This is hardly a new discussion. In fact, the slides below echo the talking points that I referenced here.  However, I think it’s still important to underscore the new rules of the road.  If black rock artists want an even chance to make, then you’ll have to be prepared for the game as it is, not as it was back in the 20th century.

Here are the slides:

Thanks to Hypebot for the headsup

Now it’s true that, aside from Taylor Swift, the time for selling shiny discs is ending or over, depending on who you talk to.  However, the fact is that there’s more music being made today than ever.  Even more important is this: The amount of music being in paid to support music—merch, shows, etc.—is at an all time high.

Bottom line: There’s money to be made.  We just have to think differently, especially if you’re indie and don’t have a major label behind you.

So, what’s it about?

Connecting with fans

What this means is really making an effort to connect.  Not just getting names into a database.  Not just doing great music.  That’s hard enough, I know.  But, it’s about going above and beyond.  And artists who aren’t willing to do this will get left behind. Sorry.

The new models basically break down like so:

Connect with Fans (CwF) + Reason to Buy (RtB) = The Business Model

It’s simple, right?  The authors of this paper give a bunch of examples, all the way from well know artists like Trent Reznor, Amanda Palmer and Jill Sobule to artists who are not nationally known but who, nevertheless, have profited from this approach.

Basically, the idea is to provide tiered offerings that make each more special than the previous.  The music might be free in digital format, but you could buy a 2-disc CD for a modest price.  Then, maybe there’s something even more premium that includes concert video.

Good thing, too, is that the authors provide a number of examples of ways to connect.

Reasons fans might buy what you’re selling

The paper also offers ten (10) reason that fans might buy what you’re selling.  What’s great is that it’s just a starting point.  For example, some reasons might include:

• Access (as in giving folks time with their favorite artist, and it might be a nice thank you to top fans)
• Exclusivity (giving value because not everyone will have whatever it is)
• Belonging (helping people feel like they’re part of a tribe)
• Time (saving or making)

There are others.  Again, these are just a starting point.

Finally, the paper ends by framing up how you can begin thinking about your offerings by taking you through a process that helps artists brainstorm about what’s unique about themselves.

The paper is free, but you’ll have to give MIDEM some contact info.  But it’s well worth it.

Download the paper here.

Do you guys have any stories about how you’re making it happen?  Leave a comment. I’d love to hear ‘em.

I really don't like the Whack Eyed Peas.  Don't now, and never did.  But that's not the point of this post.

There's a piece in the Wall Street Journal about the group's marketing savvy and how they've been able to gain the sponsorship support from major corporations such as Apple, Blackberry, Samsung, Best Buy and a bunch of others.  Of course, none of this would be possible without their having sold 26 million albums around the world.  Clearly, mainstream territory.

Here's the thing:  This may seem out of reach for a lot of black rock bands.  However, what you have to give Will.i.am credit for is understanding how to work with brands.  And this is something everyone can learn and do, right down to the local level.

Some things I'd suggest musicians can think about (and if you don't want to, then get someone–a manager, a lawyer, your best friend with the MBA–to help you):

• Know your lane. This encompasses a couple of things.  First, can you describe what you do quickly and succinctly?  At SXSW, I mentioned Sharif Iman, who described himself as "Seal meets the Foo Fighters".  No descriptor like this is ever 100%.  But the point is, it gets people who haven't heard his music in the zone of what he does.  Secondly, who comes to your shows?  Guess what: For the time being, that's your audience, whether you like it or not.  You need to be clear about who that is because any partner is going to want to know this.
• Build your database. I can't stress this enough. Take every opportunity to get email addresses of people who actually give a shit about you and the music you're making.  I'd say that most black rock bands don't need to talk to the whole world.  They just need to find the folks that care about what they do.  Imagine if you could cultivate 1,000 true fans who'd spread the word and evangelize for you the next time your went or tour or released your album.  What would that be worth to you?  I'd say it's significant if you can maintain a connection with the ones who really care.  After all, if you can book at 10-15 city tour and pull 200 people per city, that's a good look. Promoters will definitely book you, no matter what you look like, since they'll see dollars.  And it all starts with a solid database.
• Be honest about who you are in the beginning and stick to that. Both your fans and your eventual partners will appreciate the honesty.  Don't take this to mean that you should be inflexible.  I'm just saying be clear and don't compromise who you are just to get a check.  Yes, I imagine it gets harder as the money and the partners get bigger.  But by having clarity in the beginning, you'll do just fine.

He [co-manager William Derella] says the band eventually scored the sponsorship in large part by
presenting ideas such as the nightly freestyle rap, and a moment when
will.i.am works variations of the company's tag line, "Love what you
do," into a seemingly spontaneous monologue during one of the show's
closing numbers, "Where Is the Love." Such gambits allowed the Peas to
get away without putting any BlackBerry banners on the stage.

• Measure everything. All partners want metrics.  That's how they gauge whether or not their investment in you has been worthwhile.  Companies speak in numbers because they're concrete, so be prepared to tell them how many people came to your show; hits your Web site had; people opened that email with their logo on it; and the # of people who clicked on their logo.  They'll be able to tell you how many people came through their site or their store and, for example, said your band's name to get a discount.  At least, they should.

Bottom line is this: You want to build a track record of working with businesses.  Start with smaller ones and work your way up.  Bigger companies will look at those early partners and take comfort that you and your bandmates aren't "typical artists," i.e., difficult.  Make it easy for them to say yes.

Just start laying the foundation now.

This is kinda off the cuff, so I'd be interested to know what you all think.

Additional link:

• "The Most Corporate Band" by John Jurgensen in WSJ–April 16, 2010

Thanks.  I'm looking forward to sharing the results of this with everyone.  Remember the more people who respond, the more detailed the results.  And did I mention that you'll get something for free after you finish?

Yes, take me to the survey!

This is a cool idea.  If you want Moe to come to your town, get at him at 516-670-6741
or email: listeningtour[at]gmail[dot]com

Additional link:

• Cipher on MySpace

These just dropped last week.  I'd go for the hi-tops, although I wonder how they'd really look in 13's.  If you want to see the tees, click on the link in the press release and then search for "Bad Brains tees".

Vans also sponsors Killswitch Engage, Murs, and Ben Harper.

Additional link:

• Bad Brains site

The great Quincy Jones’ son, Quincy "QD3" Jones III, provides some insight into the future of audience development.  His belief–and I think he’s spot on–is that artists need to leverage video to really tell, and sell, a complete story about themselves.  So, Black rock artists, take heed.  He talks about YouTube because it’s the most well-known.  However, I prefer Vimeo.

The entire video is about 2-1/2 minutes, but he delivers the key points in the first 1:12.

Hat tip to Beet TV for the video.

Take this recent post where he looks at the cons of signing to a major record label at this point in time:

If you’re looking for easy answers, maybe you’re tempted by the major
label deal. But really, it’s like joining a cult. Giving up all control
to an out of touch entity who tells you how to act. It’s scarier to
forge your own way. But it’s the only true way out of the wilderness.

Of course, major labels have long been inhospitable to Black artists who didn’t follow convention.  So, this isn’t really any new news.  But, as a reminder for both artists and those interested in progressive culture, this serves to reinforce the fact that, power is in the hands of consumers and creators.  And, in trying to determine who has more "power," it’s important to remember that the term is, now more than ever, relative.

So, do your thing.

To read Bob’s full post, click here.

Here’s a question: How would we know when we’ve got a movement?  By that, I mean, how many people would it require before anyone looking at Black rock said, yes, it’s a significant trend?  The answer may be less than you think.

In a recent paper Mark Penn (incidentally the CEO of big PR agency Burson-Marsteller) asserts that it’s important to pay attention to what he calls “microtrends”—“small, under-the-radar forces that can involve as little as 1 percent of the [a] population.”  More importantly, it’s the “ideas that the most powerful forces in our society are the emerging, counter-intuitive trends shaping tomorrow right before us.”  As an example:

We  used to live in the “Ford economy,” where workers created one black car, over and over, for thousands of consumers.  Now we live in the “Starbucks economy,” where workers create thousands of different cups of coffee, for individual consumers.

Back to the 1 percent.  If you look at it in terms of the entire United States (population 300 million), 1 percent (3 million) means that there’s enough people to drive “a hit movie, create a political movement, or event start a war.”  He goes onto say:

In today’s mass societies, it takes only 1 percent of people making a dedicated choice—contrary to the mainstream’s choice—to change the world. [emphasis mine]

Currently, according to Target Market News, there are 38.3 million African Americans.  So 1 percent is just under 400,000.  But that’s a decent number, particularly if you’re able to define who and where they are.  Imagine if you could find 3-400,000 people to support a monthly magazine; or if a Web site had that many monthly unique visitors; or artists could be assured that they’d reach that many people while on tour; or that they could count on 400,000 downloads of a song (or an album!)

What this means is that larger corporate entities would then have to give this segment serious consideration.

Of course, identifying nearly 400,000 African Americans who would self-select as fans of Black rock is a great goal.  However, it may be a stretch for most artists.

But, the big takeaway here is worth reiterating: We don’t need everyone, just the right ones.

Who do you think is in Black rock’s 1 percent?  Where are they?  Artists, who’s in your 1 percent?  Where are they?

Just 1%: The Power of Microtrends, by Mark Penn &  E. Kinney Zalense, is available for FREE download.