Thursday, July 4, 2013

How People Tweet

Here's an interesting infographic that shows the tools people use to tweet. As you can see, the majority use Twitter.com, but if you read the fine print at the bottom you'll see that those who use Tweetdeck are much more active, sending twice as many tweets, have more followers and following others more. The other thing that's interesting is that 1/4 of all people signed up to Twitter actually use it during a typical day.

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Follow me on Forbes for some insights on the new music business.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

10 Factors That Make Videos Go Viral

Viral Video image
We'd all like to have our video go viral, but as everyone knows, it's a lot harder to make that happen than that seems. There's so much luck involved in the process that it's difficult to actually pinpoint why it ever happens at all. That said, Online Video Insider came up with a fine list of factors that make a video go viral on YouTube or any other online video portal.

1. It has to be authentic. Things that are staged don't usually go viral.

2. It can't easily be reproduced. Uniqueness has a lot to do with virility.

3. It's odd. Something far out of the ordinary could catch on.

4. It's humorous. We all love to laugh, and videos that makes us do that have a better chance of spreading.

5. It's the music. Something what's unique or special about a musical piece can help it go viral.

6. There's something surprising. The unexpected result in a video makes us want to share.

7. There's something super impressive. Feats that are far beyond normal have a good chance to go viral.

8. It's a parody of something. Or better still, if something in your video can be parodied or copied.

9. It's painful or embarrassing. It's human nature to revel in someone else's pain or embarrassment, but take care not to intentionally hurt or embarrass someone else.

10. It's timely to the culture of today. This can be fleeting as pop culture constantly changes.

While any one of these things can be enough to make a video go viral, combine several of them and you may have a winner.
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Follow me on Forbes for some insights on the new music business.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Crowdfunding Without A Fan Base

Crowdfunding image
Crowdfunding for music projects has proved to be very successful, with just over 50% of campaigns being fully funded. In most of these cases, the key to success is all in how large of a fan base you have. Usually big fan base = successful campaign.

But what if you don't have a large fan base, or any at all if you're just starting out? Here are 5 tips that you can use that have been proven to work.

1. Make sure you contact every person you know. Most small crowdfunding efforts are successful because of friends that invest in you as a person instead of the project. Therefore, you have a better chance of success if you reach out to everyone who knows you.

2. Set a reasonable goal. The most successful campaigns of this type are usually in the $5,000 to $10,000 range.

3. Use flex goals. You might have a wealthy benefactor who's willing to contribute more to your campaign than $5k, so it's best to have multiple goals so you don't limit your fundraising possibilities. Just make sure that the lowest goal is easily obtainable.

4. Have a short campaign. A short campaign of 5 to 10 days usually works better than 30 days, since the there's usually a long lull in contributions in the middle two weeks of the longer campaign.

5. Have regular communications. Continue to communicate with your potential contributors during the campaign, even if it feels like too much.

Crowdfunding without the crowd is not only possible, but is likely to be successful if you follow these tips. Good luck!
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Follow me on Forbes for some insights on the new music business.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Monday, July 1, 2013

iRadio's Interesting Royalty Rates

iRadio image
With Apple's new iRadio launch on the immediate horizon, everyone is interested in the royalty rates that it will be paying. Last week details of Apple's indie deals began to leak out, and they're pretty interesting, not only because of the rates they're paying, but because of what they won't be paying on as well. Here's what we've learned:

  • The first year, Apple will pay $.0013 "per royalty bearing performance" (that's the key) plus 15% of net advertising revenue.


  • That increases to $.0014 and 19% the second year.


  • These rates are roughly comparable with what they're paying the majors, although slightly lower.


  • It's more than from Pandora though, which pays $.0012 and no advertising.

But there's a catch. Apple drives a hard bargain, and there are some additional terms on what it will not pay on.

  • Apple won't pay royalties on any streams during the initial 120 day beta period


  • It won't pay on any "Complete My Albums" plays.


  • It doesn't have to pay on up to 2 songs per hour if the tracks already appear in the listener's cloud collection.


  • It may or may not pay on any Heat Seeker promotion at its discretion.

To be honest, these limitations don't feel unfair, since the company wants to ensure that the service gets off the ground by not paying during beta and paying a reduced rate during the first year. Regardless of these limitations, iRadio still looks like a better deal for the artist than Pandora even during the first year.
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Follow me on Forbes for some insights on the new music business.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

5 Tips To A Better Photo Shoot

Photo Shoot image
If you look back through the 1200 or so posts here on Music 3.0, you'll see that the need for good publicity pictures is a topic that comes up quite a bit. A good picture is such an important element, yet it's frequently given such little thought by the artist that it's almost a waste of time and money. It's for that reason that I thought these 5 tips to photo shoots might help.

1. Know what you need beforehand. A ny real photoshoot requires some thought beforehand. Do you need straight promo shots or shots for an album cover? Do you want to be posed or in action on stage? Do you just need head shots? Don't just ask a photographer to come to a gig and pose in front of a brick wall outside the club (please, don't)! You'll look like every other artist or band in the world. The idea is to stand out somehow.

2. Choose a pro, but get the right one. We all have the capability to take good photos from our phones these days, but that doesn't mean that it's a good idea. After all, just because someone owns a guitar, that doesn't mean he's qualified to play with your band, right? Same principle applies here. You need a pro, but you need the right pro as well. Find someone who has experience doing band shots. Someone who's a great wedding or commercial photographer might not get you what you want and need. If you want live shots, then get someone who knows how to do that, since it's a completely different kettle of fish from a controlled environment of a studio shoot. Make sure that you check out the photographer's portfolio before you do any hiring.

3. Come to the shoot prepared. Chances are that you're going to be shooting in the photographer's studio, so here's what to bring:
  • at least 3 changes of clothes. These should include a couple of different stage outfits in both light and dark colors, and something that you wear everyday. Don't limit yourself to just that though. Now is the time for any wacky ideas, but be sure that it fits with your brand.
  • some props. These include guitars, motorcycles, stage props, or anything that might be interesting in a photo. This is something that many artists overlook, and it can make for a set of shots that all feel the same if props aren't included.
  • a makeup artist. This is very worth it, especially if you're a female, and especially on closeups. Ask the photographer if there's someone that he normally works with.
4. Get a mix of shots. Since you're already with the photographer, get a mix of shots, from headshots to body to full. You might also want both individual shots, if you're a band, as well as group shots. Don't be afraid to use different shot setups either, since you might hit upon something that's unique or fits you better than a traditional setup. Digital shots are cheap these days, so you might as well get as many as you can.

5. Use the photographer's taste. If the photographer is any good, he or she will have lots of creative ideas during the shoot. Sometimes something that seems out there at the time will end up looking fantastic in the end, so just go with it. Also, you'll have hundreds of shots to choose from when you're finished that can easily make your head spin if you're not used to looking at pictures of yourself. Ask the photographer to provide some suggestions of what he or she thinks are the best ones to help you cut through some of the work at looking at them all if you don't have the time or inclination.

Make no mistake about it, photo shoots are work, and they can easily take all day in the hands of an experienced photographer. Relax and enjoy the ride, you're getting your picture taken. That moment in time can only happen once, and it's being frozen forever.
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Follow me on Forbes for some insights on the new music business.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

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