How to Put on a Show - CBR-Style

2. April 2010 by admin.

There have got to be a thousand ways to coordinate a killer show, this is just our formula at CBR.

Did I forget anything?

Step 1: Get a Line-Up 

Find at least three bands/performers willing and able to do the show. Make absolutely SURE that they can do the show before proceeding. Get their contact info, including phone numbers, Facebooks, and emails (i.e. anything you can use to find them in case they are late and making you nervous, or if there are changes in the schedule). Make sure they can get in touch with you by any means necessary as well in case there’s news on their end.

Decide on the door price and any age restrictions.

Work out with the venue any drink specials or special concessions for the night.

Decide when the door opens and how long the show will be.

Decide how the money earned at the show is going to be divided. If possible, put it in writing. People act funny once there’s money involved.

Is your show themed? If so, talk to some people who are not you about the theme you have in mind and get their feedback.

Step 2: Make a Poster

                       Pick a theme for the poster. The theme doesn’t have to have anything to do with the show itself. It could be circus-themed, or have an old, beat-up feel to it. Or the night could be themed and the poster themed to match. Try to be original. Go online and research some pictures, text, and other media that may strike your fancy. Send these ideas to the person making the poster and tell them the info you need on the poster.

                       Basic Info:

                       Who’s playing?

                                           Age (18+, 21+, All Ages)

                                           Cover ($3-7 is normal)

                                           Drink specials?

  Will there be food/free stuff?

                                           Doors open at…? (Often somewhere between 8pm and 10pm)

Step 3: Spreading the Word

                       Make a Myspace and Facebook event for the show. Invite everyone you know, and remind them to invite their friends too. Add as much content as possible to the page. Links, pictures, videos, and comments on the wall are extremely important. Post the flyer you made as the profile picture. Be attentive to what is being posted, but try to not saturate your name on the page. If a hater posts, get rid of it. Period.

    Get at least 100 copies of your flyer printed.

If necessary (dependant on size of show and venue), get club flyers made. This will entail the person who designed your flyer designing a smaller two-sided flyer in the same style.

If necessary (dependant on size of show and venue), get posters made. The posters will likely be the same image as the flyers, only bigger.

If necessary (dependant on size of show and venue), contact the media. Try to get performers on to interviews before the show, and try to get the media to come out to your show to promote it.

Try and find new ways of getting the message out. Street performances and serenades, flyers given out with pizzas (5 Star and Dominos do this), and hundreds of other ways of getting the word out can and should be utilized.

Get a street team together to help you with promotions and paper-bombing the town. Having more people involved means more creativity. Just make sure they’re people you trust to get the job done right.

Make a plan for how to attack flyering the town. Having a plan will make things much, much easier.

Be sure the performers are promoting their own show. Field any angst from a performer about the terms of the show in private, and, at all costs, prevent a performer from sabotaging a show in order to get their way.

Step 4: Check on Merch

                       Should there be merch for this show? If so, why haven’t you ordered it yet?

                       Find someone to work the merch table for the show.

Step 5: Stuff to Do in Preparation for the Show Itself

                Make a line-up for the show. Who’s playing first? Second? Third? How long is their set? Find out if they have any guests coming on stage to play a song or two with them, and if they are doing any covers.

                       Check with the Venue to see if they have a license for performers at their club/bar/restaurant/field/whatever else to play covers and use samples. If they do, great! If they don’t, request that bands not play covers unless they have clearance (permission of the label and publisher of the original song).

                       If there will be food/free stuff, make sure you order it.

                       If there are drink specials, make sure you double and triple check on the deal with the Venue.

                       Do the performers have a special bar tab? Yes? Find out exactly how much that is and tell the performers. No? Find out exactly why and tell the performers.

                       Make sure the Venue has the appropriate sound equipment for your show and coordinate the equipment between the bands/performers that will be in the concert.

                                              Do you have…

                                                                     … A PA System?

                                                                     …Enough microphones and cords?

                                                                      …Enough equipment cords?

                                                                      …Enough music to cover the full amount of time you set aside for your show?

                                                                     …Something/Some way to play music in between sets?

                       Ask the artists if they have all the equipment they’ll need for the show, and if there’s anything special they’ll need that they don’t have.

Step 6: Important People

                       Door person. Get one. They are your cashier and bouncer. In fact, get two.

                       Do you need more than one bouncer? Just asking.

                       Merch person. They’ll be sitting with the merch all night and talking to fans, so make sure they’re trustworthy and cool peoples.

                       Photographer. Without the photographer, no one will be able to relive fond memories, or kick themselves after missing the show and seeing how much fun everyone who went had.

                       Videographer. Not required, but if the show is going to be special in any way, the performers may want a video of it for their press kit or website. Or just because it was awesome.

                       A Smart, Non-Drunk Person. For the duration of the night, an intelligent, problem-solving person who can walk in a straight line, count, and deal with any issues that arise is a must. This person needs to be there from well before the show to well after it, making sure that everything is as it should be for the Venue and the artists involved. Level-headedness in the face of loud, artistic chaos is key. This person could even be you!

                       Bartender. Always, always be nice to the bartender.

                       Sound Guy. Hey, the sound guy may not be with you, but having him makes or breaks your show.

Step 7: At the Venue

                       Make absolutely sure your bands arrive on time with all their stuff. The “stuff” part is very important, and, having discussed what they needed before the show, you should be holding up your “stuff” end of the deal, too.

                       Have a sound check.

                       Double-check that the information that you got on the special bar tab for the performers is right.

                       Make sure that the door and merch person are manning their stations and not making out in the back room. Unless you are the door or merch person, a secret rendezvous mid-show does you zero good. And even then, you made a commitment!

                       If you are drinking, make sure the smart, non-drunk person is around you at all times. Don’t piss this person off.

                       Be sure to remind the artists to give proper thanks to the Venue, the bartender, the other performers, and anyone else special and present at the show (into the microphone).

                       Try not to let your performers get drunk before or during their set. While funny, this can yield disastrous results.

                       If a performer is under 21 years of age, try really hard to keep them from drinking.

                       Uphold the terms of the show at all costs. Also, try not to break the law.

Step 8: After the Show

                If you are not the cashier, double-check their numbers. Count the door money, then have the smart, non-drunk person count it too (if you are that person, count it twice). Divide the door according to the terms you made with the performers in Step 1. Remember, there’s no crying in baseball. If people don’t like their share, remind them of the agreement they made at the very beginning.

                Make sure the performers pay their tabs, if applicable, before they leave.

                       Look around you. Do you see equipment? Find who it belongs to and be sure they take it with them. If they have, unfortunately, already left, pack it away with your equipment and call them immediately to let them know you have it and make a time for them to retrieve it.

                       Don’t forget your equipment.

                       Check on the Venue before you leave. How did they do at the bar that night? What did they think of your performers?

If you want, tip your bartender/s. Remember what was said about bartenders in Step 6.

                       Talk to the merch person and, if necessary, check inventory and collect money.

                       Make sure everyone is paid before you leave.

                                              Did you pay the…

                                                                     …Sound guy?

                                                                     …Merch person?

                                                                      …Door guy?

                                                                      …Performers?

                                                                     …Venue?

                                                                      …Photographer?

                                                                      …Videographer?

                                                                      …Bouncer/s?

                                                                      …You?

Posted in important idea, line-up, make a poster, merch, flyer, flier, bartender, bouncer, concert, merchandise, performance, sound guy, spreading the word, venue, videographer, show, promotion, photographer, poster, promoting, band, at the venue, Blogs, E-Myth Revisited, Earl Robbins, facebook, casey robbins, business of music, Florida, Gainesville, be a fan first, Guerrilla Music Marketing, barely-educated theories, distributor, after the show, artist, digital music, digital boom, Barely-Educated Theory, Big Music, blog, Cardboard Box Records | No Comments »

Get Educated

2. April 2010 by admin.

There are thousands of books written about the music industry. There’s no shortage of books written by rock stars and groupies, sure, and those are interesting in their way, but the ones you as a budding indie record label are going to need are those emphasizing the business side of the music.

There are a few major types of books to look for:

Overall Music Industry – This is the sort that’s going to include a decent amount of information about everything to do with the music industry. My suggestions?

All You Need to Know About the Music Business (I have the 7^th edition) by Donald S. Passman

This Business of Music (I have the 10^th edition) by M. William Krasilovsky and Sidney Shemel, with contributions by John M. Gross and Jonathan Feinstein

Marketing and Promotions – Selling your business, its music, and its artists is a huge deal, so don’t skimp on this. I went outside the box for my promotions literature, but here are some handy guides for you:

This Business of Music Marketing and Promotion: A Practical Guide to Creating a Completely Integrated Marketing and E-Marketing Campaign (I have the revised and updated edition) by Tad Lathrop

The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott

Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook: 201 Self-Promotion Ideas for Songwriters, Musicians and Bands on a Budget (I have the revised and updated version) by Bob Baker

Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition: 201 More Self-promotion Ideas, Tips and Tactics for Do-it-yourself Artists by Bob Baker

Web Marketing for the Music Business by Thomas W. Hutchison

Record Label Marketing by Tom Hutchison, Amy Macy, and Paul Allen

Music Law – You’re not going anywhere without a firm grasp of music law. The music industry is full of nuances and intricacies, and I don’t want you to be caught by them. Hell, I don’t want to be caught by them either. So, the definitive guide to music law, at least in my opinion, and then the one stop shop for contracts are listed here:

Music Law: How to Run Your Band’s Business (I have the 6^th edition) by Attorney Rich Stim

Music Business Contract Library (Hal Leonard Music Pro Guides) by Greg

When I went hunting for books at my local book stores, I looked for latest editions of each type. You’re going to need to do this, because the music industry changes so much so quickly that even a latest edition may not even be able to keep up, let alone a copy that’s five years old.

Some other books to think about:

The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution by David Kusek and Gerd Leonhard  

Making Music Make Money: An Insider’s Guide to Becoming Your Own Music Publisher by Eric Beall

I think it is also a good idea to have a book on how to start a small business. These would pretty much round it out for you.

            The Law (In Plain English) for Small Business by Leonard D. DuBoff, Attorney at Law

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber 

Now, that’s a library, but I’m not done yet. You should also go online and research marketing tools from social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and ReverbNation. I will give a full list of useful music and general social networking sites later, but social networking is going to make your life a heck-of-a-lot easier because it’s pretty much free. And free, my friends, is good when you’re starting a business.

That’s something else to think about. Where are you getting the money to start your business? Do you have donors, investors, a loan, a rich daddy? You will never- never- make money if you don’t put money into it. That is very important. You cannot get something for nothing. It is as impossible as creating a teddy bear out of thin air.

Let’s start, however, with putting some knowledge in your head. Get some of those books and start reading. If you aren’t completely deterred by all of that, I’ll see you back here next time!

Posted in music business, Marketing and PR, music law, myspace, News Rules, marketing, M. William Krasilovsky, Guerrilla Music Marketing, Future of Music, Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook, John M. Gross, Jonathan Feinstein, Podcasting, promotions, Thomas W. Hutchison, This Business of Music Marketing and Promotion: A Pract, twitter, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Direct, Web Marketing, This Business of Music, The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Rele, Reverbnation, promotions literature, Rich Stim, Sidney Shemel, Tad Lathrop, facebook, Earl Robbins, be a fan first, attitude and aptitude, business of music, casey robbins, fictitious name, Theironics LLC, mistakes and triumphs, Gainesville, Florida, independent label, indie labes, lawful music sharing communities, independent record label, indie label, David Meerman Scott, Bob Baker, Donald Passman, Donald S. Passman, E-Myth Revisited, Blogs, All You Need to Know About the Music Business, music industry, passion in the music industry, record label owner, reveling session, Cardboard Box Records | No Comments »

Where to Begin When Starting an Indie Label

2. April 2010 by admin.

Begin with Passion.

There can be no doubt, no second’s hesitation in your love of music of all types, of people from all walks of life, and of talent even in the strangest places. You must have an eye, ear, and nose for good music, and a fearless desire to succeed. In our company we call that having attitude and aptitude. If you don’t feel willing and able to put in long hours and endure lots of stress, then I suggest you stay just a fan.

Not that business people in the music industry are not fans. Most people get into the business of music because they are fans, and they want to make a difference. The bigger people in the music industry get, the more distantly I see them speak of local, underground, or seriously underrated bands, as if they were fond memories instead of everyday realities. These business men and women are almost wistful in their descriptions of the days when they had no company car and no fame, when they used to make things by hand to use as promotional gimmicks and money was not a barrier or a driving force. It was about the music.

I think we as an industry have drifted away from the music as our focus. But the fans haven’t. That’s why it’s important to be a fan first and a business savvy record label owner second.

Next, find yourself a few people who are as obsessive about music as you, and invite them to start a label with you. It’s always good to have help. Stall while you try and figure out what it means to actually start a label, or tell them you have no idea how to go about doing it and try to figure it out as a group.

Let’s stay with that for a minute.  What does it mean to start a label? Besides being mushy and saying to start with passion, there has to be a finite starting point. You have the passion, you have the buddies to lean on, and now you need a name.

Here’s what I do, and maybe it will work for you. Look around the room you’re in and start naming objects aloud. If that room doesn’t work out, go to a different one. Go outside. Go to a park, restaurant, or back alley. Say whatever comes to your head. I’m telling you, it at least gets you thinking.

Once you have a couple of names in mind, and it’s good to have more than one because the one you want may be taken, go to your state’s “Department of State” website and look for the “Bureau of Corporations” or something similar to that. Then, wade through the murky bureaucracy on that site while you look for something called a “Fictitious Name Registry”. Some states require you to go down to city hall to register your name, and some allow you to register online. If you have to go to city hall, make sure you’re super organized and have everything you need before setting off to meet with The Man*. Like I said, bring a few alternatives in case your first choice in names for your label is taken.

Florida, my state, has the technology to apply for a fictitious name online, so we’ll use it as an example.  Go to www.sunbiz.org. One of the links across the top of the page will be “Document Searches”. Look in there for “Fictitious Names”, then in there for “Inquire by Fictitious Name”. Type the name you’d like in the search box, and ff is listed, then we’re back to the drawing board. If the list doesn’t have your name in it, however, then it’s available! Yay!

Go to “E-Filing Services” and look for “Fictitious Name Registration”. Follow those steps and pay The Man. I would spring for the Certificate of Status and the Certified Copy, but that’s just me. It is nice to have those around, just in case you’re audited. It’s also nice to get it in the mail and have a reveling session**.

Once you and only you have got your name, you’re on your way. Next up, study your ass off. It’s not as terrible as you’d think!

Until next time, this is Casey Robbins of Cardboard Box Records signing off!

 __________________________________________________________________________________

Terms:

 *The Man = Government

**Reveling Session = A period ranging from five minutes to several hours wherein one rejoices exuberantly, with much jumping around and good-natured gloating. Reveling Sessions are important because they allow one time to realize the scope and magnitude of the little accomplishments as well as the big ones, and to celebrate all the triumphs of a day.

Posted in independent record label, fictitious name, casey robbins, business of music, indie label, music industry, reveling session, record label owner, passion in the music industry, be a fan first, attitude and aptitude, Gainesville, Florida, Cardboard Box Records, independent label, indie labes, Theironics LLC, mistakes and triumphs, lawful music sharing communities, Blogroll | No Comments »

Gainesville, Just Outside of Oz

2. April 2010 by admin.

Hello! My name is Casey Robbins, and I just recently started an independent label called Cardboard Box Records out of my hometown of Gainesville, Florida, USA.

I am, in no uncertain terms, writing this blog with the intent of protecting my sanity over the next… well, I hope many years. Less egocentric, however, is my desire to share my experiences with you, musicians and entrepreneurs of the music industry, so that you might learn from my mistakes and triumphs. Novice though I am, I want to show you the ins and outs of “the biz” as I learn them. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be complicated, and I have a feeling it’s going to involve math, but music is in my soul and the artists I want to help are too amazing to remain in the shadow of obscurity cast by the manufactured music of the major recording labels in this industry.

The internet is opening up a new world to local unsigned or independent artists, as well as those on independent labels, or “indie labels”. What is an indie label? Well, it’s a label unconnected with the Big Four record labels: Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, EMI, and Warner Music Group. These indie labels are independently funded and range from high school kids and hobbyists (not to say either one of these is not serious about their music, they just generally start small) to international, extremely lucrative businesses.

But back to the internet for a minute. The music industry is currently in a torrid love affair with the internet. MySpace aside, there are hundreds and hundreds of lawful music sharing opportunities online, and about a million-and-one ways to learn more about the music you love and bands you have to hear. The internet is opening people up to niche music markets and folk music from across the world. I can now have Gregorian chanting, Gwar, traditional Celtic war drums, and Jimmy Eat World on my iPod without batting an eye, and this is mostly because of the internet. The internet really is a beautiful place.

Ok! Well, ta-ta for now!

Posted in lawful music sharing communities, mistakes and triumphs, Theironics LLC, indie labes, independent label, Florida, Gainesville, Cardboard Box Records | No Comments »