THE "WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY SERIES" PART 4

Everyday I receive an email from Bob Lefsetz discussing the music
industry's changes, mistakes, and etc. Today the email i got from him
spoke on the book "Tribes" by Seth Godin. I haven't purchased the
book as of yet, but I am aware of it. From my understanding it gives
an example of building your own tribe of followers. The procedures are
said to be the exact method of expanding a fan base.
Bob goes on to explain how artist should not only create fans but a
relationship with them as well. An example of that is singer /
songwriter Cory Smith. In one of the previous blogs I discussed with
you how there are some artist who never made it to radio but are just
as successful as those who are in regular rotation. Cory Smith is one
of those artist. He has accomplished this by building his fan base one
fan at a time.
Billy Hume said to me that Cory communicates with his fans through
email and actually gives to them free music if they ask for it. To
some this unheard of...WHAT!! FREE MUSIC!!...But it actually makes
perfect sense. He gives a fan a few free downloads of his music. In
exchange they pay $10 bucks to come see him perform, not including the
$10 bucks spent by the friend that came with them to the performance .
After the show they buy a $10 T-shirt before they leave. When they
wake up the next morning they go to itunes and buy the three tracks
they heard him perform. So in the end he gives away 3 downloads that
may have cost what $3 bucks in total, but profit at least $20
something bucks. Now if his show is a sold out event, which it usually
is, image about 1 or 2 thousand people doing this. How is it done? By
not just building fans, but relationships with your fans.
Okay story time. I met with Jim Jones in Houston at club Dipset once.
He also recorded at this studio I use to have in Norfolk, Va. On both
occasions the guy was real down to earth. Cool guy. To be honest, he
probably wouldn't remember me from a can of paint and that's cool. Now
I'm not the biggest fan of his music, but would I support it? HELL
YES!!! Why? Because he was a real stand up guy on both times we met.
Cool as shit.
Now its another guy, I won't mention his name. But he had a big hit,
huge hit that made him successful actually, he was also sign to
Rocafella at the time and I had the chance of meeting him in
California at the BET music awards. I said to him "from one artist to
another I want to thank you for making the song --------- hip hop
really needed that." He looks at me and says "whatever man." Do I like
his music? LOVE IT!! Do I support his music? HELL NO!!!
The point in the two stories is that people want to feel like friends
and not fans. Fans are people that buy your music and if they don't
hear from you then after a while they forget about you. Friends look
for you when they don't hear from. They ask other people "hey have you
heard from so and so." How do you make friends, by building
relationships. You have to communicate with your audience.
One thing Bob mentioned in his email was giving your audience
everything they don't want. Forcing down their throats music they
don't want to hear. Instead of sending free music to your fan base why
not try a different approach. Why not send a mass email out saying
"hey I just worked on a new song I would love you guys to hear and
tell me what you think. Is it cool to email you the mp3? Email me back
once you get this." May work may not, but the point is making your
fans feel as if your giving them what they ask for.
Another thing is the distance. In the Recording Academy meeting I
attended, a question about reaching fans overseas was asked. A
speaker on the panel from SESAC responded by saying "if you get a
fan base in Japan, how are you going to get there?"
Most of us don't have the income to travel overseas on a regular
basis. You should concentrate on everything within a 2 hour drive from
you. That's your area, your region. Every city, hood, club, radio
station, college, mom and pop store, within a 2 hour drive of where
you are. This way when you build that relationship with your fans you
can say to them personally "hey I'm performing at club ---- make sure
you come to the event". You need to be able to reach your fans and
they need to reach you. Its just like being with a girl. Most long
distance relationships don't work. Most females want QT, and you can't
give that if your a coast away ya dig.
Aight, I'm sick of typing and I gotta get back to working on these
songs. That's it, hope you got something out of this blog. Holla
back!!

-CASH-
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