Tag: Music Biz 101

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How Stone Broken Built A Modern Rock Following

Stone Broken

Ahead of their third studio album, Stone Broken chats with Haulix about the secret to successful rock promotion in 2022.

Let’s face it: The rock marketplace is in a weird place. Never in the history of the genre have there been so many artists with countless unique takes on rock competing for the finite attention of listeners. It is both the best and worst of times because you can never listen to everything worth hearing, but that’s not even the worst part.

Before worrying about scaling the rock hierarchy, artists must first find a marketing angle that works.

Marketing is everything. That has always been the case, but it feels more important than ever in 2022. The demand for consumer attention is endless, and your budget for fighting alongside every IP and musician on Earth is limited. You have to find a path to success that doesn’t waste time or break the bank, and you have to do so while also attempting to make the best music of your career. Not that there is any pressure or anything.

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The amount of great rock music available now vastly outnumbers the finite amount of time listeners have to experience it. The only way forward is through finding your audience and catering to them. It’s not an easy feat to accomplish, but one that is well worth the effort.

In the latest Fast Five interview, Music Biz host James Shotwell chats with UK rock band Stone Broken about how a constantly shifting marketing strategy has led to long-term success. The band’s third studio album, Revelation, arrives on April 15, 2022, through Spinefarm Records.

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 Every Artist Can Learn From Papa Roach

With their eleventh studio album due out this month, let’s take a moment to learn from the ongoing success of rock favorites Papa Roach.

2023 will mark thirty years since the birth of Papa Roach. The California rock band has released eleven studio albums, nearly a dozen EPs, and two live records during this time. The group has also toured the world dozens of times, including headlining performances at virtually every rock festival known to man. Nobody can claim Papa Roach hasn’t put in the work to be as reputable as they are today, but we’d argue the band still doesn’t get the recognition or respect they rightfully deserve.

Think about it for a second. How many bands that shot to success around the end of the 1990s can claim they are still going strong in 2022. Sure, many continue to record and perform, but how many are still competing for spots at the top of the sales and radio chart? We’d wager it’s less than ten groups, possibly even less than five, and Papa Roach is—without question—one of them.

In the latest Music Biz update, host James Shotwell takes a look at the career of Papa Roach and how the band has managed to stay relevant while so many of their peers have not. He uses this understanding to develop five keys to success that can easily be applied to any genre of music. From songwriting to engagement, every artist will find something here that can help them grow their career. 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 Problem With Facebook Ads [VIDEO]

Social media advertising was once the way of the future, but recent changes have thrown the industry into a tailspin that artists should avoid at all costs.

Everywhere you look, marketers are telling businesses and freelancers that social media advertising is the future. “Use Facebook ads,” they say. “Everyone is on Facebook!” After all, no other ad platform allows harnessing the power of the internet’s best tracking tools to promote the song you wrote in your childhood bedroom.

But if we’re being honest, we all know social media advertising is a lie. Advertising implies that the point of the message is to reach people who are otherwise unaware of your existence. Social media advertising does accomplish that, but its core purpose—at least on Facebook and Instagram—is to charge brands and creators for access to their fans.

Want to reach 100% of your audience without spending a dime? Click here.

On average, a post made from a Facebook page will reach slightly more than 5% of its total following. That percentage does not account for people outside the page’s following who may see the post, which can vary greatly depending on the engagement. If creators wish to reach the other 95%, Meta says you must pay for reach, and that’s the catch-22 that everyone in entertainment has been fighting against for over a decade.

Now, there’s a new monster on the horizon. As Music Biz host James Shotwell explains in this video, Facebook has an Apple problem. Recent updates to Apple’s security features have given users the ability to stop advertisers from tracking them, throwing the Facebook ad algorithm into a tailspin. As the company scrambles for solutions, its stock is plummeting, and anyone still advertising is finding their marketing spend reaches fewer people than ever.

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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YouTube Growth Hacks For Musicians [Video]

YouTube can be a powerful force for music discovery and fan engagement, but most artists don’t know how to make the most of it. We can help

Let’s be honest: The music industry is divided on YouTube. The popular video platform is free to use and has spent a full decade being ranked as the best music discovery platform. However, YouTube has also come under fire for underpaying musicians.

A report from 2017 found that a musician hoping to earn minimum wage from YouTube alone would need at least 2.4 million video views per month. That view count is far above the number of streams required to make the minimum wage through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or other services.

Another report from January 2022 found that YouTube pays an average of $0.002 per view to musicians. Only two services, Deezer ($0.0011) and Pandora ($0.00133 per stream), pay less.

Still, the music industry needs YouTube. The brand name is synonymous with online video, and everyone looking for video clips will come to YouTube before searching anywhere else. Nobody can deny YouTube’s popularity regardless of how you feel about its policies and royalty rates.

The same can be said for millions of music fans. Listeners will browse YouTube for official streams and videos before turning to other streaming services. To abandon the platform would mean alienating a massive potential audience.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell tells artists to fight YouTube’s system by growing their channel with original, regularly scheduled content. He offers advice to improve your channel, promote your content, develop ideas, and set long-term goals. If you want 2022 to be the year your Youtube following skyrockets, then this video is for you.

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.

Need help growing your YouTube channel but cannot access the video above? Don’t worry! Our friends at Hypebot recently published a great article on the same topic.

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How Any Artist Can Success In 2022 [Video]

With the industry slowing down ahead of the holidays, now is the perfect time to position yourself for success in 2022. We can help.

Everyone has a plan. If you do not think you have a plan right now, then your plan is to fail. That may sound like high school football coach gibberish, but it does carry some weight in the music business. Everyone who has ever gotten anywhere has made a plan to get there, and we are going to help you succeed in 2022 by doing just that. We’re going to make a plan.

But plans are more than just goals. Generally speaking, most people think about plans as a destination. They want to climb a mountain or release an album or go on tour, but they don’t make much of a plan to get there. Success depends on the details surrounding your project. When will you make time to do something, and how will you afford to do it? What skills do you need? Who will help you? All of these things and much more need to be answered if you want any chance of success in music.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell begins by taking stock of the entertainment industry. Between the massive delays with physical media, the ongoing pandemic, and wavering consumer confidence, we live in a ‘new normal’ that demands new plans. James then guides users through the planning process, including establishing a series of checks and balances to ensure your goals are reached. 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 Music Industry ‘Holiday Slowdown’ is Fast Approaching [Video]

The end of the year is a weird time for music professionals, but we’ll explain what you can expect in the latest Music Biz update.

With Thanksgiving nearly here and countless ‘Best Of’ lists not far behind, 2021 is coming to an end. Soon there will be holiday shows, an appearance from Santa, holiday sales, and one or two crazy reunion gigs that happen just before the ball drop at midnight on January 1, 2022. A new year will then begin, and what comes next is anyone’s guess. Will it be better than the last two? We have to hope, right?

November and December are strange times for music professionals, but good as well. Every year, from the week of Thanksgiving through the beginning of January, the industry experiences what many people call ‘the industry slowdown.’ During this time, offices begin to close, unimportant emails get ignored, and professionals everywhere do the one thing they rarely do: Take time off.

Yes, the industry slowdown is an unspoken agreement amongst the biggest names in music that provides space for reflection and relaxation before another busy year begins. It is a cherished tradition that continues in the digital age despite consumers’ constant demand for fresh content and ideas. We at Haulix take it very seriously, and many of our peers do as well. We’ll let Music Biz host James Shotwell explain the rest:

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 WORST Music Marketing Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)

Considering the amount of advice and guidance available, there is no excuse for making these common music marketing mistakes in 2021.

Considering the amount of advice and guidance available, there is no excuse for making these common music marketing mistakes in 2021.

There are hundreds of books about the music industry available worldwide. There are also college curriculums dedicated to the music business, countless blogs covering music industry tips and tricks, and dozens of YouTube channels like music biz doing their best to educate artists about the realities of building a career in entertainment. You can learn virtually anything about being a musician with a few keystrokes, and yet, each week, countless artists make easily avoidable mistakes because they don’t start to consider whether or not their promotional tactics are positioning them for success.

Mistakes happen. Nobody that successfully does anything with their life reaches their goals without a few setbacks. But there are several common mistakes that industry experts and working professionals alike have been shouting about for four decades that still get made every day. Something as simple as knowing who you’re talking to and what it is they do seems never to cross the mind of certain artists. That oversight ultimately results in the artist not receiving the exposure or opportunities they seek.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell explores half a dozen common mistakes artists make when marketing their music. These are some of the worst and most abhorrent mistakes, all of which are covered again and again by industry experts of all sizes. Suppose artists can slow down and review their efforts before reaching out to professionals and fans alike. In that case, Shotwell explains, they will likely discover easy fixes that will lead to a bigger, more meaningful impact with their outreach. 

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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Why You Need More Merch (And How You Can Afford It)

The value of music diminishes further with each passing year, but merchandising lasts forever. Let’s look at why merch matters more than ever.

The value of recorded music is at an all-time low. Anyone making livable wages from music alone in 2021 is doing so through a combination of luck, talent, and utilizing every distribution method available to them. Artists are no longer looking for one paycheck for their music every month, but several. Musicians may make a little from physical sales, then a little more from streaming. There are also digital sales and revenue generated from music videos and other album components that exist on various platforms around the globe. The number of revenue streams varies from artist to artist, but the low payout rarely does.

It’s no great secret that most musicians making a living in music today do so largely through merchandise sales. You can include ticket sales if you want, but generally speaking, merchandise is where artists make the bulk of their income. A single shirt sold for $20 at a concert can generate more revenue for an artist than 10,000 streams of any single song on any of the leading streaming platforms. The sale of a sweatshirt can do even more.

While most musicians do a fair job of creating and making merchandise available to their fans, many are thinking too small when it comes to the possibilities of their brand. The digital age provides many opportunities for artists at every level of success to have robust merchandise options at little-to-no cost upfront. Some companies even offer print-on-demand merchandise. Those same businesses will also manage your online store, ship the merchandise, and allow you to set the price based on what you believe fans are willing to pay.

In the Music Biz update, host James Shotwell explains the growing importance of merch and identifies areas where many could do more to boost their bottom line. He also explores the growing online marketplace and provides examples of musicians who are already making big sales through various creative merch endeavors. 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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How To Save Your Music Career [Video]

It’s incredibly easy to lose your way in entertainment, but we can save your music career in five questions or less.

There is no easy way to admit you made a mistake. We humans pride ourselves on knowing what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. We lead focused lives spent chasing goals that we believe will bring us some sense of purpose or satisfaction in life. We create not because it’s a choice but because we don’t know any other way to live. Our souls ache to be recognized by others, and we do whatever performative tasks we can to get their attention. It’s a mess of best intentions, countless trials, endless failures, and hard-fought victories. It’s…It’s a lot. But it’s the only way most of us know how to live.

The vast majority of people would rather suffer than admit they made a mistake. Many of us are one or two small changes away from leading the lives we dream about, but we struggle to get out of our way. We double-down when we need to step back. It’s human nature, and it sucks.

But you can do better. By answering the five questions asked by host James Shotwell in the latest Music Biz video, you can change the course of your career. In 10 minutes or less, we can help you reevaluate your goals, reset your expectations, and give you a renewed passion for the things that matter most. Check it out!

Questions to ask:

  • Are your goals your own?

Many of the goals we pursue are achievements that other people tell us to chase. We spend our entire lives being told that we need to make a certain amount of money, achieve a certain level of financial security, start a family, own a home, and a billion little things in between. Those things are good to have or achieve, but they won’t necessarily make you happy. What do YOU want?

  • Do you have specific goals?

Many musicians tell me they want a hit song, but what does that mean? Do you want to go viral online, or do you want to top the Billboard charts? Do you want a billion streams or a million album sales? When you say you want a hit song, what result are you seeking? What will this ‘hit song’ do for your career? Be specific.

  • Do you have a plan to achieve your goals?

The only way you can achieve your goals is by having a plan. You need specific, step-by-step instructions to get from where you are to where you see yourself in the future. Nothing is as simple as booking a tour or writing a hit song. You need to think harder about your goals and how to achieve them. What can you do today to ensure you are closer to your destination tomorrow? Make to-do lists, track your progress, and again—BE SPECIFIC.

  • What is your support system?

No one is an island. The individuals who find success in music do so because they have a support system that uplifts them. You may have friends or contacts that you associate with, but is their presence in your life positive? Are you surrounded by people working toward their goals and supporting one another, or are those near you lost in drugs and flights of fancy?

  • Why do you quit things?

When the going gets tough, you give up. Why is that? What is it about the hurdles you encounter that you feel are impossible to overcome? Do you lack knowledge? Confidence? Figure out what is holding you back and put in the effort to change. You are capable of growth in ways you cannot imagine, but it’s up to you to change. Nobody can do the work for you.

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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Live Music Is In Danger (Again)

As the world races to stop the spread of yet another COVID variant, many in music are beginning to worry about what might happen to live music if the US enters another lockdown.

We have to talk about COVID-19. Regardless of your feelings or beliefs regarding the novel coronavirus, there is no denying that we are still living in a global pandemic. The recent return of live music seems to tease normalcy, but the latest headlines tell a much scarier story.

The most recent COVID variants are the most aggressive yet. Both the Delta variant and far more recent Delta+ are more transmissible and deadly than previous iterations of the virus. Worse yet, everyone is at risk, including the vaccinated and those with antibodies. The spread is out of control, and many believe a fresh round of cultural restrictions is on the horizon.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell tells you everything you need to know about the Delta variant, the battle against COVID-19, and the growing concerns around the industry regarding the future of live music.

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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