away where you send a prize pack including numerous merch items, as well as items not available in your store (handwritten lyrics, drum head, etc) to one lucky fan. Don’t make it a contest and don’t ask for contact information in exchange for consideration. Simply pick a fan, or four, and send them a present. With any luck, the fan(s) will share their surprise with the world, and you will earn brownie points for being one of the more thoughtful artists in music today.
4. Stream an acoustic performance from your home/studio/van/bus/basement
There are few things music fans love more than seeing their favorite artists playing bare-boned versions of their favorite songs. Since there is no way everyone who follows you could attend a single performance, especially one planned close to Christmas, make the event special by broadcasting your set on one or more of the popular live streaming services that have risen to prominence over the last year. If those services require you to charge consumers, like with StageIt, then you should also consider giving all the money earned to charity. This way, fans feel like they are giving back by tuning in, and you walk away having established yourself as an artists who hasn’t lost sight of the problems that exist outside your immediate surroundings. Win-Win.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine, host of the Inside Music podcast, and a 10-year entertainment writing veteran. You should probably follow him on Twitter.
We all know Facebook does not help artists reach their audience as well as it once did, and we know how frustrating that fact has become for everyone who cars about music. Talent cannot get their news to the people who care to read it and fans cannot find the latest information on their favorite acts without going to each of their pages one at a time (or across multiple tabs). It’s a broken system that seems to care less and less about how we feel it should operate as time moves on.
You cannot change Mark Zuckerberg’s mind anymore than I can, so you have probably researched tips and tricks that claim to help increase reach. While some of these methods may in fact help, many others do not, and a few even make you look like a fool for trying to use them. To describe everything you should avoid would take far too long, but here are four simple tips to ensure you and/or your band do not appear desperate for attention on the world’s largest social media platform:
1. Don’t ‘Like’ your own posts (if you already do, stop)
While it is largely true that any amount of engagement on a post increases its potential reach there is nothing that can be accomplished by liking your own post. Your message will not reach more people because you, the author, thinks it’s good. Facebook’s current algorithm is smart enough to recognize when pages try to game the system by engaging with their own content and it filters out such efforts when calculating reach.
Nobody needs to see that Band XYZ approves of the latest post from Band XYZ. That’s the digital equivalent of giving yourself a high-5 and you’re better than that.
2. Don’t tag people, brands, or other bands in your posts if they have nothing to do with the content of that post.
There are circumstances when you may need to tag someone in a post, such as when discussing a content or tour package, but it is incredibly important that you limit your tags to instances when they are absolutely necessary. Nothing frustrates me more than seeing some up and coming act tag me in a video, status, or photo just because they want me to look at whatever thing they have added to their profile. Such tricks may lead to a rise in clicks, but it certainly won’t win you any new fans.
3. Don’t post photos of people without their permission
It’s great that you love the promoter of the show you played last night, but that doesn’t mean you should share that persons name and photo with everyone who has given you a ‘Like’ via Facebook. People by and large prefer to keep their personal life private, so before you rush to post photos of people other than band members on your profile it would be wise to ask for permission. Some may not care what you do with their image, but others will. You don’t know anyone else’s situation in life.
Don’t expose people unless they agree to be exposed. It’s that simple.
4. Don’t beg for engagement.
People hate when you assume they are stupid, so don’t be the artist who foolishly asks their fans for engagement. You are not the only person who understands how social media works. Everyone knows that posts people engage with gets more exposure, which is why everyone who has a social media account constantly engages with the people, products, bands, and brands they love. Their engagement is an act of promotion, and begging for people to help you in a situation where you know they would typically do it without being asked as long as the content was good is just bad marketing. The more you look like you’re desperate for attention the less likely you are to get it.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine, host of the Inside Music podcast, and a 10-year entertainment writing veteran. If you enjoyed this post and wish to see more of James’ work we recommend following him on Twitter.
I feel like musicals are one area of music that receives a great deal of hate and disrespect for no legitimate reason whatsoever. There are random hits every now and then, like Hamilton, but the vast majority of musicals are lucky if they receive one-tenth of the praise and recognition given to Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway show.
Why is this? I swear to you I have spent many sleepless nights pondering how so many can feels such a close connection to the world of musicals while so many more feel utter disdain when even the idea of such creative endeavors is mention and have come to no conclusions that feel worthy of mention here. It seems you’re either born into a world where musicals are viewed as legitimate works of art capable of conveying a great amount of story and detail through song or you’re brought up not thinking about them at all. There is very little middle ground, and if for some reason you feel you are one of those on the fence I hope this week you will give musicals, as well as musical theaters, another chance because it is probably the most incredible form of musical expression possible.
Last week I had the opportunity to attend an early press screening for Damien Chazelle’s latest film, La La Land. Set against a brilliantly imagined and ever-so-slightly different Los Angeles, the film follows two hopeless romantics (Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling) who meet just as they are both beginning to worry that their dreams will always be out of reach. The pair finds the strength to keep going in one another, but as they begin to find success in their individual endeavors their relationship is put to the ultimate test.
La La Land is a musical, but not in the classic sense. There are a handful of song and dance numbers, including an elaborate performance on a crowded freeway, but the majority of the musical moments don’t involve singing at all. Instead, the people on screen express themselves through movement, which can sometimes bend reality. It’s the kind of thing you either go with from the beginning or hate altogether and I, for one, went all in with a smile on my
The film asks two very important questions: If love is all we need to achieve our goals, then is giving up our goals in order to preserve our connection to love the smart choice? If achieving our goals means losing love, then what is the point of having those goals?
I could spend several hundred words discussing how the film does and does not answer these questions, but to do so would be to rob you of the incredibly unique experience of seeing it done firsthand without any idea what comes next. There is a feeling inherent in all musicals that anything could happen at any moment. Maybe people will stand up and sing in a diner, or maybe they will take a long hard look at their life while singing to themselves in front of a mirror. The presence of song isn’t always necessary, but it does allow for deep emotions and complex feelings to be put on display in a way that is fairly easy for most people to understand.
Expressing the human experience through song is a tradition as old as time itself. As long as we have had music there have been people working to relay their experiences on this planet to others through song, and musicals are simply the latest evolution of that experience. I would argue now is perhaps the best time to be a fan of musicals since the Golden Age of Hollywood came to an end in the early 1960s, and there is a chance it will be even better in the years to come. La La Land is just one great example of how the genre is still able to encapsulate the feeling of being human like no other medium, but there are many recent releases to choose from. Sing Street, which was released in mid-2016, accomplishes a similar feat while playing to those who have never lost their love of the 1980s. Check it out:
Looks pretty good, right? The movie is actually great, and again it’s just one of many recent musicals to be made available to audiences around the globe.
This week, take a break from your Spotify playlists and give a few cast recordings your time instead. I don’t care if you pick a serious show or something silly, just make time to lose yourself in a world of song that is similar, but ultimately far more free than our own. Your soul will thank you.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine and host of the Inside Music podcast. You should follow him on Twitter.
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’re seeking an outstanding Conversion Campaign Associate to help us accelerate our global subscriber growth.The Conversion Campaign Associate will support our Conversion Team by project managing our world-class marketing campaigns. Your team’s key success metric is the growth of our subscriber base, ensuring that each campaign we ship delivers more subscribers at a higher conversion rate than ever before. We are seeking someone collaborative, nimble and very detail-oriented to work cross-functionally on the delivery of emails, ads, and other marketing materials.
Job summary: The primary focus of the position is artist development. In other words, to create and execute proper, compelling marketing/digital timelines to sustainably grow artists in the creative and business arenas. This includes, but is not limited to, creating content, developing websites and social media accounts, shooting music videos, building online communities, leveraging social media and other digital marketing channels to drive those communities, graphic design (for singles, EPs and LPs), shooting photos, networking with blogs and other third parties, designing and creating promotional materials, executing ad campaigns, branding, media training, commissioning remixes, setting up studio time, and much more.This position will be responsible for their own roster of artists and should have excellent communication skills. The right candidate understands, respects and loves music, marketing, promotion, as well as the challenges and complexities of the contemporary marketplace – music or otherwise. This person must be able to work in groups, as well as independently, excel under strict deadlines, multi-task, and properly prioritize.
Job summary: For more than a century, New York City’s Carnegie Hall has set the international standard for excellence in performance. Its walls have echoed with applause for the world’s outstanding classical music artists, as they have for the greatest popular musicians and many prominent dancers, authors, social crusaders, and world figures who have appeared on its stages. Today, the venue remains a preeminent concert hall and a vital, active cultural destination for performers and audiences. In this unique role, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) leads and sets the marketing strategy across the institution. The CMO is responsible for the consistency and effectiveness of the message delivered to different constituent audiences through marketing materials, and furthering the Carnegie Hall identity through positioning in the marketplace, strategic licensing and, audience development and outreach. The Chief Marketing Officer has supervisory responsibility for Marketing, Creative Services, Ticket Services (including CarnegieCharge, Box office, Subscriptions Services, Group Sales and Patron Desk) and Digital Content and Engagement, all of which are departments that function as resources for the whole of Carnegie Hall.
Job summary: The Marketing Coordinator supports the brand activities for Heid Music. Responsibilities include preparing printed, electronic, and social media collateral to support events and promotional activities. This position will also analyze digital and social media performance and make optimizations within to ensure best performance. The Marketing Coordinator is also involved in developing social media strategies, project plans, and campaigns that build audience engagement. Qualified candidates will have an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or a Business related field. One or more years of related marketing experience is required along with digital marketing expertise. Previous retail sales experience and knowledge of music is preferred.
Job summary: Looking for a personal/administrative assistant to the owner of an artist management company. This role requires exceptional attention to detail, excellent organizational and analytical skills, and most importantly, the ability to prioritize and multi-task under extreme pressure in a fast-paced environment. A high degree of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information, and professionalism in dealing with manager’s business as well as personal contacts is essential.Seeking someone who is always “one step ahead” and can handle a full slate of projects and maintain organization at all times.
Job summary: The Curation team is seeking music metadata specialists to ensure that the information in Pandora’s rapidly growing music library remains curated, consistent, and aligned to our standards. The ideal candidate will be capable writing and validating metadata at fast pace, have an exceptional eye for detail, and enjoy working collaboratively with people on Pandora’s Curation and Content Operations teams. Your mission in this role will be to validate and edit large volumes of music metadata as it’s imported into Pandora’s curated library with 100% precision. This will include verifying track and album level descriptive metadata, doing self-directed research as needed, and integrating information between spreadsheet application and Pandora’s internal content management system.
Job summary: The Festival Selection Advisor – Inside Sales (FSA) is responsible for generating new accounts to participate in our adjudicated music festivals. These new accounts are developed via telephone, contacting High School Band Directors, Orchestra Teachers and Choral Leaders. In addition to establishing new accounts, the FSA is responsible for the growth and rebooking of their existing accounts. During Festival Season, the FSA will travel and participate in the execution of OnStage Heritage Festivals events. WorldStrides OnStage provides our FSAs a proven selling system which ensures success while continually improving professional skills.
Job summary: The Music Assistant wears many different hats within the Current. This position organizes and maintains the music databases used by The Current. For Local Current, the Music Assistant manages the music library and Local Current database, completes rotations, programs and mixes music for voice tracking, and hosts a regular Local Current shift. The Music Assistant assists the hosts of the Duluth Local Show and H2. This position is involved in many tasks supporting the broadcast and non-broadcast activities of 89.3 The Current.
Job summary: Responsible for ensuring the success of show and event productions by performing the technical aspects related to the show(s) production. Assist in all aspects of stage operations, assist in all on-site A/V operations. While providing excellent professional service
Job summary: Do your friends and colleagues know that if they put you in charge of an event, it will come off without a hitch, on-time, and on-budget?Do you have a “roll-with-the-punches” attitude and don’t get flustered no matter what the day brings?Do you have experience dealing with big personalities?Do you love working behind the scenes, helping others be successful, keeping tracking track of large amounts of details and varied tasks?If so, consider this position as a Manager of Marketing Events. We are looking for the just the right person to manage the planning and execution of events which support the marketing strategy for Sony Music Nashville artists. In addition, you will support the marketing team with key tasks on artist projects.
Job summary: This person will work collaboratively across Apple Music, iTunes, and Apple News marketing, business, label relations, legal, and engineering teams. They will be responsible for leading and producing high-profile projects with a focus on collaborating across the various internal cross-functional teams. This person will see projects through from concept to execution, and make sure every team understands the role they play and the expected timelines and deliverables. The person in this role must continually be collaborating across teams to be the definitive point person on all projects. Experience working cross-functionally and under demanding (and constantly shifting) deadlines is a must. This position requires someone who has a drive and passion for their work, as well as a track record of leading, taking responsibility, solving problems, and thriving in a high-pressure team environment. This producer will join a seasoned and established team of Producers who work across Apple Music + iTunes Production functional teams (Creative, Editorial, UI, Programming, Localization, Engineering, and Original Content) to lead, develop, and execute projects from inception to completion.
Job summary: We are looking for an outstanding Ad Sales Account Director to join our team in Chicago. 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: The Accounting Manager is responsible for all areas relating to financial reporting. This position will be responsible for developing and maintaining accounting principles, practices and procedures to ensure accurate and timely financial statements. This position addresses tight deadlines and a multitude of accounting activities including general ledger preparation, financial reporting, year-end audit preparation and the support of budget and forecast activities. He/She establishes financial status by developing and implementing systems for collecting, analyzing, verifying, and reporting financial information; managing staff. The successful candidate for this position will report directly to our Director, Finance and play an instrumental role in the financial future of the company.
Job summary: Seeking an engaged and proactive individual to provide effective administrative and organizational support to the Vice President, Marketing & Communications, and assist with general marketing functions as needed by other Marketing directors and managers.
Job summary: VICE Media is seeking a Creative to work in our Brooklyn, NY Office with a strong copywriting background to be responsible for developing ideas for video show franchises, events, media properties and 360 programs that we can partner with brands to create. This particular Creative role will interact with many departments of the company (marketing, sales, design, production, and others) but will focus on working with VICE’s in-house agency, Virtue Worldwide. They will assist in creative development and overseeing execution of integrated projects from concept to production. We are looking for a creative hybrid with various backgrounds and specific deep interests in youth culture and music, with a focus on electronic/dance music.
Job summary: Amazon Music is looking for a creative and organized copywriter to craft homepage, email, and other editorial copy, as well create, write, record, and post content for all Amazon Music social platforms. The copywriter will collaborate with leaders across Amazon Music’s editorial, engagement, marketing and label relations teams to conceive and execute thoughtful, innovative, on-brand copy for our homepage, emails, and all social platforms.
Job summary: As Manager, Music Publishing Business Development, you will build and maintain strategic relationships with our music publishing partners, including leading negotiation on complex licensing and partnership agreements, managing existing publisher partnerships, launching new relationships, driving new business opportunities, resolving business issues, and analyzing and tracking key metrics to identify trends. You are as comfortable negotiating complex licensing agreements as working cross-functionally with colleagues across multiple disciplines to ensure our music partners are positioned for success and our users enjoy the best experience possible.
Job summary: This position will provide support and sales assistance to Local Sponsorship Sales, overseeing the fulfillment of local, regional, and national accounts by ensuring the delivery of contractual elements and providing excellent customer service. Coordinators will also be responsible for managing all sponsorship inventories.
Job summary: The Coordinator will provide day-to-day administrative support to the Senior VP and Executive Director, A&R and Music Publishing, and others A&R executives as necessary, which duties may include, but are not limited to: Answering and screening calls, maintaining calendar, scheduling meetings and travel arrangements, assisting in the preparation of meetings and presentations, preparing expense reports and supporting other departmental executives as necessary.
Job summary: We are a Brooklyn based music startup, studio and production space. We’re building an app that will offer cultural institutions and artists a new set of tools for the distribution of good music. As one of those cultural institutions, we are also launching a label of our own. 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 Amazon Digital Music team is looking for a motivated, customer-obsessed, analytical marketer to drive adoption and engagement for Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music, worldwide music streaming services. As an Outbound Marketing Specialist, you will be expected to work with marketing managers on the development, execution and analysis of adoption and engagement marketing programs across outbound marketing channels, including email, push messaging, in-product messaging, and more. You will work closely with Marketing Managers on implementation of best-in-class customer experience, to create effective marketing communication vehicles, and to use them to drive engagement for Amazon Music Unlimited and adoption and engagement for Prime Music. This role is responsible for working in a team to get lots of people to listen, and keep listening, to great music.
The ideal candidate will be able to execute at a high level and capacity (executing and reporting on campaigns with merchandising and marketing tools, and analyzing customer engagement data). The Outbound Marketing Specialist should be passionate about the customer and must have proven analytical capability, project management skills, and the ability to multi-task and thrive in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will be able to automate and scale to drive personalized, contextual, and relevant messages to customers. This role must operate from a company-wide perspective and lead cross-functional and cross-business projects.
Job summary: As a music content consultant ZEDGE you will have a chance to drastically raise the profile of sound engineers, artists and musicians who are doing awesome work. ZEDGE has an audience of over 30 million monthly active users who are all looking for the newest, coolest music in the form of ringtones, notification sounds, and entertaining audio content in all formats.
Your days will consist in building a network of new audio content creators and getting their awesome, high-quality content onto the ZEDGE platform. You will identify artists that can create awesome phone sounds for Zedgers. You will also apply your own market intelligence and pop culture savvy to get ahead of trends.
Job summary: TIDAL is looking for an organized coordinator to help manage key company initiatives, which include exclusive TIDAL X events, live-streams, live performances, artist relations, content and partner growth strategies, and original content creation. Programs are multi-faceted in nature and require cross-functional coordination. Ideal candidates will present the ability to breakdown work packages, assess level of effort, and choreograph a subsequent plan of attack. Coordinators are required to make crucial decisions, often under pressure, and therefore must exemplify a solutions-first approach. They are extremely organized, passionate about process, advocate for great ideas, and seek flawless delivery from start-to-finish.
Job summary: The Music Licensing Manager will be responsible for winning new clients, developing existing relationships and long-term growth of license sales within his/her regional assignment on the west coast. Working from our DTLA office, the role will focus primarily on ad agencies and branded content creators alongside continued support to the wider local and global teams with sales strategy, music pipeline, and marketing to a new sector of business.
Job summary: We are looking for an outside sales professional who is excited by the prospect of closing new business to business (B2B) accounts on the first visit. The Regional Account Manager is the key onsite follow up / “closer” to our phone and internet campaigns. This individual can effectively communicate the benefits of the ASCAP license – which allows music users to perform music legally under the requirements of the US Copyright Law. Candidates who exhibit the most success in this position can “visualize” the close before stepping through the door and enjoy overcoming objections on the way to the close.
Bravado is currently looking for a Brand Manager who will work with the unique needs and challenges of our clients to deliver full service, on or off-site marketing support in a variety of categories including strategic planning, sales, finance, insights, operations, innovation, product management, and creative development.
Job summary: The Shop develops, executes and/or coordinates the marketing, digital marketing, art/design, video content, touring/performance, artist development, publicity, brand, sales/promotion, specialty radio and – in some cases A&R – strategies for our unique roster. Provide administrative support for The Shop and VP, Video Production. Assist with overall marketing strategy and digital marketing (website and social media management) for roster. In short, the job is a mixture of administration, traditional marketing, as well as digital strategy.
There are many ways to get attention for your band, but regardless of what tips and tricks you may have picked up throughout your experience in music there is nothing that can impact your career like a great hook or brilliant melody. This is not a theory or a thought, but rather proven fact that has worked for artists trying to make it in every corner of the music business. Everything else that follows, from touring to merchandise, must take a back seat to songwriting.
All that aside, artists still need to make money. Music sales have dipped across the board over the last decade, and with streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music on the rise it seems like the amount of money most artists see from their new releases will continue to dwindle for the foreseeable future. Great music still sells, yes, but only a fool would rely solely on the strength of their music sales to support themselves in the entertainment business. Merchandising beyond albums and singles is an absolute must in today’s music business, and the one item every artist can use to generate income while trying to craft that perfect song is a t-shirt. There are a billion ways to customize shirts, some far more expensive than others, but by considering the following tips you can keep costs low while furthering your marketing
SUPER BASIC TIPS:
Two-sided designs costs more than those with a design appearing on either the back or front.
Shirts requiring the use of many inks (colors) will cost more than those created using a single ink.
Dark fabric often costs more than light fabric because more layers of ink must be applied in order for the design to stick
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Large designs can make a big impact
Why incur the cost of creating a two-sided shirt design when you can make a bigger, more cost effective impact with a large, single side design. The vast majority of printers charge the same rate for a design measuring 3”x5” as they do for those measuring 12”x12”. That said, not everyone is a fan of big designs, so it would be wise to check with your fan base prior to moving forward with any design.
Stop printing on both sides
The occasional two-sided shirt design can be cool, but trying to cover both sides of every shirt you create will only raise the overall cost of merchandising. Using the knowledge you gained from the tip above regarding design sizes, artists should think twice before incurring a potentially unnecessary extra expense.
Use fewer ink colors
Fans of alternative and punk music have been one of the leading forces behind a recent trend toward more color-heavy shirts. Bands like A Day To Remember and Asking Alexandria have found great success with shirts featuring cartoonish designs and many bright colors. Similar branding efforts may work for smaller artists as well, but those musicians should first consider the additional costs incurred from use of multiple inks. The number rises with each color, and unless artists plan on ordering a large quantity of shirts up front (500+) the up front cost may be more than some are willing to pay for a few extra color. Our advice is this: Keep it simple. Try and use one color whenever possible unless you know the idea you have is going to be a hit with listeners.
Order larger quantities of shirts
We touched on this a bit in the tip above, but one way musicians can lower the cost of their merchandise is to increase the number of shirts they order at one time. The price due up front will increase, but the cost per unit will drop, which in turn raises the revenue potential for your order. 100 shirts are better than 50, but 500 shirts at a time would be an ideal place to start. Of course, if you don’t have an engaged audience large enough to support such an order then you should keep things small.
Consider offering shirts for a limited time only
One way to cut out essentially all costs from merchandise orders is to create the exact number of items needed. Most print shops will tell you the per unit cost on whatever design you wish to print, as well as the number of units you must purchase in order to lower that cost. With this information in hand, artists can launch shirt designs that are available for a limited time as pre-sale only items. Once the purchasing period ends, artists can order the exact amount of shirts needed without having to make any investments out of pocket.
Think twice about upgrading your shirt choose to a fashion brand
One determining factor in how well your merchandise will sell is how comfortable that item is perceived to be. There was a time not that long ago when artists with shirts printed on any type of fabric would sell, but in an age where brands like American Apparel exist this is no longer the case. There is demand for high quality fabric, and if you meet that demand you will give listeners another reason to consider purchasing your
November is here, which means the Christmas shopping season is officially underway. There may still be a few weeks before Thanksgiving, but that shouldn’t stop you from preparing for what could be the most profitable period for online sales you experience all year. Black Friday happens on November 27, and today we’ve prepared a series of tips to ensure your holiday sales happen without issue. Some will seem obvious, but no point should be overlooked. Every step outlined below will help streamline your business, improve shipping speed, and – if you’re lucky – bring in a few additional customers.
Check your inventory. Twice (just like Santa).
Your goal with holiday sales should be to liquidate as much of the merchandise you have in stock as possible while still making a healthy profit on each product sold. Before you can do this to the best of your abilities you need to know what you have available, and how much of it is in stock. Running out of something during your holiday sale will cause headaches for everyone, and that goes double if you run out of something because you forgot to check your inventory prior to launching your sale. The back and forth required to straighten out orders that cannot be fulfilled may cause you to lose future sales, as well as those you are forced to cancel. Prevent this mess from ever happening and do inventory first. Do it twice, in fact, and ask someone else to check your work.
Promote your entire sale, as well as individual items.
You want people to use your discounts to buy more than they usually would, but often those attempting to promote a store-wide sale forget the impact that promoting key items one at a time can have on consumers. You should still mention store-wide discounts, of course, but you should also make room to highlight individual items. If you’re offering 25% off everything online, you should promote the sale as how it impacts items like shirts or vinyl. Create images for Instagram and other networks that highlight how the discount impacts the cost of single items, that way people can more easily understand what a great deal you are giving them. Likewise, you can use Twitter to promote various items and their price after discounts throughout the holiday weekend.
Speaking of promotion, think about paying for it.
I’m about to say something most artists hate to hear: Paying for promoted posts on Facebook and Twitter can have a positive impact on your reach, as well as your overall sales. It would be wonderful if this were not the case, and that those who could not afford paid promotion on social networks saw their sales work just as well, but years of research has made it clear that is not the case. Thankfully, the cost of entry into paid promotions is low. For as little as five dollars you can have a guaranteed reach to hundreds, if not thousands of people who have previously enjoyed your music enough to give you a Like/Follow online. Whether or not they take advantage of the message being conveyed will depend on how you choose to present yourself, but at least you know your efforts are reaching those who are most likely to jump on them.
Create specific Twitter search streams for particular items you sell.
This one is a bit more time-consuming than other tips, but it can help you bring in a lot of new consumers who may have otherwise not checked your store. There are numerous tools that allow you to create and save Twitter search streams. Find one you like and use it to track people tweeting about shopping/looking for things like ‘new vinyl’ or ‘cool band t-shirts.’ It’s likely these people already have an artist or genre in mind when they send these messages, but you can still reply with links to your store and music. If they don’t respond, oh well. If they do, you’ve got a potential new consumer/fan.
Make the most of SEO
We’ve talked about this before, but keywords are becoming increasingly important when it comes to how people find your content online. Use a tool such as the Google Keyword tool to better understand how your customers are searching, then modify your own store to reflect what you have learned. It is important to know which keywords are mostly used during the holidays, such as ‘sales,’ ‘top gifts,’ ‘cyber Monday,’ and ‘Black Friday.’
In the event you know nothing about SEO there are services that can help you improve your efforts, as well as people on Fiverr willing to work for just $5. Get creative if you must, but the smart decision would be to master SEO yourself as soon as possible.
Make sure everything is working before promoting your sale.
This one may seem obvious, but every year there are a handful of musicians who see their site, or at least parts of their site, crash amidst the sudden upswing in view brought on by the holiday shopping season. Before you push your sale live, make sure every item on your store is properly listed and that every sale is working correctly. If there is a code word needed, make sure you test it out prior to sharing it online.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine and host of the Inside Music podcast. If you enjoyed this post please take a moment to follow James on Twitter.
November 2016 will go down in history as a month that began by dividing our country in a way we haven’t seen in recent years. Regardless of where you stand with politics I think it is safe to say everyone is ready for an escape. We are all hoping for the best while simultaneously wishing we could disengage from it all and take five minutes to ourselves. We need it as much as we deserve, but as much as the current political climate has left many feeling their way of life has been threatened time continues to march on. Offices, stores, schools, restaurants, factories, and all other industries, services, agencies, etc are still operating more or less as usual. We have to think about the big picture while maintaining the minutia of day to day existence and it’s all we can do to not collapse from exhaustion or hide in our beds until we’re a bit closer to Thanksgiving.
You’ve read the title of this piece so I’m going to assume you know where this is all headed, but earlier this week iconic boy (now man?) band New Kids On The Block announced plans for a 2017 tour with support from popstar turned American Idol reality show personality Paula Abdul and 90s RnB sensations Boys II Men. Dubbed ‘The Total Package,’ this tour will find the five-piece pop group playing sold out and near-capacity arenas all over the country to a wide demographic of people and I’m here to urge you to not hesitate on buying tickets now to see them for yourself.
To be clear, this is not a paid advertisement. I have no ties to NKOTB or their team (even though I would LOVE to).
I was born in 1987 and, like many of you reading this now, spent the majority of my life knowing next to nothing about New Kids On The Block. They were a boy band for a generation before my time, and when I was in the target demo for that particular genre groups like Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC were the names everyone was talking about. This was a time back before social media when most young people had to hope their family could afford basic cable in order to catch Total Request Live with Carson Daly on MTV every day after school if they wanted to know anything about what was happening in music. I loved those groups and in many ways I still do, but I never had the chance to see them when they were in their prime. The world of pop music was something that existed solely on TV and radio, which was more than enough for me.
When I entered college and found myself dedicating more and more time to music journalism the boy band craze of the late 90s had long gone the way of the buffalo. One Direction had yet to spark the third wave of boy band domination, and to be honest my interest in music had largely turned to the world of alternative rock, metal, and punk. I attended hundreds of concerts every year throughout college, and through doing so I was able to see a wide array of artists multiple times at different points in their development as performers. Some of the shows were downright amazing, offering moments that will never happen again in any other place on Earth, but the vast majority were good to perfectly fine. Everyone performed their songs admirably and people went home feeling good about how they spent their money. This is what we all look for in live performances, and let me tell you – it’s easy to find.
In 2015, after nearly a decade of entertainment writing and countless concerts, I began purposely pursuing performances from artists I had never previously considered seeing. I realized I had made a living writing about a handful of very specific music communities, but had largely never thought to experience what life was like for people in other corners of music fandom. I had never been to a top 40 pop concert, nor had I seen a chart-topping country artist play an arena sized venue. I had also spent very little time in jazz clubs (which are sadly, but unsurprisingly hard to find today) or underground rap shows. I had missed a world of events and overlooked a variety of unique communities because I was too focused on seeing everything one specific sound had to offer, and to be completely honest I – not to mention my wife to be – was burned out.
That’s when we made a simple decision. We decided to spend the year experiencing music communities that were largely new to us. This meant we would miss many of our favorite artists when they were in town, but we had hoped it would be a worthwhile exchange and that ultimately proved to be true. There are many reasons why this came about, but one show in particular still comes up regularly in conversation: The night we bought last minute tickets to see New Kids On The Block play Boston’s TD Garden with direct support from TLC and an opening performance from Nelly. It was called ‘The Main Event,’ and that title was in no way misleading.
Having grown up in a world where Nelly and TLC were household names, the collective excitement my wife and I had for their sets was about as high as you’d expect. Both acts ran through their radio hits, and in between each song someone would make some remark about needing to raise the energy or “set it off” before the headliners hit the stage. There were dancers, bright lights, and all the bass anyone could handle. It was a strong start to a night we had no idea would only get better from there.
To be clear, when we walked into TD Garden that night my wife and I only really loved one song from New Kids On The Block, and we weren’t sure if it would make the setlist. The song in question is a more recent release from the group, and it continues to be one of our favorite songs to this day:
Pretty great, right? This song should have been the biggest single of the season when it was released, but I think radio still holds a prejudice against pop stars over the age of 30.
Back to the show — the moments right before NKOTB took the stage were all we needed to realize that something special was about to unfold. Video monitors played a parody of the hit TV show Blue Bloods, which stars member Donnie Wahlberg, where he chased a suspect played by Method Man onto the roof of a building. During their confrontation, Method Man’s character realized the cop chasing him was from NKOTB, and from there laughs were born. It was a simple setup, but it went a long way towards helping outsiders to the world of NKOTB realize what lied in store. The men of the group may be icons in the industry, but they still have a sense of humor about the fact they’re reaching middle age and are still making money by performing songs that sang as teenagers.
As soon as the clip ended the lights dropped in the arena and an announcer came on to introduce the group as if they were boxers entering an arena. One by one the members took the stage in boxing robes with hoods up, but once the first song kicked in they tore off their outfits to reveal completely different costumes that allowed for far greater mobility. The fans, ranging from children to men and women well into their 50s, went wild. The screams overtook the music for a few moments, then subsided to a slightly quieter roar that never really let up.
I had no idea what song was being performed while all this was happening, but it really didn’t matter. As soon as the lights came up and NKOTB were revealed in full a rush of energy filled the room and continued to build throughout the night. The setlist leaned heavily on the group’s biggest (aka oldest) hits, but there was still plenty of room for more recent recordings as well. Every three or four songs there were also costume changes, which were accompanied by pre-recorded skits that were shown on screens throughout the arena. One featured a ‘dressing room’ camera and found the guys dancing around while changing from street clothes to three-piece suits. It was silly and a little weird, but above all it was entertaining.
My wife and I had expected to give NKOTB a chance to amuse us before leaving, but by the time the first few songs were over we had already been converted into fans of the group. It didn’t matter that the 80s were almost three decades behind us because what was unfolding in front of our eyes – and the music that brought it to life – was absolutely incredible. If I have attended one-thousand concerts in my time on this planet I would still place this performance in the top 5 of all-time. To say otherwise would be to deny what I know in my heart to be true.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine and host of the Inside Music Podcast.
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: Do your friends and colleagues know that if they put you in charge of an event, it will come off without a hitch, on-time, and on-budget?Do you have a “roll-with-the-punches” attitude and don’t get flustered no matter what the day brings?Do you have experience dealing with big personalities?Do you love working behind the scenes, helping others be successful, keeping tracking track of large amounts of details and varied tasks?If so, consider this position as a Manager of Marketing Events. We are looking for the just the right person to manage the planning and execution of events which support the marketing strategy for Sony Music Nashville artists. In addition, you will support the marketing team with key tasks on artist projects.
Job summary: This person will work collaboratively across Apple Music, iTunes, and Apple News marketing, business, label relations, legal, and engineering teams. They will be responsible for leading and producing high-profile projects with a focus on collaborating across the various internal cross-functional teams. This person will see projects through from concept to execution, and make sure every team understands the role they play and the expected timelines and deliverables. The person in this role must continually be collaborating across teams to be the definitive point person on all projects. Experience working cross-functionally and under demanding (and constantly shifting) deadlines is a must. This position requires someone who has a drive and passion for their work, as well as a track record of leading, taking responsibility, solving problems, and thriving in a high-pressure team environment. This producer will join a seasoned and established team of Producers who work across Apple Music + iTunes Production functional teams (Creative, Editorial, UI, Programming, Localization, Engineering, and Original Content) to lead, develop, and execute projects from inception to completion.
Job summary: We are looking for an outstanding Ad Sales Account Director to join our team in Chicago. 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: The Accounting Manager is responsible for all areas relating to financial reporting. This position will be responsible for developing and maintaining accounting principles, practices and procedures to ensure accurate and timely financial statements. This position addresses tight deadlines and a multitude of accounting activities including general ledger preparation, financial reporting, year-end audit preparation and the support of budget and forecast activities. He/She establishes financial status by developing and implementing systems for collecting, analyzing, verifying, and reporting financial information; managing staff. The successful candidate for this position will report directly to our Director, Finance and play an instrumental role in the financial future of the company.
Job summary: Seeking an engaged and proactive individual to provide effective administrative and organizational support to the Vice President, Marketing & Communications, and assist with general marketing functions as needed by other Marketing directors and managers.
Job summary: VICE Media is seeking a Creative to work in our Brooklyn, NY Office with a strong copywriting background to be responsible for developing ideas for video show franchises, events, media properties and 360 programs that we can partner with brands to create. This particular Creative role will interact with many departments of the company (marketing, sales, design, production, and others) but will focus on working with VICE’s in-house agency, Virtue Worldwide. They will assist in creative development and overseeing execution of integrated projects from concept to production. We are looking for a creative hybrid with various backgrounds and specific deep interests in youth culture and music, with a focus on electronic/dance music.
Job summary: Amazon Music is looking for a creative and organized copywriter to craft homepage, email, and other editorial copy, as well create, write, record, and post content for all Amazon Music social platforms. The copywriter will collaborate with leaders across Amazon Music’s editorial, engagement, marketing and label relations teams to conceive and execute thoughtful, innovative, on-brand copy for our homepage, emails, and all social platforms.
Job summary: As Manager, Music Publishing Business Development, you will build and maintain strategic relationships with our music publishing partners, including leading negotiation on complex licensing and partnership agreements, managing existing publisher partnerships, launching new relationships, driving new business opportunities, resolving business issues, and analyzing and tracking key metrics to identify trends. You are as comfortable negotiating complex licensing agreements as working cross-functionally with colleagues across multiple disciplines to ensure our music partners are positioned for success and our users enjoy the best experience possible.
Job summary: This position will provide support and sales assistance to Local Sponsorship Sales, overseeing the fulfillment of local, regional, and national accounts by ensuring the delivery of contractual elements and providing excellent customer service. Coordinators will also be responsible for managing all sponsorship inventories.
Job summary: The Coordinator will provide day-to-day administrative support to the Senior VP and Executive Director, A&R and Music Publishing, and others A&R executives as necessary, which duties may include, but are not limited to: Answering and screening calls, maintaining calendar, scheduling meetings and travel arrangements, assisting in the preparation of meetings and presentations, preparing expense reports and supporting other departmental executives as necessary.
Job summary: We are a Brooklyn based music startup, studio and production space. We’re building an app that will offer cultural institutions and artists a new set of tools for the distribution of good music. As one of those cultural institutions, we are also launching a label of our own. 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 Amazon Digital Music team is looking for a motivated, customer-obsessed, analytical marketer to drive adoption and engagement for Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music, worldwide music streaming services. As an Outbound Marketing Specialist, you will be expected to work with marketing managers on the development, execution and analysis of adoption and engagement marketing programs across outbound marketing channels, including email, push messaging, in-product messaging, and more. You will work closely with Marketing Managers on implementation of best-in-class customer experience, to create effective marketing communication vehicles, and to use them to drive engagement for Amazon Music Unlimited and adoption and engagement for Prime Music. This role is responsible for working in a team to get lots of people to listen, and keep listening, to great music.
The ideal candidate will be able to execute at a high level and capacity (executing and reporting on campaigns with merchandising and marketing tools, and analyzing customer engagement data). The Outbound Marketing Specialist should be passionate about the customer and must have proven analytical capability, project management skills, and the ability to multi-task and thrive in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will be able to automate and scale to drive personalized, contextual, and relevant messages to customers. This role must operate from a company-wide perspective and lead cross-functional and cross-business projects.
Job summary: As a music content consultant ZEDGE you will have a chance to drastically raise the profile of sound engineers, artists and musicians who are doing awesome work. ZEDGE has an audience of over 30 million monthly active users who are all looking for the newest, coolest music in the form of ringtones, notification sounds, and entertaining audio content in all formats.
Your days will consist in building a network of new audio content creators and getting their awesome, high-quality content onto the ZEDGE platform. You will identify artists that can create awesome phone sounds for Zedgers. You will also apply your own market intelligence and pop culture savvy to get ahead of trends.
Job summary: TIDAL is looking for an organized coordinator to help manage key company initiatives, which include exclusive TIDAL X events, live-streams, live performances, artist relations, content and partner growth strategies, and original content creation. Programs are multi-faceted in nature and require cross-functional coordination. Ideal candidates will present the ability to breakdown work packages, assess level of effort, and choreograph a subsequent plan of attack. Coordinators are required to make crucial decisions, often under pressure, and therefore must exemplify a solutions-first approach. They are extremely organized, passionate about process, advocate for great ideas, and seek flawless delivery from start-to-finish.
Job summary: The Music Licensing Manager will be responsible for winning new clients, developing existing relationships and long-term growth of license sales within his/her regional assignment on the west coast. Working from our DTLA office, the role will focus primarily on ad agencies and branded content creators alongside continued support to the wider local and global teams with sales strategy, music pipeline, and marketing to a new sector of business.
Job summary: We are looking for an outside sales professional who is excited by the prospect of closing new business to business (B2B) accounts on the first visit. The Regional Account Manager is the key onsite follow up / “closer” to our phone and internet campaigns. This individual can effectively communicate the benefits of the ASCAP license – which allows music users to perform music legally under the requirements of the US Copyright Law. Candidates who exhibit the most success in this position can “visualize” the close before stepping through the door and enjoy overcoming objections on the way to the close.
Bravado is currently looking for a Brand Manager who will work with the unique needs and challenges of our clients to deliver full service, on or off-site marketing support in a variety of categories including strategic planning, sales, finance, insights, operations, innovation, product management, and creative development.
Job summary: The Shop develops, executes and/or coordinates the marketing, digital marketing, art/design, video content, touring/performance, artist development, publicity, brand, sales/promotion, specialty radio and – in some cases A&R – strategies for our unique roster. Provide administrative support for The Shop and VP, Video Production. Assist with overall marketing strategy and digital marketing (website and social media management) for roster. In short, the job is a mixture of administration, traditional marketing, as well as digital strategy.
Job summary: Passionate and motivated. Driven, with an entrepreneurial spirit. Resourceful, innovative, forward thinking and committed. At Live Nation Entertainment, our people embrace these qualities, so if this sounds like you then please read on!
Responsibilities & Qualifications:
creative administrative assistant with publishing experience/background
manage daily client calendars
basic knowledge of top/buzz writers & producers
update client agenda on a daily/weekly basis
organize client publishing catalogues and splits
royalty administration for all clients
positive, hardworking and humble attitude is important
Job summary: The Integrated Marketing Manager will ideate powerful marketing concepts, craft integrated proposals and execute large-scale programs for top-tier advertising categories that will drive revenue for The FADER brand across print, digital and experiential businesses. This role is key to the ongoing success of our brand; you will work closely with sales and internal teams to help create, propose, and deliver cross-channel media marketing programs. Must love, live, breathe music, style and pop culture.
Job summary: Music Enthusiasts are critical to Heid Music’s success in creating and maintaining a “Bravo” customer service experience. This position builds and maintains meaningful relationships by assisting customers in selecting and purchasing merchandise and following through the entire sales process.
Job summary: Marketing Manager reports directly to the General Manager. This person will be responsible for creating marketing plans including: advertising, promotions, publicity, social media and media buying for Live Nation concerts for select venues in the San Antonio, TX (and surrounding) area. Additionally, the Marketing Manager needs to track spends and allocate funds for individual show budgets.
Job summary: The Senior Director, Marketing is responsible for overseeing all aspects of marketing for assigned artists and for coordinating the efforts of the label to ensure the consistency of imaging between artists and their music.
Job summary: Mood Media is seeking a Music Programmer to join our growing National team in Charlotte, NC. This creative role will conceptualize and manage branded music experiences and programs for national corporate clients and consumer offerings, keep abreast of music trends, and coordinate client relations. A Music Programmer is responsible for choosing music to capture the essence of a brand, experience design concept or consumer target. Candidate must have a background in creating brand or consumer experiences with Music. As a result, the ideal candidate will need to have a creatively focused background, having worked within media or a creative agency (radio, television, new media, advertising, design). While they must ultimately demonstrate significant creativity in the job, he/she must also demonstrate discipline and a strong corporate acumen, as they will regularly interact with a variety of brands across multiple industries. A Music Programmer for Mood Media must also demonstrate a multi-dimensional relationship with Music, either as a musician, a DJ, a producer or promoter in addition to the required experience.
Job summary: The International department works every act on Warner Bros. Records outside of the United States. That includes marketing, promotion, publicity and communication. They communicate with artists, managers, the domestic label and all international territories in order to build artist careers globally.
Job summary: The Manager of Audience Solutions will play a critical role in the success of Live Nation Sponsorships Data Solutions and Insights. As we’ve expanded our capabilities, Live Nation Entertainment (LNE) needs a product-oriented and analytical candidate with digital experience to assist and execute our data strategy. The Live Nation data universe spans across a variety of spaces from an expansive eCommerce platform to digital content sites to on-site festivals and venues. We are looking for someone who is comfortable among a variety of data types, getting into the weeds, and enjoys problem solving.
Job summary: As an Associate Label Relations Manager, you will be the key point of contact for our labels and 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 cross-category promotions. Label Relations Managers work closely with Marketing, Merchandising, Content Acquisition, Operations, and International teams.
Job summary: [We are] looking for someone to lead our approach to fostering communities and oversee the development of musical.ly’s heart and soul: our community. musical.ly is a global, diverse community of over 140 million people, and in this role you will play a key part in representing that community, acting as the eyes and ears for musical.ly. This is a full-time position based in our Santa Monica, California office.
The topic of cover songs can be a tricky one. Not everyone loves them, but every year a number of artists new and old rise to the top of their respective music scenes by adding their own take to an already well-known song. The problem with covers as far as young artists and groups are concerned usually involves royalties and whether or not they can afford to market their recording beyond streams and videos. Today we’re going to look at holiday covers, and how you can leverage royalty-free songs to reach new listeners who otherwise may have never discovered your music.
You may or may not be aware of the term ‘public domain,’ but it refers to works whose intellectual property rights have expired, have been forfeited, or are inapplicable. In other words, works that are unavailable for private ownership or are otherwise available for public use. You do not need mechanical licenses to sell your version of these works, but certain arrangements me be copyrighted (do your own research).
Here is a list of holiday songs currently in the public domain:
“Angels We Have Heard On High”
“Auld Lang Syne”
“Away In The Manger”
“Deck The Halls”
“The First Noel”
“Go Tell It On The Mountain”
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
“Hark, The Herald Angels Sing”
“I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day”
“I Saw Three Ships”
“It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”
“Jingle Bells”
“Joy To The World”
“Come All Ye Faithful”
“O Holy Night”
“O Little Town Of Bethlehem”
“Silent Night”
“There’s a Song In The Air”
“Toyland"
“The Twelve Days of Christmas”
“Up On The Housetop”
“We Three Kings"
“We Wish You A Merry Christmas”
“What Child Is This?“
Many classic Christmas songs that are presumed to be in the public domain are in fact copyrighted, so make sure to double-check your sources before deciding a track is public domain. PDInfo Online (www.pdinfo.com) is a good starting point if the liner notes and copyright information are unavailable. Here are just a few notable songs that would require a mechanical license:
Christmas Songs NOT in the public domain…
“Winter Wonderland” (Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith)
“The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells)
“Sleigh Ride” (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish)
“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin)
“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” (Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie)
“White Christmas” (Irving Berlin)
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)
“Jingle Bell Rock” (Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe)
“Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” (Johnny Marks)
“Little Drummer Boy” (Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone)
“It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” (Edward Pola, George Wyle)
“I’ll Be Home For Christmas” (Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram)
“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” (Johnny Marks)
“Silver Bells” (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans)
“Feliz Navidad” (Jose Feliciano)
“Frosty The Snowman” (Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins)
“A Holly Jolly Christmas” (Johnny Marks)
“Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)” (Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman)
“Carol Of The Bells” (Peter J. Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich)
There is no question that some of the songs mentioned above have been reinterpreted by so many artists that putting an original spin on proceedings seems impossible, but it’s often the most challenging of endeavors that prove to be the most fruitful. By taking a holiday classic like the ones above and making it your own you’re further engaging already devoted followers while simultaneously creating an amazing opportunity to reach new fans. The holiday season generates a large amount of sales and internet searches for seasonal music, and with proper tagging your efforts will reach countless new listeners who could very quickly be converted into fans.
As much as things are always changing in the music industry there is still a lot that remains the same. Beginning at the end of October every year, the music business as a whole quietly starts winding down operations in anticipation of the holiday season. Most major PR firms and labels offer employees anywhere from 1-3 weeks near the end of the year because there is little to no new business to be done. Everyone is typically too busy with family and celebrations – as they should be – to care about work, and so far 2016 appears to be no different.
While this is an awesome thing for those fortunate enough to have full-time employment in music it is often frustrating for those on the come up. Bloggers and music writers, for example, have to work harder and harder to keep their readership up as the industry begins to release less and less news. This, all while the number of singles and albums released week to week from notable artists takes a significant plunge.
Similar frustrations exist for independent professionals in management, publicity, production, and all other corners of the industry. Unless you are making enough money to live comfortably for a month without any new income, the end of the calendar year always seems to add a bit extra stress to daily life. Family and holidays help to ease the mind, of course, but such downtimes can start to feel like an attempt at financially treating water if one does not plan in advance.
Knowing the slowdown is coming is a good step toward not losing your mind when work essentially grinds to a halt here in four weeks time, but there are things you can do to prepare as well:
Starting today, make a calendar from now until the end of the year detailing all the work you hope to accomplish. If you’re an artist, outline you creative goals as well as your promotion ones. If you run a blog, outline your planned features and when you want them to run. Be specific.
Speak with any collaborators, parents, or bandmates you may have about holiday travel plans. Everyone deserves time to disconnect and be with family. Knowing when people plan to unplug can prevent any problems over responsibilities and activity from interrupting someone’s time with their loved ones.
Make a plan to disconnect yourself. Contrary to what that crazy voice inside your head may be telling you there are very few, if any, people expecting you to be steadily churning out new work throughout the final two weeks of 2016. All websites see a decline in traffic around Christmas and New Year. Many artists see a decline in attendance at shows as well. People are still enjoying music and engaging with it, but their focus is largely on other, far more important things. Don’t miss out on time with your family because you believe you are able to be the creative that changes this global trend. For once, accept that you, like everyone else, needs a break.
Set goals for the new year. Once you plan the remainder of 2016 and set aside time for relaxation you might as well get a head start on your plans for 2017. You’ll no doubt want to hit the ground running once the holidays have all passed, and having a plan of action in place is a good way to ensure that happens.
Take time to reflect on – and take pride in – what you have accomplished this year. All creative people that I know are hard on themselves far more often than they should be because they have an insatiable thirst to see what else can be done. While a drive to keep pushing forward is admirable it can also be problematic. There will always be another task to complete or achievement to unlock. The mountain never ends, so if you’re waiting to reach the top before celebrating your successes that time will never come. The end of the year slowdown creates a unique opportunity to disengage from the day to day struggle long enough to look at your body of work as a whole. Don’t miss out.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine and host of the Inside Music podcast. We recommend you follow him on Twitter.
