A Career In Music is a Career In Politics

There's a great HBO movie called The Special Relationship, which explores the complex relationship between an American president (Bill Clinton) and a British Prime Minister (Tony Blair). Toward the beginning of the film, there's a moment when one of Blair's advisors, after seeing Clinton's success, tells Blair, “It’s easier to change what you stand for than to change what people want.” For an artist, of course, this is terrible advice. Creatively, moulding yourself to what you think people want you to be is the kiss of death. But when it comes to your business, knowing who your audience is - and knowing how to tailor your approach to them - is the absolute key to your success. 


A tour is a political campaign. They have candidates. We have artists. Politicians hit the road with a message. We hit the road with our music. Politicians give speeches, but the most important way they connect is by meeting voters. We perform at concerts, but the most important way we connect is by meeting and interacting with fans. In politics, supporters speak with their votes. In music, fans vote with their money. Politicians are running for office so they can be the voice that speaks for their constituents' minds. We are running a campaign to be the spokespeople of hearts. 


Many artists think that touring is about showing up, performing, getting in the car, and driving to the next place. For these people, vagabond mentality can easily take over on the road, and it's shortsighted. If they get in a disagreement with a venue owner or another artist, they figure it doesn't matter because they're leaving town and will never see them again. And for people who think that way, they're right. They'll never be invited back. The reality is, as much as that hour on stage may be your favorite hour of the day and the one that keeps you going, the other 23 will make all the difference between success and failure. 


If it's not apparent now, wait until you get on the road and start navigating your way through complex and 'special' relationships with industry people, venues, fans, press, and other artists, over weeks, months, and years. You may be a musician, but make no mistake - if you tour for a living, you have a career in politics.


If artists really understood this concept, the world of touring would be completely different. Artists would approach the idea of professionalism differently. They would build relationships differently. They would spend more time making their fans feel special and important. And you know what? Artists would all make more money. Accepting that you are building a long-term reputation, and realizing that you have professional commitments to your colleagues, vendors, and supporters is an essential first step before talking about anything technical. Before you reach out to venues, it's important to know what you stand for, how you plan on conducting your business, and who exactly you should be setting your sights on. 


Next week I'm going to talk about branding, and present a few ideas that may help in that process. A lot of artists have trouble with the concept of branding themselves (they somehow liken it to the process of being marked with a hot iron). Instead, think about the following question: If you were looking at this as a politician might, and you were running a campaign around your music, what would your platform be? Would you have a slogan? What types of signs would you want your fans to hold up for you? What types of people would you be targeting to 'vote' for you? And ultimately, what feeling would you want to leave people with when they met you and saw you perform?


More on this next week. 

Interview with Music Publicist Laura Goldfarb

As part of our continued series of industry interviews celebrating the launch of moderntouring.com, I'm happy to present this talk with Los Angeles-based music publicist Laura Goldfarb. Her company, Red Boot Publicity (www.redbootpr.com), currently represents a roster of more than a dozen up-and-coming artists, and her clients have been featured in high profile media such as Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and VH1's Celebrity Rehab, as well as in numerous print publications. Laura is also the longtime host of the show SoCal Sounds on BreakThru radio.

MT: How important do you think print media is for an independent artist these days? 

LG: The importance of print media depends on the independent artist’s goals. For an artist who is content to lay low, play fairly locally (or coastally) and gradually accumulate fans through word of mouth by other fans, print media isn’t too important. For an artist however, who is looking to make their mark nationally and/or regionally, print media could prove extremely valuable. It not only provides the independent artist with a “portfolio” to present to booking agents, venues, festivals, etc., but it also offers a certain level of credibility and professionalism, allowing the artist to stand out a bit from the billions of others. Not to mention, in its purest form, it is one of the ways that people are introduced to the artist’s music. 

MT: At what point do you recommend that an artist start working with a music publicist?

LG: Understanding print media as it is today, I would recommend that an artist start working with a publicist when they have or are about to have a finished album and are planning to tour regionally or nationally. Print media space is so limited these days; independent artists must show the press that they are worthy of coverage. Today, “worthy of coverage” unfortunately doesn’t just mean talented – it’s a question of how active you are, how much you have going on to keep us interested. Also, depending on the publicist/PR firm, an artist might need to have already put in their dues a bit, worked their fan base and shown that the only missing piece is a publicist. A publicist should be viewed as a puzzle piece, not glue; make sure you can stand and function on your own before bringing one on -- it will make it possible for them to really focus on their job at hand.

MT: If an artist is going the DIY route, how do you recommend they approach press? What types of publications should they seek out?

LG: Call me! I would recommend they approach press the same way I do it – with honesty, patience, and persistence (but not annoyance). Don’t tell press how amazing you are – tell them specifically what makes you so amazing. If you don’t get a response the first time, that’s normal. If you don’t get a response the second time, don’t give up. Keep at it, trying new ways to present yourself, offering new information about what you’re up to. But please, don’t annoy and pester them, or they’ll likely never cover you unless you get signed to a major label or start touring with Lady Gaga. If you don’t hear anything from them after a few months, you can assume they aren’t interested, or aren’t interested right now. As far as publications go, reach out to the ones that are appropriate for your music, your interests within music, as well as your interests outside of music. If you’re a singer/songwriter, don’t pitch to a heavy metal magazine. 

MT: People make a big deal about getting radio play still. Is this still as relevant for the modern artist? If so, how does that work? 

LG: Note: radio is not my area of expertise. You’ll want to reach out to a radio promoter and/or someone who works at terrestrial radio to answer these questions. Otherwise, I would answer this the same way I answered how important print media is – it’s all about the artist’s goals. 

MT: Realistically, can an independent artist get the type of radio play necessary to really change the game for him/her? 

LG: See above. 

MT: Do you think major labels are going to continue to be important? Is it still a good idea for an artist to focus on getting signed, or should artists be seeking out opportunities to make a living independently?

LG: Major labels are, in most cases, well-oiled machines. They have a system, a team, and money in place that has the potential to skyrocket an artist’s career. When it works, it works well, and by that I mean, the artist has longevity. In order for the artist to make money through that label, they usually need to do consistently well for a long period of time. Otherwise, they’re a big hit with no money. The importance of the major labels again depends on the artist’s goals. Will they continue to be important in the grand scheme of things? Well, I’m personally fascinated by their existence, but I think artists can be and are successful without them. Nothing in life is forever, and nothing is certain. An independent artist would be smart to create their own well-oiled machine such that they’re able to make a living on their own. If they get signed, that’s the cherry on top. 

MT: In the years that you’ve been doing this, have you felt a big shift in the way the media works, and the importance of media for an artist’s career?

LG: In the last three years alone, I’ve seen hundreds of daily and weekly newspapers, and even glossy magazines fold. Three years ago, new media - otherwise known as blogs and online media - were the cutting-edge target. If an artist wanted to be viewed as modern and “keeping up with the times,” a new media campaign was a necessity. Three years ago, writers found job security in online media. Recently, the New York Times published an article explaining how blogging is now a thing of the past, and it’s all about online social media like Facebook and Twitter. As far as importance of media goes, I haven’t seen much of a shift in that time. It’s still important, depending on the artist’s goals.

MT: What are the qualities you’ve found in the most successful artists you’ve worked with? What has stopped artists you’ve worked with from being successful? 

LG: The most successful artists I’ve worked with are genuinely talented, incredibly active (consistent touring, new music, videos, etc), honest, patient, persistent, open-minded and have a great sense of humor. They also really make it a point to learn as many aspects of the music industry as possible, and always ask me questions about print media and publicity. Simply put, they are involved. Those who have unfortunately not been successful usually did nothing after releasing their albums, refused to play shows even locally, resisted setting up and maintaining ways in which to stay in touch with fans (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, artist websites), and had unrealistic expectations. By that I mean, they genuinely expected to have features in every major glossy magazine reviewing their debut album or EP. Not that that shouldn’t be a goal nor could it not happen, but to them, any press they considered to be “below” a national magazine was worthless and ignored. They ultimately set themselves up for disappointment and failure. 

MT: Have you personally witnessed a lot of the effects of the changes in the industry through the artists you’ve worked with? Where do you think we’re headed as far as music and the singer/songwriter genre, and what types of people do you think will be successful?

LG: I’ve worked with artists whose music (and/or whose press campaigns) were richly funded by both independent and major labels. I’ve seen them not sell the amount of records their labels wanted them to and suddenly that motherly love they once received from the labels disappeared, as did the funding. It was devastating. Most of the artists I work with now are independently funded. Every day I see how the print media aspect of the industry is changing; it’s getting smaller and more competitive. Music publicity today is a real workout; it’s a tough, exhausting, demanding job. A sign of a good, successful publicist is that they’re checking their iPhone or BlackBerry every 20 minutes. When you see an album review of an independent artist, it probably was made possible by weeks of work, if not months, on a publicist’s end. 

A bad review, while not ideal for artist nor publicist, is today considered somewhat of a success just because space for any coverage is so limited and coveted. As far as where we’re headed musically – who the hell knows! Record sales show that it changes regularly. I think music fans love singer/songwriters though, but as far as who will be successful, again it’s not only a matter of how talented they are but how active they are. A proactive, persistent yet patient, honest, open-minded, hungry type of person tends to find the most long-lasting success.

You can reach Laura at laura@redbootpr.com

-Martin Storrow for Modern Touring

Interview w/ Jeff Riddle of TheGiveGive about Negotiation with Venues

Jeff Riddle started out as a touring musician, and eventually went on to work in booking/artist management and artist/venue consulting. He managed my career for over a year, and helped to secure me tens of thousands of dollars in concert fees. Jeff now lives in New York City, where he heads the East Coast division of a successful marketing firm. He also runs TheGiveGive (www.thegivegive.com), a blog that specializes in teaching professionals to build lasting business relationships. I recently spoke with him about booking, and specifically about the process of negotiation. Note that in much of this interview, we're talking about negotiation with venues that are willing to pay a guarantee, such as colleges, private events, festivals, etc. 

MT: When you realize you have interest from a venue or a college, what do you want to keep in mind?

JR: First you’re going to want to address the mindset. The typical mindset in the negotiation (and a common misconception!) is that the artist is going to feel undesired, and that the other party (venue, presenter) has all the power. The reality is that if the other party is willing to work with that artist, they need the artist, too. So once there’s a mutually agreed-upon movement forward, the artists need to understand that they are in a much more powerful position than they let themselves have. Remember that just because you ask a question, or ask for something, doesn’t mean they aren’t going to want to work with you anymore.

MT: An artist might also run into a situation where a venue hasn’t committed yet, but is ‘shopping around’. This happens a lot with colleges, especially college festivals. 

JR: That’s another mindset. Say they email you back something like: “This sounds interesting, but how much does it cost?” In this case, the artist becomes a commodity. The venue is basically price shopping. Depending on how you feel about this as an artist, you can respond one of two ways. You can either say, “We don’t talk price until we’ve had at least a commitment that a venue wants to move forward,” or, if you are okay with that and have an idea of what they might generally pay, you can name a price range. For example, you could say, “For this type of event, I usually get this range of price, depending on details - travel costs, promotion, etc.” This gives you leeway.

MT: Do you think every artist should set standard prices for each type of show they might play?

JR: Yes, I think they should have a general price point for each type of venue. With every new business, when they start out, they’ll work with anybody who will pass the fog test – meaning, put a mirror up to their face and if they breathe into it and it creates fog then they’ll work with them, (laughs), And that’s kind of how it works with the artist, too. Anyone who will even give them a dollar, they’ll play for them, because it’s like ‘Oh my god, I’m getting paid’.  So in terms of price point with every business, you can take one of two approaches – you can either start high and work your way down to figure out your fair market value, or you can start low and work your way up. Most artists are going to start low, and that’s okay, but one of the advantages to starting high is that your value is set high – there’s an association with price and value – so there’s some power because of that, but at the same time there is a possibility that if you’re trying to book a full tour, you cut out 2/3 of the shows because you’re not even in that range.

MT: So how do you know if you’ve set a good price for yourself?

JR: A lot of it is based on peoples' reactions. Based on how they react, you are able to determine what they’re willing to pay.  And in most businesses, pricing is so similar, but for artists every venue is so different.

MT: That’s one of the hardest things about the music industry, especially for independent artists. It’s hard to know what the right approaches are.

JR: There are all these standard approaches that people talk about, rules of negotiation – like, for example, ‘the first person to name a price loses’. Most people go into this looking at it as a win/loss – meaning someone is going to win and someone is going to lose. Unfortunately, the problem with that is that if you look at it that way, the artists are almost always going to lose. Instead, you should approach this entirely as how do we create a win/win situation, a situation where the venues are happy, and we’re happy too. That should be the mindset and the general approach.

Have a general idea what your price is – if you are super flexible and will play for $10 one night, but another venue you want to try to play for $500, that can hurt in the long run. You should standardize pricing to the best you can. Along these same lines, artists should have a non-disclosure agreement with every single venue; a confidentiality agreement that they won’t share the price you gave them with other venues. 

You should also try to subsidize as much as you can; try to get venues or organizations to try to pay for products, travel, promotion, etc. Sometimes, at colleges for example, they can budget out separate things in different areas. For example, if you go to a company or marketing organization and try to do something with them, they may only have a limited budget in some areas, but then in other areas they can make up the cost with travel, because it’s a different kind of expense – things like that.

Artists should have a standard terms and a standard agreement. The venue might send a contract, but you should also have a standard contract to use. Even if they send a contract, still having some standard terms of your own - attaching a rider, for instance – makes you more consistent and more professional, and the more professional you seem, the more money and respect you’ll yield. 

MT: I was talking earlier about how an artist is somewhat replaceable until they hit some level of notoriety or critical mass. 

JR: The critical mass is all based on financial value – and I think that’s something else artists need to remember with negotiation. We all know there are plenty of artists out there who are not that musically talented, but they’re getting paid a ton of money. At the end of the day, you have two choices – you either go into your room and do art, and it’s all about the art and it’s for you, but if you want to get out there and make a living at this, you’ve got to look at as a business, and unfortunately in the business community, they don’t really care as much about the art. The more you can understand that, the more negotiation will make sense, because it’s kind of a counter-intuitive approach.

There are two ways to go about this. If you’re going to just show up and be entertainment, then you’re just a commodity. But if you’re dedicated to building a following, and leveraging the tools and resources that exist out there, then that’s something different. In that case, the negotiation doesn’t even matter.

MT: Any other advice?

JR: Building and leveraging relationships will be really important, too, as a marketing tool. If you’re playing one place, these guys all know everybody else, too, so it’s in your best interest to A) build a relationship with them and be really professional and B) Leverage it in the right way.

MT: And people talk between each other more than we realize – venues and agents all talk with each other, and it’s a smaller community than we might think. 

JR: One of the things a lot of artists don’t have going for them s professionalism. If you’re professional, it can go a long way. People really appreciate that, and they’ll talk about it.

-Martin Storrow for Modern Touring

*Visit Jeff's blog at www.TheGiveGive.com