Friday, October 7, 2011

Steve Jobs: Let His Life Inspire YOUR Legacy

The world is still reeling from the news that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has died. There's no denying the incredible impact this one man has had on the way we use and interact with technology -- especially when it comes to music and entertainment media in the digital age.

Here are a few rough numbers to consider:
  • 300 million iPods sold
  • 16 billions songs downloaded from iTunes
  • 225 million iTunes Store customer accounts
  • 100 million books downloaded from iBooks
  • 25 million iPads sold
  • 15 billion apps downloaded from the App Store
Those are impressive figures. The influence that Steve Jobs had on the digital devices we use (and how we discover and acquire music and media) will be felt for decades to come. He's being described as a modern day Thomas Edison, regarding the lasting impact he'll have on our culture.

Yes, we should honor his life and be saddened by his passing at such a young age. And moving forward, there will no doubt be plenty of people who will question how Apple operates without its iconic leader at the helm.

But what I encourage you to consider is this ...

What can we learn from Steve Jobs on the topic of leaving a legacy and making an impact on the world during our short time on this planet?

Luckily, he left us with a good bit of advice. Later this month, his authorized biography by Walter Isaacson will be published. It's already a bestseller on Amazon, based on preorders alone.

He also gave an inspiring commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005. The video has gone viral since his death. Here's just part of what he said that day:
"You're time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Watch the full video of his Stanford commencement speech, then I encourage you to leave a comment below. Give me any thoughts you have on Steve Jobs and his legacy. Then, more important, make a public statement about how you will live your life so your impact is felt long after you are gone.

Hint: You don't have to be a global figure or sell millions of "units" to accomplish this. You can leave a legacy on whatever scale you choose to work - small, medium or large. The main thing is to leave behind something of value for someone.

How are you doing that today?


-Bob

P.S. It just occurred to me that I wrote this post on my new iPad 2, which I bought a couple weeks ago and absolutely love. Thanks again, Steve, for the influence you’ve had on our lives!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

New DIY Music Workshop Hits 5 Cities This Fall - Can You Help?

The fall of 2011 will be a busy one for yours truly, as I take a brand new workshop on the road. And I would really appreciate your help ...


A few months ago I conducted a simple online poll. I asked readers like you what topic I should work on next. Subjects ranged from publicity to advanced guerrilla marketing to Facebook and Twitter tips.

The top two vote-getters involved converting fan attention into sales and how to sell more music and merch. You spoke, I listened. And that's why this new workshop is called ...

How to Make Money as a DIY Artist:
4 Steps to Converting Fan
Attention Into Sales
Here are the dates and cities. Follow the links for details on location, time, and pricing.

Tuesday, September 27
Kansas City, MO - Register here


Wednesday, October 5
St. Louis, MO - Register here


Monday, October 10
Salt Lake City, UT - Register here


Saturday, October 22
Nashville, TN - Register here


Monday, November 7
Hollywood, CA, at Musicians Institute - Register here


November 3 thru 6, at the TAXI Road Rally
Los Angeles, CA
This event is free, but you must be either a TAXI member or the guest of one to attend. Details at http://www.taxi.com/rally.


Here's how you can help:
  • Do you live near any of these cities? If so, I would love for you to attend!

  • If you can't attend, do you know music people in any of these areas that you can spread the word to? Send them an email, tweet about it, post it on Facebook!

  • Do you have any suggestions for people, organizations, songwriters groups, etc, that I should contact in these cities to get the word out?
I'm really looking forward to sharing these powerful ideas - many of them inspired by recent interviews I've done with Karmin, Pomplamoose, David Nevue and Mark Mohr, as well as experts like Tony van Veen, Joe Vitale, Michael Brandvold, and Jason Van Orden.

I appreciate anything you can do to help me spread the word and get more people to these live events. In particular, I would love to meet YOU in person at one of them!

-Bob

Thursday, August 25, 2011

How to Sell & License Cover Songs, YouTube, Pomplamoose & More

I just posted part one of a great two-part interview with Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn of the duo Pomplamoose. They explain how they've used a combination of cover songs and originals to attract more than 300,000 YouTube subscribers and 60+ million video views.

They also sell more than 100,000 digital music downloads a year through iTunes and their own website. These online sales are comprised of both cover songs and originals.

Which has led to a ton of questions from artists wondering:

How does Pomplamoose (and many other musicians like them) legally post cover songs on YouTube and then sell them?

Some of these cover song issues will be addressed in part two of the Pomplamoose interview. But since a lot of people are asking now, here is what I know about this topic ...

There are two separate aspects to this:

1) Recording your version of someone else's song and POSTING it on YouTube - where anyone can watch it for free

2) Recording your version of someone else's song and SELLING it on iTunes, Amazon, your own site, etc.

Regarding #1 ... Admittedly, this is a gray area with no clear-cut answers. YouTube probably has a blanket license from BMI and ASCAP for this purpose. Much like a live music venue should have a license that allows you to play cover songs in a club.

Based on my research of this topic, the main reason a cover song video might be removed from YouTube is if someone files a complaint or the copyright holder objects to it. This has happened with some videos. But considering the thousands (if not millions) of cover songs on YouTube, it is rare to have such a video pulled.

There's currently no easy system in place to get permission or purchase what's called a "sync license" before posting your rendition of a popular song on YouTube. So most indie artists simply upload them for the world to see. If an artist, record label or publisher does object, it seems the worst that happens is that YouTube deactivates that video.

Warning: There is some evidence that YouTube has a "three strikes" rule -- meaning that after three such copyright deactivations they will shut down your entire channel. So if you've had complaints in the past, you might want to steer clear of cover songs on that channel.

(Note: All of these guidelines pertain to YOUR RENDITION of a song! Do NOT post the original recording of someone's else song. THAT is a definite no-no.)

Thanks to Suzanne Lainson who provided this link to a much more in-depth overview of this topic.

Regarding #2 ... To SELL your recorded version of someone else's song, you must purchase a mechanical license. As Jack and Nataly will point out in part two, this is incredibly easy and affordable to do -- especially for digital download sales in small quantities.

Pomplamoose uses the Harry Fox Agency, which you can find at www.harryfox.com/public/songfile.jsp or simply www.songfile.com.

Many indie musicians use Limelight at www.songclearance.com -- which some have said is even easier to use.

Using either one of these sites, you could buy the mechanical rights to sell 100 digital downloads of a cover song for as little as $24 USD. (That includes a $15 fee to Limelight or Harry Fox, plus $9.10 for royalties to the publisher.)

Pretty simple, huh?

Note that there are different rates and rules for songs over five minutes in length, sampling, parodies, etc. But for a simple rendition of a cover song, it's pretty easy.

If I missed anything, please leave a comment below.

-Bob

Get more tips like these when you subscribe to my free Buzz Factor ezine — the longest running music career tips email newsletter on the planet. Since 1995. Go grab your free subscription now here.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Don't Let the Bastards in the Door! The Cure for Economic Doom & Gloom

I've had it with those Bastards, and I will no longer let them in my door. And ... I highly recommend you do the same.

What? Let me explain ...

Yes, I'm frustrated with U.S. politicians in D.C. But I'm not talking about them. Yes, I'm not at all happy with Wall Street insiders focused on short-term greed. But I'm not talking about them either.

I'm also fed up with the head honchos at media outlets who choose to report fear and loathing 24 hours a day. But they are not the Bastards I refer to here.

Like you, I've been bombarded with messages about debt ceilings, downgrades, downturns, shortages, layoffs, foreclosures, and more. I've had my fill.

And now I refuse to let the Bastards in my door!

The Bastards I'm talking about here are not people or corporate entities. They are the negative and destructive thought forms that are hypnotizing you and me and much of the population these days.

If you want to truly survive and thrive through this (or any other) economy, you must send these Bastards packing and not let them get anywhere near the door to your psyche.

Note of Clarification ...

I am NOT talking about burying your head in the sand and denying that many people are hurting financially these days. There is some very real pain being experienced by good people. There's a pretty strong chance that someone close to you is facing an economic challenge, or even you yourself are.

I get that. I have felt the pinch myself, and I have watched and am watching good friends wrestle with it.

But the best way for you to help them and help yourself is to rise above the misery mentality. Don't buy into the mass consciousness of lack and limitation. That will serve no one.

It's one thing to be aware of global economics and have empathy for those who have been affected. It's quite another to shrivel up and become a card-carrying member of the Doom and Gloom Association.

The Bastards are trying to infiltrate your brain, your mindset, and your entire belief system. Don't let them in the door!

The Best Medicine for Economic Doom and Gloom

Again, these Bastards (with a capital B) are not people or things. They are perceptions, attitudes, and highly contagious viruses of the mind that must be obliterated from your life at all costs.

They must be dealt with like the diseases that they are with swift and radical treatment. Otherwise, they will continue to fester and grow within you -- and before you know it, your physical world will reflect the sickness that permeates your mind.

In fact, your current circumstances already reflect your internal belief system -- whether you know it or not. Your physical reality is formed by what you think is possible, combined with the actions you take and how you show up in the world.

The U.S. government may have a debt ceiling, but you have internal ceilings of your own. And one of them can be described as a "growth ceiling."

That's right, your personal experience of income, joy, creativity, love and much more is very much determined by what you believe is possible and what you feel you deserve.

These factors are at work in your life whether the media is saying the economy is soaring, plummeting or in neutral. So it's a good idea to not let the Bastards in your door at any time. But during times of mass gloom-filled hypnosis, it's especially important to stand guard at the doorway to your mind.

I Repeat ... Don't Let the Bastards in the Door!

By remaining in control of your attitude and outlook, you are in a much better position to see opportunities, maintain your enthusiasm, and take constructive steps to get out of any financial mess you may be in (or to help loved ones get through a challenge they are going through).

The other choice is to be sucked into the doomsday rhetoric, let the Bastards get a foot in your door, and before long your entire mental house will be filled with poison. This will cause you to retreat, miss opportunities because you are too pessimistic to see them, withhold taking action because "everyone is hurting now," and on and on.

In which position would you rather be?

One way you remain empowered and in control. The other way you succumb to being a victim.

Here are three quick ways you can keep the Bastards outside your door:

1) Go on a news and media diet. It's okay to be aware of world events and to be an informed consumer and citizen. But that doesn't mean you have to submit yourself to a constant barrage of negative news programming. (There's a reason it's called "programming.") Cut way back on your weekly intake of traditional media.

To keep the Bastards from getting in your door and infecting your mind, you may need a big dose of preventative medicine. My drugs of choice are books and audio programs that remind me of my potential and recharge my outlook and skills set. Doing this will strengthen the hinges on your mental door.

The media would have you believe there's a boogeyman "out there" trying to get you. But the real culprit is the Bastard that you willingly allow inside your door!

2) Be extremely grateful for what you have. I don't want to get all "Oprah" on you and tell you to start journaling (although that can be very helpful if you're into it). But I can't stress enough the power of appreciating what you already have. So start today to count your many blessings.

When you truly appreciate the richness and abundance of the life you already lead, it gives you a much firmer launching pad from which to grow. When you only focus on what's missing and what's wrong, there's little gas in the tank to get you moving.

So, what are you grateful for? Your health or your family? Do you have a place to live, a car to drive, or clothes to wear? What about the amazing technology we have today that allows us to communicate so effortlessly? How about your gifts, talents, friends, fans, and the good deeds you have personally witnessed recently?

Going on a "rampage of appreciation" will improve your outlook. I guarantee it!

3) Be open, available and eager for more. Hand in hand with your extreme gratitude should be an openness and eagerness to experience more. Being deeply appreciative of what you have and where you are does not mean you have to settle - that this is as good as it will ever get.

Life is all about growth, evolution and expansion. All you have to do is observe nature for a while to understand this concept. You should live your life in accordance with these natural laws too. Appreciate what you have, and simultaneously open yourself up to be, do, have, and create more.

Both factors are needed. Gratitude without growth can lead to stagnation. And wanting more without appreciating what you have will leave you feeling empty along the journey. So appreciate where you are AND where you are going!

Of course, this state of eagerness for growth must be combined with action. The good news is, your actions will flow more energetically and much easier once these three steps are fully embraced.

There you have it. My prescription for overcoming the disease of economic doom and gloom: Go on a news and media diet; be extremely grateful for what you have; be open, available and eager for more; take affirmative action.

I hope these ideas help you through this and any other troubling time ahead. But whatever you do ...

Don't let the Bastards in the door!


-Bob

P.S. I welcome your comments.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Google+ Hangouts for Music Promotion

In the first post, I introduced Google+ and talked about its Circles feature and how it might be used for music marketing.

But ... the feature I'm most excited about is called Hangouts. This is basically a throwback to the chat rooms of old, where a small group of people huddle up and interact in real time.

The thing that makes Google+ Hangouts special is its build-in video feature. As it functions now, up to 10 people with webcams can participate in a live audio-visual chat session.

Cool idea. It didn't take long for some creative and proactive musicians to jump on this opportunity.

This past Saturday night, indie artist Daria Musk held a live performance using Google+ Hangouts that ended up lasting more than six hours. She did a good job promoting it beforehand, and the live event stirred up a lot more interest among G+ users as it was happening.

Therefore, because of the 10-person limit, most people were shut out. Thankfully, one of the audience members was a Google engineering director, who soon connected a series of Hangouts in a daisy-chain that allowed more people to watch live.

Attendees also purposely rotated out to allow new G+ users in, and by the end several hundred people had participated.

At the end of the marathon performance, Daria wrote "My heart is forever changed. You all made my dreams come true tonight. I guess I'm really a global artist now! I cannot express how grateful I am. I've fallen in love with all of you."

All of that activity on the new Google+ led to lots of exposure across the Web. Check out this search string.

Jazz guitarist Rob Michael has also been busy exploring the possibilities of Google+.

This Friday he plans to perform live during a Google Hangout, only he has found a solution to the 10-person limit. As he explains, "Early attendees will get 'Front Row' seats in the actual Hangout. Should it be full when you arrive, there will be additional seating via Ustream.com."

Smart thinking! Details on Rob's live concert can be found on this page.

I plan to hold my first informal Hangout on G+ this week. I'll use that to play with features and get familiar with how it works. I'll also record it using ScreenFlow on the Mac and share some of the session with people who can't get in live.

Follow my Google+ profile to learn more.

What are your thoughts on Google Hangouts? Would you be willing to give it a shot?

Bob

Google+ for Music Marketing

Tech geeks the world over have been drooling the past few weeks over Google's new social platform called Google+ (which is simply pronounced "Google Plus").

You may already be using it. But if you're not, don't feel bad. Google+ is so new, it's still officially in "beta" mode and by invitation only. Word has it that it will go fully public within a couple of weeks.

If you're just now learning about it, take a quick look at this page for Google's overview.

Reportedly, 18 million people have signed up in its first few weeks, and it has a lot of prominent bloggers and social media experts buzzing.

Opinions on Google+ range widely, from calling it a "Facebook killer" to asking "Why in the hell do we need another social networking site to manage?"

I'm still getting acquainted with the features myself. And I've seen lots of buzz sites come and go nowhere, like Quora.com. And let's not forget Google Wave, a project that was closed within a year of its launch.

So I'm very cautious about predicting that any new thing will become the next Big Thing. But since it is getting a lot of attention, and since it is powered by the Google machine, I think it is worth starting a Google+ account and at least exploring what all the hoopla is about.

By the way, you can find my Google+ profile here.

Running Around in Circles

One of the first features you'll notice that sets apart G+ (as all the hipsters refer to it :-) is something called Circles. In essence it's a way to divide the people you keep tabs on into separate groups.

This function is actually nothing new. On Facebook you can create friend list subgroups, but few people use it or even know about it. Twitter also gives you the ability to create lists that display the feeds of people you select.

The difference I see with Google+ is that it places a big emphasis on Circles. And it gives you a more visually appealing, drag-and-drop way to categorize the people you want to follow and interact with.

Here's a Google video that explains it:



Some obvious Circle categories for artists might be Fans, Media People, Music Biz Tips, Other Musicians, etc.

As the video above explains, when you post updates, you can choose which of your Circles will see them. That way, you can post specific messages just for fans or only for other artists, etc. That is something that sets Google+ apart from Facebook, Twitter, and others.

What are your initial thoughts on Google+? Will you sign up and use it? I welcome your comments.

Bob

P.S. In the next post I talk about Google+ Hangouts, one of the most promising features of Google+.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

7 Ways to Destroy Your Music Career - The Video

Tired of experts who always put a positive spin on everything? Great. Here are seven simple steps you can take right now to completely ruin your music career!



This is a brand new video version of a 7 Ways to Destroy Your Music Career blog post I ran about a year and a half ago. If you want to read (and pass along) that text version, you'll find it here.

What do YOU think of my seven tongue-in-cheek steps to failure? What would you add to the list? I welcome your comments.

-Bob

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