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I am starting out with $30 for 1,000 airplay level — nice and small for micro-testing.  And I’m going to start out with some basic artist-association targeting.  They offer more specific targeting based on age, gender and location, for two Airplay credits per play instead of one (meaning, I’ll only get 500 plays instead of 1,000) and I’ll experiment with that after trying more general targeting.  I listed about 20 artists to associate my music with — broader than what I consider effective, but I’ll see if there are any surprises among which acts’ fans tend to like my music.

More later!

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The true secret to a successful strategy is to make it sustainable.

This applies to everyone but particularly true for musicians.  We get into this because we like music — playing it, making it, recording it, etc.  But with it comes the rest of “business” — promoting, schmoozing, booking, tweeting, and so on.

There are many how-to info out there that claim to make you successful.  But the problem is, they don’t take who you are into account.

Back when I released my first album, I promoted it heavily on MySpace, because Your Favorite Enemies was very successful with that approach.

9 months later, I got so burned out that I just couldn’t go on.  I did many things right as far as I could tell, and my fan base was growing — if slowly (YFE has 7 members, I was by myself) — but getting burned out and not logging in for a long time just burned down most of what I built during that time.

Definitely not a successful strategy.

Derek Sivers says it well when he says “Do what excites/scares you.  Don’t do what drains you.”

I’m still trying to figure out what a successful strategy for me is.  But one lesson I learned: it better be sustainable.   If it’s even half way effective, if I can sustain it, it’ll build.

So, don’t blindly accept other people’s success methods without taking compatibility with yourself into account.  If you hate parties, don’t attend them.  If you hate going online, stay offline.  If you like drawing, incorporate that.  If you like biking, incorporate that.

Make up a career strategy stuff full of activities that excite you, and boldly ignore the rest of good advices.

So that you can sustain it.

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There are many good reasons why you should record an album, but off the top of my head, I can think of three big ones:

1. You want to sell it to make a profit.
2. You want to use it as a promotional tool to get as many people as possible to know your act or come to your gig.
3. You want to showcase your talent/songs.

Now, they are not exactly mutually exclusive, let’s just say that it’s extremely hard to do all of them extremely well at the same time.

Consider for a moment.  If your goal is to make a maximum profit, you may want to reserve some money to promote the album instead of spending it all on production.  In fact, you may want to spend as little as possible on the production as you can get away with, so that it’ll increase your profitability.

On the other hand, if your goal is #2, you may want to forget about profits — and give away your recordings for free.  That way it’ll make the maximum impact on your promotions, and your visibility may help you move forward.

Or if you want to make an album as a showcase, then you’ll want to put everything you got into your production, and never mind what happens afterward.  Having a great showcase of your talents can be your greatest asset — it may woo and impress the important people, if not that many of them, that you’ll want to attract.

I’m sure for most of us, our goals are varying mixes of three.  When I made my first album, my goal was to see if I can do it by myself.  I did everything on my own, and I never let anyone else listen to my work in progress until the very final stages of mixing.  My experiment was to see if I made a record that appealed to nothing but my own taste, if people would like it.   Judging by the responses I got from my listeners, I think my experiment was a success.

But beyond that, I didn’t have very clear idea how I was going to use my album to further my career.  I spent about 9 months on a diligent MySpace campaign, then got burned out doing that, and took a break from my own music.  As I am pondering resuming and thinking about my next album, I realize how my lack of vision/strategy really made me spend my time and resources in an inefficient way.  Lesson learned, I hope to make a bigger impact when I release my next one.

What about you?  What are you setting out to accomplish with your album?  Ponder for a moment and write them down — it’ll help you make decisions throughout your recording, releasing and promoting process.

,

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It’s just like the days of making mix tapes — you carefully choose your songs, order them so that they flow well from one to the next.  This is definitely more of an art than sceience, but that being said, there are certain thought schemes that going into sequencing an album.

Let’s say, we’re putting together a 12-song rock album.  The following will be my chains of thoughts in putting it together.

1. The opener, obviously is very important — definitely one of the stronger songs, if not the strongest.  This song should be a good representative of what the rest of the album sounds like.  However, some albums choose to open with little nuggets or prelude, something unexpected and catches audience off-guard by being the complete opposite of what the rest of the album is.  That can work, too, as long as it’s short enough.  I personally like albums where the first song isn’t the most obvious single — because then the rest of the album feels like a let down.  (And many albums are!)
2. The #2 spot, after the warm-up of the opener, may perhaps be the greatest spot for the biggest single.  Assuming you didn’t put in a little prelude in the #1 spot, the #2 is a place where you’ll want to reinforce what you delivered with #1 — not a place for a change of pace, experiment or contrast.
3. In a rock album, the first two songs should be the one-two punch of uptempo songs to get listeners grooving.  The #3 spot, then, is a good place for a mid-tempo anthem.  Something a little different from the first two, perhaps slower and steadier — but just as strong.
4. After setting the tone with the first three songs, #4 spot is a great place for a change of pace.  Perhaps something a bit more experimental, or if the first three were up-tempo, this may be a good place for a hit ballad.
5. If #4 was a ballad, here’s a place for experiments.  If #4 was more of an experimental song, then #5 is a good place for a ballad.
6. Maybe because I grew up listening to cassettes, I’d like this spot to be something that feels like a closer to the 1st half, before hitting hard again with the next song.
7. The first song of the second half should really pick things back up and hit hard again.  If this is a 14-song album, then the same would be said about the song #8.  So, whichever ends up falling as the first song of the second half.
8. And here’s a follow-up to song #7, recreating the one-two punch of the beginning.
9. #8 or #9 is a great spot for another single.  Usually most albums line up singles between 1-4 and then run out of steam — if an album has a single in the #8 or #9 spot, that gives the impression of an album having a great depth — and very worthy of buying the whole thing.
10. If #7 and #8 were up tempo, here’s another good place to slow down a bit.
11. #10 and #11 are probably places for experiments or not single-worthy songs.  Ideally, no song on your album will be weak, but these are spots for ones that are less “obvious.”
12. Albums seldom have enough good songs to really finish strong, so that’s what I’d like to see in an album.  Closers should aim to leave a great “aftertaste” from listening to the whole thing.  Many rock acts finish with a ballad, which is a move I’m not a fan of, though it makes sense.  While “save the best for last” doesn’t make a lot of sense from a marketing point of view, I’d say pick the last song carefully — let it be a song you don’t mind people remembering you by.  Because the last thing they hear is what’ll stay in their head.

Obviously, sequencing a very subjective thing.  What may feel like a smooth flow may feel jarring to another listener.  That being said, it’s definitely possible to screw up the overall impression of the album as a lager work when you are careless with sequencing.  Every element of putting an album together makes a difference — thus, every piece is worth considering carefully.

Just for kicks, here is a quintessential 12-song rock album that sold gazillion copies.  And they did sequence them well.

Guns n Roses: Appetite for Destruction

1. Welcome to the Jungle
2. It’s So Easy
3. Nightrain
4. Out ta Get Me
5. Mr. Brownstone
6. Paradise City
7. My Michelle
8. Think About You
9. Sweet Child O’Mine
10. You’re Crazy
11. Anything Goes
12. Rocket Queen

The biggest single is sitting at #9 there, but I don’t think the millions of people who bought it minded listening through all the 8 songs getting to the most known songs.  A collection of great songs, sequenced to perfection, is a pleasure to listen to.

Definitely something to aspire to.

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So, here’s a quick check list of what to do before you head to the studio.  Don’t skimp on this — it can really affect how your recording will come out.

• Figure out which songs to record.
• Know the keys to all the songs.  Experiment with tuning/capo before going to the studio to figure out the key that sounds the best and/or is the easiest for the singer (the most important consideration)
• Know the tempo to all the songs.  You don’t have to use clicks if your rhythm section is solid, but still, figure out the precise BPM (beats per minute) of every song before you go in.  Recording, like playing live, can affect your mood and make tempos feel fast or slow — you don’t want to rush or drag just because you aren’t in the right frame of mind.
• Record your songs.  Wait, you said before going to studio… yes.  Tape your rehearsal, and listen to it before heading to a recording studio. It will reveal issues with songwriting, arrangements and performance.  By all means, address those issues before going into studio.
• Put new strings on your guitars.  New heads on your drums.
• Write out settings for your effects/amps.  They may change during sessions, but you’ll know where to start.
• Make sure all your everyone knows when and where to show up.
• Type out lyric sheets.  You think you remember words to your songs, right?  But actually, in studio you’ll be thinking of a lot of other things besides the words — and it sure helps to read off lyric sheets, so you have one less thing to compute with your brain.  Make sure the font is big enough for you to see.
• Get good sleep.  Not just the night before, but 2-3 nights before.  Think you perform your best when you’re sleep deprived?
• Eat a solid meal.  The same as above.  Empty stomach = grumpier mood = think negatively.
• Show up before your schedule time.

Did I miss anything?

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If I worked full-time for a month, how many songs should I be able to write and record?

That’s the challenge I’m setting up for myself for March. I’m taking my new recording studio for a test drive. I just switched from Sonar to Logic as well (I was running Sonar on Windows via BootCamp) so I am afraid I’m not going to be as fast as I was on Sonar — hopefully the switch will pay off in the long run, as Mac OS is more stable than Windows.

I know I just started this site but because of the above, I’m going to be more sporadic with updates for March. There’ll be loads of goodies to share after that, though, so stay tuned!

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Communicate your success.

As musicians, we want to be honest, authentic and (perhaps) personal — but that doesn’t mean you should flag your dirty laundry in public.  There’s a fine line between honesty and tellig what’s not being asked.  Some people mistakenly try to attract people by inviting pity and sympathy.  It’s one thing if you just lost your family in an accident — but your CD selling only 5 copies is not a tragedy. It simply means you have a lot of work to do to build up your fan base.  So that’s not something you want to communicate in your promotions — don’t lie if people do ask, but otherwise, keep that information to yourself.

Now that being said, success is in the eye of the beholder.  You can find positive sides in just about any situation.  Here are some ways to change your point of view and display a positive, uplifting side to the public:

• Just lost a band member -> It’s an opportunity for somebody to join your bandwagon
• Only sold 5 copies of your CD -> Focus on the positive feedback from those 5 people
• Don’t have gigs coming up -> It’s time to write some new tunes, or record!

And so on.  I’m not saying you have to be dishonest, but glass has to be half full when you’re promoting yourself.  People are attracted to confidence, momentum, and positive attitude.  Even when you’re a death metal act, this is true.  Keep that in mind at all times when you’re out representing your music — which is all the time!

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My answer: anywhere I can.

Songwriters are creatures of habits just like everybody else, and they tend to develop a single method of writing that they stick to. Then they fall into a rut or hit a writer’s block, and wonder why they’re stuck. 

In reality, songs don’t have to be born any certain way.  While it’s not wrong for a songwriter to have a primary/favorite method of writing songs, being aware of other entry points can greatly enhance your writing and reduce the chances of you getting stuck.  Below, let’s list up all the places where a song begins to hatch out of its egg:

1. Chord progression/riff: Probably the most common method for everybody who plays instruments to write songs, including yours truly.
2. Melody: Many times I stumble on a great melody from humming in my shower. 
3. Rhythm: Not the easiest place to start, but if you build a song off of a rhythmic hook, I guarantee you it’ll be memorable.  Rhythm is the most instinctive element in music and a distinct pattern there gets under listener’s skin.
4. Lyrics: A surprisingly natural place to start, as all language has built-in pitches and stresses.  Pop music is guilty of completely ignoring inherent rhythms and emphasis built into the language, because writers would force words on melodies without considering how the lines are naturally spoken.
5. Sound: U2’s The Edge has commented on how a certain effect or a sound kick start a song in their band.  The danger there is that then the song’s identity gets locked up with a particular sound, but sometimes the sound itself has so much interest that a song emerges just from playing around with it.  I’m guessing that Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave must write this way.
6. Loops/layers: A drum or percussion loop can start a song, but here I’m talking about layering — even the simplest and most boring repetitions can concoct something interesting when combined with other loops/layers in creative ways.
7. Jamming/Improvising: Sometimes, you just start playing without having any ideas.  It can get more interesting if you jam with other musicians.
8. Mood/Atmosphere/Feeling: Finally, this is a must if you plan to write for film/TV — you have a specific emotional effect in mind and you write to cause that effect with your music.  I’m not talking just about being inspired to write out of certain feelings.  A skilled composer can write with an intention to conjure up particular feelings, and manage to do so.

So there are at least 8 places to start a new song.  How many have you tried?  Which one is your favorite?

Special thanks to Songwriting Zen for an inspiration for this article.

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Back when I was performing as a solo singer/songwriter, this is what happened all the time.  I was getting whatever gigs that I could get, thinking that a little exposure is better than no exposure.  And I was counting on the club or the coffeehouse to have a “house crowd” that I could play to, because while I always had friends, the kind of people I associated with were seldom bar patrons or live music enthusiasts.  But the venue was counting on the acts to bring in the crowd — thus, both parties looking to the other to produce the audience.

On another level, I knew that playing with an acoustic guitar by myself, I was never that good.  While I could write songs that sounded good with just an acoustic guitar, it sounded so incomplete and boring to my mind.  And my singing isn’t my strongest suit — I would never impress anybody with my vocal= prowess alone.  I knew that my strength was in songwriting and arranging and without a band to bring out the intricacies of my songs, my performance was flat. 

The whole time I was doing this, my wife kept shaking her head saying “this is not you.  It’s not you.” I took that to mean that she didn’t think I should pursue music, since that was the only way I knew to pursue it back then.  Stung at the disapproval, I would argue with her about how I need music to survive, like fish needs water.  I developed the act to a point of having a rhythm section play with me, but the member squirmishes really did me in, and when I let go of the drummer and the singer I brought in to take over vocals disappeared, I couldn’t go on.

Years later, when I developed the skills to put together web sites, I used it to offer my production and film scoring services.  And I used my web site as my brochure, letting prospects listen to my work online.  I did get gigs that way — I’m sure that my professional looking web site helped me get those gigs.

One Strategy Does Not Fit All

Some musicians say to play all and every gig you can get, even those empty houses.  Playing to 3 people or even just the bartender is better than not playing at all.

That’s true for some musicians, but not all.

That’s true for musicians who’s starting out and who needs the experience of playing out.  It’s also true if you really thrive in the night scene — if you are a bar/club patron yourself, if you frequent coffeehouses even when you’re not playing and listen to live acts.  In the other words, you feel home in that environment.  Or you know in your heart that this strategy is the best way for yourself, and your attitude is such that you can pour your all into every performance, even when there’s nobody there to listen to it.

For others, this is what I learned: if you’re not excited about being there, what little audience you may have certainly feel your unexcitement.  They will not be impressed.  If you’re not enjoying yourself, then how can you expect your audience to enjoy you?  Worse, continuing to play music in ways you don’t enjoy will lead to resentments toward your very own passion and sooner or later you’ll burn out.

On a related note, I heard of advises that say go to MySpace and list up as many “friends” as you can.  This strategy worked for some acts very well — it worked amazingly for Your Favorite Enemies.  But that takes a lot of time, commitment, and diligence — once again, if you really aren’t enjoying it and forcing yourself to do it, then you’re heading for burn out.

What Do You Enjoy?

The reason these strategies don’t work for everyone is because it really doesn’t take into account your own personal strengths, styles and preferences.  Music is a labor of love — but which part, exactly, is the part you love the most?  Which area is your strength?  You see, in order to win fans, you need to show your best sides.  The aspect of you that you feel most comfortable with, excited about, or proud of.  Are you a live act through and through, thriving in the heat of the moment of performance?  Then by all means, get out and play all the gigs you can.  Or are you more of a tunesmith, carefully marrying the right words to right music to tell stories?  Then you are a songwriter — do you even care to perform your songs yourself, or would you rather just write and write?  Or maybe you are a teacher — you’re most turned on by showing something to your students, seeing the spark go inside their heads when they get it?

Whatever it is that you love about making music, you need to identify and focus on that.  Give yourself permission to disregard all other good advises, because while they may have worked for others, they will not work for you.  The rule of thumb is this: the place where your enjoyment and your strength meet is where you need to be.  If you enjoy singing but if you know in your heart that you’re not exceptional, then don’t pursue your career in a way you have to depend on your vocal performance, and write the kinds of songs that still sound good without a virtuoso singer singing it.  On the other hand, if people tell you you’re a terrific guitar player, but you really don’t feel all that passionate about guitar playing — then go easy on that aspect, too.  The sweet spot lies in the place where you know you love it and you’re good at it.

For me, my love and passion lie in songwriting, arranging, producing and coaching.  I love performing, singing, and playing the guitar, but those are not my strongest suits — they still need further development before I can start relying on them.  Also, I knew that my songs were complex enough where unless I assemble a top notch band, they really can’t live up to their full potential in a live setting.  So for me, focusing on writing and recording and presenting it online (because I enjoy and am good at putting together web sites) is the right strategy.  It may take longer than some other strategies, but I don’t care — I just enjoy pursuing music this way so much that I can see myself doing it for the long haul.

Develop Your Own Plan

Whatever worked in the past for other artists may or may not work for you, because they are not you.  You will do better by researching various approaches, particularly those by artists whose styles and careers are similar to you or what you want to do.  But ultimately, this is all up to you.  You have to become a pioneer, the one who has to figure out the path for yourself.

But there’s really no need to think too hard about it.  Just figure out the things you love and you know you’re good at.  If you are honest with yourself, it shouldn’t be hard to find out what they are.  Once you identify your sweet spot, then it’s time to get creative — how can you do that, and promote yourself?  What you need to do is to do what you love and let others experience it.  It’s that simple.

So stop slaving yourself away at approaches that are really taxing your soul, robbing the joy out of the very thing you love to do the most.  One method does not fit all, but if you get creative, you can concoct your own unique method of doing what you love and letting people experience it.  Your audience will feel you joy and excitement, and you can sustain that approach because it fulfills you, too.  Everybody wins.

Do You Need Help?

All that said, it’s often hard to figure all this out by yourself.  It took me years myself — where a coach/mentor can really help you formulate your own strategy in a much shorter time frame.  If you keep hitting a wall with your musical pursuits, you can talk to me, and together we’ll figure out where your sweet spot is and what approaches have the maximum chance of you achieving a long-term, sustainable success.

Or you may just be in need of a more fundamental overhaul — to really build from the ground up the skills it takes to build a successful career in the music industry.  If so, I recommend you check out Tom Hess’ Music Career Mentoring Program.  This comprehensive two-year course will shape you up in all aspects — your mindset, goal setting, time management, establishing authority, and more.

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