The Long Tail and What It Means to Your Career

I’m pretty sure this concept has been discussed but for those of you who like watching videos this is the one for you.
Professor, producer, and entrepreneur George Howard discusses the concept of “The Long Tail,” which describes how changing technologies and business processes are changing the long-term sales patterns of many types of products, and applies its lessons to the music business of today and tomorrow.

Here is the video

Read the article “The Long Tail” here:

Derek Sivers is the founder and CEO of CD BABY which is a popular choice for indie artists to get their music out to the masses. I was skeptical, as I always am of anything new, when I first learned of CDBABY but I have always tried to experiment with how I got my music to people and figured what the hell. Since launching my album with CDBABY a year ago I have actually gotten paid, a few times so my skeptisism was quickly replaced with excitement.

I have since grown to become a fan of Derek’s blog and his insight into the music business. He gives away a tonne of great info on www.cdbaby.net and I recommend all artists take some time to read the advice portion of the website.

I recently stumbled upon Derek’s blog and found this awesome post so I thought I’d share it. The reason this all rings so true to me right now is partly due to the fact that I have recently taken part in the Cape Breton International Drum Festival. It was really inspiring to see world class drummers (seriously famous drummers if you know about drummers) coaching younger people and driving the point home that to “make it” they have to perfect their skills. If bands focused on getting good first instead of getting gigs/recording/money they would get further in the business of music.

borrowed from: http://sivers.org/pigs-sharks

I spoke at a conference last weekend, where a woman in the audience was SO mad about piracy that she was physically shaking, red in the face, tears in her eyes, fuming spitting livid, asking how we can stop this rampant piracy.

I didn’t answer her concern well, but I said “More people are killed by pigs than sharks each year, but because shark attacks are more newsworthy, they seem more prevalent. Piracy gets all the attention, but I don’t think most of you in this room have lost more than $30 to piracy.” (I got a big “Booo” from the audience for this.) “Obscurity is your real enemy. Fight obscurity until you’re a household name, then piracy will be more of a problem than obscurity. Until then, worry about pigs, not sharks.”

The woman got so furious about this that she screamed at me with tears in her eyes, “I HATE YOUR POINT OF VIEW, BUDDY!” (and some other angry things I forget.) From her point of view, piracy was Enemy #1 and anybody ignoring this massive threat was hurting us all.

Driving away from the event, of course I figured out what I wish I would have said in that moment:

The thing separating us from where we are and where we need to be is not piracy.

It’s always something more internal, whether writing, communicating, producing, networking, promoting, or taking a wildly different approach to marketing.

Putting so much attention and energy into fighting piracy (as if, when solved, you’ll suddenly start selling 10 times more) - is misguided effort, distracting you from what you really need to be improving.

That’s the real reason I often tell musicians not to worry about piracy. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist. But energy spent worrying about it is energy better spent working on what you know you really need to do.

Grant Writing Workshops

Wondering how to access funding? Having difficulty with applications? Music Nova Scotia is pleased to present two workshops on how to write grants on April 21th and 22th at the Sport Nova Scotia building in Classroom A-B, 2nd floor, 5516 Spring Garden Road, Halifax. Get help from the administrators of the programs!

The Monday night workshop is for the Emerging Music Program and FACTOR Demo Award and the Tuesday night workshop is for the Export Development Program.

The workshops are free for members, but you must RSVP to jonny@musicnovascotia.ca by April 20th. Non-members will be charged $10 at the door.

Grant Writing for the Emerging Music Program and FACTOR Demo Award:
Monday April 21th, 2008 at 6PM-8PM
Music Nova Scotia

Learn the format and “how-to” on writing your application for the Emerging Music Program offered through the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. Program officers Mickey Quase and Christine Buiteman will go over the criteria that defines emerging, the dos and don’ts of writing successful grant applications and give exact information on what must be included in your application and when you are ready to move on to the EDP. Additional focus will be put on writing funding applications for the FACTOR demo award program. Q and A period will follow this presentation so if you are going to be applying for the Emerging Music Program this is a must attend workshop.

Space is limited so please RSVP to Education and Events Coordinator:

Jonny Stevens.
jonny@musicnovascotia.ca
902-423-6271 ext 4

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Grant Writing for the Export Development Program
Tuesday April 22th at 6PM-8PM

Music Nova Scotia

Learn the format and “how-to” on writing your application for the Export Development Program administered through Music Nova Scotia. Program officers Christine Buiteman and Mickey Quase will go over the criteria that define export ready and exporting artists, the dos and don’ts of writing successful grant applications and give exact information on what must be included in your application. Focus on how juries are conducted and what some deciding factors are that make juries deny or approve applications. Additional focus will be given on writing funding applications for the FACTOR Recording and Marketing programs. Q and A period will follow this presentation so if you are going to be applying for the Export Development Program this is a must attend workshop.

Space is limited so please RSVP to Education and Events Coordinator:

Jonny Stevens.
jonny@musicnovascotia.ca
902-423-6271 ext 4

Complete Domination

Report says Apple considering unlimited music for Ipod and Iphone users:

The Financial Times says the computer company is talking with record labels about giving iPod and iPhone customers access to the entire iTunes music library.

Apple is talking with record labels over a deal to give iPhone and iPod customers free access to unlimited music bundles, according to The Financial Times.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple Inc. is negotiating with record labels over a deal to give iPhone and iPod customers free access to the entire iTunes music library if they pay extra for the devices.

The Financial Times is reporting that the sticking point in the talks is how much Cupertino-based Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) will pay the record labels for the access. The newspaper cites unnamed music industry sources for Wednesday’s report.

Apple declined to comment.

The newspaper reports that Apple is looking at offering the unlimited music bundle with for the iPod and iPhone, and also a monthly music subscription service only for the iPhone

Not sure if this has made it’s way on A Quiet Revolution but these are some big numbers from a big band…all without a record label.

While precious little has been revealed about Radiohead’s success with the donation-suggested model, Nine Inch Nails’ recent experiment has proven quite successful. Despite no marketing and no label, the donation-suggested 36-track album netted the artist a stunning $1,619,420 US.

The album can be purchased, completely DRM-free in both MP3 and lossless formats as well as CD and a $300.00 deluxe vinyl option. You can also download some of the album for free. The details can be found here.

There is an ancient Nova Scotian proverb about two lobster fishermen meeting in the middle of the Gulf of Maine. As is customary the two boats (one NS and one US) meet up and exchange stories and baked goods. As the two fishing boats were tied together the Maine lobsterman noticed that the NS lobsterman didn’t cover up his lobster cages and asked the question “aren’t you worried about your fresh catch escaping back into the ocean?”

The NS lobsterman looked bewildered and said “Of course I’m not. You see these are Nova Scotian lobsters, as soon as one starts to climb to the top of the cage the rest will pull it back down.”

I find myself a dreamer in a difficult environment where innovative thought is often met with bewildered looks and questions about why you would defy the status quoe. I’m not sure if it is due to years of economic hardship endured by our province or if it’s the isolation from the rest of the country that breeds this idea of “Cannot”. Imagine for a moment if everyone, including myself, were totally open to brand new ideas and trying new things. What kind of place would we live in? Would we spiral into chaos or would be thrive both culturally and economically?

Nova Scotia’s isolation isn’t necessarily a downfall and has also given us some advantage. Firstly we have a great musical landscape here where talent is naturally developed and not created like in other major centers. Bands have also never relied on recorded product sale to make their way which has put us ahead of the rest of the country. NS musicians have always realized that playing live is the only way to break through and get anywhere be they Hardcore, Rock or Celtic roots.” The same can be said about new music industry professionals as they look for new ways to get the music we make out to the masses. Innovation, technology and the notion that you can not get caught up with the “cannots” will ultimately put us all ahead of the curve.

I have had the chance to travel and see much of the world. I’ve seen the kill or be killed business of NYC and had power lunch meetings in LA and I don’t think there is a place for either one of those models in Nova Scotia but I do believe there is room for more.

We speak of the brain drain to the USA, the loss of jobs and the labor shortage due to the western oil sands but do we ever ask ourselves why we leave? I think the answer goes deeper than just better jobs and more money, I think the reason is that hard working Nova Scotia’s know they will fight to get out of the “lobster cage” if they stay and that there may be another place that is more receptive to new ideas.

I don’t believe in the word “cannot” nor do I believe I would be better off in another city but I do believe we can do better; we can support more innovative thinkers and swing the pendulum in another trajectory.

So how about we all put on our thinking caps and try something new, exciting and innovative on for size and see how it fits. I bet you’ll be surprised with the results of this experiment be they good or bad.