Music Connections Linkblog

I love to hear that people are benefiting from the work I do to help musicians and bands accomplish their goals. I feel good when I hear from them.

Below is a review that someone wrote on AMAZON.COM after reading my book, How To Make BIG MONEY with Your BAND. I hope that everyone that reads it gets excellent help and direct tools to immediately increase their success. And if anyone has questions after reading it, they can always email the question through HowToBand.com and I will respond either in email back, or through a new entry in this Blog.

Review Written by 'Conquest Bass':

If your under 25yrs of Age .. Buy this Book ! Some good insight on the music Business. Easy to read ! If your over 26 ..You better read ! ...Book covers some of information need to make a good band. Half the Groups i"ve been didn"t know much about Show Business. So read up Boys & Girls. x-A&M Artist

There is a New Helpful Company Online that can teach you songs quickly simply and accurately because the actual artist that plays it or created it will be teaching you how to play it. Weather you are a guitarist, pianist, or drummer, iVideoSongs can teach you.

How do they teach you? It is pretty cool. They have High quality videos that you can buy and download at a fraction of the the cost it would take you pay for a lesson to learn these skills. All of the videos have bookmarks to each section so you can quickly find exactly what you want to learn or repeat. They range in cost from $5-$10 each, compare that to a $40 music lesson. And... You are learning from the actual artist. Pretty Cool!

Check them out. I know that I will be using them.

http://www.ivideosongs.com

Below is a Demo Video of iVideoSongs

Hot New Artist worth looking at...

Blood Red Nails currently operates as a Solo Act and resonates audience heart strings with the passion infused vocals of Tiffany. Take a look (and Listen) at her new MySpace website page at the following link:

http://www.myspace.com/bloodrednails

Enjoy!

Available at Amazon.com for you to build your successful band:

How To Make BIG MONEY with Your BAND - Any Style: Rock, Rap, Alternative, Punk, Jazz, Classical, or Country

HowToBand.com will be listed in the upcoming 9th Edition of
The Indie Bible. Check it out:

http://www.indiebible.com/htb

Throughout the month of June AirPlay Direct, Airplay Specialists and Webster & Associates PR will be co-sponsoring AirPlay Direct’s first FREE "All Things Digital Country" artist promotion contest for our artist / label members.

We will be awarding one Grand Prize package, winner takes all. The winning song / artist will receive the Grand Prize package which will include a 14 week digital radio promotion campaign from Airplay Specialists, a national press release announcement of the winner by Webster & Associates PR and a premier "Featured Artist" advertising package from AirPlay Direct. The Grand Prize package is valued at over $7,500...!

We will combine the radio expertise of Airplay Specialists, the media relations experience of Webster & Associates PR with the power and speed of AirPlay Direct's digital "smart-tools" to promote the winning single to Country / Americana radio stations and media outlets throughout the U.S. and abroad.

This contest is FREE and very simple... the best song wins. The only three requirements to enter are that you must be an AirPlay Direct artist / label member (it is free to join), your music must fall into the Country / Americana genre, and you must submit your AirPlay Direct DPK prior to the official deadline of June 25th.

Whether you are an indie artist or a well established record label with a roster, pick your best songs, you can submit from 1 to 3 tracks. Submit your AirPlay Direct Digital Promo Kit / DPK to office@airplaydirect.com . Deadline for submissions is June 25th. The winner will be announced and "Featured" in the AirPlay Direct Radio Programmers Newsletter for July, as well as in a company press release to all media outlets courtesy Webster & Associates PR.

A little about AirPlay Direct:

AirPlay Direct is an easy to use digital file transfer system that was developed to
streamline radio / artist promotion activities for today's music industry. AirPlay Direct’s FREE digital services replace the unnecessary time and expense of putting together and sending out costly traditional artist packages and press kits via snail mail.

For more information on AirPlay Direct please visit www.AirPlayDirect.com

A little about Airplay Specialists:

Our offices are located in the heart of Nashville's Music Row. We've been successfully promoting singles to Country radio since 2002. Our clients include both indie and major label artists. If your track sounds good, if your song is strong, if it's professionally recorded, and if it's 'Country radio friendly' then we welcome the chance to work with you...no matter what size your label is.

For more information on Airplay Specialists please visit www.airplayspecialists.com

A little about Webster & Associates PR:

Webster & Associates PR offers collective expertise in marketing, communications, artist/career development, and public relations. The staff works closely with clients “hands on” to assure a broad range of exposure in a cost effective manner. From stand-alone media plan to long range marketing plan, Webster & Associates PR will create the strategies and carry-out the day-to-day activities associated with the campaign.

Successful national publicity and marketing campaigns have been staged for our roster of music, sports, and entertainment clients, as well as corporate entities and major events. Creativity, innovation, and effective execution have been the hallmark of the image and roll-out campaigns we have created for a number of clients.

For more information on Webster & Associates PR please visit www.websterpr.com

My family and I are currently at a Club Med in Mexico. This means two things to you right now. First, I am gathering some great direct contact information for all of you to benefit from so you can get gigs and any Club Med in the world if you would like. Club Med offers incredible all-inclusive resort style pleasure and you could stay at them (all food and lodging for free). A band I just met has been enjoying the sun sand and surf for the last Four Months and doesn’t plan on stopping this gig for a little while longer. Second, my new Article Blog posts will be delayed a little bit in between each one for a little bit. However, I will be continuing to share good useful information at every new Article.

During this time, it gives you a chance to read through some of the archived articles that are on HowToBand.com. All of them have something to help you get further ahead with your Band’s success. You can search through them with the search field inside the HowToBand.com Article Blog pages simply using a term or phrase you are looking for articles about.

Also… if you have some useful information that you would like to post on the HowToBand.com Article Blog that you think others can benefit from, please do. I believe everyone has some insights that we can learn and grow with. You can quickly and easily sign up as a BLOG Member and than post articles for others. Also, if you have a press release to share about your Band, you can post that in the Linkblog section.

I’ll be posting new info for you again soon.
Thanks for reading.

MusicWorld 3D is a combination of cutting-edge multimedia technologies designed to help musicians, fans, and industry connect and appreciate each other in ways never seen before.

It’s about a whole new world for indie music creation and appreciation.

What can I say??? I think you need to check this out. It is incredible!

http://www.musicworld3d.net

IMWS Contest

The 2007 IMWS is awarding $250,000 worth of cash and prizes to hundreds of independent musicians. You could be one of them. Enter Now! They are accepting entries until the Deadline of May 9, 2007.

ALL STYLES ARE WELCOME.

Enter the Independent Music World Series today for a chance to play in front of music industry VIPs and win prizes that include enough gear to build your own home recording studio, a killer CD manufacturing package, custom printed T-shirts, showcases at major music conferences, cash money, and more!

Prizes include:

• $1,000 Cash to ALL performing finalists
• 24-track digital recording workstation
• Stereo monitors
• Electric guitar and bass
• Guitar and bass amps
• Drum set with hardware
• Complete set of cymbals
• Recording microphone package
• CD manufacturing and mastering package
• Custom printed T shirts
• Recording software
• Strings and endorsements
• Drum heads
• Memberships to TAXI and Sonicbids

---
Register Online at:

http://discmakersemail.com/discmakers/DM17137.asp?e=brianw@btwcg.com

Or – Call: 1-888-800-5796

SNAPSHOT OF C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution, Inc.
C.E.D Entertainment Distribution, Inc. is an Independent Music Distributor for the North America and Canada.

OVERVIEW
The national distribution of independent music is encumbered by major record labels that control conventional retail. C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution, Inc. eliminates the burden for record stores who seek to qualify independent music for shelf placement while providing every level of Independent music with an opportunity for national and regional distribution. With C.E.D Entertainment Distribution, the Independent labels can pass through a channel of major label influence and gain access to the music consumers.

PURPOSE
C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution, Inc. serves independent artists while fulfilling the needs of music retailers who want to increase foot traffic into their stores. Artists seeking distribution have long been frustrated by restrictive label contracts, lack of attention and limited access to the marketplace. C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution, Inc. creates a fully integrated environment where they can develop and progress their careers and distribution potential. Many independents lack reach, accessibility and the tools necessary to provide effective distribution to the general market place - C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution, Inc. is the number one source to overcome these obstacles.

C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution, Inc. can be the solution for any independent label seeking national or regional distribution. All part of our dedication to provide the absolute best service to our Independent labels.

**************************************************
C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution’s FAQ’s from their website:
**************************************************
Who is C.E.D Entertainment Distribution?

C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution is a distribution company that exclusively distributes independent labels.

Is C.E.D Entertainment a record label?

No, we're an independent distributor for independent labels.

Can you distribute an individual artist not on a label?

Yes, we can distribute an artist, band, group, or label, as long as they have can activity generate response for their release.

How can I get my label distributed through C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution?

By completing our easy one step process, your label can be distributed by C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution. After you (1) Downloaded and mailed or emailed us the general submission form with your music to C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution. Once you have completed your registration, someone from the Review Department will contact you.

I'm a distributor / one-stop / wholesaler, how can I carry C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution products?

We can set you up to sell C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution products in your stores, please email, fax or call us via our contact page with your request.

Can I get “in-store-play” promos and posters for my store?

Yes, C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution can supply you with posters and promos for your store. Simply let us know who, what and where it needs to be shipped.

For further information, please email us at
infodesk@cedentertainment.com.

Once I receive distribution, how long will it be before I see my products in the stores?

The sales process for digital distribution will take four weeks to code your ISRC to the digital sites and 60-90 days to sell your release to the key accounts for general distribution.

---
To Learn More About C.E.D. Entertainment Distribution, Inc. and how they can help you, go to:

http://www.cedentertainment.com

- Award Bestowed for Service to Musicians -

New York, NY – March 1, 2007 – James Citkovic, president of Countdown Entertainment, Inc., and Hire a Consultant, was a finalist for an Award of Excellence from the music industry’s Goodnight Kiss Music, based in Hollywood, California. The Award of Excellence, begun in 2006 by Goodnight Kiss founder Janet Fisher, is for outstanding professional service to musicians and was created as a tribute to those who help musicians navigate the twists and turns of the music industry.

“I’m honored to be nominated for this Award of Excellence in recognition of my 30 years’ service to musicians worldwide,” Citkovic says from his offices in New York City. “Sharing knowledge and information among musicians, producers and others in the music industry is one of the best ways to foster new talent and help musicians of all genres turn their dreams into reality.”

The awards process started in early 2006, when Fisher put out a call for nominations. She received a plethora of letters and recommendations from her subscriber base, with Citkovic’s name mentioned in many of them. She then narrowed down the list to 10 industry professionals, and continued to request nominations. After Thanksgiving she winnowed the list of nominees to three people who were consistently being lauded by grateful artists.

In addition to Citkovic, the other two finalists were Marc-Alan Barnette and Jamey Whiting. The winner, Marc-Alan Barnette, was announced just before Christmas in Fisher’s newsletter for songwriters and music industry professionals. Goodnight Kiss is sent out several times per month to 6,000 subscribers.

Fisher said, “I would have been delighted to give all three the award. Industry professionals, who take the time to help musicians and songwriters further their careers, are, at the same time, helping to elevate industry standards. They deserve to be recognized.”

James Citkovic, who founded Countdown Entertainment in 1983, has been an entertainment manager and intellectual property licensing manager for over 30 years, representing clients as diverse as platinum recording artist Irene Cara, Grammy-nominated producer/mixer/writer Chris Conway (Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes), producer, songwriter and film composer Ken Tamplin, hip hop artists Wood Ready and scores of other successful singers, songwriters, musicians and producers.

In addition to being active in music publishing and soundtrack placements, he also has been very successful brokering international intellectual property licensing deals with major music publishing catalogues (The Ramones, Elvis Presley), and masters of major artists. Several of his deals have run to the millions of dollars in revenue for his artists and musicians.

Addressing the changing needs of the music industry, in 2002 James founded Hire A Consultant, a division of Countdown Entertainment, where he provides clients with his expertise in all areas of the entertainment industry as a Consultant, and, in particular, the music industry, from placing music in films and TV to providing experienced professional advice for musicians, singers, songwriters, composers, producers and unsigned bands and groups. He is also a talent scout for major and independent record labels.

To Learn More visit:

http://www.countdownentertainment.com

http://www.goodnightkiss.com

Beat Wire is an easy and effective way to get press. Announcing your CD release, upcoming tour or any other music- related event has never been so easy. Just send Beat Wire your press release and they will deliver it to thousands of top music journalists, radio programmers, freelance reviewers and Web site editors.

In the world of independent music, performers, many times, must be their own publicists. And as you very well know, the most efficient promotional tool is a press release. A highly targeted press release campaign can get you more publicity than thousands of advertising dollars ever will.

Whether it's a new CD, upcoming tour, charity concert, Web site update or any other music-associated event you want to announce, there is hardly anything more potentially rewarding than a positive response to a well-written press release.

As a result of a half page press release, Beat Wire’s clients--independent musicians like you--have had their music featured in major media outlets like Yahoo.com, LA Times, Washington Post, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Entertainment Weekly, ABCNews.com, USA Today and New York Times to name just a few.

Beat Wire can also write your press release for you.
Learn more by going to:

http://www.beatwire.com/

MusicSubmit.com is a online business that helps you promote your music and gain powerful exposure and you can use their services for free.

With their service help, you can submit to genre-specific Internet Radio Stations, Online Music Magazines, Online Directories, Blogs, Podcasts, and other electronic music media. There goal is to help save you hundreds of hours of promotional work.

If you want to learn more, visit:
http://www.musicsubmit.com/

I get information on and off from various companies and businesses that are out there helping Bands. HearCand.com sent me an email this week and let me know of their service offering. I thought it was worth sharing with you.

Their main purpose is to help you get your music heard by new people and to help build your Fan base through their song promotion and listening services. I haven’t used them, so it would be important for you to check into them and see if they are right for you.

They work with whatever pre-existing tools you have including a MySpace page. Their goal seems to be to make it simple for you.

You can learn more about them at:
http://www.HearCandy.com

Below is a sample email I got from them showing how they promote Bands via Email.

HearCandy.com Sample email

WE ARE LISTENING Ltd. have built a Singer/Songwriter Contest, and you can Submit to it by March 1st. They have a panel of judges from all over the world. The judges are professionals in the music industry as singer/songwriters, music publishing, music distribution, music production, film and creative purchasing.

If you win an are selected to be one of the "six gifted artists" they select, you have a big treat ahead. You will be flown to London for a luxurious weekend stay at myHotel (see: www.myhotels.co.uk). In addition, you will get an Exclusive Recording Session with producer Steve Williams, who produced artists such as Sting, Eric Clapton, and Seal. Your recording session will be at Sphere Studios (see: www.spherestudios.co.uk).

That is just the beginning.

Learn more by going to:
http://www.wearelistening.org/singer.php

By Mike Kobrin

Published on WIRED Technology News, Jan, 31, 2007. Please visit WIRED Magazine online or pick up a copy from the store. Among the technology articles, they have incredible articles covering changes and new developments in the music industry and they are well worth reading.

Visit WIRED at:
http://www.wired.com

A new online service is about to launch that will allow bedroom musicians worldwide to play together in real time -- without leaving their own bedrooms.

In March, eJamming will introduce eJamming Audiio, an online music studio that uses peer-to-peer connections to eliminate lag times between live performers.

The software may have a big impact on learning how to play an instrument. Playing with other musicians in a live situation is critical to musical development, an idea that's undisputed among music educators.

eJamming Audiio, an Online Music Studio

"It's the interaction that's important, that opens you up," says Don Hahn, a former instructor at Columbia University and active trumpeter who's played with everyone from Buddy Rich and Maynard Ferguson to the Beach Boys. "You respond to each other, and you both come up with something new -- it actually broadens you. (It's) like talking to yourself as opposed to having an actual conversation."

EJamming is showing off the technology at this week's Demo 07 conference in Palm Desert, California. When eJamming Audiio debuts, the company will also launch a community website where musicians can meet up and schedule online jam sessions.

The current version of eJamming's software already supports MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) instruments. The new version will add support for acoustic instruments like horns, drums and vocals -- providing the closest thing to a live jam session that the laws of physics will allow, the company says.

EJamming co-founder Alan Jay Glueckman says the latency problem was tough to solve using digital instruments, and even harder using analog sounds.

"MIDI is small pieces of data which trigger sounds," he says. "With real audio, we had to create sound that was pleasing and acceptable to musicians and actually encouraged them to use it without having to shove huge amounts of data over the internet, which would create enormous latencies."

The software uses a peer-to-peer network to exchange audio signals between participants' computers. Eliminating a central server cuts latency in half.

But it's not only about lag times -- synchronizing the musicians with each other is also crucial.

"We delay your own sounds until the sounds of the other players arrive where they're supposed to be," says eJamming co-founder Gail Kantor. "You can naturally accommodate that delay the way you do when you play in a symphony orchestra."

In an orchestra, there is a roughly 1 millisecond-per-foot delay between, say, a flautist and a bassist, who can be seated up to 50 feet apart. Humans typically notice delays of 15 to 60 milliseconds, depending on the individual. That's one reason an orchestra needs a conductor to keep players in sync.

EJamming said its delay times will be roughly the same as an orchestra's -- and that the software will act as a conductor for the virtual band.

Users will need a broadband connection and a simple computer-based home recording setup. An audio interface like M-Audio's FireWire Solo, a microphone and a good pair of headphones should do the trick. Upload speed is critical to online collaboration, so a robust DSL or cable broadband package will allow musicians to collaborate with more players at greater distances.

One of eJamming's goals was to simplify the software's user interface. The software has a feel similar to Apple's GarageBand. Audio from online collaborations will be automatically recorded in a lossless format on each user's machine, and can be dragged and dropped into other audio applications.

The sound quality of the transmitted audio is impressive. (You can check out a sample online).

Online music collaboration has a checkered past. In the late 1990s, Rocket Network allowed musicians and producers to make changes to each others' prerecorded tracks within their favorite recording software.

Another company, Ninjam, tried to solve the latency problem by adding digital pauses to live performances. But musicians were measurably out of sync with their virtual band mates -- one measure, to be precise. It was a big step, but not quite up to the original dream.

********************************************
Watch the Interview with Larry Magid on CBS News:

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2423694n

********************************************

More About eJamming® AUDiiO

From eJamming.com

eJamming AUDiiO will now connect ALL musicians online in real-time, and more importantly, in sync. So whether you’re a vocalist or guitarist or bass player, or you play horns or strings or grand piano or the harmonica, you’ll be able to connect and play and record your work with other musicians, whether on MIDI or audio. If you’re a drummer, you’ll need to mic your kit or better yet, connect your MIDI drums to eJamming AUDiiO.

You’ll need at least a Pentium-3 PC with Windows XP/Service Pack 2 or a Mac running at minimum OSX.3.9 (Panther), and we support Tiger on both PowerPC and Intel processors as well - plus a microphone (USB or XLR), an audio interface like the M-Audio Firewire Solo, and a broadband connection (either DSL or Cable modem; minimum recommendation is 300 kilobits per second UPLOAD speed – check your download and upload speeds at www.speakeasy.net/speedtest ). The faster your Upload speed, the more musicians you can jam with over eJamming AUDiiO and the further away you can be.

If you’d like to participate in our Public Beta, send an email to AUDiiO-Beta@ejamming.com and they’ll let you know soon when you can sign up to start playing together with other musicians over eJamming AUDiiO’s Public Beta.

eJamming AUDiiO Screen Shot

Watch the eJamming® AUDiiO Demo at DEMO-07:

http://www.demo.com/demonstrators/demo2007/91300.php

While searching around online, I came across some new services that I thought you might be interested in. They are tools and training that are available instantly. I included easy links so you can look at more information as to what this mini-catalogue lists.

Mini Catalogue:

1.

Jim Lee. How To Play Slap Bass Guitar Like a Pro.

Play Slap Bass Guitar Like A Pro. FunkyChops 101 Slap Bass Riffs, Vol. 1 By Jim Lee. Instant Download Video. No Theory Music Instruction. -- CLICK HERE.

.

.

2.

Drum Basics. Tips and Tricks. Includes Free Metronome!

Drum Basics. Music Lessons Every Drummer Should Know - Tips & Tricks To Take Your Drumming To The Next Level - Includes Free Metronome! -- CLICK HERE

.

.

3.

QuickBeat. Jam With A Drummer Now!

Jam With A Drummer Now! For Guitar & All. QuickBeat Instant Download. Jam With A Drummer And You'll Be A Better Musician. Fun Music Lesson In Groove. -- CLICK HERE.

.

.

4.

Bandit A&R Newsletter. For Bands looking for Music Deals.

Bandit A&R Newsletter. Newsletter For Bands/singers Looking For Music Deals. If you're a talented band, singer, songwriter or producer, let Bandit help you find A&R people that are ready to sign your music. -- CLICK HERE.

FishThemMusic.com has started a whole-new promotional service called "Artists' Explosion in Japan" for you. It plays your music on our web-radio "music-islands.com." It's already had more than 15,000 unique users/a month, and 1,500 visitors/a day, with over 500,000 page-views (Nov, 2006). Playing your music on the website makes it easy for you to be heard not only by Japanese music fans, but also by the Japanese music biz scene. Submission Fee is only 3,000 JPY ($26.00). Why don't you join fishthemusic.com to get exposure in the Japanese Music Market?

Learn more by going to:
http://www.fishthemusic.com

The following article is from FastCompany.com , a magazine dedicated to sharing good news and information on business as it happens and the trends to follow. I read the magazine continually and like the articles they have. This last issue had some great articles about the music industry, its changes and the success even new Indie Bands can benefit from in this new music market. You can learn more about FastCompany by going to: www.FastCompany.com

From:
FastCompany.com | January 2007 | By: Alyssa Danigelis and Chuck Salter

Last year's acquisition of Musictoday was part of a larger transformation within Live Nation, the biggest concert promoter in the business. Here, Rapino discusses how the company has been changing its tune -- and the concert experience -- since spinning off from radio giant Clear Channel in late 2005.

How has Live Nation changed its focus?

Our mission is no longer limited to the two-hour concert. It's about taking that two-hour experience and turning it into a 12-month relationship. There's so much around the show itself that we realized we should be selling: a photo at the show, song downloads, the concert poster. We realized we should be selling this stuff not just to the people who went to the show but also to fans who didn't make it there. We need a portfolio of businesses to offer these products and services around the concert ticket.

That's where Musictoday comes in?

Exactly. Before, when I was chasing artists and tours, it drove me crazy that I was putting up money to get tours only to have artists say, "We're going to use Musictoday to run our fan club and do our Web strategy and do the ticket presale on our site." I thought, Geez, we're taking the risk on the tour, We'd like to sell those new products. Now we have the conversation with someone's agent or manager and say, "And of course we'll use Musictoday for this." There isn't a manager or agent of substance who doesn't know the company.

How does offering those new products and services affect the way you think about your place in the industry?

For 20 or 30 years, every promoter was a business-to-business brand. It was about servicing the artist and the artist community, not the consumer. Part of calling ourselves Live Nation was about starting to shift the way we think, to be first and foremost fan-focused.

What did you do to start reaching fans?

Last May, we launched LiveNation.com. We went from a nonexistent Web site to (depending on what metric you use) a top two or three site in America for fans to search for tickets. We think it's a huge step forward because it gives us a way to communicate with our direct buyer now. So if you're in New York and you want to see a show, whether we're promoting it or not, we want to provide you with a one-stop concert portal.

Why tell fans about the competition's events?

Some of my promoters didn't get it at first, but we said to them, "Listen, we're in the business of understanding the fan better than anybody and having a relationship with as many concert buyers as possible." We don't have 100 percent market share. But if I know your name and start a relationship with you, the odds are you're going to go to one of my shows. We can talk about the next show that you might go to that's a similar type of music or in the same genre.

So the data is the key?

Sixty million people come to our shows in a year. That's more than the NFL, NBA, and NHL combined. And historically, we've never asked for their names. It doesn't make a lot of sense. We know that they're not there for us—they're there for the band. But we are the host, and it would be nice if they signed the guest book. The greatest part of having a relationship with the fan now is he or she talks back. We have 300 or 400 consumers a week who tell us what's good or bad. We do exit interviews for the first time at all of our shows. If you went to a show at Jones Beach, we'll send you an email and say, "Thank you for going. Would you like to participate in our survey? We have some ways of rewarding you if you do." Was the parking good? Did the food suck? The sightlines? How can we make it better? It has helped us immensely when it comes to understanding the fan better and making changes.

What have you learned?

Some of the complaints are small: The parking didn't work; the view was bad. We have a policy now that says not to debate them. They're right. That's a real cultural shift. There wasn't a promoter in the business that had a customer-service department before. Now we have a full department that spends every day taking care of customer complaints. They go to the management team, and I get copied on them. They have to show me on this tracking system that the complaint was solved to the customer's satisfaction. We trained all our staff this year on customer service for the first time. We created ambassadors at all of our venues so somebody on-site has full authority now to go make things right

Such as?

One venue, I think it was in Hartford, seemed to have a lot of fans complaining about the way we were directing traffic. We got that to the general manager, and he instantly changed the way we were bringing traffic in and out of the venue to speed it up. A lot of the complaints were about the lines at the beer stands. Now we walk around with beverages and hawk them so you're sitting in your seat and don't have to get up. Sounds simple, but we've got a lot of basics to fix still. We hired a team and a senior executive to really look at everything we're doing in food and beverage and how can we provide better variety and better pricing. Every city's got a famous rib place or coffeehouse or dessert place. We let them set up shop to provide better variety around their brand power instead of generic hot dogs and drinks. Believe it or not we never used to serve energy drinks. This year we cut a deal with Monster and put them all in our venues. We have the on-site upgrade now too. If you bought a lawn ticket at our amphitheater, we'll now go right on-site and say to you, "Do you want to buy an upgrade to a reserved seat if we have capacity?" If they were already invested in the day and maybe didn't know about the reserved seats or maybe it wasn't what they wanted to buy at the time, why wouldn't we make it easy for them to say, "I'm here and I'm now passionately involved and I want a better seat"?

How else do you use customer data in new ways?

We did an upgrade program called the Guest List. Because we now have a database, we were able to go in and say, "We've noticed that you haven't bought a ticket for a show in an amphitheater this summer, but you came last year. You're a valued customer and we'd like to give you one free ticket to come to a show, knowing that you're probably going to come with somebody." It was a great way of bringing back a casual buyer. We're doing more consumer segmentation. We know that the average fan went to one or two shows last year, and the avid fan went to five. We know 30% of the population attended a live show. Who are they? What's the commonality between the teens and 40-year-olds? What else do those fans want to consume? How about the fans who didn't go? Do they want to buy a copy of the live show? We just started Live Nation Studios, which turns our venues into a studio. We're wiring our 150 venues to record shows. We haven't given fans a lot of options in the past. But that's changing.

How often do you go to shows yourself?

I went to three last week when I was in New York: Shakira on Monday, the Rolling Stones on Wednesday, and Eric Clapton on Thursday. I probably go to 100 shows a year. It's truly the best place to go see my full staff. And if I'm going to talk the talk, I've got to walk it. I come in the next morning and tell my staff, "I waited too long in line" or "Why did it shut down so early?"

*

For more information visit:

www.FastCompany.com

The Note-A-Day calendar series now has a voice calendar available for 2007. Elizabeth Lavenue, an accomplished singer, performer, and teacher, has collaborated to create this 365-day compilation of tips, trivia and mini voice lessons, which are valuable for singers of all musical styles and vocal ranges.

Key features include vocal techniques, ear training lessons, musical theater exercises, audition preparation, music theory lessons, and improvisational ideas geared toward advanced beginner through professional singers.

This calendar makes a great gift for singers or voice teachers, and requires no music-reading ability.

The price is $17 for a paper-bound copy and $10 for an instant electronic copy, which will be emailed to you.

Note-a-Day Calendar for Voice
by Elizabeth Lavenue

The Note-a-Day Calendar for Voice, by Elizabeth Lavenue, can easily be purchased at her website by going to:

http://www.elizabethlavenue.com/calendar.php

There are great resources available to you as a band. If you really want to succeed with you band, use the proven methods of the professionals that use them.

Bob Baker has succeeded in the music business quite well. Bob is a writer, indie musician and former music magazine editor who is dedicated to showing musicians of all kinds how to get exposure, connect with fans, sell more CDs, and increase their incomes through their artistic passions…

For over 201 ways to promote your music, he has written a good book. It is simply called the Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook. It was even included in one of the scenes of the movie ”The School of Rock”, with Jack Black.

You make money as a musician, no matter who you are, when you sell something. And you sell things when you market them. You need to market yourself if you want to make money as a musician. If you don’t get people to your shows with an increasing number of fans, then you are not marketing. And, it is no fun playing to an empty house.

If you don’t fill the house at your gigs, then you won’t get booked at new gigs much.

Train yourself how to market your band and your products.
Get the Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook.

Buy it at:

www.bob-baker.com/af/gmmh.html

If you could only be one, which would you rather be?

A. A Rich Band
B. A Famous Band

Do you have a video of your Band performing that you can share with HowToBand.com readers? HowToBand.com currently seeks Band Videos for its first “Spotlight Band Contest”.

Please upload your video onto YouTube.com and then submit your video link to Music@HowToBand.com

Your Band Video can be basic and raw. It will be rated on:

• Band Strength of Identity
• Band Clarity of Communication (within its genre of music style)
• Band Showmanship Skill

Any style band welcome - Rock, Rap, Alternative, Punk, Jazz, Christian, Classical, or Country. All submissions due by Monday, February 26th, 2007.

If Your Band WINS the HowToBand.com Spotlight, you will get the following benefits - For One Month:

• Coverage on the HomePage of the HowToBand.com Website
• Direct links to Your Band Website or anywhere else Your Band wants to direct New Fans
• Special Exclusive Positive Articles highlighting Your Band shared throughout the Internet

REMEMBER:
Please upload your video onto YouTube.com and then submit your video link to Music@HowToBand.com. Any style band welcome. All submissions due by Monday, February 26th, 2007.

You can also submit your video links directly through the HowToBand.com Contact Form at:

http://www.howtoband.com/contact.html

The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is an international songwriting contest that began in 1997 and is open to amateur and professional songwriters who submit entries in any one of 12 categories. The JLSC is open year-round and features two Sessions. Entries will be judged on originality, melody, composition, and lyrics. Submission categories: Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, World, Rhythm & Blues, Hip Hop, Gospel/Inspirational, Latin, Electronic, Folk, and Children's. Instrumental compositions are encouraged. Submission deadline: June 15.

http://www.jlsc.com/

Approximately 150 bands and solo artists will participate in shows in venues on 6th Street in Austin, Texas. RedGorilla showcases will take place from Wednesday, March 14, to Saturday, March 17, in clubs on 6th Street, right in the heart of all the action. The event continues to be a "No Badge Required" event. It is free to attend and is open to the general public. RedGorilla Music Fest is not affiliated in any way with SXSW or South By Southwest, Inc. For more information, go to the website or call the RedGorilla office at 615-251-4920.

http://www.redgorillamusic.com