Skent Dukes is a writer, rapper and producer from Cleveland who’s past singles that have landed him at No. 25 on Billboard magazine’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart and at No. 43 on the Hot 100 singles.
There’s been chatter from some musicians and artists that giving their fans a choice of how much to pay for their music has tremendously increased their sales. They say it works for merch too. I recently had the pleasure of witnessing this principle somewhat. In fact, I was the consumer.
A guy standing outside of a restaurant was selling a independent film he’d made. He said something to me like, “I’m a writer and director and this is my film. Can you please support me? If you don’t like the film, you can come back here and I’ll give you your money back.” I support indie artists when I can, but that day I was not trying to shell out the little cash I had on me at the time. So I said, “Sorry, I don’t have it at the moment.” Read the rest of this entry »
There was a time when you could tell if an artist walked in the room. They didn’t have to utter or speak a word. Whether it was in the style of dress, hairstyle or just vibe, you knew right a way that he or she wasn’t like the rest. Others may have believed them to be weird but this is the way it’s supposed to be with artists. They shouldn’t blend in among the masses.
I often consult with artists who have nothing that identifies them. Nothing! It’s like they all come with the same “kit”. Throw on a cap, a t-shirt, gym shoes, and they’re ready for the photo shoot. With all of the millions of people on Myspace and Facebook pushing there shit, you’re gonna have to do a little more to stand out, homie. Be different! Don’t become easily forgettable. Make a statement with your image. Kanye crafted an identity. So did T-pain, Snoop, and Lil Wayne. This gives them cult-like status. Read the rest of this entry »
Starting a label is easy. Running one…well that’s another story. Most
independent artists start record labels only to release their own, personal material. Sometimes they never go further than creating a name and logo, but at some point they feel the need to take the potential growth of the label more seriously. This involves getting licensed as a business and signing other artists. I’ll outline some of the important steps to starting a functional, indie record label.
1. Funding: You first need to figure out how you’re going to pay for the costs associated with running a label. This usually covers the recording of projects, manufacturing, marketing and promotion.
2. Your business plan: So many businesses fail because their starters don’t take the time to plan out how their business will consistently earn money or how they’ll face the many challenges of running it. Create a business plan to measure how your label will sustain itself.
Today, your security in having a long career as a successful, major artist, rests mainly on how much of a foundation you build as an independent artist. Developing a sizable fan base and creating a revenue stream as an indie, almost guarantees that you will keep artistic control over your projects, should you get signed by a major label.
In this clip, Bob Jamieson, former President and CEO of RCA Music and BMG talks about the benefits of being an independent entrepreneur.
If you enjoyed this post please comment or subscribe.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
Twitter
Facebook