Metadata aka 'who the heck is this?'

(photo via jm3)

Metadata is (loosely, and applied to music) the information in a digital music file. It is data that is used "to enhance access and usage of content and provide information that computers are not yet able to interpret". It often identifies the artist, track title and album, but also can contain release artwork, genre, BPM, web links and anything else you would like the listener to know.

So, in the current climate where people share digital music and there is no telling where your latest track may end up....... why are so few artists adding metadata? Who is "Unknown Artist"? What is "Track 01"?

I am not entirely excluded from this, it took me a while of sending out badly-labeled mp3s to realise (discovering TuneUp helped me wake up to the issue). Promos I receive from labels are often full of information, ones from individual producers, far less so. As an independent artist, you should use this opportunity to share your contact info with the listener. Now, when I send out promos for my single track releases (as is often the case in dance music), I have taken to adding my email address within the 'album' field. Simple, and yet very effective if anyone new ends up with my track and wants to find out more. No label artwork for your unsigned cover song? How about a cool shot from the band's last live gig? How about a list of tour dates? How about a phrase such as 'free music at our website', and offering some free and some purchasable music at said site?

Here's the thing: People will go on P2P and torrent sites and download copies of your music for free. If you are the one posting high-quality files with full artwork, tour dates and links to buy the album on 12-inch LP, then yours are the files that will end up in the hands of music fans. At least with all the correct information at hand, they can make an informed decision about if they wish to contribute to your revenue stream in future.

Not only that, but if you are sending digital music to a radio station or magazine, and they download and open the music file, whilst simultaneously deleting your emaill and losing your Electronic Press Kit, they still know who the heck you are!


Lee Jarvis.

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Press Kits - Who, What, When, Where, and How?

(Photo via smart went crazy)

Press Kits can be amazing. They can also be amazingly bad, or amazingly useless. To ensure you don't fall into the two latter categories, I thought I would share some basic information and advice.

WHO

Everyone from an individual acoustic artist, to a 49-piece orchestra, to a live event promoter, to a record label should develop a press kit to aid their promotional efforts and business deals.

WHAT

Content
There are many different elements you can add to a music press kit. Not all of them will be needed for every occasion, some will be situation specific. As Bob Baker says, "your goal should be to send only what is necessary and needed to accomplish your promotion objectives."

Break your content down into these four areas:
• Text : Biography, Discography, Press Releases, Fact Sheet, Tour Dates, Song List, Equipment List, Famous Quotes / Endorsements, and more.
• Images : Professional Photos, Live Performance Photos, Press Clippings, and more. Images should all be hi- and lo-res, for either print or web.
• Audio : CD albums, Limited edition 7-inch coloured vinyl, Low bitrate mp3s for quick streaming, High bitrate audio files for download, and more.
• Video : DVDs, Music Video, Live Performance Video, Behind The Scenes Footage, Interview Footage, and more.
• Additional Inserts : USB Flash drives, T-shirts, coffee mugs, candy bars, pop-up storybook, or other RELATED items.

Theme
Having an inventive theme to your press kit and promotional material is a way to make it unique and stand out. A style or gimmick that suits the artist's music and image won't hurt at all, as long as any theme is related and appropriate! A record label for kids music? Think colourful, jack-in-the-box, cartoon animation, and Hello Kitty bubblegum style decoration. Chicago goth-metal band? Think stormy, unicolour city skyline images, sharp fonts, and blood-stains across your bio. Do not try and fuse the two.

WHEN
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Bad Publicity?

(Photo via Chrisjohnbeckett)

No such thing, right? Often, even bad press is good news.

Browsing through music website Resident Advisor recently, I stumbled into the 'New Singles Review' area, and found an artist I generally liked, with a pretty bad review. It kicked off with "Whether or not a rehash of someone else's work is deserving of review is debatable." The review inspired 80 comments in three days (average for the site is anything from 2-20, depending on preceding reputation.) The comments ranged from disagreement ("track of the year so far"), to outrage, to confusion, to agreement ("total garbage"), to death threats (well, nearly, they are a feisty bunch at RA) to the profound "makes my nips hard".

Ultimately a LOT of people wanted to know what the fuss was all about; whatever your previous views on the artist at review (if any), you want to listen to the tracks at question and have your say. And now, by reading this, you want to listen to the track and figure out what the hell is going on... well there you go. There's no such thing as bad publicity (Disclaimer: in this case.)

Don't be put out next time you earn a bad review.

Soul Clap - R&B Edits

(Resident Advisor review)


Lee Jarvis.

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Chicago Promoters' Ordinance Kills Independent Music

The good people of JaGoFF spend a lot of time on worthy causes. Over the last couple of years, Chicago has been under threat of an ill-conceived 'Chicago Promoters' Ordinance' and the JaGoFF crew have been raising awareness, pointing out the huge holes an ridiculous impact it would have. This Promoters' Ordinance, if passed into law, would effectively "drop a bomb on Chicago's independent music community, if not nuke it entirely." according to Jim DeRogatis at the Chicago Sun-Times.

To break it down:
*You would be required to submit to fingerprinting and background checks.
*If approved, you would be required to purchase a renewable license for $500 - $2000, even when working with a fully licensed venue.
*You must acquire $300,000 in liability insurance, even if working with a fully insured venue.
*You must notify chief of police seven days prior to event.
*The definition of "promoter" is vague and open to wide interpretation.
*The Ordinance targets the little guy while providing a big business exemption.

Although the Ordinance has currently been tabled, that does not mean it has disappeared; it can rear it's ugly head in a mutated form at any time. It has also inspired Philadelphia to try and construct an equally-ridiculous set of rules that will crush the independent creative community.

JaGoFF have filmed a documentary to prove it. Do yourself and everyone a favor - Watch it, embed it, download it, share it... DO SOMETHING about it.



The Chicago Promoters' Ordinance Kills Independent Music: A Documentary from the Street.
Part 01 of 07 (Head to The Record Industry's Youtube Channel for all seven parts)

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Creative Networking at Music Events

(Photo via Orin Zebest)

I've been to a couple of large music festivals in the last few months - first there was the Miami Winter Music Conference, and recently the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. Both were great places to meet up with old colleagues, DJ / producer / performing peers, and establish new contacts.

This got me thinking about networking among musicians. Such events are often spread across several days, and between the seas of new faces and wads of business cards, it can all get a bit confusing. Don't do what I did in Miami: When people ask "What are you working on now?", you say, "erm... I've nearly finished an EP and it is kinda pitched down but deep and like 80s influenced but still dubby and groovy". Take CDs, or USB sticks, or free download cards. You want to go, "BAM. Here's where I'm at, what I sound like and how you can find more of me". Being organised (unlike myself) and having something slightly different to give out on your travels will often go a long way. One of the best examples I saw of this was from house music DJ/ Producer Joshua Iz, who printed out specific cards for the Miami event. Giving your potential collaborators or consumers an extra reason to hold on to them is a smart move too...


Exhibit one...
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DEMF 2010 in Photos

This past weekend I hit the road to Detroit to check out the 10th year of the Electronic Music Festival. Now going by the name of 'Movement', the event is three days of electronic techno goodness. All photos (c) Lee Jarvis. All Rights Reserved.

DAY 1


Jamie Jones

..
Theo Parrish // Matthew and Richie Hawtin // Josh Wink


Plastikman

..
Plastikman // Plastikman //Plastikman

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Lee J the DJ Apr'10 - Deep House, Presentations and Clouds

April kicked off with a gig here in Chicago - Mi Casa Su Casa @ Between Lounge. Giom and Mes were here on tour from London and San Fran, and so they came along to hang out. Very cool night, i played it nice and deep and techy, after some great music from Greg K. Hope to be back there again, I love that vibe and that sound.



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Change in the Music Industry

The digital revolution and the internet age have flipped many industries on their head, but, arguably, the music business is feeling the effects the most.

How to summarise the change in the music industry? I has become immensely complicated, fragmented, and involves huge amounts of hard work. It may have involved a lot of time an energy in the past, but it used to be relatively simple; you formed a band, you get signed, your label gets AM/FM airplay, you go on tour, and people went out and bought your records. That was pretty much it for about 50 years; it was spelled out for you. Fail any of those and you fall back (at least) one step in the process and (hopefully) try again.

None of that stands today. There is no 'way' to make it. There isn't really a 'make it' anymore. 'Making it' will likely consist of selling a few thousands items that are a sideline to recording music, and simply earning a living doing something that you enjoy.

A band can / should / needs to consist of a web designer, graphic artist, marketing graduate, VC investor, manager, creative director, technology advocate and more. Without being signed you need to organise your own recording session, production and distribution, online and offline marketing strategies, photography & video sessions, press interviews and reviews, design, manufacture and sell merchandise, establish venue and promoter contacts, publish gig information, and hire any outside help with any of the above areas. You should still try to get AM/FM airplay, but also internet radio play, podcast inclusions, music blog recommendations, LastFM/Spotify/Myspace Music plays, DJ chart positions and more. Oh, and by the way.....

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The Future of Music is Primal

(Photo via See-ming Lee 李思明 SML)

Is music returning to its roots of being a non-recording based culture?

The primal idea of music was a as participatory experience; there was no production and no punter, people joined in with chanting, clapping, percussion and dancing. It was shared freely and willingly taught. It was meant for as many people to enjoy as possible. Today, with the aid of all kinds of technology, more people in more places are listening to and enjoying more music than ever before, and for that we should be happy and seek possibilities within this.

The way that modern indie artists relate to this, is touring. Being able to share a musical experience with an artist rather than obtaining 'just another disposable digital file' is becoming more valuable. Personal interaction and genuine emotion is a big part of a fan-artist relationship, and while it may not be exactly the 'get up and join in' tribal experience of old (obviously having 250 people on stage is a bit manic), the most successful shows are the ones that replicate this the closest. A performance where a sax player weaves through the dancefloor, adding flurries and sharing smiles, surely sound like a good time.

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Independent Record Store Day: this weekend, Sat 17th April 2010

Artists, stores and communities are putting together all kinds of packages and treats for this year's Independent Record Store Day, from limited pressings of coloured 12" Vinyl, to CDs of live shows, to special edition T-shirts, to full-on in-store parties and more.



I've spelled out how I feel about Saving the Record Store; I truly love them. And as the trailer above and forthcoming film shows, they have had a rough time in this new digital-driven world. They are fighting back, with various plans of attack, and with varying results.

Features such as the (kinda) recent Lost My Dog 'Connect' event at Swag Records in London are an interesting take, using independent artists and labels to unite and draw in a switched on crowd that want to meet, network and just chill with some of the music creators, distributors, retailers and generally be a supportive part of the music scene.

Here in Chicago, Gramaphone Records have tried to expand their vinyl junkie customer base by reaching out directly to independent artists on the rise and trying to work a deal for them to sell CDs of their digital work in the store. They also have an amazing collection of hard to find, highly desirable vinyl from the past 4 decades and a good website alongside, attracting attention of online buyers from across the globe. Also worth noting - they have announced that they are discounting all vinyl by $2 on Independent Record Store Day - a decent saving, so that you can now either buy six records for the normal price of five, or you can buy Michael a much deserved beer next time you see him ;)

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