HearWhere: live concert listings for your city, powered by myspace

Now this is a cool site. Event and concert listings have always been around on the web. Everyone has his unique resources and websites to dig them up and find a spot to listen to a good live concert. But if you don’t have a system it can soon turn into a hassle leading to ordering a pizza and watching a movie instead. Well now I’ve decided to use HearWhere. You type in your city (or any city for that matter) on the front page and kablamo! you’ve got yourself a listing of virtually every concert scheduled for weeks to come. The beauty is that the listing comes with a pic of the band, a player containing all MySpace songs and the venue’s name. The cherry on top is the map pin-pointing down the venue’s location when you click on the event. So if ever you’re bored one night and wanna listen to some music, I would suggest browsing through this site over any other.

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Discrevolt: How bands can promote their digital sales with download cards

In one of our merchandise topics, we had suggested that distributing songs in a digital format at shows could have some potential but the process was most likely hazardous since you would need a laptop handy and ask your fans to bring USB sticks. The idea is far-fetched but one company found the solution to spin it in the right direction.

Discrevolt is an online music store that offers a very cool distribution method for bands who want to level the field for their digital sales. They manufacture unique download cards that bands can sell at their shows, or simply give away for promotional purposes. This makes sense in the current state of affairs as CDs aren’t as viable these days. Digital music formats are making major head-way sales-wise but due to their intangible nature the product is not easily promotable in the offline world. These cards sort of make up for that as they are customizable. Bands can create and submit their own designs and have them printed. This encourages a new form of collectible items fans can relate to. When bands meet and greet with their fans after the show they could hand away these cards creating healthy post-gig buzz.

I find this to be a great solution bands should consider. Mp3s are rising very high but CDs are not dead and vinyls are still in the loop. People need to see and feel their product so cutting the cake in two gives you download cards. They very well may become the next big thing

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Why bands should consider online music licensing (2)

Last week we went over 3 sites that allowed you to publish and license your music online. Today we’re going to discover quite a few others. There are lots out there to be honest, most of which are fairly new and up-coming, and we should be expecting more to appear as internet is slowly (well actually rather rapidly) transforming itself into the main platform for the music industry’s new business model.

These sites deliver what is called royalty-free music, meaning the buyer doesn’t have to pay royalties for any commercial use of the music. We also call this pre-cleared music because the provider of the music granted in advance the rights to use the master recording. Both pre-cleared and royalty-free go hand in hand. Most these sites all function with the same model: non-exclusive deals (exclusivity referring to not being able to place your tracks on another site), site takes 50% of earnings, site supposedly has contacts in all major media conglomerates and so on. For the sake of not making this post boring, I am just going to list the sites that are the most relevant to musicians:

• Audiosparx
• LicenseMusic
• eStockMusic
• AttackTrax
• Musync
• Dittybase

These site are made to sell music more then to promote the musicians but they can represent a an income stream. It’s browsing through such websites that one realizes the true competition out there. Here I only displayed those who allow you to upload your music, or who make it clear that this is possible. There are much more royalty-free ‘stores’ selling pre-cleared music out there but who have their own roster of composers. The music quality is good and the prices are going down due to competition. This is great for content creators and not so much for artists. Nonetheless, these sites represent opportunity to sell your music and get recognition, so even if it can’t guarantee results, going down the music licensing path is worth a shot.

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How some bands deal with club owners

If you’re interest in how bands deal with club owners, you might also wanna take a look at:

• How not to get your band booked
• What bands should know about playing in clubs

Dealing with club owners: your best bet is to put a cd together with about 3-4 of your best songs, go and talk directly to the bar owner…don’t bull shit them at all…remember, they deal with musicians all the time. Don’t be cocky, but be confident, this will help you get your foot in the door, also, if you can play the same place twice, there will surely be people who remember you and word gets out“.
Gunner – www.myspace.com/guitargunn

Club owners are always looking for someone to bring in a crowd, they sell more drinks, that’s thier bread & butter.
I only take the door. They can keep all alcohol sales. They like to hear that.
A simple contract always gets signed, 3-4 things on it only, you get the door, they keep all bar money, your sales are yours, ect. Some don’t want to sign a contract. You play at your own risk without it“.
Cowboy Elvis – www.myspace.com/cowboyelvis

Although I’ve tried for a long time to get gigs in clubs, it’s been very difficult. Maybe because we are mostly a duo and clubs like dance bands. But we’ve tried restaurants too. Seems that restaurants have a rotation of bands that play regularly. It’s hard to break into that rotation. We haven’t yet succeeded. We have to leave press kits and cd’s but can never seem to catch the owner in order to actually book a gig. They will not call you ever. They have their choice of bands – they’re not looking for more or for anything particularly special. Some clubs have acoustic nights – most of these evenings are open mic evenings. We are tired of open mics. It’s great for the venue – free music! But lousy for musicians trying to make a living. Some clubs require you to secure them an audience of anywhere from 30-100 people before they will “hire” you. It’s quite a scam – after you secure them their business, they will pay you only a percentage of the door! Sometimes this is split with other bands who’ve had to do the same thing. What a scam! We’ve tried to find managers and booking agents. We’ve gotten as far as sending our press kit and then never hearing from these guys again.
Our problem is that we don’t play covers – we do originals. We are far from mainstream even in our originals so it’s hard to find a club or venue that will hire us. We’re “not what they’re looking for”. If we were a cover band playing rock and blues we’d probably be working regularly.
Payment is hard to come by – because of all of the above. But we’ve managed to be sure to be paid for most gigs – even if it’s minimal. Here’s a good story for you…
After playing the local Pumpkin Festival for a few years for free, my partner and I decided to ask to be paid. After all, the sound man is paid and so are the staff. Why not the musicians whom, without them, the festival would be basically nothing? We approached the organizing committee and asked for payment. They responded that it was not their policy to pay musicians and if we wanted to be paid we should look elsewhere!“.
Rahel – www.rahelmusic.com

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What musicians say the hardest part about being in a band is

Well geez where do I begin… The hardest part I find is to get everyone to be on the same page as far as the music selection…and motivation…….and commitment….”
Gunner - www.myspace.com/guitargunn

Commitment has always been a MAJOR issue, music selection is always a pain and motivation is NOTORIOUSLY a problem. One more point I might add… It really bothers me when people refuse to play a song that everyone else in the band is on-board for…”
Padlockgrim www.myspace.com/padlockgrim

Finding talented musicians who are committed and responsible. Finding rehearsal space, getting equipment, finding gigs… those are easy workarounds. But you gotta have dedicated teammates! No show in a band means no show in a performance”.
www.infusician.com

Finding the right people to play with is the hardest thing. It’s easy to find good musicians, or at least people who can play well but their personalities and attitude are often more important than their technical abilities. Reliable people are vital. Don’t even consider anybody who might have a drinking or a drug problem – look for the signs.
Dark Lord Of Barnet – www.DarkLordOfBarnet.gb.net

My band went downhill the moment we formed a corporation. The money took over.. and led to trust issues between us.
Anonymous

Having the same line-up at the time of the booking that you had when you booked it (since gigs can often be months away). Musicians are like revolving doors. No sooner do you get players who are the right fit, the sound down, the tunes tight, beginnings and endings right… somebody leaves and you have to start all freakin’ over again. Especially if you are an originals band or playing something different than the same old crap everybody’s been playing. Guys just don’t seem to want it that bad anymore. The answer from this end of the country then is finding players who are serious and will commit for the long haul”.
Gail Gordon – www.sonicbids.com/ggg

Lack of commitment is an inherent disease for musicians worldwide, I have been dealing with it for more than 40 years and it is not getting any better today than it did with the first band. I just have to pay them more money theses days, but get the same attitudes and flakiness even from the good ones. Just keep three players deep on each instrument at all times, don’t ever rely upon one key player to be able to do your performances or not. They can all be replaced and probably will, even you sometimes, if they all walk and go get somebody else.
Running a band is one of the toughest jobs in the world and usually thankless too (I shoulda been a brain surgeon…).
Saint Gabriels Celestial Brass – www.ambassadorsofamericanculture.com

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If you liked what you read, you might also wanna check more more quotes on band issues at:

• Which musician do you find to be the most annoying in a band (1)

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Links:

Woozyfly.com : a social network that allows you to broadcast your own web show, create a profile, discover great music and promote your band with music videos, video chat, email and classifieds.

Infusician.com : a social network for musicians set up to help them collaborate on mix tapes and sound tracks. Also allows musicians to jam online.

Sonicbids.com: a website that offers an electronic press kit (EPK) and a vast list of industry contacts and ressources.

The Ambassadors of American Culture have been producing, booking and managing American Blues, Jazz & Gospel artists for over 25 years.

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Why indie bands should not sign with a major record label by Dick Dale

Dick Dale knows what he’s talking about. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the name, you’re most certainly familiar with his music. He’s the king of surf guitar and basically created the style with ‘Misirlou’, the track from Pulp Fiction. He has been struggling with the music industry ever since he started recording albums. His message is simple and straight to the point: be smart and don’t count on anyone but yourself to get your music heard.

Here are the main pointers of this video that indie bands should take into consideration:

• Learn how to market yourselves and become business men,
• Stop trying to be the big man,
• Contact licensing agencies and medial outlets to distribute your music.

Concerning licensing agencies, we’ll have a post out next wednesday on online licensing companies so stay tuned.

In our series on major record labels I would also suggest checking out these posts:

• Why the music industry won’t take risks with bands anymore by Frank Zappa
• Why bands should not sign with a major record label By Steve Albini

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The way bands gig swap and share shows (2)

How bands choose other bands to swap/share gigs:

I was in a band that threw a show at a teen community center about seven years ago. The other two bands on the bill were from the local high school. That way the kids would come to check out their friends playing. Turns out that the two bands hated each other. and their friends hated each other. I spent most the night trying to keep the peace and dealing with a bunch of brats. In the end, my band played middle (no big deal) and the other bands ended up trying to rip each other off and fist fighting (that is a big deal). The teen center didn’t allow another show after that. KNOW WHO YOU’RE PLAYING WITH! Ask the other bands if they’re cool with the other bands on the bill and the lineup. If the band you got a show doesn’t get you a show back, then don’t work with them anymore. Your good name is all you got. Don’t let others drag it through the mud. if you set up the show and it’s a winner, the glory is yours. If the show is a bust, so will you.
March into Paris http://www.myspace.com/marchintoparisband

We chose bands by going to their shows and seeing them live before we invite them to play with us.
Throw The Fight, http://www.myspace.com/throwthefight

I have done some gig swapping… it has worked out good for me… but I met the people at a show, so I know they are hard working and will make the gig I go to a good one. They know that of me as well… I am sure if it’s a hit or miss.
ID Required, http://www.myspace.com/idrequired

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Does gigswapping always work out?

Gig-swapping is always a risk. Bands often embellish their worth and/or bail out on their side of the deal. But it’s worth trying. If you win over any of their fans, they will talk about it and hopefully come out the next time your there.
Tims Myth, http://www.myspace.com/tmyth

When doing a swap with a band, always do a little bit of research on the other band. If this is a gigging band that has done its fair share of shows then they should know the deal.
We’ve swapped shows with a lot of out of town bands, and really, it’s just a matter of “you scratch my back and I scratch yours.” If a band comes from a long distance you hook them up with a place to sleep, hot meals, and show them a good time around your city. Make something special out of it. Just try to start good relationships with good bands in areas far away that you plan on going to as soon as you’ve earned a name for yourselves at home. One region at a time. When setting up a bill find some bands you have networked with, three or four, go to the venue you’re trying to play and present them with the bill; show the bills drawing power. (if you don’t know any bands, it’s because your networking game is weak. Don’t bother setting up a bill until you got the networking part of the game down). When you’re setting up a bill it’s always best to work out who’s paying for what as far as the PA goes. If you’re playing at a place without a PA. (and never play at a place without a PA unless you’re setting up a show at the teen community center or something like that. If you’re playing at a bar with no PA, it’s because they don’t do regular shows. No regular shows equals no walk in traffic there to hear bands, and the bar regulars aren’t there to hear bands.
March into Paris, http://www.myspace.com/marchintoparisband

Most of the time bands are always down and don’t fuck around with gig swapping too much, cause it gives them a chance to go play in a new area or city and get good promotion and what not.
Texas armed to the teeth, http://www.myspace.com/texasarmedtotheteeth

We’re friends with most of the bands in town, so they ask us to play out. We don’t even play remotely the same style of music, but there’s a lot of mutual respect. Once you’re in good with a few clubs, you can return the favor, or get someone to help fill the bill when you’re in a jam trying to find that third band to play with. Get in with those bands that see the scene as a community, not as a group of competitors. There’s a good chance there will be a lot of the latter, especially in the rock scene. The older guys are usually the ones to get to know. they’ve mostly gotten past that cocky phase.
Sylvan Lane, http://www.myspace.com/sylvanlane

We’ve hooked up touring bands and they return the favor. There are always bands that will get on a bill that aren’t that good, but it’s part of the game sometimes. I’ve also seen bands be not very good the first time you see them, but then 6 months later they slay!
(Anonymous)

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Mruff?

Finding bands = easy, choosing bands = not so easy. Any band should be wary of putting their reputation on the line for another band they’ve never seen before. Even if your musical styles aren’t exactly the same you should consider the outcome of the partnership. If they have a steady fan base and let you in on a tight venue in a city you want to access, in that case swap away. Good production tells a lot about a band. If the production is thorough then in most cases the live sound will be well finished. So if you like their music (or not, but they’re hot), they sound good and they are consolidated in your target location, there is one last thing to look into, and having looked into that thing in the first place might have rid you of all the other things: a simple video of the band playing live. This doesn’t answer all your questions but it’s the most direct impression your gonna get. Actually it’s not, sorry; the most direct is seeing them live. It’s worth taking your band out on the road for a short drive to see them play. Live is where a band shows its mettle. And you get a chance to meet their fans, which in turn could become your fans. It’s always all about the fans…”.
(gigDoggy, http://www.myspace.com/gigdoggy

More bands quotes on sharing shows and gig swapping here:

• The way bands gig swap and share shows (1)
• The way bands gig swap and share shows (3)

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