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I got 500,000 downloads in one day!!!…But 0 Dollars

A lot of artists are freaking out about this piracy causes $12.5 billion of economic losses every year(HOLY JFKH#JS&D*CRAP*) , unfortunately its true Record labels are struggling and people are downloading your songs for free instead of buying it on itunes. What do you do next?. 
Here is a lists of additional revenue streams artists can use to make their music more profitable. Brace yourself because it’s gonna be a long post but will be very beneficial if you take a note or two.
  1. Publishing – If you’re a musician, songwriter or producer publishing is very very important. 
    1. Mechanical royalties (9.1¢ statutory rate for permanent digital downloads)
    2. Performance Royalties from ASCAP and BMI
    3. Digital Performance Royalties from Sound Exchange
    4. Synch rights TV, Commercials, Movies, Video Games

So get yourself a publishing company, and save yourself the hassle. Even If you don’t get a lot of payment from it, placement in commercials and T.V shows can help skyrocket a band or artist’s Career. 

  1. Digital sales – Individual or by combination  
    1. Music (studio & live) Album – Physical & Digital, Single – Digital, Ringtone, Ringback, Podcasts
    2. Instant Post Gig Live Recording via download, mobile streaming or flash drives
    3. Video – Live, concept, personal,  – Physical & Digital
    4. Video and Internet Games featuring or about the artist
    5. Photographs
    6. Graphics and art work, screen savers, wall paper
    7. Lyrics
    8. Sheet music
    9. Compilations 

With the digital age a lot of these revenue streams have been chopped down , no one wants to pay for your music, or sometimes your music when they can download it. Big deal start selling sheet music, or photographs, Record gigs and sell them to fans the same night. Artists have to become more creative now that these revenue streams are diminishing.

  1. Merchandise – Clothes, USB packs, Posters, other things.

People love band T-shirts, specialized items, Posters. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT!!


  1. Live Performances -Live Shows , GigLive Show ,  After Party, Meet and Greet ,Personal Appearance, Studio Session Work

The music business is moving more and more towards live music. Those who will success ultimately boils down to those who can provide the ultimate live experience. Word of mouth spreads really fast and if you as an artist or a band can really bring on a memorable live experience, then you won’t be hanging on by a thread.

  1. Sponsorships, and endorsements

Email Guitar companies, Amplifiers, Cars, Bikes, Computers. Seriously!! A lot of these companies will back you if you write a good pitch letter and show that you’re serious. I have a friend who emailed a guitar company and hey sponsored his band. With a couple amps and guitars just like that. Just try it!!!

  1. Advertising
    1. Band newsletter emails
    2. Blog/Website
    3. Videos
    4. Music Player

Keeping in touch with fans is very important, but you must make sure you do not overload and spam them with material. When you give free music out make sure you get something in return. What can that thing possibly be? An EMAIL!! That’s the least they can do. This way you can build a mailing list and keep those supporters abreast on what’s going on.

Videos- I’m a big visual person, keep them visually stimulated. Remind them of hat you look like, make your personalities accessible to them. This helps build a virtual relationship with your fans, whether they know you in real life or not.

  1. Fan Clubs
  2. Selling fan created products like videos and mashups

People like to sometimes make different variations of their favorite songs. DJ’s , Producers or just some curious minds. LET THEM!! , they’ll show a friend or post it online. That ultimately promotes your work because people will go looking for what the “original” sounds like.

  1. YouTube Subscription channel for more popular artists

Now I’m more of a Vimeo person, mainly because it’s  mostly associated with Quality High Definition videos. I’m a big stickler for quality when it comes to music, marketing and Art. However Vimeo is to quality as YouTube is to views. So get a YouTube account, and make various tags of your video to increase the likeliness of someone “stumbling on” to you page.

  1. Financial Contributions of Support – Tip Jar or direct donations
  2. Patronage Model – Artist Fan Exclusives – e.g. paying to sing on a song in studio or have artist write one for you
  3. Mobile Apps

Nowadays you can create your own mobile Apps. This is huge and gives fan access to you literally at the tip of their finger tips.

  1. Music Teaching – Lessons and Workshops

Seriously if you’re a struggling musician, parents all over the world are dying to give their kids music lessons. Say you charge $50 an hour for piano, guitar, drum or singing lessons, 2hrs a week and you have 3 students. You just made $300 dollars this week for 6 hours of your time.

  1. Music Employment – orchestras, etc, choir directors, ministers of music, etc.
  2. Music Production – Studio and Live
  3. Any job available to survive and keep making music
  4. Getting Help From Other Artists and Helping Them- Whatever goes around come around.

So for those who stuck around for the whole list i got a couple links to throw at you.

Artist Data - Helps you make multiple updates at the same time on facebook , myspace, twitter.

Tube Mogul - a free service that provides a single point for deploying uploads to the top video and social networking sites, Youtube, Vimeoa, Blip t.v, bing, google and many more.

Live Music Machine - Enables fans and gives them direct access to book you anywhere and anytime, fan and crowd source based.

Kick Starter - Funding platform for artists , designers , film makers, musicians and more

Enjoy … I have more gem sites but these are a few for now.

 (This piece contains some content taken from MusicBizGuy..)

Knowledge is Bliss………

2 years ago ・ 0 notes