Indie Bible - zankMusic.com

able to make that in sales,” he says. “If an act is based in Los Angeles, they
can look as far as San Diego and Santa Barbara. Eventually, increase the
drive time and even look at neighboring states. But, he warns, “don’t try to
do it all at once.”
N a t u r a l l y, when it comes to touring solo artists have it the easiest.
Moon, Malone and Martin only occasionally bring a full band along. “It’s a
matter of economics as well as personal dynamics,” Martin maintains.
“ Traveling in a van with five other guys can challenge your patience.” To
cut costs, Malone, who toured eight times across the country in three years,
established a network of musicians he hires in each city. “That way,” he
says, “I only have to pay them for the gig.”
Expenses on the road
If you’re a real band, expenses become a concern. Tina Broad, Bother’s
m a n a g e r, relates that their merchandise table is a critical part of their
financial success. “If we didn’t have product to sell we couldn’t do it. Our
merchandise sales (CDs and goods) have a dramatic impact on our ability
to tour. Tr a d i t i o n a l l y, we make 2 to 3 times more from our merchandise
than we do from tour guarantees or ticket sales.” Broad also advises bands
to take a serious look at their hospitality riders. “Include things that you
need (towels, water, food, backline, etc) so that you have fewer things to
deal with, and insist on a 50% deposit so that you’re not shouldering all the
cash flow until the performance check clears.”
Your bank
Touring, recordings, and merchandise obviously require money, and artists
should be ready to dip into their own pockets. Sweeney contends that if
artists aren’t willing to invest in themselves, he questions how serious they
are about a career. “However, if resources are severely limited, you just
have to start smaller and think smarter,” he says. “Find a sponsor to help
with costs. Play free shows for them and put their name on your CD. ”
Moon suggests doing your own artwork or finding a friend who’s talented.
In fact, every independent artist who is successful uses a network of
resources to help them defray costs.
Some, such as S k y w i n d, a Minneapolis band who tours over 100 days
a year and plays before 1000 or more fans, got their family and friends to
loan them seed money. Bill Berry, their manager, indicates, “Everyone got
paid back in just over a year. And since then,” he relates, “We’ve been able
to pick up sponsorships and lines of credit.” Each band member contributes
to pay off loans and, by doing this; Skywind has been able buy a van and
tour three states.
The bottom line is that you’re going to need a budget, so that you
know what you can do. Indeed, Brother’s manager, Broad advises artists to
be realistic about costs. “If you don’t know what your real expenses are,”
she informs, “ you’re going to be operating in a vacuum.”
Art meets commerce
If you want to be an independent artist who’s self-sufficient, don’t deceive
yourself: you are in business, and there are two parts to business – the legal
side and the practical side. Legally, you must protect your interests and
follow the law. Everyone agrees that you should consult with counsel when
setting things up. You may need a band contract, a business license, and an
assortment of other things that make you a legal entity.
On the practical side, keep accurate records of all your sales and
income. Sweeney informs us that you can simply pay the tax on your sales,
to obtain a verifiable record. These figures are all important if you hope to
convince anyone – including a label, a distributor or a lender – to work
with you. Indeed, Broad says it still makes her guts churn to think that
Brother neglected to register the sales from their 2001 Summer To u r. “That
was 15,000 unverifiable sales,” she sighs. “We’ve got manufacturing
records, but it’s not the same.”
Marketing & promotion
Mann contends that marketing and promotion is always a challenge,
whether you’re on a label or not. “It was my biggest cause for concern with
every deal I had,” she reports. “At least, now, I have the freedom and
control to do it the way I want.” But, when you’re independent, you have
to think outside the box. You cannot compete with the majors, so you have
to do things diff e r e n t l y.
McKeon points out, “All independent promotions must revolve
around live gigs. That has to be your focus because it’s your moneymaker.
After booking gigs, you can contact press, radio and retail.” Of all of them,
radio is usually the most difficult, but persistence pays off.
S k y w i n d ’s Berry relates that they maintained a two-year relationship
with a local station before their songs were played. “We bought advertising
time late at night because it’s cheaper and played radio events for free.
After they got to know us, they put our songs in rotation.” Sweeney
suggests attending station concerts and handing out free CDs. “It gets your
music to their audience,” he says.
Artists should also learn to cooperate with each other. Sweeney
advises, “Artists should work towards a common goal, book shows
t o g e t h e r, share expenses and even buy commercial time on cable T V. Cable
companies will sell 30-60 seconds for less than $100 and you can promote
your act on MTV. If you run a few commercials a week before your show,
you’ll see tremendous results.”
The distribution monster
Distribution is one of the biggest issues facing all independent artists. Yo u
need to stock your CDs wherever you play, but getting distribution isn’t
e a s y. For some artists, consignments may be the way to go. Many record
stores will accept your CDs on spec and if they sell, will order more. “Yo u
might start with only 10-20 in a store, but if they move the orders will
increase,” Martin explains. “The only problem with consignment is that
you have to keep on top of it on a regular basis.”
Other artists, like Nashville songwriter, Hal Bynum, have found
alternative markets. He reveals, “I’ve been a songwriter for 50 years, and
i t ’s still not easy to get distribution.” So, Bynum created a unique package
– a book and CD – that Barnes & Noble will carry. “I agreed to make instore
appearances and they agreed to promote me.”
Start an organization or join one
Some artists set up their own organization. With the help of her New Yo r k
m a n a g e r, Michael Hausman, Aimee Mann founded “United Musicians,” a
sort of cooperative for artists. Hausman explains, “We found that
distributors don’t like to work with a single artist. They want product every
few months, so we set up United Musicians for other artists who may be in
the same boat. R . E . D . agreed to distribute our records and we’re sharing
our contacts with artists.”
If you’re not quite to that stage yet, there are services to meet your
needs. The independent network is full of companies that cater to
independent artists, and one of the newest and most intriguing is 101
D i s t r i b u t i o n. Damon Evans, 101’s executive director, describes his
company as an alternative solution to traditional distribution. “We service
over 2100 retail stores across the country and into Europe.” Essentially,
101 take the work out of consignments. They give stores product on
consignment, collect revenue and pay artists every 30 days. Their split with
artists is generous (70-80% of wholesale) and they will handle promotions
and marketing, unlike other distributors.
The ultimate reward
Of course, for some, whose music may not be mainstream, independence is
their only choice; while for others it’s by design. But, regardless of whether
you’re a maverick or an act still seeking a deal, the same rules apply. If you
want success, you have to work for it. While DIY may be a lot of work, it
can be very rewarding. “It is time consuming and takes a lot of patience
but,” Gilli Moon concludes, “ there’s nothing quite like having control over
your own destiny. You can be as big or as small as you want and go at your
own pace.”
Ten steps to success for the independent artist
(All the artists profiled are self-sufficient. They make a living “solely” with
their music. This list was compiled from their interv i e w s . )
1 . Believe in yourself
You must believe in yourself. Realize that you don’t need a label to be
a success. Don’t be egotistical, but be confident. Be optimistic –
believe you are good enough and can get what you want. If you don’t
have faith in yourself – no one else will.
2 . Be re a l i s t i c
Do research – Get objective opinions - Identify your market. Know
that you’re going to have to tour. Know when to ask for help. A c c e p t