A Canadian rock band formed by six artists, Nickelback is a very well known group playing music which can be classified as Post-grunge style. One of the founder members used to work for Starbucks, the renowned coffeehouse chain, where he used to say frequently to the customers while giving back the change â?? â??here is your nickel backâ??, and the name of the band is derived from that pleasant experience.
In Canada, the band is marketed by EMI, but has signed up with Roadrunner records for business in the rest of the world. The business involves recordings, tours, related rights and trivia. The first album release of Nickelback was as far back in 1996. Thereafter the band has brought out musical albums with regularity. It is said that Nickelback is the next best thing to come out of Canada after the revered maple syrup.
The first album produced by Nickelback was Hesher in 1996. It consisted of seven tracks. Even though the band started as a country group, it has grown up and is known throughout the world for its unique style and sound. The fan base of the band is also growing day by day. The band is giving concerts in more countries than before.
Immediately after the release of Hesher, Nickelback recorded another album, Curb. It was the first full length album ever produced by the band. Then came a single, Fly, which was played on local radio stations only. Nickelback songs are unique in nature and this has helped the band to carve out a niche for itself in the world of music.
The Nickelback album called The State was released in 1998. It did not meet the expected success initially and the band tied up with EMI and Roadrunner Records for a record sum to market its songs. The State, which was re-released by EMI and Roadrunner in 2000, fetched the band a Gold certificate in both United States and Canada.
The album Silver Side Up, released in 2001, put wings into the dreams of Nickelback. The band got acceptance in the mainstream music industry field with this. A single song, â??How You Remind Meâ?? led the charts in US. The Long Road, recorded in 2003 also garnered attention and praise.
However, it was the fifth album, All the Right Reasons, which propelled Nickelback to such heights that we see today. Five songs from the album found themselves in the list of top 20 songs in the US. It should be noted here that three of these songs were charted in the top ten too. The latest album, Dark Horse, released in November 2008, has already climbed several ladders. Some of the tracks have already entered the top 100 and sales are also great.
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Intro
Marketing Tools
Resources – how to use them
Get your Legal game tight
The next step – Management
Conclusion
Everybody’s gotta work right? Upkeep on the necessities and various ‘treats’ in life. Even the pushers on the street corners or runners on push bikes at 4am say they’re ‘on the job’.
Reality is, in order to get through in life you need to have steady income. And the music world is no exception. If you want to succeed in this industry you need to have some money put aside to execute your conquest.
Yeah but L.B I know this, that’s not why I’m here. My problem is with my 9-5, studying or shift work conflicting with my music venture; I’m finding it hard to balance the two.
Before I can speak about that it’s important to go through what is needed for an independent artist to market his/herself and see how we can use resources at work and home to accomplish this.
What Marketing tools are available for an independent artist these days?
Press/PR
It a known fact that PR companies are reluctant to take on unsigned acts as usually such persons either cannot afford to pay them or they are not fully convinced you will have a successful career that they can make money from If a PR does decide to take you on, you will be expected to meet their expenses which will usually be for phone calls, printing and mailing costs.
The Internet has lowered the immediate need to have a PR company push your initial material, but there are still areas in the industry that having a well-connected PR rep will benefit immensely. However, don’t feel you’re disadvantaging yourself if you don’t hire the services of a PR rep. Remember, the more you do for yourself, the more attractive you are to the industry, so build that hype!
Website
Now unless you are well-educated in the world of Flash and HTML, producing a well put together website can be very expensive. Ranging anything from £300 – £2000. Aim to spend no higher than £500 if with Flash, and £350 without.
I can’t stress how important it is to have a website. Labels, A&Rs, Promoters and other artists take you more seriously, because (not knocking MySpace) but anyone can make a MySpace account. My 12-year-old sister has one. Also you can sell merchandise from an artist Website. MySpace should be used as an accompanying marketing tool (I’ll expand later).
Gigs
A very good list of promoters can be found in the Unsigned Guide. Think of it as Yellow Pages for the independent artist (see www.theunsignedguide.com). If you have a telephone/email at work, wisely use these tools to go through the list of promoters that can help you get a gig.
Radio Airplay
As Gigs.
Credible underground stations such as ITCH, Dejavu, Rinse etc will not be listed in the directory so Google them. Failing that; listen out to ads on their stations of ways to submit info.
Now I’ve been blessed enough to have a national release and regular radio airplay in both Australia and New Zealand, but that was through some clever marketing techniques on MySpace which I will share with you.
How to use Networking websites like MySpace efficiently.
Two songs max
When submitting demos to major labels, they usually only require demos with no more than two or three tracks with your 1st song being the strongest. Use this same line of thinking with MySpace. That way your strongest songs are on constant rotation. Remember you never know who will be listening.
Also having a small list of songs on your page also increases the number of times these songs are played, thereby making your music appear it is being listened to a lot more. Having too many songs thins out the number of plays-per-song.
Top Friends
People are placed in TF for a reason! For example, if a well known DJ has a list of top friends, investigate these persons. Find out their job role; send them a message politely asking an opinion on one of your tracks. You’ll be surprised who you find: Managers, Media reps, other big DJs. Remember, just because you don’t know them, doesn’t mean they’re not important.
HTML Comments
If you’re able to leave a HTML banner, flyer, ad – do it. Especially on pages that are regularly viewed (i.e major artists, DJs and celebs)
Message when Friend Requesting
People get FR all the time – especially your major artists, DJs and celebs. Doesn’t mean they’ll add them though, which consequently means you’re unable to advertise on their page. But you don’t need to be someone’s friend to mail them…Here is where you can use a little pro-activeness and send a brief, yet direct message asking for a professional opinion on one of your tracks. Show respect and make them feel important – especially if it’s a man. We like our egos massaged.
Get your Legal game up
The music business is called such because you can’t have one without the other. Here are a few things I advise you consider before searching for major gigs or commercial radio airplay
The PRS (Performing Rights Society) and MCPS (Mechanical Copyright Protection Society) are two of the world’s largest royalty collection societies. MCPS licenses the recording and use of music in all areas of media whilst, the PRS ensure royalties are collected when your music is being performed live infront of a listening public, and you as the artist is entitled to this money.
Membership is £100 and you can backdate your work for up to 12 months.
The Next Step – Management
Once you have your marketing and legal basics in place and interest/business begins to flourish in terms of radio airplay, CD sales and gigs (to name a few), you will begin to feel the strain of upholding both the secure job and now your new musical career.
To keep a firm grip on this momentum and help nurture and nourish this ‘baby’ that is your music career, you will need to employ the help of a manager.
Factors to consider when choosing a manager
How to get one
Factors to consider when choosing a manager
How experienced a manager is he/she?
Has he/she successfully managed other artists (not producers or songwriters)?
What is his/her background? Has he/she worked for a long time in the music industry? If so, for whom? How helpful will that experience be?
Does he/she generally have a good reputation?
Is he/she primarily a “business manager” or a “creative manager”?
If he/she currently manages other artists how long have those other artists been represented by him/her? Do those relationships appear to be successful and happy ones?
How affable is he/she? Will he/she be able to get on with, for example, the record company staff?
Where is he/she based? In London? If outside London, will that become a problem to you?
What other commitments and distractions does he/she have (both business and personal)?
How to get a manager
Do some research. Talk to your musician friends; read any relevant publications; speak to a solicitor, accountant, agent and, if you know any, people working in record companies and publishing companies; ask for recommendations. Try to attend industry networking events as you never know who you may meet. Many a manager has been chosen from such events.
In closing, try best to use your working environment to your advantage. These resources can include Email, Internet, Post, Phone etc. Now by this I don’t mean abuse the system, but if you’re giving access to resources that can help you, by all means use them within the capacity available ensuring you keep your job.
The music industry is a tough one, and can seem like a constant uphill struggle, but believe in yourself, get others to believe in you, put the work in and you will reap the benefits.
©2007 – Richard ‘L.B’ Etienne
whoislb.com
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All of us like listening to music and each one of us has an individualistic preferences. We have at times listened to the Go-Gos in a car or sang the Melody; ourselves at our graduation. We may have listened to Ode to Joy at a wedding and heard Bruce Springsteen or Madonna while in college. Even though tastes differ, each one of us listens to music and has a favorite type of music and a favorite singer or band.
Music is not only fun but also gratifying. It has a soothing effect on the listener and calms the nerves. Music touches our lives in various ways that are sometimes conspicuous and sometimes subtle. And that is the reason why it is uncommon to find someone who does not listen to any kind of music.
Dentists play music in their waiting rooms and clinics. Many operation theatres have channel music running. Drivers prefer to drive through a maze of unending traffic while listening to music and even baseball players have been known to hum along during warm-up. These days most corporate houses have unobtrusive instrumental music playing in their offices all the time. This reduces job stress.
It seems that the reason why music has a comforting effect on us is because it reminds us of the first time we heard it in our mothers womb. Thus it provides us with a sense of security and well being. Many researches have been done on the physiological aspect of music and it has been discovered that Celtic or Native American music wherein the flute dominates is most relaxing. The serotonin in the body increases with the effect of music and this provides us with a feeling of elevation. Music also is known to reduce the heart rate and increase body temperature. In fact it has also been found out that any kind of music performed in person helps to put the left and the right brain in sync. Those performing also go through a cathartic effect and get a sense of accomplishment.
There are ways in which one can enhance this effect of music. The best way to de-stress yourself is to lie back with a pair of headphones and become a part of the music. Select music that has a pace slower than 72 minutes per minute. This will ease your heartbeat and relax you. Combine music with your morning walk and you will feel doubly rejuvenated by combining the goodness of exercise and music.
Sounds of nature are music to the ears and they can have a similar effect. Sit back on the garden bench and hear the music of the birds, the cricket, the wind and the rustling leaves. You can also find the sounds of the woods or the ocean captured in a CD these days.
Choose any kind of music that you like for relaxation. It is important that you enjoy the general hum and beat of the chosen music to be able to extract the maximum benefit. In our normal lives, we tend to get too busy in our past paced lives to take enough advantage of this cathartic effect of euphony.
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Rock Band Accessories – PS3 & Xbox 360
So whether you’re totally tone deaf like me or a budding rock star you will love the new game for Xbox 360 and PS3 called Rock Band from the market leading games publisher Electronic Arts (EA).
The PS3 version launches later in the year, but the recent launch of the 360 version went down a storm and with some great accessories available you can change your living room or bedroom into a stage and treat your fans to a realistic show!
At £39.89 it’s a sensible price for a game that will last and last. I guarantee this will be a big seller at Christmas.
As for the accessories there are;
Band in a Box – £114.99 - which is a little bit steep for every gamer, but it does come with mic, hub, drum kit and guitar. Although early feedback on the hub is it is poor quality. Which is just as well there is a standalone hub, you still need the game with this kit.
Rock Band Hub – £17.89 – http://www.tgrav.com/ProductDetails.aspx?prodid=6073&catid=25 – this will link upto 4 USB devices and is therefore essential.
There are a few guitars out there for the upcoming PS3 game, but no 3rd party for the 360, so you have to buy - at £59.89
If you decide against the Band in a Box, which I strongly advise, then you need the drum kit - which retails for £69.89
A must have is the drum silencers as the sound from the hitting the drums without them is dreadful, sounds really tinny and not very rock n’ roll – only £13.89 it’s in budget – http://www.tgrav.com/ProductDetails.aspx?prodid=6095&catid=25
I am sure there will be accessories after launch and there are some others from MadCatz, but they are not match for the PDP products or the official one from EA.
Matt Holland | Gaming Specialist | www.tgrav.com
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If your band is in rehearsals, either preparing for gigging, or
practising new songs to add to your repertoire, the chances are you
will have to hire a rehearsal room. The costs of hiring a room can soon
mount up if you don’t organise your time effectively. You could be
wasting time and money going around in circles, with a growing
frustration that your band doesn’t seem to be making any progress.
The answer is to set a Schedule for your rehearsals. Without a
schedule it’s difficult to monitor progress if in fact any is made.
Disorganised rehearsals can soon turn into chaos, with everyone
throwing in ideas and playing different things at the same time. The
rehearsal is not the time for your guitarist to hone his right hand
tapping skills, or your drummer to perfect his lightning fast
paradiddles, it is valuable time for working together as a band, and
should be used as such. Band members should have their own private
schedules for practising instruments and learning new techniques.
During a rehearsal you should all be working towards the same goal and
making each other sound as good as possible. The rehearsal should never
turn into a ‘who can play the loudest’ competition.
What should your schedule consist of?
Set goals for your rehearsal times and WRITE THEM DOWN! You should
know which songs you are going to rehearse in advance. If you have
planned your strategy, you will avoid getting stuck in a rut and your
time will be used constructively. Songs you already know can be
perfected and the little nuances worked on, stamping your own identity
on cover songs and putting the finishing touches to originals.
You should make a list of ‘finished’ songs, ‘work in progress’
songs, and ‘new ideas’. As each one progresses, move it up into the
next category, thereby revising the schedule for your next rehearsal.
I would suggest starting with 2 or 3 songs you are happy and
comfortable with, simply to give the band a positive vibe to build on,
and then start work on new numbers. Set aside a certain amount of time
for each song, and then move on! Don’t waste time trying to perfect
something that just isn’t working, you can come back to it later or at
the next rehearsal. Perfect the numbers that do work, and you will see
positive results as your repertoire builds up considerably.
Always take regular breaks. Coming back to a number that wasn’t
going too well with fresh ears can often be all it needs to make a
distinct improvement. If that doesn’t help, there’s no point in
flogging a dead horse, so move it to the bottom of the list or consider
dropping the song altogether and concentrating on another one.
Work on band dynamics and expression, i.e. fast, slow, loud, and
quiet. Get your fills as tight and as fluent as possible. What you are
working on is that elusive ‘feel’ that is the hallmark of a good band.
Everybody should not only be playing his/her own instrument, but also
actively listening to the rest of the band.
Tape your rehearsal. You don’t need any fancy recording equipment -
a simple tape deck and mic will be sufficient. The idea is simply for
the band to be able to listen to their efforts afterwards. Listening to
a song while you’re not playing means you can listen more subjectively
and discuss the merits. Take notes while you listen, that way you are
already forming the schedule for the next rehearsal.
And finally, remember; you are in a band! As such, the sum of the parts should be greater than the individual contribution.
