I’m Casey Stewart, the Online Marketing Coordinator for Cowbell Digital Music. I’m sure you have read some of the regular posts by Shayne Locke (CEO of Cowbell) offering his thoughts on the label side of the business and the establishment of a new digital music platform with a focus on the music community and industry insights.

In my position at Cowbell, I take care of our online presence and assist artists in establishing a presence for themselves online. Sometimes they are ahead of the game, spread across the Internet, posting regular Youtube videos etc, while some are not even aware of the power behind social platforms like Twitter. I also source relevant information for independent artists to provide them with the necessary tools to remain relevant, present and engaging with the people that matter the most – their fans.

I came across this video over the weekend from the latest Tech Crunch conference, DISRUPT, in New York. The title of the video alone peaked my interest, “Success Strategies for Musicians in the Digital Era.”

Hmmm, what magical formula will they suggest? This is probably just another ‘social media expert’ with their run-of-the-mill ‘tips and tricks’. Well actually, I was wrong…

The two speakers are Troy Carter, Founder & CEO, Coalition Media Group and worldwide Manager for Lady Gaga and Scooter Braun, Founder & Chair, SB Projects and worldwide Manager for Justin Bieber … only the two biggest stars of the current music world … and incidentaly, the two artists that have indeed successfully harnessed online strategies to their advantage.

Here is the video link.

And here is a quick run down on the main points of the video, what I personally derived from the discussion and how that may relate to the independent artist.

1. Youtube is one of the main places that artists are now ‘discovered’ by both labels, managers and most importantly … fans.

A lot of people think they already know this, but:

* How many Youtube videos have you uploaded?
* How often do you provide Youtube content?
* Are you using a variety of techniques on Youtube? (i.e are you speaking to your fans, with your fans, about your fans … as opposed to posting a new music clip every now and then).

Justin Bieber, while a unique case, did not automatically have hundreds of millions of Youtube views. Even he had to build that (with the help, strategy and knowledge of his manager and team).
At Cowbell Digital Music, we are looking to introduce Cowbell TV so that the artists on our platform have a ready-made audience and can be promoted effectively but your own Youtube channel is important to make that connection with your fans.

2. The speakers were quite reluctant to discuss the monetization of Youtube, though it is a difficult topic to side-step with such huge names. They did however, stress the importance of treating social media as a communication device, not a ‘tool’. Whether it is true or not, their argument lies in the fact that both Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga like to interact with their fans on a personal level. The catch? The artist has to want to be engaged. You may be wondering what that even means – in a practical sense. An example from the video is that Justin Bieber spends 2 hours a day on Twitter. If you don’t have two hours to spend on twitter, spend one hour, or even 30 minutes, simply engaging with people online and  watch as your fan base builds.

3. There is a balance between using social media to a ‘business advantage’ and engaging with people on a relatable and personal level.

Some people just don’t know how to use social media. They aren’t sure what they can say, when they can say it, or are worried about how it may come across. Do not worry about this! Write what you want to write, when you feel like writing it (within reason!). This is expected across social media. Fans, followers and facebook ‘likers’ know that you have something to sell, they know that you will tell them about your upcoming show or ask them to buy the album or single BUT they also expect something in return … and that is to get to know who you are.

4. Activity on Twitter is essential if only for the immediacy it provides and the personal relationship that it can potentially build.

Twitter is an amazing platform for the immediacy it provides. If you start talking with someone on Twitter, it’s not hard work (140 characters!) an the chances that they will follow back are high because you have shown an interest. If you have no interest, don’t talk to people on twitter; but also be prepared to have no followers!

5. In the “new music economy,” music has to become a multimedia business.

While you still have to engage the traditional channels – as Scooter states – “It’s hard work … you still have to pay homage to radio and kiss a lot of butt,” it is essential to embrace all forms of media, (including – or I should say, especially – social media) to succeed and build a fanbase that will turn up to the ‘main game’ (touring) and build a network that will support you and buy your merchandise when you are at that stage.

6. I think the final point is still important and that is “if you’re promoting shit, it’s still shit.” The indie artist should be sure to produce the best product possible and let it speak for itself … with (of course) some assistance from Youtube, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter…….

Go and upload a Youtube video engaging with your fans and send it through for us to check out!

Casey Stewart

Online Marketing Coordinator, Cowbell Digital Music

Usually when I interview a band, chaos ensues. With so many different voices, there end up being so many different answers that interview extends way longer than I want it to. I braced myself when I interviewed Rhyme and Rhythm, a massive hip hop group from Las Vegas with 8 members! Surprisingly, the interview was direct, well organized and pleasant. The band obviously works well together and cooperate effectively, not only for interviews but on stage, making for a great musical experience. So many different voices blending cohesively, each contributing what they need to stay, but willing to let others share the limelight as well. We should all try that sometime, don’t you think?

RnR has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with some big named artists, such as Snopp Dogg, Ice Cube, Bone Thugs n Harmony and many more, who has been the most fun?

T.I. at Thomas and Mack.  The vibe was different because it was his last west coast performance before incarceration

In every band there is always the shy guy, the crazy guy, the heartthrob, etc, what role does each person play in RnR?

K-NYCE (keys): The Shy Guy – Baby Face
Bane (emcee): The Crazy Guy
A-1ne (emcee): The Spiritual One
Tadow (drums): The Great Debater
CoCojenkins  (bass): The Heartthrob and The Low Key One
Freddy Tiff (emcee): “Underwater Cadillac Pimpin’”
The Illipino (guitar): “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”
Jerry Wayne (emcee): The Banker/Businessman

What song do you get the most excited to play live?

“Natural Disasters”

Have any of you ever had a personal experience with a real natural disaster?

We all have to say the recession.  Also, CoCojenkins was hit by a car right before a show not too long ago.

Why did RnR decide to have 4 emcees sharing vocal duties, instead of just one guy?

We didn’t have the heart to cut anyone! We all got dirt on each other! haha. No, seriously. The emcees started the group. The band came afterward.  They all bring something different.

What is the music scene like in Las Vegas?

Better now that we’re in it!  It’s growing.  More venues are opening up to live music.  There’s more talent thanks to Bush for f*cking up the economy.

If you were short on cash and had to become a Las Vegas streetwalker, what would your alias be?

Bane: Luke Thighwalker
The Illipino: Pimpapino
Freddy Tiff: Freddy Make Ya Feel Good
K-NYCE: Steve Urkel
Tadow: Dark Chocolate mixed with Black Velvet
A-1ne: Dolla Bill
CoCojenkins: G-string
Jerry Wayne: Wayne Glade

Don’t you love it when things just work out the way they should? When everything falls into place and every problem that arises solves itself, magic happens. Well in this story about a little band called Applepolish (as in shoe polish not polish hot dog), two brothers decided that they wanted to try their hand at music and learned that they didn’t need to hire a producer or someone to design the album art or someone to create a music video, they could do it all themselves. Let me just say, they’ve done a superb job. They put a lot of the D.I.Y. bands out there to shame.

How did you guys come up with your name?

It was some years ago my brother and I needed a name for our musical group. We couldn’t come up with a name. Then we picked up a dictionary and decided to go with the first word we came across. I came across the word Applepolish. I liked the sound of that word and felt that it went well with the music we were making.

Do you find it difficult to be in a band with a sibling or is it a bonus?

We get along very well and are used to working together. We have worked together consistently and successfully for a while now.

If you were put in a dance-off contest with fellow Colombian, Shakira what song would you dance to in order to show her up?

If it’s a Latin song, then En Barranquilla Me Quedo by Joe Arroyo, another fellow Colombian, because we’re both from the city of Barranquilla and we can have a Salsa dance off.

If it’s one of her songs, I’d dance to Hips Don’t Lie and we can see who moves their hips the best.

If it’s one of our songs, I’d have her dance to Bandwagon and see if she can help us create a special dance for that song.

You guys write, produce, record and engineer your own music as well as videos, is this something you guys went to school for?

We have been self-developing these skills on our own for years. First we started with keyboards, then to bass, and eventually to guitar. The recording process also developed over time with each demo and song that we recorded. Eventually we felt ready to record Spirit Threads and are currently working on a new EP for the fall and a new CD for early 2011.

What are your individual strengths when it comes to making music?

Our best strengths are in the production and artistic qualities of the music and songwriting.

If someone were to make a movie about Applepolish, whom would you want to play both of you?

David Blaine would play Johan Palacio and Marc Antony would play Richard Palacio, hehe.

Good choices!

Find them on MySpace and Facebook-go on, support the D.I.Y. goodness

Music is wonderful isn’t it? The only thing that makes it better is when it is used for the greater good. Music is even better if it can be used to back a great cause…or to give wings to lift spirits out of the confines of their own self-imposed prisons…it can be used to unite…and it can be used to give back. Side FX is a band that enjoys giving back and puts their own money into providing what they can for veterans. The great thing is, that rather than end up with less, the band ends up with so much more than they put in. And do you know what they do with their newfound blessings? They give some more. Isn’t that inspiring?  So why don’t you read the interview below and then go on and start your own cycle of giving.

How did you come up with the name SideFX?

Side FX was a play on words.  I actually cannot take the credit.  My co-writer, Chris Nikpora, came up with the name.  We thought, ‘wonder what music would sound like if you mixed different genre’s together with a rock vibe’ (e.g. jazz, middle eastern riffs, classical, hiphop)—a kind of ‘side effect’ to traditional rock and roll.  From there, Chris turned the words Side Effect into Side FX.

The song “Let’s Paint This Town” has some interesting lyrics; can you expand on what inspired you to write this song?

Oh, yes it does.  I was curious about this whole ‘cougar’ appeal. I am certainly approached by a lot of young men these days—more so than any other time that I can recall.  I interviewed 7 women for this song. So really, it is a compilation of their stories.  All 7 had some definite opinions on dating younger men and most of them had direct experience.  What became clear was they all liked the idea of dating a younger guy, but not one of them wanted a serious relationship with one.  I found that to be fascinating and decided to tell their collective story.  People, I think are confusing cougars with man eaters.  They really are two different individuals. My song is about a woman who knows what she wants and is in control. And, she is not a man eater, she just chooses to date younger men.

You recently finished the “It’s Your Turn” tour, how did that go?

Well, the tour continues throughout the year, but we are dividing it into different legs.  The first, in February, was across the Midwest.  The second leg, I just finished in Florida and the Carolinas.  Both were interesting, fascinating and a ton of fun.  I was curious to see how well my music would be received outside of DC.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a very wide demographic acceptance.  I think the Floridians were the most positive, but I had incredible feedback on all touring stops.

You’ve done a lot of work with veteran organizations. Can you tell us why this area is important to you and what is it that you’ve done?

I have always felt that we, as a society, do not express our thanks enough.  Today, thousands of men and women are coming home missing an arm or leg. These folks would have otherwise died if this were a war that was being fought 30 years ago.  We have, through technology, been able to save their lives on a physical level, but I am not sure on an emotional level, we are doing as much as we can.

For me, music is very therapeutic.  I cannot begin to understand what they have been through, but by sharing my music, I can share my appreciation for their dedication.  This tour, we have happily provided  free concerts at the hospitals in Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, South Carolina, Florida and Washington, DC (which comes out of my pocket) and negotiated with each venue to allow the Vet’s into our concerts for free.

The band loves performing for the Vets….it just feels good.  I wish I could afford to do it for all of the medical centers—perhaps when I sell more albums?

What’s your favorite song to play live?

Hard question, but I would say “Amazing Dreams.”  This song performs so well live – it’s surprising.  It actually delivers chills.

If a CD got stuck in your CD player on tour, what CD would you want it to be?

Besides my own?  Well, right now, I am stuck on Howie Day’s new album.

Do you have any upcoming shows that you’re excited about?

We are putting together our first live internet show on May 20^th.  I wanted the ability to reach people across the globe.  The mechanics are becoming really challenging, but if all goes as planned, this should be a terrific show.

If you could travel to any Magic Land, where would you go and why?

At the heart of it all, I am a beach girl.  My best romantic experiences took place near or at the beach. To me, that alone has a bit of Magic into it. Drop me on the white sands of Crete or the pink beach in Bermuda and you’ll have one happy, happy singer!

To find out more about Side FX and find out how you can give back, visit their website or find them on Facebook.

You know those nights that feel like they last a week? Where you’re making memory after memory and going for broke, spending like a sailor on leave. Aren’t those the best nights? When the sun comes up and you feel like…yea, sigh that was fun. Jess McGuire wrote a song about one of those nights. He writes a lot of other great songs as well, all with a modern country feel. His newest release is a three song EP entitled Golden State of Mind and I hear there will be a whole album by the end of the year. I can’t wait. Now without further ado…Jess McGuire.

Your new EP Golden State of Mind was just finished, which track was the toughest to record?

I think “Pictures” was the most difficult to record just because it was so subtle in terms of the timing of the different parts. You might not notice, but there are no drums or percussion of any kind on that track.  We really had to have a really good feel for it. We experimented with a lot of stuff in the studio, including some percussion instruments I had never seen before. In the end, it turned out best without percussion. It worked out well. I think we ended up with what we were looking for.

What kind of music did you listen to growing up?

I was exposed to a lot of different stuff. My father was a DJ on local classic rock radio station so he was always playing southern rock like Skynrd, Boston, The Eagles and The Allman Brothers. I found my way into a lot of other genres as I grew up. Linkin Park has influenced me, Jay-Z influenced me in a way, Tupac, Metallica has as well. The older I got the more I began to explore older traditional country also. Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings. I’m influenced by some more current artists also. Jason Aldean is the main one. His sound really showed me that I could make music that moved me and it would still be accepted. Gary Allan is a huge musical influence on me also. Bluegrass artists like Allison Krauss and Ricky Skaggs help me a lot as well. I come from a very wide background musically.

If you could collaborate with any other artist who would it be?

I’ll have to answer this question twice, once as a songwriter and once as a singer. As a songwriter, I would absolutely love to collaborate with Jamey Johnson. In my opinion he is the best writer going right now, his catalogue for himself and for other artists is off the charts good. As a singer, I think I could die a happy man if I could sing a duet with Allison Krauss. That voice is unlike any other, now or ever.

You recently recorded a music video for “Friday Night on Fire,” did you guys play any pranks on each other behind the scenes?

We didn’t play any pranks per se, but there was a lot of joking around and ribbing going on between takes. We tease each other a lot in general, so there was a lot of “Dude, you broke the lens, try being less ugly next time!” Stuff like that, that’s all in good fun just to keep everyone loose and keep craniums from expanding, you know?

What is the best Friday night you’ve ever had and did it inspire the song?

It’s tough to choose just one. I suppose the one that leaps to mind is Garth Brooks’ “Ain’t Goin Down till the Sun Comes Up”. That song just has that Friday night feel to it all the way through. You just blast along through the song and enjoy the ride he takes you on. There were other songs though that had a similar effect in influencing that song. Hillbilly Deluxe by Brooks & Dunn, What Was I Thinkin by Dierks Bentley, All My Rowdy Friends by Hank Williams, Jr. All those songs were sort of the road map for creating “Friday Night on Fire.”

How long have you and your band, Cherokee Street been together?

Well, we’ve gone through a lot of flux with Cherokee Street, but my brother Sean has been the one constant and he’s been with me for about a year and a half since he got out here (the West Coast) after his military stint. The current lineup is about six months old right now, but I guess it’s a bit of a sliding scale.

If you had to choose, would you rather be stuck in the room with a seasick crocodile or a cougar?

Depends on which kind of cougar we’re talking about, the wild cat? Or like Morgan Fairchild? Either way, a seasick crocodile doesn’t sound like much fun, pretty gross.  I’ll take Morgan!

Visit Jess Mcguire on MySpace and Facebook.

-Sheena

Ok, so we don’t know what the future of music is going to bring, but as artists we must be prepared. This preparation involves an examination of the present and how indie artists handle living in what is being called the ‘Long Tail’.

The Long Tail is a term that was first coined by Wired Magazine editor Chris Anderson. It is actually a very simple concept that describes the phenomenon of the online environment. It operates on the principle that 20% of the artists earn 80% of the music income and 80% of the artists earn 20% of the music income. In recent times the top of the tail has become even steeper with closer to 5% of the artists earning 95% of the income.

John Hyde of Leftclick offers an interesting picture of his interpretation of the long tail. Oversimplified for the Sesame Sreet viewers in all of us but it gets the point across. Not only are we in danger of being caught in the Long Tail, we are also in danger of becoming fossils if we don’t make changes.

Personally I prefer the view portrayed by gapingview.com which shows that the term should in fact be “The Short Tail” given the massive body count that occurs.

Indie artist, Cathleen Trezza, (www.firewispmusic.com) commented in a recent forum on the main issue that exists with the Long Tail, “There’s a million bands out there vying for your attention to hear a song enough times to fall in love with it for a while and buy it. The problem isn’t the free part, really. After all, if you gave out free copies of a song and earned an album sale at a rate of 1 out of 10, or 1 out of 100, or even 1 out of 1000 freebies, you could say the method works to generate sales. If you send out your album to venue owners (for free) and it gets you the paid gig, you could say that free works. If you give out your album (for free) to libraries and licensing shops and they find paid work for you, you could say that free works.”

I have to agree with Cathleen Trezza’s comments. The issue is not “free” music, the issue relates to what an artist is prepared to do in order to get themselves heard. Living anywhere in the Long Tail other than the front 5% is a hard struggle, so do we give fans a taste test or do we give them a whole meal hoping they will come back for another meal?

The toughest issue is that platforms like iTunes have pushed the artists at the top of the Long Tail even further up while those artists who, by choice or by default, find themselves at the end of the tail struggling to survive.
So what do they do? The question in their minds really should be “Do I want to remain anonymous and sell my music to people who stumble across me? Or should I be doing everything in my power and using all the tools available to get my music heard, hopefully driving future sales?” Unfortunately, for an artist, often the only thing worse than free music (or even piracy) is anonymity. If you are anonymous it is a hard slog to build a profile.

One final point … as an artist going through iTunes, will you ever see the database of your followers and have the ability to market to them? No you won’t. What we (Cowbell Digital Music) want (and are setting up) is a database that an artist can use to directly market to their fans and fans of their genre. The only way to increase the database is to increase the fan base so does the trade off equal free songs for information? And if such powerful data is provided then I ask the question … did you really give away the song for free?

I know this is an unusual stance, coming from the CEO of a digital music platform, but something has to be done to get an artist ‘out there’. I would love to hear from artists on this issue as we are building a new digital platform that aims to address these issues. The only way we can do this is by listening to the artists that it will affect. Feel free to link, email me or comment on this post.

Shayne Locke
Cowbell Digital Music – It’s Your Choice