Today, there are no boundaries. A new artist has a blank canvas. The internet made that possible. It occurred to me that because of this record, young artists may be motivated to take more chances…be themselves, in fact I really think this may be “the” record of the summer and if so, it just may be the enouragement for new music to come. Go ahead, dig deep…dare to be different, dare to be unique, dare to FEEL again. Music is all about feeling. My sincere congrats go out to Duffy, her label and her producers for a killer track.

David Kershenbaum

www.musicproshollywood.com

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Now playing: Duffy - Mercy
via FoxyTunes

All young talent needs focusing and directing and unfortunately that function used to be provided by the majors. Sadly with layoffs and cutbacks at the big four music groups, the “artist development” function was the first thing go and today it is all but a dim memory.

But that was how Hollywood built stars, stars that endured from decade to decade. I have spent my life developing and launching new careers with new artists from Janet Jackson, Byran Adams to Joe Jackson and have been fortunate to work with some of the worlds greatest talent from Duran,Duran, to Cat Stevens to Tori Amos. Although styles of music change, the “method” and approach to developing a new artist has not and today I adhere to the same methods that I used successfully at A&M Records as Vice-President/A&R.

But the process of developing great talent required experimentation and shifting of variables to get the formula correct. Labels might have had to invest in two to three albums before they got it right but today they can’t afford to do it that way any longer.

Today’s new artists do have the option of developing themselves without a label and by slowly building a foundation of fans and friends on the web, they can take more time and trials to figure out their own blueprint for success.

But beware…there are 10 common mistakes I have seen new artists make over and over again. If you’re trying to make it today in music either on your own or with an eye on the majors, you should try and avoid these common errors at all costs. Hopefully this will save you a lot of time and heartache, greatly increase your chances and set you on a powerful path to success.

THE TEN MOST COMMON MISTAKES A NEW ARTIST MAKES

1) THEY DON’T KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND WHO THE AUDIENCE IS THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO REACH. If you don’t know who you are, nobody else will. Don’t make the mistake of being all over the board with your direction, style and songs. If you do, you will only confuse people. Do you know who your target audience is? Do you know their age group? Are they primarily male or female? What artists do they listen to and support? What image should you project to reach this audience both visually and sonically?

2) THEY MISS THEIR “ONLY” CHANCE TO MAKE A GREAT “FIRST IMPRESSION”. Like it or not you only get one chance to make a first impression so the one you do make has got it make it count! Don’t be impulsive of releasing you’re recording, sending it in for evaluation or posting it on the social sites before it is ready. Remember, if it doesn’t accomplish what you hoped for, you might blow the opportunity to get a second listen or even consideration the next time. Now this doesn’t mean that you procrastinate and never commit to make a decision and move forward. But it does mean try out your songs and direction in a small way before you go “live” to the world.

3) THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO “PULL IT OFF” LIVE. You need to play out live as much as possible – but only when you are truly ready to do so. I can’t stress enough that with the advent of digital “bedroom” recording, it’s possible to create tracks with a quality that can take you months to re-create live. If you are a band make sure you are rehearsed, that have you image down pat, and that you achieve as much control over your live sound as is possible. If you are a singer-songwriter you must be able to pull it off live with just you and your instrument. The chances of hiring sidemen and taking them on the road in the beginning are slim and very expensive. Nothing will hurt you more than to create excitement in your recordings and then fall on your face in front of expectant fans. You must realize that in this electronic age, news spreads like wildfire and you may fool your fans in the short run, but eventually, the chat rooms will either be filled with your praises or will be up in arms trashing you. Once you are satisfied that you are getting the point across, building a credible fan base, and have positive unbiased feedback as to what songs are becoming the most popular, then and only then are you ready to record them.

4) THEY BELIEVE THEIR OWN PRESS. I can’t tell you the number of times I have been in preproduction with a band or artist who was trying to make a case for a totally unacceptable song to be included on a CD because their aunt, uncle or next door neighbor thought it was a hit. I know it sounds like a contradiction but after you begin receiving feedback and start to recognize a pattern in what’s working and what isn’t, be especially careful not to make critical decisions based only on comments from adoring friends and family. Undoubtedly they are biased and will have a vested stake in your success. They usually will not make the best sounding board for your considerations.

5) THEY TRY TO LAUNCH WITH TOO MANY SONGS. You should never give away too much of your material at one time. In the beginning, you will be doing extremely well if you perfect three or four songs. Always lead with your best material but make sure that your direction is cohesive. That is to say don’t mix a country song with a dance track. Also you should balance the dynamics –maybe an “up” cut, “mid cut”, “ballad” or “unplugged” track to show the artistic ability of your singer(s). Remember, never pick songs on the basis that your guitar player loves his solo or the drummer can’t believe his cool fill before the 2nd chorus. Keep in mind that each time you play your set in front of an audience your songs will always evolve so give them plenty of time to “ripen” before you record them.

6) THEY TRY TO BE COOL AND WRITE OBSCURE LYRICS OR WANDER TOO FAR AWAY FROM ACCEPTED SONG STRUCTURE. It used to be very hip to write lyrics that people had to try and figure out by debating them amongst each other but unless you are a “druggie” band or writer re-incarnated from the 70’s, it is much better to write you songs in the first person and try as much as possible to pack them with emotion and experiences others have felt and can relate to as well. Again, don’t think it’s cool to wait forever to get to the chorus or try a one-minute intro or guitar solo. Study pop structure and learn it first before you break the rules. You’ll be a better writer and your songs will have much stronger dynamics. I address this issue in detail in my series “The Anatomy Of A Production”/www.musicproshollywood.com

7) THEY JUMP IN TO SELF-RECORDING THEIR MUSIC WITHOUT ANY RECORDING EXPERIENCE. Obviously, the best option if you can afford it is to use a professional or at least an experienced recording engineer to record and mix your music. This may not be possible and today it is so tempting to make tracks on computers and bang them into a sequencer or hard drive system, put on a vocal, do a quick mix and call it a master. Although technology has come a long way to make this achievable, in order for your recordings to be competitive against the big artists that do have the great sounding tracks, you must learn the art of audio presentation. Even if you are a garage band, you need to sound competitive to the most successful ones. The best way to accomplish this is to attend classes but if this is logistically or financially impossible, then at least listen to some of the recordings of groups or artists that are finding success with the audience you are trying to reach. Get to know your speakers by listening to these records on them more than a few times and then after you’ve finished your mixes and mastered them, try to match the levels and play them against those records for comparison.

THEY RELEASE VIDEOS OF THEMSELVES BEFORE THEY ARE READY. Again, because the net offers such easy and quick access to social sites such as Revver, Myspace, Youtube etc., you may be tempted to start posting videos of rehearsals and performances before they are ready to be seen. Although it is very important to have your stream of content appear on the web, you must make certain that what you are putting up is doing you justice. You may be too familiar with your music therefore not so critical of the sound. You will know the musical parts but if others can’t hear them in the mix or your vocal can’t be understood then you’ve wasted an opportunity. Remember, every time you post something or send it to someone you are inviting yourself to be judged.

9) THEY ARE TOO ANXIOUS TO SIGN “ANY” CONTRACT. It is almost 100% guaranteed that if you sign an agreement too early with a local manager, agent or your bass player’s father, you will pay dearly for it later when you need to get out of it in order to sign with real professionals who have the experience, contacts and leverage to make it happen for you. This is not to say that someone with little experience cannot work hard and get you to the top, but to make it as a world-class artist, it will happen faster with a professional team behind you.

10) THEY ARE IN A HURRY TO SIGN WITH A MAJOR. The decision to submit your material to a major is a tempting one and the tendency of many artists is to care more about chasing and getting the “deal” than the financial ramifications of what the deal means in the future after they’ve signed it. You must consult with an expert, preferably an experienced music attorney in order to really understand the financial aspects of the agreement you are signing. Most artists don’t realize the facts until too late, after their first royalty statement. The longer you wait the more leverage you may have when you do talk to a label. It’s all about reducing risk for the executives who sign you. They have very little margin for error so if you can provide evidence that you have a large number of fans in your fan base, and maybe even purchased downloads, the better bargaining power you will have. The truth is today, however, that the majors are losing ground every week and as a result, they have also been forced to cut staff in critical areas of promotion, publicity and marketing. Further, in order to make ends meet, they have been put in a position to need to offer 360 deals which really means that in order to generate greater revenue streams, they are seeking to share in the earnings your music publishing, merchandising, and touring AS WELL as your record earnings. The financial discussion about what the impact of this to you really means is far too much to tackle here but my point is that it very well may be more profitable for you to do it yourself, keep all of your rights, sell less units but make a far greater profit. True they may dangle a carrot in front of you and offer a generous advance but remember, today the money is really in live performance. So my advice is to be careful not to sign away those rights to soon. You are committing to the label at their option for up to seven future albums not to mention that you may have spent a few years building your library of songs which if they don’t bring them home, could be subject to “re-recording” restrictions and you lose the right to record them again for many years in the future. You always have the option to sell yourself later. Be smart and polish your “diamond” first, it might be priceless!

Before you can set out to record or produce a “hit” you need to understand what a “hit record” is. I have discovered 7 key characteristics that make up a hit record…today or 20 years ago.

(1) Is your song memorable? Is there some element of it that hits someone deep in their soul.. a lyric, a phrase, a concept, something that they can relate to in their own lives and they share with you something you have felt yourself at some time or another.

(2) A hit is usually structured so that turning points and dynamics ebb and flow i.e. a verse or pre-chorus exploding and releasing into a chorus. This creates excitement and differentiates the sections.

(3) Musically there are “hooks” which can be catchy phrases, melodic rhythm lines, etc. which stick in your head and you find yourself singing.

(4) Does it create an emotion or mood? Does it affect people in any way…make the dance, cry, think etc.

(5) When you listen to it between two other records does it sparkle or pale compared to whats in front of it or after it? Is it special?

(6) Does it make your hair on your arm stand on end when you hear it the first time or little flutters in your stomach?

(7) Would you bet your lives savings on it becoming a hit and will to risk them?

At the end of the day…a hit record takes on a life of it’s own. It transcends style or genre. It is timeless and will be as significant today as next year or in 10 years.

They were the gatekeepers. You had to fit into their mold and play their game. That is far from the case today. Everyone knows that they can put their music on the net with no cost in a quick download…but the big question that is on everyone’s mind is “How Do I Get My Music Noticed and Heard“?

It’s true…while the majors fed the pipeline with their narrow group of releases, today you are free to upload your tracks to your heart’s desire but I think this is very healthy for the 4 following reasons:

(1) Total freedom of expression - you no longer have to fit into the “flavor of the month” to get signed and promoted.

(2) You don’t have to give away all of your rights to get a deal and get exposed.

(3) There is a much better chance that your “free form” musical creation can be unique and therefore more groundbreaking -You can create your own nitch and fan base for your unique style.

(4) You can take your time and develop your music more organically over time - You can take multiple shots and releasing new modifications of your records and songs before you settle on your final direction. This is what the labels used to do. They called it “artist development” but that department went out the window with the inflated profits the labels used to enjoy.

I’ve been on the inside of the majors both as a VP OF A&R at a major label and as an Producer for many of their artist. I don’t believe you need them or even want them as a new artist just beginning your search for success in the music business. I don’t believe the question today is “How To Get A Record Deal” as much as it is “How To Create Meaningful, Emotional and Lasting Music” that people would love and want to own if it were sold in gas stations or shoe stores.

So what this means is that although the opportunity does exist for you to realize your dreams and ambition without a label involved…the responsibility to “hit the mark’ and make your music “commercial” or in other words appealing to more than a few hardcore fans lies directly in your hands.

Now to answer the question of “how you make your music noticed and heard” to accomplish this, I believe that you must achieve 7 of the following things to be successful in today’s music business:

(1) A consistent direction -don’t wander from a country song to a dance track in the same set of material. People expect you to know who you are.

(2) Strong memorable songs that say something, make people feel something

(3) Songs that are properly structured so that they drive your musical point home along with you storyline home in syncronicity.

(4) Thoughtful arrangements and layering that compliment and not distract from your recordings

(5) A concise and thoughtful production that supports your vocals and storyline rather than distracts from it.

(6) A strong live set where you can play these songs for fans old and new and “sound like” you recordings so that they are not disappointed.

(7) A marketing Plan. A unified effort for “Internet Awareness” that is designed to build a fan base and awareness for your music. It should virally spread the word through social sites,blogs and music sales sites about your music and establish a place to “own it” if you so desire.

I think I have developed a program that is proven to help you with the creative part of this equation. Please be my guest and visit me on my new site www.musicproshollywood.com and get some interesting new perspective and reaching and accomplishing these goals.

The A&R departments of the labels were the gatekeepers. They held the keys to the castle. I was one of them. My company, A&M Records was one of the best ones not to be dictated to or be confined to what radio was playing at the moment, but still, the fact forever loomed somewhere in a dark corner during staff meetings and signing decisions.

If you were lucky enough to be signed, you could expect tons of creative intervention. You were always reminded that a huge sum of money (which was really an expensive loan that you had to pay back out of future earnings) was about to be spent on you by your label.

Therefore, “they” had the right and the responsibility to make your records “tight” and radio worthy. The search for the elusive “hit single” was conducted with great vigor. For this reason independent music or music that was untampered with and unhomogenized by the labels were always the freshest and most compelling but without the powerful machine behind them, with a few exceptions because they were undenable had no real chance of success except with major labels army who controlled radio airplay to expose their wares.

But today, if you are just starting out you no longer have to fit into that “cookie cutter” mold. You can be as exciting,expressive and fresh as you can imagine and create. You have a whole new “e-frontier” to market your music. THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS.

BUT THE BAD NEWS IS SO DOES EVERYBODY ELSE!! Today it’s an even playing field. Now while it is true that you have access to countless numbers of video and audio sites to sell and expose to your songs and sound to new fans , unless you properly develop your music, make it emotional so that it moves people and present it in a professional manner, you will have little chance of breaking out from the thousands of other artists uploading their songs hourly, also looking to make it just like you in the new music business. What to do??

Again, THE GOOD NEWS. Develop yourself…make your records the best they can be. Look for my new site “MUSIC PROS - HOLLYWOOD” (musicproshollywood.com). Here you will find exciting new information,lessons and help to make your music “undeniable”, as well as find solutions taylored exclusively just for you to win big time during this exciting metamorphasis of the new music “e-frontier”.

It will be up shortly and ready . Hope to see you there!!

If you are building your own base and considering your own Internet releases, why would you need one of the big management companies? They aren’t going to be interested in you anyway at this point in your career. They cannot afford to take the time and attention you would require as a “baby” act with nothing to commission for a few years into the future, and that’s if everything goes the best it can go. You may say “Well what about opening acts for headliners? They can swing that can’t they?” Many times yes but unless your daddy’s rich or your uncle left you a few hundred thousand dollars, who’s going to pay for your travel, accommodations, food,van and on and on. It’s expensive to play to a few hundred people before the headliner!

The other side of the coin is signing to early with a local friend, enthusiastic relative or regional operator. Again, what’s the purpose? If you do break you will only wind up hurting that person’s feelings who may have dedicated their life to your success as well as some cash as well. Those kinds of deals hardly ever last and can account for a lot of excess baggage should you require the big guns later down the road. You see, I think the whole landscape has changed and will continue to do so as we move from the old model to the new ones already developing. Now the game will shift to Internet PR, Marketing and Promotion, but like the financing of the making of records, the costs of doing this yourself are not out of reach. A few young guns in a garage armed with an airport connection can do a wicked job of stirring up the market for you.

You best bet is to stand on the sidelines, don’t sign anything to early,do as much as you can to develop yourselves and wait till there’s a story to tell.

Just my opinion…..more to follow

Today, with so many releases coming up hourly on the Internet, you can’t be just good…you’ve got to be incredible. That’s going to mean adopting a strong artist development program for yourself and really working hard on your pre-production. It’s also going to mean being committed to writing and rewriting until you come up with 4 killer songs. Never rob yourself in this area … if you stop short you’re only hurting yourself.

Think about a hit movie…it was the script that made the story great. Without it no matter how brilliant the acting, camera work or direction, the movie was doomed. The exact same thing is true with your songs.

Remember… it’s almost never luck that wins in the end…it’s persistence and commitment . In any successful person’s career you’ll find tons of failures, disappointments and discouragement. What separates the winners is that they are willing to stand back up, dust themselves off and get right back in the game. So keep yourself thinking positively, keep showing up and there will be a time when your golden opportunity will be standing right in front of you. Will you be ready??

So the old model hasn’t worked…won’t work again!

I knew we had reached the end when two arch rivals (Columbia/Sony and RCA/BMG) merged. Who would have ever thought it could happen? For decades the majors and their custom labels controlled the market. They were the banks and the gatekeepers. They were the ones that force fed us what they wanted us to buy down an exclusive pipeline that only they controlled and it was next to impossible to penetrate the walls of their machine. To even attempt to do so and try to compete with them, you needed tons of money, strong independent radio promotion and a partnership with a national distributor at some point along the way. Also not true anymore…those days are gone forever.

As CD sales continue to slump the labels are turning to alternate sources of income streams. Today,it is not unusual for a new artist to be asked to give up not only a portion of their publishing, but of touring and merchandising as well. When it came time to resign, Radiohead thought twice about re-upping with EMI. They had their audience, they had their fans and they also had an alternate delivery system…the Internet. Industry eyes are watching closely because with the slightest glimpse of success, others are bound to follow in their tracks. What this means is that an already wounded record industry will begin and continue to lose their biggest sellers and why not? The labels contend that they spent the time and money to build those artists but hey…a deals a deal and once the contract runs out….it’s anyman’s game.

As the Internet continues to reshape our lives and our entertainment, if labels are to exist they will have to adapt to the times or fail. In my opinion, the computer companies and cellphone companies may just be the wave of the future. More artists to follow? I think so.

Some of you may remember in the days before “playlists” and downloads that you would love an artist, buy their album and enjoy listening to it from top to bottom. It usually had a theme, a tone and a point of view. Within a well produced album you would find many colors as well as ebb and flow. As we listened though the music this provided us with contrast and made the big moments bigger and the intimate moments more intimate. For years radio was our primary exposure to the hits of the day. Today it’s not only radio but Internet radio, playlists from Napster as well as other ”e-sites”.  Now I believe the problem is that today’s music is almost exclusively made by machines with similar tempos, sounds and dynamics. I also believe that the less human interaction and expression there is in the making of today’s records, the more linear the listening experience becomes. Currently, with the barrage of music uploaded every hour on the Internet, if music is to stand out and be different, it MUST create contrast. I think that’s why a  Plain White T’s “Hey Delilah” comes screaming through the MIDI monsters it was played next to. There was nothing tricky about it, no gimmicks … it was real and heartfelt. That’s where I think the new generation of artists needs to go and rediscover. Let’s put humans back in making records!