A Change In The Game

Forget about the music, focus on the AUDIENCE!

WHAT?

Of course the music is important. But you're no longer playing to gatekeepers, there are no rules, no A&R guys scratching their chins. Oh, of course those people still exist, but if you're playing the hit single game you're on a fool's errand, or in country music, which is always a step behind the pop game, as in it's still controlled, but that won't be forever, as terrestrial radio continues to diminish in importance.

You used to depend on the label, on intermediaries, to build your audience. Now that's your responsibility. And no one cares how you do it. If someone is judging your music, ignore them. Phish never had a hit single. And neither has Tedeschi Trucks. But they both do a ton of live business, have fans who go to every show and can't stop testifying. The one act that appears most in my inbox is not Drake, or the Weeknd, or Taylor Swift, it's Phish. Their fans can't stop telling me about them. Now even the managers don't know how many Phish fans there are, whether it's the same people going to every show, but one thing's for sure, there are very few of them compared to the aforementioned big three, but they're dedicated, they lay out their dough, Phish shows are swimming in attendees, the band can even do festivals!

And it's not only Phish. There's Jason Isbell. On a smaller scale Wilco. These are two other acts people bug me about. Once again, who cares about the music, it's not made for you, it's made for those addicted, the fans. And if the circle grows it will be because of these fans, not mainstream media. The media is just a victory lap, especially for these acts that have been around for a while. The looky-loos have already checked them out and either said yes or no, and once they've said no it's nearly impossible to addict someone, there's just too much in the pipeline, people don't come back.

Of course you can have a popular record, but that does not mean you'll have fans. And how many people are actually hearing that record?

As for Taylor Swift, she wouldn't be a superstar if she hadn't started out in country music. And Coldplay wouldn't be selling out stadiums if they weren't one of the last acts under the wire before the VH1/music television paradigm died. You can't reach everybody today, world domination is nonexistent, forget about it, don't stay at home polishing that one track that's going to break you wide, instead go out and try to find fans, and if people don't like what you're doing figure out why and change it.

Those are the stories of today, people doing it their way, by themselves. Yes, Zach Bryan is now attached to Warner, but he started himself and plays by his own rules. And keeps putting out music, not caring about overwhelming the system, but satisfying his fans.

And if you want to be big, you must do the opposite of everybody else, just like the execrable Peter Thiel said. Don't try to imitate, don't do what everybody else does, that ship has sailed. You want to be unique, you want to create your own lane, you want to hoover up all the people everybody else ignores.

And want a tip? Make your lyrics, your story, personal. Yes, have an identity. Don't get good makeup, unless that's what you're selling, don't sing to hard drive, do it your way, so people can identify with you. I abhor the fact that Pink does her damn acrobatic act, I mean one tour okay, but forever? But she's the only one doing it, and people clamor for tickets, so my opinion doesn't matter. Also, she had hits before the entire system blew apart.

Forget the old rules. Forget protecting your interests. The music is just a vehicle to establish your audience. Don't complain about Spotify payments. If anybody is listening, great. Odds of having a billion plays of anything, which pays quite well by the way, are incredibly low. Your songs are a demonstration, manna for the fans, who'll go to the show, buy merch...

A manager is more important than a label. You don't want someone who can schmooze as much as someone who has vision, who can execute your vision, who can make things happen. Someone who doesn't depend on others but is a self-starter.

Forget the legacy acts. They were built in another era.

Forget pop, it's too expensive. To make the music, to get known, and it all appears phony anyway.

As for hip-hop... That's its own game, but the biggest people in it seem to be outsiders, who focus on authenticity more than an individual track. Then there are acts like Run the Jewels who have never had a hit, but have a huge audience.

But all that was in the past, and I'm talking about today.

It's all from the bottom up. The creator is king. The platform is irrelevant. You use them all. Yes, you must be on social media, yes you must reveal your inner life, must detail your life constantly, but not to grow your audience, but to satiate the one you already have, the one in control of your career, the one that will grow you...or not. If you don't know your biggest fans, you're doing it wrong. Believe me, they won't stop coming to shows, they won't stop hanging out, they'll contact you on the internet, empower them.

If you have a catchy song...

I'd argue that Dave Matthews was broken by "Ants Marching," and that was never a hit. But just like Coldplay, Dave and his band broke in the old era, with VH1, don't try to emulate Dave, other than his focus first on his audience. Dave doesn't appear to be playing the game, and he's got a sense of humor about the whole thing, he's only serious when he's actually playing.

I don't care what you think, it does not matter. Does not matter what I think. It's not about slicing and dicing, analyzing the tracks, if you're not interested, fine. It's just a matter of whether SOMEONE is interested, and whether the act can grow the fire. Yes, you're starting with kindling, and the spark might be a catchy tune, or something you do live, but it's not about a typical hit massaged by the machine. Hell, you could work with Max Martin, create a radio-friendly track, but odds are it won't help your career unless someone is spending a ton of money and telling you what to do, and you don't want that, because these people DON'T KNOW! Only you know, because you're online, you're on stage, you're in touch with your audience, you're feeling the vibe, you know what works and what does not.

As for money?

Your goal is to give up your day job. Which might never happen. But if it does, don't dream of mansions... Those are for somebody else, mostly people not in music at all. You want to be able to travel by bus, and have enough money for freedom when you're not working, to maybe go on vacation, possibly to an island. It's a lifestyle, you should be thrilled you can make a living playing music.

Having said that, and I hate to insert this caveat, I hate to go negative, but no one is entitled to a living playing music, absolutely no one. If you're complaining about streaming payments, ticket fees, how the world is stacked against you, you're a chump. It's just like every other business. There are hurdles, a labyrinth, and you have to figure out how to navigate, how to establish a path. And if you can't do it, it's your fault. Don't be a sucker, don't complain, no one is listening, just work. You'll know when you've got it right, you'll hear from the audience, and those are the only people who matter.

The downside is world domination is nearly impossible. The upside is you've got all the tools to do it yourself, and most of them are completely free, if not close to it. Create whatever music you want. Get the word out however you want. Monetize however you want. There are no rules, you're creating your path yourself. And it's going to be unique to you.

If you've got people listening, don't care if outsiders criticize your music, they're just haters, you're on to something, keep going.

Forget everything you ever knew. Forget reading music business books. Forget paying people for a leg up. Look into the mirror and have a conference with yourself, figure it all out yourself, it's scary, but thrilling.

And entirely doable.

As a matter of fact, it's the way to do it. Forget the labels and the publishers and the old media that are not hip. The agents are hip. That's the most important person after your manager. But you can even make it without playing live if you're innovative enough. But you need to let the people touch you. Which means you've got to be out there, honest, leaving some blood on the saddle.

There are more slots than ever. But only for truly creative people.

You can do it. Or maybe you can't. But there are plenty who can. They're inventing the new music business.


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