The record label should not dictate the creative process; the label should only facilitate it. If you sign a live jam band, like the Grateful Dead, the creative process involves playing live. The performance includes improvising, feeding off the vibe of the fans and being in the moment.  The live performance comes before the album because the album is mainly a collection of live performances. The record label cannot enable this process if they require the band to record an album before the band tours. Conversely, the record label can facilitate the creative process by organizing a great tour schedule. This means:

• Booking locations that are accessible to the most fans
• Providing an experienced live recording team
• Providing a skilled touring crew
• Making sure things work
• Taking care of any problems that may occur

Vice versa, if the band does not perform shows often but wants to record a lot, the label should facilitate this. I think the record label has a good objective, so it’s important to let the artist define the experience. If the artist wants to either primarily perform live or primarily be in the studio, that’s the artist’s prerogative, and it’s the label’s prerogative not to sign the artist. However, most artists enjoy doing both. Let the artist stay true to to their art: that is the best way to attract artists and market them successfully.

Are you a Facilitator ?

Software dongles, aka usb keys, are a pain to use sometimes and are an annoyance all the time. A few years ago, Appleimplemented a usb key for Logic 7, and I hated it. Apart from taking up usb inputs on my computer, if it’s accidently removed,the software shuts down and all data is lost. If your key is lost, damaged, or stolen, then you lose access to Logic, and Apple does not replace a big problem if you don’t have insurance or cash to replace it. Another problem with some of these software dongles is software driver issues; I never had to worry about software drivers on a Mac until I got software that required Pace iLok USB Key.The process is tedius and time-consuming. The key and software registration had to be approved online by a sales rep, and the drivers had compatibility issues that I was only able to solve because of my tech background at the time. After considering all the timeissues with these software dongles, I decided to never to use them again. I’ll just find alternatives; there’s always an alternative when choosing music production software and hardware. I’m happy Apple has abandoned the usb key in Logic and if they ever go back, I won’t upgrade. So to producers, studios, and artists: I recommend that you avoid them at all costs.

You can find alternatives to software that uses dongles when browsing catalogs both online and offline. You can also visit sites like :

• http://alternativeto.net
• http://appuseful.com
• http://osx.iusethis.com
• http://www.macupdate.com
• http://www.bestvendor.com

When I first heard of SellaBand, I thought it was an interesting service, helping bands raise money for projects. But the more I read about it the more I sense that SellaBand is likely to fail. Although some fans will be interested in buying shares in my band’s potential prosperity, the majority of my fans won’t. They don’t want to be bothered with the music industry’s financial issues or counting pennies from the royalties of the record label’s YouTube deal. Music is primarily a diversion or an escape for fans, as it is for me. Fans don’t really care about making money from a band, they just want the experience of great music, so It’s not a surprise that SellaBand’s poor execution has lead to bankruptcy. If you’re just looking for funding for creative projects, there are better alternatives to SellaBand for raising money. Here are three viable alternatives:

PayPal

You probably heard of PayPal, the popular payment platform owned by eBay and used by millions worldwide to send and receive money. They have a convient tool in the form of a simple button that will allow you to accept donations on your Web site. PayPal’s donate button can be implemented on any site that accepts custom html. Therefore, you can use it on your Web site and sites such as MySpace, Tumblr, Wordpress, etc. Optionally you can hire a designer to build a donation meter that will show how much money has been donated and how much is needed for a project.

Kickstarter.com

Kickstarter is another funding platform for musicians and other artist with an “all or nothing” approach to projects, meaning you set a target amount needed to fund a creative project (let’s say the cost of recording an album), and if you’re unable to raise the required funds then no money changes hand. If you do reach the target then all is well and Kickstarter collects its 5 percent fee from the project creator. I think this is an efficient way to test the viability of creative projects. Kickstarter is only a funding platform, not an investment service or loan. The artist keeps all rights and profits.

BandCamp

Although not specifically built for fundraising in the traditional sense, it can be use for just that. With BandCamp you can quickly set up a site for your demo music with no startup cost. And if you already have a site, BandCamp can be intergrated into your site with a design feature called iframe. BandCamp has a platform that allows fans to name their price for music downloads. You have the option of offering free and paid versions of your music, the paid version being at a higher bid rate, of course. Use the “name your price” feature to encourage fans to donate to your funding needs. People can donate as much as they want to the project with the name your price feature: It could be $10, $50, $100 or more.

Final Thoughts

Funding is only half the battle (really just a quarter); the other parts involve having an ingenious creative project and an engaged audience. At the very least, you should have a demo to showcase your talent and a large enough audience to support it. Your work must be good enough to motivate your audience to patronize you. This can be accomplished by offering them great music and performances even if it’s raw on YouTube and not professionally produced. If you can get people excited about your work leaving them wanting more than these tools discussed can help get funding for your project.

This is a reblog from: freakbits.com

In 1981 the Dead Kennedys printed “Home taping is killing record industry profits! We left this side blank so you can help” on one side of In God We Trust, Inc. cassette.

In the 30 years that passed not much has changed obviously. The spin-offs of the slogan are just as funny though, or even more so. “Home Cooking Is Killing The Restaurant Industry,” is one of my personal favorites. What’s yours ?