*News Flash* The Music Business Has Been Fixed

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:

• I need to get signed by a label to release my music.
• Recording is too expensive.
• I have no way to reach potential fans.
• I can’t get distribution.

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.

Freeloader Friday: Disco Doom, Art Decade, Thee Oh Sees, Tweens, VV Brown, Tony Molina, Hollow & Akimbo, Denney and the Jets, A Winged Victory for the Sullen, The Glitch Mob, Cisco Adler and Blank Realm

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

Solving YouTube Writer’s Block

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:

1. Plan ahead: Try to produce and plan 2 videos in advance
2. Think in categories: Week 1 — New Episode; Week 2 — Music Video; Week 3 — Q&A; Week 4 — Behind the Scenes. Repeat.
3. Watch your metrics: Keep an eye on trends and adjust your content accordingly

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.

Nothing Is Forever, So Enjoy The Shrine’s New Single Right Now

Coming off of a hard-rocking debut album Primitive Blast released just last summer, the guys from The Shrine are back with a new single premiering on Vice’s Noisey titled “Nothing Forever.” With a determination to get in the face of all who listen, The Shrine has developed a Skater-Rock attitude, mixed with a 70′s Garage Rock sound that hits hard and doesn’t let up for a second.

Hailing from LA, The Shrine takes influences from Black Sabbath, which explains their Psychedelic, riff-heavy Rock. Named one of LA Weekly’s ”Top Los Angeles Metal Albums of 2012,” The Shrine is out to dominate the world this time with their new album Bless Off, released on Tee Pee Records on March 11th.

In the first single off of the album, “Nothing Forever” starts with heavy Black Sabbath/The Sword sounding riffs that rip open the beginning, allowing drummer Jeff Murray to build his drum fills until the song takes off into post-punk skaterdom. Noisey captured their sound perfectly, saying that “Nothing Forever” feels “just like the soundtrack to dropping into an empty pool.” Check it out for yourself and be sure to blast this one all the way to 11.

Welcome, Ari!

Introducing Ari Cohen, Coordinator, Entertainment Acquisitions

Hi everyone. I’m based out of our Los Angeles office and have joined The Orchard as the Entertainment Acquisitions Coordinator in the Video/Film department. I began working here part time shortly after graduating from UCLA.

I lived in Santa Barbara prior to moving to Los Angeles. I’m an avid tennis player and runner. I also write screenplays and go to stand-up comedy shows during my free time. I’m a fan of The Office and Breaking Bad and my favorite movie from 2013 was Gravity.

Looking forward to the year ahead!