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GregC
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Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
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Koekepan
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 Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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I think that while this article is OK as a sort of overview piece, it does gloss over some things.
First, it's dead right about the long tail and how narrow it is. It's dead right about the rise of streaming, and the changes in licensing deals.
What it's mostly missing is that the net entertainment budget of people hasn't shifted that much. There are only so many entertainment dollars floating around, and there are many hands up to grab them. Large companies such as Apple have become very adept at being the middlemen for everyone, and dipping their buckets into the money stream - not that this is a huge difference from the days of the big studios, of course, but it does mean that playing the big market game is already rigged against you before you pick up that second-hand Les Paul with the corroded wiring.
The question that they don't really touch on is why the long tail is so pitifully thin, and the main reason is that music is a cultural touchstone; a cultural experience the value of which rises with how widely it's recognised. What new music have you heard lately? Drake? Oh man, have you heard his latest album? It's fire! FIRE! No, you don't listen to Drake, you listen to Bubbles and the Bongwater? Uh, never heard of them, man.
So what's missing here is how are Bubbles and the Bongwater doing? They might actually be very comfortably off, if their fanbase attends every show, buys every album, every t-shirt, every beanie, every ballcap, every psychedelic dildo. If you are a cult phenomenon, you can be a knobbly lump in the long tail, money-wise. In the broader cultural picture, Bubbles and the Bongwater are nobodies, but to their fans they're heroes. Something like that (on a larger scale) applies to ICP, for example.
The fact is that there are ways of making money that don't really get reflected in Spotify figures or whatever - but even if your chunk of the long tail isn't making you a big fat chunk of change, you can probably at least (with some intelligent marketing) make enough money to cover your expenses.
On every level, throughout history, artists have always depended on patrons. Independently wealthy artists just happen to have patrons who are themselves - in essence, sponsoring their own endeavours. The bigger question is how artists relate with their patrons. These days, those patrons are effectively your audience. The challenge is then to develop a strong relationship with your audience, and while shotgunning music for license all over every available medium may work, the more reliable way is to be a cult hero, if you can.
It worked out OK for the Grateful Dead.
My approach is to connect with my (small) fanbase as well as I can, while being my own sponsor. You could call it the pro-am, or semi-pro route. If one day I suddenly blow up and find myself playing a packed Madison crowd, that might change but I doubt it. |
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GregC
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Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 9451
Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
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| Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Koekepan wrote: | I think that while this article is OK as a sort of overview piece, it does gloss over some things.
First, it's dead right about the long tail and how narrow it is. It's dead right about the rise of streaming, and the changes in licensing deals.
What it's mostly missing is that the net entertainment budget of people hasn't shifted that much. There are only so many entertainment dollars floating around, and there are many hands up to grab them. Large companies such as Apple have become very adept at being the middlemen for everyone, and dipping their buckets into the money stream - not that this is a huge difference from the days of the big studios, of course, but it does mean that playing the big market game is already rigged against you before you pick up that second-hand Les Paul with the corroded wiring.
The question that they don't really touch on is why the long tail is so pitifully thin, and the main reason is that music is a cultural touchstone; a cultural experience the value of which rises with how widely it's recognised. What new music have you heard lately? Drake? Oh man, have you heard his latest album? It's fire! FIRE! No, you don't listen to Drake, you listen to Bubbles and the Bongwater? Uh, never heard of them, man.
So what's missing here is how are Bubbles and the Bongwater doing? They might actually be very comfortably off, if their fanbase attends every show, buys every album, every t-shirt, every beanie, every ballcap, every psychedelic dildo. If you are a cult phenomenon, you can be a knobbly lump in the long tail, money-wise. In the broader cultural picture, Bubbles and the Bongwater are nobodies, but to their fans they're heroes. Something like that (on a larger scale) applies to ICP, for example.
The fact is that there are ways of making money that don't really get reflected in Spotify figures or whatever - but even if your chunk of the long tail isn't making you a big fat chunk of change, you can probably at least (with some intelligent marketing) make enough money to cover your expenses.
On every level, throughout history, artists have always depended on patrons. Independently wealthy artists just happen to have patrons who are themselves - in essence, sponsoring their own endeavours. The bigger question is how artists relate with their patrons. These days, those patrons are effectively your audience. The challenge is then to develop a strong relationship with your audience, and while shotgunning music for license all over every available medium may work, the more reliable way is to be a cult hero, if you can.
It worked out OK for the Grateful Dead.
My approach is to connect with my (small) fanbase as well as I can, while being my own sponsor. You could call it the pro-am, or semi-pro route. If one day I suddenly blow up and find myself playing a packed Madison crowd, that might change but I doubt it. |
excellent post. I am no expert, mostly out of touch with the nitty gritty.
Here in CA ( not LA) I am aware of 2 somewhat local bands. A country band and a death metal band. Could not be more different, musically.
Both are totally self funded. In terms of arranging gigs or traveling to get to gigs. They completely rely on the ' gate ' . They promote strongly on Facebook to connect with their fan base and sell the CD, t-shrts, upcoming gigs, etc, etc.
They get some concert action, travel to Vegas, LA. A record promoter helps them connect with that but provides zero funds to the band.
I guess their model is similar to yours. When these 2 bands have a new CD, they knock themselves out for a few months trying to gig and promote it.
It seems like a hard way to go for what little money is made. I know the charge
is connecting with fans.
I have to bring up age and demographics. All the band members range from late 30's to early 50's.
I get the long tail metaphor. I sell stuff on Amazon and some books are notorious long tail- 5, 10, 15 yrs old. Long tail has little to do with scientific fact.
Its 99% art form. Long tail= crap shoot, etc.
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Kronos 88. MODX8
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kronoSphere
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Joined: 04 Jan 2012
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| Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 9:29 am Post subject: |
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Who today takes slowly the time to sit down in a confortable armchair and stay still, his/her eyes closed for listening to a song ??? Nobody now. No. Before, people were listening a good song because they had an intimate feeling that this was a good song, nowadays they listen to a good song because it's hype more than ever to be related, to be a part of the world marketing scene built for that song. Things change. The "lonely" dies in that perspective.
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https://www.lairdeparis.fr
Current Gear : Kronos 88 / Seaboard Rise / Triton Extreme / Sequoia / Motif Rack XS / TC Helicon voicelive rack /Awave 11 / Audio & VSTi plug-ins connected /wide touchscreen / iPad Pro 512. |
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GregC
Platinum Member
Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 9451
Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
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| Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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I think we are seeing the effect of rapid technology on every day behavior.
Or a result of the economic stress due to making a living or/and raising a family.
Folks cannot or do not have the 'time ' to sit still and read a book in the evening.
They will kill hours everyday posting on Facebook. No problem, there.
I see that with younger couples who are almost always ' too busy'.
Just observations from a codger
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Kronos 88. MODX8
Achieve your musical dreams
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Koekepan
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Joined: 27 Sep 2016
Posts: 617
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| Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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I can't really agree with the above.
On public transport you'll see lots of people with nothing but time on their hands while they wait for their stop. Some are picking at their phones, but you'll see some ostensibly listening to music.
There are lots of other times you'll see people with headphones - it really is still out there. It just isn't quite the same because time marches on. |
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