March

What Else You Got?

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

Here lately, I’ve been busy recording and consulting young bands, aspiring songwriters, and singers who are eager to “break into the music business”. Besides being fairly talented, they all have one thing in common: they all have absolutely NO idea how the music industry works.

As with most of us who make music for a living, many of them think their music is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The problem lies that they’re then unwilling to take advice on how to make their music better (read: more competitive). They wrote their “baby” in a moment of inspiration. It’s gold. That’s that. This attitude is not only amateurish, but it’s childish as well. Now, I’m not saying that much of their music isn’t good, but the music business is inundated with artists, bands, and songwriters who are “just good”. To compete, you must be great. Your music must be great. Your image must be great.

Study! Before you decide to dive into the shark infested waters of the music biz, you have to know exactly what you’re getting into so you won’t get eaten alive. Okay, I exaggerate a bit. Just not much. Before you expect to have any success in anything, be it business, science, technology, medicine, etc., you must understand your particular field inside and out. That’s exactly why people seeking any particular career path go to college. Education makes sure you’re at least somewhat prepared for entering your career. Music is no different.

Know your rights. Learn how copyrights work and where your money comes from as a writer or artist. Horror stories abound of bands and artists who were taken advantage of because they were ignorant of income opportunities, or, worse yet, they signed away those rights in shady contracts.

Educate yourself on contracts. Always consult an attorney before you sign anything, but at least help yourself by being familiar with contractual “norms” and how to read them. Know that contracts are a give-and-take type of thing. You likely wont get exactly what you want out of the deal, but know that the other party should be giving up certain things as well. It’s all about compromise.

Be prepared for failure. Say this with me: “No one owes me anything.” One more time. Good, now say it a thousand more times so that it sticks. Chances are you will knock on a hundred proverbial doors before someone lets you in. You may not even be let in. Your demos WILL sit on someone’s desk (if they even make it to the desk) amid a sea of SeaDs CDs from other people. They may not get listened to. If someone likes your music, you may get a call (which could be months, or even years, down the road). Just don’t expect them to call you back if they don’t like it. They’re just too busy for that. In the Music Biz, generally no news is bad news.

It ain’t about you. I could make you say this one a thousand times, too. Unless you just rub someone the wrong way, a rejection is not personal. It’s purely a business decision. After all, we’re all participating in the music business, right? There are scores of reasons why you may face rejection. Your songwriting or singing skills may not be strong enough yet. You may not fit their image. They may already have artists on their roster that are just like you. Once you start to work with music on a professional level, music ceases to be about art and becomes a commodity. Your music and your image is solely used to make money for someone else. Then, if they make money, you can reap some of the benefits of their success. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that “you’re gonna get yours before they get theirs.” Remember, until you are making money for someone else, you have no leverage over them.

Talent can only carry you so far. You may be a fabulously talented singer or band, but if you don’t take responsibility for your own successes (or failures), then you can never expect to make it in the music industry. Your manager can’t do it for you. Your agent can’t do it for you. Your label can’t do it for you. All of these are avenues to help you succeed. In fact, don’t even go to them first. Learn to be successful without these other people, and your potential for greater success is much higher. If you’re successful on your own, these people will take notice and come to you. Then, if you feel they will help you to succeed further, make use of them. Remember, those who help you succeed are seeking their own success as well.

I don’t say any of this to scare any of you away from the music business. I am, on the other hand, saying it to scare some sense into you. Educate yourself. Prepare. Take responsibility for your successes and failures. While having “a good voice and a dream” is a good starting point, make no mistake; the music business isn’t at all easy. What else you got?

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January

Your Music Ministry: A Real-World Business Model

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

Many churches prefer not to think about it, but, like it or not, a church’s music and multimedia ministry is a part of the music and entertainment industry. If music and multimedia is a commodity for day-to-day operations, you are indeed a part of the music biz.

Anyone who is in business will tell you that you must study and analyze your competition in order to survive. In music ministry, we are in competition with the secular entertainment market. In order to draw people in and engage them, our “product” (in this case, the worship experience) must offer a viable substitute to what congregants can get anywhere else. A growth-focused contemporary church’s music, video, multimedia, and visual experience must rival what people find on the radio or at a concert–relevant and “in the now”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that worship is a concert or performance, but let’s face the facts: those things get people through your doors. Now that you’ve drawn them in, it’s the substance that’s combined with the experience that creates true relevance.

So, how can we build a vibrant and relevant music ministry? Let’s take a cue from a real-world business model, by adapting what works in the secular markets, and putting it to work to help further the Kingdom of God.

Sales and Marketing. In music ministry you’re engaged in sales and marketing. You’re basically getting someone else to “buy in” to a ministry opportunity with their time and talents. You must publicize available positions, special events, etc. If no one knows, then no one will volunteer or participate.
Human Resources. You’re also responsible for seeking the right person for the “job”. You’re saddled with the task of conducting auditions and interviews. This task is a weighty responsibility for any ministry team, because desperation to fill a given position most often results in a poor decision.
Public Relations. Your team must portray the image of your parent company, in this case, the church. This image must be exuded both inside and outside the church’s walls.
Employee Evaluation. A ministry’s responsibility is to constantly asses the work ethic, attendance, and attitude of each “employee”. Furthermore, you must assess each team member’s competency in his/her job. Are they growing and learning their instrument? Are they progressing with their musical knowledge? Can they pull their weight? Are they growing spiritually?
Legal Department. Churches all over the world break the law every week, and they don’t even know it. It’s the ministry’s moral obligation to understand intellectual property rights and the church’s legal responsibilities as it pertains to those rights. You also often deal with member contracts once players are recruited.
Maintenance and Quality Control. The ministry must supply a quality product (i.e. worship experience) each week. So, the ministry must seek out and address areas of weakness and constantly look for ways to improve.
Research and Development. Again, to compete and survive, you must analyze and learn from the competition. A ministry must learn from the most current trends and seek out ways to push forward. You must research and implement new ways to improve and become more productive. You must test ways to make your product become a viable substitute to what’s on the radio and in other entertainment.

While this is just a basic overview, there are many other parallels and lessons to draw from the business world when it comes to building a vibrant ministry team. See www.butlerproductionsmultimedia.com/seminars to bring this and similar information to your church.

Comment and tell your ministry’s Startup Story!

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