Case Study: Ingrid Michaelson
This week's #1 record (on Billboard's Independent chart) is by an artist named Ingrid Michaelson. I just got a small taste of it, and she can count me in as a new fan. We music fans now have a chance to learn about new music not put out by the consolidated major labels. All the really good music has a shot now.
You may ask: "Dana, how is all this possible?"...I said "You may ask"...So go ahead, ask. I'm waiting!....Okay, fine....I've asked for you.
The internet has been the greatest revolution for independent musicians since the phonograph! It is also helping independent authors and filmmakers to get an audience without "the majors" in their respective industries. Not only is Ingrid Michaelson's record listed, but also a bio, song list, a link to her website, and links to buy her music!!!!
You may now ask: "Dana, how do we get in on this goldmine?"...Now that you see how the "You may ask.." game is played, go ahead...Ask!If you're an independent recording musician, you probably just want to write, or play, or make records, without having to mail a CD to a fan in Omaha who's just bought it from your website.
Ingrid, and thousands of independent musicians like her get it. They have signed up with fulfillment services like CD Baby , and their records are on iTunes.
(Note: Many artists want iTunes to sell their music. iTunes screens very carefully for submissions. They are, in effect, a record label, but they've been very fair in compensating the artists whose music they sell.)
Some indep
endent musicians "Self produce". They use what resources they have available to make a record, and put out the best product they can. That might mean a basement studio, cover art by the bassist w
ho is a graphic designer by day (till the band makes it), a nice duplication facility and printing shop like Lulu.com or VistaPrint respectively, and maybe borrowing a few bucks from Mom, Dad, or your stock portfolio. If you don't have the million dollar studio available to you, don't complain. Some of the greatest records of all time (including one referenced toward the bottom of this blog entry) were made with a 4 track tape recorder.Many truly independent record labels serve niche markets, just like in the '60s. However, today these labels can produce high quality records for a relatively low budget; they can publicize in ways we were only dreaming of twenty years ago; and they can reach a worldwide audience for a fraction of a penny per new fan.
Once again..You may ask:
So what's so great about the majors?
They're rakin' in the dough, so they must be doin' somethin' right.
Major record labels, movie studios, and publishing companies all offer the same things to the artists they sign: publicity, distribution, and the kinds of resources that allow the artist to create, unhampered by minutiae. The prospect of having to promote the record on a "micro" level is frightening to an artist who's been signed to a major label. The record company will be setting up publicity tours that get to thousands, or hundreds of thousands of people at once. You can't be selling "onesy-twosey", or you'll lose money-money. (Not the song, just the moolah). Not that art is about commerce, mind you, but you do have to make a living, or you won't be able to keep a band together.
The majors take a huge cut of the artist's profits, they often find some way to steal (all or part of) the artist's publishing income, cashing in on the artist's desire to be heard by millions rather than by tens of thousands, and they negotiate most "first time" deals paying the artist a pittance. They also tell the artists stupid things like "We want hits!". Something tells me the artists already know that.
In short, the major labels and big publishing companies are the sadistic dominatrixes of the record industry. Sadistic Dominatrixes can be perfectly lovely, but their bent is to be in charge taking what they want and need. If you happen to get something out of it, bully for you! The nice dominatrixes are the ones who work with you, and fulfill a mutually beneficial fantasy..unless they're getting paid. If they're pros, they'll work toward only what you want, but will make it seem like they're in charge, because that's part of the customer's fantasy. The customer may say "Beat me, Mistress...Oh, yes..harder..now down a little to the left..Yes, that's it. Thank You, Mistress". Guess who's really in charge there.
That was a nice diversion, wasn't it? Most entertainment industry blogs don't venture (however briefly) into adult entertainment, do they?
Two Stories from which we can learn
Hello, Dolly!
Dolly Parton recounted how Elvis Presley wanted to record I Will Always Love You in 1973 or 1974. She got the call from Colonel Tom Parker—Elvis's manager. Colonel Tom told Dolly good news and bad news. The good news was Elvis LOVED the song, and wanted to record it. The bad news was that Elvis only recorded songs to which he owned half the publishing rights. Dolly politely declined Elvis's offer. In my estimation Dolly did the smart thing. She pointed out that Elvis recorded songs to which he owned half the publishing rights, which is why most of his songs are junk. (Dolly used a less polite word than "junk" to describe Elvis's catalog).
And look how BIG she won by having refused to give up her publishing! In 1992, The Bodyguard featured I Will Always Love You as its love theme. Whitney Houston performed it for the soundtr
ack of the movie, it was HUGE hit for Whitney. The song was nominated for an Oscar. And now, every American Idol wannabe who performs the song on TV is a cash cow for Dolly. Every time The Bodyguard is on HBO, and every time a 13 year old hackette (not as in Buddy Hackette (sic)) , thinking she's the next Beyoncé, gets on TV auditioning for the reality shows, the song makes money for Dolly and her publishing company! Yay, Dolly!EMI got The Beatles for a song
The Beatles' first record deal with EMI in 1963 paid them (The Beatles) a pittance. The contract's term was from their 1963 releases With The Beatles (in the UK) and Meet The Beatles (in the US), until 1966.
In 1966, they were the biggest band in the world. To paraphrase the great comedian a
nd author Jonathan Katz (best known for his groundbreaking animated series Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, and his new hit radio show HEY WE'RE BACK!): To say The Beatles had a strong negotiating position in 1966, would be like saying that The Shining was a movie about writer's block.In their second agreement with EMI, The Beatles had a much better record deal. Subsequent to 1966, they were compensated in pounds (or dollars, if you wish) per-record sold, and not shillings (or pennies for us Americans). But you have to be that big to make that happen with a company the size of EMI.
And the d
eal was even sweeter for The Beatles. Not only was their publishing left intact, but they'd decided to stop touring. September 1966 was their last live show (except for the performance on the rooftop featured in their movie/record Let It Be. I'm not aware of any musician working today who is so popular that they don't have to perform live to promote their records. From 1967 to 1970, The Beatles were a "studio band". And their first creation after having quit touring? Seargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
So what's the bottom line in all this? YOU CAN DO IT! Go make a record! Use the resources available to the independent musician. You may not have the big money Dolly Parton does. But keep workin' at it like this woman on the right is. The resources are MUCH easier to get to today than they were 20 years ago. Talent, ambition, and drive will take you a lot further than they used to. If you'd like to consider us as one of your trusted resources, write to me. I'd love to see if we can help you.
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