The Success Formula for Selling Music

This presentation by TechDirt founder Michael Masnick, featuring 280 Power Point slides in just 15 minutes, hypothesizes why Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails has been so successful.  The formula he derives is simple: Connect With Fans (CwF) + Reason To Buy (RtB) = The Business Model ($$$$)       Masnick explains his choice to study Reznor: There are many artists — famous and not so famous...

The Christmas Miracle–10 Years Later

Below are several clips from the a capella vocal group Straight Note Chaser.  Not only is the music fun, but their unlikely rise to success illustrates the power technology can play in determining success for musicians. Straight Note Chaser was formed as a group of mostly non-music majors at Indiana University, Bloomington in 1996.  Members were chosen not only for their vocal ability, but also their...

The Rule of Four

Of course!  You chose music in order to pursue meaningful and gratifying work. Sure, paying your dues and taking on a fair share of lame gigs along the way is permissible.  You might even temporarily accept a “day job” to, you know, help out with the bills. But this is all leading somewhere. Somewhere important.  Ultimately, the vast majority of your projects will be artistically fulfilling,...

This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of Success

If you have friends, students, colleagues, or family members who are musicians, why not give them a present this holiday season that helps them achieve greater professional success?  Or maybe these ideas can be added to your own wish list:              Success-Oriented Books.  This inexpensive and helpful gift can range a number of topics: music business, entrepreneurship, marketing, money...

Classical Music with Shining Eyes

In the video below, Ben Zander (conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and author of the wonderful book The Art of Possibility) presents an engaging talk/performance to a crowd of 1600.  Very few in the audience are experienced classical music enthusiasts, yet he is celebrated with an enthusiastic standing ovationby the end of this 20 minute presentation.  Zander’s vision is for a world...

Would You Trade 4 Hours for One Million Dollars?

“Would you trade four hours for $100,000?”  That’s a question I recently asked a class of musicians.  Most raised their hand.  A few wanted to know what they’d have to do.  “Nothing hard or illegal,” I assured.  Then the ante was upped.  “What about for a million dollars?”  Suddenly all hands were reaching high in excitement. What they didn’t expect—my question wasn’t simply...

Marketing Is Everything (And Everything is Marketing)

Many musicians incorrectly believe that marketing is synonymous with advertising. Therefore, when trying to increase sales of a (hopefully outstanding) product or service, they focus disproportionate attention on this promotional method. Consider the following scenarios:           An ensemble wants to attract bigger crowds to their shows.  They place ads in local newspapers. A college professor...

The Rule of Five

Many musicians despair routinely about how hard it is to succeed in this business: Things have really dried up since the economy went south.  The phone stopped ringing.  There are 500 unsold CDs in the basement collecting dust, and the damned record label fails to advertize it adequately.  A competitor adopted a gimmick, and now unfairly receives most of the work. Nobody values quality music anymore,...

The A Capella Auto

It may seem strange for us to feature a singing car on The Savvy Musician Blog.  But this commercial, by Honda, features a 60-person a capella choir performing the soundtrack.  And instead of singing, they make all kinds of wonderful and bizarre sound effects that really “drive” home the experience of this motor vehicle.  In fact, I recommend you watch the video with eyes closed upon...

Choosing the Perfect Grad School: Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at faulty assumptions that many musicians make when seeking a graduate school. So, if you decide to pursue an advanced degree in music, what question should you ask above all others?  In my opinion, this is the most important one: How will this next degree advance my life goals?    Many musicians never ponder this angle before applying to schools, let alone attempt...