The Future of Press Releases

The long-standing cornerstone of most public relation offices has been the distinguished press release. It has pretty much never been changed and remains the best tool for companies to declare their news to the media. Specialized agencies used to send out releases to offices and press bureaus around the world hoping that their news was considered worthy and made it through the selective process to be noticed.

Within the last decade, the necessity of a PR company to communicate directly with the bureaus has become less important. The internet has allowed anyone to post a press release on just about any of the press release syndication websites. The drawback to this mode of free promotion is the included advertising for other companies or products whether they are related to your press release or not... or even if they're competition. Another drawback is the fact that the market is much more flooded now with the free distribution over the internet, so the chances of getting your press release noticed and printed are slim.

Journalists and editors scan through traditional press releases just to catch the key phrases and decipher if there's anything worth talking about. If they're not worded properly, formatted right or just too long-winded then your important information could be overlooked completely. In writing traditional press releases, the headline is the most important bold information at the top center of the sheet. Just as with newspaper headlines, it allows people to glance over it and see if the topic piques their interest and read on if it does.

Brian Solis has taken that concept and worked it in with one of the fastest moving social media networking sites. A new wave of press releases are called MicroPR, which is a micro press release using Twitter. It's genius in that a micro press release (140 characters or less) can be posted directly to a community of journalists, bloggers and/or editors. Solis's idea of eliminating the verbiage and just posting headlines on Twitter is groundbreaking, in my opinion. Why? It's direct, less to write and read. "Here it is! Interested? Great! Want more info? Fantastic! Go to my blog/website/myspace/twitter to find out more!" It all can lead directly through all of your social networking sites my good friends.

Not many bands understand the importance of press releases. To be honest, the ones that will get you across the desks of the major publications need to be done by professionals who will cost you money, but can guarantee results. But, start looking into some of the press related twitter accounts and see who you can follow and where they might take you.

Here's a few that I found:

Press About

Twitter Press Release 001

Also, steer clear of the sites that are starting to charge for Twitter press releases! Carmen San Diego will be delving further into this phenomenon this week and let you know more about it next Hump Day.

Cheers!
Creed

Have You Discovered Skype?

I've known about Skype for several years now. I have listened to a podcast for over 2 years that uses Skype to talk and record. I knew eBay purchased it in 2005 for a LOT of money. I knew that it was a free way to talk via the Internet...

But I have only recently discovered Skype personally, and boy do I love it! My family is in NY, and I have gotten them to load Skype onto their computer. Yesterday was my first call with them, and that is how we plan to communicate in the future. Not only do we get to visually SEE each other, but we are saving money by not having to use valuable cell phone minutes. Also, now Skype is available as an application for my iPhone, so I can talk to my family, via my cell phone, without having to use minutes!

What is skype?
CNET.com describes Skype as "a text, voice, and video-chatting platform that works using your Internet connection. Skype has branched off from a desktop software solution to work in mobile phones and household phones that just need a Wi-Fi or Internet connection to run."

Video calls, cheap international calls, free calls between users, and multiple video conferencing (for a small fee) are some of the options available with Skype.

Why is this such a big deal?
Skype is changing the way that people communicate. What seemed to start as a social trend, and a way to speak to family and friends for free has evolved into way more. Glamour Magazine's blog has a series about dating via Skype, and how it is changing the way people go on blind dates. There are many podcasts and Internet Radio shows that use Skype. And, it is an inexpensive way for families to communicate with troops overseas.

However, I see Skype's greatest impact on the business world. Years ago, it was a giant production and great expense to set up a video conference between offices in different locations. Now all you need to do is download Skype. Skype has increased the communication within organizations and allowed people to effectively communicate and hold meetings even when they can not be in the office. And they have added features specifically aimed towards helping businesses more effectively conference via there services.

Ben Parr (for Mashable: The Social Media Guide) writes, "InnerPass is a Skype add-on, so it is desktop software. Once installed, it provides a simple interface for businesses to easily collaborate and share information and files, as well as set up video conferences." (InnerPass has a monthly subscription fee of $4.95).

InnerPass's most useful features are, Virtual Meeting Rooms (which make it simple to share links and files with anyone in the room), Contact management within its list system (helpful for separating business from personal contacts), and Screen Sharing (for live demos or presentations).

ArtiSans has already implemented the use of Skype to their daily way of doing business. ArtiSans employees have a daily web-conference to increase company communication and to be sure everyone is on the same page about what needs to be done. It is a great way for us to meet daily without having to interrupt the flow of our business away from the office/studio. Also, Skype allows us to hold meetings with vendors and clients who are not local. By using Skype to conference with them, we don't have to spend money on travel, and can meet quicker to resolve any issues or communicate on a project.

Skype and RADAR
As you can see I come back around to RADAR from any subject! I plan to initiate Skype into my process of communicating with RADAR advocates. When new advocates sign up I'll be able to speak to them more personally, and will be able to attach a face to the name of the new advocate. This will help us transition from being "strangers" to having a easy working relationship. Also, for ArtiSans, Skype will allow us to have advocates in different parts of the country, while maintaining a personal connection with them. Also, Skype is a great way to be able to speak with bands, get to know them and update them on their project, in a more personal way.

So I highly suggest you try out Skype if your computer has the capabilities for it (most newer, i.e. last few years, computers do). It'll change the way that you communicate.

www.skype.com

Studio Musicians

Studio musicians are a staple of every big name recording studio. Whether it be the most amazing oboe player you’ve ever heard of or just a really solid drummer, there are many occasions in which a studio musician would come in handy.

Opportunities to acquire the services of a studio musician most often pop up during projects for singer songwriters or other solo artists. Luckily there are several sources out there to find reputable musicians. One such tool is eSessions. The great part about that website is the audio samples so you can hear the work they’ve done before handing over a check. You also get to compare the rates they charge to the multitude of similar musicians on the site all charging different amounts. You can find some really great musicians to play on your stuff that will charge very reasonable rates. The studio and or producer you are working with should also have a list of players they rely on to do great work.

The only real issue with hiring studio musicians becomes budget as good players will generally cost money. It's completely understood that even "very reasonable rates" can push a budget over the top, but this is where the old and always true adage, “you get what you pay for,” comes into play. This holds true in every aspect of the recording process with very few exceptions. For instance, if you have your friends (or someone a friend knows) play on your record, you might have saved a couple hundred bucks but usually they’re free for a reason. There are the aforementioned exceptions to the rule. If you happen to be good friends with some really great players, then you’re in luck. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for most artists. Or, many times, there are delusions of grandeur for their friend’s ability or skill level, which does nothing but make the situation more difficult.

Then there’s the all mighty editing. Remember that couple hundred dollars you saved in the last paragraph. Well, if your sub-par, unpaid, studio musician didn’t do a very good job, then you just created a lot of work for your engineer in editing. A lot of work takes a lot of hours, and usually that translates in you paying a lot more money than the couple hundred you saved by going with the freebie.

If you have any questions or are looking for some studio musicians for your project, feel free to contact me.
kyle@artisanslabel.com

The Musicians Middle Class Has Got to Go!!!

Mind you, I am only speaking about the terms "musicians middle class" or "musical middle class", I completely support the movement. I just feel that those terms, which have been adopted by bloggers and writers of all things music 2.0 (another term I would love to move past) are not empowering enough and they do not clearly define what I believe they are attempting to define.

I am not sure exactly who coined either term but back in '07 Bruce Houghton at Hypebot defined the musicians in this category as "artists selling 20-100,00 copies and making a living through direct sales, touring, merch and other streams; and because there are fewer outsiders taking a cut. They are empowered by the viral marketing and direct sales that the net enables."

Even though the artists Mr. Houghton described are aspiring to become sustainable and earn a "middle class" income with their music, this does not mean that they are part of a "musical" middle class and I doubt that any artist would refer to themself as a "middle class musician". Even if the terms are being used to describe the large space that falls between the garage band and the major-label artist and the artists that occupy that space, I will still argue that there has to be a better term(s). Besides, I am not a big fan of using the class system to describe any group, let alone a group that contains members from all walks of life.

When it comes down to it what we are really trying to define is the artist/musician as an entrepreneur. You can find many different wordings for the definition of entrepreneur but the one that I feel sums up the what I mean came from good ol' Wikipedia."Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to the type of personality who is willing to take upon herself or himself a new venture or enterprise and accepts full responsibility for the outcome."

I propose that today we replace "Musical Middle Class" with the term "Entrepreneurial Musicians Movement". Sure, the term doesn't flow off the tongue very well but I think it is an accurate description of what is actually going on and increasingly more powerful than "middle class". I, for one, am switching gears and I will no longer use the term "middle class" when referring to the Entrepreneurial Musicians Movement and I will be replacing the term "do-it-yourself" or "DIY" musician with "Entrepreneurial Musician" . I beg of you to do the same.

Not happy with these terms? Please make a case for something you like better. I am not married to the terms that I proposed here, I just want to make a change.

Thank You For Reading My Blog. Where's Yours?

I'm going to continue to beat this social online networking horse, so if you haven't suited up to be a knowledgeable jockey yet then it's time... Seriously! You can stop reading my blog (there probably aren't too many of you out there at this stage), but it won't make the digital revolution go away.

Think about where you get your news from. I guarantee you that my mother, the "I sit on the patio drinking coffee at 5:30 in the morning and read the tree-killing newspaper", isn't reading this. The digital wave is beyond her. I do give her respect for the fact that she is trying to learn to navigate through facebook in order to keep up with my nephew who is spending the first few years of his life in Puerto Rico. Every time I'm home I have to walk her through something on the computer. I actually love it. It helps me practice my patience and makes me feel useful.

I was at a BBQ in this little place called Frog Town (it's nestled right around Silver Lake and Echo Park) apparently. I suddenly realized that I needed to write my blog that was to post the next day and gasped, which got everyone's attention. One of the girls there replied very snottily with, "Oh my gah. Blogs are so stupid". I attempted to stand up for myself and explained that it's a part of my job to put my knowledge in blog form every week. It didn't help. I had already been deemed uncool.

I want all of you artists out there to throw caution to the wind and not care about what a hipster thinks about you blogging. In fact, if you happen to be a hipster, get over yourself and open up your mind. Take a look at these little nuggets of information I managed to find from research done by Mediapost.com back in November 2008.

*87% of 18-29 year-olds believe bloggers have become opinion shapers

*68% use blogs to keep up on issues or topics of interest

*46% use blogs to conduct research

Those numbers are from almost a year ago, so imagine where they are at now.

Going even further, a study done by the Harvard Business School determined that if your album is blogged about by 250 bloggers then your sales go up two fold. If 400 bloggers talk about your album the sales go up five fold. It can be done by any blogger too. From the one in New York at a prestigious company with a corner office to a kid in Kansas with a twin bed.

So... are you blogging yet?

Cheers!
Creed

Keeping in Touch with New and Potential Clients

I have already talked about how important it is to follow up with your referrals (i.e. clients) in a timely manner. But just because you follow up with them quickly, does not mean they will end up working with ArtiSans. Working with ArtiSans will not be an impulse purchase for a band. Sometimes the band isn't at a point where they are ready for the services ArtiSans offers. These referrals are STILL valuable and it is VERY important to keep in touch with them. Then, when they are ready to move forward with their plans to record, you have built a relationship with them, and ArtiSans has remained fresh in their minds.

Be Personal with Communication: Sometimes people get too wrapped up in the business aspect of things. Show that you, and ArtiSans, are human! Communicate with them on a personal level. Business professionals who make the effort to establish a more personal relationship with their potential clients, attract more notice and interest than they would in a cut and dry business relationship.

Don't be Afraid of the Phone: I am guilty of this point...I have gotten used to the alternate ways of communicating. I prefer email actually, and would rather send a quick text than talk on the phone. But the phone allows you to engage the other person in a conversation. It forces you to pay attention and fully concentrate on your conversation. And, it cuts down any possible confusion that might occur from an email (I have learned that sarcasm isn't conveyed in an email very well).

Picking up the phone and speaking with someone personally is very important. It shows you are genuinely interested in building a relationship and a dialogue. It may seem awkward at first, but it gets easier with each call you make, and each time you speak with the person. If you don't want to get stumped - write down a few conversation topics to keep the conversation going.

Maintain a professional but friendly image: Don't get too wrapped up in the business end of your call. Be personable, be friendly, get to know a little bit about the person outside of the business realm. Find out what is important to them and what is going on in their lives. Take notes! Then the next time you call them you can follow up on the conversation and get an update on things you have discussed in earlier conversations.

Remain Upbeat and Positive: One negative comment can take over the entire tone of the conversation. Use the skills you would use in an interview...no trash talking people, gossiping, talking negatively about things. You want them to associate only positive things with ArtiSans. Also, no one wants to talk to a "Debbie Downer"!

Invite people to subscribe to our newsletter: I don't think anyone at ArtiSans uses this tool enough! ArtiSans newsletter is a way for us to keep people informed about what is going on at ArtiSans, and brings more people into ArtiSans' Circle of Influence. Plus, the newsletter will discuss specials and promotions going on at ArtiSans Label and Studio. To sign up for the newsletter, all people have to do sign up via the link on the main page of the ArtiSans Label website.

Go see the Band's Shows: Did you refer a band? Are you keeping in touch with them to try to get them to sign with ArtiSans? Then go see their shows! This is the easiest way to keep in touch with your Referral. Showing up at their gigs shows your interest and commitment to the band, and that you want to support and help them. It is essential in building a trusting relationship with them.

Earning the confidence and trust of one potential client will almost always lead to recommendations in the future. People want to work with, and buy from, people they know, like and trust. Building strong client relationships is the basis for many types of businesses. Keeping in touch with the clients and potential clients will increase the potential that that client will work with ArtiSans. And for the RADAR advocates, more clients for ArtiSans = more rewards for the advocate!

Studio Etiquette For the Artist

Hello kids. Today we are going to discuss studio etiquette for the artist. There are certain things you don't want to do in the studio for several reasons. Most importantly, it's not a good idea to annoy and/or distract the person in charge of your projects sonic quality. And almost as important, these things are just plain rude and if you decide to make too many of the wrong people upset with you you're going to eventually find it difficult to find people work with you. So here they are...

Talking and Cellphones
Here's a simple rule that's always good to live by. If you're in the studio (especially in a session where tracking is happening), then at the least put your cellphone to silent. This will help you avoid the two biggest no-no's: 1) Having your cellphone go off in the middle of a take. This will annoy everyone involved in the project (including yourself) and, worse, will cost your more money when you have to re-cut that take. 2) Your cellphone ringing in the control room while the engineer is tracking (or mixing, or editing, or whatever). The only thing worse than that is answering it. Do not do this to say anything more than, "Hey. Sorry I'm recording, I'll have to call you back." ("What? Gramma's dead?!" is also acceptable.)

What goes in line with number two is talking in the back of the control room while everyone else is working. If you want to have a conversation with a band member, or whomever happens to be there, then go outside to do so.

Basic message: Do not be a distraction. It costs you money and respect.

Food and Drinks in the studio
Always ask if it's allowed. Don't ever assume you can just walk in to the control or tracking room with any food or beverage. If it is allowed then make sure to keep it away from any and all equipment. Setting a cup of coffee on the mixing console is never a good idea, even if the engineer does it. If you happen to spill something, find something to clean it up with and do so. I have yet to record any royalty; we can all cleanup after ourselves.

Visitors
Again, always ask if and how many are allowed. Some studios don't care, and some don't like the distraction (especially mastering sessions). If you are going to have some arrive, then always try to plan on them arriving at the beginning or during a scheduled break. There's nothing worse than the unscheduled visitor showing up while you're trying to nail something that's just so close to working. They just become a distraction, and will cost you more money in the end.

Being Late
Watch your scheduled time and do not be late. A lot of studios start the clock when you are scheduled with or with out you. The only thing that stops that is you calling ahead. Even then, pay close attention to their cancellation or late policy.

Look for studios who have complimentary load-in times (like us...30 mins to be exact). If your session starts at 11 AM and they have a complimentary 30 minute load in time prior to session start, get there at 10:30 and get loaded in. If you do this every session, then you're bound to save some cash on your total for recording costs.

For those who have been following along, what's the common theme? It's the simple fact that sticking to studio etiquette guidelines will save you money in almost every situation. When you don't distract, then things get done faster. When you're not late, then you don't waste studio time. And when you don't spill coffee on a $50,000 to $90,000 console, you don't have to spend the rest of your life paying it off. Remember these things (as well as all the advice I've given over the months), and you're recording experienced is set up to be a pleasant one.