Posts Tagged ‘releasing your own product’
Surviving as a band in 2010: to free or not to free
We asked Evy of Evy for the Kill what it was like being in a new band in 2010, and what she made of the received wisdom filtering through to unsigned acts.
Evy: We were told it wasn’t going to be easy. We were told we would be up against thousands. What we weren’t told is that we would not only be up against other bands and artists, but a reluctant record-buying public also.
Artists that promote themselves online face stiff competition
We received a message of support from a musician who only promotes his music online. In our reply, we asked him the question:
“Does the Internet make it easier for an unsigned artist to develop their career?”
Dan: In this day and age we have access to an unprecedented amount of information thanks to the Internet. Millions of sites are now available for musicians to take control of their careers on a global scale. I have had people from over 50 different countries visit my site, a pretty decent feat given that I am unable to tour (something I would sorely love to do with all my music). Can this actually help a band grow economically and are there any drawbacks?
Youtube responsible for resurgence of the music video
Budgets for music videos have plummeted since the heyday of MTV blockbusters, and many of the top directors from that era have since moved onto feature films and adverts.
But, thanks to Youtube, we are seeing a resurgence of the importance of music videos. Budgets are creeping back up as labels realise that the audience for music videos is larger than ever before. Opportunities for homegrown videos have also increased dramatically, partly because of a leveled playing field and no less because of relatively inexpensive, high-quality video equipment.
Tunited: UK based independent music community platform
Tunited is a UK based music platform, dreamed up by Midge Ure. Bringing together various elements of services like Drowned in Sound, Bandcentral and MySpace, the site will be part shop, part social network, designed for both for listeners and artists. The creators are placing a strong emphasis on ethics and independent music culture, equating it to a ‘fairtrade iTunes’.
Established band Metric follow Radiohead’s example
Canadian band Metric are following in the footsteps of Radiohead and the Boxer Rebellion, self-releasing their new album Fantasies. Over 2008, they managed to sever all their previous contracts, giving them the freedom to negotiate new working partnerships with companies of their choice.
New services aim to empower artists
BandCentral has launched, aiming to provide bands, managers and labels with an easily manageable online toolset. The service is designed to centralise processes such as mailing databases, merchandising and touring.
On May 5, NME announced the launch of NME Breakthrough, a community platform akin to MySpace that has been developed by Webjam.
US musicians see innovations in DIY and DTF tools
There are a number of services in the US that are acting as partners to artists who prefer Do-It-Yourself (DIY) and and Direct-To-Fan (DTF) models. Some of these companies and entrepreneurial individuals are pioneering innovative methods of distribution and marketing, primarily through the internet.
Despite state help, banks won’t risk loans to music ventures
No credit has been extended to music start-ups by high-street banks of the £1.3 billion made available over 2009 as part of the government’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG).
It would be easy to look at a band like us, The Floe, and believe that we had it all sorted. However, it has not been handed to us on a plate …
Reprieve for fan funded record label
SellaBand, the bankrupt crowd-funded online record label, announced yesterday that it has found buyers and a new CEO in Munich, Germany. The announcement says the site, which tried to reinvent the traditional model by raising tens of thousands of dollars from fans to fund the creation of albums, will go back online tomorrow. The site [...]
