Friday, September 29, 2017

You don't lose on the delay!

I have been working on a song that got stuck in the system for a couple of days. It got me thinking when this happens and you don't have a great person behind it. In the case I'm on right now the artist is great but I have meet worse cases.

Errors always happen. You can't get around it. If you release on a certain date and it won't happen well it's not good but not the end of the world.
Many times you get from the artist when it happens that it's so important with this release and now they have lost so many people not listening to it.
This argument is so bloody boring. People won't be, ohh it's not out 5 of September I will never listen to that song. And your old stats show that your past three releases have not gone over 1000 listens on Spotify and you have 16 followers and 50 monthly listeners. I don't think this release is so special that it would draw a million streams.

Many big bands actually use the tactic of just release the song and let the audience find it.

But we had a release party and it was not on Spotify. Well, that is also kind of dumb, you had the master play it in the speakers get the email addresses and send a message to them when it's up.

Yes, turn all the delay to your advantage instead of acting like a victim.

No, you didn't lose several thousand dollars on that release being delayed. Don't give me that crap.


Thursday, September 28, 2017

Another tech startup, with no solution?

My friends were posting about another tech startup in the music business. This time on the live side called Gigital. The story is that they want to revolutionize the live industry.
Telling that the live industry is very closed and immature and not digital friendly (i can actually agree on this in certain points). Their solution building a site where booker can find bands to book, with a more approach to dating and more open numbers of what they artist cost.

I have seen this so many times before. One of my hobbies is to go on startup conferences and get shirts from companies that really will fail. I have a wardrobe full of this t-shirts. My favorite is Glomper, an Instagram with different filters, I wonder if they still exists?

Several companies had this idea, some of them actually with the same idea is already out there. In fact, the idea is around the same as Gigmit, Bandwagon, Bands in town, Gigsalad, Sonicbids, Music Glue, Artistivity, Bookmyartist and then I know at least four Swedish ones. And really no one of them works.

One of the features was that you could see the social numbers of the artist. Right now since several festivals going down after trusted that the social media numbers were good, it's not the right way to point.

They were complaining that it's all built on networks and emails and that the artist agencies is holding everything and gives out different price tags. It's true they really do. But sometimes in the artist's favor. This is a way to say no to gig you don't want. You get a gig that you really don't want. Okay, you are not booked but it won't be that nice. Still, if the price is good enough you do it gladly. Many times that is what it is you tell them to give me five times more and they say yes and you do it with a smile.

But they are up against a bunch of other real problems. Sure when I meet Spotify 2007 they were up against an even bigger problem. Same that it was several others on the market. I really hope they make it and that I can get a t-shirt that will have in the pile of the companies that actually went on. My Spotify T-shirt is kind of alone in there.

I'm skeptical but I hope for change even in the live area. and I hope they pick up the small things that need to change to get a revolution like Spotify did. Put Gigital on your mind. I think they have some new solutions inside it, not like many of my T-shirts that had no solution just an idea.

I will follow this project it will be interesting, despite mine negativity.


Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Vlog


 A Vlog about Dog Rescuing, Mondo NYC, Eurosonic and some more

The link to send music
http://musichelp.se/send-music-vlog/

In the head of an A&R blog
http://ihuvudetpaenar.blogspot.se/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/peter.astedt

Twitter: @peterastedt

Instagram: @peterastedt

Musichelp
http://www.musichelp.se

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

If you think to long the oppertunity is gone!

I had an artist that we are discussing a contract with answering very fast and very surely on the corresponding we have. And that is really good, but it made me think of all the times when I had artist miss out on opportunities because they could never take a decision.

Okay, I understand that when a contract comes on the table it's quite a big thing for an artist. I'm dealing with contracts almost every week it's not that special. And I also know that this contract is just a piece of paper and doesn't mean a shit until you start doing stuff.

So when artists are looking over a 2-page contract for two months you start to lose interest in them. You are thinking of the more serious problems you have to take very fast decisions on along the way and if they are sitting löike this and just think, well then I really don't want to work with them.

At the same time, you don't want the persons that just go straight ion and just sign the deal and doesn't understand what they have signed. they can be equally bad to work with.

I guess it is a bit like a job interview. You don't have all the time in the world to say yes and don't propose to start tomorrow if the job is scheduled to next mouth.

My record was a band that I sent a contract to and they wrote back eight months later with a lot of comments what they wanted to change in the contract. I never answered them back. Two years later I meet them again and they still thought we were in negotiation.


Monday, September 25, 2017

No sites makes you famous

If you are an artist going up and build a fanbase the people that you need will find you. That is pretty good advice. The error many do is to instead of looking for an audience is looking for an outlet that has the audience.

I guess they think it goes faster but in reality, they are spending time on nothing. If you are using Bandcamp sure do that, but use it. Not just put up an account and think people will find you. In my opinion, Bandcamp is kind of stupid. But when you use it and drive traffic to it might work.
In reality, you might have the same success with a homepage and then you own your clients.

The sites you really should not go on is the ones that want you to upload your music and suddenly you can be famous. Especially the one that you have to pay to get to industry people. I have spoken to may industry people both people who not use them or use them but both say they have never found anything out of these sites.

In reality, you have to get out there and fight to get recognition and in the end actually, deserve that people recognize you. Now so than ever.


Sunday, September 24, 2017

Vlog about how Spotify is pissing on their artists.



A Vlog about how Spotify are pissing on the artists according to a journalist.
Also about send in music.

The link to send music
http://musichelp.se/send-music-vlog/

In the head of an A&R blog
http://ihuvudetpaenar.blogspot.se/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/peter.astedt

Twitter: @peterastedt

Instagram: @peterastedt

Musichelp
http://www.musichelp.se

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The article (just in swedish)
http://www.expressen.se/noje/kronikorer/anders-nunstedt/anders-nunstedt-spotifys-forolampning-pissar-pa-artisterna/

Rockit Gaming
http://www.rockitgamingproductions.com/
#gameon

Friday, September 22, 2017

Fake it to you make it

You can usually see this line "Fake to you make it" and it's the truth. Okay, sometimes it feels wrong to blow things up more than it is. Still, you compete with others that blow smaller things up much more. In the whole competition that is the rule and all the people that read this messages takes things off so if you don't boost it well then they take off their percentage of the not boosted part.

It usually better if someone boost it for you. This is also true. One A&R told me not long ago. Yes it's good to know people but it's even better if they know you. What she means is that if I tell you I know someone and you ask that person around it and they answer - ohh yes I know Peter very well.
That is worth much. So yes if someone else tells is better. But in many cases that is not gonna happen so you have to do it yourself.

One person told me what the limit is when it goes from boosting to a pure lie.
- Well if you sit and eat ion a plane going over Washington, you are having dinner with the president. All after that is lying.


Thursday, September 21, 2017

Do we have a deal?

What really annoys me is when an artist is trying to change a deal just because things have changed. Imagine I get to you with a great new company idea. I will open a juice bar that serves a new juice of an apple and a pear that just got on the market. I need money to open the restaurant and to the PR. There is no safety that this new apple and pear will even take off, in fact, the first tree is just ready to get fruit in a couple of months. But you need the money now so you have to take a risk that it will work.

The more money you put in the more percentage you will get. So we strike a deal that you take 50% of the risk. The part you will do is also shouting about on the social media since you have really many followers and do some work in the juice bar for no payment when we open the bar.

Everything is fine and the juice bar opens. And the apple really takes off, it comes out it's really healthy and everyone wants it. The pear is going okay, but not as good as the apple which is a success.

The money that you lent me is got back to you. But no profit so far, you will start getting profit from it. Then I come back and start talking about that we should change the deal. You can still get a percentage of the pear part but the apple, well it was my trees and you already have gotten your money back. We should change the deal.

Not nice huh. I mean you took a risk just getting me the money and now when we finally get some I want to cut you out?

This happens all the time. When you then say no they go around and tell that you are the evil music company. You invest in their record and then when you get a hit they don't want to give you the percentage that we agreed on. That you took a risk, well you knew it was a hit so it was no risk. All that work you did for free since you calculated to get it later. That free work was just for fun.


Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Vlog 20 of September

Okay another Vlog, here with topics like What picture does The Magnettes hate? The Orb, Shockholm, Reeperbahn, Youbloom and Swedish radio.


Look what you have.

Sometimes it's easier to work with an artist that has been on a company that didn't deliver. Signing a new artist that really doesn't know what to expect is much harder. They build up fantasies around what you should be able to carry out for them. Also all the time the grass is much greener on the other side.

One such case was a group that I know who was giving out on a smaller indie compnay. the company did a  great job witrh them,. But what did they have to compare too? One day a really big manager came by and loved the band. They get signed with the manager. His point was to get them to a bigger company and spread the music.

In my eyes, they were not that commercial to even do that. They were more likely to have a good time on this indie company.

Well, the manager found a small thing in the contract and used it in the worst way to get the artist from this indie label. Of course, this was done with the concent of the band so no blame on the manager.

Then they signed with a big label, released an album that really went nowhere. Then teh big label was not that intrested in them and they still had an option. Less and fewer opportunities came in and the manager also grew tired of them. In the end, nothing relaly was going on and they fired the manger.

After that, they went back to teh indie label and tried to get them to release their latest album. Ot course the label was pissed and just told them to get fuck out of there. The band in the end now has no outlet and really not exist that much.

Sure the grass looked greener but in reality, it was a dead end. Same time they took a chance and lost it. I can't say it was a bad decision but I would have done some things in a safer way.


Monday, September 18, 2017

Too much DIY will kill you

Too much love will kill you. Well to much DIY can kill your career too.
But how much is too much? Some DIY is necessary to even become a good artist. So where to draw the line to find a professional to get your stuff in the right direction?

This discussion is really not easy but the last couple of days I bumped into quite many of these with a bit too much and the mindset of keeping it that way. The reality is that I see so many mistakes and loss of money while they haven't even got the rehearsal room in the basement.



Sunday, September 17, 2017

Return of Vlog

It has been a couple of good days in Barcelona on Future Music Forum. New friends and new views, old friends as well.
I guess the idea that gets the blog in a new light was during this conference.
I finally will make it also on Vblog. Yes, I tried two years ago. I didn't have the tools and formats ready back then. Now I have a better idea and a better overview. I guess I also found the solution to the biggest problem that I had with it. So I'm really hyped to take my little project to a new level.

So get out on my Youtube channel and subscribe. I'm aiming to release a new Vlog every Sunday. 
Here is my first one.

Discussions on stupidity.

Over the week on FMF I have heard so many of the issues I have brought up in the blog. Even that these stories are going on at higher levels.
One time we got into a battle who had the dumbest artist issue. I didn't win.
I less and less believe that I one day will see the Diy totally self-made. And start to more see that to much DIY is actually not good for the artist. Well, I have a bunch of new stuff coming up soon from this conference.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

We will test you!

In bigger corporations they test their next employees, severe tests are usually done to get a good placement into a company. Why do people think this is not applying on when you seek out artists?

I mean in many cases you are gonna work with this artist for at least 10 years or even more. Do you really think we just take the first best that comes in the door with a good song?

Would you be late to an interview meeting with a company that you applied for a job? I guess not. Same here keep the times. And yes we work office hours so starting that you can only take meetings on Sundays between 2 and 6 when you have your rehearsal time, is really not a good opener.

Or even better call in and just ask them to take it another day since you are busy. Just forgetting that you are the one who applied not the opposite around.

Your first day on the work and you start by refusing to do some of the day to day things with the words "that isn't that cool". I guess they won't keep you after 6 months of trial period.

I guess phoning in a week after that you don't come in on Monday since you are spending time with your partner on a weekend trip to Paris and just want to extend that.

We bump into this all the time. I just wonder how many careers have been blown by idiot decisions.

Monday, September 11, 2017

Lost in the studio. Lost in the game.

I got a mail from a manager today. He has been complaining that his artist is not going that much forward. Actually, the whole thing was not moving that forward. I suggested getting to some conferences usually you get new contacts and you get things moving in some way. So I gave him a couple of suggestions of some that is pretty good.

Now he got back thanked for the suggestions but he didn't have time since they were spending time in the studio.

At the same time, I got a message from a band that they were soon ready with their new EP and since they had spent time in the studio the last six months they were keen on going out playing,

This is the greatest stupidity of them all. In the old days yes you were in the studio, then did PR and touring band then went back to the studio. That was the life cycle of an artist. Still somewhat for big mega artists. But for a new unknown artist that is just empty phrases.

In reality, most studio things happen when you don't have anything going on. The possibility that you will spend six months to record an album in a studio is not realistic. Not even the megastars are doing that. To put all other things on hold sitting and rot in the studio is just not an option either.

In this new world, I bump into artists that actually release two songs a week and still do three live shows and think that is the normal speed. You have to be in the limelight the whole time. My artists usually record between shows one day in the studio here, one weekend there. You do it between when you have days off during the touring, and the touring is always.

You are out when you start to say no to opportunities I usually say. But you are also out of the game if you stop looking for these opportunities.

What puzzles me is what the manager is doing in the studio at least he should be out there getting new opportunities for his artist. The artist the answer is possible that easy that they actually don't have anything going on so they spend time in the studio. In the end, it will just be hard to present the finished results. A release of a song is not much of an event today so you have to keep you busy in the feed of things that people are bombarded with all the time.


Friday, September 8, 2017

There is no compromises.

If you have started a business you know how much work and effort it takes. For example to start a restaurant you have to be there and work for years before you get profit and get it rolling so much that you can take time off and let other people work for you.

This effort is mainly the reason it's a certain kind of people that are fit to do this. Many are having a good life going to work get paid and have their time off. And that is okay, but as an artist, you have to expect to throw in, even more, effort than the usual company owner.

How much work that is are hard to grasp. Literally, it means that you have to take your work before everything else. You are gonna miss out your best friends birthday. That family reunion that you do every year, just forget it. Even miss your grandmothers funeral. It's really hard and unforgiven.

Having a relationship is really hard, you have to have a partner that is very understanding. There is a reason why people get together in bands even though the labels don't like it since it can be problems if you separate and still have to work with each other. Just this week I heard stories about how people had to choose between the partner and the career.

The thing I noticed is though that people get this information they still think they can compromise. Sure you need your day job to survive before the career takes off. And if you have a sucky job that is usually not a problem to discard before a gig. The problem I see is when the artist has another job like backgrounds singer, musician for hire, working on a music related job like on a PRO, but try to get a solo career. Many times they pick the paid job before the dream, mainly because they like the job but still is not satisfied.

I usually say that the career is over when you start saying no to shows or development.


Thursday, September 7, 2017

New insights how to do it and the two stories.

Just left my last guest from Live at Heart on the airport. And back again to continue to blog.

This is the great part of being at a festival and a conference, you meet so many new good people and get insights to so many new things. That is the driving force in my blog so I have a lot of posts to share over the next few days.

I did some really great jobs during the festival as well. We booked to showcases around the world and got new tours for several of my bands. Also the knowledge of backstabbing that this business is very famous for.

I'm very good friends with most of the speakers that get into Live at Heart and many artists, managers and other invite them to their gigs. Usually, though these stories you should not scream that you have done a deal.

One of the artists sought me up totally overexcited. One of my guests had been down to their gig and seen them. After the gig, they managed to get a short talk to the guest and had a fantastic conversation where they got suggestions and some good advice. Now they were certain that it was a done deal.

Later I was driving my guest to the airport and had to ask about the artist. My guest just sighed and said that the artist was miles from finished. In reality, the guest was not impressed at all. Of course, the questions the artists had was answered but also put in a way so they had a lot of things to work with.

Totally two stories!

And that is the thing. You really don't tell anyone that they suck in their face. Opportunities that are in front of you on the festival. It can happen but it can also be a case where they never reply your emails and calls.