July 31, 2012

Music partner Co-alignments needed/mobile websites

AMP is in the process of migrating all its services to a massive association membership platform.  Due to the size of this undertaking we are going to be looking for partners to join with us in this new and exciting premier professional association.

If you have an interest being apart of a progressive organization hit us back. This is not an employment opportunity.  We are looking for professional Co -- Alignments.

One of our service offerings is mobile websites. For a very limited time, and limited amount of people we are going to offer a basic mobile website for the price of $ 150 dollars.  This is an unprecedented offering.  Get yours while they last.  To see an example of our work at AMP, go to Riley Music, on your phone.  Riley is an Artist on Elton John's Rocket Music label.  Whether you desire a site or not you need to check this incredible talent out.  Hit me back at gradyshuman@gmail.com

This is an edit from earlier.  Just to be clear.  We absolutely are not looking for money.  We are looking for Organizations, Companies, individuals that may have educational or products that we can Co-- align with.  Those with an interest in serving the music community as a whole.  Thanks and sorry for any confusion.


1. Google has a separate index for mobile content.
Not only do they have a separate index for mobile content, but also it is fairly empty. Your site will pop up at the top of the heap.
2. Your regular website is not going to cut it.
There is a fundamental design difference between a regular website and a mobile website.
On a mobile phone, there is a very limited amount of screen space. If you have ever had to side scroll to view something on a website, you realize how much of an inconvenience it is. This is magnified on a mobile device. Even with the ability to turn the device lengthwise, the resolution is still extremely small.
You need to make it as convenient for your searchers as possible.
T3. 1/5 of Americans access the mobile web each day.
This percentage is increasing every year. If you’re not representing yourself on the mobile web, your competition surely will take up the opportunity.
4. Mobile web will overtake the desktop within 5 years.
Not only will the mobile web inevitably overtake the desktop, but also usage and adoption is growing at a much faster rate than the desktop did. An article in the New york Times quoted that 76% of searchers will be using a mobile device within the next 5 years
In the future, the vast majority of visitors to your website will be on a mobile device.
5. $1.6 billion purchased from mobile devices in 2009.
This is likely the most exciting and sought after information about the mobile web. If millions of people are using the mobile web, but they are not buying anything, most commercial websites would not bother establishing a mobile presence.
As you can see, purchasing from mobile devices is already in the billions.
Studies show that buyers do not have as much confidence in purchasing from a mobile device as they do from their PCs, but both comfort levels and the amount being spent is increasing.
Users went through the same hesitation when the Internet was just becoming popular, and now most people do not hesitate when buying something online from their PC.
You can rest assure that the same thing will happen with the mobile web.
6. 93% of U.S. adults own a cell phone.
Not all cell phones have Internet access capabilities, but that is currently the trend. Smart phones are not the only ones with access to the web. Standard phones are coming out with Qwerty keywords and website browsers seemingly every single month.
It is safe to say that in the near future, all phones will have some form of online access, whether it is being used or not.
7. 5% of the top 500 online retailers have a mobile website/iPhone app.
I was rather surprised by how low this number is. But then again, this means great things for the rest of us who are not in the top 500 online retailers.
I am willing to bet that one of the biggest reasons that you’re not ranking as high as you would like is because your competitors are doing a better job than you are in some shape or form.
Which means that if you’re reading this, chances are fairly high that you are already a step ahead of your competition.
8. Mobile advertising spending will surpass $6.5 billion in 2012.
Ad spend is a great indicator for the current status of an industry. If someone is willing to spend their hard earned money putting their products in front of users on the mobile web, you can assume there is a pretty good reason for it.
Furthermore, if they continue to spend more year after year, that indicates that the previous years investment paid off. And that is exactly how mobile advertising is trending across the board.
9. Users average 13 hours online per week, up from 7 in 2002.
As online usage increases regardless of the device used, accessibility is going to be the next lever to increase online usage.
A desktop or laptop used to be the only way to access the Internet, but now with Internet enabled mobile phones the Internet has truly become mobile. It is now simply a matter of service availability from your mobile phone network provider such as AT&T and Verizon.
10. There are an estimated 2 billion cell phones worldwide.
Not only are there a lot of cell phones worldwide, but they seem to outlast their owners and are passed down to another owner. There are great recycling and refurbishing programs that use old cell phones as emergency dialers or resell them at discounted rates.
As you can see, the mobile web is clearly trending up and has a lot of room to grow. If the mobile web were a stock, now would be the time to buy. It is the closest thing to a sure bet as you can get.

WRESTLING WITH THE MUSIC GIANTS



Here is an excerpt from my new book coming out soon!

Chapter 4
WRESTLING WITH THE GIANTS

You're 160 pounds, and you're in the ring with a 480 pound sumo wrestler; what you gonna do?  He’s thrown you to the mat, and getting ready to pounce on you, and turn you into a pancake; what you gonna do?  All you can do at this point is get some syrup, because you're lunch.  Sometimes that’s just the way it feels when you’re tackling the monster competition that’s out there.   Those days are gone.  The Sumo is beginning to look like an underweight hog on slaughter day.
In this chapter we’re going to focus on changing our paradigm on the way we think about our competition.  What if I were to tell you there is no competition?  You would probably say, he’s lost his last marble; and that may, or may not be true.  The reality is, there is plenty of healthy competition out there; you just have to change the way you view it; and that’s exactly what we plan on helping you do.  We are going to give you a new pair of glasses to view your competition through.
Let’s first take a look at what you use to see when you were looking at this giant.  Here is a blog I posted on evolutionofasong.blogspot.com

Posted by Grady Shuman
Record Label Share
Old Man, take a look at my life.

Let's digress for a moment.  Looking back at 2004, the global value of the record industry was 16.5 billion dollars.  Today it is 6.4 billion.   Were the labels on airplane mode, was their thinking on mute?  How did this happen?  I bet they know now what they wish they had seen then.  It's got to hurt.  The amazing thing is they still believe their own junk; or do they?  It's hard to tell.  They seem to continue to ride their dinosaurs. Oh well!

We at AMP believe their loss is our gain.  Who is "our"?  All of us independents! We are going to Rally together and become a major label, the likes of which no one has ever seen.  As we pool our network of information together, and unite to bring our music to the world, the dinosaur will become nothing more than a fossil and a distant memory.  Come join us at AMP, as we create this new business model.
Click on join to become a part of the AMP TEAM 

Comparison of Record Label Share within the Market between 2006 and 2008

2006
2008
Universal
31.5
37.1
Sony
21.2
20.1
EMI
17.9
13.7
Warner
11.9
11.4
Ministry of Sound
2.2
3.6
Demon
1.2
1.7
Domino
1
0.4



Worldwide there are two different types of record labels majors and independents. There are only four majors: Universal, Sony, EMI and Warner Music, the majors operate worldwide in all/most territories. Independents operate in all different ways depending on their size, money (investible) and repertoire. Below is a detailed  analysis to show the difference between the to types of labels.


Strength
Weakness
Opportunities
Threats
Major
Own distribution and publishing companies. Access to international distribution. Can influence radio play lists and provide a diverse range of genres. Business and musical. Able to add value to products and finance with no struggles
Unable to adapt as quickly as an interdependent.
Declining sales result in low ones.
Arrogance
Lack of vision
Had the ability to take control of the online distribution industry.
Lost. Identity in their position in the market.
Living in the past.
Not willing to change
The web
Digital distribution
Stuck in old school business model.
Independents

Independent
Can adapt to changes in the industry quickly developing new business models to work well in the present industry.
Flexible in decision-making.
Limited power to sign acts. Lack of resources. Need added value to make radio play lists. Less money to invest in acts and marketing. Distributed by the majors. Most indies cater for a certain genre or market.
Bands more inclined to sign to Indies as they allow artists to develop. Increase demand for music on behalf of the consumer.
A major often buys independents that dominate a market. The economic down turn and the state of the music industry is having an effect upon the birth of new and existing labels.

July 30, 2012

MUSIC SURVIVORS GUIDE

Here is an excerpt from my upcoming book. I would love to hear your comments.


CHAPTER 2
CHASING THE DREAM / WHAT IS THE MUSIC BUSINESS
What is the music business; OR ANOTHER QUESTION COULD BE ASKED, What was the music business?

In this chapter we are going to take a look at the past, the present, and the future of the music business.  This is the beginning of your Due Diligence - appropriate carefulness.  Have you ever been for a walk in the forest in the South, in the summertime?  As a child you are taught to cautiously watch every step you take, and keep a vigilant eye out for snakes.  There are snakes in the south that are very venomous and can cause you severe harm.  Welcome to the music business.
Our goal is to help protect you against these venomous varmints. Look at this book as a survival guide, and you will need a snakebite kit, or two along the way.  We will be providing you with the paramount information you will need to navigate this treacherous terrain.
Let’s begin with a little history of the proverbial sinking of the Titanic, or if you would record labels.

RECORD LABELS WHERE'S THE BEEF?
I often speak to professional groups as well as local craft associations.  I'm frequently asked, are the labels really hurting?  The answer is a definitive yes!  Going back to 2004 sales where approximately 36 to 40 billion globally, from 2009 to 2012 they have plummeted from 14.5 billion to 6.3 billion, and it's not going to get any better.
Here's the good news!  The money is still being spent, and your share is waiting, if you’re willing to do the work.  The Digital age is here!  The biggest reason the record labels have lost so much, simply put, is their arrogance. They got complacent, and thought the gravy train would never end. Well it did, and they’re paying dearly

July 27, 2012

THE UGLY TRUTH OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS/ A SURVIVORS GUIDE

Here is an excerpt from my new book coming out soon.


1.   START WITH A PLAN

There are two things that will destroy your career before you get started.

1.   LACK OF PASSION
2.   NO PLAN

Lack of passion is like setting out on a 100-mile trip with only enough gas to get you 10 miles.  You will choke down, sputter and come to a stop.  Believe me, I have seen many start this trip with half a tank and wind up giving up.  Now is the time to dig deep and do some serious soul searching, and ask yourself, do I have enough gas for this trip?


NO PLAN
Having no plan, I hate to think about it, and as elementary as it sounds, more people than not take off without one.  Not having a plan is what I like to call the WHACK – O - DOODLE method. Don’t you think it’s whacked out to head somewhere without knowing where you're going; so do I.

Steve Covey says in his book, The Seven Habits Of Highly Successful people, to start with the end in mind.  This is a great approach for many reasons. Visualization is inherent in having a dream.  If you can’t see yourself there, then there is a good chance, neither will anyone else.

FIND YOUR NICHE–

Niche – suitable place, specialized market – synonyms Place -Position – Slot-
There are many specialized fields within the music industry.  Most people are only proficient in only a few.  Find out where your passion lies and it will lead you to your Niche.  Don’t try to be something you’re not gifted for, it just won't work, and remember there’s only one you.  Always be true to yourself.

A hundred years ago when I was working in Nashville, AKA Music City, one of my responsibilities was to interview potential Artists.  I had a couple of questions I would ask that would overpoweringly determine whether we would work with someone or not.  The first question was, whom do you sound like. During that time the guys would commonly say, George Straight, or the fillies would say, Martina McBride.  WRONG! You see there is already a George and a Martina.  You see, we were not looking for twins.  Question 2 I would ask would be, How long are you willing to pursue your dream?  Some would give it a time limit.  There is no time limit on passion, you either have it or not.  This was a deal breaker.  The right answer was as long as it takes.  Just the other day I was at a jazz open mike night.  An older gentleman who appeared to be in his eighties sitting in a wheel chair rolled up to the stage, the host handed him a mike and he began to sing.  Although you could hear the age in his voice, the passion was louder.  Now guys and fillies that old crooner was the picture of success.  So find your NICHE and don’t give up!

July 26, 2012

fun music stuff



Since the inception of the UK Singles Chart in 1952 there have been various records to break, including most chart toppers, longest run at number one, biggest selling single etc. All the records have changed hands over the years, some more than others and many have certain reasons as to why the records have been held by a certain act. Here are some of the most important records held by acts in the UK at the moment:

Contents

  [hide

PREMIER PROFESSIONAL MUSIC ASSO. OFFERS FREE MEMBERSHIP

How would you like to become a member of the Premier music association for education, development, mentoring and networking in the world for absolutely no cost.  Truly no cost and no charge card needed.  AMP, The Association of Music Professionals is going to give you an unprecedented offer for a limited time. This offer will extend to the first 75 respondents to this offer.

We are a membership organization of professionals who have won every award in the industry, including Grammy's, Stellar, Dove awards and the list goes on.  We will be working with you on every aspect of the music industry.  From sound engineering, songwriting, social media, artist development, booking, and publishing; we cover all the bases.  We are getting ready as a part of our offering to provide you with what we call our secret weapon for networking.  This will enable you to reach the unreachable in the music industry.  You will have an opportunity to network with professionals on all levels of the business.  Get your songs heard, get the recognition you deserve and all of this without having to leave your computer.  One of the most difficult things for writers to do is get their music heard.  We are going to help you with that.  We will be holding training, and networking events all over the country.

The process to get your free membership is very simple. All you have to do is send us your contact info and answer two questions,

 1. What services would you like to see in our offerings?

2. What would you be willing to pay monthly/ annually to become a member of AMP?

Click on comment, answer the questions, send us your info, and we will sign you up for this limited offer absolutely Free! 

REMEMBER THE FIRST 75 GET THE 
PRIZE!!!!!!!!!!
I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE GETTING SIGNED UP. EMAIL TO GRADYSHUMAN@GMAIL.COM

July 25, 2012

CD'S GOING GOING GONE

Here is an article that just gives yet another wake up call for th music industry


WASHINGTON – At a House Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday on “The Future of Audio,” Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Chairman and CEO Cary Sherman will tell lawmakers how the music industry has “transformed how it does business,” touting the fact that digital formats now account for more than half of industry revenues and pointing to an array of licensed formats and services for fans.

At the hearing, before the House Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Sherman will testify (testimony here) that “CDs are no longer the primary format for the music business or the primary way the industry generates revenues. Digital is not just our future, it is our present. In 2004, the first year we had any meaningful digital revenues, the industry earned a grand total of $190 million from digital services. Last year, we hit nearly $3.5 billion. Quite a change.”

Sherman will tick off a litany of different models licensed by major music companies:

•    You want DRM-free downloads? We’ve got that: iTunes, AmazonMP3, eMusic, 7digital. 
•    You want to pay a modest monthly fee for all the music you can ever listen to – on your computer or smart phone? We’ve got that: Rhapsody, Spotify, MOG, Rdio, Music Unlimited, rara.com, Zune Music Pass. 
•    You want free, ad-supported video and audio streaming? We’ve got that: Spotify, YouTube, Vevo, Myspace Music, AOLMusic.
•    You want music bundled with your mobile phone? We’ve got that: Muve Music, Metro PCS/Rhapsody 
•    You want to store all your music in the cloud, so you can access it from wherever you might be? We’ve got that: iTunes Match, and more deals in the works. 
•    You want specialized digital radio services that offer you the niche kind of music you like to hear? We’ve got that: Pandora, SiriusXM, Last.fm, Yahoo!Music, AOLMusic, and over750 more such services. 
•    You want online simulcasts of AM/FM radio stations? That is available too: iHeartRadio, WJLK-FM 994.3 (The Point), KPWR-FM (Power 106), WXLC-FM (102.3 XLC), and over 750 more online radio stations fully licensed through our sister organization SoundExchange.
Sherman will testify that the agreement announced last month with the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) and the Digital Media Association (DiMA), setting mechanical royalty rates and standards on a slate of new cutting-edge music business models, was a signal of a new focus of the industry and organization: