The face of the digital marketplace

 I'm going to be doing a series of blogs on the face of the digital market place. if you have any interest in being a part of the music industry, this is a must! We are so fortunate to be living in this age. There are opportunities that did not exist  10 years ago, even  5 years ago.

It is not only important for your career. to understand the marketplace. but it is a must! Our goal at AMP (ASSOCIATION OF MUSIC PROFESSIONALS) , is to help you realize your goal, and knowing your business is your business. Don't be the guy with the dear in the headlight look. You want to be successful? It's yours for the taking! So take it! Get to work! Learn your business! Help someone else!

This series will begin with an overview of  the vehicles available to distribute your products. This is a blog not an exhaustive list.

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Advertisement-based service

Advertisement-based services offer music free of charge to the consumer, while funding is derived from advertisement. The model is widespread as seen by the success of AOL Music, Yahoo! Musicand YouTube (multimedia provider). Many of these services are internet radio stations, as they offer continuous streaming music, while others are not continuously streaming. Many of these services offer multimedia or additional services. For example, MySpace(owned by Fox Interactive Media) offers social-networking as its flagship service. comScore reports the top 10 in internet radio viewership in the United States:

	Unique Visitors (000)
	July '07	July '08	% Change
Total Internet: Total Audience	180,078	189,134	5
AOL Music	15,284	23,884	56
Yahoo! Music	23,075	18,725	-19
Clear Channel Online	10,697	9,394	-12
Pandora Radio	2,551	4,834	89
Interactive One	512	3,515	587
CBS Radio	3,469	3,240	-7
NPR.ORG	1,717	2,538	48
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation	1,373	1,885	37
Batanga.com	1,239	1,810	46
Disney Music	1,721	1,598	-7

Other sector players:

• YouTube
• MySpace

See also List of Internet stations

YouTube (owned by Google Inc.) is the premier site for finding music videos for both independent bands and mainstream bands that have released their music on CD or digitally, while also being useful for finding rare songs.^[29] YouTube is a multimedia provider, so it is difficult to say how much entertainment it has provided to music consumers, however it did provide about one-third of all 11 billion online video views in the US in the month of April 2008.^[30]

The site is also testing three new landing pages dedicated to the popular categories of news, movies, and music. Each page will be populated with the most popular content on the site related to that category.^[31] Some have even hailed YouTube as being the "digital successor to MTV"^[32] as they seem to be positioning themselves in that manner. Currently, they have mixed relations with labels as evidenced by their icy relationship with Warner Music Group^[33] but more optimistic relationship with Universal Music.^[34]

MySpace (owned by Fox Interactive Media) is also a key player and Rolling Stone reports that it hosts more than 70 million users monthly and that “visitors to the site can hear both Bob Dylan’s or The White Stripes' entire catalogue”. Unlike many services, MySpace has been successful in making copyright deals with the RIAA's "Big Four", which is Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, Universal Musicand EMI,^[35] in September 2008. In January 2009, MySpace made partnerships with the following independent labels: Nettwerk, INgrooves, Iris Distribution, RoyaltyShare, and Wind-up Entertainment.^[36] In March 2009, CNET News reported that there are more than 5 million bands with music on the streaming-and-discovery music service, and more than 100 million playlists have been created.^[37]

Pandora Internet Radio is distinctive from both YouTube and MySpace in that it offers consumers continuously streaming media rather than non-continuous music, which makes it highly similar toterrestrial radio or television. However, it can be contrasted with radio in that it offers music recommendation. YouTube is similar to Pandora in that it also offers recommendation, but is distinct in that content is user-generated.

A new type of service that has also become popular is sites that allow consumers to pay what they wish or pay by advertising on social networking sites. Sites like Noisetrade.com and comeandlive.com are examples of sites that sponsor artists and allow users to download music in exchange for advertising for the artist. Music is essentially free to users essentially costing only the time it takes to post information about the artist downloaded on facebook, Twitter, or email. Another example was the release of the most recent Radiohead album In Rainbows in which users could download the album and name their own price. The idea of pay-what-you-want music consumption is new, but catching on with users and growing.

We look forward to part 2 of this series! Please leave a comment. Tell us what you would like to hear. We will do our best to accommodate you. Thanks J.Grady

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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 definite, 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 your 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.
  I thought it would be interesting to look at the big four. Just image based on their percentages of the market how it is affecting them. Their lying in their neatly made beds, and you no longer have to get into bed with them!
  It's your turn now! Join the digital age! Get to work! Learn your craft! Kindle your passion! See you at the top!!!!!

US music market shares, according to Nielsen SoundScan (2005)

Nielsen SoundScan reported that the big four accounted for 81.87% of the US music market in 2005:^[21]

• Universal Music Group (USA based) — 31.71%
• Sony Music Entertainment (USA based) — 25.61%
• Independent labels — 18.13%
• Warner Music Group (USA based) — 15%
• EMI Group (UK based) — 9.55%

and in 2004, 82.64%:

• Universal Music Group—29.59%
• Sony Music Entertainment—28.46% (13.26% Sony, 15.20% BMG)
• Independent labels—17.36%
• Warner Music Group—14.68%
• EMI Group—9.91%

World music market sales shares, according to IFPI (2005)

The global market was estimated at $30–40 billion in 2004.^[22] Total annual unit sales (CDs, music videos, MP3s) in 2004 were 3 billion.

According to an IFPI report published in August 2005,^[23] the big four accounted for 71.7% of retail music sales:

• Independent labels—28.3%
• Universal Music Group—25.5%
• Sony Music Entertainment—21.5%
• EMI Group—13.4%
• Warner Music Group—11.3%

Prior to December 1998, the industry was dominated by the "Big Six": Sony Music and BMG had not yet merged, and PolyGram had not yet been absorbed into Universal Music Group. After the PolyGram-Universal merger, the 1998 market shares reflected a "Big Five", commanding 77.4% of the market, as follows, according to MEI World Report 2000:

• Universal Music Group — 28.8%
• Independent record label|Independent labels — 22.6%
• Sony Music Entertainment — 21.1%
• EMI — 14.1%
• Warner Music Group — 13.4%

Note: the IFPI and Nielsen Soundscan use different methodologies, which makes their figures difficult to compare casually, and impossible to compare 

I'm a star! Why should I need a blog or website?

My music should be enough

I'm not going to beat this topic up!  Here's the deal.  Get a website, start blogging and you might succeed.  Don't and you are guaranteed to fail!  You can trust this approach or not.  If you decide not to; let me know how that works for you.  The only person you have to believe about this topic is everyone who is or has been successful in the last ten or so years.  Here are some basic tips to help you get started.  So roll up your sleeves and get to work!!!!!!

Search marketing is key to creating awareness for your website, business and/or product. 

Two major types of search marketing exist: natural (or organic) and paid search.  Natural 

search refers to search engine results that are unbiased and chosen solely based on how 

relevant those results are to the original query.  Paid search can refer to a number of ways in 

which you pay every time your site or page is included in the search engines, listed or clicked on.

Natural Search 

Search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, send out automated “crawlers”  

to scour the Internet, link by link, and gather information about the pages 

and sites they visit.  Next, the crawler indexes the site, recording all kinds of 

information: content, images, inbound and outbound links, page title, description, 

keywords, language, and more. 

Crawlers are completely automated and run 24/7, reporting back to the search engine what they find online.  All the collected information is written into a database.  When you search, search engines are really searching their own databases, which they update continuously.  Search engines will visit your site anywhere from daily to monthly, but they all check back with your site on a regular basis to see if you’ve added new pages or content.  Learn more about all of the major search engines and directories at www.SearchEngineWatch.com. 

Paid Search 

Pay per click and paid inclusion are two different types of paid search options. 

Consider the following: 

■ How much is each visitor worth to you? Knowing this cost is crucial to your spending. 

■ How are your ads performing? Test different copy and see which ads users click the most and which ones lead to the most sales. 

■ Which search engines perform best for you? Depending on your business and audience, one engine might be better than another. 

■ Which keywords are most profitable for you? The phrase “baby toys” may be too expensive and “baby development” might cost far less, leading to higher profitability. 

■ Are you geo-targeting your ads? You don’t want to show up for a nationwide search of “landscaping” if you only provide that service in Houston. 

Keeping track of your return on investment is vital to the success of your paid search campaign. Paid inclusion products are offered by most major search engines. Search engines are unable to crawl your entire site.

SETTING UP YOUR WEBSITE TO BE FRIENDLY TO CRAWLERS IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO YOUR SEARCH EFFORTS.

Music -- Brown -- Rihanna -- Message ?

What are we saying ?

We all remember it well. Three years ago, right before the Grammy awards, Rihanna was brutally and viciously attacked by her former boyfriend, Chris Brown.  Horrifying images leaked onto the web of the bloodied and bruised pop star that sent a shock-wave through the music industry.  Now, this past Monday the two released two songs featuring each others voices, and have ultimately sent a very strong message out to impressionable young fans.  Which brings up a question many celebrities battle on a daily basis - does living in the spotlight mean having to make decisions based on public perception?  Do stars have to be role models?  Personally, I think the answer is simple: yes.
To start off I just want to say that I’m all about forgiveness.  When I was a kid growing up in church some of my favorite stories were the ones where people who were terribly victimized found their abuser and forgave them.  At the end of the day, no matter how awful someone has hurt you, I truly believe that until you forgive that person, you’re only doing yourself more harm. That being said, do I think it was a good idea for Rihanna to start being seen publicly with Chris Brown, to tweet him candidly, and to now release two songs with him? I think the only thing that could be more devastating would be her stepping back into a relationship with him, and I honestly don’t think that’s an unlikely scenario.
In response to criticism being thrown their way this week on Twitter, Brown tweeted, “Let them be mad!!!! We make music. Don't like it, don't listen!”  He has a point.  He does make music, and if his private life offends people, then they shouldn’t buy his music.  But this is also coming from the man who threw a tantrum in a Walmart in 2009 (the same year he attacked Rihanna) for not carrying his newest album.  Soon after he blew up in a local store he tweeted, “im tired of this s--t. major stores r blackballing my cd. not stockin the shelves and lying to costumers. what the f--- do i gotta do...WTF... yeah i said it and i aint retracting s***. im not biting my tongue about s else... the industry can kiss my a--.”  
I’m sorry whaaaaat?  A humble and apologetic attitude goes a long way in the public eye when you have a “slip up” like sending your girlfriend to the hospital.  For me, Brown’s weak apology given after the event is completely negated with statements like this.  Someone who truly understands the consequences of such actions would understand that their music career is surely going to be affected.  
But in 2012, the Grammy’s extended a shockingly lenient hand to Brown, not only allowing him to perform, but awarding him his first Grammy award in the same night.  It seems all is forgotten as Rihanna herself has taken the next step and recorded with Brown.  The interesting part about this story is that Brown has a girlfriend currently and they are reportedly very happy together.  So what does this all mean?  I’ll tell you what it means.
Rihanna’s decision to publicly make amends with Brown has sent one HUGE message to fans and impressionable young girls: its acceptable to let a man hit you.  She can deny it all she wants, but ultimately she is playing the role of the typical woman caught up in the cycle of an abusive relationship, constantly returning to the source of her own pain.  We’ve all seen it before, whether it be first hand, or through people we know.  This message she’s sending is probably not intentional, but its still there.  It's still reverberating through the sound-waves as fans race to purchase these two songs.  Its a faint whisper in the mind of the young girl from Barbados who idolizes Rihanna for representing her country on a worldwide scale.  It's numbing the pain of the woman debating whether or not she should leave her abusive husband.  It's repeating the message to the teenage boy who sees his father beat his mother that all women forgive, all women return, all behavior is acceptable in relationships.  In 2009 Rhianna was the victim of a terrible attack that included Brown punching her multiple times in the face and even biting her.  After being hospitalized and recovering, she was provided a unique opportunity to use her global platform to tell women that this was unacceptable, that once is enough, that physical abuse is a 100% deal-breaker.  But she didn’t.  She never said a bad thing about Brown, she never really made an attempt to speak to women who have been through similar trauma, and now she is happily stepping back into a friendship with the man who sent her to the hospital three years ago.  
When Rihanna signed on the dotted lines to become an international pop star, she also signed up for the paparazzi to follow her every move.  She signed up for critics openly bashing her live performance vocals.  She signed up for fans analyzing her life under a microscope.  And whether she likes it or not, she signed up to be a role model to young women.  Like I said before, I’m all about forgiveness.  I love that Rihanna has clearly forgiven Brown for what he did. But rekindling their relationship is far too dangerous- not only for herself, but for the countless women who will likely do the same.  Being a role model doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, but it does mean you have to be responsible.  Only time can reveal how this story further unfolds, but lets hope and pray that it doesn’t end up the way it did back in 2009.
-J. Burton

TO DIGITAL OR NOT?

   It is amazing how many people ask me, How do I sell my CD’s?  Well there are as many ways to sell your product, as there is product.  However, there is more to it than just uploading your product to one of the many digital stores.  As an Artist, do you have a fan base?  Is your product packaged professionally?  Do you have the support in place, meaning people to work your product on a regular basis?  Do- do - do. There are a lot of do’s and a lot of don'ts.  So how do I know what they are?  You have to do your due diligence. In other words, unless you have the funds to pay someone to provide the marketing services you will need, you will have to do the work yourself.  You may find friends or family that believe in you and want to help you get started, or someone willing to work and get paid on the back end.  That’s all good.  Remember you still have to do the work.

YOU MUST JOIN THE DIGITAL AGE

  The digital age is the biggest gift ever given to the unsigned Artist!  We don’t need the record labels any longer.  Why? I’m glad you asked!  Let me give you a lesson in basic music economics.  If you were signed to a record label and sold a Gold Record, that would be $500,000.  How much money do you think you would get?  Your return would be 1 million dollars!  I’m just joking...  Believe it or not, you would get approximately thirty five thousand dollars.  That’s it!  If you sold 7,500 at ten dollars each your ROI would be the about the same, $35,000.  So imagine selling a gold record on your own through the digital stores.  Not too bad a deal, you think?

  Let me encourage you.  Do your due diligence!  Work hard!  Join a professional organization!  Hone your craft!  And don’t lose your passion!

The Grammys Make a Statement: Authentic Talent is Still a Priority.

I don’t know about you, but for me, the 2012 Grammy Awards made a huge statement concerning the music industry.  The already platinum selling Nicki Minaj was trumped for Best New Artist by the very alternative Bon Iver, The Civil Wars beat out Kelly Clarkson, and Jason Aldean for Best Country Duo, and Adele dominated all the leading Pop categories even though, as she admitted - she’s not really “Pop.”    What does it all mean?  I think we’re seeing a shift in the priorities of the public, not just the academy.  With songs like “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye becoming radio hits, and topping tigers on iTunes like LMFAO, Drake, and Madonna, one thing seems to be very clear: popular music is getting a big makeover.  

Entering into the night, although critics favored Adele to walk away with the most awards, I think many were still surprised by her six-for-six sweep.  She trumped Katy Perry’s “Firework” for Record of the Year, Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” for Song of the Year, and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” for Album of the Year.  Not too shabby.  The soulful British singer seems to embody a very bygone era of music and performance that music fans are desperate to hear.  In the midst of the bubble-gum pop that is stretched and molded by money-minded industry hot-shots, Adele represents a time when having a perfect body was not one’s ticket to selling records, when having impressive vocals was not uncommon for female performers, and when writing your own music was assumed, not exceptional. Her six awards represent a new value in the quality of music that hits our airwaves.  How often have you turned on your radio to hear the same monotonous chorus being repeated over and over... and over?  Relevant lyrics have been sacrificed in place of catchy music that can be easily remembered and played in clubs.  That’s where the Adele factor comes in and shakes the foundations of the industry.  She’s not half naked in her videos, she actually can sing, and her music is actually unique and meaningful.  The reality is, it's sad that we have to make such an honor of someone because of these characteristics - all music should be backed by the same artistic fervor.  But that’s what makes her so special and that’s why she made musical history on Sunday.  

While Adele proved that talent still speaks louder than imagery, The Civil Wars showed that simplicity still has its place in a mainstream setting with their two awards for Best Country Duo/ Group Performance and Best Folk Album.  They don’t tour with a big band or lots of instruments, just a guitar and a lovely ability to produce complicated harmonies.  Their brief performance before introducing Taylor Swift was powerful and folksy as always.  

One of the most surprising wins was Bon Iver for Best New Artist.  Up against The Band Perry and Nicki Minaj, many were expecting money to talk and for Minaj and her many hits to steal the prize. Against all odds, the indie folk band trumped the newest pop/ hip-hop princess and claimed the coveted title that has foreshadowed so many successful careers (including that of Adele).  They also won for Best Alternative Music Album.

So an indie folk group wins two Grammy's, a Country/ Folk group wins two Grammy's, and a soulful singer/ songwriter takes the cake with six Grammy's.  I think the big statement here is a shift not only in the academy, but in the public.  People are over the exhaustive synthetic pop that screeches over top 40’s stations.  The public is itching for music, and meaningful performances by artists who truly connect with the message behind their songs.  The shock that came from Arcade Fire’s Album of the Year win in 2011 humbled the likes of Eminem, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry.  It's refreshing to see the underdog succeed and even more refreshing to see true creativity recognized.  Overall, I think the 2012 Grammy Awards sent a message out to the music industry and the public that true, heartfelt music has not lost its place, and that talent is still a priority.  This is going to be a great year!

The Battle of Blankets !!!!!!!

The Battle of Blankets

   One of the hardest things I have to do everyday is get out of bed.  I'm sure some of you struggle with that also.  I call it the battle of blankets!  This business we're in can be emotionally draining.  It can kick the mud out of you, if you let it.  The key is, don't let it!  Easier said than done.  I believe the harder you work the luckier you get.



I NEVER TELL ANYONE TO GIVE UP, UNLESS THEY'RE LAZY AND HAVE NO PASSION!
Really, if you don't have those two ingredients, and talent, get a job!  You may be thinking I'm sounding tough.  Wait until you get into the music business, then you'll see tough!  Most of the great industrialists of the world will tell you, there are 3 ingredients to success.

1. The number one ingredient to be successful is PASSION!
2. The number two ingredient to be successful is HARD WORK!
3. Last but not least, PERSEVERANCE!!!!!

If you mix these three ingredients in the music pot, you are almost guaranteed success.  If you don't, you are certainly doomed for failure!



To quote one of my favorite industrialists and motivators, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
"The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night."

Once again, we all need each other on this journey.  We need encouragement just as much as we need a helping hand!  Lift your brothers up!  Help them realize their dream, and you will surely find yours along the way!!!!!!!!!!

Free Download sites getting nailed by the FBI. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!

   Free music download sites are getting nailed by the Government!!!!  It's about time.  I feel I can speak on behalf of all of those who make a living from music sales.  We have been molested by all these thieves stealing our music, and for the Arts to continue to thrive we must join together and put an end to these creeps!!!!!.  Would you like to know what I really think?  The music industry is reeling from a severe loss in revenues over the last decade.  I personally am ready to see the record labels get their just desserts.  They have taken advantage of Artists and Writers long enough.  The digital age is here, and it's here to stay.  The world wide web is a great tool to even the playing field for Artists and Writers.  The sad thing is, there's always those out there looking for a way to get over. 

    Did you know you can make the same amount a gold record would make being on a label, (500,000) by selling 75,000 as an independent.  Surprised?  Most people are.  Let's say you're a new artist, and you've invested your last dime on your project, and and now you're working your butt off to make a living.  Now Joe-Blow - free download comes along and gives your music away, for free.  Are you OK WITH THAT?  I'm not!  There is lobbying in Washington going on as we speak to allow this to happen.  There is also lobbying going on to prevent this unethical practice from happening.  Get involved, let your congressional representatives know how you feel.  In politics, always, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  Squeak, squeak. squeak!!!!!!!!!!  Write blogs, tweet it, Facebook it!!! All we're asking for is the right to our own personal intellectual property.

   This is a short blog.  I think I've made my point, so I will end with this.  There are three kinds of people in this world:
1.Those  who make things happen. 
2. Those who watch things happen. 
3. And those who wonder what happen after it happened.

Ask yourself. which one am I?

     

                                 Good writing

                                 J. Grady

ThE DREAM GRAVEYARD

The Dream Graveyard

What does a graveyard look like?  It's a place of worldly finality.  A dark isolated spot where things are buried, covered up, smothered and fried, and more times than not forgotten.  The dream graveyard is very similar.  It's a place where aspirations, inspirations, hopes, visions and great ideas have been thrown  away to live out life unfulfilled.  Sounds gloomy, doesn't it?  It does not have to be.  It could be inspiring, life changing, as well as hope inducing, and very effective in bringing exciting benefits to the world.

This imaginary place we're speaking of is unbelievably packed with lost causes.  The good news is, it doesn't have to be!  You see, most of those holes would never be filled if we learned the basic principal of perseverance.  There are as many reasons for broken dreams, as there are types of dreams.  We will be speaking specifically to the music entrepreneurs who are on the verge of giving up.  In no way is this going to be an exhaustive list!  The intention here is to help those visionaries who are on the verge of throwing in the towel.  There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of dreamers ready to give up.  If you're in that group, you are not alone!!

Perseverance:  Steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. 
First, lets talk about difficulty.  My friends, don't be so simple minded as to think that for one second anything in the music business is easy!  Simple:  easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty.  One of the biggies that stops some people in their tracks is when they enter into this business, and realize how competitive it is, they become overwhelmed with fear and give up.  Fear is a big one!  We all have fear, you just can't let it control you.  If you do you will never succeed.  

With that being said, let me give you some tools that are proven to help you overcome. 
1). I cannot tell you how important it is to surround yourself with people who believe in you, and that you trust and can confide in. 
2). Get rid of the naysayers!!!!!  Don't listen to those losers that tell you you can't succeed!  You have a dream, live it!

I could write a book about this topic, and probably will.  However this is a blog.  So, I will end this with a few final thoughts and quotes:
-- "Don't quit before the miracle happens". 
-- "What if your ship came in the day after you quit". 

 There will be times when you will want to give up, and throw in the towel.  But, you have to keep going if you want to succeed.  "Winners never quit, and quitters never win".  So hold your head up high, push into God, and win the prize!!!  Lastly, you've gotta be tough!!!!!!!!!!

Dreaming Together

Today I am going to write a blog that I’m sure some will think is preposterous, and will shrug it off. But before you do, please read the entire article. There are 2 ways to do the music business:
1) The slow way: It takes years and years of being alone, hard knocks, door knocks, and unreturned calls and then if you're lucky you may find success. 
2) The accelerated method: You will still have to do a lot of the above. The difference is you won't be doing it alone, and it will be so much more enjoyable, plus you will reach your destination much quicker and arrive fulfilled.
I remember the beginning of my journey into music land, some 25+ years ago when my favorite song was me me me. Everything I did was for me and about me. The word narcissist comes to mind. Well, after a lot of hard knocks and head banging and broken relationships, I arrived at my destination. However, when I got there I was all alone, and an empty vessel. Believe me it’s not worth it. How can you be at the top of your industry and be miserable? Try my old method it works great!
 So you're thinking, what is this new method? It’s very simple! The quickest road to success is helping someone else get there. How so you may ask? I’m glad you asked! Remember, “Dream Together”. The road to success can be very challenging and lonely. Doing it by yourself is brutal! So don’t!
 Here’s the deal. Everyone has something to offer, no matter where you are in the continuum. As you begin your journey you will start meeting like minded associates. If you share freely with them, they will begin sharing freely with you. You will make friends that you can walk together with on your journey. They will meet other like minded people along the way that have different contacts, and they know things you don’t that they can share with you. It’s kind of like pouring water on a Chia plant; Instant growth! Dream Together!
Take it from an old man with over twenty five years of experience. The old method isn’t worth it. Network Network Network. Share what you know, and know what you share. Sweet dreams!!!!!!

My name is J. Grady and I approve this message.

No stake in the ground -- No steak for you!

No stake = No steak!  In other words, if you don't have a plan, to quote the soup Nazi: "No soup for you"! So many times I speak with upcoming Artists and all they have is a dream to offer.  The problem with that is, that's usually all it winds up to be; a dream.  Sad but true.  Most of us creative types love the dream, we just don't seem to love to plan for the dream.  You may have heard the old adage, "shoot for the moon and if you miss you will wind up among the stars".  In this case, if you shoot for the moon without a plan and miss, you will wind up in the toilet.
So my point here is start with a plan and set your path.  Follow your path, and if you've done due diligence with passion and persistence and the right information, you will hit your moon.  Now all of us don't have the skills to set a stake, create a business plan and follow it.  This is why we need to employ others to help us.  I use the term employ loosely.  We employ our friends, we network, and sometimes we have to pay others to help us.  One good way to get info is to find a reputable professional association to join, they're not that expensive and can give you real bang for the buck in the long haul.
One of the best ways to cut your costs is to do as much of the work as you can yourself.  The internet is a great tool.  There is one Caveat with the internet.  That is, there are many snakes out there wanting to take your money.  Though you think you might be too smart for them, believe me.  There are many slick CROOKS, if you will, out there that can get into your pocket before you know it.  Do your due diligence, research research research.  This is one reason you need to be a member of a reputable Professional association.
We at AMP really want to see everyone become successful.  We encourage everyone to follow their dream.  Put your stake in the ground, follow your plan and stick to it.  Network Network Network, and good dreaming!!!!!!!! 
This is J.Grady president and founder of AMP, and I approve this message!!!

MY CD IS DONE! NOW WHAT?

You wrote the songs, got your CD wrapped up in a pretty plastic-wrapped package with your picture on it, got it on iTunes, and all the digital audio stores.  Now you're sitting at home, waiting by the mail box for the checks to start rollin' in.  It's been three months and you're wondering if they have the right address.  You're thinking, "Am I going to have to cancel the order on my new SUV, my trip to the Caymans, my season tickets and my pedicure?"  I would say if this is all you've done to get your project out, the answer is Yes: cancel everything and apply for food stamps, start looking for a job and go to work on your music career.

Misconception number one is believing your project will be successful on it's own volition.  I'm not going to spend a lot of time on all the things that need to take place for your project to be successful, because that would take hours of explanation and planning, and there are too many variables for a one case fits all scenario.  What I am going to try to do is give you a few suggestions to help you get started, and pull no punches while doing so.

Here are the facts.  It takes money, hard work, a team, planning, passion, perseverance and a good product.  If any of these are missing you are doomed to fail.  You may be thinking, money, oh no!! I've spent every dime I have!  You see, that's why we have a plan.  The one mistake that most commonly destroys Newbies is lack of planning.  Get a plan, invite your friends and find a pro to help guide you.  There are many qualified industry specialists that will get you started for a reasonable fee.  Caveat, do your due diligence before you work with anyone.  There are many wolves in sheeps clothing that will take advantage of you.

This is my business and I love working with upcoming talent.  Find some one with a passion and heart for new Artists.  I would like to keep going, but this is a blog, not a book.  Remember the quickest way to success is to help someone else be successful!