Tag: Music Biz 101

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How To Get A Booking Agent [Video]

booking agent

Every successful musician has a great booking agent, and today, we’re helping you find the right agent to further your career.

Booking agents do not make the world go round. Instead, they make artists go around the world. Every successful artist needs a great booking agent. These professionals can take bands playing gigs in DIY spaces and get them club dates. They can take a club headliner and make them a theater act. A great booking agent can take someone’s career to the next level, and that is what we want for you and your music.

But there’s a catch. Every artist wants a booking agent, and there are far more talented musicians than skilled booking agents. The competition for attention is tough. So much so that many will spend months or even years looking for an agent who can help their career. 

If you Google advice ‘booking agent advice,’ the internet will offer thousands of articles with tips and tricks for finding the right person to elevate your career. Most of that information is false or incomplete. There are only four things you need to do to land a booking agent, and they are as follows:

  1. Your career needs to be in good standing with strong branding, an active social media presence, a devout following, and a successful track record with live performances. It doesn’t matter if you’ve played ten shows or two hundred. All people need to know is what happened at these performances. Did you sell out? Did people come to see you? Are people buying merch? Would someone unfamiliar with your music walk away from the show, itching to see you again? If so, let’s continue.
  2. Have good relationships within the live music industry. Booking agents will ultimately do all the talking, but you want promoters and other live industry professionals to think highly of you. Being liked is an easy way to get opportunities. Be nice, treat people with respect, and do whatever you can to help others. You never know who will be in a position to impact your career down the line. 
  3. Research booking agents and agencies. There are hundreds of booking agents in America, but only a few are right for you. Spend some time researching local, regional, and national booking agents to understand who may be interested in working with you. From there, build a list of potential agents and learn everything you can about them. The more you know, the better.
  4. Make contact. Once you’ve narrowed down a list of potential booking agents, reach out and invite those individuals to an upcoming performance. Please give the recipient(s) everything they need to walk into that show, ready to sign you. Be sure to include the venue location, show date, and set time. You should also include links to your website, social media pages, and Spotify.

In the latest Music Biz update, James Shotwell walks you through the process of finding and securing a booking agent. He offers insight into the four-step process above, as well as the importance of each. He also provides an outline for outreach emails. Check it out:

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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5 Music Growth Hacks To Avoid [Video]

Everyone wants to make it big in music, but utilizing these popular growth hacks could derail your career entirely.

Talking about a time in music where the only thing you needed to succeed was talent is like talking about the world before automobiles. Any musician breaking through in 2021 is doing so because they have much more than talent. Today’s stars are musicians, brand ambassadors, marketing directors, and social media wizards. They are plugged in and engaging with followers 24/7 while diversifying their revenue streams for long-term sustained growth. Being proficient as a musician is a plus, of course, but one can argue it’s not the most crucial element to success. At least not right now.

But here’s the thing. Many outstanding musicians have a genuine fear of never being hurt because they are not strong marketers. They worry that they’re a follower count or the number of likes they get on each Instagram post will somehow dictate the fate of their career. Despite having everything we tell each other you need to be a star, Carroll is musicians find themselves feeling desperate and helpless because they don’t know how to make the internet like them. It may read like a silly thing, but it’s not. The internet is the heart of culture. Artists either learn how to go with the flow, or they sink into anonymity.

When you Google advice for growing your digital presents, millions of articles regurgitate the same dozen or so ideas on making friends with strangers. In truth, the best advice is usually the simplest. People who make good content and treat others with kindness often rise to the top. How long that takes to accomplish depends on about a million factors, including how lucky you are with the uncaring algorithms, but it works if you work it.

A lot of the other ideas you find are more deceptive. Growth hacking is a work-intensive, systematic approach to undermining algorithms that rarely produces actionable results. These so-called tricks will have artists direct messaging strangers and engaging with old posts in a desperate attempt to attract followers. It’s the social media equivalent to “spray and pray,” only the results are somehow worse.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell addresses five popular growth hacks for building online followings and the ways they can harm your career. He explains the difference between giving the appearance of an audience and having engaged followers and the many ways the industry will review an artist’s digital stats before working with them. Check it out:

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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What To Do If You’ve Bought Fake Followers [Video]

Purchasing fake followers may sound like an easy path to rapid growth, but the potential fallout isn’t worth the risk.

Don’t buy fake followers. That message has echoed throughout social media in the music business for more than a decade. Unfortunately, to this day, artists worldwide continue to buy followers. Some even go as far as to buy fake streams and fake engagement.

The question I always ask is, why? What benefit is there to buying fake followers, streams, or engagement? Do the people who do this believe the rest of us won’t see what’s happening?

The goal of every artist is to forge a lasting connection with fans. Artists want to make the thing they make and connect with people who like what they create. Purchasing fake followers and streams does nothing to accomplish this goal. You can buy 10,000 streams of your new single for less than $50, for example, but you won’t make any money in that scenario.

Buying followers is even worse. People can see right through that. We know if an artist that has never had a hit single or successful tour suddenly has thousands of followers that something is wrong. We know that if you have one song with 1 million plays on Spotify and the rest have barely broken 1000 that you’ve either gone viral on TikTok or you’re actively buying streams. If we look at places where your music is most popular, and every top city is in a country you’ve never visited with fans you don’t try to engage with, it is immediately apparent that you’re trying to pull one over on everyone else.

Even if you can successfully fool ordinary people, you can never trick the algorithms. All Internet companies have spent every year of their existence mining data to understand their audience. The algorithms behind Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are so advanced that they can detect irregular behavior without human intervention. An individual working at those companies does not need to flag your account for the platform to recognize foul play. Algorithms can identify unusual behavior and take steps to correct it. Generally speaking, the means banning an account altogether or shadow-banning them (which drops organic reach to virtually nothing as a means of making future growth impossible.

At this point, it should be clear that purchasing fake engagement of any kind is bad for business. Not only will consumers and the industry at large see through it, but the algorithms that make these platforms run will do everything in their power to prevent you from further growth. Nothing will bring a career to its knees faster than being identified as a fraud outside of public controversy. It’s not worth it.

But what if it’s too late? What if you’ve already purchased fake followers or engagement or streams in the past? Is all hope lost? Of course not!

In the latest Music Biz update, host James Shotwell walks through the case against purchasing fake engagement. He explains how easy it is to fall victim to scams promising rapid growth and even plays footage of so-called click farms. James also advises anyone who has made this mistake in the past. He explains the proper way to reset your standing on the services to ensure you’re able to grow further in your career without the guilt and regret of past decisions. Check it out:

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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The Secret To Smarter Music Marketing In 2021 [Video]

Music marketing is hard for everyone, but you can unlock incredible success with a quick shift in perspective.

The most straightforward approach to successful music marketing is also the oldest. Find an artist making music similar to you that is already successful and try to win over their fans. That simple concept is the driving force behind targeted marketing. A pop-rock band that often gets compared to All Time Low, for example, will target fans of All Time Low with their digital promotions.

The motivation behind this approach to music marketing is rooted in an old way of thinking about fans and how they engage with the artists they love. At any point in history before 2006, the vast majority of listeners discover new music through sound alone. People would hear a song they liked and then seek out the artist behind it. They bought records from unknown bands because the stickers on their packaging said they were similar to bands they already knew.

But the world doesn’t work that way anymore. Thanks to the Internet and social media, consumers are more connected than ever with the creatives that they admire. We don’t just know our favorite artist’s songs; we feel like we know them. We read their every thought on Twitter, look at their personal life on Instagram, and can respond to anything they post anywhere at a moment’s notice. To put it in the simplest terms possible, the barrier between artists and fans has never been smaller than it is right now, making getting and keeping consumer attention increasingly tricky.

Today’s music fans are buying into an artist for more than their sound. Your listeners follow you because of your overall aesthetic, branding, and presentation. Your music is a gateway to an entire universe of creativity that you oversee. People who enjoy what you make want to be as close to you as possible, and they want you to feel close to them as well. They want to forge a community, both between you and them and others who like your music. Random in 2021 is about being part of something bigger than yourself, and it is the responsibility of artists everywhere to try and forge that sense of belonging amongst their followers.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell explains how fandom has changed and why marketing must evolve to meet the demands of today. He provides examples to help artists understand why they need to dig deeper into their fans and their fans’ interests to find the best marketing approach. James knows that the artists who break out and lead sustainable careers today do so by possessing a deep understanding of who enjoys their music. It’s no longer about casting a wide net and hoping for great results. Music marketing today is all about niche content. Let us explain:

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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Redefining Success In The Music Business [Video]

Being good is never good enough to become a success story, but what you do today may decide whether or not you’re tomorrow’s brightest star.

A few years ago, I worked with an up-and-coming artist that I believed could be the next big name in alternative music. The artist only had a few songs out when we first met, so I was fortunate enough to be working alongside them as they prepared the release of their first proper EP. We spent a ton of money on branding, packaging, designs, and three great music videos. We had everything we needed to make the record successful on paper, but I could not stop fighting this feeling that I wasn’t ready enough.

I began sending the songs to my friends in the music industry. As much as I wanted to know they liked the music, I was more concerned with whether or not they thought it was as good as I did. I feared that I overestimated the quality of the band based on personal preferences. I didn’t want to invest much time and energy into a project that I thought would take the world by storm only to see it fizzle out.

One of the people I contacted, A publicist at a famous punk label, hit me with a response that I did not anticipate. They said:

“It’s good, James. But you should know by now that being good doesn’t matter. Most artists are good. Some may even argue that most artists are great to the people that like what they create. Even being great is not enough. We sign artists that we believe are great only to see them fall flat on the public stage. Talent alone is no longer enough, and it probably never was in the first place.“

They continued:

“The only way this project becomes what you want it to be is if you do everything possible to make it that. You and the artist you’re working with need to plan and commit to doing everything in your power to make this release a success. You will need to make sacrifices. You will need to spend late nights and early mornings replying to messages and sending new ones. You will probably need to spend a little money on advertising. The band will need to perform often, and they will need to maintain constant contact with their audience. You need to be creating content, scheduling content, and posting content regularly. You need an email list. It would be best if you had all of these things, and doing every single one still won’t guarantee that this will become what you want. Breaking through on any level in this industry is a mix of preparation and luck. Sometimes, people succeed without planning, and it goes poorly. The people who succeed and then continue having success are the ones who prepared themselves for the moment when they were allowed to show the world who they could become. They did all the things I’ve outlined here and probably more, all on the hope and the far-fetched chance that they would be the next group or solo performer that the world wants to embrace.”

Some may read this advice and feel defeated. We all like to believe that if you do everything right, then things will go your way. That may be true for many things in life, but it is never the case with the music industry. Countless performers believe they deserve to be the next big thing. Most of them are doing everything in their power to position themselves for success. They are reading articles like this, watching videos, attending conferences, reading books, consuming podcasts, and constantly working on their craft. They are spending untold amounts of money to create the highest quality content possible. I would argue that most believe success is right around the corner, and in a way, it is, but they never know which corner.

You see, what my friend was trying to tell me and what I now know to be true about the music business is that the best any of us can hope to achieve is to position ourselves for success. We have to do the work hoping that one day the rest of the world takes notice while accepting that such a day may never come. It’s not a matter of “hope for the best and prepare for the worst.” Artists should “Prepare for the best and the worst.”

When I work with artists now, I always have them create a list of goals that get increasingly small. Most have big ambitions, like reaching number one on the charts or selling out a large venue. That kind of success is excellent and entirely possible for many talented people, but there are countless smaller steps you must take to reach that point. Rather than focusing on the big goals, I like to work on the little ones and slowly build up momentum for my artists. We work on hitting the next listener milestone on Spotify, the next follower goal on social media, and writing the next great song. We focus on the little things that position us for big success, and while the process takes time, it’s far more rewarding than holding out for overnight success.

Can you be the most prominent artist on the planet? Sure. Is it possible for you to sell out a stadium tour? Maybe. I believe you can take your career as far as it can go in the music industry as long as you do everything in your power to make it great. It’s not about doing one thing well or acting like you deserve to a rockstar. Those who reach the highest echelon of success do so by constantly refining their craft. They focus on the minutia of entertainment, and they find joy in doing the work. That approach is the only one that can lead to long-term success. Everything else is scattershot, messy, and headed for disaster.

Everyone needs friends that will tell them the truth. It would be best if you had people in your corner who will tell you when you were doing wrong or less than average. People who will fight for you, criticize you, and uplift you when the time is right. You cannot buy that kind of reality check. Only authentic friendships provide the type of clarity you need so that you understand whether or not you’re on the right path. Even then, you alone can decide what to do next.

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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What Artists Can Learn From Travis Scott [Video]

Known as one of the most popular and enigmatic performers on the planet, Travis Scott is the blueprint for finding success without compromising your vision.

There is only one Travis Scott. A rapper, singer, producer, brand consultant, and all-around spokesperson for people who feel like they don’t belong, Scott has built an empire by being himself. His personality and worldview infiltrate every corner of his business, and business has never been better. Scott’s fans are among the most dedicated and outspoken of Eddy you are likely to find, and today, we are going to help you develop a similar audience without copying what Scott has already done.

The beauty of Travis Scott’s success is that even his critics have to admit he’s special. While countless artists fight for scraps of attention daily, seemingly everything Travis Scott does makes global headlines. Whether he’s making music or sneakers, collaborating with McDonald’s, or even hosting his two-day festival, Scott cannot miss. His fans are too devout to let him slip out of the limelight, even when he’s not active.

In the latest Music Biz update, host James Shotwell identifies five key lessons that every artist should learn from Travis Scott. He touches on the importance of branding, messaging, experimentation, collaboration, and mental health. He dives into specific examples of times when Travis went against the grain and found success. Whether you love him or hate him, James says that everyone can take something away from Scott’s unpredictable career.

A few key takeaways:

  • While it may be impossible to name every product and song that Travis Scott is involved in, there is consistency in the presentation, quality, and messaging. He has an outspoken interest in working to make his dreams a reality. His songs speak to a desire to shape the world as you want it to be rather than wishing that it was something else. As much as he may talk about partying and doing drugs, he is always focused on bringing fans into a reality that he and he alone controls. That through-line ties together everything he does and is a big reason why fans will follow him anywhere.
  • Some may think that sticking to a specific message or aesthetic is restricting, but Scott proves that is not true. He is the purveyor of experimentation in his field. There is no sound or idea too wild to be present in his music. For him, variety is the spice of life, and his work reflects that I deal with constant bee changes, artist collaborations, and a wide variety of sonic influences. You never know what he will try next, but you can rest assured that he believes it is the best choice.
  • Travis Scott also understands passion. He knows that human beings have a supernatural ability to detect when somebody is their authentic self. As long as he believes in what he’s doing, he knows that his core audience will as well. The blind faith of his audience fuels Scott’s willingness to experiment because he does not have to worry about abandonment. He is confident in finding what is best for him, and he knows that his fans will follow his lead.
  • Scott also isn’t afraid to disappear. While it may seem like he never leaves headlines for long, there are extended periods where he makes little to no public comments. He has developed a relationship with his fans where they know he is always working, so he does not need to update them on his progress. They will be ready for whatever he has to share as soon as he is prepared to share it. That relationship between fan and artist allows Scott to step away and take time for himself. He can live life as an average human whenever he chooses, and his fans will respect his decision because they know he will be back in time. Those brakes give Travis time to decompress, which then fuels his future creativity. In short: he understands the value of good mental health.
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What Artists Should Know About Their Competition [Video]

The competition for attention in music is fierce, but it’s not as tough as you may think. That is, as long as you know what you’re doing.

If you look around the Internet, you will see startling statistics about the amount of content available online. At any moment, on any given day, people are uploading thousands of hours of video and audio content. More than 60,000 new songs appear on Spotify every single day. That’s more than 1.8 million new songs every month and over 20 million songs per year. Experts believe those numbers will grow exponentially in the years ahead, making competition among creative increasingly intense.

That brings us to a question that many up-and-coming artists ask: 

Is there a place for me in the music business?

Indeed, the amount of new music available to consumers daily is staggering. Still, it’s crucial that musicians not confuse the public’s access to new music with consumers’ desire for new music. Most people will not hear even 1% of the new music released on any given day. Of the 1.8 million songs added to Spotify this month, it is most likely that the average person will hear, at most, about 100 new songs. The amount of those tracks they listen to more than once is even less.

But do not let the overwhelming amount of music or the general public’s interest in most of it deter you from continuing to create. Most consumers do not want new music that challenges them and their tastes. The vast majority of listeners want something similar to what they already enjoy. They want to hear music that feels familiar yet is just different enough to feel fresh at the same time. Music is about pleasure and entertainment for most people. They want to enjoy whatever they enjoy, and they don’t want to overthink the song selection process.

Consumer behavior is a blessing. As host James Shotwell explains in the latest Music Biz update, understanding that most consumers want more of the same can help you build a lasting career in music. Suppose you can identify your niche, learn from those leading it, and consider strategies for success when developing your original content and ideas. In that case, the sky is the limit. Check it out:

Most of the music added to Spotify every day is not in direct competition with what you are creating when you think about it. There may be a few thousand songs by rock bands, but how many of those are targeting the same audience that you are? Thinking further, how many are good? How many are artists in your country or region? 

Many musicians make the mistake of thinking that every artist on the planet is their competition when nothing could be further from the truth. I would argue that 90% of artists or more exist outside the market you are trying to serve. As long as you can identify your target audience, cater to their tastes, and create quality contact, then you have no reason to worry about what anyone else is doing.

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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When Will Concerts Return? April 2021 Update [Video]

The music industry is hoping for a busy fall tour season, but will concerts return before the leaves change?

Nearly fourteen months have passed since live music came to a halt seemingly overnight. As the battle against the global COVID-19 pandemic rages on, many are still wondering when concerts will return. Some states are testing the waters with socially distant outdoor events, while others are already welcoming full capacity crowds with few if any, COVID-related safety guidelines. Still, most places on Earth don’t have live music in any form, and no one really knows when that will change.

But the music industry is resilient. While theories and criticism abound, many are looking toward the future with full hearts and hopeful eyes. The demand for a return to normalcy is deafening, and many in the industry believe that live music can play a role in helping lure people out of their homes and back into social situations.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell explores how a single announcement ushered in a lot of hope and anticipation for a busy 2021 concert season. He also looks at the potential drawbacks, hold-ups, and worries that come with change.

Speaking at a January conference held by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked about the potential for live entertainment to return in 2021:

“If everything goes right, this will occur sometime in the fall of 2021, so that by the time we get to the early to mid-fall, you can have people feeling safe performing onstage as well as people in the audience,” Fauci said, noting that the return depends upon getting between 70% to 85% of the population vaccinated, according to the New York Times. Along with the vaccination, Fauci said venues and theaters might need to take further safety precautions, particularly if they do not have adequate ventilation.”

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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How To Become A Music Influencer [VIDEO]

With Spotify adding over 60,000 songs every day, the world needs music influencers to make sense of it all. Maybe that’s you, and if so, we can help!

Is music your world? Do you feel like you could spend forever talking about your favorite artists and albums? Are you open to hearing musicians from all walks of life? If you answered yes to all three, then maybe you should consider becoming a music influencer.

Music influencers is a blanket term covering many areas of music conversation. Whether you want to write about music news, review the latest releases, create video content, host a podcast, or try your hand at a little bit of everything, the goal is the same: You want to influence people to choose one artist over another.

Building a career as a music influencer is hard work. It’s a labor-intensive process that can take years to lead anywhere financially beneficial, but it’s the only way to live for many. It’s a calling heard by those who spend more time with music than friends, and it demands devotion. Those who excel do so thanks to a mix of obsession, ego, and drive that compels them to consume, digest, and discuss as much music as humanly possible.

Music Biz host James Shotwell began his career in music journalism. For the first time, he uses this video to lay out the four essential building blocks of music reporting, influencing, and criticism. It’s easy to start, and we encourage everyone who enjoys discussing music to give it a try. You never know where your life might lead.

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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Are There Too Many Podcasts? [Video]

A new report sheds an alarming light on the number of podcasts in existence, but should the rising show count deter you from launching something new?

Podcasts are here to stay. Many have known that to be true for years, but the long-form audio medium continues to find new listeners with each passing week. Musicians, artists, experts, and random everyday humans from all corners of the Earth are creating shows that cover every topic imaginable, and several are finding massive success along the way. We’ve told you to start one before, and we still believe you should.

But a new report has some creators thinking twice about their future in podcasting. According to Chartable, more than 17,000 new podcasts were launched every week in 2020. That amounts to more than 800,000 new podcasts for the year.

Now we know what you’re thinking: That is a lot of podcasts. We felt the same way at first, but then we considered a few data points that Chartable’s report does now:

  • Many podcasts never have a second episode. They start and die overnight.
  • Those 800,000 podcasts cover hundreds of thousands of topics.
  • Not every podcast is available on every platform.
  • Not every podcast is available in every country.
  • All or most of those podcasts do not feature YOU.

Music podcasting is mainly non-artists talking about artists they love. Musicians and groups using podcasting to engage and develop their community are far rarer, and that’s a shame.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell looks at the data and offers advice to anyone, especially musicians, that may be thinking twice about starting a podcast. He explains the benefits that podcasting can offer to artists of any size and even provides resources to help you start.

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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