RE: HOW CAN MUSICIANS QUIT THEIR DAY JOBS? (PHASE 2) - The most practical advice for your music career you'll hear this year!
Nice in depth and very useful article... I really need to do more merchandise even if it only usually sells during gigs and venues, it's true they can make a difference. In my case I do small illustrations and signed autographs and miniprints. I try my cds to have added value they all have a book of drawings and digital download free. It's true I need to rescue my old newsletter, still it's been quiet on gigs and most of this advice don't work well on online stores.
About rights collecting organisations I have my love-hate relations with them, though it's true they collect revenue, in my country they are so eager to do so that they do without properly scouting, so most of the time it "limit your own promotion" as you can´t grant permission easily to blogs and radios to promote your songs, they have the right "to interfere on your behalf" Even if you do a venue of your own songs, they come knocking to ask for a percentage, than then in part goes back to you... most of the time you'll end paying for your own rights to be collected and repaid back to you (minus their percentage) unless you get tv placement. Of course I register but use intellectual property, and have some of my repertoire out of their grasp.
Very useful posts.
I was a freelance musician for over a decade... sadly not now, but slowly trying to get back to it. Music industry have changed and we are trying to adapt... thus we are here, right?
Thanks for your input. The physical merchandise you offer (small illustrations and signed autographs and miniprints etc) are excellent augmented products that fans love to buy.
I think musicians need to think more along these lines that you are implementing because augmented products really sell. It has always surprised me, but then makes a lot of sense at the same time, so it can't be ignored.
My experience with rights collecting organisations has been awesome! I get great royalty payments from Australia's main performing rights association every year, which ends up making a massive difference just at a time I really need the boost. They don't have any right to interfer with granting permission for song use. It's only publishers that do that so from what you're saying I think you are meaning publishing and licensing companies, which are vastly different from (copy)rights collecting organisations like APRA (Australian Performing Rights Association, or ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers). I have had friends get majorly screwed by publishing companies with regards to getting permission to use their own songs in opportunites that come by them. That sucks.
With getting back into being a freelance professional musician living from your music, I think that you have such great talent and a very marketable niche that you will do fabulously with your transition back.
Thanks so much for this in depth comment..
:)