September

How Custom Jingle Production Works

Posted In: For Businesses, Marketing & Promotion, Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

One of Butler Productions’ most popular services as part of our Audio Marketing Solutions program is Custom Jingle Production for Businesses. Jingles are a great way to boost your bottom line. However, most folks are confused about how our system works.

Here’s a jingle we did for a Honda dealership in New Jersey (keep in mind, we’re in Georgia)!

If you think a jingle is right for your business, keep reading. I’ll explain how it all works.

The easiest way to get started is our Online Jingle Builder Form. It’s simply a questionnaire that asks questions like:

What type of product or service are you marketing?
What is the age of your typical customer?
What music style identifies closely with your business and customers?
What is your slogan or catch phrase?

These are just a few, but questions like these take the guesswork out of crafting the perfect jingle for your business. If a customer calls by phone, or if we visit the customer in person, we fill in the same questionnaire based on their answers. Here’s what usually happens:

If a customer wants to move forward with their jingle, they send us a $75 deposit, usually via PayPal. We compile all of the information from the questionnaire to create lyrics.
We then record a “rough proof” of the jingle with one or two instruments and a singer. This phase allows the customer to hear our direction and make any corrections before we begin full production.
Once the rough proof is approved, we begin full production. During this process, we utilize the best musicians and singers for the job to create a miniature song.
Once we’ve completed the jingle production, we email the customer a final proof, usually a watermarked, low-resolution mp3. If any minor adjustments need to be made, they’re made and re-sent to the customer. Usually the revisions are something minor, like a vocal tweak or lyric change. We allow up to three minor revisions without any additional cost.
The customer approves the production by sending the remaining balance. We make all the various edits and release the full custom jingle package to the customer.

In most cases, we never have to meet face-to-face to create the perfect jingle for a business. Sometimes, all the correspondence is done via email. We like to think we’ve honed the process down to its simplest form. If you’d like even more information about our jingles, check out our Jingle FAQ. If you’d like to get started, visit our Jingle Builder today!

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April

24

Quick Thoughts Archive from our Facebook Fan Page

Posted In: Band Management, Career Building, For Businesses, For Educators, For Worship, Marketing & Promotion, Music Theory, Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

As many of you may already know, the MusicIsMyBiz Blog also has a Facebook page. In addition to alerts when there’s new blog post or article, I also interject some “Quick Thoughts of the Day”. Some are inspirational. Some are educational. Some are simply probing questions to get you thinking. I thought it would be fun to post these here on the blog as an archive of sorts.

February 2, 2010

Thought of the day: “Lack of preparation clouds your purpose.”

February 4, 2010

Self-Reflection Question of the Day: “What’s holding you back from reaching your full potential?”

February 13, 2010

Tip for the day: Remember to spend time honing your craft. Great production work doesn’t make up for bad playing or songwriting. A pig in a dress is still a pig!

February 23, 2010

Success is your own fault! You never grow until you learn to take responsibility for your successes and your failures.

March 5, 2010

While having “a good voice and a dream” is a starting point, make no mistake; the music business isn’t at all easy. What else you got?

March 18. 2010

Thought for the day: Never assume you have arrived. You can always strive to be better. The moment you stop pushing forward is the moment you appear to be moving backward to those who are committed to forging ahead!

March 26, 2010

Don’t be disappointed when someone declines your services because they “aren’t cheap”. This just means that their needs don’t match the value of your services. Your talent, expertise, and time are valuable!

April 15, 2010

Quick thought for the day: There’s a distinct difference between the roles of manager and booking agent. Your manager should understand the workings of the music industry. He should know where “the money” comes from in music, where it goes, and how to protect yourself. If he doesn’t, he shouldn’t be your manager.

April 16, 2010

Remember that anyone who has a vested interest in your success by helping you succeed will want a return on their investment. It’s only fair, and it’s how the music biz works. If someone helps you to succeed, then he shares in your success. He’ll also have incentive to work harder for you.

April 23, 2010

Quick thought for the day: If you’re thinking about “breaking into the biz”, learn as much as you can FIRST. You don’t become a doctor without going to med school. You don’t become an auto mechanic without learning how to work on cars. So, what makes someone think they can become a songwriter or artist without lear…ning the craft AND business?

If you haven’t yet become a fan (now “like”), go ahead and do it now by going to www.facebook.com/MusicIsMyBiz! Then tell all your Facebook friends.

Do you have any Quick Thoughts you’d like to share? Post yours in in the comments section!

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April

9

The Importance of Staying Organized in the Recording Studio

Posted In: Band Management, Career Building, Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

A while back, I wrote about my efforts to make my home studio more ergonomic and my workspace more organized. Today, I want to take that concept one step further and talk about informational organization.

Right now I’m teaching a recording class at a local college, and the students’ task is to produce a song demo for a songwriter. So far, I’ve noticed the old notion that musicians are the least organized people on the face of the planet. What’s worse, is that I find that I, myself, fall into that same category when it comes to producing a project. It seems that I have to force myself to do the small organizational tasks that ultimately help increase productivity in the end.

So, I’m going to share a few organizational necessities with you guys (and gals) to help you on your next recording session. I wrote about some of these in my book, Recording Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to Producing Music, but I feel it important to go into a little detail on the blog as well.

Recording Budget

The recording budget is perhaps the most important guide in a recording project. Even if it’s a small project, a budget helps you stay on track with how much you’re spending and where the money is going. Having a detailed budget form helps you to see certain expenses that you may not have thought of, like equipment cartage or album art.

Song Arrangement Matrix

When you’ve written a song, it’s a good idea to know what your arrangement will be for that particular song before you start recording. NEVER jump into recording a song without spending a decent amount of time fleshing out your arrangement. At the very least, decide when certain instruments play or drop out. Use a song arrangement matrix, which is essentially a grid that has blocks for each song section by instrument. Shade in each section (verse, chorus, bridge, etc.) which gets played by each instrument.

Track Sheets

Track sheets are vitally important to a recording session. We’re all tempted to think that we’ll remember every detail of a recording session, like which channel is Johnny’s guitar and which one is Bill’s, or that flub the bassist made in measure 149, but the truth is we simply forget those things. It may be weeks before a song gets edited after a session. Track sheets help you keep track of those important details.

Recording Session Checklist

It happens to us all. We drive an hour and a half to the studio only to realize that we’ve forgotten our [insert vitally important item here]. Use a checklist to make sure you have all the essentials and extras that you want to have handy. Include the even the littlest things like picks, sticks, strings, batteries, and a camera.

Equipment Inventory

Similar to the checklist, be sure to make an inventory of each piece of gear that you take to the studio. Not only will you see what you need (or what you may be missing) before you leave for the studio, it will ensure you keep track of what you must take with you from the studio. After an exhaustive eight-hour session, you might not be as alert, so check your equipment against your inventory to make sure you leave with everything.

Check this out!

After falling victim to a few of the aforementioned pitfalls, and after seeing my students do the same, I’ve created package of all these necessities called The Recording Session Toolkit. Now you can have easy access to budget forms, track sheets, song arrangement matrices, checklists, and inventories all in one place. I’ve done the work for you. Simply fill them out and put them in your project notebook. I’ve even included a handy studio prep guide to help you and your band get the most mileage out of your recording studio time. Try it out. Download it before your next recording session. I guarantee it will help you get the most out of your recording project!

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February

24

A Web-based Sequencer?

Posted In: Career Building, For Educators, Recording, Reviews, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

I was searching around the ‘net today for cool tools, and I found something that I never would have thought of, a web-based sequencer. That’s exactly what I found in Soundation Studio. The interface itself looks remarkably like a cross between GarageBand and Fruity Loops. While it’s not quite as feature rich as those programs, it does boast a library of over 400 loops, three synthesizers, a drum machine, and 11 real-time effects. Best of all, it’s completely free!

Users can mix loops and utilize track automation. Once the mix is complete, simply bounce it down to a wave file. One interesting feature is the ability to host your creations as an mp3 file online and direct your friends to a specific URL. Also, you can embed your audio in much the same way you do with YouTube videos.

As a creation tool, Soundation Studio opens up worlds of opportunities. Not only does it present musicians with a place to create from anywhere in the world, any time the muse strikes, but it’s also a great introduction to the world of sequencing and loops. Soundation Studio could be used in the home or in the classroom.

Check it out. Let us know your thoughts. How could you use Soundation Studio?

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February

4

Outsourcing your Music: A Real Asset to the Indie

Posted In: Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

I’ve always been a die-hard do-it-yourself kind of guy. I like things to be done the way I want them done, so I tend to try to do everything on my own. After enough time spend trying to do everything myself, I started to reach the point of burn out. I was getting frazzled trying to complete projects, so I never seemed to get anything done. I found that, even though I could do some things decently, I still couldn’t approach the quality of having a dedicated professional do those things for me. The hardest part was being able to relinquish my control to someone else, and risk spending money on something that may not be exactly what I had in mind. But I’ve found that, even in music, outsourcing is a most valuable asset to my operation.

Outsourcing is frequently used in the business world to help get things done faster, better, and cheaper than one could do himself. On the other hand, outsourcing is rarely thought of when it comes to music. Sure, you would outsource your music to a replication house such as Discmakers, but there are other avenues to consider when it comes to completing your recording project better and faster.

Hiring a Producer. Most people hate the notion of handing their creative control over to a producer. Somehow, it’s equated with selling one’s soul to the devil. But consider this: if you’ve worked on a project for a considerable amount of time, particularly if you feel like you’ve been spinning your wheels, then a producer’s fresh ideas may just revitalize your project. If you’re starting from scratch, a good producer will help you zero in on a particular creative direction, help you stay focused, maintain organization, and generally help a project get to completion faster.

Using Session Players. Unless your specific project is a solo one-man-band album, then hiring session players highly recommended. I used to be adamantly opposed to the idea, preferring to try to play all the other parts on my own in order to save money, until I realized that hiring great, professional players only helped to make me look better. Somehow, I used to think they would make me look bad by playing better than me, but, in the end, the opposite was true. They played the parts solidly, with more feel, and faster than I could on those other instruments. Since they’re truly professional players, they know what “fits” within the context of the song, and they deliver quickly and consistently every time. Session players are a must for singer/songwriters, songwriter demos, and solo instrumentalists.

Mixing. If you’ve recorded your own music, then using a professional mixing engineer (or at the very least, one other than yourself), will breathe new life into your project. In general, a project will benefit from a fresh set of ears. As a project progresses, a person tends to develop preconceived notions — right or wrong — about how a particular mix is supposed to sound. A pro engineer will invariably help you maximize your sonic possibilities with new ideas and techniques.

Mastering. If there’s only one area you can afford to outsource, make it mastering. In fact, you can’t afford not to have your project professionally mastered. Mastering is the final step before pressing and release. In essence, makes your program “radio ready” with the use of compression, limiting and equalization. Mastering is what helps your recording to sonically compete on a professional level. Most importantly, however, it is conducted in a finely-tuned, acoustically treated room. Not only is it a good idea to master your project, but it’s best to have it be performed by someone other than the mix engineer. Here again, a different set of ears will do wonders for improving the overall quality of your recording project.

I know most “Indies” are staunch do-it-yourselfers. I also know outsourcing may cost a little more up front. But I also know it will help you get your recording project done faster and at a higher quality, with less stress than taking it all on yourself. That will, in turn, make your fans more likely to buy your music. Happy recording!

For your next project, let Butler Productions help you with your audio outsourcing with recording and production services, session players for your tracks, or disc duplication.

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January

25

My 50th on My 30th

Posted In: Band Management, Career Building, For Businesses, For Educators, For Worship, Marketing & Promotion, Music Theory, Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

Today marks two milestones. First, I turn 30 today. Second, it’s our 50th blog post!

I don’t really feel like I’m “in my thirties”. Looking back, I did achieve one of my major goals of owning my own business and working for myself while still in my twenties. I’m so blessed that I get to do what I love–making music–for a living (sometimes in my pajamas). I like being able to say that I’m an author, musician, and an entrepreneur. More than that, I love being able to help others down that same path with the MusicIsMyBiz blog, classes, seminars, and books. Life is good.

So, this marks our 50th blog post! It’s been my goal to create a place where aspiring musicians can go for information about the music business. It’s a place where teachers and business owners can learn how to use audio to improve their productivity and achieve their goals. It’s a place where churches and ministries can learn how go grow, improve, and protect themselves when it comes to music and multimedia. If you use music or audio in day-to-day activities, then MusicIsMyBiz is designed for YOU.

It’s my desire that you succeed. That’s why I’m unveiling our new book on MusicIsMyBiz.com on such a day as today. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to record and produce your own music, then I’ve put together the beginner’s guide, Recording Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to Producing Music. We’ll cover all the necessary information to get you started producing and recording music for yourself or for others.

Basic Acoustics
Digital Audio
Common Studio Equipment
Microphone Techniques
Recording Common Instruments
Microphone Types
Microphone Placement Techniques
Tracking a Live Band
Mixing Guidelines
Thinking Like a Producer
Chord Charts and Song Matrices
Musical Arranging
Audio Editing Principles
Introduction to the Mastering Process
Plus lots more…

As a bonus, you’ll receive the guide Home Recording Savvy: Tricks to Tracking Great Sounds at Home. Let’s face it, many times we can’t afford the luxury of a professional recording studio, especially when starting out. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get great sounds, even if you’re recording at home. With this additional guide, you will learn great tips and techniques that you can apply in the home recording environment.

If you’re a budding songwriter who wants to make your own demos, or if you’re an aspiring producer who wants to work with other artists, then this book is for you. Check it out. If you don’t think the information you learn from reading this book helps to make your recording skills better, then let me know within 30 days, and I’ll give you a refund. You’ve really got nothing to lose.

Recording Basics Ebook

$19.95 Blog readers, receive a $5.00 DISCOUNT by entering the Discount Code MIMB.

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January

23

The McTrademark and Intellectual Property Rights

Posted In: Band Management, Career Building, For Businesses, For Worship, Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

I’ve been teaching a series of seminars and classes on taking your church’s music and media ministry to the next level. We start off by focusing on “keeping it legal” by acknowledging and respecting the intellectual property rights of others. This morning on the WalletPop blog, there’s an article of a teen named Lauren McCluskey, along with another girl with Mc in her surname, who raised $30,000 for the Special Olympics with a charity concert series they called the McFest. McDonalds claimed it was infringement of their “Mc” trademark. In the December issue of Recording Magazine, another teen was sued by four record labels for illegally downloading and sharing 24 songs. The verdict after two trials? Punitive damages of 1.93 MILLION dollars. It seems like every time I pick up a magazine or turn on the computer, there’s an article dealing with an infringement case. It just serves to further remind us that INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ARE A BIG DEAL!

If you’re a songwriter, performer, or artist, those rights are a big deal to you, too. It’s how you make a living. (See our previous posts on How to Get Paid for your Music and How to Start your Own MusicPublishing Company.) If you’re a venue, church, or broadcaster, they’re also a big deal for you, as well. Understanding the rights of others, in addition to your responsibilities pertaining to those rights, ensures that you don’t get sued (if you abide by them).

The law allows Intellectual Property owners certain EXCLUSIVE rights:

To reproduce the works
To create derivative works
To distribute the works
To perform the works
To display the works

No one else can do those things (well, legally, anyway). So, then, how does a potential music user get permission to do any of those things? Licensing. You must purchase a license in order to use the music of someone else for any reason. Each potential use requires a specific license.

To have music at your venue, club, or restaurant, you need a Performance License from a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC.
To broadcast music on television, radio, or the internet, you also need a Performance License from a PRO.
To use music in a church worship setting, copy music, or display music/lyrics, you need a CCLI license from Christian Copyright License International.
To record someone else’s music onto a CD, for example a compilation, you need a Mechanical License, which can generally be obtained through the Harry Fox Agency and a Master Use License.
To record your performance of someone else’s music, for example a CD of cover tunes, you must also have a Mechanical License, but not a Master Use License.
To use someone else’s music on a video for broadcast, you would need a Broadcast License, a Synchronization License and a Master Use License. If it then goes on a CD or DVD for sale, you must add a Mechanical License.

Keep in mind that when you buy a CD, the ONLY thing you own is the little plastic disc and a License to listen to the music. You in no way own the music. You cannot copy, perform or distribute any of that music. Period. Well, unless you buy a license.

Comments? Questions? Keep ‘em comin!

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January

13

Production Perseverance: Struggling to Stay Motivated

Posted In: Career Building, Marketing & Promotion, Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

One of the most difficult aspects of being a full-time musician is staying motivated, especially when it seems that we’re not making any progress. The lack of apparent progress fools us into thinking that we’re a failure, which is a motivation killer.

For folks like me, who compose production music and create other content for a living, the biggest motivation killer is the lack of immediate results. We produce music for use in television, yet we may never know if the music gets used until months (even years in some cases) after the broadcast when we get our PRO statement in the mailbox. When you’re first starting out, though, the statements that read, “We regret to inform you…” that can suck the life right out of you. That’s when it’s hard to stay motivated.

Perhaps you’ve produced a great CD or book. Everyone you talk to thinks it’s great, and you’ve even sold a few. But, every time you walk into the garage, you’re faced with the boxes–ever present reminders that you’re not selling well.

Failures? Maybe. But within each of those “failures” lies potential success. We just need a catalyst–something that will kick start a little victory to carry us over to the next.

With production music, it’s a numbers game. So, the more you produce and “get out there”, the more likely you are to get your music placed. Let the satisfaction of seeing your catalog grow spur you on to produce more music.

In both cases, though, let your marketing motivate you. Get excited about the ways you can get your product (be it production music, a CD, a book, a blog, etc.) in front of as many people as possible. Better yet, bring them to YOU, and you’ll likely start seeing results. You can have the best product in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it.

Most importantly, CREATE! If you offer people more, your chances of success automatically increase. Nice how that works, isn’t it?!

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December

1

Produce Indie Music Videos via the Web?

Posted In: Band Management, Career Building, Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

I ran across this service today, and it piqued my interest so much that I had to share it with you guys (and gals). This service helps indie musicians produce music videos with fairly professional-looking results. The concept is so genius, I’m surprised no one has thought of it before (wish I had)!

For about $500, TuneVid.com (in association with GoodnightKiss Music) allows the indie musician or songwriter access to cameras, video editing, and production support. Basically, you set up a pre-production phone call where you craft your video’s narrative and storyboard. Then, they send you a couple of (consumer) cameras, you shoot the footage, and send it all back to TuneVid. Their editors edit your video and send you the finished product to use in your press kit, website, youtube, etc.

Here’s an example of their editing work:

This service is great for musicians on a budget or for those lacking access to editing equipment. But it does bring to mind one caveat, though: your results are only as good as YOUR camera work. So, it really pays to have an understanding of lighting, camera angles, and production techniques to yield the best results. Great editing and titles can only take a poorly shot video so far. It’s like that old saying, “You can put a pig in a dress, but it’s still a pig.” Moreover, a great video for a poorly written or recorded song is, well, pretty much a waste of money. [Here's an article on improving your songwriting skills. Also, see one of our previous posts on breaking assumptions in songwriting.]

So, if you’ve got your songwriting, recording, and camera chops down, give TuneVid a shot. If any of you guys have any past experience with TuneVid or end up using them, comment and let me know how it turns out. I’d be interested to get your feedback on the experience.

If you need help recording your song, or if you have a song that you still need a couple of tracks on, we can help! Don’t forget Butler Productions does full production demo recording as well as individual instrument sessions via the ‘net.

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November

13

Articles Update! (recent articles published by Butler Productions)

Posted In: Band Management, Career Building, Marketing & Promotion, Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

Greetings!

I wanted to make you all aware of some new articles that we’ve published elsewhere on the ‘net. Here’s a list of the most recent ones:

Other non-music related stuff:

Don’t forget to tell your friends and bookmark! As always, comments are welcome. Happy reading!

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