When I started out as a music producer one of the most foreign concepts was mixing. I never knew what it was all I cared about was making music. As long as it sounded good to me I was ok. But as I developed my skill set and was exposed to the artist there was something else that was missing. Knowing how to create a good mix and to make a beat that an artist can write to and his vocals fit well with the beat.
andrae
How much money you need to make music your full time career
One of the biggest misconceptions about the music industry people make is that you can’t make a living doing music. What if I told you there’s a way to make a living doing music. But before you go off and jump in you need to know how much money you need to make in order to make.
Don’t worry it’s a rather simple process you just need a pen and a piece of paper. If you are an excel savvy then you can use that as well.
What are your basic expenses
To get started there’s some basic information you’ll need. The first set is how much do you spend on average on the things to keep a roof over your head. The bare minimum necessities. These are your utilities: water and light bill. Your rent or mortgage payment and internet bill.
Why start here? This is because these are your must-have expenses outside of food. These are the things you pay before anything else.
To find these out just look at your last 3 months bill, add them up and divide it by three. This will give you the average amount you spend on each per month. This will give you a baseline figure to work with.
For example:
- Light: JA$3,000
- Water: JA$2,500
- Rent: JA$25,000
- Internet: JA$5,000
How much food do you eat per month
The next thing you need to calculate is how much money you spend on food each month. This might be hard for some if you don’t track it. What you need to know is how much money you spend on breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Anything in between like snacks and so on.
What you are doing now is besides having a roof over your head you are working out how much money you need to feed yourself and your family if you have a family.
If you’re on a special diet this should be easy because all you are doing is working out how much each item cost and having a final figure. Don’t worry if price change from time to time because this is just a basic figure to work out the final figure.
- Grocery: JA$35,000
How much money do you spend on travelling
The next thing is how much money do you spend travelling. This should include going to the studio, shows. If you drive this should be gas to put inside your car and basic maintenance monthly. If you take the bus this should include bus fare and taxi fare.
If you are making car payment leave it out of this section we’ll get to that later.
Your paper should look something like this now.
- Gas: JA$20,000
What other expenses do you have on a monthly basis
The final thing you need to write down is other expenses you have per month. This includes debt repayment, entertainment expenses, and spending. Studio time and other cost relating to investing in your music.
You can also make plans to save for the future and invest your money in other non-music related activities. If you have children this can include school-related expenses. Medical expenses. What you don’t want is to leave stuff out and you have surprises later down the road.
- Car payment: JA$ 25,000
- Studio time: JA$ 6,000
- Saving: JA$ 4,000
- School: JA$ 7,000
- Medical: JA$6,000
Calculate how much money you need to live on a daily basis
Now is the time to tally all your figures to see how much money you should be aiming for each month from music. Your page should like the table below
Expense Amount JA
Light: 3,000
Internet 5,000
Rent: 25,000
Water: 2,500
Grocery: 35,000
Gas: 20000
Car payment: 25,000
Studio time: 6000
Saving: 4,000
School: 7,000
Medical: 6000
Final: 138,500
So from the example, you’ll need JA$138,500 to live on monthly. Whatever your figure is on your sheet. This is your goal to aim for monthly to make you dream of doing music full time a reality.
How you reach that goal is up to you because there are multiple ways to reach that target. Hope this is helpful and here’s a google docs template to get you started.
One of the biggest misconceptions about the music industry people make is that you can’t make a living doing music. What if I told you there’s a way to make a living doing music. But before you go off and jump in you need to know how much money you need to make in order to make
How much money you need to make music your full time career
One of the biggest misconceptions about the music industry people make is that you can’t make a living doing music. What if I told you there’s a way to make a living doing music. But before you go off and jump in you need to know how much money you need to make in order to make.
Don’t worry it’s a rather simple process you just need a pen and a piece of paper. If you are an excel savvy then you can use that as well.
What are your basic expenses
To get started there’s some basic information you’ll need. The first set is how much do you spend on average on the things to keep a roof over your head. The bare minimum necessities. These are your utilities: water and light bill. Your rent or mortgage payment and internet bill.
Why start here? This is because these are your must-have expenses outside of food. These are the things you pay before anything else.
To find these out just look at your last 3 months bill, add them up and divide it by three. This will give you the average amount you spend on each per month. This will give you a baseline figure to work with.
For example:
- Light: JA$3,000
- Water: JA$2,500
- Rent: JA$25,000
- Internet: JA$5,000
How much food do you eat per month
The next thing you need to calculate is how much money you spend on food each month. This might be hard for some if you don’t track it. What you need to know is how much money you spend on breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Anything in between like snacks and so on.
What you are doing now is besides having a roof over your head you are working out how much money you need to feed yourself and your family if you have a family.
If you’re on a special diet this should be easy because all you are doing is working out how much each item cost and having a final figure. Don’t worry if price change from time to time because this is just a basic figure to work out the final figure.
- Grocery: JA$35,000
How much money do you spend on traveling
The next thing is how much money do you spend traveling. This should include going to the studio, shows. If you drive this should be gas to put inside your car and basic maintenance monthly. If you take the bus this should include bus fare and taxi fare.
If you are making car payment leave it out of this section we’ll get to that later.
Your paper should look something like this now.
- Gas: JA$20,000
What other expenses do you have on a monthly basis
The final thing you need to write down is other expenses you have per month. This includes debt repayment, entertainment expenses, and spending. Studio time and other cost relating to investing in your music.
You can also make plans to save for the future and invest your money in other non-music related activities. If you have children this can include school-related expenses. Medical expenses. What you don’t want is to leave stuff out and you have surprises later down the road.
Car payment: JA$ 25,000
Studio time: JA$ 6,000
Saving:JA$ 4,000
School: JA$ 7,000
Medical: JA$6,000
Calculate how much money you need to live on a daily basis
Now is the time to tally all your figures to see how much money you should be aiming for each month from music. Your page should like the table below
|
Expense
|
Amount JA
|
|
Light:
|
3,000
|
|
Internet
|
5,000
|
|
Rent:
|
25,000
|
|
Water
|
2,500
|
|
Grocery:
|
35,000
|
|
Gas:
|
20000
|
|
Car payment
|
25,000
|
|
Studio time
|
6000
|
|
Saving
|
4,000
|
|
School
|
7,000
|
|
Medical
|
6000
|
|
Final
|
138,500
|
So from the example, you’ll need JA$138,500 to live on monthly. Whatever your figure is on your sheet. This is your goal to aim for monthly to make you dream of doing music full time a reality.
How you reach that goal is up to you because there are multiple ways to reach that target.
Hope this is helpful and here’s a google docs template to get you started.
3 myths about becoming a recording artist
Have you ever wanted to become a recording artist? Have you been writing original songs but not sure what to do with them? Do you have the desire to sing your songs in front of a live audience?
Then becoming a recording artist is the next step. But with that comes some misconception that might prevent you from making that next step.
Below I share 3 myths about becoming a recording artist.
Myth #1: You won’t make any money
One of the biggest concerns you might have is how will I make money from my music. But in the modern day music industry, there are multiple ways to earn a living from being a recording artist.
Live shows
Performing live is one way to make a living as a recording artist. The more songs you have the more you would want to perform those songs for people. These present various opportunities for you to book live shows. This can be people hiring you to sing at their concert or you hosting your own shows.
How you make money from live shows, the promoter book you to perform. You get paid either from a fee upfront or a percentage from ticket sales or drink sales. This can be a lucrative way to build a career once done right.
Selling Music
The most basic way to make money from music is selling the recordings to fans. With downloads on the decline, streaming is the new way to sell music. Once your music is on available on all streaming services fans can listen whenever they want.
This is ideal because instead of one transaction your fans will listen to your songs over and over. The more they listen, the more money you make from your songs.
Teaching music
During your downtime, you can teach somebody how to play an instrument. If you’re a good vocalist you can offer vocal lessons. This will help you refine your skills as well as mentor other people to do what you do.
Music licensing
Licensing your music for movies and adverts are another way to make money from music. This will open up new doors for your songs by exposing it to new audiences. The process involves either working with an agent or through a service. WHat they will do is get the right people to pay you to use your music.
Selling merchandise
Selling T-Shirts, caps, mugs etc gives you more income as a recording artist. Your core fans will want other items you have as a collectable. This can be an upsell to your shows and other events that you perform.
Myth #2: The field is oversaturated and I won’t get noticed
To be successful as a recording artist you need a fanbase. The more fans you have the sky’s the limit. It might sound cliche but if you build your fan base and have a direct way to contact them then you have the power.
Traditional methods of promoting music might not be working like normal. However social media and the internet are making tools available to get the same results.
Some of the things you can do now include growing your youtube subscribers. Build an email list of fans. Build relationships with key bloggers and media personalities. Set up your website to promote your music.
Myth # 3: It’s very expensive to produce music
The cost to produce music has gotten cheaper. This due to the fall in the price of quality recording equipment. With that said you can build a recording studio at your home for cheap.
Having your own studio will save you time to spend time on getting your sound right. Studio time becomes cheaper. Working with a producer becomes easier because you can collaborate over the internet.
You can also find producers to work with over the internet. Even if cost is an issue you can find one to fit your budget. So instead of doing an album you can produce singles and work from there.
Conclusion
There are multiple paths to take to make it as a recording artist. Hope looking over these myths can give you hope that you can take that plunge to become a recording artist.
6 things you need to know before producing your first album
Producing an album can be a scary process if you don’t know what you are doing. It can also get expensive without looking at the bigger picture.
In this post, are 6 things to consider when producing your first album.
-
How many songs are going to put on the album
The first thing you need to determine is how many songs you want on the album. This will affect the production process as well as the final song selection. This can be decided by a number of factors.
How many songs do you plan to write before picking the final set? Will it be 15, to pick 8. 10 to pick the best 6. Or 30 – 40 songs to pick 12.
Another factor is, how long you want the album to last. 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes to an hour. You can use this to break down how many songs you will need to reach this goal. This can contribute to the overall experience for your listeners.
The final factor is how long do you plan to spend on producing the album. If your timeline is short don’t do a lot of songs. If you’re working on a longer timeline then you can do whatever you want.
-
What style of music are you going for?
This will determine how you promote your music, and the fans you want to target. A question to ask yourself is, what is the genre are you working with? Could it be reggae, hip-hop, pop, EDM, country music, soca, and others. This will help narrow your focus and make your writing process easier. It should also blend with your musical brand and sound.
Identifying the genre you are doing helps to narrow the focus for where you will perform live, and the types of events you will do to maximize on the promotional aspect.
You don’t want to perform at a reggae festival singing country music. Unless you blend country with reggae.
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Which producer(s )do you plan to work with
Now that you know what sound you’re going for, who is the best person to help you achieve that. This is the time you where you start to look for producers to work with. Not all producers are the same. Some work with specific types of music.
The other option is working with a band. If you have a band that can play the music you want you can direct them to achieve that.
The last option is buying beats. This involves purchase premade instrumentals from producers and writing and recording your songs over them.
-
Where do you plan to do the recording
Do you plan to record all the songs at home? That’s if you have a home studio. This will work if you get tracks premade or buy beats and have a home studio to do all the recording.
The next option is to rent studio time and do everything there. This can get expensive really quickly if not managed properly. But you’ll get access to a variety of equipment that the studio has. That’s if its a commercial facility.
The final option is to record everything at the producer’s studio. This is great because the cost for recording will be built into the cost to produce the song. In the long run, would work out cheaper.
-
Who is going to mix and master the album
Do you plan to work with an external engineer to mix and master the album? Well, you will have to consider costs, depending on the engineer you want to work with. the end should result in high-quality mixes. The downside is that if the engineer is well booked, chances are it may delay your project. The producer should advise you on that.
Some producers mix and master as well. So when choosing your producer, ask if they mix as well as master.
The next part of the process is choosing a mastering engineer. They will put the final touches on your album before you release the entire project for sale. Choose carefully because this will make or break your album.
-
How much money you plan to spend on producing the album
How much money do you plan to spend on the entire album? At this point, costs should be worked out. All the details like studio time to do recording, mixing and mastering and also how much the musicians charge to play the backing tracks. Look at the producer’s cost as well.
Once you know all these costs, you can decide how you will approach the album production process. It will also help to make a budget, and you should stick to it, and see where you can save money.
Conclusion
Taking the time to plan out your album can make the process easier. It will also help you save time and money, hence creating a set that best represents you.
5 alternative places to host live shows
Live performance is an important part of the marketing mix for artist. the problem sometimes though, is where to host shows. In this article I’ll share 5 different venues ideal to host your shows.
School auditoriums
Many schools have small to medium sized auditoriums, that can be used to host concerts. These spaces may be booked for tours across the country. Also, these tours are perfect for targeting music fans in that age group.
The advantage is that they already have basic facilities to host the show. This include bathrooms for patrons, a stage, back entrance, and an enclosed area to suitable for ticketing and payment traffic. Additionally They have security on campus, and you would only need to supplement their security.
Most schools have a PA system, but to ensure that the music sounds good, you will need to hire a live PA system. This takes you several steps ahead with planning, as you’ll only need to confirm the rental of the school facility. Overall, the total production cost will be cheaper, compared to when using other facilities.
Drama Performance theatres
Theatres that host plays can be another venue to host shows. These venues vary in size as well but generally, the holding capacity tend to be under 1000 persons (that’s in Jamaica).
For an intimate set up, these places can work and they already have an excellent sound system, for their performances so your only cost would be renting the facility for the evening.
The only drawback is getting the date booked during a time they don’t have performances going on. They also have an area to buy food which can also be negotiated. So if you are looking for an intimate setting for a live show consider a drama performance theatre.
Churches
Churches are another venue to host shows. These also vary in size, and the same consideration for the school auditorium, will apply. They will have basic amenities such as bathroom, parking , etc. .As for a PA system, there may be need for supporting equipment
Something to keep in mind though is that when working with churches, belief system might be a problem because not everyone will be open to renting their facilities to an outsider. Meaning someone who doesn’t share the same belief system as the church.
Sports arenas and stadiums
Sporting arenas and stadiums are on the larger side of the spectrum. They will cost a lot more money to rent, but you will have more space. This can be great for hosting larger concerts which will bring in artist with a lot of pulling power.
Eg: The promoters of Unity in the city hosted the show at Jamaica’s National Stadium on the field. Not many shows are hosted there locally, but it was a good look to see someone do it.
The size of the stadium, will determine the number of persons for the venue.
Large Car Parks
Many corporate spaces have large outdoor parking areas or fields, that can be used to host events. A Lot more is required for the planning of an event, to be hosted at that venue.
You’ll be dealing with an increased production cost. For instance, you will need a stage, live sound system, instruments, power, lighting, barriers for the backstage, security and bathroom facilities and so on.
Conclusion
This list is not conclusive, but I do hope it gave you some ideas as to various places where you can host live shows.
Instead of pitching event promoters do this
Performing live shows is very important to for your career as an artist. It will go a far way in growing your fan base and helping you earn money. But to get live shows one has to wait to get booked. Or even go out and try to convince a promoter to put you on their show.
What it if you don’t have to do that and take matters into your own hands and host a few live shows of your own. In this article I will be sharing why doing so can be an advantage.
Expose your music to other artist fans
One of the main advantage is exposing your music to other artist fans. When putting together the line up for your shows, you can book other artist that has a similar fan base to yours. This can be a way for you to cross promote your music. This will help you gain more followers and increase your earning potential. This is even great when you are trying to break into a new market.
For example, in Jamaica there is a show called Unity in the City. It is a gospel music event with a mix of local and international gospel recording artist. The promoter I believe is Jermaine Edwards. This is no confirmed but he has been on the line up of the show since it started a few years ago.
The international artist booked are from the United States of America. All signed to a major label, with a fan base worldwide. There is an advantage for the local artist sharing stage with international acts. The fans of the international artist will want to check out the music of the local other. So it’s a win win.
Promote yourself as a headliner
The next advantage to hosting your own shows is to position yourself in the market as a headliner. This is huge because you are sharing stage with headlining artist. Their name can pull people to the show and help boost your image.
When you promote the show, ensure you position yourself as a headliner. That way you will be seen as a headliner by the concert going public as well. You can give yourself a longer time to perform and expose the people to more of your songs.
Positioning yourself as a headliner, can have a huge impact on your career. More persons will want to book you for shows because they see you as a headliner. Your name can pull more persons to shows overtime.
So what this means for Jermaine Edwards and the other local artist on the show?. This can open them up to collaborations on future projects. Also position themselves as international headliners in the same light. Which will only boost their careers for the future it is a genius move and brilliant marketing.
Diversify your income
Last but not least is the diversity it gives your income. Because you are the one hosting the event and producing the show. Part of the profit goes into your pocket. Think about it, you are not only an artist but a concert promoter. This will help to boost your income in the long run.
They are other spill off effects as well. This includes boost in music sales as more persons are discovering your music. Streaming platforms make it easier for persons to listen to your music. There’s no big upfront commitment. If they like your stuff they will listen it more than once.
Unity in the City has establish their brand as a local gospel event of quality. With a quality lineup of performers and will have fans that will visit the event every year. And overtime will be able to stand on its own two feet to get even more international artist.
Conclusion
Hosting your own shows can remove the shackles of depending on promoters to book you for shows. This will put the power in your hands to grow your fan base and increase your income.
Here’s a quick way to write new songs
There is no formula to make music. But as for productivity we all need a quick way to reference ideas and jot down parts to use later down in our song arrangement. With that said creating song blocks is a sure way to do so.
Have a list of ideas
Write down a list of ideas you would want to turn into songs. This can be a great way to get stimulate the brain. If you have ideas already great you can skip to the next step.
Convert the ideas into 4 or 8 bar blocks
Why? Picture this you get an idea for a new song but have multiple concepts you want to try out. Instead of trying to pick the perfect one why not just write them all. Write concepts that can be used as a verse or chorus for that particular idea. You can mix and match them later but as long as you get your idea out in a block that can be useful. Like a four bar block that can be used as part of a verse or chorus.
How long should you spend on each block? That depends how comfortable you are with what you have. If what you have sounds good to you have you dancing in your studio forgetting everything else around. Then you know that your complete. Keep in mind that you don’t have to overcomplicate things. Get all your ideas out as quickly as possible. After that you can spend all the time in the world putting the track together.
Can this work for producers?
Yes. Start by creating a basic drum pattern to jam to get some ideas for your track. Playing to a one bar loop is kind of uninspiring. I know for me that’s kind of boring. But what if you can create an eight bar loop, complete with different drum fills to start you on your journey.
In order to move fast while creating beats is to get all your ideas out at quickly as possible. So How do you get that done? By recording in four(4) to eight(8) bar blocks.
Why? A Basic chorus is typically eight bars long. So is verse. So to get a basic sketch of what that will look like you can use this as a starting point.
So what’s so great about doing that? If you love music like I do, I want to get that next masterpiece out of my head before I lose the vibe and worse forget totally what I wanted to do.
So how do you go about getting that done? start with one section at a time. Have a basic drum track to work with. Then build around that. If you want to play a piano or guitar first to start off the session then do so. Whatever you start with is your foundation. Having a solid foundation will give you the kick you need to get started to compete the beat.
Conclusion
Working in blocks is a fast way to get your ideas down as quickly as possible. You don’t have to over complicate things just get your ideas down and edit them later into a complete song.
Creating the Perfect set list for live performance
Part of being an artist is performing live. I found this post awhile back by Wade Sutton and he explained how to design your set list. Below is some of the main points he shared to designing your set list of live performance.
Website link: http://www.rockettothestars.com/#!creating-the-perfect-set-list/c1io3
- Make a list of nine songs you perform at your shows
- Now rate each song from 1 – 5 base upon tempo.
- 5 being extremely fast and energetic
- 1 being slow emotional ballad.
- 3 would be in the middle.
- Take a look at the ratings you have done. If all of your songs have similar ratings you have major problem because your set lacks variety.
- Create moments in your set. Meaning the thing that you do that fans remember you after you finished performing. It can be anything.
- swinging from a rope while singing a particular song
- musical solo
Picking your songs in the right order
This is where you’re gonna control the emotions of your fans
- from your set list pick a song that is rated 3 for your first song
- it must be short 3:00 – 3:30 in length.
- no extended breaks or solos just get into the lyrics quickly
- this song is the icebreaker and builds relationship with your audience.
- end with a trash can ending. this is where everybody ends at the same time.
- After the song ends do a quick introduction and thanks everyone for coming. Keep it short.
- for the second song choose a song that has a 4 rating from your set list
- ensure it doesn’t sound similar to your first song. If it does people will start to tune you out.
- get into the lyrics as quickly as possible
- end with the trash can ending
- For song # 3 choose a 3 rated song.
- ensure its very catchy so people can get into it and sing along
- you can use a cover of a very popular song because it draws more people into the show
- no talking between songs
- After the songs ends thank everybody and point out that you have merchandise at the back of the room for sale. Word your free off like this:
- “I am actually giving away some of my music for free and I would love to get it out to each and every one of you here. For me to do that, I need you to go to the merch table and write down your e-mail address so I have a way to get that music to you.”
- 4th song you slow things down this is where you choose a song that is rated 2.
- this is where you ease up before bring up the energy
- 5th song is where you start to build excitement. Choose one of your stronger songs rated 3 – 3.5
- this is where you include your musical moment. something you can have fun with
- 6th song is when you increase the energy with a song rated 4 or 4.5
- choose a song you can include the audience in.
- a sing along, a call and response but it has to have a moment where the audience is having fun.
- This sets you up for thanking your fans and reminding them of your merch table and email list sign up.
- be sure to introduce yourself again for new people entering the venue. Introduce the band members as well
- 7th song this is when you slow things down. do something acoustic to create an intimate touching moment with the audience. A song rated 2 or lower is best.
- different perspective musically
- 8th song: this song should bridge the gap between the previous song and the finale.
- Thank the venue for having you and thank the audience for coming out.
- Never mention that the next song is your final song
- 9th song: This is when you break out your # 5 rating song to end with a bang.
The ultimate aim of this is to let fans enjoy your live performance and want to see you again. These tips are very helpful in planning the show to ensure this happens.