Between updating their subscription plans and experimenting with more visual profiles (still in early beta), SoundCloud has been on fire lately. ComScore even recently reported that their traffic increased by 26% in one month, making SoundCloud the 8th fastest growing site in the U.S. Though it’s certainly evolved since its launch in Berlin in …
You might know The Orchard as a global music and film distribution company but do you know much about the people behind the name? We have over 175 employees worldwide all hailing from different backgrounds, boasting different lines of expertise, and coming from all walks of life. We thought it’d be fun …
Videos are by far the most engaging form of social content. This isn’t exactly a new discovery, but there’s a lot of missed potential by bands that claim to have a YouTube presence. The common misconception is that your music videos go up on YouTube and you’re done. Although MTV …
Between Amanda Palmer and Veronica Mars, crowdfunding has proven its worth beyond the shadow of a doubt. In one year alone, global crowdfunding initiatives grew 81% to generate a reported $2.7 BILLION. Of that, music-related projects represented a very respectable $202.5 million, i.e. 7.5% of all raised funds and 4th most …
When I think of technologies I once lived without, I dig deep and I ponder the endless possibilities. My first thought is the internet. How did we live without email and Gchat and Ryan Gosling memes (thanks Al Gore?)? I hear people used label makers and fax machines to send each other GIFs. My next thought goes to online shopping. The idea of walking into an actual store is frightening with its track lighting and people and stuff. Now you can buy whatever you want online, whenever you want it. Heck you can purchase milk on the Internet at 4AM.
Now, we have something even better — the long awaited Amazon MP3 pre-order. You can buy that ‘hey girl’ Ryan Gosling pillow case, cookies to dip in your milk, and that new record that drops next week all in one fell swoop.
The pre-order functionality launched just this week at Amazon MP3 in the U.S., and all upcoming releases from your favorite artists will sport the easy-to-use “pre-order” button on the release page as soon as they are live on the site. For the time being, you can only take advantage of this in the U.S., but we promise those of you living elsewhere will be able to pre-order that record you’ve been waiting for along with a label maker for your ‘old school’ memes real soon. Like really really soon.
Introducing Mary Elizabeth Adams, Corporate Marketing Coordinator
Hi everyone! I’m so very excited to really get things started in the New York office on the Corporate Marketing side of things. After working as an intern in Barcelona with Albert and the rest of the Spanish team last year, I’m thrilled to now call the New York office home!
I’m originally from Alabama, and fervently support the Crimson Tide. I lived in Spain for the past 2 years (Zamora and Barcelona) and like to think of myself as a Spaniard at heart. I’ve spent the past 3 years working with Sofar Sounds, a lovely little music venture that hosts intimate living room concerts around the world. It’s my baby, so feel free to get me talking about it! When not completely occupied with all things music-related, I love checking out all other art forms, be it a day at the museum or a night of ballet.
That’s not really true. Let me start differently. The music business is not broken. If I hear one more artist complain about the broken music industry and the small digital payouts, I am going to pull my hair out. (Luckily I am already bald so it is not a real concern.)
If you are successful, the music business is amazing. Lots of fun, money, drugs and alcohol (if you choose and I am not endorsing this behavior) and of course the opportunity to make music that people enjoy. If you are not popular, the problem is that there is not much money. Still lots of fun, drugs and alcohol (but you have to pay for them) and still plenty of opportunities to make music. But no money. And it has nothing to do with Spotify payouts or the quality of the music.
I used to hear complaints about the broken business back in the 20th century. Here is a list of a few of the common ones:
These problems don’t exist anymore. Solved. But still there is a lot of complaining. The system must be broken. The business just doesn’t work. I can’t make enough money to survive with my music. Digital services just don’t pay enough.
SSShhhhhhh. Let me tell you a little secret. It is a secret that all the successful artists know. Are you ready? You need to become popular. Then you earn a lot of money. People that knew this: Elvis, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, every rapper that ever existed, Taylor Swift, Jarvis Cocker, Oasis, and the list goes on and on and on.
The last time I checked there was still only one number 1 single every week. Make it to number 1 and you will see that the system pays out a lot of money. Don’t get hung up on your numbers of streams, downloads, views, etc. It is only the amount in relation to the other artists. So 100,000 video views may seem like a lot but it really doesn’t stack up to the billion views a top artist receives. Same with streaming payouts. Even 1 million streams is not a lot. There’s no money in 1 million streams.
So please stop blaming the system. It is hard to make money in the music industry. But it is not because the industry is broken.
We’re feeling particularly generous today. Not only is it Friday, but it’s Valentine’s Day. So to celebrate all the love (or lack thereof) that’s in the air, we’ve got loads of different music to throw your way.
We’re not one to follow clichés. Instead of adhering to the romantic norm today, how about starting off by streaming Disco Doom’s new album, one full of jammy (at times noisy) Rock. These Swiss guys don’t get too down and dirty on the riffs, but keep up a good balance of Fuzzy Pop and Indie Street-Rock. But if you’re looking for something more Anthemic, then try out Art Decade. Their self-titled album (available to stream in full) is a masterwork of Orchestral Pop, full of explosive melodies and poetic lyrics. Of the two albums, see which one better fits your V-day mood.
Once you’ve shuffled through those, have a listen to Thee Oh Sees’ riotously psychedelic Rock tune off their upcoming album, supposedly recorded in a greenhouse — intriguing, right? Following in a similar genre, try Tweens’ latest track premiere, chock-full of girly-Punk Grittiness. Next up, take on VV Brown’s latest single, mesmerizing and golden with its consistent Electro-Beat.
Now check out a Punk-Shredder from Tony Molina’s upcoming reissue. It’s short, sweet, and…gnarly. When those 50 seconds are up, catch Hollow & Akimbo’s vivacious head-bopping diddy. For a more way-down-south Rock ‘n’ Roller, listen to what Denney and the Jets are offering. But if you’re trying to “set the mood” in a Classical sort of way, might we suggest tuning into the newest track from A Winged Victory for the Sullen, complete with string instrumentals atop Drone Electronica.
To wrap things up this week, we’re dishing out 3 pretty fantastic videos to help you with your weekend inspiration (not that we’re saying you need any). The Glitch Mob’s sophomore album (out this week) has already been hugely successful, so it’s no wonder their video for “Can’t Kill Us” is just as visually tantalizing. Add some color flurry to your computer screen with Cisco Adler’s feel-good selection. But be warned: you’ll DEFINITELY want to hit the seaside after seeing this. And finally, get to dancing with Blank Realm. Not only do they have a Song of the Day on KEXP for “Back To The Flood,” but they’ve also got this trippy vid, decked out with a Cleopatra-clad gal pal and clay-talking phone. WHOA.
With that, Happy Valentine’s Day — or Happy Weekend, whichever works for you.
Disco Doom: Full album stream via The Fly
Numerals out now on Exploding in Sound
Art Decade: Full album stream via Soundcheck WNYC
Art Decade out February 18 on Art Decade
Thee Oh Sees: “Penetrating Eye” track premiere via Pitchfork
Drop out April 19 on Castle Face Records
Tweens: “Forever” track premiere via Pitchfork
Tweens out April 7 on Frenchkiss Records
VV Brown: “Faith” (feat. Kele Okereke)” track premiere via NME
Samson & Delilah out now on YOY Records
Tony Molina: “Nowhere To Go” track premiere via SPIN
Dissed and Dismissed reissue out March 25 on Slumberland Records
Hollow & Akimbo: “The One That Has to Carry You Home” track download via HillyDilly
Hollow & Akimbo out now on Quite Scientific Records
Denney and the Jets: “Bye Bye Queenie” track premiere via Brooklyn Vegan
Mexican Coke out April 8 on Limited Fanfare Records & Burger Records
A Winged Victory for the Sullen: “Atomos VII” track premiere via Pitchfork
Atomos VII EP out April 28 on kranky
The Glitch Mob: “Can’t Kill Us” music video via Billboard
Love Death Immortality out now on Shoot To Kill Music
Cisco Adler: “Shangri La” music video premiere via Good Music All Day
Mahalo EP out now on Bananabeat Records
Blank Realm: “Reach You on the Phone” music video premiere via SPIN
Grassed In out now on Fire Records
Content is king… unless you don’t have any. This fact is vital for YouTubers. Viewers need to have fresh, creative content on a regular basis, or they’ll go somewhere else to find it. Even for channels that consistently upload new videos, a missed week or two could be difficult to recover from.
But what do you do when you’re fresh out of new video ideas? The first step is avoiding creator’s block in the first place. Here are some good habits to stick to:
If you’re already past the “be prepared” phase, try these next quick ideas to get those creative juices flowing.
Best of…
Fans know best. Check out your video comments and watch time trends in analytics. Is there an overwhelmingly positive response on a certain type of video you’ve posted? If so, maybe you can find more of that and recycle it into a new, improved video. Compile as much of that content as you can and make a concentrated “Best of” piece. Since you already know fans enjoy this type of content, your video will already have some traction and it can buy you some time until the next post (see above to avoid getting in another bind!).
Off the Cuff
Sometimes creators get too bogged down with the details. Constantly thinking about production quality, camera angles, graphics and scripts can completely strangle the creative process. If you’re stuck, step away from the details for a minute and get honest with your viewers. Doing something out of the ordinary could be a refreshing change from the norm. How about giving your viewers personal insight into your creative process? Take them through a casual walkthrough of your songwriting or storyboarding process — something from your regular routine. There’s a lot that goes into being an artist. Show your fans! You might be surprised how intrigued they will be.
Get Your Viewers Involved
A great way to create something fresh and engaging is to crowd source from your fans. Getting viewers involved allows them to be a part of the action while also giving you some vital feedback on their interests. Read your viewer comments. Is anybody asking for videos or topics you haven’t covered yet? Use this as your “idea box.” How about asking them directly? Use Hangouts on Air to have a live, face-to-face chat with your fans. This will serve as both your new video for the week and potential ideas for future videos. You can have a simple Q&A or talk about the new project you’re working on.
Having creative content on a regular basis is crucial, but never sacrifice quality for consistency. If you post a crappy video just to post one, your fans will see right through it and might not come back. If you are truly out of fresh ideas, take time to gather your thoughts and develop a collection of new videos for your next round (get it together and plan ahead!). Try to chain these videos together. A really good Q&A video could lead to a “Best of…” which could lead to new original content, which could lead to a new Q&A and so on. Keep that creativity flowing!
Stuck on music content? Check out more ideas for music channels in our blog post here.
