CIY is the real DIY

For the past ten to fifteen years or so the rally cry has been DIY. DO IT YOURSELF! The idea that you can do it all. There have been conferences built around the concept and the industry now embraces the idea that Artists, Songwriters, Bands Can do it all and do it themselves.

As a consultant for indie labels and emerging and indie artists, I too raised my fist in defiance that the artist do it all! But something didn't feel right. As I talked to artists, writers, etc. so many of them felt overwhelmed by the requirements of the DIY world. They realized that they didn't have all the facts. They didn't have all the knowledge. They didn't have all the resources and they didn't necessarily have all the talent. This is when I had my little epiphany. It's not about DIY. It's about CIY...Control it yourself. Many of us already knew this but it was never so clear. If we started from the CIY frame of reference, this gave us permission to NOT do it all. Now we could have no problem outsourcing. We could hire a publicist, promoters, marketing, managers, agents, assistants, etc. But at the end of the day...we made the final decisions. We received the lions share of the revenue. So the key to control is to surround yourself with a rock solid team that you can trust to go out and do the best job possible. However, if you're the controller, if you are the person making all the decisions, then you need to own that position. No more claims of "I'm just a musician", "I'm just the guitar player", "I'm just the singer", "Not my area", "Not my job". That doesn't mean you need to do everyone's job...That would be silly old DIY. No, no, no it is time to learn about the jobs, understand the motivation of each person doing the job and and hire the folks that really know the job. So get out there and be the CEO of your CIY world! .....C-Ya!

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Monetizing Music In The Free World

I just returned from the Musexpo conference . A really great conference in Los Angeles that brings in several industry folks from around the world. It's a small conference...only about 500 or so attendees, but that's what makes it so great. You can get an opportunity to talk with just about everyone there. The panels always include a great line up of industry heavyweights and this year was no different. As I listened to the opinions of folks as diverse as music industry blogger Bob Lefsetz, Manager Andy Gould, American Idol Exec. Producer Nigel Lythgoe, and a host of other music and entertainment CEO's, managers, music supervisors, etc. (for a list of panelists click here) I found a steady question arising about how to monetize the music. in other words... everyone loves music and wants music but it's a pretty big challenge as to how the creators and rights holders are going to get paid. The discussions rolled on about the questionable value of record labels for artists, physical product, the future of delivery, etc. Music Supervisors discussed the possibilities that licensing fees paid would likely decline. I know ... sounds pretty grim. HOWEVER, to overuse a great cliche ... Necessity is the Mother of Invention, the model will evolve.
There were discussions of corporate labels (i.e. being signed to a brand such as Coca Cola, etc.) This is similar to a model used in Japan where music is product driven. There are greater opportunities for licensing albeit lower fees. Physical product isn't dead but there is no question it is being challenged and having Virgin Retail close their brick and mortar stores added to the challenge. So my advice...Don't give up, remember why you do this and in the meantime stick to the plan...build fans, build your brand.