January

Club Owners vs. Musicians: Motivations in the Food Service Entertainment Business

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

I received an email from a reader asking questions about the viability of live music for food service venues in today’s economy. Is live music really a smart business decision for restaurant/club owners? How can a musician make him/herself more attractive to owners? Here are my thoughts:

Choosing Wisely

In my personal opinion, choosing the right band for a venue is a vital business decision on the part of a restaurant/club owner. Every venue has its own clientele, so the entertainment needs to be tailored specifically to fit that clientele. First and foremost, the entertainment is there (in the owner’s mind) for one reason only: to keep their customers happy and present. The longer a customer stays, the more he/she is likely to purchase. I don’t have the information here, but I’ve read studies on that very topic (how much longer a customer stays with music vs. without, etc.). That attitude can become somewhat off-putting to potential musicians. However, a good entertainer knows that his/her job is to entertain. An entertainer has two bosses: the owner and the patrons. Offend either one, and you no longer have a job!

“Licensing is like Paying Twice for Music”

Perhaps the most confusing issue to owners is that of music performance licenses. I’ve run into too many club owners that try to make their musicians pay for their own licensing. Club owners need to understand that they must pay a blanket performance license (i.e. “royalties”) from Performance Rights Organizations (ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC in the United States or SOCAN in Canada). Copyright law only grants the right to perform music to the copyright holder. If a person doesn’t own the copyright to a song, then he can’t legally perform it without a license. One restaurant owner was so misguided as to refuse to allow me to play at his establishment because I’m a member of ASCAP, and that he did not allow licensed music to be played in his restaurant! [I know, right?! Let's just say he's not in business anymore.]

The confusion comes when club owners feel like they’re “paying twice” (i.e. paying to be able to have music performed, and paying for someone to perform it). That’s a valid concern; however, it’s just another cost of doing business. For example, most establishments sell alcohol. They have to pay not only for the alcohol they serve to their customers, but they also pay for a pouring license to serve it. The situation is almost identical. The problem lies in that people don’t understand how ownership of music works. In fact, where I live, restaurants must pay not only for the band, but also for a PRO license AND for an entertainment license from the local county government if there’s dancing–3 payouts to have live music!

That said, if an owner tries the illegal and unethical practice of trying to make entertainment “pay for their own license”, I usually run away as fast as I can. Those business owners are seriously misinformed or are unethical in their dealings. Either way, it rarely works out well in the end!

Live vs. “Piped-in” Music

Is there’s more money to be made in playing live music vs. piped-in music (muzak, DMX, etc.)? There’s money in both. Canned is better than nothing, according to studies, for keeping patrons at an establishment longer. Again, it depends on your establishment and your clientele. As a patron, I’m always willing to stay longer if there’s live music. In fact, I plan on it. I can’t say that everyone else is like me in that respect, but I’m sure most people are willing to stay longer for live entertainment.

As for where food service venue operators are in respect to hiring entertainment, most search for the cheapest alternative they can find, hence the rise of karaoke. Not only Karaoke entertaining for patrons, but it’s cheaper on the venue. A venue may pay a live band $600, while a KJ (Karaoke Jockey) may only charge $200. Being both a musician and a KJ, as a band member, I may make $100 for the night. I would be doubling that income as a KJ. Similarly, that’s the appeal of solo musicians like a guitarist/vocalist or a pianist/vocalist. The venue pays less than a band, the musicians make more solo than with a band, the customers are entertained, and everyone goes home happy at the end of the night.

Play it Smart (read: It’s Not About You!)

As a musician, keep in mind that you are not playing for yourself. It may benefit you to perform, but you are truly there to make the venue owner money. You make the owner money by keeping his customers there and entertained, happily buying more drinks and food. If you can do that, then you may play there again.

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December

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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