Infinite Fan Base

How many records do I need to sell to be profitable?
The number used by the records is the gold record status - 500,000 records. Why so many? The record label has to cover overhead, which is the associated costs of everything that they did to help you attain that gold status. It includes staff, […]

This model can be described as giving away your songs and then charging for a premium service.
The term was coined by Fred Wilson while describing the new models of several start-up (at the time) companies. This model has manifested itself in several ways in the music business. Both Radiohead and Trent Reznor have recently used […]

I just ran across an old guitar-playing friend on the web. His site: www.learningguitarnow.com
I had no idea he was doing this, but it is a perfect example of the type of things I talk about on this site. I am planning a review of the site, but I wanted to get the link up […]

One thing to keep in mind as you start to use the web to create your fan base.
The connectedness of the web and the ability to directly reach consumers provides limitless opportunity for the ambitious artist. On the hand, it also creates a channel of information overload for fans. Fans - both current and potential […]

Flotones.com is a social networking site allowing you to sell your music content as ringtones for your mobile phone. They also convert your album artwork to wallpaper for your mobile phone. Both the ringtone and wallpaper can be purchased directly from their site.
The service is free to sign-up. After the sign-up process, you upload your […]

I’m going to start basic here, but better safe than sorry. (Plus, I see people messing this up all the time.)
Put your url on your physical products - cd, t-shirts, promo material, media kit, banners, and at gigs. The entire point of forming an online community is getting people online. So send them to your […]

OK, pay per download isn’t exactly new. It is of course the model every single executive in the music industry is trying to force feed on consumers. This option has been discussed (and dismissed) for years, I won’t spend much time on it. I just want it on the record.
This is the iTunes model. And […]

Engaging fans are the fans that want to hear about you. They want to hear about the tour, the new album, the band, and who’s dating whom.
Enabling fans are quite different. They take their own initiative and build fan sites, create videos, and record themselves on youtube playing your songs.
As an artist, you need both […]

Finding the new and lucrative business model is the biggest question in the music community today. I don’t think there will be just one. The opportunity for several new initiatives to emerge is all around. I’m collecting information and will discuss examples from the industry on these new models, but first, let’s look at how […]

The second question I hear about blogs: What am I going to write about? (Usually, the first question I hear concerning blogs: Why do I need one of those? )
This post is about the topics for writing.
The great thing about fans is their connection with you as an artist. They’ve already drank the […]