You, ArtiSans Label and the Performance Rights Act

Recently, the House Judiciary Committee approved legislation for something called the Performance Rights Act (H.R. 4789) in a 21-9 vote. The Performance Rights Act would force radio stations to pay artists and/or record labels whenever their recordings are played. As it currently stands, radio stations already pay songwriters whenever their songs are played on the radio, but the people who actually recorded the song (or who own the recordings) don’t get anything. The longstanding broadcasting argument has been that it is okay to not pay out due to the provision of free promotion for the music industry. But U.S. radio stations are just about the only ones who get away with this… As Warner Music Group (WMG) boss Edgar Bronfman Jr. likes to point out, there’s only a handful of other countries that give radio a free ride as the U.S. does, and those include North Korea and Iran.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that all of the internet webcasters already have to pay something and so does Sirius XM Satellite (SIRI). But this is poor representation as a model of pay out success because webcast sites are failing left and right and the satellite systems are billions of dollars in debt even with their merger. Regardless of the above stated issues, the Performance Rights Act comes down to the simple issue of a musician’s rights. Finally the government has noted the huge shift in the music industry and has decided to update its’ music laws.

The financial breakdown per title 17 Copyright law would be as follows: copyright holder (generally record label) would receive 50%, while 45% goes to the performing artist. Here is the kicker, take special note, artists who own their own copyrights benefit the MOST from the bill. They get the artist portion of 45% AND the copyright holder’s portion of 50%. This is just more incentive for musicians to do it yourself. Take heed from Radiohead, Trent Rezner of Nine Inch Nails, and older acts such as Prince and Nancy Sinatra who maintained their copyrights and artist integrity. More and more large scale musicians are dropping the traditional record label and releasing music in their own creative way.

The payout to record labels from radio stations might be a last ditch effort to save their outdated business model. Fortunately the new business model that ArtiSans Label has created allows the artist to keep 100% of their copyrights, royalties and any other generated income. If you are with ArtiSans, you are in good hands and may be seeing more money in the foreseeable future through the Performance Rights Act.

There is still a long ways to go for this bill to be passed. So far it was passed by the House Judiciary Committee; it has to go through the Senate Committee, then back to the Full House of Representatives, back to the Full Senate and then to President Barack Obama’s desk before it becomes law. Keep in mind this bill also has to filter through the large sea of piranhas (Washington lobbyists) before it can go anywhere. So we may see some changes and provisions to the bill, as it has to get through many gauntlets to survive. Industry watcher Glen Peoples has an optimistic view of the potential outcome of all of this. From his Coolfer blog:

One of two outcomes will come from today’s' three-and-a-half hour hearing on the Performance Rights Act: Either the committee will approve the Performance Rights Act or the National Association of Broadcasters and labels will reach their own agreement. It is very clear the committee members understand the promotional value of radio but think it is unfair that only radio stations get to decide the amount of that value. The issue of whether there should or should not be a performance right is all but decided. The issue to now be resolved is the value of the right and the timing of its introduction.

Touché said the salesman. How this might affect the music industry is very debatable and I challenge you (readers) to present different aspects that I did not touch on in this blog. After all, this is a topic that will not dissipate quietly anytime soon.

Studio Efficiency Part Three: Pre-Production and Performance

Howdy, kiddies! Welcome back. Today's installment is part three of my Studio Efficiency series. Its focus will be on the importance of pre-production and performance and how they directly affect studio efficiency, how much money you're spending, and your over all experience.

So I'm going to assume you've read Studio Efficiency Part One: Planning and Part Two: Cost, and now feel you are in a good place to start choosing your studio and potentially your producer. Once you have all that set up and a start date confirmed it's time to turn your focus to the music.

Pre-production is the most important part of the album preparation process. It is the one that has the potential to save you the most money, time and headaches. This is also when you really want to consider pulling a producer in. As I covered in Studio Efficiency Part One: Planning, one of the producers job is to monitor flow of the project. The other part of his job is to help the band/artist through the pre-production and writing period.

During this period you will make final decisions as to what songs are going on the album (LP or EP), and finalizing every single part of them so that the only experimentation going on in the studio is that of the sonic aspect and quality of each instrument. This is also the time when you will perfect your performance of each part. Get down every guitar lick, every drum fill, and every melodica solo. And work out all vocal melodies and harmonies as well as deciding who will play what part.

There are many reasons a producer is highly valuable at this stage (as well as every other stage). One being, he/she is an outside member of the band and therefore has an objective opinion (ideally). The producer can succeed in being objective because the songs weren't written by them and they shouldn't be emotionally attached to any one particular tune. This is important because he/she can be the mediator in any band disagreements and look at it from a "what's the best decision for this record" point of view. The other reason having an outside-the-band perspective is huge is the producer may bring a different musical element to the songs, pushing them in a unique, new, or interesting direction. For a young band/artist, it is even more important to obtain the services of a producer because, ideally, he/she has more song writing and studio experience than the artist and can be a mentor throughout the entire process.

The point is to walk into the studio having a near perfect plan so no time or money is wasted. In the recording industry, it is an expectation of you , the artist, to have your music ready when you come into the studio. As we discussed in Studio Efficiency Part Two: Cost, there are different ways that studios may charge you. If you're getting charged hourly, then the consequence is obvious. The more time you take to figure things out in the studio, the more money you're spending. If the studio is charging you a flat rate for you album with an hour cap, they may get frustrated because you're essentially using your recording time as rehearsal. Both of these are hugely detrimental to your budget, final product, and most imporantly, your experience.

Creating music is a truly magical thing, and getting the opportunity to put that music into a medium that can be treasured for decades to come is far too important to have ruined by something as avoidable as lack of planning and preparation. If you've read all three parts of this series (Planning, Cost, and Pre-Production/Performance), you should be on your way to properly planning for one of the most amazing experiences of your life.

Now go make me some music. You have 120GB to fill up on this damn iPod I just spent a ton of money on...yes this is your responsibility. :-)

Any questions? Hit me up. kyle@artisanslabel.com series.

How to Keep Up with the Ever-Changing Music Industry or: How I Learned to Love the Blog

So there is no doubt that the music industry is changing. It is changing so fast in fact, that most people (industry execs included) have no idea what's going on. Sure, there are theories and speculation but nobody truly knows for sure. It seems that every day there is a new solution, new social networks that your band has to be on, and a new way to get noticed. So, how do you keep up with all of this information?

The answer: Blogs and RSS feeds.

Bloggers range from any flapjack with an internet connection and something to say(just check out the guy in the picture), to bonafide taste-makers that have their fingers on the pulse of their chosen industry or topic. Once you find a blogger that you think has an interesting point of view, has their finger on the pulse or has such an opposing viewpoint from yours that it grinds your gears so much need to read what absurd thing he/she is going to write next... subscribe to their RSS feed.

What the fuzz is an RSS feed?

RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" and its power is addictive (like crack or pistachios). Imagine turning on the news and every story was something that you were interested in, something you wanted to know about. With RSS feeds you can create your very own news channel that is tailored to exactly what you want and need to know.

Today, most built-in email programs will let you subscribe to an RSS feed so that all you have to do is open your email and your news fix has arrived. There are also desktop readers and web browser add-ons that will let you subscribe and read your feeds. I am not going to tell you which to use because the best reader is one that is easiest for you to incorporate into your routine. Personally, I use Google Reader because I use the Google search engine every day, it's my home page, this made it a natural fit for me.

Once you get set-up on a reader all you need to do is find a blog or news page that you like and subscribe. You do this by either clicking "Subscribe" or finding the little RSS reader logo and clicking on it.
The logo looks like this: Once you click on it follow the instructions for your chosen reader and boom, you're done.

So go out there and start creating your own news channel. I'll even give you a head start. The list below is a small sampling of the many feeds that I follow. Add them to your reader and get fed!

Release Your Music - probably the most important of them all
Ariel Publicity- Ariel is hands down the best at online marketing for bands
Derek Sivers- Founder of CD Baby, Indie music guru, Jedi master
Hypebot- this one will really keep you up to date on the new music business
Tape Log- This is from my favorite recording mag "Tape-Op"

If you are still unsure of RSS feeds or how to subscribe, check out this super fun video from the folks over at Common Craft. RSS in Plain English

If you find something good, let me know. I'd love to read it!

Great Glass Elevator Reunion Show

by Joshua Troesh

When the call goes out that Great Glass Elevator is having a 'reunion' show, what choice do you have but to go? Well, I guess you could stay home and watch a re-run of Friends on the CW, which would be equally entertaining, but you wouldn't be able to pay premium prices for water-downed drinks.

At the end of the 55 Freeway, a few blocks west of Triangle Square, is a little 'dive bar' in Costa Mesa called Detroit Bar. At least, 'dive bar' was how I heard some of the South Orange County crowd describe it. There was no smoking, no bar fights, and no stray animals roaming the grounds. But hey, if it makes them feel more dangerous to say they were in a dive bar, more power to them.

In actuality, it was a little community bar with a relatively make-shift stage; but the sound was impressively well done. Originally, we had heard that GGE (yeah, that's right, I'm abbreviating them and there's not a damn thing you can do about it) was going on around ten that night. Fortunately, we found out before leaving that they weren't actually scheduled to go on 'til 11. Of course, once we got there, we noticed that the band just starting to set up at 11:15 was decidedly not GGE. Texts to Josh, Dave, and Ezra gave us the insight (from Ezra, thanks for checking your phone man) that the show would actually start sometime between 11:45 and midnight. Ahhh the band life.

Dave came out in greased back hair, reading glasses, and geek chic attire and quickly yelled at the audience to quiet down. It took a few additional awkward admonishments for the audience to go silent so Dave could start the show with an interesting vinyl selection; presumably from a 1950's National Geographic collection. Other notable attire selections of the band included a barefoot Ezra (at least we got him to wear pants), and Josh, who's attire started out relatively normal but slowly and disturbingly disappeared as the band played on.

The show was a pretty damn good with a wide selection of their music being played, including a track from their most recent album who's release show was, to my knowledge, the last time the band played together. It's been a while since I've heard them play together, and I found it just as entertaining.

Although last-call hadn't happened, the crowd pretty much dissipated after GGE went off stage, and a couple dozen people hung out afterward in the parking lot. There was also the equally entertaining after-concert show of the band dynamics as they interacted with each other. A stressed out Barrett trying to get his van loaded with Matt & Josh's stuff so he could take off to his next 'appointment,' a laughing Dave telling Barrett he needs to be more of an ass, me telling Barrett I could give him asshole lessons, and Layne (Josh's girlfriend) calling bullshit on that and accusing me of being a nice guy.

Rumors were already spreading that night of a possible future show at a relatively major OC venue, so there is hope that the world might get to see one last 'reunion' of GGE.

And who knows, maybe they'll go the way of Barbara Streisand and have a 'Fairwell Concert' every year or so.

Dave telling the crowd to shut the hell up. Ok, he was a bit nicer about it.






Matt: Guitar


Josh: Drums


Dave: Loudmouth...I mean lead singer.


Ezra: Bass


Barrett: Guitar/Keyboards

What Is ReverbNation?

I met with an artist this week and we got to discussing all of the different websites that bands can use for the betterment of their careers. This particular band is successful, intelligent and leaving very soon to play for a month in London, so I was surprised when they told me that they just recently started using a site called ReverbNation .

I was introduced to Reverb by a very good friend who opened up my eyes to all of the wonderful things can be done/handled on just one website. I manage a band called CONJOB (shameless name dropping) and I was desperately looking for a way to streamline all of our information and contacts as well as add in a few things that I hadn't figured out yet. There's so much to learn and so many websites that need to be found, so any education that was offered to me I would take... hint, hint.

ReverbNation lets you browse through venues all over the country, track and monitor the statistics of your band, manage a street teem, do viral marketing, digital distribution, gives you the all important Electronic Press Kit and so much more! Out of the plethora of features offered, the simple one that I was excited about the most is the e-mailing list manager. I've never been a fan of Excel (mainly due to the fact that I was raised on a Mac), so when I found that I didn't have to organize, number or alphabetize the list, I was sold on Reverb instantly. Every single other feature was just icing on the cake for me at that moment of discovery.

If you haven't experienced ReverbNation yet, then get on that website and see all that it has to offer to bands. It won't be a waste of your time... much unlike Excel is for this girl.

Cheers!
Creed

Organization 101b: Making the Best Use of Your Time!

Last week I wrote part one of this series on getting organized, Organization 101a: Write it Down!. Today's blog is the second part of this three-part series, focusing on ways to make the best use of the time that you do have. I am positive that I am not alone in thinking that it seems like there is never enough time to get everything done! Some of these suggestions are things that I already do, and some I found while researching for this blog and I am implementing to help make better use of my time!

Get a Planner: I know, I suggested this last week, but it is very helpful when scheduling your time. It is especially necessary if you have a family and/or spouse, so that you can be sure that you do not forget any of your commitments. Each day/week you can see what it is you have scheduled and what tasks you need to accomplish. Then you can schedule your week so that have time allotted to complete all those tasks.

Don't Put it Off!: This is one suggestion I have begun to implement, and that I think everyone is guilty of. When you procrastinate, you add stress to your life because you are thinking about that 'to do' item that you are dreading and putting off. Procrastination makes the task seem much bigger and more difficult than it probably is. If you change your way of doing things, and take care of the dreaded task first, then everything else will seem simple in comparison.

Use Your 'Waiting' Time: Put the time that you have while waiting for appointments, in line, or in between meetings to good use! Have something to do/read with you to fill this time. I always have a magazine or something I need to read through with me so that I am occupied when I find myself just waiting around. This is especially helpful when waiting in line...rather than getting annoyed at how long it is taking or how slow the line is moving, I fill that time productively.

One exception to this rule is that you shouldn't use this time to make phone calls! You don't want to have the person you are meeting with, or the cashier (and the rest of the line) wait as you finish your phone call, and you don't want to put the person you are speaking to on hold to finish your transaction. There is a big difference in being productive with your time, and being rude.

Once and Only Once: When you are going through your papers, emails, and files, ONLY LOOK AT THEM ONCE! Read it, file it, forward it, schedule it or toss it. Don't put it back on the to-do pile, because you will only do the same thing later. Don't put it off and hope you'll get to it eventually, eventually will probably never come.

I have a pretty detailed filing system. This way I know where to go to find that paper/item when I need it. For bills, give each vendor its own folder, that way you know where to go for all your information and records when dealing with that Vendor. My email has a filing system as well. I create subject folders I can move email to if I want to save them, so that I can find them easily when I need them again.

For work, I make binders - its a system I found that worked for me when I worked in Event Production. For example, I made a binder for the RADAR Advocates that I manage for ArtiSans. I have a tab for each RADAR advocate which contains all their registration information. I take notes on that page, and add all correspondence (via Email) in their tabbed section. I also have a few tabs for general correspondences and my 'in-progress projects' for RADAR. This binder amazes everyone who sees it, and all it involved was a 3-hole punch, a 1-inch 3-ring binder, 2 sets of dividers and 5 minutes of my time. Now when I need to look up something, it is VERY easy to find. I can also add new advocates as we get them. (I suggest that the Advocates make a binder for the bands that they refer to the RADAR program. Have a tab for each band, and take notes when you follow up with the band.)

The "once and only once" rule will probably be your biggest time-saver in the end. Too much time is wasted each day searching for things, and the frustration that builds when you can't find something will add a lot of stress in your life.

Multitask: This might take a little more practice, since a lot of things need your full concentration. Most of my multitasking comes when I am on the phone (filing while talking to family, straightening up etc). Also, I like to do the stationary bicycle, treadmill or elliptical machine while watching TV, but this isn't an option for everyone.

Schedule FUN TIME! Everyone needs a break. Make sure you include some personal time for yourself to unwind and do something YOU like.

I hope that these suggestions help you to make the best use of your time! I'm really excited for next weeks blog Organization 101c: Technology is our Friend! because there are a LOT of ways that technology can help you to get organized and a lot of cool websites I have found that I can't wait to share with you. Until then - get back to work!

What’s Your Approach for Song Writing?

“Create like a Child, and then edit like a Scientist.” I have never heard a better approach for songwriting, or any kind of art form for that matter. When followed correctly and diligently, this workflow allows us as artists to capture our most creative moments and organize it in the most effective way possible.

It’s far too clear when an artist is only doing one of the two things. If you were to only create like a child, the work may be jam packed full with creative ideas but it would be nearly impossible for people to make scene of it. On the flip side, if you write your songs with scientific precision only, it will end up being uninspiring, uncreative, and will not stand the test of time.

The trick is to find just the right balance. Music, as with all other arts, is a conversation between the heart and the head. Sometimes we have to break the rules because our work demands it. Other times, we need to painstakingly question, scrutinize, and edit the content. It’s a process of fun and work, pleasure and pain, tension and release. Just like working out a muscle, we too are working out our “song writing muscle.”

Another huge part is making sure we are writing consistently and not relying on the excuse “when I feel like it.” Think about how frustrated a person trainer would be if his trainee only worked out when he felt motivated. The best moments of inspiration come during the work not before it. We cannot always sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. Sometimes we have to work for it.

It’s my job as the producer to inspire, encourage, and put together something of substance. As I spoke about last week, the songs are crucial for the quality of the album. This is why I always try to make sure every artist I work with understands this concept. They have to be able to create something as innocently as a child, and not only making sense of it after but put it together in the best way possible.

Next week I’ll be going into more detail about what it means to really create like a child.

Now let’s go out and do something that matters.

-Barrett

Studio Efficiency Part Two: Cost

Back for more, eh? How’d the planning go? Ready for the next step in the process? Either way, lets dive in!

Pricing structures vary from studio to studio, so it may help to find out which you’re working with prior to the planning stage. Some places have a per song charge, some a day rate, and some are hourly. Keep in mind that day rate and per song structures usually have a limit (or cap) on hours. Find out what that limit is, and compare it to your plan. Can you get everything done under the cap? If not, what’s the charge for going over?

Another typical rate policy is a reduced hourly rate for a specific number of estimated hours for the project (i.e. 75 hours estimated for 5 songs, or 15 hours per song) and then anything over the initial estimation can hike back up to the normal hourly rate – similar to going over the cap on a per song or day rate.

These are things that can end up costing you a lot of money over the course of the project. The best way to avoid pitfalls in the estimated hours pricing structure is to estimate high. Add a two to five hour buffer to your per song estimation to be safe. When you’re doing hour estimations, and paying hourly, most studios will only charge you for what you actually use so there’s no danger in estimating high. If it’s a flat rate(as in the per song charge or day rates), then you pay that amount and likely will not get any sort of refund for going under the hour cap.

I want to quickly address what some of you are probably thinking. If you haven’t tackled the planning phase yet, then 15+ hours per song may sound like a lot. When, however, you start to break down the recording process piece by piece, it will start to make sense. Keep in mind when I estimate 15 hours for a band, just about half of that is editing and mixing. Average edit/mix time on a commercial track is 8-14 hours per song. If you listen to tunes on the radio and like the sonic quality, then you have to realize that’s the time it takes to get them to that point. That being said, at a mid-level studio, you’re probably looking at about 6-8 hours per song. This is usually because mid-level facilities are the destination of the more budget conscience artists who can’t afford the $1,000 per day it can take to have it done at a high-level studio like Ocean Way or NRG. Most importantly, the mixing process is where the song will fly or crash and burn; it would be a serious miscalculation to cut it short.

All the above advice will save you much time, headaches, and money in the studio. And when you’re trying to concentrate on being creative while recording, it’s nice to have all these kinks worked out ahead of time.

Next weeks’ “Studio Efficiency Part Three” will focus on performances and the importance of pre-production.

No One is More Invested in Your Success Than You Are, So Invest in Your Success.

The past two weeks I discussed how it is going to be a lot of work to reach your goals in the music industry. Contrary to popular belief most musicians are not lazy. They work their tails off sacrificing many things to make gigs, rehearsals, songwriting and recording a priority. A musician will work for many concentrated hours to get that bridge just right, stay up all night trying to master the impossible guitar lick that is the only one that will work in the song. Musicians are not lazy, their drive is just extremely focused. Focused on making music. So there is no doubt in my mind that when I wrote,"These days you have to work and you have to work hard" most every musician that read that post greeted it with a "Where do I sign up?" attitude.

Guess what? It's also going to take money.

I'm sorry is your pen broke? Can't sign up today?

Why is it that in an "It takes money to make money" society, musicians always seem to baulk at spending money on anything other than their tone? If you visit Discmakers website you can see that 1000 CD's in jackets can be had for $790. I am going to make an educated guess and say that with shipping and tax the whole deal will cost your band less than $1100. Now, if you are selling your CDs for $10 at your shows all you need to do is sell 110 CDs to break even. This means that your 111th disc and every one thereafter is 100% profit! The question should not be "Can we raise the $1100 to purchase the discs?" The question should be "Can we sell 110 CDs?" If you can't with confidence say "Hell yes! We can sell way more than 110 CDs!" Then you need to go back to the ol' drawing board because you shouldn't be thinking about releasing an album yet.

FYI- in the above scenario, if you sell all of your 1000 discs you stand to make $8900 profit! This is possible, these numbers are real.

Shirts are another traditionally great way for a band to make money. It is possible to make over $5 per shirt profit if you are selling them for $10 or more. These days there are more and more possibilities for a band to create streams of income popping up everyday. I could go on outlining the potential profit margins of each of them but that is boring. What you need to know is that most of the profit margins are great for you if you are in control of the income stream. However, most every possible point of profit requires an investment on your part.

It is not a new distortion pedal that is going to make you more money, it is not a new drum set or a new bass amp. I don't care how much you hate the equipment you have, new gear will not bring you more money or greater success. Streams of income will. You are a hard worker, dedicated to your art form. Take some of your hard work and discipline and put it to good work. Start investing in your career, not in your gear, and I guarantee that you will be able to afford better gear down the line.

Not sure how to get started? Drop me a line, I can help.

jc@artisanslabel.com

Branching Out

How easy is it to fall back into the same old patterns even amidst a whirlwind of change! We daringly take the plunge into nothing, but quickly fall back into what we know, what is familiar. I feel like I am retracting as I write… but I will fight my demons on my own time. We all struggle with stepping out of our comfort zone, leaving our close knit group of friends to branch out. But to progress in life, sometimes it is necessary to step outside of the box.

In talking with band managers, bands and fans alike, I have noticed a common theme in the music industry; the unwillingness to branch out of one’s music scene. For instance, speaking with a band based out of Echo Park, they refuse to play venues in Hollywood for fear that they will lose their trendy fan base in Echo Park. The term, “selling out” comes up frequently. I could easily write a blog on what it means to sell out, because it can mean anything from a simple makeover to sobering up off of drugs, although Keith Richards could easily refute my argument.

Back to branching out within the music scene. The band from Echo Park has refused to play many venues for fear of losing their ‘trendster’ following. First off, a ‘trendster’ is fickle. And second, if your only following is ‘trendsters’ then you might as well slap on a diamond-sequenced Obama t-shirt, a pair of Ugg boots and ride the wave. But it will be a short one. To grow a fan base, one MUST branch out; leave your hometown, play various venues, experiment in playing with different bands. This is when the loyal fans will follow and grow. It is difficult to leave your core following and take that plunge out of your comfort zone. However, a band manager once said to me that you can measure success by the unrecognizable faces in the crowd during a show, not the core group of friends and family.

There is an exception to turning down venues. If a venue is pay for play, and you don’t have a large enough following to cover the certain number of tickets to be sold, don’t do it. Costs will come out of the band’s pocket and that is not cool. You should be paid to entertain, not the other way around.

Don’t be me and retract while reading. I challenge fans and musicians to branch out of your comfort zone. Don’t be the fan that says, “Oh I’m not supposed to listen to those OC bands because I’m from L.A.” Musical gems do not discriminate against venues and county lines, you’ll never know whom or what is behind that door if you don’t open it.

Shifting Gears and Changing Perspective

Happy Hump Day!!!

Until recently, I've been coaching gymnastics at a private little place in Venice Beach. I was a competitive gymnast when I was younger and decided to pick up some work being a positive example for the young , privileged and impressionable children.

Last Monday, I was in the lounge with one of the other coaches named Toby. The lounge is where the coaches hide out between classes to eat, couch and check out the latest happenings in everyone's lives. Toby is in a band called Inverse and has done a very good job of moving their visibility and fan base forward without a whole lot of guidance or other people to help him do all of the "busy" work. He's branched out for the moment and is working as a solo artist. Therefore, he's back at the beginning of releasing a new album and this one is completely on his terms. I saw Toby on Mondays and Fridays because our schedules collided, so we always discussed music because it was a common thread.

Since I started working at the gym, we've had discussions about labels, ArtiSans, studios, vendors, etc. He knows what he's talking about because he's already done it for Inverse. A lot of bands have been releasing their own albums and all of the fun stuff that comes along with it (i.e. merch, distribution, licensing, etc.). Therefore, they don't necessarily see the benefit in taking a look at ArtiSans because we're just offering them services that they've already been doing themselves. It basically comes down to a question of how much is your time worth.

Toby commented last week on the fact that I'm essentially in sales because I'm just trying to sell a product (ArtiSans) to people. I dislike that it came across that way because I'm not trying to sell anything to anyone. I've been lucky enough to have learned about the shift in the music industry and the different way of looking at things (changing my perspective). Knowledge continues to be shared with me by people who have been in music for over 20 years. It's not about selling anything to an artist. It's about educating them on the shift in music and helping them see past the traditional model to a place where they can keep complete artistic control as well as 100% of their royalties.

Very bottom line is that I dislike comparing my job to sales and I sincerely hope that it doesn't come off that way. If we can share our knowledge with you and help change some perspectives then we've succeeded and I hope that you see enough value in this new idea to share it with other musicians.

Come back next week for another random story in the life of Jen Creed that will be tied to music.

Cheers!
Creed

Organization 101a: WRITE IT DOWN!

I have always known I am an organized person, its part of having a slight case of OCD, but this year my ability to keep myself and my projects organized has been pointed out to me on a constant basis. I have found out that my organization is more of a skill than a sickness. I have also learned that most people are not very organized, and have no idea how to begin organizing their life.

Getting organized can be a daunting task, so today I'll describe a few ways in which I keep myself organized, accountable and on schedule. Today's suggestions all follow one simple rule: WRITE IT DOWN. Sometimes I think that I wouldn't remember anything if I didn't write it down, and I probably wouldn't. Hopefully, some of these suggestions will help you organize your life as well.**

Get a Notebook: How easy is that! I prefer a 3-subject notebook, and will explain why below. I have kept notebooks for every job I have done, whether it be personal or professional, and they have helped me over and over again by keeping my all my information in one place. I know where to find information on something I have worked on days, months or years later.

So what do I do with the three sections in my 3-subject notebook? In the first section, I keep lists. I love lists. Lists are awesome. Nothing feels better than crossing out an item you've completed from your to-do list. I have a 'long term' list, a 'project' list, and a 'daily/short term' list. I write out everything I need to do for a project on my project list, what I want to accomplish each month in my long term list, and everything else on my daily list. Phone calls, appointments, people I need to email or get in touch with, what I need to pick up at the market, important things I need to get done during the day to keep my projects on schedule, etc.

Sometimes, I don't feel like I am making any progress on my daily list, or my tasks are all time consuming -so I add literally everything I have to do during the day on my list. Seriously...I write in 'wake up 8am', 'eat breakfast', 'run dogs', and 'make tomorrow's list'. It doesn't matter if you put some fluff on your list, sometimes you need the boost of having something to cross out to feel like you are getting things done. You can always add or remove things from your list, and if you don't accomplish all the task on your list, you can move them to your list for the next day.

Lists also help you keep track of what you have done and when you have done it. They are excellent for when you need find more information on a task you have completed long after you have completed it.

In the 2nd section of my notebook I take notes. I take notes on conversations, at presentations, at meetings and appointments, on the phone, etc. WRITE IT DOWN!!! If you write it down, you don't have to wonder if you are remembering it correctly later. I like to write down the date and time of every phone call I make, and the name of everyone I have spoken to. This is especially helpful when dealing with any sort of customer service organization within a corporation. You can get a lot more accomplished if you are able to refer back to every person you have spoken to, every date you have called, and what you were told each time.

In the 3rd section I keep track of phone numbers, addresses, websites, email addresses and directions. I usually also have these in my notes section or next to an item on my list, but its nice to have them all in one place as well.

Get a Planner (a calendar will do): I resisted getting a planner, but you only need to forget one appointment to see how vital it is. Now I do not schedule anything without first consulting my planner, and I immediately write down appointments so that I do not forget a meeting or double book myself.

Sticky Notes: I love sticky notes as much as I love lists! I put them everywhere so I don't forget things. If I want to make sure I don't forget something when I leave the house, I place a reminder sticky note on the door. If there is something at the office I don't want to forget, I put a sticky note on my steering wheel. I also put sticky notes in my planners and notebooks to help me find certain pages quickly.

These are just a few ways I organize myself and keep track of all the things I am juggling at any given time. Put a post-it note on your computer and remember to check back in next week for Organization 101b: Make the Best Use of Your Time.

(**Note:I prefer writing things down and having a visual at all times. There are a ton of websites and electronic ways to keep organized, which I will address in Organization 101c: Technology is our friend.)

The Song vs. The Production

I was talking with a manager friend of mine the other day. He was telling me how important the sonic quality of an album is, and how a great album has to have unique production. After listening and thinking about this idea I asked him two questions. “How long do you think an album with horrible songs and great production would last?” After thinking about it he said, “Not very long.” I then asked, “what about an album with amazing songs and not so great production?” He agreed an album like that would have a much greater chance for longevity.


Every great album has to have great songs. This sounds like an obvious statement, but far too much time and money is spent each year trying to cover up bad songs with cool production. These albums may do well for a while, but in the long run they will be lost all in the music biz buzz.


I once heard this concept related to a property of land. Imagine the actual lot is like the song, and the house built on the lot is everything else, the production, the mix job, the cool guitar effect on the second verse, etc. You should be able to replace the house with a new one, and still have a solid foundation. The role of the producer is like the grounds keeper. We make sure the grass is green, the soil is fresh, and the lot is flourishing.


They say that a great song can stand on its own. I know producers and A&Rs who listen to demos sent to them on the worst set of speakers they can find. I think this is a fantastic idea! Truly great songs will be able to shine through the worst recordings. This is why above all, we as producers should always be pushing the artist’s songwriting.


As I talked about in a previous blog, the first thing an artist has to figure out is their statement, what they have to say to the world. Once that is accomplished, the songs are their way of getting that message out, and it’s your job to make sure that message is clear.


Now let’s go out and do something that matters.


-Barrett

Studio Efficiency Part One: Planning

Howdy, kids. What we have on deck is the first in a three part series going over aspects related to efficiency in the studio. Today’s focus will be on planning for the project.

In order to efficiently map out a project you must plan every single step of the process. Use a custom made grid or calendar to mark down every session and what needs to happen in each. Dates can be tentative at this point, but will need to be nailed down in order to work with everyone’s schedules. Steps to include in the calendar and scheduling may or may not include order in which instruments will be recorded, working with band members’ schedules to make sure the right person is there on the right day, working with studio musicians to ensure they can be there on the right day, and making sure equipment is available to be borrowed or rented on the day it’s needed.

The typical order of instruments to be recorded is drums, then bass, guitar, keys, percussion, and then vocals. You may do guitar before bass to ensure the bass is in tune. The reason this works is it’s easier to hear if a guitar is out of tune and the guitar lays a melodic ground work to check the intonation of the bass against.

This process is where a producer comes in handy. One of the most important jobs a producer has is being responsible for the efficiency and flow of a recording project. If you’ve been in the studio before and know how the process works, feel free to come up with the schedule yourself. If, however, this is your first time, it would surely be a costly mistake to assume you know how it works from talking to friends or reading about it in magazines. Getting some help will save you headaches and stress – and maybe even a little cash.

Sit down with the engineer before hand to make sure your schedule and plans for each day are reasonable. You don't want to plan to track drums, bass, and guitar for 12 songs all in one day. If you consistently plan too much and don't reach your goals, it will affect the rest of the projects scheduling and morale. It is, therefore, much better to go under on time than over; both for cost reasons and almost importantly for your feeling of being productive. Ask the engineer the average time it takes to do each thing before you start planning (drums, bass, guitars, vocals, editing, mixing, etc.).

Planning out every step of the project will save you much time, headaches, and money in the studio. And when you’re trying to concentrate on being creative while recording, it’s nice to have all these kinks worked out ahead of time.

Next weeks’ “Studio Efficiency Part Two” will focus on cost, different pricing structures and ways to plan with and around them.

Now get to planning!