Looking for direction... probably "music production", not sure...

[BrianT]

This may be a total waste of time but I have this idea in my head that I want to take my music to a new level.

I have played for years... decades... over half a century. I can play. I've messed with various recording techniques over the years, from tape to digital and can put out a decent sounding recording.

What I don't know is how to take it beyond just a casual mention on YouTube or Facebook and actually have a possibility of getting some of what I play out there for a wider audience. No, I don't expect to get rich. I actually expect very little, other than perhaps enough to cover the expenses of doing it.

I don't have much "original" music at this point, perhaps one or two tunes. Most of what I do would be considered "jazz standards" and would likely not go beyond keyboard all that far, perhaps some limited arrangements for 3 or 4 or 5 piece. So mostly not my own tunes. Some would be public domain stuff, some wouldn't.

There are a half dozen people I could reach out to right now that would "get it all done for me"... at a cost ($$ca-ching, $$ca-ching). I've heard of people who create their own label but are usually doing their own stuff.

Honestly, I don't know how to get through all of the business / legal stuff and feel like it's covered decently. Even when I perform live, I'm just small potatoes. But IF something should happen to be a hit and start getting some traction (probably by accident), I don't wanna be caught by finding out that "if I'd just done xxxx", I'd be making a great paycheck, but since I didn't, I get nothing.

Anybody know where to point me to learn?

(There might be the potential of doing some studio work for other people but that's not my primary focus at this point. I figure if I can do it for myself, I can use that as a platform to go further for someone else if I happen to like that part of it and want to.)

 

[happyrat1]

It's a multimedia world out there. You could compose a thousand songs but unless you release them as multimedia these days, chances are nobody will hear them.

You could sign up for itunes or spotify and watch your tunes wither away into obscurity without so much as a glance. Or you could teach yourself video production techniques and explore the world of youtube and tiiktok and instagram.

Nothing works without shameless self promotion. To get your audience you have to excite them every time and be consistent and blow your own horn on whatever social media you frequent.

Or you could just luck into association with an artsy crowd and pick up commissions piggybacked on others' works.

There's no "Right way" to achieve fame. Norma Jean sat around in Schwab's Drugstore for some time before she was "discovered."

In the meantime, keep putting in the solid work and teach yourself the technology of modern music along the way.

Someone, somewhen will finally take notice someday.

 

[happyrat1]

And worry about selling your sh*t only once you have customers.

An agent or agency at this point will only cloud the issue and. make you poorer.

There's plenty of free legal advice on Youtube on how to set up your own production company and market your merch online but half of it is a scam and the other half is above any musician's pay grade.

If you ever manage to reach 100,000 followers on Youtube, THEN talk to an entertainment lawyer.

 

[BrianT]

Thanks for the thoughts!

Yeah... I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I start pokin' through legaleeze websites and copyright laws spelled out to the nth degree.

I think I have like 18 followers on YouTube right now but haven't really done it for anything other than just sharing with a few close friends. Have heard that YouTube is probably one of the better platforms to push these days as obviously very few people are buying cassette tapes these days. I used to think "I'll make a CD one of these days" and now I think most people would look at me with a blank look on their face and say, "What's a CD?"

Have been part of a jazz trio for the past couple of years. That's come to an abrupt halt. At about 1:30am this morning, our leader / drummer passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly. So the mind is swirling and "what do I do now?" keeps rolling around. Upcoming gigs have been cancelled. The other guy in the trio already does his own thing solo and doesn't need me at all. So that's a bit of where it's coming from.

To top it off, I'm probably in a genre that only appeals to about 1/2 of 1% of the population, mostly jazz standards. Well, maybe the percentage is a little more than that, not much. I do have the capacity to roll that over into the "light jazz / gospel" kinda genre (if there is such a thing) as I can do that really well. Might add the other 1/2 of 1% to bring it up to 1% LOL! I know other genres are "where it's at". Would probably not continue playing if going that far out of my style.

Anyway, scattered thoughts today. Sorry about that. I'll keep poking around the internet and learn what I can. My wife says "please don't stop playing". I'm sure the drummer / leader would say that, too.

Thanks again for the reply. Appreciate it.

 

[happyrat1]

Tip. >>>. Youtube gets 3,000,000,000 searches per day. Choose your titles wisely.

 

[Old No7]

No, I don't expect to get rich. I actually expect very little, other than perhaps enough to cover the expenses of doing it.

Well, it's a good start that you set that expectation low, as this info (image below) supports your first statement.

Word to the wise...
Watch out for some who may hear your story and assess your interests, and then "promise you the world" for a percentage plus expenses -- which sounds pretty reasonable. But while the % might be fixed, just watch all their expenses pile up... $5 per page for a photocopy, $10.00 per page for a fax, or $15 per page to convert to PDF and email it, $50.00 per half hour to take your phone call, plus $150.00 per hour for music consulting (to others, and always done "on your behalf" -- yet done without your approval). A musician friend of mine from UMass got royally scr*wed over by such an arrangement 'cause he was too eager and naive and set no limits on the expenses or his need to give approval of them in advance. After 2 years, I think he netted maybe only 15% of the gross from all his efforts -- while at the start he was expecting to get something around 70%.

Be careful, learn all you can, trust but verify, get multiple quotes on everything, but overall -- make it FUN and emotionally & personally rewarding for you since the $$ expectations are expected to be low.

Oh, and that's some good info from Gary up above, as always. And don't stop playing.

Old No7

 

[happyrat1]

Basically if you got into music for the. money, Try Brain Surgery instead

If you don't do it for love of music, you're in the wrong business.

 

[BrianT]

Thanks, guys.

The whole world of "online music" is kinda new to me, other than listening to some YouTube videos. My whole musical thing up to this point is about 99.9% live and in person, gigging being the most appropriate word to describe it. And that has made me a little $, not a lot. It's paid expenses and gotten me some pocket money. And I'm good with that. I'm guessing that I could pick up a few solo gigs here and there and perhaps make a little more pocket money. That's not out of the question. (I'm not in a great target-rich environment for what I do, though.)

I wouldn't say I wouldn't like some money, who wouldn't?! But actually needing it, not so much. But I also can't afford to just throw around large amounts of money and still remain solvent. I'm getting older (yeah, I qualify for AARP and a few others) and don't have time to start a new career as a brain surgeon or whatever the hot field of the day is. More days in the rear view mirror than in the windshield these days so doin' something super stupid financially... well... I may not be able to recover from that.

Have been reading about companies like LANDR, DistroKid, CD Baby and similar and wondering if that may be my ticket to taking that step into cyberland, not sure. Still reading and learning.

 

[happyrat1]

Here's my take on it.

I'll probably never earn cab fare from my tunes, but I'm building a portfolio of works which could possibly live far beyond my lifetime and perhaps bring a little capital to my descendants.

I see it as a my own meagre contribution to the musical history of mankind and a possible windfall for my only surviving heir.

Plenty of jazz standards and musical theatre staples from the past century are still actively licensed today.

In the meantime, hang on to your copyrights until someone makes a decent offer. Don't sell your soul to the devil dirt cheap.

And you're kidding yourself if you think jazz is not that popular. People like Herbie Hancock, Broken Peach and Chick Corea have huge followings for their covers of old rock and blues and jazz standards. Not to mention. the respect of serious musicians everywhere.

In a world with 16 Billion ears, even micro percentages can add up quickly.

 

[happyrat1]

Plus the terms of service for Distrokid and CDbaby hold some evil sh*t about AI and sampling your work. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If they even Imagine that your listeners are bots your stuff will be banned. without recourse. Be careful how you promote your stuff on there. Check out some of the videos by actual users with experience and actual gripes about these services. The pay scales for established artists and newcomers also are not exactly equal.

 

[BrianT]

Thanks, Gary.

I don't have anything original out there, at least not yet. There may come a time when I'll go ahead and let a tune or two out. So haven't had anything to copyright yet.

On down days like today, I do tend to underestimate the number of people who might still enjoy my particular spectrum of music. There are some out there. In a way, I feel a bit like there could be a niche for me in that when I go searching for what others might have done with a song, it's not all that uncommon for me to end up with something that's not exactly like any of them. So who knows?

Anyway, a tribute funeral song is coming... I have about a week to prepare.